Spring 2016 issue 6 by Golden Gate Xpress

n e d l o a te GGX

march 2, 2016

If you missed last week’s Issue coverage of the Ethnic Volume CII Studies rally, check out the goldengatexpress.org Serving the San audio slideshow on Frnacisco State goldengatexpress.org community since 1927.

XPRESS

Frustrations boil over as Ethnic Studies faces cuts

Complete coverage of the College of Ethnic Studies budget crisis: The history, student and faculty demands, and events that led SF State to where it is now

Tensions flare at Cal State East Bay during CSU chancellor visit CODY MCFARLAND

cmcfarla@mail.sfsu.edu

Faculty and students came toe-to-toe with Chancellor Timothy White at Cal State East Bay to express their frustration as part of a contentious listening tour forum Monday afternoon. White’s listening tour, during which he visits all 23 California State University campuses throughout the state to listen to each community’s concerns, comes in the midst of stalled contract talks with CSU faculty and their union, the California Faculty Association. White’s justifications for how and why funds are allocated within the CSU system were mostly met with scoffs and boos from the multitude of students and faculty clad in red, “I don’t want to strike but I will” t-shirts. “I’m wondering, do you treat all of your alumni with this level of respect?” asked White, a Cal State East Bay graduate, after repeated booing from the crowd. Students and faculty voicing their concerns felt the stories of their struggles were falling on unsympathetic ears. Abner Hauge, a fine arts and international relations major at Cal State East Bay, shared the sentiments of the booing crowd. “They’re running the CSU as if it were a corporation – like Goldman Sachs,” Hauge

white Continued ON PAGE 4 RYAN MCNULTY / XPRESS

Spulu Pacific, a dance major and race and resistance studies minor, marches through campus with students and faculty in protest against potential spending cuts for the College of Ethic Studies at SF State Thursday.

President Wong responds to Ethnic Studies’ demands Page 2

Students voice 'collective disappointment' with statement from President Wong Page 2

Ethnic Studies cuts date back to 2008 financial crisis Page 3

Women’s track and field athletes crack top10 all-time lists

QING HUANG / XPRESS

Cal State East Bay dance major LaTraniece Taylor seals her mouth in protest during a stop on CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White’s listening tour at the New University Union multipurpose room at Cal State East Bay Monday.

track and field ON PAGE 10 ALEAH FAJARDO / XPRESS

SF State junior Jordan Guerrero lands in the sand pit during the triple jump at the Johnny Mathis Invitational at Cox Stadium Saturday.

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Wednesday, March 2, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

NEWS

MIRA LAING / SPECIAL TO XPRESS

Philip Klasky, an American Indian studies lecturer, displays his “I don’t want to strike but I will” shirt while speaking at a rally in support of the College of Ethnic Studies in Malcolm X Plaza at SF State Thursday.

er as dies cuts Ethnic Studies’ cuts date back to 2008 financial crisis JOEY REAMS

reams94@mail.sfsu.edu

JAMES CHAN / XPRESS

ts to the College of Ethnic Studies

dies’ demands

also repeated his request for all of e deans to form budget advisory es made up of faculty and students t similar budget situations in the ong then restated SF State’s plans e its spending allotment to Ethnic y $200,000 for the 2016-2017 year in order to provide the college an and discuss how they will work orward. Wong added in the email that push for more fundraising for the

attempt to explain the current issues concerning the College of udies and other colleges, Wong d what he called “system-wide ts and consistent underfunding of the aState University by the State.”

As students meet to organize against potential spending cuts at the College of Ethnic Studies, SF State officials are cautioning that the issue is more multi-faceted than it appears. “What’s been happening is the College of Ethnic Studies has been spending more than its budget allocation, and the University has been covering that with reserve funds from the academic affairs department,” said Jonathan Morales, director of news and new media at SF State. “That money is now depleted. We understand how that can be seen as a cut by some people, but in fact the University is no longer able to cover the college’s expenditures over its budget allocation.” The financial issues that surround the College of Ethnic Studies at SF State date back to 2008, when Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of fiscal emergency in California. In the following months, Schwarzenegger and his legislative team attempted to eliminate the growing deficit through spending cuts and other procedures, according to SFGate. As a result of these budget cuts, California State University campuses received “unallocated reductions of $172 million,” according to the official spending plan. The administration called for each college to cut 10 percent of its budget. “I arrived and immediately found out that budgets were in complete disarray – my predecessor

