February 4, 2015 ISSUE 02 VOLUME C GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Serving the San Francisco State community since 1927
Trophies tour campus ELIZABETH CARRANZA ecarranz@mail.sfsu.edu
The San Francisco Giants will treat SF State faculty and students to a display of the three World Series trophies Wednesday at Jack Adams Hall. The event was created by SF State’s University Advancement department and the Alumni Association, who have a close relationship with the Giants organization, according to SF State Vice President for University Advancement Robert Nava. SF State is the only university to host the trophies on the Giants tour. “We have a wonderful relationship with the San Francisco Giants,” Nava said. “We have several alumni that are executives and work in the Giants organization that have a great relationship with President Leslie Wong.” One of the SF State alumni that helped make the viewing of the World Series trophies possible was Board of Directors member for the San Francisco Giants Community Fund, John Gumas. Wong and the Chief Executive Officer for the San Francisco Giants, Larry Baer, have become close friends and were also a huge part of making the trophy display occur. The Giants were more than happy
World Series Continued ON PAGE 10 ILLUSTRATION BY JOURDON AHN / XPRESS
Global event raises hijab awareness KELLY SODERLUND kls10@mail.sfsu.edu
Muslim and non-Muslim women across the globe united Feb. 1 for the third annual World Hijab Day, an international event designed as an open invitation to don the hijab in order to dispel misconceptions surrounding the headscarf. The hijab is a traditional covering for the hair and neck that is often worn by Muslim women and is sometimes worn as a symbol of modesty, privacy and morality. The hijab is widely perceived in the Western world as a symbol of male-implemented oppression and PHOTO BY DANIEL E. PORTER/ XPRESS women who wear the hijab often face discrimination. Mina Wardak, 20, is a nursing student and officer for the Muslim TEACHING: UK exchange students Katie Harris, center and Nicholl Hardwick, left, have Maham Khan, freshman, help put on a hijab. Khan shares the uses during Student Association at SF State who said she finds the stereotype an event the Muslim Student Association put on raising awareness about the especially frustrating as a hijabi (a woman who wears the hijab). culture at the Cesar Chavez Student center Monday, Feb. 2. “The hijab does not oppress women,” Wardak said. “Rather, it liberates them. Liberates them from society’s expectations of women. women to experience the hijab for one day. Oppression is when women are solely displayed as objects of beauty “I figured the only way to end discrimination is if we ask our and not valued for their self worth, their intelligence and personality.” fellow sisters to experience hijab themselves,” said Nazma Khan on Maryam Khan, a 19-year-old SF State sophomore and fashion the event website. blogger with a large social media following, agreed. A sense of inequity is familiar to Maryam Khan, who made the “I feel like I’m more me (while wearing the hijab), more connectdecision to become hijabi after returning from a three-week pilgrimed to myself and my faith,” she said. age, or umrah, to Mecca midway through her senior year in high New York resident and social activist Nazma Khan founded World school. Hijab Day in 2013 with the purpose of fostering religious tolerance “I felt a change in how fellow students approached me,” Maryam and understanding by inviting non-hijabi Muslim and non-Muslim WORLD Continued ON PAGE 5
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University reaches out to Hunters Point residents ANGELINE UBALDO aubaldo@mail.sfsu.edu
Bayview residents voiced their support for the possible SF State Hunters Point campus extension Jan. 31 at the Bayview YMCA Community Room. SF State hosted an open forum for members of the Bayview community to discuss how neighbors can benefit from the potential campus expansion at the Hunters Point Shipyard. District 10 Supervisor Malia Cohen, SF State President Leslie E. Wong and leaders from neighborhood organizations, Quesada Gardens and Resilient Bayview, attended the meeting. “Before any determination is made about what our presence is or will be, it is critical that we understand their needs and aspirations so that whatever we do is motivated by their input,” Wong said in an e-mail. Wong announced plans to develop a campus extension at the Hunters Point Shipyard last fall. SF State officials are working closely with Lennar Urban, a development company that plans to build more than 10,000 new residences in the area, with at least 3,000 of them expected to be affordable housing, according to their website. At the meeting, University officials invited members of the community to write their ideas on a whiteboard that read “What would make SFSU a better place?” Tachelle Herron-Lane, a student of SF State’s Graduate College of Education and a long-time Bayview resident, contributed a list of suggestions, including free transportation, free 24-hour library access and set classes upon registration. “I was born and raised in Bayview,” Herron-Lane said. “It (a Hunters Point campus) would mean closer access to college for people who live here because transportation and commuting, it’s a little difficult now in the city.” The six-mile commute from the heart of the Bayview can take as much as 30 minutes by car and over an hour by public transportation, depending on starting location and traffic conditions, according to Google Maps. Prior to the meeting, University officials launched an COMMUNITY Continued ON PAGE 2
