Spring 2016 Issue 13

n e d l o a te GGX

wednesday, APRIL 27, 2016

Lingering notes of colonialism and homesickness in Poetry Center display on Page 4

Track and field coach drives team improvements on Page 11

XPRESS

‘Dump Trump’ rally advocates for voter registration

Issue

#13

Volume CII goldengatexpress.org Serving the San Francisco State community since 1927.

Students and faculty break a sweat during annual 5K race

AHALYA SRIKANT

asrikant@mail.sfsu.edu

N

TAYLOR REYES / XPRESS

Leslie Ortiz and Hector Chacon show their support during the “Dump Trump” rally in Malcolm X Plaza Monday.

early forty students gathered in Malcolm X Plaza chanting “Dump Trump” during an anti-Trump rally Monday, April 25, holding signs with Donald Trump’s face crossed out and printed with the slogan.

The event, hosted by the San Francisco Democratic Party, featured speeches by SF State students and San Francisco elected officials. The rally focused on what the speakers called Trump’s “hate speech” and the importance of voting in every election.

“I’m tired of his rhetoric.

I’m tired of his hate speech. I’m tired of his racism,” Adam Rey, political director for College Democrats and a third-year political science major said.

Rey, along with Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party Mary Jung and member of the California Tax Board Fiona Ma spoke about the impact of this election season.

At the rally, students had the opportunity to register to vote and eat tacos provided by Taqueria Girasol in the Cesar Chavez Center.

TRUMP Continued ON PAGE 2

Dynamic exhibition celebrates MFA grads KELSEY LANNIN

klannin@mail.sfsu.edu

S

hannon Abac’s biomorphic ceramic sculptures, dripping in glossy color, mingle with nearby woven textiles by Kimberly Arteche, depicting deliberate, close crops of pixelated photographs in muted, warm tones. Leah Virsik’s suspended forest of deconstructed denim jeans, imposing and comforting, hang in a giant, perfect cube near Nash Bellows’ floor-to-ceiling grid of paintings with layers of curving shapes, sharp edges and a self-contained visual language of organic pattern and color.

“I love the way it works together as a show,” said Virsik, facebook: /GoXpress

who had an eye on SF State’s School of Art for years prior to attending. Once there, she found the teachers to be amazing and the tuition affordable.

The 2016 MFA Thesis Exhibition showcases works by the four artists graduating this spring from the SF State School of Art’s Master of Fine Arts program, and had its campus reception Thursday, April 21. The exhibition features a dynamic presentation of sculpture, textile, painting and installation art with works by Arteche, Abac, Bellows and Virsik.

Mark Johnson, SF State instructor and director of the Fine Arts Gallery, said this may be the smallest graduating class the program has ever seen.

MFA Continued ON PAGE 4 instagram: @goldengatexpress

KELSEY LANNIN / XPRESS

Attendees discuss a sculpture by Master of Fine Arts student Shannon Abac at the campus reception for the 2016 MFA Thesis Exhibition in the SF State Fine Arts Gallery Thursday.

twitter: @XpressNews

website: goldengatexpess.org

PERNG-CHIH HUANG / XPRESS

Keira Donnell receives an award at Malcolm X Plaza after the SF State 5K Walk, Run & Roll Sunday.

JORDAN VAIL

jmv@mail.sfsu.edu

I

n the early morning hours, Malcolm X Plaza, usually desolate during the weekend, was energized by a modest but eager crowd dressed in purple and gold shirts, tight running shorts and brightly colored Lycra.

The group of around 100 people was there for the sixth annual SF State 5K Walk, Run & Roll Sunday, April 24, a race started by the campus recreation department as a way to keep school spirit high, even on days where people usually aren’t expected on the college grounds.

“It’s a great way to get people out there and be active,” said Polo Chavez, special events student co-manager for campus recreation and co-organizer of the race. “SF State is a commuter school, so events like these really help foster a sense of community in the student body.”

While Chavez said students made up the majority of the demographics of the race, faculty and community members turned up to break a sweat as well. Jackson Wilson, a professor for the recreation, parks and tourism department, power walked the race with his baby daughter strapped to his back.

“This was the first time,” Wilson said, referring to the experience of having his daughter and all her baby supplies loaded

5k Continued ON PAGE 5 snapchat: @xpressnewspaper

NEWS

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

CONNOR HUNT / XPRESS

California Tax Board member Fionna Ma discusses Donald Trump during an anti-Trump Rally as San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee Member Tom Hseih and students applaud in Malcolm X Plaza at SF State Monday.