was forced to cut 10 percent across the board, and of course in our first paychecks we all experienced the 10 percent cut as well,” Provost Sue Rosser said at Thursday’s meeting with President Leslie E. Wong and Ethnic Studies students and faculty, referencing the furlough days that faculty, staff and administration took at the time. As time went on, California’s financial situation began to improve, but the cutbacks from 2008 were never recovered. Now the College of Ethnic Studies faces the possibility of a major spending cut, due to a supposed mishandling of funds allocated to the college by Academic Affairs. According to a fact sheet distributed by students at a meeting Feb. 23, Academic Affairs is now out of funding to assist the College of Ethnic Studies, as reported by Golden Gate Xpress. The College will need to cut its budget 15-17 percent, resulting in the potential dismissal of non-tenured lecturers and the loss of 40 percent of Ethnic Studies classes, in addition to other student and faculty programs. This announcement ignited frustration amongst students and resulted in a large-scale march to SF State’s Seven Hills Conference Center to meet with President Leslie E. Wong to discuss their demands and hear Wong’s understanding of the situation, as previously reported by Golden Gate Xpress. “The governor hasn’t issued the budget for next year, and I hope you will join me to meet with him about our budget,” Wong said. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY Jeremy Porr and Jordan Vail

ALEAH FAJARDO / XPRESS

Maddy Auble and Abby Lee embrace during a rally held in Malcolm X Plaza regarding the potential spending cuts within the College of Ethnic Studies Thursday.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

NEWS

Students voice ‘collective disappointment’ with statement from President Wong JEREMY PORR

jporr@mail.sfsu.edu

Nearly 100 students and allies of the College of Ethnic Studies met Tuesday in order to further strategize a direct plan of action in response to President Leslie E. Wong’s statement regarding the list of student demands that were presented to him last week. “We have to make sure the movement doesn’t die, and we have to keep the momentum going,” said Hanna Wodaje, vice president of the Black Student Union. The meeting was led by students of

the Ethnic Studies Student Organization, along with leaders from various other cultural organizations on campus. The Ethnic Studies student organizing committee expressed their “collective disappointment” in a press release issued Tuesday. “In effect, President Wong has chosen to evade responsibility by addressing exactly none of our demands,” the committee’s statement said. “President Wong has continued to manipulate the issues at hand by blaming the College of Ethnic Studies’ inability to ‘fundraise’ and completely avoiding the issue of underfunding that our college faces.”

It was also revealed at the meeting that Associated Students, Inc. recently passed a resolution in solidarity with Ethnic Studies students and plans to bring up issues related to the supposed spending cuts in a meeting with Wong being held later this month. Those at the meeting later split up into separate sub-committees in order to delegate tasks to students in attendance so that everyone involved could be assigned a role to play in the weeks to come. “President Wong, the students remain united,” the student committee’s statement said. “We will be loud. We will be heard. We will win.”

ALEX KOFMAN / XPRESS

Yesenia Mendez raises her arm in solidarity with other faculty and students during a meeting in which students formed committees and discussed agendas Tuesday.

Frustrations boil ove Ethnic Stud faces c

Student & Faculty Demands

1 2 3 4

We demand a restoration of all pre-2007

funding to the College of Ethnic Studies and the Cesar Chavez Research Institute (CCI).

We demand that all SFSU students be required to complete at least one lower and one upper division course in Ethnic Studies.

We demand increased funding allocations for lecturers to meet student demand.

We demand San Francisco State University fund more work study positions within the College of Ethnic Studies.

We demand the establishment of a Graduate

We demand adequate resources for faculty

Advising Center within the College of Ethnic Studies with funding for a full time Graduate Program coordinator and Graduate Academic Advisor.

within the College of Ethnic Studies to conduct the research and produce publications that match expectations for scholarly works by Academic Affairs.

7 8 9

We demand that the Race and Resistance

We demand an independent and transparent

SF State President Leslie E. Wong passes through protesters following a meeting regarding potential spending cut Thursday.

Studies Program be granted Departmental status effective immediately.

President Wong responds to Ethnic Stud

We demand a Center for the Advancement

JORDAN VAIL

of Black Life on Campus to be funded from Academic Affairs complete with full-time staff.

We demand that San Francisco State University establish a meeting between the President, Provost, and students from the College of Ethnic Studies every semester to focus on academic programs.

audit of the academic affairs budget and a performance review of Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Sue Rosser.

jmv@mail.sfsu.edu

resident Leslie E. Wong responded Monday night to the list of demands from students and faculty of the College of Ethnic Studies as promised in last Thursday’s meeting. Students in the department requested that Wong respond to the demands via a campus-wide email, but President Wong instead opted to send an email only to Ethnic Studies faculty and posted a link to his website, Wong reiterated that there won’t be a reduction infunding for courses and professors. Wong said the administration is still reviewing demands made at the meeting. “As I shared last Thursday, the

University’s governing structure does not allow me, as President, nor any administrator, to make categorical, unilateral decisions on matters that must be handled through faculty governance in departments and colleges,” Wong said in the email. The list of demands called for the race and resistance studies program to be granted departmental status, more work-study positions within the college, the establishment of an advising center and more funding for the graduate program and funding for more Ethnic Studies organizations. In response, Wong said that the creation and restructuring of programs was the responsibility of Dean Kenneth Monteiro, and will be done in collaboration with students and faculty.