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2 News
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National survey to gauge student health AVERY PETERSON averylp@mail.sfsu.edu
The Student Health Center will invite students this month to participate in the largest health survey ever conducted at SF State. Emails directing students to the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment II will hit inboxes Feb. 9 through 20. The ACHA designed the survey to document health trends on college campuses and clarify students’ priorities regarding health. Lead Health Educator Aimee Williams is in charge of organizing the survey and said SF State currently lacks information on the health of students on campus. "SF State has not previously participated in a comprehensive health survey," Williams said in an email. "There have been some surveys given looking at alcohol and drug use, but nothing giving us a complete picture about the needs of our students." The survey covers 10 topics including demographics, sexual health, drugs, nutrition and campus climate questions for Title IX, according to Williams. Student Affairs and Student Health Services created an additional six questions to customize the survey for SF State. Health Educator Christine Morley said the survey has many
HYUNHA KIM/ XPRESS
INHALE: Mao Sugawara, an SF State cinema major, and Chiaki Miura, a UC Davis student, smoke cigarettes at the smoking area near the Towers at Centennial Square Sunday, Feb. 1.
prospective benefits. “The data will help better serve students who use the services here," Morley said. "It will allow us to tailor services to the needs of students on campus.” According to the ACHANCHA website, survey data can be used to properly allocate staffing and resources. Results can be utilized as research ma-
terial in classrooms and policy discussions. The University can also use the information to develop new programs or evaluate existing ones. More than 550 campuses and 825,000 students across the country have participated in the survey, according to the ACHA-NCHA website. Survey participation has tripled since the
development of the first NCHA in 2000, with colleges administering the test more than once. Students’ responses to the survey will not be linked to their names or email addresses. Responses are anonymized upon submission. Students who complete the survey will be entered in a chance to win one of five Trader
Joe’s gift cards valued at $20 to encourage participation, Morley said. SF State senior Simi Johl said she looks forward to the possible changes from the survey’s results. “Now they charge for STD tests,” Johl said. "I wish they were still free so more people would take them." Johl said she plans to take the survey but questions if other students will. “People are busy,” Johl said. “They get 1,000 emails a day and it's hard sitting down to take a survey.” Junior Casey Lyons said she thinks the survey will be helpful for students. “(The survey) is important to get a general sense of the needs of students here and it may help them feel more comfortable at the Health Center,” Lyons said. “Not a lot of students have health insurance so it’s a great resource for them.” While faculty at the Health Center are hopeful that students will complete the survey, participation is voluntary. "Student participating in the survey will be making a difference and shaping the future of SF State," Williams said. Sample surveys and past national results can be found online at www.achancha.org.
CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT
Community weighs in on Bayview campus online campaign on Neighborland, a digital platform for open discussion, to ask the community how SF State can help improve the neighborhood. Users responded with calls for healthier food options at the Bayview Hunters Point campus and general clean up of the area. District 10 Supervisor Malia Cohen said she was excited to watch current Bayview sixth graders begin to take college classes at the future SF State campus when they’re seniors in high school. The University will offer high school students the opportunity to take courses at the new extension and work toward their degree before graduating. “I want State here,” Cohen said. “Being able to start taking classes at SF State that would accelerate their ability to get their four-year degree in three years, which would of course be a huge cost-saver for families.”
SF State senior Anthony Amaro works at the 100 Percent College Prep Institute in the Bayview neighborhood. The organization provides students in low-income communities with the programs they need to graduate high school and get ready for college. “I think a Bayview campus is necessary,” Amaro said. “The youth that I work with are interested.” Amaro suggested the possibility of an ethnic recruitment and retention center would be valuable to the future Bayview campus. “We can provide statistics with not only how well we are recruiting students, but also how we would retain students for a long-standing education,” Amaro said. “I feel that would be extremely beneficial and you could really sell that to a student, saying ‘not only will you be able to get in, you will be able to stay.’”