‘Dump Trump’ rally advocates for voter registration

TRUMP Continued from the front According to Keenan Patterson, a third-year urban planning major and communications director for College Democrats, it’s important for college students to get out to vote no matter who they vote for.

“Just the fact that they’re voting is going to show that his hate speech is unacceptable,” Patterson said. “That’s not what we want on our campus.”

The speakers took the opportunity to remind students about the importance of

registering to vote. Chair Mary Jung spoke about the importance of participating in the Democratic Party.

“I want students to vote, to become involved and take an active part in Democratic politics just like I did. It takes a long time to make change, and we need people to grab it while they’re young,” Jung said.

Executive Director of the San Francisco Democratic Party Ally Medina registered more than thirty voters as speeches were going on.

GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ / XPRESS

The San Francisco Democratic Party and the SF State College Democrats combined efforts to register voters during the Dump Trump Rally at Malcolm X Plaza Monday.

GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ / XPRESS

San Francisco Democratic Party Executive Director Ally Medina and SF State College Democrats communications assistant Keenan Patterson run an anti-Trump Rally and assist students with voter registration Monday.

“We need to show that people are motivated and that they care about this election and that they’re not gonna stand for the hate speech and the rhetoric on the other side,” Medina said.

The Republican Student Union was tabling during the rally as well.

Brian May, a third-year electrical engineering major and a member of the Republican

Student Union, doesn’t think Trump’s speech is hateful. He thinks Trump’s position on issues like border security are realistic ideas to solve the drug problem in America. He didn’t approve of the “Dump Trump” posters that the San Francisco Democratic Party had sponsored for the event.

The rally was a success, according to Naeemah Charles, a fourth-year political science

major and director of external affairs at Associated Students, Inc. She said the rally was not in response to the Republican Student Union’s advocacy for Donald Trump.

“We needed to make sure that we stand united in defeating Trump and make sure that everyone who can vote is able to vote,” Charles said.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

FEATURE PHOTOS

ERIC CHAN / XPRESS

Sonsheree Giles, (left) MaryStarr Hope, (middle) and Megan Lowe (right) practice for their upcoming show, “Archives and Outcries: California’s Unconventional Women Tell Their Stories,” an aerial dance performance by Flyaway Productions, Wednesday, April 20.

ERIC CHAN / XPRESS

Alayna Stroud practices for the upcoming show, “Archives and Outcries: California’s Unconventional Women Tell Their Stories” Wednesday, April 20. The show will be held May 3 above the J. Paul Leonard Library Plaza.

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Register starting April 4 ¡ Class schedule online now

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Wednesday, April 27, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

Dynamic exhibition celebrates MFA grads MFA Continued from the front “People in the Bay Area live in a difficult economic reality right now,” said Johnson, who sees the lower enrollment in arts programs as part of a larger trend. Johnson’s own alma mater, UC Berkeley, had a graduating class of six MFA students this year, down from 25 in his graduating class.

The small class size was a boon to this exhibition, allowing the art to exist dynamically in the space, both as stand-alone works and together in conversation.

Colors, shapes, textures, themes and styles were enlivened by proximity and location.

“In years past, it’s been like one artist’s work in this corner, one artist’s work in this area – very split up,” Abac said. “We didn’t want the show to be like that; we wanted it to be more integrated.”

The cohesion of the exhibition is also a testament to the skill in curation and installation – a collaborative effort between the artists and students of an exhibition design class taught by Johnson.

“It was nice to actually work with the artists themselves,” said Michelle Kim, an art history major and student in

the exhibition design class who worked with Virsik to install her work. “They were here every day.”

Kim said her experience installing the show inspired her to possibly pursue a graduate degree in curatorial studies.

“It’s very tastefully done,” said attendee Sarah Heady, who has a graduate degree in writing from SF State. “Every piece gets an equal measure of attention, and I appreciate that.”

The four artists had varied perspectives on whether their shared experiences through the course of the program impacted

their work.

“It’s kind of serendipitous,” Arteche said. “We’re a small class compared to the other classes, but I wouldn’t necessarily say we’re all working together or we have a lot of the same ideas. It’s not like we made things to respond to each other’s work. Probably the one thing that influenced each other was color.