Wong the college committee to prevent future. Wo to increase Studies by academic time to pla moving fo he would p college. In an a financial is Ethnic Stu mentioned budget cut California

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

NEWS

QING HUANG / XPRESS

ABOVE: CSU Chancellor Timothy White made a stop on his “Listening Tour” at the New University Union Multipurpose Room at Cal State East Bay Monday. QING HUANG / XPRESS

RIGHT: CFA members protest prior to CSU Chancellor Timothy White’s “Listening Tour” stop at the New University Union Multipurpose Room at Cal State East Bay Monday.

Tensions flare at Cal State East Bay during CSU chancellor visit WHITE continued from the front said. “Those kind of economic policies have led to crash after crash after crash in the last 20 years economically.” White said that the additional $97 million allocated to the CSU system this year in the state’s budget is being allocated according to the sustainability model, and that the bulk of that funding went toward hiring more tenure-track faculty. The CFA is currently engaged in a “Fight for Five” – a 5 percent general salary increase for all faculty – with CSU management. In October, faculty voted to strike if contract negotiations with management fail to result in a fair deal, setting strike dates for April 13-15 and April 18-19 if a settlement is not reached, as previously reported by Golden Gate Xpress. CFA President Jennifer Eagan, who teaches philosophy at Cal State East Bay, organized a “practice picket” with fellow faculty outside of the New University Union an hour before the forum to give White a glimpse of faculty solidarity and show that they will not back down from their threat to strike. “It is really up to Chancellor White and the board of trustees to help avoid this strike,” Eagan said. “Our options of persuading him are getting slimmer and slimmer.” What started as a group of about a dozen faculty and students chanting and holding up picket signs more than tripled in the hour before the forum began.

The impassioned group marched in a circle, chanting slogans such as, “Chancellor White/ see the light/ don’t be tight/ five is right!” Some picket signs emphasized that the group was “just practicing.” Though most of the practicing picketers quieted themselves and entered the forum, a small faction stayed behind and continued their chanting as the forum began.

”

It is really up to Chancellor White and the board of trustees to help avoid this strike.

-Jennifer Eagan

“We want to make sure everyone knows we are not on strike yet,” Eagan said. “This is much smaller than the actual strike (will be).” White’s listening tour will come to SF State April 5 at an as-yet-undisclosed time and place, according to Shiba Bandeeba, president of the SF State chapter of Students for a Quality Education. Bandeeba gathered a small group of SF State students to show support for and picket alongside Cal State East Bay’s faculty and branch of SQE. The forum came to a hurried close after running later than the scheduled end time of 4:30 p.m. Students and faculty erupted in a chant of, “Strike!” as White exited out the rear.

QING HUANG / XPRESS

Stephanie Gomez, a Cal State East Bay student majoring in theatre arts, dances in support of CFA members picketing outside the New University Union multipurpose room at Cal State East Bay Monday.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

NEWS

Global hot spot eduroam expands to SF State MIRANDA BOLAR

mbolar@mail.sfsu.edu

F State added a new wireless system to campus Monday that will work alongside the existing Wi-Fi to allow guests from participating schools to easily access the Internet for free. The system, eduroam, boosts access to the Internet throughout campus and works on other participating campuses to ensure an easy connection for both staff, students and researchers traveling to other schools. “It stands for education roaming,” said Ellen Rayz, executive director of network and telecommunication services. “(It’s) global Wi-Fi roaming for academia, basically, and by global I mean worldwide – a secure, worldwide wireless roaming for international research and the education community.” According to eduroam’s website, the product is “one large, world-wide hotspot.” Although this will not replace SF State’s wireless access, it will allow campus guests to be able to log into any participating school’s Wi-Fi without any extra work by the campus’ IT department. With many neighboring schools using eduroam, such as Cal State East Bay since 2015, and Cal State Monterey Bay since 2014, it allows students to stay connected with each other and utilize the Wi-Fi the way they would at their home campus. Rayz also said this can help people from across the globe when visiting

SF State or any other participating institution, because they may not know how to navigate around campus, let alone get access the Internet. With eduroam, they can log in with their credentials and access the information they need from both their participating campus and ours. Since SF State didn’t offer Wi-Fi to guests in the past, this will allow many new students and faculty from other campuses access to the Internet. “When they come in and don’t know anybody or anything, and they don’t know where the help desk is, and they have no network connectivity to find out even where to go or who to call, they can connect to the network using their credentials that they use back home,” Rayz said. This new wireless program is supposed to supplement the existing WiFi on campus, not replace it. SF State geography major Sam Fischbein said the service on campus can be spotty. “It definitely depends on where you are on campus,” Fischbein said. “Sometimes I’ll be working on something, and then the Wi-Fi will just be down for like 10 minutes, and then you’ll have to re-up it.” Eduroam will also help students who are studying abroad for the same reason, to stay easily connected with the Internet and SF State. “It’s complimentary to visitors,” Rayz said. “Our students can also use it, and our professors and our faculty can also use it. ... It works both ways.”

