Spring 2014 issue 2 by Golden Gate Xpress

SF Sketchfest back in town see A&E, page 6

Serving the San Francisco State community since 1927

February 5, 2014 • VOLUME LXXXXVIII • ISSUE 2 • FREE • GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Science Building closure linked to contaminated artifacts from 2000

BY MICHAEL BARBA mdbarba@mail.sfsu.edu and ANDREW CULLEN culle010@mail.sfsu.edu

Mercury contamination in the Science Building has been linked to Museum and the building’s basement, which contains archaeological artifacts. -

tants. ican artifacts stored in the museum,

sultants against data from a similar audit in 2007, using SF State Monitoring Data, a record that shows the amount of -

consultant to measure the chemical

GAVIN MCINTYRE / XPRESS

HAZMAT: People in hazmat suits work in SF State’s Science Building, Thursday, Jan. 30th, 2013. The building is closed after toxic chemicals were found inside.

Inside New dean brings fresh ideas to SF State

see New on page 3

Gator wrestling split duals against non-conference foes

BY HALEY BRUCATO hbrucato@mail.sfsu.edu

not discouraged. hustled by them a little bit, but we are going to

see NEWS page 2

SF State comes up short, amid injuries

MIKE HENDRICKSON / XPRESS

to Stanford last week.

PINNED: SF State’s Dylan Phillipy holds Simon Fraser’s Dillon Hume as SF State faced Simon Fraser University on Friday Jan. 31. Phillipy won the match 18-0.

end his day. were honored on Senior Day between duals. Senior Isaiah Hurtado celebrated by defeating

was not discouraged by the loss.

him a total of four wins by fall this season.

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NEWS

XPRESS YOURSELF

How would you use the new rec center?

JAMES DONOVAN, SENIOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION MAJOR

“

Probably sports, activities like skateboarding. Most people, probably basketball.

”

TAWNEE VALLAR, JUNIOR RECREATION, PARKS, AND TOURISM MAJOR

With the new rec center, I feel like it would be more open to students. With the opening, I feel like a lot more students are going to know what their tuition is going to and what resources SF State has.

“

”

02.05.14| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Plans finalized for SF State’s new Recreation Wellness Center BY JENNIE BUTLER jennieb@mail.sfsu.edu

F STATE IS ON its way to becoming one of the many California State Universities with a full-service recreation center by 2018. Recreation Wellness Center’s planning, design and future construction since Fall 2012 through a $90 fee included in their tuition each semester. Once the complex opens, this fee will increase to $160 per semester to provide funds for ing the facility. Students will therefore be granted unlimited free access to the Recreation Wellness Center, though faculty and staff will be subject to a membership fee. Students, faculty and staff are expected to have access to two swimming pools, a rock climbing wall, a spa, a cardio and weight room, a two-court gym, a running track, racquetball courts and locker rooms. The 188,700-square-foot facility is currently in the planning and design phase, but will soon replace the outdoor basketball courts at the corner of Font and Lake Merced Boulevards. Director of Campus Recreation Pam Su, insists that solicitation for the project was not fueled by frustration with SF State’s

BUISINESS ADMINISTRATION MAJOR

“

I know I’d play basketball there. I might use the pool a little bit.

”

ZACK WISE, SENIOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION MAJOR

“

I probably wouldn’t use the rec center. I try to spend as little time on campus as possible.

”

Photos by: Jessica Christian Reporting by: Michael Barba

64-year-old gymnasium. Rather, the center will be a venue for a range of activities that supplement the gym’s existing offerings. “Having a recreation center open from early morning to late lifestyle, rather than the shared facilities we have now,” said Su. The Recreation Wellness Center’s planned hours of operation are from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. A recreation center can be useful to college students who may health in order to provide time for studies, social life and employment. The Recreation Wellness Center will be the only non-academic building that is dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle. Staff and faculty are also encouraged to use the center. According to Su, “When faculty workout with students and are

concerned about their own center becomes a community space where faculty, staff and students have the same goals of care of their wellness.” The Recreation Wellness Center’s state-of-the-art facilities are close proximity to student housing and have raised questions about a possible threat to SF State’s privately owned gym, Village Fitness Center. But the center’s operations manager, Mark Penacerrada, said that it is too early to say if the gym’s business will be affected. “As of now we’re excited,” Penacerrada said. “We will support anything that serves the health and wellness of students.” If the Recreation Wellness Center detracts students’ attention from Village Fitness