ANGELICA EKEKE / XPRESS
PRESENTATION: SF State President Leslie E. Wong addresses a group of community members, faculty and students about the Hunters Point Campus extension at the Bayview YMCA Saturday, Jan. 31.
Wong and Cohen continuously stressed the role and importance of community input in developing the project throughout the meeting. “Our soul, our DNA, lives and breathes
in the community,” Wong said after the meeting. “Everyone in this room has some connection to SF State. We’re sitting on top of a volcano of energy and activity.”
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NEWS 3
Center named to honor student’s legacy STEPHEN BENOIT scbenoit@mail.sfsu.edu
SF State Metro Academies Initiative dedicated their student resource center Feb. 3 in honor of an alumnus of the program who was killed last fall. The Mark Madden Student Resource Center, located in HSS Room 247, was renamed after an SF State student who was shot and killed in East Palo Alto Oct 3. Madden utilized and later worked as a math and writing tutor at Metro Academies, an academic success program on campus. “He wanted to be a doctor, but he started having some trouble with difficult classes, so I told him to look for tutoring,” Madden’s mother Margo Holley said. “I really feel like the Metro program helped him get focused. He had a plan, he knew what schools he wanted to go to and when.” Students, staff and family members came together for the opening ceremony to celebrate the life of their friend and peer. Holley said the event would have been right up her son’s alley. “My son lives on in this community.” Holley said. The center provides support for underrepresented, low-income and first-generation college students of the SF State Metro Academies Initiative. The program is for first- and second-year students and typically
MARLENE SANCHEZ/ XPRESS
EMOTIONAL: Mark Madden’s mother, Margo Holley, speaks to a group of students, friends and family introducing the new Metro Academies Initiative’s facility room, also named the Mark Madden Resource Center in the HSS building at SF State Tuesday, Feb. 3.
tutors between 10 and 20 students at a time during peak hours. Metro Academies serves more than 800 students, 500 of which are first-year students and plans to expand enrollment next year, according to Rama Ali Kased, project manager for Metro Health Academy at SF State. Students in the program are encouraged to drop in any time they need help. The academy tutors students in science subjects, math and English, according to Arianna Wood, a new tutor in the program. “(We) help them make sure they stay on the right path in terms of their GPA,” Wood said. Kased said the program discovered it was getting a new resource center during Madden’s last semester at the University. Madden was a sophomore majoring in biology at the time he was killed and was remembered as an active member of his church. “Mark was part of the process of planning what the resource center would look like, and tragically we lost him,” Kased said. “We wanted to continue remembering him, and how much he cared about tutoring students, and how it was a passion for him to increase the persistence, retention rates and success rates of low income, underrepresented students.”
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FEBRUARY 4, 2015
4 LIFESTYLE & CULTURE
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SF State alumna pursues artistic talent
rate a lot of things I was raised with.” While Fanucci made waves in the art world for her unique style of cityscapes, her and her husband RobLayla Fanucci stood on the foot of ert, began their own label at a famiher couch contemplating the big, blank ly-owned winery in their hometown. space that resided on her living room Charter Oak wine celebrated its 18th wall. The inability to find an art piece birthday last year and are distinguished lively enough to fill the space is what for their traditional wine press and their led the former music teacher to quit chemical and sugar-free red wines. teaching music after 25 years and pick Fanucci is grateful for her ability to up a paint brush. make a living based on her background The yearning to fill a void on the in music, her passion for art and her living room wall turned into a lucrahusband’s 100-year-old family history tive and fulfilling business for the SF of winemaking, without having to comState alumna. Fanucci has sold almost promise what she knows or loves. 