Congrats to our CCMA award-winning staff! Best Newspaper- Staff (3rd Place) Best Overall Newspaper Design - Eva Rodriguez (1st Place) Best Newspaper Column - Reid Cammack (1st Place) Best Feature Story - Eva Barragan (2nd Place) Best Arts & Entertainment Story - Eva Barragan (1st Place) Best Sports Photograph - David Henry (Honorable Mention) Best Photo Illustration - Eva Rodriguez, Alex Kofman (Honorable Mention) Best Newspaper Spread/Page Design Katrina Andaya, Drake Newkirk (Honorable Mention) Best Infographic - Eva Rodriguez, Brian Churchwell (Honorable Mention) Best Multimedia Presentation- Staff (1st Place) Best Interactive Graphic - Angeline Ubaldo (3rd Place) Best Audio Slideshow - Emma Chiang, April Halog (First Place)

ALEX KOFMAN / XPRESS

Brianna Adams, an SF State student, uses the SF States wireless access to do homework in the J. Paul Leonard Library Monday.

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

EMILY CHAVOUS / XPRESS

ALEAH FAJARDO / XPRESS

EMILY CHAVOUS / XPRESS

LEFT: Oscar Peña chants with students and faculty at the Seven Hills Conference Center before a meeting with President Leslie E. Wong Thursday. TOP RIGHT: The Ethnic Studies Student Organization passed out pins this week to show solidarity in their fight for funding. BOTTOM RIGHT: The Ethnic Studies Student Organization logo on a sweatshirt.

Ethnic Studies supporters wear black and red for resistance, solidarity and power EMILY CHAVOUS

echavous@mail.sfsu.edu

lothing expressed a united front of resistance at SF State this week amid campus marches supporting the College of Ethnic Studies. Advocates of the cause donned black and red to support ongoing and increased funding of the College, its lecturers, classes and student services. Black symbolized power, and the accents of red were a nod to the California Faculty Association’s demand for a raise, according to Berlin Macuixtle, an anthropology major who helped the student organizing committee mobilize the Feb. 25 rally. The Ethnic Studies Student Organization informed students and faculty in an email and Facebook post that participants should wear the colors as a sign of solidarity. “A visual aspect is necessary to make a big impact,” Macuixtle said. “We agreed that black and red would not only represent us and the CFA, but the multitude of revolutions and radicals that have existed, such as Cesar Chavez, the Black Power movement of the '60s and '70s and Black Lives Matter now.” Gabriela Segovia-McGahan, administrative analyst/specialist for the departments of American Indian studies and Latina/Latino studies for 15 years, said her father was part of the 1968 strike that caused SF State to create a separate college specific to ethnic studies programs. “The big thing was wearing red and black back then,” Segovia-McGahan said. “The red and black meant fire and blood. It’s a way to show solidarity.” The solidarity was apparent at the rally and made a big visual impact, according to sociology student Gary Pei, who wore the colors along with hundreds of other supporters.

“If everyone was wearing (a random) color, it’d be different than hundreds of people wearing the same colors,” Pei said. “You know that stands for something. Everyone’s really serious about their commitment, and they’re wanting to express themselves. Instead of saying, 'This is for me,' they’re saying, 'This is for all of us.'” The political statements extended beyond color to graphic printed T-shirts, flair pins and posters emblazoned with clenched fists. Latina/Latino Studies student Oscar Peña wore a shirt showcasing the phrase, “IT TAKES THE HOOD TO SAVE THE HOOD,” at the meeting with President Leslie E. Wong that preceded the Ethnic Studies rally. “(The fist) is definitely a symbol for strength,” said Maddy Auble, an ESSO intern. “Right now, we’re in the position where we feel powerless — we’re fighting because people are making decisions without our consent. We want to fight that power structure and show President Wong that we have power.” Jonathan Morales, SF State director of news and new media, said in an email that the administration welcomes student passion, but did not notice the collective fashion statement. “Although I have not seen the T-shirts you are referring to, what I do know is that students at SF State have a long history of making their voices heard, and we welcome their energy and passion as they support their college,” Morales wrote. The student organizing committee plans to host an upcoming event for students to decorate black shirts with red spray paint to make their point known, according to Sophia Wenzel, ESSO’s vice president. Auble said many students plan to wear the colors proudly long after the struggle for Ethnic Studies funding subsides. “This is a fight that isn’t over yet,” Auble said. “And even after it’s done, we want to continue that symbolism of solidarity on campus.”

ALEX KOFMAN / XPRESS

Berlin Macuixtle, an anthropology major and organizer for the student committee created in response to the potential spending cuts to the College of Ethnic Studies, poses for a portrait during a meeting Tuesday.

