Spring 2013 Issue 9

Student-run museum preserves ancient artifcats

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BY NENA FARRELL | haydee@mail.sfsu.edu

HE AVERage student's day doesn't usually include developing museum exhibits, being responsible for ancient artifacts or hanging out with the only real mummy in the Bay Area. But for students like Liz Olveda, that's a pretty normal day in the University Museum.

"I acted as the registrar for the exhibition, which means that I kept track of all the objects that were taken out of storage and put

on display," Olveda, a 23-year-old graduate student in museum studies, said. "I also worked with a small team of my classmates (to) develop the portion of the exhibit focused on ancient Egypt."

Tucked away on the fifth floor of the Humanities Building is the University Museum. Students from various classes put together the museum exhibits, oversee volunteers and field trips, catalog objects and take on other tasks that maintain the museum.

The whole operation is run completely by students, under the direction of the museum studies faculty.

The current exhibit in the museum is called "Fearless Women Voyagers: Women Who Challenged the Middle East, 18701940." The exhibit, put together by the museum curatorship class in the fall, was created with the help of Linda Ellis, curator of the museum.

"It was interesting chatting with some of my classmates in the program about their involvement with putting on the exhibit,” Karlie Drutz, a 22-year-old museum studies student, said. “They worked really hard under the SEE CAMPUS ON PAGE 3

MUMMIFIED: Students from James Denham Middle School visit the University Museum on the fifth floor of the Humanities bulding at SF State. Photo by Samantha Benedict

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A man rides down Vermont St. during the annual Bring Your Own Big Wheel (BYOBW) 2013 event in San Francisco.

Photo by Mike Hendrickson/ Special to Xpress

STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER PROUDLY SERVING THE SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1927.

// 04.03.13

VOLUME LXXXXVI ISSUE 9

Filipino men find strength in each other

BY JOE FITZGERALD | jfitzger@mail.sfsu.edu

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EAL MEN DON'T CRY. REAL MEN ALSO don't talk about family issues, real men don't suffer, and real men are aggressive and assertive. Most importantly, real men never, ever, talk about their feelings.

All of those misconceptions and more are the targets of a new group on campus whose aim is to help Filipino men navigate a universal search: The search for who they are.

"Lalake," or "boys" in Tagalog, is a new support group at SF State for male Filipino students to discuss and explore their cultural and gender identities in a safe, Lalake, an protected space.

It’s a place to talk. open forum Started through a collaboration between support Filipino-American history professor Eric Pido and Ismael de Guzman, a university counselor, group was the group meets once a week in Burk Hall in the started to hope that an open forum can heal the wounds for men exploring what it means to be Filipino. promote Attendance is free and anyone can drop in, but openess with- the group starts promptly at 6pm on Mondays.

The idea for Lalake came from the sheer in the filipino number of male Filipino students that would community come to Pido with the same identity struggles time and time again, he said.

So it occurred to him to bring these men together. Bo Aleonav, a 33-year-old graduate counseling student, was a new attendee in the group’s third session.

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SF STATE SPEAKS OUT IF YOU COULD START YOUR OWN BUSINESS WHAT WOULD IT BE?

FROSTED: Customers (top) enjoy the free cupcake samples during the grand opening of La Luna Cupcakes. PERFECTLY PLACED: Cupcakes (right) are put on display IN preperation for the arrival of La Luna Cupcakes first customers at the Crocker Galleria in San Francisco’s Financial District. Photos by Jessica Worthington

LUIS PORTILLO, 18

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS MAJOR

I’d open my own recording studio, because it’s been a hobby of mine.

Local business starts from scratch

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BY MAEGAN TINGLING | maegant@mail.sfsu.edu

and growth, according to Sawaya.

Elvia Buendia, owner and head chef of La Luna Cupcakes, is a recipient of the program.

"Elvia makes a great product, had a wonderful vision of the business and demonstrated that she is very passionate about her product and felt strong about her business that she could make this vision a reality," Sawaya said.

Emigrating from Mexico in 2002 to help and be closer to her family, Buendia began searching for opportunities to access program. kitchen space and equipment to grow into a commercial busiLa Cocina is designed to work with individuals to launch, ness. She was first accepted to the nonprofit organization C.E.O. grow and formalize businesses by providing connections to reWomen in Oakland, but due to lack of funding the organization sources some have problems accessing. These resources include was shut down. Fortunately, she was transferred to La Cocina to affordable commercial kitchen space, industry-specific technical continue her journey more than three years ago. assistance and access to market and capital opportunities.

"It was much easier for me to get into the A health education major at SF State, Arai La Cocina program because I already had my Buendia helps her mother Elvia direct the recipes and developed a business plan," Buendia marketing and promotion of La Luna, located CHECK IT OUT: said. at Crocker Galleria in San Francisco's Financial A VIDEO ON Although La Cocina does not receive any District. profit from any of the graduated businesses, it "It has been through the help of (La Cocina) THE GRAND facilitates potential business relationships with that we are able to open our shop today," BuenOPENING OF LA sources of capital that include loans, grants, dia said.

LUNA individual development accounts and crowd What is different about La Cocina is its sourcing.

CUPCAKES nature to specifically accept applications from Long-term goals for La Luna include expanwomen of color and immigrant entrepreneurs. goldengatexpress.org sion and the further establishment of their brand.

