Spring 2020 Issue 1

SF State’s student-run publication since 1927

Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020

SPORTS

Cougars claw Gators in home-court showdown

BY COLIN REEF

CITY

Paperless parking at SFSU

BY EMILY CARDENAS STAFF REPORTER

SPORTS EDITOR

The SF State men’s basketball team fell short against the Cal State San Marcos Cougars in the Main Gym at Don Nasser Family Plaza on Saturday, Jan. 25. The final score was 71-67, marking the Gators second straight loss after previously winning three in a row.

“We felt they weren’t ready to go,” Gators guard, Jase Wickliffe said. “So, that helped build the lead up.”

The game started with Gators guard DJ Sylvester collecting a loose ball from the tip-off on the Gators side of court. He took the ball to the rack and slammed it home while initiating contact and receiving an and-one call. He drained the free throw, putting the Gators up early on the Cougars 3-0.

Sylvester would end the night with 13 points on 4 of 9 shooting in 28 minutes played.

He also led the team with 7 rebounds and 4 assists.

The Gators’ consistent first half shooting from beyond the arc gave them an early edge on the Cougars. Throughout the first ten minutes of the half, the Gators separated themselves by as many as 14 points.

After the 3-0 start, the Gators

Gators guard, DJ Sylvester, beats his defender to get off an acrobatic pass in the paint to an open teammate ready for a shot in the corner. (Photo by Colin Reef / Golden Gate Xpress)

went on a tear notching some threes and putting them up on the Cougars 23-11 mid- way into the first half.

The first half closed with Cougars narrowing the deficit in the final five minutes of the first half. The score going into halftime had the Gators on a slight advantage

40-33.

“They really didn’t have any interest in playing good defense,” Wickliffe said in regards to the first half. “When we had that dry spell it was because we were doing things outside of our offensive game plan and who we are as a team offensively.”

The second half began

with Cougars guard Blake Seits draining a quick jumper from three point range. On the next possession, Gators big man Linton Acliese, teased his defender with a gentle baby hook from six feet out.

Acliese finished the day with a team high 19 points on 8 of 19 shooting from CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

CAMPUS

Trump defense continues their second day of arguments in impeachment trial

BY ANDREW LEAL MANAGING EDITOR White House lawyers began day two of their defense in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump for charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress on Jan. 27 to opposition from Democrats who want to call a new witness to testify, former Na-

SFSweets •PAGE 6

tional Security Advisor John Bolton.

Bolton’s draft manuscript of his unpublished book “The Room Where it Happened” is reported to detail a conversation he had with Trump concerning a continue to withhold roughly $400 million in aid to Ukraine to get their officials to investigate potential 2020 general election rival

Womens march •PAGE 7

former Vice President Joe Biden.

Trump tweeted on Jan. 26 after reports came out about the Bolton draft that, “I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including the Bidens. In fact, he never complained about this at the time of his very public ter- CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Shuttle Service •PAGE 5

SF State will be eliminating all physical parking permits beginning Feb. 1, according to Reginald Parson, Interim Assistant Vice President and Chief of Police.

In a campus-wide email, Parson discussed how these virtual permits will allow Parking and Transportation to cut back on waste. These permits will also support “the University’s sustainability initiative while making purchasing parking permits more convenient, efficient, and cost effective.”

“This sounds great, going paperless, saving waste,” said Christian Gomez, a commuting senior at SF State. “However, I am skeptical how this will be enforced. Will they have increased patrols constantly checking each car’s plates?”

Pre-paid permits for the semester are available by going to the Parking & Transportation Office or by visiting their website, parking.sfsu.edu.

Pricing will not change due to the virtual permit. Students using both pre-paid and daily permits will register their license plate, then park in predetermined lots with their license plates functioning as their virtual parking permits.

“This will save students time since there is no need for them to go back to their cars to display the permit,” said Director of Operations and Finance for Parking and Transportation, Joy Manaois.

According to Joy Manaois,Director of Operations and Finance for Parking and Transportation will save $19,000 annually--$12,000 for permit tags and $7,000 for paper rolls that are used in the permit machines. An average 15 rolls of paper are used per month but with the virtual permit, there will be no need for paper permits to be printed out and put on display.

The university will eventually release an app to purchase permits, according to Parson.

2•CAMPUS

X

TUESDAY, JAN. 28, 2020 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

GOLDEN Letter from the editor GATE PRESS

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Karamel Nunez-Martinez knunezmartinez@mail.sfsu. edu

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Andrew R. Leal aleal@mail.sfsu.edu

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Alondra Gallardo agallardo2@mail.sfsu.edu

ART DIRECTORS Briana Battle bbattle@mail.sfsu.edu Alexis L. Joseph ajoseph3@mail.sfsu.edu

BY KARAMEL NUNEZ MARTINEZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The start of a new semester can only be accompanied by feelings of excitement, nerves and dread. Whether that be for our seniors making that final push to graduation or a sophomore just trying to make it to summer break in one piece. Regardless of your position were all striving towards something greater for ourselves.

