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november 18, 2015 issue 13 VOLUME CI GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Serving the San Francisco State community since 1927
Pressure bubbles as pouring rights town hall draws near LINDA KARLSSON
lkarlsso@mail.sfsu.edu
The campus community is preparing for a heated debate as students, faculty and staff get ready to meet with President Leslie E. Wong and the Pouring Rights Review Committee Thursday to discuss whether SF State should sign a pouring rights agreement. “We pride ourselves on our students’ passion and willingness to speak out on issues they care deeply
about,” Wong said in an email. “I look forward to meeting with our student community and other members of our campus community next week to hear their concerns and feedback.” The town hall meeting will take place Thursday from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Seven Hills Conference Center on campus and is open to everyone. This semester, the question of whether the University
should sign a pouring rights agreement has been a charged issue for the SF State community, sparking several protests, rallies and outreach events in opposition to the agreement. Rosie Linares, Executive Advisor of the Real Food Challenge at SF State, said that the meeting with Wong is being held in response to the recent acts of opposition. “I would argue that
the Coca Cola (and) Pepsi open forums were hardly accessible or open to the public considering they were in the Library – a designated quiet space – and tucked away on the second floor, with no public announcement from the University through email or otherwise,” Linares said in an email.
pouring rights Continued ON PAGE 2
JOEL ANGEL JUÁREZ / XPRESS
HEATED DEBATE: An inflatable blimp set up by
Real Food Challenge criticizing UCorp’s proposed exclusive pouring rights partnership with SF State Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Students voice solidarity at vigil for Paris victims RENEE ABU-ZAGHIBRA
S
MOBY HOWEIDY
rabuzagh@mail.sfsu.edu
F State senior Kareezia Younger said she was in her home, 20 minutes away from the Bataclan concert hall in Paris, when she received an alarmed phone call from her mother Friday evening. What Younger didn’t know was that Paris was besiege by the deadliest terror attack France has ever seen. “I was trying not be overly emotional, but when I saw how many people lost their lives, I cried,” Younger said. “Knowing it’s so close to me and happening now.” The Nov. 13 attacks on Paris, carried out by seven militants, killed at least 129 people and injured 352 over the course of only 30 minutes, according to a report from The Guardian. Attackers launched a coordinated series of shootings and explosions at six different locations across the French capital, the report states. While countries around the world mourned the victims, SF State held a Vigil Against Violence Tuesday for the 129 people killed in Paris, including California State University, Long Beach student Nohemi Gonzalez. President Leslie E. Wong sent out an email to the SF State community Monday to acknowledge the attacks and account for the safety of the 35 SF State students currently in France.
paris Continued ON PAGE 2
SF State joins statewide wage rally mhoweidy@mail.sfsu.edu
MELISSA MINTON / XPRESS
MOURNING: Students gather for the SF State Vigil Against Violence in Malcolm X Plaza Tuesday, Nov. 17. The vigil
is in honor of death of Cal State Long Beach student Nohemi Gonzalez and many others during the attacks in Paris Friday, Nov. 13.
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Dressed in bright red shirts reading, “I don’t want to strike but I will,” SF State faculty, students, and staff rallied in support for higher wages during the California Faculty Association’s Fight for Five campaign Tuesday. The picket was organized by faculty across all 23 California State University campuses to show solidarity with the CSU faculty who rallied at the CSU Chancellor’s office in Long Beach the same day, according to the CFA website. CSU faculty used the demonstration as a way to show CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White their commitment to fighting for what they believe is a fair 5 percent raise in salary, instead of the proposed 2 percent. Marching to the steady beat of African bongo drums at the corner of 19th and Holloway avenues, SF State picketers chanted “2 percent isn’t fair! All we want is our fair share!” CSU faculty believe that the statewide show of support for them sends a clear message to CSU administration that they are serious and will not back down from their demands, said Latino and Latina studies department Chair Alejandro Murguia. CSU administrators do not hesitate to give themselves raises, while faculty struggle to get by on low salaries, he said.
cfa Continued ON PAGE 3
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2 NEWS
Wednesday, november 18, 2015 goldengatexpress.org
paris Continued from the front
Paris tragedy touches SF State
“It will be a time when we can come together as one community and celebrate the values we share, in direct opposition to those of the perpetrators of these attacks: tolerance, understanding and peace,” Wong said in an email before the event. Younger, who is currently studying business marketing in Paris, said she and her roommate locked the doors and
Photo Courtesy of Strate-Ecole de Design Facebook Page
REMEMBERANCE: Nohemi
Gonzalez, 23, American design student at Calfornia State University, Long Beach died in the Paris attacks Nov. 13.
windows and decided to stay in for the weekend as they watched the horrific attacks unfold. That night, ambulances and helicopters could be heard for about two hours, she said. “Panic started to settle in while (I was) watching the live updates,” Younger said. The next day there was complete silence and the streets were empty, Younger said. In response to the attacks, French President Francois Hollande declared a war on terror, according to the Wall Street Journal. President Barack Obama issued a statement the day of the attacks that offered America’s services and pledged solidarity to France, which he called the country’s oldest ally. The vigil took place outside the Cesar Chavez Student Center, where candles were handed out to attendees. Mary Ann Begley, the Dean of Students, spoke about the tragedy before asking for a moment of silence. She then opened up the stage and invited attendees to share their thoughts. Joseph Miesch, a marketing major, said he felt that the message “Pray for Paris” is counterproductive because he believes that the attack was religiously motivated. “I feel so many times people are showing their support by saying ‘Pray for Paris,’ and that’s the wrong thing to do, because this was done by
MELISSA MINTON / XPRESS
TRAGEDY: Faculty and students gather for the SF State Vigil Against Violence in Malcolm X Plaza Tuesday, Nov. 17.