Center, Penacerrada said that the gym would consider joining forces with SF State’s recreation department. “We’re all about partnerships,” said Penacerrada. “Village Fitness will be happy to join with the new center if we need to.” is overseeing the project. Their design will honor SF State’s commitment to sustainability ciency, natural light and building with sustainable materials “The idea is to create a modern, forward leaning building that expresses the dynamic activity of the campus,” said Mitch Fine, the project manager. “The center will be a new hub of student life, an iconic gateway that will provide identity for SF State.” Construction is expected to begin in late 2015.

New Assistant Dean of Students brings fresh ideas to incoming freshmen and transfers BY JULIA MIDDLEMISS jmiddle@mail.sfsu.edu

SAMSON TESMAR, SOPHOMORE

COURTESY PAM SU / CAMPUS RECREATION DEPARTMENT A digital representation of building plans for the future recreation and wellness center.

SF State recently welcomed a new Assistant Dean of Students who seeks to bring a fresh perspective this spring semester, by engaging with students on a personal level. Brian Stuart, the new Assistant Dean, will manage and oversee incoming students, such as freshmen and transfers, to ensure their well-being and security. “The position was re-purposed to provide vision and leadership for the development and enhanceSF State,” said Dean of Students Joseph Greenwell. Returning to his Northern California roots, Stuart arrived a few weeks ago from Clemson University in South Carolina, where he earned his Masters Degree in Council Education. He continued his work there for six years, most recently as the Associate Director of New Student and Family Programs. Stuart has worked closely with programs like Student Affairs and Enrollment and various faculty and staff within the

it, then what’s the point?” With spring semester plans still in early stages of develop-

However, he hopes to impress during Welcome Days in Fall 2014 and focus on new students and their families. “It is my hopes, that the impact of Welcome Days will help increase campus engagement with students and class identity,” said Stuart. “With the appropriate mix of social activities, information about academic life and campus services, students begin to see themselves as active participants TONY SANTOS / XPRESS in the SF State community.” ALL SMILES: Brian Stuart, the new Assistant Dean of Students, talks Stuart said he would like to create a peer center at SF State, located in the Student Services Building Suite 403 Tuesday, Feb. 4. which could provide an anchor with new students feeling similar for new students who feel lost. ity with his new title is creating anxieties. Although events and a more interactive relationship activities to kick off spring segage more with campus activities. between him and students. “With his expertise in student “I’m really student oriented,” Stuart said he acknowledges that said Stuart. “I want to be an advo- students are the most important rience for new students, we are cate for new students—a support piece of the equation. system to help solve problems “Nothing really matters if the very excited to have Brian join our team at SF State,” said Jo and work on one-on-ones.” students aren’t involved, it starts Volkert, Interim Vice President Coming in halfway through with them,” said Stuart. “You of Student Affairs and Enrollthe academic year, Stuart hopes can plan and coordinate a great ment Management in a recent to utilize his unfamiliarity with event, but if the students aren’t email. campus life as a way to connect interested and don’t want to see

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NEWS

01.29.14

New information reveals the source of hazardous materials CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

said University Spokeswoman

Caldararo recalled a CSUwide environmental safety audit in 2007, which SF State failed. The same audit was performed Aug. 28, 2013, which

has engaged objective, highly credentialed experts to analyze the situation and make recommendations based on careful review of hundreds of tests and

standards in hazardous materials administration, laboratory standard and hazardous waste training. Robert Shearer was the environmental health and occupational safety director of SF State during this time. In 2013, Shearer was charged with more than 100 felonies, including bribery. Any connection between Shearer’s role at the University to the current Science Building crisis

“If you clean a building like this, you really only want to do it ident of Air & Water Sciences.