At least that’s how I see it, I’m Karamel Nunez Martinez the incoming editor in chief for the Golden Gate Xpress news. In the excitement of taking this

position I have a lot of ideas and great ambitions for myself, my team, and the development of this publication. I do know all of this will take time, I’m expecting the first few weeks to be a bit bumpy so I appreciate your patience as we get into the groove of things.

For my team I wish for nothing but success, with 16 weeks to go I’m hoping we can create some stellar clips and that everyone leaves with work they are truly proud of.

For my readers, something that’s of-

ten mentioned to us is that past staff members of Xpress have made mistakes that have caused us to lose the trust of some of the organizations and departments on our campus. These are the relationships that I hope I can help start the process of fixing by opening the conversation. My email is knunezmartinez@mail.sfsu.edu, please contact me with any comments, concerns or questions you may have.

I want to make the most of these 16 weeks and I hope you all tag along.

XPRESS YOURSELF

BY KAMERON HALL & ALONDRA GALLARDO STAFF REPORTERS

What is one thing you are looking forward to this semester?

CITY NEWS EDITOR Catherine Stites cstites@mail.sfsu.edu

CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR Juan Carlos Lara jlara9@mail.sfsu.edu SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Kameron Hall khall6@mail.sfsu.edu

SPORTS EDITOR

Bianca White

Daniel Curtis-Cummins

Felix Roman

Colin Reef creef@mail.sfsu.edu

Liberal Studies & Creative writing

Composition Stretch Course

PHOTO EDITOR Shandana Qazi sqazi@mail.sfsu.edu

“I am looking forward to getting deeper into my major classes and getting really good grades.”

“I’m meeting all my students again and I’m just looking forward to engaging them in projects to connect them to campus.”

“Finally getting my undeclared changed to Latino studies and passing my classes this year.”

Halima

Kyle Viray

Luciano Perez

Computer Science

Broadcast & Electronic Communication Arts

Women & Gender Studies

“I’m most excited to be networking because I am an international student so I will be looking at how other universities in America teach and the resources that they use.”

Said they are most excited about all the opportunities provided by the school and their major.

“I am looking forward to meeting new people in all my classes and outside of class too. I want to be more involved in the community here at school.”

OPINION EDITOR

Undeclared

Kerasa Tsokas ktsokas@mail.sfsu.edu

XPRESS ADVISERS PRINT ADVISER

Laura Moorhead lauralm@sfsu.edu

PHOTO ADVISER

Kim Komenich komenich@sfsu.edu

@ggxnews

3•CITY

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | TUESDAY, JAN. 28, 2020

Urban farm provides hands-on solution to food insecurity

BY KARAMEL NUNEZ-MARTINEZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The standard price for a family to live is $119,000 to live “well” in San Francisco, according to Investopedia.

San Francisco lives up to its reputation as one of the most expensive cities to live in the U.S, residents often have to work several jobs or live in uncomfortable situations in order to make ends meet.

Next to trying to make rent for the month, the next big expense for residents is a food budget. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics the average U.S household spends nearly 56.4% of their monthly budget on food.

One of the rising issues in the Bay

Area is food insecurity. According to the San Francisco Department of Public Health, 1 in 4 residents are at risk of hunger. Low income residents suffer disproportionately more from food insecurity.

As a way to assist San Francisco residents, in 1994 the SF government started Alemany Farms, one of the biggest urban farms in the city. The farms were successful for roughly six years, however, Alemany Farms closed due to a mismanagement of finances.

Around the early 2000s some of the residents started to guerilla garden the area to save the fruit trees, until they officially became The Friends of Alemany Farms in 2007. The new organization uses the same space, but under

different management.

“We have two main goals here one of them is food security … making sure everyone has access to fresh healthy food,” said bellthe lead farm manager, “The other main goal we have is around education, hoping to provide a space for people to get their hands dirty and get the experience of what does mustard look like, what does kale look like what does broccoli look like when it’s in the ground.”

Last year, the farms grew nearly 25,000 pounds of produce and gave it all away to the community. The farms partner with different food pantries to distribute food, such as a student food pantry at SF State and a community project called the free farm stand that

sets up a farmers market every week.

People can go pick up produce, no questions asked.

“It’s been a 100% volunteer run site and operation for the past 12 years,” said Danielle a frequent volunteer at the farms, “I get to work with a collective of volunteers that help co-manage the site.”

If residents can’t make it to one of their partnered food pantries, the Friends of Alemany Farms leaves their gates unlocked throughout the day and overnight allowing community members to harvest from the farm whenever.

The farms reports show that nearly 40% of its produce is harvested by the community.

Trump administration continues to dismiss charges of abuse of power CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

mination. If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book.”

White House Deputy Counsel Mike Purpura denounced the accusations of a link between investigations and foreign aid to Ukraine adding that, “Most of the Democrats’ witnesses have never spoken to the president at all. Let alone about Ukraine security assistance.”