ALEAH FAJARDO / XPRESS

Students and faculty members flood the Seven Hills Conference Center before meeting with President Leslie E. Wong regarding the potential spending cuts within the College of Ethnic Studies at SF State Thursday.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

ALEX KOFMAN / XPRESS

SF State student and Hip Hop State of Mind member Arthur Savangsy breakdances in Malcolm X Plaza Monday. The group danced and free-styled to raise awareness about the College of Ethnic Studies budget controversy.

SF State’s Hip Hop State of Mind aims to educate ALEX KOFMAN

akofman@mail.sfsu.edu

Students huddled around Malcolm X Plaza Monday during an event held by the student organization Hip Hop State of Mind and the Bay Area organization HipHopForChange, Inc. Break-dancers performed, rappers free-styled and students and SF State alumni gathered to bring attention the budget controversy in the College of Ethnic Studies. “Yesterday was our kickoff event, and we really wanted to attract attention to the club as well as convey that hip-hop is not only about art, but also about a social movement, and right now with everything going on with the (College of) Ethnic Studies and the Black Lives Matter movement, we wanted to provide a platform of expression for that,” said Kristen Storment, promotional representative of Hip Hop State of Mind. Hip Hop State of Mind is a community of creative individuals that not only aims to educate others on the culture and the art of hip-hop, but to also keep people informed and engaged in political and social issues. Hip Hop State of Mind will meet Mondays from 2-4 p.m. on the top of the Cesar Chavez Student Center, starting March 7.

Download Xpress Magazine on your Ipad: 1. Go to the iTunes App Store 2. Search for previous Xpress Magazines (Xpress Mag) in the Education Category. 3. Choose and install the FREE application.

ALEX KOFMAN / XPRESS

Students cheer while Sean Morales breakdances during an event organized by Hip Hop State of Mind and HipHopForChange, Inc. in Malcolm X Plaza Monday.

MAGAZINE

FROM TRAUMA TO ACTIVISM

Filling the void left by those who lost their lives at the hands of law enforcement

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

OPINION STAFF EDITORIAL

Students and society will suffer from n o ldaete Ethnic Studies’ financial woes GGX

XPRESS

DARCY FRACOLLI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF dfracoll@mail.sfsu.edu

REID CAMMACK

MANAGING EDITOR reidcamm@mail.sfsu.edu

EVA RODRIGUEZ

ART DIRECTOR erodrig2@mail.sfsu.edu

JARED JAVIER

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR jjavier@mail.sfsu.edu

BRIAN CHURCHWELL

PHOTO EDITOR bchurchw@mail.sfsu.edu

JOEY REAMS

NEWS EDITOR reams94@mail.sfsu.edu

MIRANDA BOLAR

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR mbolar@mail.sfsu.edu

ASHLEY BOWEN

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE EDITOR anbowen@mail.sfsu.edu

SF State has been in turmoil since it was announced last week that the historic College of Ethnic Studies would face budgetary restrictions in the coming fiscal year. Students and faculty presented President Leslie E. Wong with a list of demands, marched in protest and held several meetings to develop a strategy to fight any reduction in spending for the College. Wong, for his part, said that the administration will not ask the College of Ethnic Studies to cut its spending in the coming fiscal year, and emailed a statement to students and faculty that he was looking into the viability of their demands. None of this, however,

CHRIS DEJOHN

TYLER LEHMAN

There’s nothing like having your first child. That being said, modern pop culture would have you believe that birth is a magical passage full of sunshine and rainbows, but everything I was told about giving birth did absolutely nothing to prepare me for its realities. My fiancée Michelle was late, and we started the long process of inducing labor on a Sunday afternoon. The first night was pretty easy – room service, relaxing and watching movies – whatever kills time in a hospital room. Every so often, a nurse came in to give Michelle doses of a magical cervix-softening pill to get things going. Early Monday morning they administered the heavy stuff – Pitocin – an intravenous drug designed to kick in real-deal labor contractions. No one ever told me about this stuff. At least her water never broke like it does in the movies – you know, all dramatic and splashing all over the floor, which was a relief. I can’t even describe the look on Michelle’s face each time a contraction would hit. Her body would tense up in anticipation of the pain as if she could see them coming. It looked like she was watching an invisible bull charge at her from across the room, with no ability to get out of the way before it crashed into her with all of its force. It was like watching your best friend get mauled by a bear, and there’s nothing you can do. Once Michelle’s cervix was dilated and her pain threshold was maxed out, it was time to administer the epidural – a large needle inserted directly into her spine. Her goal of natural childbirth was shattered, but she was tired and couldn’t take it anymore. I was proud of her for hanging in there as long as she did. Within minutes her pain was completely gone. The RN woke me Tuesday at 4 a.m. to bright fluorescent lights to tell me it was time to start pushing.