E. Wong announced that lead, asbestos, and mercury were undetected in the air throughout opened the doors of the Science Building to faculty and staff to mark priority items for removal. “We’ve been following the requirements of Occupational Safety and Health Administra-

Caldararo, who was unaware of any mercury spills that may have occurred since the contamination of Native American artifacts, was surprised when door in January and told him he had to leave the building. “What was found was minwere a couple locations that indicate some higher levels that might be dangerous, but you’d have to be right on top of them The consultants investigating the building uncovered the strongest concentration of mercury vapors in the basement, followed

JESSICA CHRISTIAN / XPRESS

MOVING DAY: Peg Sarosy, Academic Coordinator of the American Language Institute at SF State, labels a to the Science Building closure Thursday, Jan. 30.

only by traces of mercury in the the documents. They also found non-paint related lead in these locations. “Some of these hazards are inherent in working with the archeological artifacts that are stored in the basement, Room

from Air & Water Sciences. “New procedures may be necessary regarding the (handling of)

turned into a storage space. Levels of mercury were found in several rooms used by the

“All the collections have just been in that room for a long -

in small puddles of standing water

Caprari who pointed toward a lack of funding and indecision as reasons for the museum being

lead-based paint was found on the walls of over 85 rooms, according to the documents. “The decision to close the

said Caldararo. “It’s not anthropology that’s the problem here, “Asbestos is present in most of all buildings in San Francisco, “There are all these procedures we are supposed to be following in terms of our laboratories and chemicals on campus and that would be something I would think we should be putting money toward—not retesting and testing a building that’s already been cleaned in the past and has levels that are so small, they

32,000 readers will see your ad! GGX Ads: 415.338.3133 echarles@sfsu.edu

NEWS

02.05.14| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

News Briefs Dean Oubre honored Association of Northern California for her leadership and community engagement at a ceremony Monday, Jan. 27 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in San Francisco. Honorees were chosen from more than 1,200 leadership in their professions, their communities

Vista Room to reopen Feb. 11 where guests are served gourmet meals, will reopen Tuesday, Feb. 11. The restaurant, located on lab for students interested in hospitality management and dietetics. During the spring semester, seating is available Monday through Friday from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and meal service runs until 1:30 p.m. visit the Vista Room website at http://cob.sfsu.edu/ cob/vista-room.

Prescreening and live interactive webcast of “Inequality For All”

ation of State Colleges and Universities’ American Democracy Project and former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich and his staff. For more infor-

Astronomy professor discovers new planet on outskirts of Solar System BY CHRIS SANCHEZ sanchezc@mail.sfsu.edu

The Institute for Civic and Community Engage-

interactive webcast on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 1:30 p.m. in McKenna Theatre. The webcast will be fully accessible through captioning and interpreters are available at special

TONY SANTOS / XPRESS

STARSTRUCK: Dr. Stephen Kane, Assistant Professor in the Physics and Astronomy department, poses for a portrait in the SF State Planetarium, Feb. 4, 2014. Dr. Kane has discovered approximately 50 different planets and recently discovered an exoplanet outside of the Solar System.

Candidates for Dean of the College of Liberal & Creative Arts visit University

Dr. Stephen Kane is a collector. His obsession isn’t with coins or stamps that sit on his mantle — it’s with planets in space. The SF State astronomy professor estimates he amassed a collection of 50 planets that he’s discovered over the course of his 20-year career. The latest addition to his collection is HD 4203c, an exoplanet, or a planet located outside of the Solar System. Kane discovered that it has twice the mass of Jupiter and is located 250 light years away from our Solar System. planets because you have absolutely said Kane. Since planets are often unable to be photographed, Kane and a team of researchers had to use a combination

Four candidates have been selected to interview for the position of Dean of the College of Liberal & Creative Arts. All members of the campus community are invited to attend the candidates’ presentations on “Directions for a college that houses creative arts,

to determine if one of four stars they were studying contained a planet. “You’re essentially an observer with a blindfold and occasionally you get a little glimpse here and

Presentations will be in HUM 133 (45 minutes; seating limited) followed by a reception in HUM didates, including the dates for each presentation,

who helped Kane in the discovery. Howell is the project scientist on the Kepler Mission at the NASA Ames Research Center. The Kepler space telescope was launched by NASA in outside of the Solar System.

Planets near stars often trigger gravitational effects on their stars causing them to wobble. Kane and his research team saw this and determined that a planet may lie in one of the four stars. One involved measuring a star’s movement toward or away from The other involved photographing it to gain a better view. From this, that a planet was orbiting one of the four stars.w The discovery of the exoplanet may help astronomers narrow their search for what types of stars may contain planets, Kane said. one of the stars, the researchers will continue to gather data on the other three stars to see if they also contain planets. “There are a lot of students excited about getting involved in exoplanets and I’m hoping that this will help them see that there are good opportunities here at SF State to pursue this SF State has a history of studying exoplanets and Kane’s discovery will help garner funding for the University to continue further research, according to Dr. Susan Lea, chair of the physics and astronomy department at SF State.

2/1 Minors in Possession of Alcohol

SF State CRIME BLOTTER BY XPRESS STAFF

Between 1/29 and 2/4 the University Police Department responded to 16 incidents. Here are some of the highlights.

years old and in possession of alcohol.

1/31 Possession of Marijuana that one subject was in possession of marijuana.

professors who do this fantastic Kane and Howell’s research is funded in part by NASA, the National Science Foundation and SF State. discovered in 1992 and over the last two decades the advancement of technology has led astronomers to exoplanets saw a meteoric rise in discoveries, astronomers spent most of their existence. “No one believed in (exoplanets) detecting them and now it’s probaHowell said. According to Howell, one out of planet the size of Earth. This leads astronomers to believe the number of potential planets waiting to be discovered is as vast as space itself. As more exoplanets are disand Howell will continue to piece together more information about this “A year from now somebody’s some new piece of technology that is going to completely change the

1/31 Misuse of Placard misusing a handicap placard at the former location of the Sutro Library around 9:50 a.m. The subject received a citation and was released at the scene.

1/30 Fire

1/31 Auto Burglary $1000 and occurred between

without incident.

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

02.05.14

ARTS

2/6

ENTERTAINMENT

events

The Poetry Center, Humanities Building 3 p.m. Poetry reading: Ana Castillo and Benjamin Hollander

Knuth Hall, Creative Arts Building 5 p.m. Documentary screening: Women in the Chair The Depot 6-9 p.m. Banshee Boardwalk, Hindu Pirates, Wag, Jam Knuth Hall, Creative Arts Building

2/7

1:10 p.m. Violin performance: Alex Zhou REBEKAH DIDLAKE / XPRESS

GET DOWN: Jillian Patterson (left), SF State freshman, and Ace Prado (right), SF State sophomore, dance at Back in the Rhythm: Noise Complaint in the Student Center Friday, Jan. 31.

Noise Complaint dances start semester with “Back in the Rhythm”

BY KYLE DA SILVA kdasilva@mail.sfsu.edu

RIDAY night’s “Back in the Rhythm” started the semester for Student Life’s Noise Complaint dance parties with over 300 students at the Cesar Chavez Student Center. The monthly gathering, which started in Fall 2010, began with a late night of hip-hop, top 40 and electronic dance music. Students began trickling in

at 10 p.m., propping themselves up against the gates at Café 101 and Natural Sensations in small groups. A handful of students, clad in street wear and doused in pulsing red, blue and green stage start the party. Others followed and after a while no one was immune to DJ Andre Camaisa’s trembling electronic bass drops and classic hyphy remixes. “This crowd really goes up and down,” said Camaisa. “Sometimes you get kids that just

you get the real ratchets who are down for the hyphy stuff. This crowd tonight wants everything.” Camaisa has been performing at Noise Complaint since 2011. Since then, he’s won Red Bull’s College DJ Freestyle Battle at Manor West and has been dubbed the premier college DJ in the Bay Area. He has secured residencies at a handful of San Francisco’s nightclubs in the SOMA district, including the Monarch, Alibi and Manor West. “When you play for this kind of crowd you can’t pull out all of your club game,” he said. “You’ve got to stay on top of your hits.” Freshman Arturo Gomez approved. “It’s been really fun,” he experience. “I live on campus and its great to have something so close (to home).” “(Noise Complaint) has been a really productive, healthy event for the kids to enjoy,” said Uniwho was one of a handful of UPD

REBEKAH DIDLAKE / XPRESS

SPINNING: DJ Andre Camaisa performs at SF State’s Back in the Rhythm: Noise Complaint dance in the Student Center Friday, Jan. 31.

event. “It’s an outlet for them to do something without getting on the bus; it’s good clean fun.” “It’s never been the students who are the problem,” he said. “It’s been people that don’t go here, sneaking in the back that have been an issue.” Since Noise Complaint started four years ago, there haven’t been any serious issues, according to Director of Student Involvement Sarah Bauer. Camaisa said he is excited about the next installment of Noise Complaint, which will be held in the Annex, where Bauer said that most events would be held moving forward. “The Annex has been under construction to become the Student Life Events Center and is almost ready,” Bauer said. However, due to the Science Building closure, there will be some limitations on using the Annex this semester, she said.

2/8

Knuth Hall, Creative Arts Building 7:30 p.m. San Francisco Wind Ensemble

Knuth Hall, Creative Arts Building 1:10 p.m. Piano performance: Dmitry Rachmanov

2/13

2/10

The Poetry Center, Humanities Building 5:30 p.m. Poetry reading: Alana Siegel and Ted Rees

Room 193, Fine Arts Building 5:30 p.m. Visiting artist lecture: Desiree Holman The Depot 6-9 p.m. Hundred Acre Good, Stoics, Blams, Dark Satellite

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

02.05.14| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Local and visiting bands kick off the Depot’s spring semester of shows BY MADISON RUTHERFORD maddie@mail.sfsu.edu

A crowd of students waited

a showcase of unique sound-

LORISA SALVATIN / XPRESS

Tino Drima guitarist, Greg DiMartino and drummer, Bobby Pills, sound check before their set at SF State’s The Depot January 29.

LORISA SALVATIN / XPRESS

QUARTET: Wax Children’s guitartist Alfonso Salcido III (left) pauses while lead singer, Victor Paredes, sings to the crowd during their show with Talk of Shamans and Tino Drima at The Depot Wednesday, Jan. 29.

Alumni-founded Sketchfest celebrates 13th year in SF

BY APRIL HALOG avhalog@mail.sfsu.edu

started as for recent

JAKUB MOSUR / SPECIAL TO XPRESS

THREE FRIENDS: Cole Stratton, David Owen and Janet Varney pose with C-3PO at a party at Adam Savage’s studio after the performance San Francisco Jan. 24.

7 “Out Run” documents political candidacy of LGBTQ member GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG |

02.05.14

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

BY ANNA HECHT ahecht@mail.sfsu.edu

N SF STATE cinema professor’s documentary shows the world of LGBTQ political struggles from the view of a transgender woman

documentaries to the educational community, so it was an easy decision to work together on “Out Run.”

of an ambitious project,” Chiang said. “It’s a large project and it has On one hand it an international was very the Philippines. component and we exciting and in felt like it would Director Johnny other ways it Symons is a recent be smart for us to recipient of a grant was difficult to partner up with from the Frameline someone we trust navigate. Completion Fund for on the project. his and fellow director We’re both Johnny Symons Leo Chiang’s docuinterested in cinema professor mentary, “Out Run.” LGBTQ and poThe grant received litical issues so it 112 submissions for its annual contest, the largest to date, and “Out Run” features the chose Symons as one of its seven journey of a transgender Filipina recipients. Frameline is the nation’s she runs for Congress in Manila, the country’s capital and secfocuses on media arts in the ond-largest city. LGBTQ community. Symons said that from a Since 1990, the Completion Fund has awarded thousands of interesting to travel to an unfamiliar country and even more so nearing completion. to Manila. Symons and Chiang have “It’s just a very intense place been in production for their docto be,” Symons said. “On one umentary for about four years, hand it was very exciting and and both directors have three navigate.” Chiang said he and Symons Symons and Chiang said that are old friends and that they both translation assistance from Glenn belong to New Day Films, a Aquino, a Filipino and cinema co-op that helps distribute their student at SF State, greatly

RYAN LEIBRICH / XPRESS

Johnny Symons, Assistant Professor in the Cinema Department, sits in front of the computer he uses to

helped with the documentary’s multiple dialects spoken in the Philippines, which Aquino said led him to want to help with “Out Run” after hearing from another instructor about Symons’s documentary. “I think (this project) really represents what Professor Symons is interested in,” Aquino said.

“He’s interested in the hard issues that we need to deal with, even censored in the Philippines, and debate about same-sex marriage, but also rights for the LGBTQ community. I think it’s a very Symons and Chiang estimate

and ready for viewing late 2014 or early Spring 2015. Symons said he is excited to debut the documentary at a large festival, such as Sundance, where he has There is no hesitation, however, to provide a viewing of “Out Run” on campus as well: “I would SF State. Absolutely.”

OPINION

02.05.14| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Landlords and the Ellis Act are to blame for evictions of SF residents BY APRIL HALOG avhalog@mail.sfsu.edu

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF culle010@mail.sfsu.edu

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In the last several months we have seen increasing hate for techies and tech companies. Last summer, “F- your start up” was tagged on a building in the Mission District. In November, about 150 people protested outside Twitter’s headquarters the day after the company’s stock market launched on the New York Stock Exchange. In December, protesters smashed the window of a Google bus with rocks. Just recently, two-dozen protesters blocked a bus carrying tech workers for hours because shuttle operators were allowed to use Muni stops and only charge $1 per stop. People are praying for the dot-com bubble to burst, bringing down startup tech companies and the iPhone-toting hipsters who started it. However, it’s not the Bay Area’s buses or tech companies that are the problem. It’s the landlords. Many residents see the buses as a symbol of the current problems San Francisco is facing: the economic inequality is widening. Minimum wage is hardly enough to make a living in the city, while rent continues to skypeople out of their homes. The changes in San Francisco are apparent and it’s heartbreaking. It’s always sad to see a family kicked out of their home or a mom-and-pop shop forced to shut down to make way for a luxury condo or an overpriced fusion restaurant. The city is evolving and longtime residents are being

ART BY JORDAN CERMINARA

left behind. It’s easy to see why many residents are angry. However, this anger is misplaced. Where is the animosity for the real estate developers or the landlords? They are the enforcers of high rent and the ones who should be blamed — as is the Ellis Act. It is the reason landlords can mass evict tenants and sell a The Ellis Act is a state law enacted by California legislature in 1986 that allows landlords to evict tenants to go out of business and remove the units from the housing market. The law states that all tenants must be evicted simultaneously

years after evictions, according to the San Francisco Rent Board. Fortunately, the Ellis Act contains amendments that protect tenants. Only in San Francisco, landlords are required to pay their evicted tenants a re-location fee of $5,153 per tenant or a maximum payment of $15,460. Seniors and people with disabilities receive an additional fee on top of the initial fee. Supervisor David Campos introduced legislation Tuesday for a change in the Ellis Act that would require landlords to pay the difference for the housing of the tenants they evict for the cost of renting new similar housing for two years. This may not happen, but it

doesn’t change the fact that the Ellis Act is still being abused by landlords and shows how changes are sorely needed. Not all tech workers are young billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg. They are just trying to make use of their computer science degree and work for a living while the startup workers are praying for a tech God to buy their company so they don’t fail horribly, like the majority of them do. According to a Wall Street Journal report, three out of four startups are not successful.Startup employees are just cogs in the machine. It’s like yelling at a Starbucks employee for charging $4 a latte when they have no control of what the company does. They, just like the techies, are trying to earn a paycheck to get by and pay their ridiculously high rent as well. Working toward a solution something to demonize is much easier. Facebook or Google can dive into some damage control and pay more than $1 for every bus stop they use or the Board of Directors can actually implement change in the Ellis Act so landlords stop abusing the act. experiencing some growing pains. The Google bus protests have caught the nation’s attention and many are waiting to see what happens next. The city’s problems cannot be cured overnight, but a start can be to focus on the real problems and shift hate to where it is deserved.

Excessive rules at Super Bowl XLVIII

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The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words. Letters are subject to editing. Send letters to Annastashia Goolsby at: agoolsby@mail.sfsu.edu

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 Andrew Cullen at: culle010@mail.sfsu.edu

BY BRIAN DONOVAN bdonovan@mail.sfsu.edu

HIS YEAR’S game might have been as exhilarating as a beached whale, but it still didn’t stop many of us from having a good time Sunday. The Super Bowl is a festive time to talk about the strategies and plethora of mistakes, while immersing ourselves in shameless self-indulgence, complaining about dumb calls the referees make and watching chronically angry coaches throw temper

the doorstep for a day. A great feeling of comraderie and community can manifest during this annual window of social catharsis. This is perhaps one of the greatest contributions the Super Bowl brings to American society. However, the people who attended the game this weekend didn’t have a chance to experience any of that during their visit to the MetLife Stadium for this year’s XLVIII. Tailgating was banned for

browbeating because that’s clearly the most effective way to communicate in a stadium full of screaming fans. This year was different. Attendees had to go through a ogy exam to get anywhere close to enjoying the big game. This shouldn’t be the case because it ruins the tradition.It’s not only a time to spend with family and friends, but to leave the stresses of everyday life at

ESPN’s Jane McManus was due to “security issues.” Of course the NFL denies that there was an actual ban, saying instead it’s just a policy change. “Provided you’re in the boundaries of a single parking space, you’ll be able to eat or drink right next to your car,” Superbowl Host Committee CEO Al Kelly said, according to CBS New York. We can all agree that’s not the same. Tailgating is a vital part of

building the festive atmosphere of the Super Bowl along with the good burgers that go with it, but instead the NFL wants you to go to the stadium’s bargain bonanza for a $15 sandwich. Walking to the event wasn’t allowed this year either. Guests weren’t even allowed get dropped off by taxi or park their own car and walk. Instead, under the guise of promoting “public transportation” they could take New Jersey transit or a Fan Express shuttle for $51. To show further disdain, CNN reported that of the 28,000 available parking spaces at the stadium, media and security were given 15,000. This left

Denver Post. All the while they’re enjoying huge subsidies and the

13,000 available parking spots starting at $150 each. By extorting their fans at games and zealous commercialization, the NFL makes more than $9 billion in annual revenues while Commissioner Roger Goodell earns nearly $30 million a year, according to the

NFL or anybody. We should be able to celebrate the nation’s biggest sporting event with a BBQ and not have to pay excessive fees just to get poked and prodded by security before we even get inside. Just let it be the game that it once was.

to Forbes. It’s sad that the NFL is using a great sport as a strategy to make a They practically want their fans, forced by regulations of “security” and “logistical concerns,” to become factory-farmed spenders where any sumption, including community itself, is banned. We cannot allow the cultural events that we value continue to be co-opted by such political and

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG |

OPINION

02.05.14

Technological gluttony deprives students’ learning worldwide

BY NENA FARRELL haydee@mail.sfsu.edu

AST WEEK THE U.N. education agency released a report stating that 250 million school-age children across the globe can’t read, write or do math. That’s out of 650 million children worldwide and areas like the Arab states and sub-Saharan Africa are the furthest behind. Reading this made me think of my eight-year-old brother. In a stark comparison, his elementary school provides iPads for students in his class and several others. He also has a Kindle Fire and iPad at home and his classmates have even more forms of technology than him. His school isn’t the only one. Schools all throughout the nation are paying millions of dollars to provide iPads to their students and teachers. In Kansas, Shawnee Mission School District decided last week to provide $20 million worth of Apple laptops and iPads to their 27,000 students. Apple TVs will also be incorporated into classrooms and children in all grades, including kindergarten, will receive such products. Teachers, I can understand. But students — especially those in kindergarten — don’t need these devices in order to receive a proper education. The devices are not being paid for by parents or through fundraising, but by the district through taxes. In Manhattan Beach, Calif., $20,000 will be spent on iPads for third and fourth graders. After announcing last week that the purchase had been approved by the district, their PTA intends to pay for the majority of the iPads but the district still has to contribute to these costs and for the additional training teachers will receive. In addition, Shawnee Mission School District will be using capital outlay bonds to fund the new devices to avoid raising taxes in the area. Ironically, the breaking news surrounding this information is not over the the actual products, but the worries over