The Trump defense team have so far dismissed the charges of abuse of power and obstruction and instead have tried to shift the focus of trial to former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden and his involvement with Ukranian natural gas company Burisma.

Pam Bondi, a member of the defense team, has spearheaded the focus on Hunter Biden with questions of whether his father, who served as vice president in the Obama administration, had a conflict of interest due to his son being apart of Burisma.

“We would prefer not to be discussing this. But the House managers have placed this squarely at issue, so we must address it,” Bondi said on the Senate floor.

According to Devin Dwyer of ABC News, as Bondi began her conversation on Hunter Biden, Sen. Maria Cantrell replied with the expletive, “bullshit,” to a fellow Senator who sat beside her.

Bondi got looks of disbelief from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats took notes.

Any new witness such as Bolton or Biden would be decided as quickly as Jan. 31 with a four hour debate, two for each side, followed by a full vote. The same process would apply to new documents or evidence to be submitted as well. Democrats need just four Republican Senators to vote along with them to get the witnesses and evidence submitted to the record.

Only two senators so far, Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine, have expressed an interest of

openness to call on witnesses at the tail end of the trial.

The Senate trial rules which were adopted Jan. 22 laid out the process the Senate would follow to try Trump on the charges given by the House early January.

So far opening arguments from seven House members acting as managers of the case led by Congressman Adam Schiff of California filled the Senate chamber on Wednesday detailing charges against Trump.

Schiff said that impeachment was, “A remedy as powerful as the evil it was meant to combat,” in his opening remarks.

The first charge amounts to abuse of power based on claims that Trump threatened to withhold aid already earmarked for Ukraine to help with security in exchange for the investigation of a political rival and potential democrat presidential challenger Joe Biden.

On Friday House managers argued their second charge that the president obstructed Congress when he allegedly refused to let specific figures in his administration testify in the House investigation into dealings with Ukraine in July 2019.

The defense opened their arguments on Jan. 25 to make the case Trump acted in the national interest with his conversations to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. And defense Front View by Capital Building (Photo by Andrew R. Leal) accused Democrats with trying to remove Trump from the ballot with the impeachment trial not too long into the day.

Chief Justice John Roberts has been presiding over the trial as the Constitution dictates he must do since Jan. 21, however, he gets as much power as the Senate will grant him.

The trial will continue with one more day given to the defense on Tuesday and then move on to determine whether additional witnesses and evidence

4•CAMPUS

TUESDAY, JAN. 28, 2020 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

ASI Board Hire New Executive Director, Tonee Sherrill

BY JUAN CARLOS LARA CAMPUS EDITOR

speaking Sherrill was clear and poised in a manner common to those with experience in addressing large crowds. He was also expressive, using his hands, head and eyes to illustrate his points.

The “culture of call and response,” that he mentioned earlier also repeated developing into a pattern of statement and affirmation.

Sometimes it was part of an activity.

At one point he read out several statements and asked the crowd to snap their fingers if they agreed. Other times, it was in a more casual form. “Can I tell you something? Nod if I can tell you something,” Sherrill said.

Sherrill presented what he referred to as the “25-50-25 rule.” This rule essentially states that in transitional times for organizations like this one, 25% of the staff will instantly support change, 50 % will be open to change but need convincing and 25%will be inherently opposed to change. Sherrill then surmised in saying that if the majority stay their course, the final 25% will either change direction or decide this is not for them.

“I pray to God that you all are in that 50% or that good 25%because we are going somewhere,” Sherrill said.

Toward the end of his presentation,

Sherill poses for a portrait in Malcom X Plaza sporting an SF State sweater (Photo by Juan Carlos Lara)

After roughly six years without a permanent executive director, San Francisco State University’s Associated Students Inc. (ASI) Board of Directors hired Tonee Sherrill to fill the role beginning this Spring semester.

The new director has come at a unique time for ASI. In October, the Board of Directors gave Vice President of Finance Andrew Carillo their approval to begin planning a referendum to increase student fees. This process will take at least a year, according to Carillo, during which the board will have to convince students to vote in favor of the proposal.

“I see myself more so as a servant leader. I am a bridge. I am a bridge to connect the voice of the students to the actual campus and the administration. I am an interpreter, if you will, of the student will, to translate what are these students’ interests to the administration,” Sherrill explained Spring also means ASI elections, but less than five%of the student population participated in the ASI presidential election last year. Sherrill said increasing voter participation is one of his main priorities this semester.

As previously mentioned, Sherrill is the first permanent executive director in more than half a decade. Ever since ASI completed a merger with the student center in 2013, only interim directors have filled the role.

On Wednesday, Jan. 22, Sherrill gathered the ASI staff within Jack Adams Hall for lunch and a proper introduction. Balloons with question marks hovered above each of the hall’s ten tables. The new boss stood in front of the stage wearing a brown plaid blazer, light blue, almost off-white skinny jeans with a tear in the left knee, and a brown top.