300 works of art and has featured her “There has never been a day, in all pieces in exhibits from New York to these years, where I’ve woken up and Morocco. said ‘oh, I have to paint today’ and “She is fearless and has taught me it that’s a real passion,” Fanucci said. is never too late to follow your heart,” In 2006, Fanucci and her husband said Nicole Fanucci, Layla’s daughter. created a symbiotic blend of both their After creating and displaying her passions: their boutique winery comfirst work of art, Fanucci’s friends bined with Layla’s artwork displayed and family began to make their on select bottles. own personal requests for the musi“The wine complements the art, the cian-turned-artist. MARTIN BUSTAMANTE / XPRESS art complements the wine,” Fanucci “That’s how I started," Fanucci PAINTED-CITY: Layla Fanucci displays the scale of her latest room-sized painting at her home in St. Helena said. “When we did the merger (of both) said." People asked me to paint for them Saturday, Jan. 29. that’s when Charter Oak took off.” and the rest is history." After showing her pieces to an art conWhat sets Fanucci’s work apart from For Fanucci, it doesn’t matter if she is From there, the artist came to a crosssultant in New York and finding her niche the rest is the depth of layers that are teaching music to young children, selling roads between her two passions – art and in the art world, Fanucci was making present in her pieces. The artist sometimes paintings for $100,000 a piece or spending music. Even though her husband suggestmore in those two years than she would layers as many as three different city the day picking the finest grapes in their ed doing each part time, Fanucci knew have had made in 17 years of teaching landscapes on top of one another, creating field. that if she wanted to earnestly pursue a music at a local Catholic school in Napa a completely different image with a hint “When I look back at my life, I don’t career in art, she had to give it her all. Valley. of each city’s architecture peeking through look at it like I’ve been painting 18 years “I had to build a body of work so I At her first exhibit in New York, which the final work. and music 25 years," Fanucci said. "I look said to my husband that I have to quit Fanucci was told was a ‘make it or break “I love cities,” Fanucci said when at it like I just changed mediums. I look teaching even though we have two kids in it’ for her art career, the international artist asked about the inspiration behind the city at my life as just creating, that’s what I do college,” Fanucci said. “I told him 'give sold nine out of the 16 pieces on display landscapes. “My father and grandfather and I think that’s what artists love. They me two years, if I don’t make as much as I that day. were architects and I think cities incorpolove to create, it doesn’t matter what.” did teaching, I’ll go back.'” FARNOUSH AMIRI famiri@mail.sfsu.edu
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HIJAB TUTORIAL
LIFESTYLE & CULTURE 5
STORY & PHOTOS BY KELLY SODERLUND
1
Start by securing your hair in a bun at the back of your head. Place the scarf over your head and in front of your shoulders, so that one end of the scarf is shorter than the other.
2 Taking a “no-snag” safety pin (available at any drugstore), pin scarf under the chin according to desired fit.
3 Taking the shorter end, bring scarf back over the shoulder and wrap over your head, resting the end on top of your head.
CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT
World Hijab Day encourages cultural understanding Khan said. “There was more avoidance, not as much joking and playing around. People were afraid to ask about it.” Wardak, on the other hand, is often asked why she started wearing the hijab at such a young age. “When I was in the third grade a classmate asked if I was Mexican,” Wardak said. “I remember completely ignoring him and walking away confused. The next morning, before heading out to school, I went to my mom’s room and grabbed one of her hijabs and put it on. When I got to school the first thing I did was approach that same kid and told him as I was pointing at my hijab, ‘I’m Muslim!’” Wardak has continued to wear the hijab ever since. Organized through social networking sites and often manifesting in localized events, the World Hijab Day website said the event has garnered interest from Muslims and non-Muslims in more than 120 countries. The movement said it hoped to draw 10 million participants in this year’s event. The Bay Area World Hijab Day met Sunday at Lake Elizabeth in Fremont for a potluck lunch and festivities. The Muslim Student Association will hold its own Wear the Hijab Day at the Cesar Chavez Student Center Monday. “It’s a great initiative to bring people from all over the world, whether they are Muslim or not, to participate in bringing awareness to the hijab,” Wardak said.
4 Take the inside edge of the longer side and wrap around your head in the same direction of the previous step, placing the hem a few inches behind your original scarf placement.
5 Take a push pin and carefully secure the scarf by weaving the pin in, out, and then in again between the scarf layers, so that the sharp end of the pin rests neither on the skin nor the top, external layer of the hijab.