The vigil is in honor of death of Cal State Long Beach student Nohemi Gonzalez and many others during the attacks in Paris Friday, Nov. 13.
religious extremists, but it was religion that caused it,” Miesch said. “(The religious extremists) want to create rifts between the people in our country.” Sebastien Goigoux, a French exchange student and international business major currently studying at SF State, said he attended the vigil to honor those who died in the attacks. He is concerned about his family and friends in Paris, he said. “I was upset that I couldn’t be there, and I felt like I was on the other side of the world and unable to be there to support my family and friends,” Goigoux said. “(The French) just all want to show to those people who did these attacks that we’re still not afraid and we’re still going to live our lives.”
RYAN MCNULTY / XPRESS
STRATEGIZE: Rosie Linares, a geography major, explains the different types of food vendors on campus during a Real Food Challenge informational meeting at SF State Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Student groups demand say in soda deal pouring rights Continued from the front
“For these reasons, we demanded a public town hall with President Wong.” RFC member Celia Lobuono Gonzalez said earlier this semester that a significant
issue at SF State is the lack of shared governance. The request for proposals, which was sent to major soda brands in March, was drafted and finalized without
The Office of International Programs contacted French exchange students at SF State to make sure they were okay and to ensure their family members in France were safe, according to Begley. Students taking part in the CSU International Program are eligible for emergency medical services and security evacuation services in times of danger, such as natural disasters, kidnappings or political conflict, according to the CSU. Although the attacks have sparked questions regarding the safety of international travel, SF State currently does not have plans to change their study abroad policies, according to SF State Director of International Programs Hildy Heath. “Right now I think it’s too
the campus community’s awareness or input, she said. “It hurts. It really hurts, and I feel, we feel, that (a pouring rights agreement) goes against the strategic plan – the goals (and) the identity that SF State says it’s about,” Gonzalez, 22, said. The RFC has created an official resolution against the potential pouring rights deal at SF State, according to the group’s president, An Bui. More than 19 student organizations, as well as Associated Students, Inc., have endorsed the resolution. The text of the resolution demands that SF State stop all negotiations with major soda brands for a possible pouring rights deal. Bui, 19, said that the town hall meeting with Wong Thursday is a vital first step in achieving a united administration on campus. “RFC expects President Wong to officially stop all pouring rights negotiations indefinitely,” Bui said in an email, “and start to work with (ASI) and faculty to outline a shared governance process on campus.” According to Phoebe Dye, who is the president of ASI, students were frustrated that they had no involvement in SF State’s decision, which is why many have been protesting the possible pouring rights agreement. “The students made it clear that no one sought their input on whether or not they would even like to see pouring rights on campus, and that they would like to see all negotiations stop until such input is appropriately given,” Dye said in an email.
early to make a new policy – the incident is still very new and premature – but we do know all of our students are safe and accounted for,” Heath said. In spite of the tragedy, Marion Abonnenc, an international relations major whose home is five minutes away from the site of one of the attacks, said that the message of solidarity and unity could not be shared enough. “The main thing is to not be afraid,” Abonnenc said. “The Charlie Hebdo slogan was ‘We are not afraid,’ because that’s exactly what they want. We want unity and solidarity and love now and not violence.”
“Shared governance was lacking here, and students aren’t going to see that continue.” SF State is the only school in the California State University system currently without a pouring rights contract in place, according to a Facebook post by the RFC. Both California State University, Sacramento and California State University, East Bay have pouring rights contracts with PepsiCo Inc., according to Elisa Smith, Sacramento State’s interim director of news and communications, and Martin Castillo, Cal State East Bay’s associate vice president of student affairs. “SF State is currently evaluating whether partnering with a beverage company, which is common at many colleges and universities, would be of benefit to our campus and our students,” Wong said. “The input of our students, faculty and staff is incredibly important to this process, and as we proceed, I am committed to listening to all members of the campus community with an open mind.” Jonathan Morales, a member of the Pouring Rights Review Committee, said in an email that University officials are committed to listening to what the campus community has to say about this issue. “The committee has not met since the public presentations last month, and has been focused on making sure that all students, faculty and staff have the opportunity to provide feedback on this issue,” Morales said. “Hearing from our community is a crucial part of the committee’s evaluation, and (the) town hall meeting is a continuation of that process.”
NEWS 3
Wednesday, november 18, 2015 goldengatexpress.org cfa Continued from the front
CSU stands firm at 2 percent salary increase
QING HUANG / XPRESS
PICKET: Faculty
members, organized by CFA, march on the sidewalk of 19th Avenue during the protest for higher wages during the California Faculty Association’s Fight for Five at SF State Tuesday, Nov. 17.
“The backbone of the CSU system is the faculty,” Murguia said. ”They’re the ones on the ground, in the trenches, teaching our students. The trustees, the chancellors and the presidents of the universities always have the money to give themselves raises every single year, no matter what the conditions of the campuses are, no matter how low the enrollment is, no matter all the problems (faculty and students) are suffering – they always find the money to pad their own checkbook.” Faculty feel that the Chancellor’s priorities are misplaced, and as a result it’s negatively impacting the working and learning conditions for students and teachers, said SF State CFA chapter president Sheila Tully. “The Chancellor makes $422,000. He makes more than Obama,” Tully said. “His priorities are misplaced at the bargaining table. He’s not saying it’s budgetary, he’s simply saying that (administration) have other priorities. We think faculty are the heart and soul of the university; without us you don’t have a university.” CSU faculty who could not travel to Long Beach also showed their support by
attending “watch parties” where they viewed a live stream of the rally and march outside the Chancellor’s office, the CFA website said. The Nov. 17 session is one of the six yearly meetings where the board of trustees discuss issues concerning the CSU system, such as educational policy, finance, organizational rules and, most prominently, collective bargaining, according to the CSU website.