I don’t think I would have been making things with this type of color.”

Bellows said she sees common themes in their work.

“It’s hard to be next to someone for three years and not

get influenced by what they’re looking at and talking about, and we all bounce ideas off of each other,” Bellows said. “They all have weird little connections that I wouldn’t necessarily notice separately, but now that they’re all in the same room, it’s easier to pick up on.”

The exhibition is on display through May 14 in the Fine Arts Gallery. In-gallery artist talks are scheduled for Thursday, April 28 from 12:10-1 p.m.

Photo documentation of the exhibition installation process can be viewed at https://www. flickr.com/photos/sfsugallery/.

Lingering notes of colonialism and homesickness in Poetry Center display CECILIE LYNGBERG

P

lynberg@mail.sfsu.edu

oet Lehua M. Taitano comes from Guam, an American territory in the Pacific where only parts of the constitution apply.

“And it was then that I knew that I was only half visible,” Taitano read from her book.

Taitano was a part of the first Kuwentuhan poetry reading Thursday in front of around 30 people at SF State’s Poetry Center. Together with six other poets, she was invited to read from her work, improvise along the way and interact with the audience, in the traditional style of Kuwentuhan talk-stories.

“Cuento,” meaning story in Spanish, was adapted by the Philippines, a former Spanish colony, into the Filipino word “Kuwentuhan,” which best translates into talk-story.

The event was a collaboration between the Poetry Center and Asian American studies lecturer Barbara Jane Reyes, and ran alongside several events over the weekend, culminating with a big group performance Saturday.

Steve Dickison, director of the Poetry Center at SF State, said he first heard about the Kuwentuhan genre through Reyes.

“It is what people do together,” Dickison said. “They sit around a table – eat, drink, laugh and tell stories. And we thought of a way to bring this activity into the contemporary poetry world, partly because so much of the kinds of contact people have is so fleeting and virtual and has to do with social media, or e-mails, or passing one another in a strange city. So we wanted for people to have the time to actually sit down together, face to face, and talk with one another, and see what would arise from that experiment.”

Reyes has a Filipino background and was the first to come up with the theme for the event. She defines the genre as a making and talking story.

“It is a story that is alive, and

CECILIE LYNGBERG / XPRESS

Author Urayoán Noel reads his poetry over an electronic beat at the first Kuwentuhan talk-story event at SF State Friday.

constantly growing, changing and dynamic,” Reyes said. “And you are not only connecting with each other, you are all taking part in telling the story”.

The authors at the event come from Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Mexico. But even though they have very different backgrounds, cultures and poetic styles, Reyes said, they are connected by their

shared cultural history of colonization.

This is reflected in the poems, where reoccurring themes are the love of homeland, the lingering effects of colonialism and homesickness.

Angela Narciso Torres read a poem about her mother back home in the Philippines, that every time Torres is visiting and about to travel again, wishes for

her daughter to stay – and sees the daughter’s dropping of a glass or spilling coffee on her sweater in the airport as a sign for her to not go.

After the poetry reading, Torres told the audience about a conversation the poets had Thursday morning.

“We were talking about homeland – what it means to leave home, and how we locate

home when we have been displaced from it,” Torres said.

“How we return to home, either through memory or actually, physically holding something from home in your hand – like sand from Guam. We go back in language,” Torres said, and quoted the polish author Czeslaw Milosz: “Language is the only homeland.”

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

Students and faculty break a sweat during annual 5K race 5k Continued from the front

on his back during a recreational race. “But it was fun, walking along with her and hearing her chuckle and encourage everyone else.”

First to rip through the purple streamer at the finish line was long-time San Francisco resident Randall Conner, an experienced runner looking for a fresh course to challenge him.

“I really liked the course; it was fun,” said Conner, who finished with a time of 18:01.

“I found out about it online a couple days ago, just looking for a 5 or 10K; the ones I knew about sounded kind of boring, so I wanted to try something different.”

Trailing behind him in third was dietetics major Christian Avalos, with a time of 19:11.

“I feel great!” Avalos said.

“I do boxing, so I do a lot of running for that, and I thought it was a great run for me.”

Thirty volunteers from campus recreation and other departments lined the pathway to the finish line, cheering and encouraging every runner, jogger and power walker as they made their way towards the towering purple and gold balloon arc signaling the race’s end. “(It was important) for me to be involved in something that makes all this stuff possible and help make that happen,” said kinesiology major Jan Peña, who volunteered as pacer for the race. “My thing is personal training (and) coaching, so I have a huge interest in the physical fitness side.”