"Women and immigrants have historically "I plan on working (at La Luna) part-time been excluded from the formal food indusonce I graduate," Arai Buendia said. "I want to try, specifically in San Francisco," La Cocina see our business succeed, keep promoting our business, and get Program Coordinator Daniella Sawaya said. "La Cocina was our brand recognized." conceived as a program to facilitate many of those barriers for In addition to the program, La Cocina also offers hands-on these entrepreneurs." cooking classes and a full-service commercial kitchen space Out of nearly 125 applicants per year, La Cocina accepts open to the public for hourly rentals. All proceeds from the about five new business models. Qualified applicants must cooking classes go to commercial kitchen space and technical be low-income entrepreneurs, show evidence of potential to assistance for low-income entrepreneurs. succeed through entrepreneurial skills, and plan to employ a La Cocina currently works with 31 businesses in the incumaximum of five employees. bator program and is in the process of interviewing potential Once accepted, businesses launch into a "pre-incubation" new businesses. Other businesses that have participated in this period lasting six months, where they create business models program include Anda Piroshki in Bernal Heights, Love and and work with other accepted entrepreneurs. Post-incubation, Hummus and El Buen Comer. ranging anywhere from two to five years, is dedicated to sales OZENS OF CHATTY, hungry customers line up outside the doors waiting to get their fix of free red velvet, tres leches, savory cupcake samples and drinks like wine or housemade cocktails. La Luna Cupcakes is the newest business graduating from San Francisco's La Cocina Incubator Kitchen

EYAL CHISTIK, 24

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS MAJOR

I would start an electric car company, because cars are awesome and it would save the world at the same time.

ROBERT ROGERS, 22 GEOGRAPHY MAJOR

It would be a pornography company but only for hipsters, like a hipster porn company and also be like part yoga studio and taqueria. It’s a void that needs to be filled.

International student of the week ALISON WELLS, 18 BIOLOGY MAJOR

I would start a social networking company that would involve a video chatting type thing. I would tie it into school or a tutoring social networking site. I’ve been involved with social networking for a couple years now.

Photos by: Virginia Tieman Reporting by: Ellie Loarca

Name: TingKwon Tse Age: 21 Major: Marketing From: Hong Kong First thing you noticed upon arrival: I went to Chicago before I came to San Francisco, but the air is fresh compared to the air in Hong Kong.

What do you miss the most about home: I miss my friends.

What are your future plans: I don’t know yet, in Asia the parents usually help you plan your major and I don’t really like business. I really suck at math, which is embarrassing to say as an Asian. We are supposed to be good at math. I actually really like movies and as a kid I dreamed to be in the film industry.

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Campus museum still a buried treasure CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

guidance of the Curator of the University Museum, Professor Linda Ellis, to curate and install the exhibit."

The 'Fearless Women Voyagers' exhibit is focused on female travelers and their accomplishments, as well as their challenges. A big part of the challenges these women faced stemmed from how unusual it was during that time period for foreign women to travel in North Africa and the Middle East. It tells the stories of different women, and features objects from the cultures and places visited by those women.

Another class intimately involved with the inner workings of the museum is the museum volunteer management and membership class. Taught by Christine Fogarty, a lecturer and faculty member of the museum studies department, the class focuses on the volunteers and the essential role they play in the museum's upkeep.

"The students in that class each take part spending time in the museum, and working with our amazing volunteers who take the time out of their schedule to keep our University Museum open to the public," 26-year-old museum studies graduate student, Brianne Newell, said.

The volunteer management class works with a wide variety of volunteers from the University and the public. They also help prepare for field trips done by grade schools in the Bay Area. Many schools in the area come for field trips to the museum when they're learning about Egyptian history, since the University Museum has a set of Egyptian antiques that includes the only mummy in the Bay Area, Nes-Per-N-Nub. "Everyone agrees (on their favorite part): the mummy, Nes-Per-N-Nub,” Fogarty said. “It's the only intact, lifesize mummy in the Bay Area, and its triple-nesting coffin is the only one in the United States."

Out of all the places to visit on campus, only the University Museum displays a mummy.

Along with the Sutro Egyptian Collection, the museum's permanent collection also features the Lindgren

Coin Collection, the Rietz Collection of Ancient Food Technology, the Bourne Collection of Roman pottery and three Amarna period sculptures. The permanent collection includes items such as Italian ceramics, "everyday" objects from ancient Egypt and photographs of archeological digs, while the current exhibit includes examples of clothing the female travelers would have worn. The story of Amelia Ann Blanford Edwards, a noted 20th century Egyptologist, is one of those complimented in the exhibit, and has Egyptian artifacts to accompany it.

While many students enjoy the museum and its historical artifacts, many aren't aware of the museum’s presence.

“I had no idea such a thing existed,” said Beighley Repp, a 19-year-old political science major.

Though not well-known, the University Museum provides students a great opportunity to get involved in their field of work, getting hands-on experience that can't be replicated in the classroom. But it's more than the artifacts and the volunteer work that resonates with the students.

"For me, the best part of the museum isn't in the collections, but in the look on the faces of the visitors who walk in for the first time and discover that there is this amazing museum on campus," Newell said.

UNDER WRAPS: The Sutro Egyptian collection in the University Museum on the fifth floor of the Humanities building at SF State showcases a mummy that is thought to have been a priest. Photo by Samantha Benedict

The University Museum, located in Humanities 510, is open through May 2 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and til 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month. 'Fearless Women Voyagers: Women Who Challenged the Middle East, 1870-1940' is now also open on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission to the University Museum is always free.

4 CITY

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Buffer zone could edge out anti-abortion protesters

BY ERIN DAGE | erindage@mail.sfsu.edu

I

F PROPOSED LEGISLATION becomes law, women in San Francisco may get the chance to walk into Planned Parenthood clinics without having to wade through a sea of protesters.

March 18, Supervisor David Campos introduced legislation that would create a 25-foot buffer zone around reproductive health service facilities in San Francisco.

The proposed law aims to safely let clinic patients in, and keep anti-abortion protesters out. If passed, violators could be subject to a fine of up to $500 or three months in jail.

“We have been dealing with the issue for more than a year now,” Campos said. “The amount of space we have proposed strikes a balance. It is large enough to protect patient access to the clinic and doesn’t unnecessarily impact free speech.”

Current law specifies there must be an eightfoot “bubble zone” around anyone within 100 feet of a healthcare facility.

According to Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Adrienne Verrilli, this current law doesn’t go far enough. Verrilli has seen instances of protesters screaming at patients making their way into the building on 1650 Valencia St., and even cases of protesters filming patients.

Legislation was introduced that would would create a 25-foot buffer zone around facilties that offer reproductive health services “Here in San Francisco, our clinic has been open for two years, and we have been met with aggressive behavior from protesters,” Verrilli said.