“
budget request approved by the Board of Trustees for 2015-2016 and ultimately funded by the governor and legislature. The CSU remains committed to the collective bargaining process and achieving negotiated
agreement with the California Faculty Association.” Faculty voted 94.4 percent in favor of authorizing job actions Nov. 4, such as work slowdowns or a full strike. Contract negotiations are currently in
the fact-finding stage, during which both CSU faculty and administrators present their case to a neutral panel that compiles information from both sides to create a settlement beneficial to both parties, according to CFA.
The California State University values its employees and continues to prioritize compensation while also addressing other areas that support student success.
”
-Toni Molle
“The California State University values its employees and continues to prioritize compensation while also addressing other areas that support student success,” said CSU Director of Public Affairs Toni Molle. ”CSU proposed a 2 percent salary increase for all faculty consistent with the
QING HUANG / XPRESS
RALLY: Students march on the sidewalk of 19th Avenue in support of raising higher wages for faculty on 23 California State University campuses during the California Faculty Association’s Fight for Five at SF State Tuesday, Nov. 17.
4 Lifestyle & culture
Wednesday, november 18, 2015 goldengatexpress.org
Street artists fight for expression in public spaces
O
CODY WRIGHT
crw@mail.sfsu.edu
n the north side of 19th and Holloway avenues, several large graffiti pieces were buffed off of the stone wall, leaving behind blurry streaks of blue spray paint. Just across the street, two more pieces peeked out from behind the overgrown brush. For street artists like SF State student Haidar Abu al Hasan, known by his tag, Element, expression can’t be confined to a canvas. “Graffiti’s not really for gallery,” Abu al Hasan said. “It deserves to be there, but it mainly belongs to the streets.” Abu al Hasan has been involved with street art for five years. He started in Kuwait, where he said the government is much more punitive when it comes to
ANGELICA WILLIAMS / XPRESS
TAGGED: Graffiti in the men’s bathroom in the Humanities Building Monday, Nov. 16.
graffiti. “You always have to be watching your back left and right,” Abu al Hasan said about street art in Kuwait. Large cities like San Francisco and public institutions like SF State are in a constant battle against graffiti. SF State experienced this over Halloween weekend when four walls around campus were graffitied, according to the campus crime, fire and arrest log. Chris Bennett, maintenance superintendent for SF State’s facilities and service enterprises, said vandalism involving paint, pens and etching of tags consumes between $1,600 and $1,700 in supplies and between 30 and 40 hours of work each week. To the graffiti community, the tag is an essential part of an artist’s progression, according to Abu al Hasan, who said that artists evolve through stages of graffiti beginning with tags; throw-ups, which are quick tag stencils; burners, more intricate free-hand pieces; the wild style, an exhibition of an artist’s distinct style characterized by the classic large bubble letters, and finally murals. “It’s about having the mind, passion and time to start your day at 12 a.m. and finish at 6 a.m. Why? To leave your name or their mark somewhere,” Abu al Hasan said. For maintenance management
ANGELICA WILLAMS / XPRESS
ART: Muralist David “Hyde” Cho poses for a portrait in front of his mural Asian Pacific islanders “infinite tree of life” on the side of the Cesar Chavez Student Center at SF State Thursday, Nov. 12.
specialists like Bennet, these marks have his staff working full time. “We have graffiti removers – it’s a chemical that’s environmentally friendly,” Bennett said. “If we can’t remove it, we have to paint over it. We have to take care of it right away, or else it can get out of control.” Muralist David “Hyde” Cho, who is currently restoring the Asian and Pacific Islander mural on the Cesar Chavez Center that he originally painted 13 years ago, said he is caught in the crossfires between artists and management. The divide between art and vandalism is faint, but it does exist, according to Cho. “There is a fine line, because part of the culture of graffiti is to vandalize,” Cho said. Cho, 35, has an extensive portfolio of work, which includes
the Santana Mural on 19th and Mission streets. In his own artistic maturation, he said he has progressed from vandalism to beautification. “I wanted to make things beautiful rather than just destroy,” Cho said. This kind of development is what Bennett and other officials said they would like to see. “I have no problems with murals – there is great graffiti art – but the stuff on campus is mainly vandalism,” Bennett said. Still, graffiti is a positive outlet for many people, according to Abu al Hasan. “I know a lot of people have to go clean this stuff up, but that’s just part of the game,” he said. “I try to look at the bright side now. I can apply it to shirts, help with art exhibitions – besides, there’s a lot worse things I could be doing.”
ANGELICA WILLIAMS / XPRESS
CLEAN UP: Enrique Garcia, a
painter, cleaning up the graffiti in the men’s bathroom in the Humanities Building Monday, Nov. 16.
Miss San Francisco represents city with philanthropic zeal
TYLER PRIMAS
tprimas@mail.sfsu.edu
JAMES CHAN / XPRESS
SERVICE: Felicia Stiles, SF State student and Miss San
Francisco 2015, poses for a portrait on top of the Cesar Chavez Student Center Tuesday, Nov. 17.