SPORTS EDITOR tlehman@mail.sfsu.edu

CHRIS DEJOHN

COPY EDITOR cdejohn@mail.sfsu.edu

JOCELYN CARRANZA

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR jcarranz@mail.sfsu.edu

KELSEY LANNIN

ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR klannin@mail.sfsu.edu

GRADY PENNA

SOCIAL MEDIA/ONLINE EDITOR gpenna@mail.sfsu.edu

RACHELE KANIGEL

PRINT ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu

JESSE GARNIER

FACULTY ADVISER jgarnier@sfsu.edu

KEN KOBRE

PHOTO ADVISER kkobre@sfsu.edu

EVA CHARLES

ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@sfsu.edu

ARUN UNNIKRISHNAN I.T. CONSULTANT arun@mail.sfsu.edu

SAMANTHA LOPEZ CIRCULATION

EVA RODRIGUEZ

STUDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER ggxads@sfsu.edu

WRITE US A LETTER The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words. Letters are subject to editing. Send letters to Jessica Nemire at: jdn@mail.sfsu.edu

ABOUT XPRESS The Golden Gate Xpress is a student-produced publication of the journalism department at San Francisco State University. For more information or comments, please contact Darcy Fracolli at: dfracoll@mail.sfsu.edu

thing of the past. Furthermore, it is important to preserve the cultural narratives that permeate our history. These are stories that are not often told in standard history classes, but are integral to understanding the foundation of our nation. A National Bureau of Economic Research study found that students who enrolled in ethnic studies classes had higher attendance rates and GPAs. These courses benefit students on a personal and societal level. Talking about our cultural and racial differences and the systemic biases that still exist against people of color is essential to the development of our society.

Last Thursday, officials said that they allocated $3.6 million to the College this year, nearly $2 million less than the Graduate School of Education received, despite the fact that Ethnic Studies has 30 percent more students. It is essential that SF State continues to fully support the unique programs and legacy that the College of Ethnic Studies offers to students going forward.

DARCY FRACOLLI Editor-in-Chief

Giving birth not always as idyllic as it may seem

JESSICA NEMIRE

OPINION EDITOR jdn@mail.sfsu.edu

secures the financial future of the College. That Ethnic Studies, already the smallest college at SF State, was asked to go on a budgetary diet in a time of serious racial turmoil in the U.S. is problematic, to say the least. In a cultural landscape riddled with racial strife and resentment, SF State’s College of Ethnic Studies plays a crucial role in illuminating the continued fractures that plague the U.S. and helping to heal the racial divide. Because we’ve virtually eliminated specific legal forms of discrimination, it’s easy for people, particularly white Americans, to write off racism as a

cdejohn@mail.sfsu.edu

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS DEJOHN

Chris DeJohn holds his son James at UCSF Mission Bay Children’s Hospital Thursday, Feb. 4.

With each contraction the RN would yell, “PUSH!” count to ten, and breathe in, three times in a row, then repeat. Michelle was pulled, shoved, stretched and flipped for three hours straight. This was not the romantic and beautiful event depicted in the movies. The next thing I knew, I was handed scrubs and escorted into a stark-white operating room full of rubber gloves and eyes peering at me through surgical masks. Michelle was on the operating table. It was nothing less than organized chaos. I felt dizzy and like I might pass out – but I didn’t. “Whatever you do, don’t touch anything blue,” one surgical mask said. “If it’s blue it means it’s sterile, OK?” I witnessed the doctor shove what looked like a sharp, oversized pair of medieval salad tongs into Michelle’s vagina a few times.

I could see the head, but the kid wouldn’t budge. They told us they had to perform an emergency C-section. I started to freak out. Suddenly I was escorted to a short stool next to Michelle’s head. A curtain was raised to block the view below her waist. No one tells you how intense the smell of blood and intestines is, and no one prepares you for the experience of watching people cut open your spouse. I tried to remain calm. That’s when I heard him. All of a sudden, there was a baby crying somewhere on the other side of the room. He had arrived. “Would you like to meet him?” a surgical mask asked. Pop culture doesn’t prepare you for how ugly, beat up and slimy newborn babies are when they first come out. Movies make it seem like there’s a few minutes of intense pain, then poof – here’s your beautiful new baby. It’s not

like that at all. He was screaming with his arms outstretched as if he were reaching out and longing to be put back into the utopia from which he had been recently snatched. His head was coneshaped, his face was bruised from the forceps and he had a giant blister on the back of his head. He was pissed. Michelle and I spent a week in the hospital recovering. It was the most intense experience I’ve ever had – and I wasn’t even the one who tried to push a small human from a tiny opening in my body for three hours. Baby James is doing great and we love him more than words can express. He is the most beautiful and wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me, and seeing his little smiling face has given me a whole new purpose, but I never want to go through that again. Ever.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