“We have tried to work with current laws but it isn’t enough.”

And apparently, the protesters are taking an emotional toll on Planned Parenthood staff and patients alike.

“As someone who works there, it is upsetting to see the faces of Planned Parenthood staff and patients after they encounter a protester,” Verrilli said.

“They often walk in crying, intimidated and upset.”

Protesters at the Valencia St. location have been known to confront patients about abortion, says Verrilli, but as it stands at that current location, less than 2 percent of the clinic’s appointments are for abortion procedures.

Besides offering abortions to those who request it, Planned Parenthood offers family planning and sex education.

Maria Lopez, an 18-year-old pre-nursing student at SF State, has taken advantage of Planned

Parenthood’s services. As a woman, she says that she would be upset if she encountered protesters at Planned Parenthood.

“In a sense, people should have the right to access the services that Planned Parenthood has to offer,” Lopez said. “Protesters can and will disrupt people from the way they approach contraception and getting the services they need.”

Though Campos respects the protesters right to voice their opinions, he believes that free speech does have its’ limits.

“Free speech only goes so far,” Campos said. “It does not give anyone the right to harass women that are just exercising their right to choose.”

Lopez also has an opinion regarding whether or not the buffer zone law will interfere with the protester’s first amendment rights: “Everybody has the right to protest all they want, but if they interfere with the rights of others, they lose some of their rights.”

A similar ordinance has been put into action in Boston, Mass., providing a 35-foot buffer zone around Planned Parenthood locations in that city.

Put into effect in 2007, the ordinance was challenged in January and upheld.

The San Francisco ordinance will be put up to vote sometime during April, as it is subject to be voted on 30 days after it is introduced.

Castro community leaders attempt to evict homeless

BY GUADALUPE GONZALEZ | ggonzale@mail.sfsu.edu

S

AN FRANCIsco continues to struggle with its homeless, this time in the Castro, where the homeless have been congregating in plazas to the dismay of some

residents.

Community leaders in the neighborhood are fumbling with ideas to deal with the exodus of so-called “street kids” — homeless youth often seen roaming in small groups — which have been congregating at Harvey Milk and Jane Warner Plazas.

March 12, Castro representative and Supervisor Scott Wiener met at city hall with members of the Castro Community Benefit District and representatives from the San Francisco Police Dept. Mission Station to discuss possible resolutions to complaints received about the transients.

Andrea Aiello, director of the Castro CBD, said that both the CBD and Supervisor’s Wiener’s offices have received complaints that include reports of drug dealing and use, drinking in public, urinating, defecating and laying in the flowerbeds. According to Aiello, someone even claimed to have gotten bed bugs by passing through the plaza.

"There's been a lot of negative behavior or behavior that's not respectful that makes it uncomfortable," Aiello said.

"These are people we don't want to be

around, and it doesn't feel safe."

The Castro CBD first took action against the homeless and "urban camping types," as described

by Aiello, November 2012 when BENCHED:The sheared off bolts are visible where the benches once were in Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro benches were removed from Harvey district. The benches were removed to prevent transients from loitering and sleeping there. Photo by Andy Sweet Milk Plaza to impede sleeping and camping, forcing the homeless elsewhere. Recently, the number of noticeable in those areas, but like in this marijuana use. the red chairs and tables available case, the problem surfaced in another "Especially as a gay male, I love the at Jane Warner Plaza were reduced after neighborhood.

Castro," he said. "I respect the Castro, the transients would take up much of the Wiener’s office had little to comment I respect the flag. I respect everything space and vandalize some of the outdoor on the removal of the sitting amenities in about what it is. From the businesses to furniture. the plazas, only saying that the superwhatever."

“It’s an experiment,” Aiello said visor is interested in seeing the plazas Medina used to sleep in the plaza about the removal of chairs and tables to “succeed.” before the benches were removed, and improve the plazas. “Right now nothing Adam Reichert, 43, is a homeless said most of the altercations he had there is happening, and that’s not working.” man who is disappointed by the way the were only with police removing them.

According to Aiello, ideas suggested One of the other persons huddled on at the meeting included increasing police city is handling the issue. He has been in San Francisco for six years and said he the grass patch was Christopher Zinger, presence and using the space to hold has never slept in the area even before 38, a homeless traveler who has passed more public events at the plazas, similar the street kids because of “too many through San Francisco several times, and to "Live in the Castro," a series of live tweakers.” says he enjoys the Castro community, performances during the summer hosted “I can understand the neighbors com- both the homeless and not homeless. He by the CBD at Jane Warner Plaza. plaining, but they're making it hard for said it is the police department's responSan Francisco has had a history of everyone in the neighborhood, including sibility to distinguish the trouble makers attempting to deal with undesirable popfrom otherwise normal transients. ulations. Last November, the board of su- regular residents when there is only a "It's lazy policy," he said, bottle of pervisors passed a nudity ban spearhead- handful of kids who are causing probwhiskey in hand. "And it's lazy social ed by Supervisor Wiener, who represents lems,” he said.

Thomas "TJ" Medina, 26, made it awareness and community. 'Cause the the Castro where nudists roamed freely. fact of the matter is there's bad apples in In November 2010, the Sit/Lie ordinance a point that just because he is homeless and is hanging out at the plazas, he is every tree, I don't care if it's a homeless was approved prohibiting sitting and tree or a rich tree. There's bad apples and lying on sidewalks, which was flagrant in no troublemaker. He said he respected "most" of the rules like no smoking, and you have to be able as an individual to the Haight and Ashbury neighborhood. claims to have witnessed only "low key" sort those out."

A reduction in the prohibited actions are

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American identity clashes with cultural traditions CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

Quick Facts 2,090 Filipino students attended SF State, 8.4 percent of the University’s population The Women’s Center is an on campus resource center run by students for issues concering the lives of women. No such analigue exists for men on campus One of the few male groupd on campus,

Men Can Stop Violence

exists to stop men from perpetrating violence against women and men Sources: SFSU Databook, Student Involvelment and Careet Center organization GRAPHIC BY JOE FITZGERALD

5 Aleonav doesn't match the stereotype of a sensitive guy. With broad shoulders and a straightforward demeanor, it would make more sense to assume he was a quarterback than a counselor in training. But appearances can be deceiving, and Aleonav came to the group trying to explore the divide between Filipino and American ways of portraying love and gratitude.