6 Your hijab is now secured in place.
6 SPOTLIGHT
FEBRUARY 4, 2015
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Sculptures: (Clockwise from the top) Ceramics student G. V. Kelley begins the process of hollowing out the foot of their most recent sculpture, a fox-headed deity, in the back of the ceramics department Tuesday, Dec. 5. Kelley sculpts the body of the fox-headed deity piece Friday, Dec. 5. A recent piece, entitled Interlacing, by Kelley. Their most recent body of work has focused on using animal like deities to explore topics such as gender expectations, codependency, and femininity Friday, Dec. 12. Kelley begins the process of separating the toes on the foot of their most recent sculpture, Friday, Dec. 5.
Ceramics student conveys identity through sculptures PHOTOS BY HELEN TINNA
STORY BY CALLA CAMERO ccamero@mail.sfsu.edu
G.V. Kelley, 28, is an SF State post-baccalaureate student with an undergraduate degree in ceramics sculpture. Kelley started doing ceramics sculpture after graduating from high school, but has been sculpting and building things throughout Kelley’s whole life. “As a kid I kind of had a wild imagination and wanted to physically see the things I would imagine in my head,” Kelley said. “I also really found most toys really disappointing, and I wanted to make ones that I like, that suited my desires and needs as a child.” While Kelley’s art is an avenue for Kelley’s instinctive imagination, it also serves as an outlet. Kelley identifies as a gender non-binary, which is a gender identity that doesn’t fit within the accepted binary of male or female. People can feel they are both
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male and female, neither or a mix of the two. Instead of being referred to as “he” or “she,” non-binary persons prefer to be referred to as “they.” “It’s been a source of struggle for me for a long time,” Kelley said. “It’s a difficult thing to explain so I don’t really talk about it with people who, you know, who I don’t think are going to understand.” Kelley’s art is primarily figurative, much of which takes the form of human bodies with animal heads. Kelley explained that they like to anthropomorphize parts of animals and conjoin them with human bodies and forms. “I don’t see a line between humans and animals because humans are animals,” Kelley said. “I want to emphasize that.” Kelley said through art they hope to invoke a sense of validation in people. They ultimately want people to see their artwork and feel better about who they are. If people can’t identify with the sculptures, Kelley wants to at least provoke thought. “Either it’s beautiful or you know, this is a complex facet of humanity,” Kelley said. “Either way, I just want people to accept it for what it is.”
FEBRUARY 4, 2015
8 OPINION
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STAFF EDITORIAL
Credibility triumphs click-baiting The only thing truly predictable in journalism is the unpredictable. Sure, news is going to happen all day every day, but trying to determine which stories will make the most impact often requires a sixth sense—or just the right amount of influence to create your own buzz. Within the last 20 years, traditional journalism has faced opposition during a time when inquiring minds demand expedience over accuracy. The rise of Internet publication has turned news gathering and reporting into a race to see “who told it first?” instead of “who told it best?” Many journalists are left questioning their own ethics. The online news organization BuzzFeed, who began generating influential content almost a decade ago, has found success in catering to the interests of a generation tired of the humdrum of traditional subject-verb-object journalism. Numbered lists detailing things like the “Top 10 Cutest Pet Costumes” or “25 Ways Your Favorite Actor Actually Sucks” draw in increased Web readership that readers will talk about around the company water cooler for weeks. Meanwhile, political conflict or economic collapse continues to surge in other parts of the world, but at least everyone at work will be up-to-date on who wore it best on the red carpet. Blog media network Gawker has gained notoriety in a similar fashion, combining web-sourced content like celebrity gossip
Traditional journalism and internet publications are in a race to see "who told it first?" instead of "who told it best?" and opinion-based reviews about the latest and greatest consumer products and gadgets. Like BuzzFeed, Gawker’s publication model has historically seemed to be more about quantity versus quality. As traditional news organizations continue to dwindle in staff members, aspiring journalists are grasping at job opportunities, even if it means compromising the ideals and ethics that have defined news writing for so many generations. Several of these influential, news-generating companies have recently shifted their business practices, introducing content they say holds up in the world of serious journalism. But is it too late for them to garner a serious readership? Certainly it isn’t difficult to see how reading about terrorism in Europe might not hold as much credibility when the story published next to it surveys the average penis size in every country. Yet we continue to nurture these companies, sharing content at the click of a button and spreading news—fact or fiction—faster
than a drug-resistant virus. The journalist’s biggest challenge in today’s world of instant gratification is to tell his or her story in the most captivating and memorable way. Choosing effective words is more than just skilled sentence structure—a poorly written headline or misspelled name could inflict irreparable damage on the reputation of a writer and the news outlet as a whole. There is an incredible social impact to publishing content that leaves a lasting impression on society. Sure, there is a financially measurable desire for stories that pertain to topics unaffiliated with politics or economy or war, but at some point we need to acknowledge and distinguish reality from farce and hold each journalist, and the organizations paying the bills, accountable for the content published. In the quest for truth, we must remind ourselves of our motivation and our responsibility for documenting history. We can take the easy path by clicking “share” and promoting the next viral meme, or we can choose the high road, verifying our sources and fact-checking the story. One hundred years from now, it will be far more admirable to be known as the journalist who interviewed the top diplomats of the world instead of the journalist who blogged the top Instagram photos of the week.