OPINION

Taking time off from university rekindles scholastic motivation EMILY CHAVOUS

echavous@mail.sfsu.edu

ometimes school gets the best of you. Sometimes the work load is too much, or the frat parties are too fun, or you’d rather sleep through your morning class and get brunch instead, and then it just feels awkward to go back because the semester’s already five weeks in and everyone probably knows each other by now, and suddenly you’ve become “that guy” who only shows up for the midterm, which you are obviously going to bomb. I’m here to tell you that’s okay. Don’t get me wrong. Someday, you’re going to look back wistfully on the skipped classes and the wasted money. Someday, you’re going to wish you stuck it out and finished what you started. But some people just need a break. To my mother’s dismay, the first few semesters of my college experience were more a of social experiment than a straight shot to summa cum laude cords. I took an academic leave after a particularly botched semester and, honestly, I was disappointed in myself for dicking around and failing to meet everyone else’s expectations. But the truth is, dropping out was my best move. I needed time to grow. An increasing number of high school graduates are opting to take time off before college to work or travel. If you didn’t get that downtime, research says you might be missing out. Harvard reports students who take a gap year dig into university studies with more vigor. They actually encourage students to defer enrollment in

ILLUSTRATION BY JARED JAVIER

their letter of admission, as the time away commonly reinforces a student’s choice of major or redirects them down a new path. Data from the American Gap Association, a nonprofit organization researching the benefits of gap years, shows these students almost always outperform individuals who do not take any time off. It isn’t too late to take that break. Maybe, like me, you landed in lecture halls before

you were ready. Dwindling motivation might be a sign that you haven’t found your niche yet and you need to get out and live a little. You might need some time to fly the coop and explore the big bad world before you find that one thing you’re really passionate about. Because you are passionate about something. And if you give yourself the chance to experience all of those things that you need to experience,

you’re going to find it. Did you know SF State will let you take up to two years off without dropping you? You can skip one full semester without notifying anyone, and if you plan to be gone longer than that, you just need to fill out a leave of absence form and explain how time away from campus will improve your performance at school. I’m not a runner, but I’ve often heard education

referred to as a marathon. I imagine that implies you need to find your own pace. And if it feels like you need to catch your breath, it’s not a bad idea to step away from campus and find some clarity before you either lose interest altogether or find yourself down a career path that isn’t the right fit for you.

SFO safety precautions border on racial profiling SHABAZ KAZIA Special to Xpress

If you’ve ever seen a young Punjabi man, you’ve probably noticed his turban. Aside from being stylish, it’s a religious sign of spirituality and holiness in the Sikh faith. The Punjabi Sikh culture is one of pride, and the pagri is a sign of respect and honor. Unfortunately, last Sunday, Transportation Security Administration officials at San Francisco International Airport didn’t get the memo when they asked popular Punjabi YouTube star and comedian Jus Reign – whose real name is Jasmeet Singh – to remove his turban, and then didn’t provide him with a mirror to put his turban back

on, according to CBC News. Asking a Sikh man to remove his pagg is already disrespectful, but to not even provide the proper accommodations to put it back on is equatable to a slap to the face. Sikhs from Punjab, India wear turbans and they refer to it as a pagri or pagg. Most Punjabi men wear their pagg as a sign of honor and respect. It’s how they identify themselves and their strong passionate heritage. Singh was in the Bay Area performing a show at UC Berkeley over the weekend. Late Sunday, when Singh was on his way to Toronto, Canada from SFO, TSA officials pulled him aside for a “random” screening and escorted him to a private room, according to Singh’s Twitter account.

The issue at hand is not only that Singh was racially discriminated against but also the level of insensitivity shown by SFO TSA. They had given no thought to what the implications would be for a Sikh man to walk around with his pagri off, to the level of embarrassment and shame it would bring. Singh politely and without any complaints did as the TSA asked, up until they asked to remove his turban. He complied because he wanted to board his flight, but when Singh asked for a mirror to put his pagg back on, the TSA suggested he walk to the nearest bathroom, according to his Twitter. Earlier in February, actor and model Waris Ahluwalia was barred from boarding his Aeroméxico Flight because he refused to remove his pagg, according

to The Guardian. The question remains: would the same treatment be applied to a muslim woman? What if they asked her to remove her hijab and walk around the airport with her hair uncovered. The level of embarrassment is the same. Most people who wear a religious head garb are not supposed to be seen without it. It’s like being naked for them. A turban is not something a person can just remove and put back on without any issue. SFO TSA probably has no idea what the difference between a muslim and sikh is. All brown people have been grouped together with no respect or acknowledgement of their unique cultures. I guess TSA at large is hinting at Sikhs leaving their turbans at home.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