He feels a strong debt to his mother for working hard to allow him to grow up and live in America. His mother lived in the United States for a time, but now lives back in the Philippines, and expects him to treat all of his family with the same feelings of indebtedness and respect he shows her, he said.

His deeply ingrained American values, however, are telling him to behave differently.

His siblings have been taking advantage of his kindness and not paying him back money he lent them years ago. “I’m not showing (respect) to all of my siblings right now because the American side of me wants to see reciprocation of respect,” Aleonav said.

But his mother doesn’t see that as a reason to stop helping them or as a reason to question their life choices, and blames his American rearing for his behavior.

“You were raised there longest, I get that, but your sister was there for you, be there for them,'” Aleonav said his mother told him. This family struggle isn’t unique to just him.

Though the details of the group’s third meeting are private and protected, generalities can be sketched.

In the small room with bare white walls and boards reminiscent of any classroom, some of the young Filipino men gathered around the table shared stories almost exactly like Aleonav’s: pressure from their parents to offer respect, money and gratitude without expecting reciprocation.

The concept is called “utang na loob,” pronounced “ootang nah lo-ob.” The conceptual translation of that is "internal debt," or "lifelong reciprocation," according to an article

by Dolly Castillo, from the Canadian "Filipino Journal."

Utang is “your debt” and “loob” means inside.

The upside of the concept is that there is no expectation of reciprocity. You give simply to give. But the downside, Castillo wrote, is that in modern times "it has been abused and misused to some degree."

Aleonav and others at Lalake agreed that navigating "utang na loob" as an American was difficult.

“It's a part of everyone. It's the debt you cannot repay to anyone, no matter how much you do,” Aleonav said.

The debt is meant to be something every child owes the parent. In his American teachings, Aleonav expected respect returned in the moment, but the Filipino culture takes a generational look to gratitude.

It's a very deep part of Filipino culture, those at the meeting said, and it’s that kind of cultural dissonance and pressure that Pido hopes his group can help students navigate.

Though catering just to a Filipino male population sounds like a small niche to serve, Filipinos actually represent 8.4 percent of SF State’s student body, according to the SFSU Databook. That's more than 2,000 Filipino students.

And the resources at SF State for male students in particular are not robust.

A look at the Associated Students, Inc. website, which lists clubs and organizations on campus, shows a healthy amount of women’s resources, from the Women’s Center to clubs centered around women’s issues. But as a man, or male student, resources are not as easily found.

One notable exception is the SF State's SAFE place, a sexual assault and crisis counseling service which mentions that men historically are hesitant to seek support, and asks them to do so.

Lack of male support, and teaching men not to seek support, is ingrained in many cultures, Pido said.

“There’s a general sort of notion as a man you're not supposed to feel what you want to feel, or have feelings around any sort of thing that happens to you in your life,” Pido said.

And he doesn’t buy it. Men need help with their feelings just as much as anyone, and helping Filipino men in particular, is his mission because he has seen the dire consequences of hiding pain.

The story Pido's family tells is that his youngest uncle died while cleaning his gun, he said. But in reality, his father’s youngest brother suffered from depression that no one was open to speaking about, least of all Pido’s uncle.

“In actuality he died because he shot himself,” Pido said.

Though the needs of the men in Lalake may not be as severe as suicidal thoughts, the goal is just as vital: to get Filipino men to go against society’s unspoken rules about masculinity.

He’s asking them to do what they may see as unthinkable: to confront their thoughts and feelings.

Reflecting back on his first time in the group, Aleonav said there wasn’t enough time to talk about everything on his mind.

“Theres so many things to talk about that day, so many themes. To talk about what is owed to you, to see what it means to be American,” he said.

Not having enough time to share all the thoughts the students wanted to share is probably the best problem Lalake could have — there’s always next week, as long as the men are ready and willing.

6 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

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Student poetry group SPEAKs out

A

RTISTIC EXPRESSION calls for a medium to showcase its creativity. For SF State student Jarvis Subia, he found that medium through poetry.

"Having somewhere to openly express your art and who you are is vital, I feel for most artists," Subia, a 22-year-old creative writing major, said. "Without SPEAK (Spoken Poetry Expressed

by All Kinds), I may have never realized the talent and passion I have for writing."

Creating an outlet for students to express themselves is very important to 23-year-old Anthony May, co-founder and vice president of SPEAK. For the last two years, the group — co-founded with fellow student and poet, Imani Cezanne — has aimed to establish a medium for student’s expression, and a tool for creative development.

The group organizes open mics throughout the semester that take place at The Depot, runs writing workshops and participates in poetry contests like Battle of the Bay and the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational (CUPSI), a national poetry slam competition.

Each program SPEAK organizes is aimed at challenging and honing members' skills, ultimately cultivating and fine-tuning the ability to effectively communicate their message.

The group has been fundraising a cross-country air trip to New York City for this year's CUPSI competition, by doing shows on and off campus, running bake

POET SOCIETY: Members of SPEAK, a poetry group based out of SF State. From left to right: Anthony May, Jarvis Subia, Imani Cezanne, Andrew Bigelow, and Ben “Cosmo” Goodnick. Photo

by Andy Sweet

BY SAM MOLMUD | smolmud@mail.sfsu.edu

sales, street performing and selling merchandise.

“Last year (CUPSI), which was in L.A., was our first year taking part in this 12 year competition,” May said. “We placed in the top 20. This year we are going to take the whole thing.”

The CUPSI competition brings in more than 48 college poetry groups that compete in a “slam” style environment. According to the website, the winners are “judged on a numerical scale by randomly picked members of the audience.”

Competition is nothing new to SPEAK. Training and fine-tuning their ability to express themselves by a poetic medium across a multitude of themes and messages is one of their biggest missions.