From getting a good workout to spending time with friends, everybody had a reason for coming out for the race. For mother and daughter team Amber and Carla Ward, the race also provided a good warm-up for Bay to Breakers, the iconic citywide race known for its crowds of quirky, costumed participants.

“We’re scared!” Ward laughed, before explaining that she was looking forward to both Bay to Breakers and the SF State race. “I’ve never been to this campus, and I’ve been to San Francisco a few times, so I do think it’s a good race.”

By the time the race was winding down, the temperature was climbing, and the contestants sprawled in the shade in the quad, enjoying their gift bags, cold drinks and the company of fellow runners. Christian Enos, special events student co-manager and co-organizer of the race, said he was happy with the turnout and hopes for the race to grow and become a tradition on campus.

“Campus recreation is all about promoting health and wellness,” Enos said.

“So that’s what this race was about.”

“

PERNG-CHIH HUANG / XPRESS

Gabrielle Jones (left) and Shariana Turner (right) run between the HSS and Administration buildings at SF State during the 5K Walk, Run & Roll Sunday.

Campus recreation is all about promoting health and wellness ... So that's what this race was about.

-Christian enos

Special events student co-manager

PERNG-CHIH HUANG / XPRESS

The SF State Gator cheers at the finish line of the 5K Walk, Run & Roll Sunday.

PERNG-CHIH HUANG / XPRESS

Katie Murphy, Carlos Mendez and his daughter, Celaya Mendez, dance during the warm up at the 5K Walk, Run & Roll Sunday.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

EMILY CHAVOUS / XPRESS

Senior apparel design student Peyton Howell irons a piece of crepe fabric Monday, from which she will construct a waistcoat for the upcoming “Emerge” fashion show.

Student designs emerge from the studio

A EMILY CHAVOUS

echavous@mail.sfsu.edu

fter three intensive months holed up in the apparel design lab in Burk Hall, the ensembles made by junior and senior students will grace the catwalk at “Runway 2016: Emerge” this Thursday, April 28.

While many of the designers had finished their final stitches by Monday, some were still sewing.

Among them were junior Kelsey

EMILY CHAVOUS / XPRESS

Danielle Hickethier works on a personal project in the apparel design lab Monday after completing her runway-ready garments.

Long and senior Peyton Howell, both 22.

“Are you doing okay?” Long’s voice called out from behind an unclothed mannequin.

“Um, I’m alive,” Howell said with a laugh, joking that she might need to use the blanket folded up by the window and pull an allnighter.

The show, which will be held at the San Francisco Design Center Galleria at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6:30 p.m., features four categories: technology in fashion, creative projects, reuse designs and senior collections.

Tech designs will be on mannequin display as guests arrive, so apparel design and merchandising professor and show lead Connie Ulasewicz recommends attendees get there early. Creative projects, which have loose guidelines to encourage students’ artistic vision, walk first.

Sustainable designs created from repurposed bookstore materials follow, and senior collections close the show.

The apparel design and merchandising department is collaborating with BECA students to produce the show, handling everything from event promotion to video backdrops and lighting.

Models received runway coaching from Charleston Pierce, San Francisco-based creative director, fashion consultant and celebrity trainer.

“You can do anything you want

EMILY CHAVOUS / XPRESS

Junior Kelsey Long feverishly sews in Burk Hall Monday as she finishes a design for the spring fashion show.

in life, but you have to discipline yourself and show up,” Pierce told the room of designers and models during their training session.

“Nobody’s going to knock on your door with opportunity. Your butt’s got to get out of the bed, and show up and show out.”

The designers said they look forward to celebrating their efforts and all the long hours constructing

in the lab.

“I’m excited that it’s finally going to be over and we can see everyone’s work,” Howell said.

“It’s been this continuous cycle and (the only thing) that we’ve been focusing on. Now we can take that next step in life.”

As Howell put the finishing touches on a white crepe waistcoat, a piece from one of

the five looks in her collection, Long’s encouragement rose above the faint humming of sewing machines.

“Remember to breathe guys!

We’re almost there!” Long cheered.

Ulasewicz said the department expects a crowd of 500. Tickets are still available for purchase at Eventbrite.com.