Volunteering at St. Anthony’s Soup Kitchen with an open heart and outstretched hands, SF State communication studies major Felicia Stiles, Miss San Francisco 2015, has a passion for performing acts of service. Stiles said that her love for San Francisco makes serving her community a rewarding experience. “It’s really an honor to represent such a great city,” Stiles said. ”Volunteering isn’t something that I see as a job or a duty – it’s more just fun.” During the talent portion of the competitions, Stiles showcases her dance skills. Stiles was initially a dance major at SF State, but said she decided to switch to communication studies because she found it to be more practical. “She gives back to the community through her passion for dance and never turns down the opportunity to serve someone in need,”
said Jane Kennedy, Stiles’ friend, fellow beauty pageant competitor and student at University of California, Santa Barbara. Stiles has competed in various pageants since she was 9 years old and said she hopes to be crowned Miss America one day. “I’m a competitive person, and since I don’t like or play sports, I’m able to be competitive on a pageant stage,” Stiles said. According to Stiles’ mother, Luz Stiles, her daughter was born with a tenacious spirit. “She was a premature baby, but still strong,” Luz Stiles said. “It was a high-risk pregnancy, and she almost lost her eye. When I was in labor, she had a gash in her eye from a knife slip during an emergency C-section operation, and she fought through it and survived.” Stiles said her relentlessness, conviction and appetite for competition fuels everything she does. Being one of the few people of color in high school,
Stiles said she faced many problems on her own. “I told her that I wanted to come help her handle it, but she said, ‘No, Mom, I can handle it,’ and I just admire her determination to stand up for herself,” Luz Stiles said. Though pageants are often typified as superficial, Stiles said, contestants must be well-rounded individuals to do well in the show. According to Stiles, contestants must be educated about current events to show the judges their well-rounded character. “Before you win a competition, you have to go through interviews, where they take you into a room and they can ask you questions about anything that’s happening in the world,” Stiles said. “Education is scored just as much as outer beauty.” Even though intelligence and talent are huge portions of the competition, being physically fit is a big part as well, according to Stiles. “It’s important to me to prepare for the physical
portion of the competition,” Stiles said. “To be physically ready is stressful, because you have to really be dedicated to going to the gym and eating healthy and just getting yourself in the mind frame to be ready to compete. According to Kennedy, Stiles is an incredible role model and the best Miss San Francisco the city could ever ask for. “Felicia is the hardest working person I know,” Kennedy said. “She is dedicated not only to growing and learning but also encouraging those around her.” Stiles said that she’s enjoyed her time as Miss San Francisco. “I think I embody what San Francisco represents as far as diversity because of my own history and cultural background, and I am honored to represent such an amazing city,” Stiles said. “I am bummed that I have to give up my title in March, and I really hope that I did a great job representing such an amazing city.”
LIFESTYLE & CULTURE 5
Wednesday, november 18, 2015 goldengatexpress.org
‘Much Ado’ celebrates roaring ’20s
O
ISABELLA OHLMEYER iohlmeye@mail.sfsu.edu
ne year after the world commemorated the onset of World War I with candlelight vigils, SF State’s theatre department will put on their second main stage production of the year, a ’20s-themed rendition of “Much Ado About Nothing,” at the Little Theatre Thursday, Nov. 19. SF State’s version of the show is set in 1919, one year after the end of the first world war, and incorporates elements of the roaring ’20s jazz era into a romantic comedy about finding and holding onto love in the face of extraordinary obstacles. “San Francisco lost many of its citizens in the war, and I thought it would be interesting to see if there are any correspondences in the play to that sense of loss, but also a sense of relief that the carnage was over,” said Bruce Avery, director of the show and professor of English and literature with an emphasis in Shakespeare. Avery said setting the production in a different decade makes it unique and worth seeing a new version of the show. “This was also a time of women’s suffrage and feminist activism, and I see Beatrice, one of the characters in the show, as very much that kind of powerful woman,” Avery said.
“The 1920s was the dawn of the jazz age, so we’ve filled this production with great music.” Simone Arasimowicz, an SF State senior theatre major with an emphasis in costume design and the costume designer for “Much Ado About Nothing,” said she drew inspiration from the 1920s. “Although the setting is in October 1919, not quite the 1920s, there are still many elements of the 1920s in the designs,” Arasimowicz said. “The 1910s were a very interesting time for fashion – the styles in women’s fashion started to move away from constricting styles of earlier decades and gradually moving into the flapper styles that we associate with the 1920s today.” Arasimowicz said issues of Vogue from the early 1900s and photo stills from silent films inspired her. She said she was also influenced by Halloween aesthetics of the era. “Halloween back then was a lot more whimsical and spookier,” Arasimowicz said. “There is a masquerade scene in the show, set in the month of October, so I used vintage Halloween as my main inspiration for this particular scene.” Aaron Moses, a senior theatre major, portrays the main character, Leonato. Leonato is an alcoholic at the dawn of Prohibition who is dealing with the stress of raising his family after the loss of his wife from
IMANI MILLER / XPRESS
REHEARSAL: SF State theatre students Maya Smoot (center left), Aaron
Moses (center) and Steven McCloud (center right) rehearse on stage for their upcoming show “Much Ado About Nothing” in the Creative Arts Building Tuesday, Nov. 10.