ART BY JORDAN CERMINARA

the Internet. Coleman Elementary School in San Rafael, where students are using iPads to write book reports, is pushing for an upgrade in its bandwidth due to the demand, according to the Marin Independent Journal. The concerns for going digital and upgrading technology seem minuscule when looking at the big picture. While thousands of students in the U.S. are receiving extra technology, millions of students in other countries aren’t receiving an education whatsoever. While it sounds like it doesn’t affect you, the U.N. reported that having

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so many children living uneducated actually costs governments around the world, including the U.S., $129 billion annually. How many iPads do you think governments could buy with $129 billion? The impact of educating children around the world is anything but small. It’s understandable that schools want to upgrade and teach their youngsters marketable skills. However, having these electronics only in areas where taxpayers can support such an upgrade shows a huge gap in both the technology and educational levels of students depending

on their location. If school districts saved just a small portion of what they spend on iPads and sent it to a school or area in need, they could make a huge impact; one much larger than a single student having their very own iPad to use during school when they no doubt have a computer at home. Schools and districts in the U.S. need to stop thinking about how far they can push their own institutions with hundreds of iPads and start taking into considerof children around the world.

10 SPORTS

02.05.14| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG WRESTLING

One Gator places during injury-plagued California Collegiate Open

GAVIN MCINTYRE / XPRESS

SF State’s Andrew Reggi wrestles Oregon State’s Nate Keeve at the California Collegiate Open Saturday, Feb. 1.

BY NELSON AMAYA slenon44@mail.sfsu.edu

FTER THREE consecutive blowout wins to reach the championship match, SF State senior

Senior Zach Jimenez, the -

Simon Fraser so I was out too,”

Phillipy was the only Gator the tournament won, which was -

Phillipy lost to Simpson’s

The Gators will travel to

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SF State sits one spot out of conference playoff picture BY TAYLOR LONIGRO lonigro@mail.sfsu.edu

I think we can win a lot more -

ers, the women’s basketball

percent, it’s still an improvement

Gators look to sweep the season -

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG |

SPORTS

02.05.14

THE UPCOMING

GATOR SCHEDULE

BASEBALL

BASEBALL Feb. 7, 6 p.m. v. Holy Names University in

SCOREBOARD

Feb. 9, 5:30 p.m. v. Holy Names University in Laney v. Central Washington University, Feb. 1: lost 5-3 Calif.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Feb. 8, 1 p.m. v. Holy Names University in

@ Cal State Stanislaus, Jan. 31: lost 66-61

MEN’S BASKETBALL Feb. 7, 7:30 p.m v. Cal State Domingez Hills in The Swamp - San Francisco

@ Chico State, Feb. 1: lost 71-57 Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m. v. Cal State Los Angeles in The Swamp - San Francisco

SOFTBALL v. Cal State Dominguez Hills, Feb. 1: won 1-0 v. Cal State San Marcos, Feb. 1: lost 8-0

SOFTBALL

v. Chico State, Feb. 1: won 5-0

Feb. 12, 12 p.m & 2 p.m.

v. Dominican University of California, Feb. 2: lost 6-0 v. Cal State Stanislaus, Feb. 2: won 7-2

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

@ Cal State Stanislaus, Jan. 31: won 82-80 Feb. 7, 5:30 p.m. v. Cal State Dominguez Hills in The Swamp - San Francisco

Feb. 8, 5:30 p.m. v. Cal State Los Angeles in The Swamp - San Francisco

@ Chico State, Feb. 1: lost 67-66

WRESTLING WRESTLING Feb. 6, 7 p.m. v. Menlo College in HaynesPrim Pavilion - Atherton, Calif.

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OPINION ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

v. Simon Fraser, Jan. 31: won 31-16

02.05.14| GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

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