Timely scandals build Super Bowl hype
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elf-deprecation as a source of comedy has been the basis of many of the most acclaimed acts and shows of all time. The “look at how internally corrupt I am” schtick has given the entertainment world some of its best characters, from Seinfeld's George Costanza to comedian Louis C.K. In the weeks leading up to Super Bowl XLIX, a new contender emerged in the pursuit of garnering attention at the expense of its own moral reputation: the symbiotic tandem of the NFL and major sports media. While watching the NFL transcend an "any press is good press" attitude and actively seek out negative attention was somewhat entertaining, the lack of attention to the actual game was thoroughly disheartening. Fans nationwide were enthralled as they watched the lovable Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch smirk at huffy NFL officials as they fined him for his gold-pleated cleats, or fumed at his refusal to answer questions on Media Day. Brandon Browner, a Seahawks-to-Patriots off-season transplant, publicly encouraged his new teammates to attack the existing injuries of players on his old team. ESPN later released stories claiming that partially-injured Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman texted his old friend “LOL” in response. Does this competitiveness retain the integrity of football or is the NFL not adequately concerned about their player's safety? The NFL would hope that many were concerned enough to tune in on Sunday. Most prominently, viewers were treated to Deflategate, a scandal backed by the notion that the Patriots got away with cheating thanks to dinner dates between the team's
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owner Robert Kraft and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Business Insider even reported that the unnamed ball boy who deflated game balls to better fit into Tom Brady’s hands was a “person of interest” in the NFL’s investigation. All of these Super Bowl plotlines are currently among the most searched football-related topics, according to Google Trends. It seems desperate to conjure a mental image of a greedy businessman tapping his fingers together in a mansion surrounded by stacks of cash, while laughing gleefully about the millions he is making at the expense of the players. Everybody loves a villain, and the NFL is happy to give one. This tactic is viable from a ratings standpoint, as controversy clearly catalyzes interest. As much as I, a lifelong fan of the NFL, would have loved to see in-depth coverage of why the most prolific offensive team of the past decade and a half was or was not prepared to prevent Seattle, a defensive powerhouse, from consecutive championships, I am not among the target audience in marketing "the greatest show on Earth." When it comes to the Super Bowl, I would watch a Rams-Seahawks matchup played in an
exact replica of Candlestick Park erected in downtown San Jose. I need no convincing, and will apparently watch this game despite the NFL's best attempts to keep me disinterested. The X’s and O’s have never really been sexy enough to ensure that every casual fan is going to set aside Feb. 1 for the sole purpose of a single football game, but this year’s media storylines were more controversial and anti-NFL than any since 2007, the last time the Patriots were accused of cheating en route to the Super Bowl. At the unfortunate expense of fans who had no choice but to salivate at a juicy Super Bowl matchup all on their own, the drummed-up turmoil was successful in filling thousands of otherwise empty living rooms. Hopefully next year the top stories will pertain to the players and strategies on the field, but as long as the casual fan continues to consume the NFL's desperate cries for attention, I think I'll just tune out from ESPN for a couple of weeks.