IMANI MILLER / XPRESS
DRAMA: Aaron Moses (left) and Regina Leon (right) embrace each other on stage during the rehearsal of “Much Ado About Nothing” in the Creative Arts Building at SF State Monday, Nov. 16.
the 1906 earthquake in San theatre major who plays Hero, Francisco. the quiet daughter of Leonato, “I intend to perform in a and the lover of Claudio, a very broad, large, heightened young soldier who intends to and humanized way,” Moses marry Hero. Leon said the era said. “When people of the show yielded come and see the inspiration for show, I want the actors them to think performing in that there’s a ‘Much Ado’ is set right after the play. real person “‘Much the enormity of World War up there, Ado’ is I, when soldiers witnessed and I can set right grotesque and traumatizing understand after the acts during the war, and the everything enormity he’s of World characters in the show are saying.” War I, slightly broken and jaded. Moses when said he made soldiers -Regina Leon his character witnessed more human and grotesque and relatable to the traumatizing audience. acts during the war, and the “I’ve made him an alcoholic characters in the show are and a conservative, with his slightly broken and jaded,” attitudes against homosexuality, Leon said. women’s rights and anything Performances for “Much that isn’t a conventional, Ado About Nothing” begin traditional way of doing with a preview on Thursday, things,” Moses said. Nov. 19 and regular Regina Leon is sophomore performances continue through
“
”
Dec. 4 at the Little Theatre in the Creative Arts Building. Tickets cost $10 to $15 with a student ID.
IMANI MILLER / XPRESS
ARRANGEMENT:
SF State theatre student Rachel Antone prepares the set before the rehearsal of their upcoming play “Much Ado About Nothing” in the Creative Arts Building Tuesday, Nov. 10.
6 spotlight
Wednesday, november 18, 2015 goldengatexpress.org
RYAN MCNULTY / XPRESS
GAME PLAN: Cadet
Lee watches as a mission is explained during an ROTC training event held at Camp Tamarancho Friday, Nov. 13.
Army reserve program fosters future leaders
C
JOCELYN CARRANZA jcarranz@mail.sfsu.edu
adets dressed in camouflage lay hidden in thorny bushes, aiming their replica M4 paintball markers at the enemy below. Suddenly, the whirring sound of the bullet-less markers broke the silence, as the cadets shot at the enemy in the cover of the birch trees below. One by one, the opposition fell onto the yellow grass at Camp Tamarancho in Marin County, until the last rebel fell. “Index is called!” shouted Darren Singh, commanding
RYAN MCNULTY / XPRESS
ON DUTY: Darren Singh, an SF
State creative writing major, walks down a ravine during an ROTC training event at Camp Tamarancho in Marin County Friday, Nov. 13.
officer for the leadership development exercise in University of San Francisco’s Army Reserve Officer's Training Corps. “It’s over; it’s over – it’s real life now,” said USF MSI sophomore cadet, Renia Pitre. The tactical mission was part of USF’s Army ROTC program, which is the host school for San Francisco County. Army ROTC Dons Battalion, which was founded in 1936, trains students to become commissioned officers in the U.S. Army. “We try to make it as real life (a) situation as possible,” said SF State senior and ROTC Public Affairs Officer Ryan Kim. Schools such as SF State, Academy of the Arts University, Sonoma State University and other local junior colleges are allowed to participate in the program through cross-enrollment. Of the 73 students currently in the program, 21 are SF State students, according to Lt. Col. Sean Williams, a professor of military science at USF. “Once a cadet enrolls into military science, we don't distinguish them by school – they are all a cadet or a student like anyone else in the class,” Williams said. The ROTC classes consist of two parts: academic classes and a three-hour lab period. Within the lab periods, cadets learn basic military training such as land navigations, drills and patrolling skills. The academic classes cover subjects including military law, military leadership and military history. The program
RYAN MCNULTY / XPRESS
TRAINING GROUND: Clinton Hill, (left) an SF State student, talks to another cadet during an ROTC training event held at Camp Tamarancho Friday, Nov. 13.
mission," Singh said. "An also includes physical training American infantry platoon to improve a cadet's physical would react to an enemy, but fitness. of course, we're cadets, so it “This program is focused doesn't go off according to on peer leadership and it’s plan. But that's what it is – peer-run – we run the program it's a leadership development ourselves,” said SF State exercise." senior and Battalion During the first Logistics Officer two years of Darren Singh. the ROTC “The only program, real thing cadets our cadre focus on members basic do for us is soldier instructions training, and according guidance. to Singh. They are Midway there to give through the us the wisdom - Darren singh program, a and guidance, cadet is assessed because they've heavily on his been officers or her leadership skills in in the military for years and commanding a squad and is years.” required to complete a monthOutside of the classroom, long Cadet Leadership Course ROTC members usually spend at Fort Knox, Kentucky. When two and a half hours at Camp a cadet reaches their senior Tamarancho, where they form year, they learn about the two squads – one in uniform, administrative training of the one in civilian clothing – Army, such as the military and attack each other in the code of justice and the Army battlefield until the mission is policies, then graduate as a completed, according to Kim. commissioned officer with "(It's) just one huge
“
I fell in love with the program. It was a perfect fit for me.
”
their degree. “The army, and military in general, is all about learning efficiency,” said Miles Popplewell, an MSIII junior and master's student studying international relations at SF State. “It's all about learning leadership skills, and it's also big on problem solving." Kim said cadets are not obligated to sign a contract with the U.S. Army during their first two years in the program. Once they have reached their junior year and are fully qualified, they are required to sign a contract. Upon completion of the program, they can serve as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army either part-time or full-time. “My primary passion was English and writing, and it still is, but I’ve always been kind of service-minded,” Singh said. “ROTC was kind of a good midway point where I didn't have to enlist – I could be an officer; I could be in a leadership role instead of following orders all the time. I fell in love with the program. It was a perfect fit for me.”