SPORTS

Women’s track and field athletes crack top-10 all-time lists CHRIS DEJOHN

cdejohn@mail.sfsu.edu

The SF State women’s track and field team rewrote the University record book during the 2016 Johnny Mathis Invitational at Cox Stadium Saturday, Feb. 27. First, sophomore civil engineering major Adriana Calva decimated the firstplace all-time Gator record in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. “That’s amazing,” said SF State head track and field coach Kendra Reimer. “(Calva) is someone that came in as an 800 runner, and has just worked really, really hard for her time here. She had a great crosscountry season, and she’s just getting better and better. I really think, for her, the sky’s the limit.” Calva already held the third-best overall record in the event, and on Saturday she shattered Joanna Luk’s 2003 record by more than 11 seconds – finishing at 11 minutes and 10 seconds – and beat her own personal record by more than 28 seconds. SF State sophomore Jackie Foley beat her own 2015 personal best by more than 31 seconds, landing her in second place in the steeplechase. Foley finished with a time of 11:26.21, which places her third alltime in SF State history. SF State senior Nicole Uikilifi had a tremendous performance Saturday, placing first in the women’s discus, second in the women’s shot put and third in the women’s hammer throw. Her discus throw of 44.42 meters ranks fifth alltime. With so many personal records being shattered by

members of the track and field team, Uikilifi had high praise for her teammates. “It’s just amazing being on a team that you know everyone has your back,” Uikilifi said. Jordan Guerrero placed first in the triple jump with a distance of 11.41 meters, good for sixth all-time in SF State history. Alex Jones made her way into the record books as well, with a shot put throw of 13.42 meters, the third-longest

”

It’s just amazing being on a team that you know everyone has your back. -Nicole Uikilifi

throw in program history. Gator thrower Brittnee Jones – two-time letter winner from Port Hueneme, California – competed in the women’s discus and shot put events, and took fifth in the women’s hammer throw on Friday, setting a new personal best with a mark of 45.36 meters. “Placing-wise today I was kind of … a little on the lower side, but personally I feel like I did my all,” Jones said. “But the team – for my throwers – we did an amazing job. Yesterday we did hammer and we all (broke personal records), all the throwers. We still did amazing and gave 100 percent.”

CONNOR HUNT / XPRESS

Nicole Uikilifi, thrower for SF State, hurls a javelin during the Johnny Mathis Invitational Saturday at Cox Stadium.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

SPORTS

Marine reserve translates leadership skills to the rugby pitch ZACHARY DALTON zdalton@mail.sfsu.edu

“...I chose basketball because my parents told me, ‘You are going to be big.’”

rueling matches and back-breaking military training are two things rugby captain Zeth Tutupoly knows very well. Tutupoly, 23, is not only a student and a captain of the rugby club, he is an active member of the United States Marine Corps Reserve. The senior has spent the past three years in the USMC Reserve and said it has taught him to have a sense of urgency and discipline. “It makes you grow up a lot,” Tutupoly said. “It makes you realize there is a lot of time in the day, and it’s just up to you how you utilize it.” Part of Tutupoly’s Marine unit is set to be deployed this year, but he will postpone his deployment in order to graduate. Like his teammates, Tutupoly practices three times a week, except he is required to spend one weekend a month on duty at the USMC Reserve Center in San Bruno. Rugby coach Dean White said Tutupoly’s military experience has helped him both as an athlete and a leader. “Leading by example is key,” White said. “Zeth is an excellent leader. He understands sacrifice and what it takes to succeed as a team.” Tutupoly grew up in South Sacramento, a neighborhood with a rough reputation. Because of this, Tutupoly’s mother didn’t give him much freedom growing up, but that changed when he attended Monterey Trail High School in Elk Grove. It was there that he developed a passion for sports. He played football and tennis for four years and wrestled for three. Now the sport of choice for Tutupoly is rugby. Tutupoly’s role on the SF State rugby team is being a backs captain, and he plays the inside centre position, according to White. It is a key

-Susannah Smith

CONNOR HUNT / XPRESS

SF State rugby team backs captain Zeth Tutupoly poses for a portrait after practice Wednesday, Feb. 17.

position when attacking, as an inside centre’s decisions make or break a play. They often receive the ball upon running into the defensive line, forcing them to decide whether to kick, pass or break tackles in order to score. Being an inside centre requires Tutupoly to be quick and agile, but he said his athletic background has really helped.

He said the hardest part about balancing school and athletics is the freedom you have as a college student. “College is a completely different beast,” Tutupoly said. “You actually have your own freedom to go to practice, go to work (or) not do any of those.” Tutupoly didn’t know anything about rugby until walking through the quad one

day on campus when someone from the club persuaded him to show up to one of the practices. “Some dude just throws this oddly shaped ball at me and asked if I’ve ever heard of rugby,” Tutupoly said. “I kind of missed football, so I showed up to the practice and automatically fell in love.” Since joining the rugby club, Tutupoly has not only

excelled in the sport, but his teammates see him as a true leader. “I’d say Zeth has some of the best qualities on the team,” Tutupoly’s teammate Nate Visiliaf said. “We’ve been on the losing side of a lot of games this season and Zeth’s the guy, 79th minute, picking our guys up.”