Sherrill is known by those close to him for his fashion sense. As a going away gift from California State University Channel Islands , his colleagues presented Sherrill with two GQ magazines, each cover depicting well dressed men with Sherrill’s head edited onto the bodies.

In Sherrill’s office, two of these magazines sit on a shelf along with a picture frame and two Funko Pop figurines- the titular protagonist and Kilm-

onger from the movie Black Panther.

When most chairs were occupied, Sherrill stepped toward his podium and addressed his staff with an enthusiastic “Good morning!” When the reply was somewhat meek, Sherrill began a story about his grandmother.

He explained that in his youth, when told good morning, he was expected to say it back.

“See I was raised on a culture of call and response,” Sherrill said.

The ASI staff answered with a few chuckles and a louder greeting. Sherrill moved on.

“As you can see there are balloons with question marks. That’s because there are questions in the air,” Sherrill acknowledged.

Sherrill speculated that the biggest questions the staff had were surrounding who he is and what kind of boss Sherill addresses the full ASI staff for the first time as balloons with question marks adorn Jack Adams he is. Throughout the talk, Sherrill de- Hall ( Photo by Juan Carlos Lara) scribed himself as an agent of positive change, a descendent of resilient people, a doctoral student and someone who is unapologetically black.

Before coming to the Bay Area, Sherrill worked at CSU Channel Islands. He began as an assistant director, then rose to associate director approximately one year ago. Sherrill said that an executive director position was the “logical next step” in his career, but he also admitted he felt a personal fondness for the campus.

“When I did my first interview here… It was the first time in my career, working in student centers, that I felt represented in the space, and that made me feel like this is a place that I want to cultivate,” Sherrill said.

Growing up with teachers as grandparents and two mothers who both earned graduate degrees, instilled the value of academia in Sherrill at a young age. His father, who was a preacher, gave Sherrill a moral compass and an appreciation for culture and community.

These influences were apparent in his personal presentation. When

CAMPUS•5

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | TUESDAY,JAN. 28, 2020

Moot Court sends first team to nationals

BY NOOR BAIG STAFF REPORTER

Two fall semester graduates are the first in SF State Moot Court’s three year history to qualify for the national tournament this month in Baton Rouge.

Aaron Gamez and Owen Nelson placed 32nd in the tournament for oral legal arguments, finishing in the top 6-7% of teams in the country, coach and political science said professor Nick Conway.

The team also had two pairs ranked for top 10 written legal briefs in the nation, with recent graduate Tina Pham and junior Abigail Richards-Hatton ranking 6th and Nelson and sophomore Megan Cistulli ranking 10th.

Moot court is a mock Supreme Court program within the fictional state of Olympus that adheres to all the real U.S. Constitutional laws. All participants compete in pairs in one or both of two categories: oral advocacy and brief writing.

Every May, moot court participants across the country receive the exact same court case from the American Moot Court Association and have the summer and fall semester to prepare for the regional and national tournaments.

“By the time they get to nationals, for instance Owen and Aaron, had been working on the case problem for eight months,” said Conway. “It’s a lot of work. Several practices during the week, especially leading into the tournaments, a lot of late nights. But I think that it’s rewarding to the kids, especially when they do well.”

Nelson and Gamez were co-counsels for the oral advocacy category, each arguing on a different legal issue of the same mock court case.

The two joined moot court after taking Conway’s constitutional law class, and Nelson joked that he was “tricked and bamboozled into it” by former moot court members.

“They said ‘don’t worry it’ll be easy.

Not a whole lot of work, not a whole lot of reading.’ Of course that was just blatant lies,” said Nelson. “And so I got roped into doing that class and I fell in love with Constitutional law.”

Nelson and Gamez said they had many differing personal opinions, but moot

Men group photo from left to right: Michael Chigbu, Alexis Reyes, Mohamet Diop, Aaron Gamez, and Theodore Leung

Women group photo from left to right: Ana Alanis, Isabella Hutcheson, Raneen Zubeideh, Megan Cistulli, Gabriela Grijalva, Naomi Quach, Steffani Gaona.

All photos courtesy of Abigail Richards-Hatton

court helped them understand both sides of an argument, especially because participants are required to argue both sides of their legal issue.

“Thinking logically and formulating a rational way of looking at things on both sides, because you have to argue both sides,” said Gamez. “You have to look at it not just from one point of view, you have to look at it from all points of view ... those skills translate no matter what you’re doing.”

Gamez will be attending the California Highway Patrol Academy and pursuing law enforcement. Nelson will mentor the moot court team in the next year before starting law school.

“I think the next big step is a national title in oral advocacy,” said Cistulli. “I think that’ll definitely be a reachable and doable goal for this upcoming season ... and just continue to build the program so it grows at San Francisco

State.”

Richards-Hatton and Cistulli will be taking over as president and vice president, respectively, as well as competing together in the next season of moot court.