8 OPINION
Wednesday, november 18, 2015 goldengatexpress.org
press GOLDEN GATE
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF nashelly@mail.sfsu.edu
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MANAGING EDITOR dfracoll@mail.sfsu.edu
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ONLINE SUPERVISING EDITOR tewolde@mail.sfsu.edu
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PHOTO EDITOR echiang@mail.sfsu.edu
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NEWS EDITOR averylp@mail.sfsu.edu
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ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR cnoveno@mail.sfsu.edu
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LIFESTYLE & CULTURE EDITOR kruidas@mail.sfsu.edu
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OPINION EDITOR reidcamm@mail.sfsu.edu
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ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR jcarranz@mail.sfsu.edu
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PRINT ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu
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PHOTO ADVISER tucker@sfsu.edu
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ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@sfsu.edu
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STAFF EDITORIAL
Education is the only way to root out transphobia
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lthough San Francisco is often thought of a safe haven for LGBTQ community, the ugly reality of transphobic violence and discrimination tells a different story. Time and time again, we are reminded that being transgender in our society is misunderstood and feared. The U.S. as a whole must shift its reliance on the gender binary and support transfolk in our communities. On Sunday, a San Francisco transgender woman said she was assaulted for the second time this year for her gender identity. According to SFGate, Samantha Hulsey was punched numerous times in the face and had hot coffee thrown on her by a man and a woman in the Mission District. “It’s really disturbing that this has happened twice within
Our society's obsession with the gender binary is to blame for the physical violence, harassment and microagressions faced by transgender people.
a year and both times when I was with a partner,” Hulsey said in the article. “I came here to be safe, but we’re really not safe anywhere.” A community safety survey funded by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that 79 percent of transgender respondents in the City had experienced physical violence at some point in their lives as of October 2014. Nearly all of the 21 trans people who have died violently in the first 10 months of this year have been transgender woman of color, according to
a report by the Human Rights Campaign and Trans People of Color Coalition. Transgender people as a whole face a more subtle form of violence in their daily lives: discrimination. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission survey found that 46 percent of transgender respondents said that they “are frequently or always limited” by safety concerns in their housing choice. In terms of employment, 90 percent of transgender people said they encountered workplace harassment,
according to the report by the Human Rights Campaign and the Trans People of Color Coalition. As San Francisco’s housing crisis spirals out of control, spiking rents for individuals and community action groups alike, more and more transgender people are forced to live and work in places where they feel unsafe. Places where they are more likely to experience violence. Transphobia stems from a pervasive misunderstanding of what it means to be transgender. We need comprehensive education in all sectors of our society. We need more community action programs that provide safe spaces and violence prevention programs. We need to overcome our culture’s paralyzing fear of those who depart from the gender binary.
Mancaves perpetuate the patriarchy KALANI RUIDAS
kruidas@mail.sfsu.edu
After a recent shuffle at my boyfriend’s house, he’s moved into a room with only one other person instead of two. I couldn’t be more excited about it, because that means I won’t have to wake up to a chorus of farts and guttural snoring whenever I spend the night. The last time I was there, the door of his old room was slightly ajar, so I backpedaled to get a better look at what had become of it. Much to my regret, I was immediately smacked in the face by a stench so strong I could taste it. Neither of the brown-stained mattresses had sheets, blankets or pillowcases; the hardwood floors were hardly visible under the kneehigh mounds of reeking clothes, and their cat was licking his paw on a desk littered with ashes, Backwoods wrappers and stale food bits. Seeing the twisted expression of horror and disgust frozen on my face, my boyfriend’s housemate breezed by and said, “Yeah, their crustpunk man cave is pretty fucking gross.” While I think it’s perfectly acceptable, and even healthy, to have separate spaces where one can enjoy time alone, the gendered language around “man cave” is pretty disgusting. It takes a passive dig at femininity. It’s as if women are such burdens that they’re restricted from that zone, while still expected to readily share all other spaces. A man cave is essentially
an emotional sanctuary for men to escape their responsibilities without the interruption of women or children. It’s as if these men are victimizing themselves and require refuge
They’re the makings of a shrine to big business that has man-cavers nostalgic for a time when they were happy, or actually just drunk, in front of a screen cheering on their
ILLUSTRATION BY REID CAMMACK
to revel in their false sense of masculinity. Sports-related paraphernalia and wall hangings that deify cheap beer are not badges of manhood or some sort of homage to a working-class collective consciousness.
favorite billion-dollar sports team with their once single and similarly childless friends. Guys should get over the feudalistic idea of a man cave allowing them to be the “lord of their manor” in a room they can call their own. It bears a
juvenile likeness to a tree house with a sign that reads, “No girls allowed.” The sewing room or craft room, to which a woman might retreat, is identified by the action that takes place there. By that token, a man cave is a place where a man devolves into a grunting subhuman that leaves sexist and racist comments on message boards, then furiously masturbates to free porn. As an introverted person, I feel most productive when I can take a break from interacting with others to be alone with my thoughts. I completely understand that some “me” time is necessary for most people to function. However, the term man cave feels more like a space where someone goes to hide from their problems while surrounding themselves with things that make them “happy.” I wouldn’t want my partner to feel like I was hindering them from living the way they really wanted to in a home we created together. The progressive solution is allowing everyone to have his or her own space. In a household where that isn’t possible, the ever-so encumbered married man could actually leave his house. He could be free of his cave and take a walk, go to the gym, take a fishing trip, relieve his stress through meditation on a misty mountaintop in China. Man-cavers can be better than ruminating within their disgusting patriarchal myth.
Wednesday, november 18, 2015 goldengatexpress.org
Reid It and Weep is a weekly column highlighting the frequent disappointments in contemporary pop culture.
ABC should fully embrace same-sex couples
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OPINION 9
Feminism is about equality and choice GENESIS CHAVEZ- CARO gchavezc@mail.sfsu.edu
I’m going to make a sandwhich, because I want to.