“This organization has connection to 99 percent of poets who are masters at their craft,” 20-year-old English major and second-year SPEAK member Keenan Todd said. “Being mentored and criticized by such prominent individuals has allowed me to improve drastically and express myself more fully.”

Liberal studies major Ben “Cosmo” Goodnick, 22, and a newer member to the group, concurs that SPEAK establishes a medium for creative growth.

“Coach Imani is a very talented slam poet, so having the expertise of her years has been great for helping me learn a new style of poetry,” Goodnick said.

Bringing together a group of people with similar passions has inspired May and other group members into becoming better poets overall.

“SFSU has a lot of talented people,” May said. “The

EXPRESSION: Ben “Cosmo” Goodnick recites a poem at a group member’s house in the Sunset in preparation for the group’s trip to New York while Jarvis Subia, left, watches.

Photo by Andy Sweet

outlets have affected me by giving me the place and space to listen to a lot of the great talent on our campus.”

The regular open mics at The Depot continue to be a main draw and training ground for members. Subia returned this semester to SPEAK as an officer, and continues to participate in The Depot open mics.

“I’ve been coming to SPEAK’s open mic event, which is the main show, for a little shy of three years now,” Subia said. "Most of my poetry comes from personal feelings or experiences." In encouraging others to do the same, Subia says, "SPEAK provides that safe and comfortable environment for others to do so.”

Mechanical engineer constructs art exhibition

BY LOVELIE FAUSTINO | faustino@mail.sfsu.edu

GONE FISHIN’: SF State Alumni, Doron Fishman’s work is created through the tools of his SF State BS in mechanical engineering and master’s in art at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. Photo by Gabriella Gamboa

What may appear to be junk or random items can be the inspiration to a new art mechanism for artist Doron Fishman.

Fishman, 43, has made a career for himself combining his two passions in life: art and engineering. Though he graduated from SF State in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, he always held a deep appreciation for art.

“I bought a rolling cart at a garage sale that I used to make my first painting device," Fishman said. "To make this work, I used an IV bag dripping in front of a fan.

The fan was placed on a cart and the whole contraption was moved back and forth. Ink dripped in a continuous stream filling up the paper with a dense mash of irregular drips. I love the art I do because I get to interact with the material found in everyday life and engineering strives for the understanding of these materials.”

For every art exhibition, Fishman builds specific mechanisms to create his featured art. His current exhibition called "Circles and Lines," located in the lobby of 101 California Street, showcases his fusion of mechanical engineering and sumi ink art.

“In this project, I built a contraption that holds water in a trough," Fishman said. "The trough is small specifically designed to fit in my studio. The paper attaches to a board and the whole piece itself spins in the trough making the circle. The paper is rolled up at the edges to fit in the trough. The diffusing properties of ink combined with the challenge of controlling a fluid medium with a hand-built apparatus lead to an unpredictability that interests me.”

Sarah Thibault, Fishman’s friend and former classmate from the California College of the Arts, recognizes in his recent exhibition how he transcends from being an ordinary artist to an art innovator.

“He approaches his studio practice like he's running a science lab; he's able to get these really specific results with the materials,” Thibault said. “His mechanization of drawing ink gestures on paper reminds me of instances in the history of science, when a discovery explains something that was previously thought to be supernatural.

Rather than ruining the mystery of the universe for us, it adds to our appreciation of it and still leaves us with questions.”

Fishman utilizes the engineering lessons he received from Ahmad Ganji, a mechanical engineering professor, and other faculty at SF State to build machinery specifically designed for each of his art projects.

Ganji is not familiar with the art world, but acknowledges the natural art that that can occur when engineers work.

“Engineering and art both share imagination, conceptualization and realization,” Ganji said. “Many of our engineers design parts and equipment, which involves some art, without any training in art. Synergy of mechanical engineering and art can be very attractive in developing products.”

Fishman's ability to create these specialty apparatuses that ultimately produce a calculated, yet seemingly random, art piece encouraged him to pursue a mechanical engineering art profession.

“Engineering and art are very similar because it’s about dealing with the material world and putting things to work for your making ability,” Fishman said. “It’s something I really believe in and I believe I’m making a difference. It’s one of those things that keeps me going.”

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7

8 OPINION

04.03.13 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG STAFF EDITORIAL

CURTAIL FREE SPEECH FOR SAKE OF PATIENT PRIVACY KALE WILLIAMS

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

BRAD WILSON

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR bradw949@mail.sfsu.edu

ADRIAN RODRIGUEZ

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR arrodrig@mail.sfsu.edu

ELISSA TORRES

ART DIRECTOR elissat@mail.sfsu.edu

WYATT McCALL

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR wmccall@mail.sfsu.edu

NENA FARRELL

S

AN FRANCISCO HAS always been the stomping grounds of activists protesting contentious issues.

Abortion is no exception.

No matter which side of the issue you come down on, passions run high, with opponents and supporters often ending up in heated exchanges.

But while exchanges between protesters are expected, a recent rise in complaints of harassment from clients visiting

PRINT COPY CHIEF haydee@mail.sfsu.edu

SAM MOLMUD

ONLINE COPY CHIEF smolmud@mail.sfsu.edu

VIRGINIA TIEMAN

PRINT PHOTO EDITOR tieman@mail.sfsu.edu

JESSICA WORTHINGTON

ONLINE PHOTO EDITOR jlwphoto@mail.sfsu.edu

ELLIE LOARCA

CAMPUS EDITOR emloarca@mail.sfsu.edu

ERIN DAGE

Planned Parenthood locations has spawned legislation in San Francisco that would create a 25-foot buffer zone around clinics. The goal being to prevent anti-abortion protesters from harassing women as they enter and exit the clinic.

Free speech has always been a balancing act, weighing the right of free expression against the right of citizens to be free from harassment, and this legislation does a superb job of walking that fine line.

In 2006, President George W. Bush signed the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act, which prohibits protests within 300 feet of the entrance of any ceremony under control of the National Cemetery Administration, in response to the Westboro Baptist Church protesting military funerals.