“One of the reasons why I think that it’s so compelling what the students have done is that we graduated everybody but one person from the team last year,” said Conway. “We had to basically replace the ranks and Owen was the only person who was a returner. So these are students who have only done this now for their first year.”

Conway started the moot court program in Fall 2017 when he started teaching at SF State and captured the interest of his moot court class. “The program is a key experience for students who want to be prepared when they get to law school,” said Conway.

“I think that’s part of what has ap-

pealed to the administrators, that these students are learning actual tangible skills that will benefit them in law school, and they’re performing quite well,” said Conway. “They’re competing against the best teams in the country.”

“This is the best season that we’ve had, and hopefully we can build upon that with the support of the university and the [College of Liberal and Creative Arts],” said Conway. “Hopefully we can continue to build a program with a return on the investment.”

“I was in the military so I like working in small units. I like the collaborative effort, team effort type stuff,” said Gamez. “We compete as individual teams but the moot court team in general at SF State we’re trying to build and get better.”

GatorPass Surplus Hangs in Limbo

BY JUAN CARLOS LARA CAMPUS EDITOR

D

uring the Dec. 6 Student Fee Advisory Committee meeting, the committee heard a proposal to spend a portion of the over $3 million GatorPass reserve fund on increased shuttles between campus and Daly City BART, among other options

The committee, consisting of members of the ASI Board of Directors and university faculty, discussed the topic for nearly an hour and ultimately decided to table the subject for the next meeting, which is scheduled for Feb. 28.

Although the shuttle service is funded by Parking and Transportation, a university office, this increase in service will be paid by the funds collected from students for the GatorPass. All students pay $180 for the

pass every semester, $124 go to MUNI for four months of unlimited rides, $8 go to the University for administrative expenses and the remaining $48 are intended to pay for a discount on all BART rides going to or from Daly City BART station. Due to the fact that not enough students are using BART, the university is taking in more money than it is spending, creating this surplus.

For the first two school years of the GatorPass, 2017 and 2018, the pass had a surplus of over $1 million per year. However, the surplus this year is estimated to be around $600,000 after the BART discount increased from 25 percent to 50 percent.

The university currently pays TransMetro to run four shuttles back and forth Monday through Friday. The proposal was pre-

sented by John Gates, Interim Associate Vice President of Fiscal Affairs and Nick Kordesch, an administrative analyst from Sustainability and Energy. This plan would add one additional shuttle to transport students all day and one more that would run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. These extra busses would cost roughly $7,500 per week, totalling approximately $240,000 per year.

People board the San Francisco State University shuttle bus at the Daly City Bart Station in Daly City, Calif., on MOnday January 27.2020 (Photo

by Emily Curiel)

6•ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, JAN. 28, 2020 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

SweetSpotSF- San Francisco’s ONLY Dessert Festival

BY FELICIA HYDE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Hundreds of dessert lovers crowded around tables with colorful confections scattered throughout the gallery space as beams of pink and purple shone across the room. Families and loved ones laughed over candied cocktails, pudding filled jars and bite sized cupcakes while the faint aroma of coffee and whipped cream frosting danced in the air.

SweetSpotSF, San Francisco’s largest and only dessert festival, partnered with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank and the SOMArts Cultural Center Saturday to celebrate sweets and give food back to local communities in need.

“We thought it was a good fit, because it was food and if we’re doing a food festival, it should be food related. And we just really believe in the work they’re doing,” said Milan Clark, co-creator of SweetSpotSF with Samantha Johnston. “They do a lot of great stuff they’ve reached a lot of people and it’s localized. We really wanted to keep it local and give back directly to the community.”

The event collaborated with about 19 businesses ranging from mainstream to Mom and Pop shops to celebrate sweets and provide money for the local food bank.

“We were approached for the first time by Samantha asking if we wanted to come and have a table at this event at SweetSpotSF because we were going to be receiving a portion of the ticket sales, which was lovely and a surprise to us.” said Debbi Bellush, community engagement manager for SF-Marin Food Bank.

Last year the SF-Marin Food Bank received $1,000 which was equivalent to 2000 meals, thus for every dollar they received they were able to provide food for two healthy meals.

Business partners and event organizers Johnston and Clark, both 32 years old, noticed there were many festivals and events within the city, yet nothing simply dedicated just for dessert which they were extreme fans of.

“We reach out to a bunch of different dessert vendors in the area, either that we know or we just do a lot of online research to find them and kind of build a diverse set of desserts that cover kind of a little bit of everything,” said Johnston.

Although the event was only been up and running for its second time, vendors of all ages were happy to contribute to the cause.

“We were lucky to get involved last minute Mi-

Syria, daughter of Danielle Baker orders a s’more at the Smashmallow S’mores Bar during the San Francisco Food Festival on Saturday, January 25 held at SFMOMA (Photo by William Wendelman/Golden Gate Xpress)

lan was super helpful and made the last minute application super smooth and easy,” said Vicktor Stevenson, owner and operator of Gourmonade. “We just wanted to be apart of such a sweet event!”