REID CAMMACK
reidcamm@mail.sfsu.edu
t is a pretty accepting time for the gay community right now. It’s nowhere near perfect, but there’s been significant progress toward full acceptance. Unfortunately, some still believe gay people exist only to convert their children into Satanworshiping sodomites. Seeing, let alone interacting with the gays, will send you and your children straight to a glittery eternal hell. The ABC network is apparently one of the few that still believe that queer people aren’t family appropriate. While the network has gay characters in many of their adult dramas, their family-geared reality show “Dancing With The Stars” has yet to feature any same-sex
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dancing couples. ABC even rejected the idea of male couples dancing during an upcoming Who Is Fancy performance. Who Is Fancy is a gay singer who is set to debut his second single “Boys Like You” Nov. 23 on “DWTS.” The song, which features Ariana Grande and Meghan Trainor, is about “a man falling in love with another man,” according to a report from TMZ. According to TMZ, Who Is Fancy’s choreographer emailed a “DWTS” producer saying it would “be awesome to have two males dancing with each other.” The network gave a “definitive no” to Fancy’s camp. The network said they would allow “near dancing,” where two men dance with each other, but not close together. As TMZ pointed out, “near dancing” is more like “a Cirque performance than romantic ballroom dancing.” America’s version of “DWTS” has had gay contestants in the past and even features out judge Bruno Tonioli, but the show has never had a same-sex pairing of a professional dancer with a celebrity contestant. International versions of the
show are more progressive and have actually featured same-sex dancing pairs. ABC seems to think American audiences can’t handle the harsh image of two men dancing together. In the 2014-2015 television season, ABC featured over 250 hours of primetime television that’s queer-inclusive, according to GLAAD. From “How To Get Away With Murder” to “Modern Family,” ABC has shown they aren’t afraid to have headlinemaking queer-centric shows, so why can’t “DWTS” have maleon-male dancing during just one performance? If ABC actually did allow same-sex dancing, I’m sure One Million Moms or some other activist group would rise from the pits of hell to scream about how “DWTS” is a family show, and they don’t need someone like Fancy teaching their children about sodomy. ABC may also not want to upset their main audience, senior citizens. No one wants to offend the old conservatives of America, since they’re the only ones who watch network television anymore. Why would ABC want to be responsible for millions of grandmas having simultaneous heart attacks as they’re forced to watch two men do the jitterbug? Hopefully, ABC will let Who Is Fancy have his male dancers, and in the future, even let same-sex duos compete on the show. The network is progressive in many of their scripted series – there’s no reason why two people of the same sex can’t wear sequined outfits and perform for America’s judgment.
ILLUSTRATION BY EVA RODRIGUEZ
Whenever I tell someone that I am a feminist who enjoys cooking and cleaning, people tend to react like I just committed an atrocity. Thanks to Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr, anybody can call themselves a feminist with a simple retweet, like or reblog; however, not everyone who does so knows what makes a person a feminist. A feminist is a person who is for equality between men and women, but more importantly, feminism upholds the idea that women have freedom of choice. There are no concrete guidelines required to be a feminist, but some feminists don’t actually know this. I very much attribute my fondness of the kitchen to my culture. Growing up in a Mexican household, my mom and my aunt told me a million and one times that, because I’m a girl, I have to be able to do certain things, like cook and clean, to be a valuable woman. I was expected to always have my room clean and help around the house. Whenever I'd go to my aunt's house, the topic of becoming a woman always included domestic work. I'll admit that, when I was growing up, I dreaded doing the housework. As I got older, however, I realized that it wasn't the cleaning or the laundry that I disliked — it was the nagging from
everybody in my family to do domestic work for the sole reason of my gender. As I was being taught to cook and clean, I also learned that I actually like doing it just for the heck of it. I like baking, eating good, homemade food and having a neat, organized house, just for myself. Whenever I see a so-called feminist on social media criticize women for being "submissive," I can't help but feel a little conflicted about being a feminist and liking domestic work. This idea of the kitchen being exclusive to women is simple-minded. Working in the kitchen should be a human role, not a gendered expectation — everyone should know how to cook and clean, just for simple survival. Feminism has always been centered around equality with men, but in recent times, the focus has shifted so that women can choose to be whomever they want to be. Some women use feminism to sexually liberate themselves, others use it to change standards of beauty. I, quite ironically, use feminism to be in the kitchen. This whole setting of a woman trapped in a kitchen is only imprisonment when men or society says that a woman has to be in a kitchen. If a woman decides on her own to be in a kitchen, well that’s a feminist choice.
10 sports
Wednesday, november 18, 2015 goldengatexpress.org
QING HUANG / XPRESS
TEARS : Jaclyn Clark
(6) (right), a senior on the SF State women’s volleyball team, hugs head coach Jill Muhe after being honored at senior night during the game against the Cal State San Marcos Cougars at the Swamp Gymnasium at SF State Friday, Nov. 13.
Volleyball sends seniors off with emotional sweep
EVA BARRAGAN
evbarrag@mail.sfsu.edu
VINCENT FAUSONE IV
W
vfausone@mail.sfsu.edu
ith bouquets in hand and tears streaming down their faces, three graduating seniors on SF State’s volleyball team took to the Swamp Gymnasium for their final home game last week. Jaclyn Clark, Arianna Cruz and Jessica Nicerio returned Friday for a game that saw the Gators steamroll the visiting California State University, San Marcos Cougars in a three-set sweep Nov. 13. “I was very emotional – I didn’t really know what my feelings were going to be going into this game,” said Clark, one of SF State’s three team captains. “Tonight was just really exciting, and when I walked out it was all tears, but it was tears of joy.” Nicerio and Clark posted impressive statistics, tallying 22 digs and 18 kills between them. The win added to the Gators’ momentum, as they now carry a streak of nine straight set wins over three games, heading into their first round playoff match up against the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Broncos in San Diego Thursday.