OPINION

oldaetne 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

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

STAFF EDITORIAL

Drug price increases do more damage than pharmaceutical companies care to admit In the midst of nonstop election coverage and endless Beyoncé think pieces, the story of an 8.5 percent spending increase of total spending on medicines among the pharmaceutical industry over the last year slipped under the radar.

The New York Times reported multiple pharmaceutical manufacturers such as Johnson & Johnson, Amgen, Gilead, Celgene, and others have increased prices for some of their name-brand drugs by doubledigit figures. This increase, which affects far more people, generated nowhere near the amount of public outrage that Martin Shkreli’s unexpected overnight 4,000 percent price increase of Daraprim, a drug used to treat HIV and AIDS, did last year.

Though Shkreli’s actions were outrageous and extremely worrisome for all those who depend on that medication to stay

healthy, it also brought attention to the morally bankrupt system the pharmaceutical industry uses to profit off the backs of ailing Americans.

Many defend the high drug prices in the U.S. by invoking the high cost of developing these drugs. According to them, pharmaceutical companies will have no incentive to spend millions in research and testing without the high markups that result in sky-high profits. The reality, however, is that the vast majority of medication is not purchased at market price. Deals are negotiated between insurance conglomerates and pharmaceutical companies for their bulk purchases, although the increases still trickle down to the consumer. Virtually the only group that pays full market price for medication is the uninsured.

This group, often among the poorest in

the country, does not make up a significant enough percentage of the market share for big pharmaceutical companies to validate the argument that the companies’ upfront costs justify their incredibly high market prices.

Even those insured or purchasing their medication through pharmacy-benefit managers such as CVS are increasingly being asked to pay a share of the market price to compensate for the yearly increases.

Nearly 60 percent of American citizens take prescription medication. We need to stand up to the pharmaceutical giants bankrupting the sick and the dying.

DARCY FRACOLLI Editor-in-chief

GRADY PENNA Social Media Editor/ Online Editor

JOEY REAMS

NEWS EDITOR reams94@mail.sfsu.edu

MIRANDA BOLAR

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR mbolar@mail.sfsu.edu

My sorority helped me find my individuality

ASHLEY BOWEN

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE EDITOR anbowen@mail.sfsu.edu

JESSICA NEMIRE OPINION EDITOR jdn@mail.sfsu.edu

TYLER LEHMAN

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@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

AMANDA ARAGONA

I

aaragona@mail.sfsu.edu

f you would have told me four years ago that I would be president of my sorority, I would have laughed in your face.

Four years ago, I would have never even fathomed taking on a leadership position, let alone the three I have had since joining my sorority. I was the girl who never raised her hand in class, even though I knew the right answer, who would have something to say in a conversation but let everyone talk over me, and the girl too depressed to leave her dorm room.

Three years ago, the president of Alpha Gamma Delta at the time called me and told me the social chair had stepped down and that she thought I would be a wonderful fit for the position. I was in my first semester sophomore year of college, only had been part of the sorority for a year, not quite sure what I wanted to do with my life or whether I even wanted to come back to San Francisco. Somebody else saw the potential I always knew deep down I had but was too scared to do anything about.

I always had a quiet confidence, and AGD allowed me to make that confidence loud and proud.

There’s a reason all but two presidents of the United States were a part of a fraternity and 85 percent of Fortune 500 executives were members of Greek life. Being a part of an organization that provides you with networking opportunities, teaches you the importance of volunteer and philanthropy work and sharpens your leadership skills is a blessing, not a curse.

When you hear someone say they are in a sorority, like many other people, you might think things like “dumb and shallow,” “party girl,” “hazing” or “pays for friends.” Getting a bid to a sorority has nothing to do with your looks. Sure, we attend parties, but who doesn’t in college? Hazing is illegal, so no, we don’t do it, and yes, we pay dues, but we most certainly do not pay for our friends.

I pay for the opportunity to travel to various destinations across the country and attend leadership conferences where I have created a network of incredibly talented women who will help me build my future career. I pay for the opportunity to stand in front of 100 women every week and inspire them to step outside of their comfort zone and aspire to take on officer positions like I have. I pay for the opportunity to help my sisters put on the largest philanthropic event on campus that both promotes campus unity and raises money for juvenile diabetes research and awareness.