Unlike Gourmonade who didn’t attend last year’s festival, a fan favorite and another family owned business, Yespudding showcased their different pudding from custards to bread pudding.

Owner of Yes Pudding, Quanisha Johnson, was able to sell out of their products last year and continue to sell out of 400 desserts this year.

“It’s crazy that people have been telling us how we were a favorite last year, like I couldn’t believe it,” said Johnson.

The festival catered to people from all over, whether that be your average dessert fan to aspiring business owners. People were excited for not only sweets but also contributing to ending hunger within the San Francisco and Marin area.

“We think that the proceeds going to SF Marin food bank, is a wonderful and heart felt idea,” said Breijana Moss, event attendees and one of the new business owners of M&B Desserts. “The fact that the proceeds were going to families in need, pushed us even more to attend!!!”

Among the sold out tickets for the festival, foodies and local volunteers were more than excited to join in on the celebration. Local dessert lovers like Kim and Jade Applegate were more than prepared to attend the festival and purchased their tickets in early December

Yes Pudding displays their award winning berad pudding at the San Francisco Food Festival on Saturday January 25 at SFMOMA (Photo by William Wendelman/Golden Gate Xpress)

“We know a number of companies that we work with partner with the SF Food Bank and we volunteer there.

So we’ve been there before and we’re glad that the venue also is supporting the cause,” said Jully Kim, an attendee to the festival. “It’s great getting to know local vendors and getting to know all these places we wouldn’t normally pick ourselves.”

Despite being around for its second year, many hope for more businesses to share their desserts at a bigger venue in the future and allow others to showcase their work.

“One of my passions is just to create experiences that have to do with food and like collaborating with different vendors and artists and all that. So my mind goes through to creating an event around it,” said Clark.

“And one of my favorite movies is Willy Wonka. So I was like can I create a Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory? And it turns out yes you can.”

Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos dip their ice crem in liquid nitrogen before serving to patrons at the San Francisco Food festival on Saturday January 25 held at SFMOMA (Photo by William Wendelman/ Golden Gate Xpress)

OPINION•7

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG | TUESDAY, JAN. 28, 2020

SF State’s housing insecurity on a rise

BY KERASA DIMITRIOS TSOKAS STAFF REPORTER

“Struggling students” is no longer a phrase used to describe students that have difficulty learning in class. It now refers to a widespread situation among many SF State students that have to choose between their education and having a roof over their head.

On Dec. 18, Interim Vice President Dr. Beth Hellwig sent out an email addressing the student body about housing insecurity.

The email states that “17 percent of SF State students surveyed said they had experienced homelessness in the last nine months.”

Housing insecurity is not an issue confined only to SF State students; 10.9 percent of CSU students reported experiencing homelessness one or more times in the last 12 months. Though programs like the Basic Needs Initiative were set up to help combat housing insecurity, students are still left to fend for themselves.

The Basic Needs Initiative is a program set up for all CSUs that offers support to students in areas like housing, food insecurity and mental health. SF State’s Basic Needs launched in 2018. The programs SF State offers vary from Gator Groceries, nutritious and free food offered weekly, to Gator Grub Alert, a function on SF State’s mobile app that notifies students where there is free food on campus.

In lght of the recent email sent by Hellwig, Basic Needs Initiative added more on-campus support for those who are looking for housing stability.

“It [housing insecurity] is a deeply-rooted issue that not only affects our students, but students across the nation,” said Assistant Director for Basic Needs Initiative, Jewlee Gardner.

Programs like the Gator Crisis Housing and Basic Needs Lounges will be launched by March 2020 and the end of Spring semester.

“Along with the price of attendance, increased costs of living and reductions in federal financial aid leave many students pursuing their degree while facing extreme financial burdens,” said Gardner.

Though there are many outside factors that impact students finding a stable housing situation, being in San Francisco is definitely not helping.

As a San Francisco native I have seen the city I once loved transform into a cesspool of business people. Since 2010 there has been a 9.7 percent increase (78,121 people) of San Francisco residents.

According to a 2019 San Francisco’s Homeless Count & Survey, there has been a 15 percent increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness since 2013.

The San Francisco Chronicle is in its

fourth year of leading the SF Homeless Project, an organization of media companies focused on reporting about homelessness. Some of the primary causes that they reported leads people into homelessness are; job loss (26%); substance abuse (18%); eviction (13%); being kicked out of a home after an argument with a friend or relative (12%); mental illness (8%); and divorce or breakup (5%).

This amount of residents has made the city what it is today. San Francisco’s cost of living is 63 percent higher than the United States average, meaning it would be almost impossible to make ends meet especially if people are students.

The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $3,460 a month.

Even if you were to get paid minimum wage ($15/hour) and work 40 hours a week, you’d only make $2,400.

Though on-campus the rent isn’t as expensive, it still isn’t cheap. A furnished single occupancy in University Park with no meal plan is $1,681 a month, totalling to a semester total of $7,094.

All CSUs offer student housing but they end up only housing 11 percent of their total student body.

“The University is committed to enhancing our programs that alleviate the impacts of housing insecurity, which has

become an issue for communities and universities nationwide,” said Gardner. “To do that, we are working tirelessly to seek funding and support to continue building meaningful resources for our students.”

Construction happening on Holloway Avenue is due to a new 560-bed student residence which the University anticipates to open in Fall 2020.

Why Women’s March?

BY KAMERON HALL & WHITNEY PAPALII SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

A

fter Donald Trump was elected for president, Teresa Shooks decided to create her own pro-woman Facebook group and encouraged a march against Trump’s administration.

Soon after, veteran activists Bob Bland, Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour, and Carmen Perez decided to organize a march on January 21, 2017, in Washington D.C., the day after Trump’s inauguration.

People walked in solidarity with pink pussy hats (the epitome of white feminism) for the human rights that they sensed were being threatened by the new president.

Viewing all of this through Instagram gave me the feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out) and the feeling of not doing enough about making sure my voice was heard.

The Schuyler Sisters and the Hamilton Company walk off stage after their musical performance at the Women’s March rally in San Francisco, Calif. on Jan. 18. (Photo by Whitney Papalii/Golden Gate Xpress)

Growing up in a time where social media was such a powerful tool and a necessity, I struggled to focus on what was happening in my reality versus being distracted within a virtual reality. Social media has made me feel as if I was missing out on a lot in life because I wasn’t doing what everyone else was, or what was popular.

The Women’s March was to show women as a unit, but over time the march became something you would go to for a couple of hours to take a photo as proof that you were there to then upload to your Instagram post because of popularity.

“I think they (marches) are important as an energizing activity, so it helps you connect with other people and know you are not alone,” said Crystal Carroll, an attendee of San Francisco’s Women’s March of 2020.

It ecame popular to protest, but some of the women that were there were the same women that voted for Trump.

Representation is important when having marches meant to empower those that feel they are being threatened by Trump’s administration.

First, there was a Women’s March planned in Humboldt County that was cancelled in 2018 due to fear of it being overwhelmingly white, according to an article written for NBC by Daniella Silva, then you know you have a problem.

This year the Los Angeles Black Lives Matter Movement was not invited and when they tried to contact the Women’s March in LA they failed to respond to email requests according to Melina Abdullah, a Black Lives Matter organizer.

With Black History Month right around the corner, it isn’t a good decision because if it wasn’t obvious before, they exposed themselves to how pro-white feminists they truly are.

White feminism focuses on issues that only white women face which completely

excludes the intersectional lens of what the movement is actually about.

In a place as diverse as Los Angeles, you have to have inclusion and that involve, but isn’t limited to only immigrants, LGBTQ+, and the disabled.

Therefore, have inclusion or don’t have a march at all.

8•SPORTS

TUESDAY, JAN. 28, 2020 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Tragedy in Calabasas

BY GRADY DUGGAN STAFF REPORTER

Cougars guard, Jayce McCain attempts to steal the ball from Gators guard Jordan Balser during a Gators fast break run. (Photo courtesy of Colin Reef / Golden Gate Xpress)

Gators get swamped

SF State men’s basketball team lose lead late in the second half on Saturday

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

BY COLIN REEF SPORTS EDITOR

the field in 32 minutes.

Acliese had battled different defenders throughout the game including Cougars sophomore forward, Darius Goudeau. Referee Brian Harrison spoke with Goudeau about possible offensive fouls on Acliese.

“The two were battling in the post,” Harrison said. “We watched them closely and tried to officiate to the best of our ability.”

After a follow-up three pointer from Cougars forward Zane Paddon, the Cougars claw their way into game going on an 18-7 run giving them their first lead at 5147.

The Gators then match the Cougars going on a run of their own.

Gators senior forward, Jase Wickliffe takes the ball coast-to-coast attacking the rack with confidence to break the early tie putting his team up 57-55.

After a few exchange of buckets by both teams, the Gators find themselves with a narrow lead late in the second half.

Both teams were nearing the foul limit with six a piece with only 7:53 left in the game. Late game ties and lead changes would be exchanged within the last five minutes of the game creating a sense of urgency for both teams.

The Gators would rally back from trailing to the Cougars after a three pointer from Sylvester. The score would sit at 67-66 with only a few minutes remaining in the game. In the time remaining, the Cougars shutout the Gators offense leaving them scoreless for the remainder of the game.

The Cougars held their own down low in the paint by scoring 38 points in the post. The Gators were held to only 26 points in the paint.

“We didn’t feel like we got beat, we lost the game,” Wickliffe said. “Even coming down to the wire we needed a big time stop and they got two offensive rebounds which allowed the clock to keep running.”

The Gators go south and hope to bounce back in their Thursday matchup against Cal Poly Pomona.

Kobe Bryant, who had a decorated 20year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, was suddenly killed Sunday morning.

The helicopter he was traveling in crashed in the hills of Calabasas, California.

Bryant was one of nine passengers, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, head baseball coach at Orange Coast College John Altobelli, his wife Keriw, and daughter Alyssa. Christina Mauser, basketball coach of Gianna Bryant, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester and pilot Ara Zobayan were also on board. Bryant, his daughter and the other passengers were on their way to the Mamba Academy where his daughter’s team was to play later that afternoon.

The former Laker put up an impressive pedigree that basketball fans may never see again.

His remarkable career as an 18-time All-Star, a five-time NBA champion, two Finals MVP and the league MVP in 2008, hardly even begin to scratch the surface as to what this man did for not only basketball, but the city of Los Angeles.

Bryant was a public figure that didn’t need an introduction when he walked in a room. He is one of the most recogniz-

able athletes in sports history and his presence was felt everywhere he went.

His self-given “Mamba Mentality” mantra is something that athletes will use for the rest of eternity. Kobe Bryant was a global icon and his death is being talked about as such.

On Sunday night following the crash, the Grammys were held at the Staples Center and Bryant’s passing was widely talked about.

“Here we are together on music’s biggest night, celebrating the artists that do it best.

But to be honest with you, we’re all feeling crazy sadness right now because earlier today, Los Angeles, America and the whole wide world lost a hero. And we’re literally standing here, heartbroken, in the house that Kobe Bryant built.” Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys said as she opened the award show.

This was just one of many tributes for the basketball legend throughout the night. For his death to be mentioned so often during an award show with the Grammy’s magnitude, it epitomized the legacy that he has left behind.

Perhaps the man that helpedBryant more than anyone on the court, Shaquille O’Neal, shared his thoughts on the tragic event.

“There’s no words to express the pain I’m going through with this tragedy of losing my niece Gigi and my brother Kobe Bryant,” O’Neal said on his twitter.

“I love you and you will be missed. My condolences go out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers

“Laker’s Victory Celebration” by Antonio Villaraigos.(Courtesy of Creative Commons).

49ers to battle Chiefs, Super Bowl LIV

BY GRADY DUGGAN STAFF REPORTER

Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have turned around a franchise faster than most people can say Super Bowl.

After the duo took control of the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, a 10-22 record in the first two seasons made it difficult to envision the organization reaching the pinnacle of an NFL season in their third year at the helm. But here they are, leading their franchise back to the Super Bowl, a game the 49ers haven’t won since Steve Young was the quarterback in 1995.

It’s a notion that the rest of the NFL would have laughed at back in August.

Their sudden success can be attributed to several things, but two stand out: the culture that Shanahan and Lynch have built along with the selflessness of the players they have acquired.

Culture is something the two have preached since their hiring in February of 2017.

“I’m not into a whole lot of promises but I will make a few,” Lynch said during their introductory press conference. “We’re going to put together a team that will make you proud. I promise you this, we’re going to have players that will compete every day, they’re going to be great teammates…

We believe in those things and we’re going to have guys with great character.”

Fast forward three years later and their testament echoes down the roster they have built. Throughout this season, the 49ers have had a “next manup” mentality, and that is what has gotten them to Super Bowl LIV. Starting all the way back in week 3, they lost both starting offensive tackles, their starting fullback, middle linebacker and their cornerback, who all have been replaced adequately, some even not retaining their starting spot after being fully cleared to play.

Take once starting cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon for example. He was

benched for Emmanuel Moseley two drives into the divisional round matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

Rather than pouting around the sidelines, Shanahan told reporters following the game that Witherspoon went directly to the special team’s coordinator and asked for all of Moseley’s special teams reps so he could stay fresh on defense.

It is that sort of selflessness and character that Shanahan and Lynch pitched for in their introductory press conference that has aided them in one of the fastest turnarounds in NFL history.

The matchup between San Francisco and the high-octane offense that leads the Kansas City Chiefs is an intriguing one to say the least. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid have had their offense firing on all cylinders throughout the postseason, averaging 43 points per game thus far.

That’s not to say Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers offense has been slug-

gish, averaging 32 points per game on the road to the Super Bowl. What might be most impressive about San Francisco is the way they got to where they are. They continuously found different ways to win.

Whether it was their defense putting up historic numbers in the first part of the season, Garoppolo out dueling Drew Brees in a thrilling shootout, or Robbie Gould hitting a last second field goal against the Los Angeles Rams to clinch a 49er playoff berth for the first time since 2013, San Francisco has found ways to win in all three phases of a game. A testimony to the culture Shanahan and Lynch have built in a short three seasons.

Only a few years removed from fans flying a “Jed & the 49ers Should Mutually Part Ways” sign over Levi’s Stadium, 49ers owner Jed York has watched his whole organization transform into a potential Super Bowl champion. We shall see come if they have what it takes come Sunday in Miami, Florida.