“A lot of our goals this year were to communicate well as a team,” Clark said. “We work on that every day, and I think it shows when we play.” Clark ranks top 10 all time in SF State volleyball history in three major statistical categories: digs, kills and service aces. For fifth-year senior Nicerio, SF State’s all-time leader in career digs, the season’s final game served as a reminder that her 15-year love affair with volleyball will soon come to an end. “I’ve been playing volleyball since I was in third grade, and it’s crazy that I’m going to be done now,” Nicerio said. “I don’t think it’s hit me yet, since we have playoffs, but I’ve been here for five years, and it’s going to be different not playing next season.” Kim Mansfield, Nicerio’s mother, said it was surreal to see her daughter play in one of the last games of her volleyball career. “I’m so sad that it’s ending, but I’m just so happy for them for all the things they’ve accomplished,” Mansfield said. “It’s been great to see Jessica develop as both a player and teammate and as a leader.” Head coach Jill Muhe said what stood out to her the most
QING HUANG / XPRESS
VICTORY: Jaclyn Clark (6), outside hitter for the SF State Gators, spikes the ball against Cal State San Marcos
Cougars’ setter Taylor Harris (14), and middle blocker Faith Fortune (1) during the last home game of the season at the Swamp Gymnasium Friday, Nov.13. The Gators won 3-0.
about the players’ final home performance was the team’s all-around solid play and the contributions from a wide range of players.
“It’s really difficult to beat a quality opponent in three, so I’m really glad we were able to do that,” Muhe said. “It was really nice to send our seniors out on a
win. We’re going to miss them, and I know they’re going to be fantastic in whatever they choose to do.”
Hockey president sets gold standard CHRISTOPHER CONTRERAS chrisdc@mail.sfsu.edu
Since trading in their Rollerblades for ice skates and beginning to play competitively, the progress of SF State Ice Hockey has been spearheaded by its president and most senior member, Matthew Gold.
“I’ve been involved in about everything,” Gold said. “I’ve been closely involved in recruiting – I’ve been out in the Quad tabling and answering emails from prospective players.” Gold has been a member of the hockey club ever since it began facing off against other universities in 2013. When two former
members signed the team up for competitive play, Gold said he was quick to join the crew. “Gold’s a big guy, probably 6’5” and 200-plus pounds,” said team member Cory Bemis. “I remember my first practice I went to – the first time I ever played ice hockey – I tried to hit him. I just bounced off. I didn’t realize how
solid he was.” Before joining the American Collegiate Hockey Association – the governing body for more than 400 men’s and women’s college hockey teams in the U.S., according to their website – the hockey club participated in a men’s adult hockey league. In 2013, the team joined the Pacific
Collegiate Hockey Association and began its first year of play in a league that includes San Jose State University, Santa Rosa Junior College, Stanford University and University of California, Davis. One of the club’s early struggles was a low volume of players, according to Gold. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Wednesday, november 18, 2015 goldengatexpress.org
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
BRIAN CHURCHWELL / XPRESS
LEADER: SF State Ice Hockey president Matthew Gold poses for a portrait during practice at the Nazareth Ice Oasis in Redwood City Sunday, Nov. 15.
In 2013, the club only had 17 permanent players and averaged a turnout of 14 players a game. “The first season we only had about 17,” Gold said. “Last season we had 18, but it was hard to get everyone out to a game consistently and sometimes we would take the ice with only 10 of us.” Gold says with such low numbers, players had to conserve their energy during games, knowing they had no one to replace them. Instead of going full speed all game and taking substitutions when tired, players had to make sure they would last the full 60 minutes. The club didn’t have a fulltime coach in its first season and relied on player-coaches to lead the team, according to Gold. “The first season, I helped coach during games,” Gold said. “Last season, we had two alumni come back and coach.” Those two alumni coaches were Zack and Dakota Yackle, two brothers who volunteered to help a
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program they were once part of. “We are a fairly new program, and we are still trying to get this off the ground,” Gold said. “The past two years were about understanding the league. This is the first year we’ve really made
It’s a fairly large workload, but it’s all worth it, because we have a team here at State that plays college hockey.
-Matthew Gold steps towards being a competitive program.” Being the president of a club sport isn’t easy, according to Gold. He said he puts in about 10 to 15 hours a week, and that’s just for presidential duties. These responsibilities include setting up practices, getting ice time at skating rinks, recruiting players and promoting the team. “It’s a fairly large workload,” Gold said. “But it’s all worth it, because we have a team here at
State that plays college hockey.” The team currently has 23 consistent players, including three goalies. Last year the Gators only had one goalie for the first half of the season. “Matt has done a great job of running the team this year,” said Paul Klein, the club’s vice president. “He’s personally responsible for the new players we recruited.” Gold says the increased number of players helps keep a full bench and lets the players skate their hardest without worrying about stamina. “(The numbers) keep every position competitive and push us all to work our best to ensure our spot on the team,” Gold said. The club also gained its first win this season against Stanford in a tight 7-5 match. The win was the club’s first since 2013 after a winless season in 2014. Currently, the team plays home games at Sharks Ice at the Oakland Ice Center. The club used to skate at the Cow Palace in Daly City before the arena’s ice surface was removed.