While I have gained lifelong friendships and hilarious and crazy memories that I can tell my kids someday, I have gained so much in myself. The women I have been surrounded with in the past four years have shaped me into such a better person. While I still have bad

days, I am nowhere near as depressed I used to be. I jump at opportunities that are presented to me, instead of second guessing whether I am capable. I’ve learned communication and leadership skills that will help me when I enter the adult world.

I have created connections with so many diverse women and men from not only my sorority, but the other organizations on campus, of different races, sexual identities and socio-economic backgrounds. I have learned about others and in turn learned so

much about myself.

After four years in my sorority I now embrace my individuality, I speak my mind with confidence, I believe in myself and see the potential in others. I stand tall, I smile and laugh more than I ever have; I let people in instead of pushing people away. I am open-minded and eager to learn about other people's backgrounds and life stories, I embrace challenges, and most of all can graduate next year knowing I made the most of my college experience and it is going to benefit my future.

ILLUSTRATION BY JARED JAVIER

OPINION

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

I don’t need a squad to turn up JESSICA NEMIRE jdn@mail.sfsu.edu

W

hen DJ superduo Skrillex and Diplo, collectively known as Jack Ü, played back-to-back concerts in downtown San Francisco this month, groups of 20-somethings flooded Market Street, their kandiclad hands clasped together as they migrated to and from each show.

Like many of them, I had been awake and at my laptop at 9:59 a.m. in mid-February when pre-sale tickets first became available, obsessively refreshing the web page until it hit 10:00 so I could snatch my spot in the crowd.

Unlike many of them, I didn’t hashtag my mandatory post-show Instagram picture “squad goals accomplished,” because there was no squad – I went by myself.

To many people, the concept of attending shows alone sounds sad, lonely, and maybe even a little weird, but it’s actually how I prefer going to concerts. If I’m dropping a lot of money on a concert, it’s because I really care about the music.

There have been countless times I have been out with friends at a bar or dancing at a club, and one of my friends drank too much and either had to go home early or needed someone to hold their hair back in the bathroom while they threw

up for 45 minutes. This is irritating enough on a normal night, but even worse if I’ve paid to get into the venue and want to enjoy the show I came to see.

Even if nobody’s too drunk, if the friend I brought is clearly not having as good of a time as I am, I start feeling bad and guilty and it makes it difficult to enjoy the performance. I prefer to show up to concerts early, spend the whole time dancing as close to the stage as possible and stay until they kick everyone out, but I have a lot of friends who would rather only stay for an hour or so and spend half the time at the bar. When I attend shows by myself, I can do my own thing.

This isn’t to say that I don’t ever enjoy going to shows with other people.

Sometimes it’s fun to have a dancing partner, someone to scream the words with when I get excited about the song that’s playing, and a buddy with whom to reminisce about the performance while we’re waiting for the L Owl. More often than not when I go to shows solo, I’m the only person in the crowd who’s obviously by themselves, but that doesn’t mean I’m having any less fun than the group of girls squealing behind me and posting selfies on their Snapchat stories. Shows are fun, period, and sometimes I like to enjoy them by myself, and that’s not a sad thing.

ILLUSTRATION BY REID CAMMACK

The weather isn’t ‘bipolar,’ you’re just ableist JORDAN VAIL

jmv@mail.sfsu.edu

In the past few months the weather has been oscillating randomly from chilly sweater weather to summery heat. Just last Friday I woke up to dreary drizzle, and by the time I had gotten out of class a few hours later the sun was out and shining and the puddles of rain were quickly evaporating in the afternoon heat.

It’s hard to miss such curious weather patterns, and people haven’t been shy in expressing their opinions about it.

If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone call the weather “bipolar,” I’d have enough money to pay those people to stop equating mental illness with natural phenomena.

Let’s talk about words for a moment.

Words have power. Remember the old childhood saying, “sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me?” It’s very clear now that this childhood saying no longer rings true.

Words do hurt, even words used without the intention to harm.

The problem with ableist language – words or phrases that intentionally or unintentionally target people with disabilities – is that it has become so ingrained in our speech that we do not recognize the actual harm that it does.

Worst still, we’ve become so desensitized to this type of language we don’t even notice it. It becomes a natural part of our speech, which leads to the proliferation of it in casual conversation.

However, ableist words, no matter how innocently or flippantly they’re used, are still deeply insulting to people with disabilities. Doing so reinforces dominant

assumptions about what disabilities are, reduces people to their disabilities, and reduces disabilities to jokes. It’s just one of the many forms of ableism, which can be defined as discrimination or prejudice against people with disabilities.

I have bipolar disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 5.7 million American adults, or 2.6 percent of the U.S. adult population, are affected by bipolar disorder every year.

It’s a serious mental illness that causes those affected to cycle between manic and depressive episodes that can last weeks.

Last time I checked, the weather cannot experience mania-induced hallucinations or suicidal ideation. And yet, people still continue to use that word to describe things like air mass and the angle of the sun.

Let me clarify that I’m not calling for a ban on these words or encouraging

censorship. However, I am asking for people to consider their word choices, and think about why they use the words they do. I’m not blaming anyone; like I mentioned before, these words get tossed around so often they seem normal. And I bet not a lot of people know all the symptoms of bipolar disorder, or just how taxing it can be to live with.

In the case of ableist language, something as simple as educating yourself and others can do a lot of good toward creating safer, more inclusive language.

There are hundreds of thousands of words in the English language at your disposal. Ultimately, it’s up to you which ones you decide to use. But not taking the opportunity to at least consider your actions and choices? Now that’s crazy.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

SPORTS

SF State clinging to meager playoff hopes baseball

TYLER LEHMAN

Softball

tlehman@mail.sfsu.edu

W

ith nine conference games left in the season, it’s do or die for the SF State baseball team’s playoff hopes. The Gators were able to win a pivotal game Tuesday against the University of Hawaii at Hilo Vulcans, 11-4.

Prior to Tuesday’s win, the Gators were struggling with a 5-8 record in April. If there is any chance of a postseason run, the Gators will need to practically win out the rest of the season, and will need their pitching and batting to be potent.

Prior to Tuesday’s game, Ryan Bohnet

and Ulices Moreno led the Gators in ERA, with 2.84 and 3.19 respectively. Both have won double digit games, and both will be looking for some offensive support in their last few starts of the season.

Offensively, the Gators have four batters hitting at .300 or better, led by Myles Franklin’s .333 average. Franklin is also leading the Gators in RBIs, with 18.

The Gators play their final nine games within the next two weeks, and they will wrap up the regular season May 8 against Sonoma State University.

I

t was a bittersweet ending to the SF State softball team’s season, as a late season collapse kept them out of the playoffs. Despite missing out on postseason though, the Gators still managed a respectable 25-28 record, a vast improvement over their 12-40 record from a season ago.

First-year head coach Lisa Allen’s influence on the team was noticeable, as the Gators improved on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Starting pitcher Megan Clark finished the season

with a 2.21 ERA and 13 wins, both 9th best in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.

Three Gators posted a batting average higher than .300, led by Gabby Reta’s .323 average. Kayli Shaw was mashing the ball all season for the Gators, as she led the team with a .473 slugging percentage and four home runs.

It was certainly a bounce back year for the Gators, but their 6-16 record in April will be something coach Allen won’t want to repeat in 2017.

QING HUANG / XPRESS

PERNG-CHIH HUANG / XPRESS

SF State Gators pitcher Brent Montgomery (31) throws during the first game of a doubleheader, a 3-2 win against the Cal State Stanislaus Warriors, at Maloney Field Saturday.

Sonoma State Seawolves softball catcher Sarah Langley (7) grounds out to SF State Gators third baseman Gabby Reta (11) during the second game of a doubleheader, Monday, April 18.

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2 0 1 6 S o f t b a l l S ta n d i n g s

ccaa

ll

a over

south Division

North Division

chico State 18-12 28-14

ak

stre

w2

ccaa

humboldt state

ll

a over

ak

stre

32-2 45-3-1 w20

CSU monterey bay 17-13 28-14

l1

CSU east bay 16-13 25-15

l1

Sonoma State 24-15-1 32-20-1

w4

Sonoma State 14-15 16-24

l2

uc san diego 23-15 33-19

W2

San francisco State 11-16 19-20

w1

csu san bernadino 23-17 32-23

w5

stanislaus State 11-17 20-20

w1

San francisco State 19-21 25-28

L3

csu pomona 19-10 27-14

w2

stanislaus State 17-23 25-28

L1

uc san diego 17-13 27-15

w1

CSU monterey bay 16-23-1 27-25-1 W1

csu san bernadino 15-14 20-21

w3

CSU east bay 13-21 18-28

W1

chico State 27-11 36-12

w3

csu Dominguez hills 14-16 21-21

L3

csu Dominguez hills

8-32 15-38

L5

csu san marcos 13-16 21-20

w1

csu san marcos

7-29 10-36

l7

csu los angeles 9-19 10-29

l2

SPORTS

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 goldengatexpress.org

Track and field program flourishes under second-year head coach JOSUE DE LOS SANTOS dlsjosue@mail.sfsu.edu

A

s the Gators successful track and field season nears its end, head coach Kendra Reimer and her staff are prepping the team for the California Collegiate Athletic Association championships May 5-7. Reimer’s second year at SF State is coming to an end and she is proud of the quick turnaround of the track and field team.

Under Reimer and the coaching staff, many of the athletes have set personal records, reached great times and set provisional marks. At SF State’s Distance Carnival, sophomore Adriana Calva crushed her own 3000m steeplechase record by 13 seconds with a time of 10:57.35 and reached the NCAA Division II provisional mark of 11:05. Junior Kayla Phillips set a conferencebest triple jump provisional mark.

Senior Nicole Uikilifi has reached multiple provisional marks in the discus and hammer throw.

Reimer said the team’s investment in becoming high-level collegiate athletes has to do with the athletes being fully committed to working hard. Performing at a high level means doing all the little things in practice in order to be prepared to execute at the meets.

Members of the team need listen to coaches and apply what they teach on and off the track.

“The big difference between

last year and this year is the level of commitment and getting the girls to buy into being fully committed to the program,” Reimer said. “I feel that’s been the big first step and the turning point of the program.”

Reimer pushed the girls harder this year, taking the intensity up a couple notches. The team has responded by adjusting to the heavy workload and perfecting the lifestyle of a high-level collegiate athlete. Reimer said that’s been the biggest stepping stone in the program.

Tapping into the athlete’s potential begins with Reimer and the coaching staff teaching them to buy into what they’re doing and helping them see who they can be and the vision of how far they can go.

“When you can see it, see what your potential is, then it’s easier to work for it and you’re more excited when there’s light at the end of the tunnel for all your hard work, and that’s scary part for most athletes is committing,” Reimer said. “Athletes might say ‘oh, maybe I won’t get anything out of it if I commit.’”

Janelle Bandayrel, a junior transfer from City College of San Francisco, has been with the team for a short time but has already reaped the benefits of running under Reimer and the assistant coaches. In the Beach Invitational, hosted by Long Beach State, she set a personal-best time of 25.40 in the 200m dash. At the Sacramento State Hornet

Invitational, she was almost .2 seconds away from reaching the 100m provisional mark of 24.53.

“I got times that I wanted for a long time, and I finally hit them with the supervision of the coaches,” Bandayrel said.

“They’ve noticed how much hard work I’ve put in to reach those marks.”

Another runner who has been in the program less than a year is Camille Hansen, a junior transfer from Cal State East Bay. She said she began training late, but working with assistant coaches Alhbeck and Chew has prepared her for April and May’s events.

She was under five seconds shy of reaching the 1500m provisional mark of 4:34 at the Bryan Clay invitational. Her time of 4:38.55 is the fourth fastest time in school history.

The training has intensified with conference championships looming.

“We’re working really hard,” Hansen said. “This has been brutal. It’s good because we’re getting better, so we need that high-intensity training. It’s hard though.”

Reimer assessed the season as a success given the rapid progress the program has gone through.

Reimer’s proud of the team and is excited about the talent and youth.

Reimer said they have a program full of “talented athletes and a fully functional program that’s now a big threat within the conference.”

“This year was our coming out year and everyone in the

ALEAH FAJARDO / XPRESS

SF State track and field head coach Kendra Reimer during practice at Cox Stadium Thursday.

conference is noticing what we’re doing here at San Francisco State, so it’s exciting,” Reimer said.

“Our team has so much potential, it’s crazy,” Hansen said. “We’re going to be really good. We can do big things in conference.”

Reimer demands more from her athletes, teaching them that if

they’re good enough that’s okay, but not to settle because they can accomplish a lot more.

“Anything we do in life and when you go into your future jobs, careers, hard work and dedication is what it’s going to take to really stand out,” Reimer said. “It’s not a track thing, it’s life.”

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Jacob is 9 years old and in the 4th grade at Cordelia Hills Elementary School.

He loves playing basketball but missed the last part of his season because he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

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