Montana, Massachusetts and Colorado have all made the decision to compromise protesters’ free speech and assembly to protect patients with statewide abortion clinic buffer zones. Several individual counties and city municipalities have done the same after complaints of harass-

CITY EDITOR erindage@mail.sfsu.edu

ment.

Current San Francisco law, which provides for an 8-foot “bubble” around those entering and exiting clinics, does not go far enough.

Protesters have been able to circumnavigate city law. They plant themselves in one spot, forcing patients to pass within close proximity of them to get inside. In some cases even using protesters in wheelchairs, who are granted access to the sidewalk because of thier disabilities, to get closer to patients.

The supervisors should be commended for attempting to close this loophole and should move to enact this law quickly, mirroring legislation in many other states and cities.

The nature of a buffer-zone law itself is hard to enforce, requiring special security and supervision. Supervisors must assure that the new measure, if passed, will be followed by protesters and upheld by authorities.

Regardless of how you feel about the issue itself, abortion is legal and women have the right to pursue the procedure with the guarantee of patient privacy and without having to endure harassment. In any legal medical procedure, the rights of patients take precedence in being protected.

This law provides for that, while still maintaining the protesters right to voice their objections in a safe manner.

ART BY KIRSTIE HARUTA kharuta@mail.sfsu.edu

MATT SAINCOME

A&E EDITOR saincome@mail.sfsu.edu

LINDSAY ODA

OPINION EDITOR loda@mail.sfsu.edu

DAN NELSON

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR danelson@mail.sfsu.edu

Baby, it don’t matter if you’re black or white

JONATHAN RAMOS

BY HOLLY NALL | hnall@mail.sfsu.edu

ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR jonaramo@mail.sfsu.edu

HOLLY NALL

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR hnall@mail.sfsu.edu

RACHELE KANIGEL

FACULTY ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu

KEN KOBRE

PHOTO ADVISER ken@kobre.com

JESSE GARNIER

ONLINE ADVISER jgarnier@sfsu.edu

JUSTIN OROZCO

CIRCULATION jaorozo@mail.sfsu.edu

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

EVA CHARLES

ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@mail.sfsu.edu

SADIE CROFTS

STUDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER sgcrofts@mail.sfsu.edu

My boyfriend is full of surprises. He's equal parts rock star, Prince Charming and ridiculous nerd. He treats me like a queen, even though I repeatedly insist otherwise, and makes me laugh until my sides hurt. He's also 16 years older than me, and black.

I'm well aware of the assumptions being made. I have daddy issues, he has money, or there must be some other shallow fetish at play. If not, then I must be settling, because clearly the only older men worth dating are George Clooney clones. The really negative stuff doesn't reach my ears, but I've overheard enough nasty conversations about similar relationships to know what some people are really thinking.

I couldn't care less.

Nothing about this pairing was deliberate, in fact it developed about as naturally as it could. Ron was my singing teacher, and one of my closest friends. Once I started falling for him, I realized I didn't know how old he was, and I couldn't seem to find the right moment to ask.

On one of our first dates, as we were carded for our beers, he asked to see my license photo. We traded, and my eyes went

straight to his birth year: 1970. I was mortified when I did the math. He looked great for his age, but he was a lot older than I had guessed. Was this a deal breaker?

As the night went on, I decided that it was not. On the surface we were opposites, but at the core we were such a perfect match that I had to see it through. I will never regret throwing my apprehensions out the window.

My family adores Ron. The color of his skin was never an issue, despite his being the first black person anyone in my patently caucasian family had dated. For Ron, the warm welcome was unfamiliar territory. His last two relationships both ended because the girlfriend's family refused to accept him.

They never even met, but they knew he was black and that was enough. Their loss was our gain.

There has been some talk of marriage, and when the time comes, there is no one I would rather take that step with. I'm grateful that we have the option. Interracial marriage was illegal in many states until 1967, when the Supreme Court finally declared the bans to be unconstitutional. Mixed-race marriages have been on the rise ever since.

Fortunately we won't have to fly to another state just to walk down the aisle, but many couples still don't have that luxury. Nearly 50 years after that court ruling, same-sex couples are still fighting for the right to marry who they love.

We've come a long way since the civil rights movement, but prejudice is far from extinct. It may have departed from most of our laws, but it still lingers in the silent judgements we all make about people we don't even know.

If you wouldn't date or marry someone of the same gender, or outside your own race, ethnicity, generation, religion, political party or income bracket, that's perfectly fine. What you can't do is expect everyone else to do the same. Some people are bored by the idea of being in a relationship with someone so similar they could be siblings.

Dating someone who differs greatly from yourself is an opportunity to learn from each other and grow together. We live in a brilliantly diverse society, and allowing others the freedom to live and love as they choose is just the kind of liberty we should be known for.

WRITE US A LETTER The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words.

Letters are subject to editing.

Send letters to Lindsay Oda at: loda@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 Kale Williams at: kale@mail.sfsu.edu

CLARIFICATION FOR XPRESS PRINT EDITION 03.20.13

In the March 20 issue, we failed to correctly identify the front page photo as a dramatization. The picture was staged by the photographer and was not meant to be interpreted as a candid photo.

We regret the error.

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

| 04.03.13

A WEEKLY COLUMN BY BRIAN RINKER brinker@mail.sfsu.edu

JAIL OR REHAB, NEITHER KEPT ME SOBER

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geese. It even had a peacock, which strutted HEN I WAS around the yard. in jail, the hardInmates at the farm had to get jobs. Some core drunks and were off the grounds. I got a job at the nearby alcoholics told dump. It was only a stone’s throw away from me not to accept the jail but I could smoke as many cigarettes a drug treatment as I wanted there. I got to do hard, back program in place breaking work, like carrying old rolled carpets of jail. Treatfull of dirt and piss and stacking them accordments are a hassle. Do your time, get out and ingly in a semi-truck trailer. I would return get high, my junkie jail buddies told me. sun beaten, tired and hungry. I ate a lot of So when I heard that the city has a new empty calories and slept well. Although there plan to treat the city’s chronic street drunks, I were many good things about the dump, the was a little skeptical. Alcohol is a tricky foe. best part was that I didn’t have to be around The Serial Inebriate Program, as it’s called, the other inmates. will offer repeat drunken offenders a treatment Some of the inmates called me “suicide option in stay of increased jail time. While it boy,” which wasn’t too bad. I secretly liked sounds like a sweet deal to the average person, it, because the other name they called me was I’ve met many a drunk and druggie that will “spanky.” I think; it was spank-something. choose jail over treatment almost every time.