ILLUSTRATION BY KATRINA ANDAYA / XPRESS
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OPINION 9
E-cigs and vape pens need stricter regulations NICOLE PARADISE nparadis@mail.sfsu.edu
Cigarette smoking is known to be an extreme health hazard, yet people still continue to do it. Some may believe that switching over to electronic cigarettes to cut back from the traditional tobacco stick is a healthy choice, but that idea is becoming known by health experts to be false. Despite the growing popularity of e-cigarettes and battery-powered vaporizer pens, users are now restricted as to where they can smoke them. San Francisco adopted a policy limiting e-cigarette
use to primarily outdoor areas away from building windows or entrances in April 2014, according to the San Francisco Tobacco Free Project’s website. While the policy is a step in the right direction, there needs to be more regulations and education about electronic cigarettes and vaporizer pens so people are aware of the negative health effects and danger they are putting their bodies through. E-cigs and vape pens are fairly new to the scene as of 2008. The Food and Drug Administration and the American Cancer Society are still unsure of the effects it
HYUNHA KIM/ XPRESS
CLOUD: Adam Matthews, SF State Psychology major, uses an electronic cigarette at the smoking area near J. Paul Leonard Library Sunday, Feb. 1.
has on a user’s health because of the lack of research. What the FDA is certain of is that these pens contain toxic chemicals that should not be inhaled. A report by the California Department of Public Health found that liquid used for electronic cigarettes contain at least 10 chemicals known to cause cancer. It should be obvious nothing good is coming from smoking them just from looking at the unattractive goo in the transparent glass of vaporizers. Many users believe that e-cigs are less harmful because they don’t contain tar or odor, nor produce smoke like regular cigarettes, but what they do contain is nicotine, which is extremely addicting. Although their scent isn’t as bothersome as regular cigarettes, it’s hard enough walking through campus without passing by a cloud of cigarette smoke or vapor, even though it is not permitted. Students continue to use vaporizers and e-cigs in the classroom, hallway and buses instead of the designated smoking areas because users believe they can smoke wherever they want as long as they aren’t lighting up traditional cigarettes, according to SF State’s Residential Life. Other cities in the state are on track to creating a healthier environment for people. Richmond and Petaluma have recently passed a ban similar to San Francisco on the use of e-cigarettes in enclosed public places. State Senator Mark Leno of San Francisco introduced a California bill on Jan. 26 that targets the popular pens. The state bill would ban the smoking devices in the same places that traditional cigarettes are banned from.
In addition to the health hazards the smoking tool has on our bodies, e-cigs and vape pens lure in younger generations by adding desirable flavors such as chocolate milk, watermelon and bubble gum. What teens may not know is the smoking pens produce high levels of formaldehyde-releasing chemicals at high voltages, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last month. These are the same chemicals that are used to preserve cats for dissection in high school anatomy. The results of these studies indicate that the state should be putting stricter regulations on e-cigarettes and vaporizers. It is not right to sell unregulated, formaldehyde-releasing chemicals to people and make it seem okay just because it’s trending. Many e-cig or vape users are usually former smokers looking for a healthier way to feed their habit without quitting cold turkey. What ever happened to nicotine patches or gum that helps quit smoking? Smoking something in a different way or using a new device isn’t going to help addicts quit. It is just one bad habit replacing another. It seems like we just got to a place where cigarettes have become less popular, but now that the newest fad has reached younger generations, who knows when there will be an end to the irresponsible habit. Like traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes should be heavily restricted in all public places throughout the state to protect everyone’s health. Unfortunately, e-cigarettes are beginning to make smoking popular again and making people ignore the importance of their health.
FEBRUARY 4, 2015
10 SPORTS
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GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
PHOTO BY EMMA CHIANG/ XPRESS
LEADER: SF States’ second women’s soccer coach, Tracy Hamm, takes a moment during practice for a photo with her team at Cox Stadium on Monday, Feb. 2. Hamm used to coach the Santa Rosa Junior College and led them to 2012 Big 8 conference and multiple playoffs.