It was my second day in jail and I was I preferred treatment. Not because I wanted sick. Kicking heroin isn’t fun. I hadn’t slept help, just a way out of jail. I had a hard time much and would discreetly vomit in the bathgetting loaded locked up. But when I did go to room garbage cans. jail, it wasn’t all bad.

The buzzing ball of anxiety in the pit of I look back fondly on the time I served my stomach had me laid up on the top bunk at the Santa Cruz County Men’s Facility, or shaking in misery. A couple of tough guys Jail Farm. It was a brief reprieve from the came up and asked me if I was rubbing one hard-scramble pursuits of thieving every day. out under my blanket. I peeked out from unA 60-day window etched in my mind, made der the blanket and told them to fuck off. clearer and brighter because of the surroundWrong move. The biggest one looked ing years of darkness. pissed. The other guy shook his head, and After getting popped for my third petty mouthed that I shouldn’t mess with this guy. theft, I figured it was time to clean up and Other inmates came over and started making pay my penance. When I first got arrested for fun of me, calling me spanky or something. I stealing, the judge told me if I got caught a was mortified. second time, I could get a felony charge and The name only partially stuck and I didn’t do a year in San Quentin. So, only doing a get beat up, so it wasn’t too bad. The whole solid 60 days was not bad. It was the least jail farm experience reminded me of middle I could do. I stayed clean almost the whole school. But jail wasn’t nearly as miserable time, only smoking weed twice. and at least there I had a purpose: working at The jail farm wasn’t particularly fun or the dump. exciting, but it was much better than being in For 60 days I didn’t drink alcohol or shoot the downtown county jail. The farm is a minimum security jail nestled in conifer woods on smack. It was the longest stretch since I began using. The morning the edge of La Selva of my release, I was Beach, outside of loaded again. NeiWatsonville, Calif. InJournalism student Brian Rinker ther jail nor rehab mates called it “Camp takes the ideals of full disclosure ever kept me sober and transparency to an exteme level Snoopy.” There was a when he reflects on his days as a for long. pond with ducks and heroin junkie.

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10 S P O R T S

04.03.13 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

PLAYER

GRADY ESPINOSA

WEEK

BASEBALL

of the

Junior Grady Espinosa had a .375 batting average and a .563 slugging percentage over a four-game series with No. 10 Chico State. Espinosa went 6-for-16 overall with two runs, one RBI and one stolen base.

PHOTO BY TYLER DENISTON/SF STATE SPORTS

SP OR T S SCHEDUL E

Champion wrestler fulfills commitment to self

BY ROCHELLE ROMERO | reromero@mail.sfsu.edu

FRIDAY (4.5) BASEBALL SF State vs. UC San Diego 6 P.M. (La Jolla, Calif.)

SOFTBALL SF State vs. Cal Baptist 2:15 P.M. (Turlock, Calif.)

SOFTBALL SF State vs.

Chaminade 4:15 P.M. (Turlock, Calif.)

SOFTBALL SF State vs.

Hawaii-Hilo 8:15 P.M. (Turlock, Calif.)

SATURDAY (4.6) BASEBALL SF State vs. UC San Diego (DH) 12 and 3 P.M. (La Jolla, Calif.)

SOFTBALL SF State vs. Grand Canyon 12:15 P.M. (Turlock, Calif.)

SOFTBALL SF State vs.

Dominican (Calif.)

4:30 P.M. (Turlock, Calif.)

In double overtime with just 30 seconds to go and a national championship title on the line, SF State senior Naveed Bagheri only had to watch the clock run down and wait for the last match of his college career to come to an end.

When the final bell rang, Bagheri became the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Champion for the 141 weight class in Birmingham, Ala. March 9.

However, this moment almost didn’t happen.

Bagheri started wrestling in 6th grade, but by the time he got to high school his interest began to wane. He always saw wrestling as a hobby and nothing more than a way to mess around with his friends. He became serious about wrestling during his sophomore year but only briefly before he again lost interest.

“Wrestling was a big commitment,” Bagheri said. “I thought it was one of those things where it was worth it, but at that point I was already over it.”

Then a fateful phone call came from SF State wrestling Coach Lars Jensen. At first, Bagheri didn’t think much of it, but he saved the voicemail anyway. After a six-month break from the sport he went to go wrestle some high school kids and OFF THE MAT: All-American Naveed Bagheri, above, became beat them all while being out of shape National Collegiate Athletic Associate Division II Champion for and then he knew he wasn’t completely the 141 weight class. Photo by Frank Leal done with wrestling. “(I) went back and saved his voicehistory. He also tops the Gator record book mail and gave him a call,” Bagheri said. with 153 career two-point near falls and is “Obviously it ended up being a blessing and a second with 111 three-point near falls. life-changing decision that has been great ever “I came into this season thinking this since.” is my year,” Bagheri said. “This was my Jensen saw a talented high school chance to prove it. There was no doubt in wrestler and felt he needed him on his team. my mind that I could make it happen. Only Bagheri just needed a push. thing holding me back would be me.”

“Here it is six years later and he’s naNot to be out shined by Bagheri's suctional champion and a three-time All-Americess, the Gators had a second wrestler with can,” Jensen said. something to prove this season.

In the final match of his career at SF Senior Isaiah Jimenez was looking for State, Bagheri found himself looking at a fahis own national champion title but fell a bit miliar opponent, Ryan Fillingame of Adams short of the glory.