New coach brings competitive spirit ELIZABETH CARRANZA ecarranz@mail.sfsu.edu
A new head coach for the women’s soccer team with a commitment to student athletes’ success will offer the team a fresh face after 33 years. SF State announced Tracy Hamm as the new women’s soccer head coach over the winter break following the retirement of former head coach Jack Hyde. Hyde coached the team since its beginning in 1982. Hamm comes to SF State from Santa Rosa Junior College where she coached for three years and ended with a 43-16-5 overall record. Hamm is the third new coach hired under the leadership of SF State’s Athletic Director Charles Guthrie, who was appointed in July of last year. The process of selecting the right candidate for the coaching position was extensive, Guthrie said. He said with the help of his committee and the input from student athletes, he knew he would find the perfect person. “We had over 200 applicants,” Guthrie said. “We brought four candidates to the campus, and Tracy stood out.” During her time at SRJC, Hamm’s overall record and the relationships she built with the players were a factor that made her stand out from other candidates. Hamm took the SRJC’s Bear Cubs to the 2012 Big 8
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Conference and made multiple playoff appearances. Even with her success at SRJC, Hamm said helping the women succeed off the field brought her the most joy. “I think coaching at a junior college really just highlights how grateful you should be for any opportunity,” Hamm said. “The soccer part is just, in my eyes, a smaller part of it. It’s really about helping them learn self empowerment and confidence.” Hamm received a soccer scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley after high school. During her time as a Bear, she was the team captain for the soccer team and coached for youth soccer camps in the summer while balancing school. After graduating from Cal, Hamm was drafted into the Women’s Professional Soccer League and played for the Atlanta Beats for a year before calling it quits due to injuries. “It was fun traveling and playing with the best players in the world,” Hamm said. “There’s just not a lot of money in it, there’s not a lot of stability in it. You’re just taking a gamble, but that’s the thing, no one is there for money. It’s really just because you love the sport and you want to play.” Besides her tremendous success on the field, Hamm’s ability to motivate student athletes off the field and push them to succeed academically is what set her apart from the other 200 applicants. In her second year at SRJC, Hamm had 11 of 13 sophomores on the team transfer to a four-year university to play soccer and advance in their academics. “I really wanted to lead women and just really help them achieve what they wanted to do,” Hamm said. “A lot of them didn’t have an intention to go to a four-year school after they were done playing. Almost all of them changed their mind and they’re all getting educations paid for. That was really exciting for me.”
SF State encourages student athletes to focus on being students first and being athletes second, Guthrie said. Guthrie said he knew Hamm would be the perfect candidate to help emphasize academic success within the Gator athletics department because of her motivation and success as an Academic All-American during her time in Cal. “She was an Academic All-American and the academic component is very important to what we do here,” Guthrie said. “We want student athletes that participate to know, student first then athlete second.” The Gators have come close to advancing into the playoffs multiple times but are crushed at the end of the season with back-to-back losses. The team ended last season with a 7-9-2 overall record and had a 2-8-1 record against California Collegiate Athletics Association opponents. Gators’ forward Alex Palomino believes Hamm will help change the team’s playoff opportunities and really help the team become better. “She’s familiar to the league, she’s young and she has a positive attitude,” Palomino said. “I’m excited, it’s going to be a new year and new change. We’re just looking forward to it.” Now as the second head coach in the 33 years of women’s soccer at SF State, Hamm hopes her experiences and knowledge can help the Gators reach the NCAA Division II National Championship. But most importantly, she wants the Gators to do well in all aspects off the field. “My goal is to in the first few months change the mentality to a competitive environment and really establish a winning mentality,” Hamm said. “I want to give them confidence and realign their commitment and dedication of being a Gator.”
CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT
World Series trophies make stop at SF State ELIZABETH CARRANZA ecarranz@mail.sfsu.edu
to share their success with the SF State community, Gumas said. “President Wong and Larry Baer created a good relationship,” Gumas said. “That’s how it really started. The Giants are good at sharing success with the community and it only felt logical to bring the
trophies to San Francisco State.” According to Gumas, the Giants funded the trophies’ visit to campus regardless of the various security and vandalism risks. The campus will provide security for the trophies and will require strict line rules for those baseball fanatics attending the event. The University announced the 114th Commencement ceremony would take place at AT&T Park earlier this month. This is the first time the ballpark will host any
type of commencement. “I think it’s cool that they’re bringing the trophies on campus,” SF State accounting major Cassandra Amort said. “The school is holding the graduation ceremony there this year so it’s a great way to create goodwill and establish a long-term relationship.” The World Series trophies will be available for viewing from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Jack Adams Hall. All SF State fac-
ulty and students will have the opportunity to view and have a picture taken with the trophies. There will be restrictions on how many individuals can enter the hall within an hour, and individuals attending the event will not be allowed to line up before the event time. “It’s not a normal stop on the Giants tour,” Gumas said. “It is a phenomenal opportunity for students and faculty.”