State. Having previously faced him twice “Going in I wanted to be national champ, this season, Bagheri was going to have to beat Fillingame for a second time this season definitely did not have 5th place written on my wall," Jimenez said. “It’s definitely not in their “rubber match” with only one of them winning the title of national champion. what I wanted at all but I’m still an All-American so that feels good." “(Fillingame) looked at his coach and Jimenez left nationals last year heartbrothen he looked at me,” Bagheri said. “I’ll never forget it because he had to go down and ken after ranking third in the nation to lose the eventual national championship in the at that point I knew I had the match won.” fourth overtime and leave without placing.

Bagheri finished his last season with a “It just drove me all summer long, all 29-5 record. He finishes with 112 career offseason," Jimenez said. “This year I said wins at SF State placing third in school

S C O R E

SCORES FROM THE LAST WEEK OF GATOR SPORTS

B O A R D

BASEBALL

L

March 30 SF State VS. Chico State 1-4

L

March 29 SF State VS. Chico State 2-3

L

March 29 SF State VS. Chico State 2-5

there was no way I’m not going to be an All-American. I’m not going to let it happen."

Jimenez ended his career on a high note beating Blake Ridenour from Newberry College in a 7-4 victory. He placed 5th for his 165 weight class and finished his final season with a 24-9 record. Jimenez led the Gators in takedowns with 71 this season.

Coach Jensen was proud of his team this season and felt the biggest team win for them was beating Adams State, who won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference dual meet title this season.

“Overall, I thought we did as well as we can," Jensen said. "Would have liked to see a couple more guys at nationals. Need four or five guys to get in the top five."

Of course, the best thing to happen to the team was Bagheri's Championship and Jimenez's 5th place finish helping the Gators to finish in 10th as a team.

"Every year our goal is to have All-Americans," Jensen said. "Our goal is to place in the top 20 in the nation. This is the first time we’ve been in the top 10 since 2004."

The Gators finished 8-8 in dual meets and 8-3 in non Division I competition.

In 30 years as SF State's head coach, Jensen's coached 10 individual national champions, losing only three times. The last time Jensen had an individual national champion was in 2005.

"It's been a long time," Jensen said.

"It was a good season, a lot of hard work from the student athletes as well as the coaches, trainers, equipment guys and everything else. Hopefully, it gets better recruits in here and that the kids on the team right now get excited about it."

First-year assistant wrestling coach Jeff Silveira felt this season was rewarding and that minor setbacks only refocused the team to reach its goals.

“With the amount of money we get and the scholarships we have we were beating teams that are fully funded or have a lot more scholarship money than us," Silveira said. “To finish ahead of them was very rewarding. I Felt very proud of our team and our whole effort.”

As far as next season goes, Coach Jensen just hopes to keep building on this season's success and move forward with the program.

“We’re just starting to turn the corner again and having another successful run at finishing in the top 5 in the nation,” Jensen said. “I'm looking forward to having not just two guys go to nationals but we want to have six to eight guys go.”

SOFTBALL

L

March 30 SF State vs. UC San Diego 4-9

L

March 30 SF State vs. UC San Diego 3-4

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD March 16 Hornet Invitational SF State: One first-place finish and three second-place finishes

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

| 04.03.13

A WEEKLY ENVIRONMENTAL COLUMN BY ELISSA TORRES elissat@mail.sfsu.edu

Organic foods cost you more, but the world less

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and chemical fertilizers. There is a reduction in ARMERS’ MARKETS soil erosion and soil quality is improved. and the organic food aisle Genetically modified organisms are another have become a popular environmental concern. According to the Nondestination for growing GMO Project, over 80 percent of all GMOs families, healthy eaters grown worldwide are engineered for herbicide and the environmentally tolerance, which results in the use of herbiconscious alike. According cides with even higher toxicities than organic to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of direct-sales markets pesticides.

This toxicity has increased 15 times over has increased 9.6 percent in the past year, with since GMOs were introduced. GMO crops are California and New York topping the list. also responsible for “super weeds” and “super With the increase of organic eating and bugs” that can only be killed with poisons that the high prices that come with it, one should are more toxic. An ingredient in the poison question if eating organically is better for the used to kill these “super” organisms is 2,4-D, a consumer, the environment or both. chemical found in Agent Orange. The longThere are two main reasons to eat organterm damages caused by GMOs can be irreic. One is that there are fewer pesticides in versible, while organic foods do less damage. organic food.

According to NonGMOProject.com, most Pesticides are substances that prevent or destroy pests, such as insects, plant pathogens, developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In nearly 50 countries, including weeds, mollusks, birds, etc., that could have Australia, Japan and all of the countries in the an effect on crops. A pesticide is a chemical or European Union, there are significant restricbiological agent like a virus, bacteria, antimitions or outright bans on the production and crobial or disinfectant. sale of GMOs. In the U.S., the government has Contrary to popular belief, organic does approved GMOs based on studies conducted not mean pesticide free. If pesticides are in fact being used in the organic growing process, by the same corporations that created them and profit from their sale. they are used from natural sources, nothing When buying food products from different artificially or synthetically manufactured. parts of the state or around the world, carAccording to WebMD.com, more land is bon dioxide is released from cars and trucks going towards the production of organic food: contributing to greenhouse gasses. By choosabout 2.35 million acres or nearly the size of ing food that is locally grown, the travel time Connecticut across 48 states, as of 2001. from production to your local market is greatly Some choose to eat organic because the reduced, thus reducing your carbon footprint food simply tastes better. It’s fresher and enriched in vitamins compared to some commer- on global warming. There will be less smog released from cars because the transportation cial foods that are soaked in pesticides. time was small compared with shipping food Another reason to choose organic products from overseas. is that the environmental footprint attached to Overall, the attitude you have toward your organic food is smaller than that of convenimpact on the environment is significant. When tionally grown food. it comes to eating Organic farming organically, although also helps provide a it may not necessarily safer and healthier When Elissa Torres isn’t rescuing matter how you eat, environment by not wounded marine mammals or what matters is that polluting groundwahugging trees, the environmental you’re doing your ter, rivers, lakes and studies minor spends her time part. oceans with pesticides writing this column.

It’s based on equal parts opinion, statistics and life experiences. If you don’t like it, read and recycle.

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04.03.13 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG