press GOLDEN GATE
February 11, 2015 ISSUE 03 VOLUME C GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
LANDON TAM / SPECIAL TO XPRESS
FATKINI: Virgie Tovar stands poolside at Runnymed Farm in Woodside, Calif., Friday, June 21, 2013.
Alum flaunts confident body image AVERY PETERSON averylp@mail.sfsu.edu
In a society captivated with dieting and waist size, one SF State alumna fights back. Virgie Tovar is a self-declared fat activist, body image expert, sexologist and author whose
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MELISSA MINTON / XPRESS
INVISIBLE: Students walk between the Student Health Center and Burk Hall Monday, Feb. 9, the location where a sexual assault was reported Thursday, Feb. 5.
My goal is to eradicate diet culture because I’m done watching people give their lives away one bite at at time.
Attacked on campus
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-Virgie Tovar
promotion of fat acceptance and self-love has received significant attention from the mainstream media. “My goal is to eradicate diet culture because I’m done watching people give their lives away one bite at a time,” Tovar said. “Many people realize too late that no amount of weight loss or body-alterations actually free us from that ‘I’m never good enough’ mentality.” Tovar is one of the many speakers participating at Love
Alumna Continued ON PAGE 3
TIMOTHY SMITH
tsmith@mail.sfsu.edu
n unknown subject allegedly groped a female’s breasts and groin and threatened her with a sharp object on campus Thursday morning, according to a report by University officials. The University Police Department received reports just before 1 a.m. of a suspect who pulled a female victim into the bushes outside Burk Hall. The assault continued until the victim cried out and the suspect fled, according to Title IX Coordinator and VP of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Luoluo Hong. “At this time, we’re trying to balance sharing information with the community
A reported late-night Sexual battery last week brings into question safety for students at sf state and protecting the privacy of the victim, so at this point we’re going to stick with the Clery alert,” Hong said. The incident was not the first to be reported to Hong’s office this semester, but she could not provide specific figures due to Title IX policy, she said. Some students said they questioned their safety on campus following the sexual battery incident last week. Daniela Funes, a student in the pre-nurs-
ing program, was mugged on Font Boulevard in Parkmerced last year the night after the Giants won the World Series. Funes said her attacker shoved her to the ground and took off with her bag before she realized what was happening. “I started crying,” Funes said. “I thought ‘I don’t know what to do right now.’ I felt really vulnerable.” Since the attack, Funes said she has requested the escort service Campus Alliance for a Risk-free Environment every time she is on campus late at night. “My only message is be more conscious about your surroundings because you never know when things like that are going to happen,” Funes said. “The University is not going to be there immediately.”
STUDENTS Continued ON PAGE 2
Former students lose out on University housing PRISCILLA SALAHUDDIN prodarte@mail.sfsu.edu
DRAKE NEWKIRK / XPRESS
CHANGE: Jesse Garcia is one of the students who will be forced to move out of his University Park North apartment under the new system Monday, Feb. 9.
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After living in University Park North for two years, SF State student Jesse Garcia has established himself socially and professionally and considers the area his home, but as a soonto-be graduate, he fears his residency is threatened by a recent change in housing policy. In a series of meetings beginning Feb. 4, residents of UPN and University Park South learned that students will not be permitted to live in their apartments once they graduate. According to Student Housing Program Director Philippe Cumia, these changes are an effort to provide more housing for students and will take effect once the residents’ leases expire. “Not only do you have to worry about graduating but you have to find a place lined up immediately after you graduate,” Garcia said.
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Before the policy change, lease applications were available for students, staff and alumni. The new application leaves out the alumni option and now offers options for students, staff and those “not affiliated with the school”. University Property Management presented residents with two programs, one that makes a sole occupant the primary leaseholder and another that grants each resident an individual lease, called the bed space program. The primary licensee program delegates responsibility for all financial obligations to a single resident. Individual leases don’t allow residents to choose their roommates and is the more expensive option. The individual leases are limited, so UPM will enter applicants in a lottery system to determine who earns residency.
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2 News New policy to force out off-campus residents Continued from the front Garcia is concerned with the primary licensee program because it leaves only one tenant in charge of finances, which he said can cause tension between housemates. Balerio Reyes, Garcia’s roommate, planned on staying in UPN after he graduated. He hoped to take advantage of the cheap rent that UPN has to offer, but said he will have to change plans after hearing UPM’s announcements. “When I moved in about three years ago the apartment was under contract since 2010,” Reyes said. “My roommates have since then moved out and I stayed. That’s when I was like I’ll stay here when I graduate and take advantage of the cheap rent.” Residents like Reyes are not positive that they will be able to find alternative living options as affordable as UPN and UPS. “December is typically when I renew my lease and that’s when I saw that ‘alumni’ was no longer an option on the leasing application,” SF State alumnus Brandon Lee
Buchanan said. “I asked why and they said I wouldn’t be able to return at the end of my lease.” Buchanan said he was frustrated but not surprised by the changes in housing. He said that before he learned of the new policy he was hoping to stay in UPN for at least another year. Cumia said that beginning in the fall there will be more bed space units added as well as a graduate floor in UPN that will provide programs for those having trouble finding new places to live. Residents have until Feb. 16 to decide if they want to apply for an individual or primary lease. In order to maintain University housing, undergrads will need to be enrolled in at least 12 units while graduate students must be taking at least nine. “I’m considering bed space because I might be able to get my own room for a cheaper amount,” said UPN resident Devika Botejue. “But it’s still the lottery system so there’s the risk of not having a house.”
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$16,200
$27,600
RENT FOR 1 BEDROOM IN UPS
RENT FOR 2 BEDROOM IN UPN
SF STATE PROVIDES HOUSING FOR MORE THAN
24 ACRES
2,500
MAKE UP UPN
STUDENTS
15,000
RESIDENTS
IN UPN & UPS
ILLUSTRATION BY KATRINA ANDAYA / XPRESS
Students respond to reported sexual battery incident Continued from the front
ILLUSTRATION BY JOURDON AHN / XPRESS
Despite the presence of services like CARE, some students are not aware of the resources available to them and many choose to travel alone on campus at night out of necessity. Sophomore Kadiedra Crawford said she didn’t know SF State had an escort program. “Maybe that’s something they should make more known,” Crawford said. More frequent UPD patrols and better lighting were some ways the area could be made safer, Crawford said. Design and industry student Kristina Ackerman had class in the Burk Hall Thursday night that ended around 10 p.m. Ackerman said she did not know if she felt safe on campus following the reported sexual assault. Requests to speak with UPD regarding the sexual battery were redirected to the Title IX office in compliance with University procedure. Hong said UPD will step up patrols in the area, but did not specify
how frequently they patrolled that corridor during weekday nights. “The first thing I want to clarify is nobody can prevent an act of violence other than the perpetrator intent on committing the act,” Hong said. The Title IX office is required to report instances of sexual violence on campus and within the UPD’s jurisdiction. The University also offers confidential support through the Sexual Abuse-Free Environment Place, a part of the of SF State’s Counseling and Psychological Services Center. SAFE Place Program Coordinator Laurene Dominguez said that many students choose never to report instances of sexual violence against them. “Not everyone wants to report and I really respect that,” Dominguez said. “If they’re not going to report, I want to make sure they’re safe, and all the other stuff is taken care of in terms of their health. It’s important that people have the right to decide what they want to do, even if friends and everybody is telling them to report.”
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NEWS 3
Protesters pressure governor to end fracking ANGELINE UBALDO aubaldo@mail.sfsu.edu
An organized Demonstration Staged in oakland to hold jerry brown Accountable to HIs promise to fight climate change Blue and yellow flags colored the streets as thousands of people swarmed through downtown Oakland Feb. 7 to demand the end of structural fracturing, otherwise known as fracking, in California. The March for Real Climate Leadership, organized by a broad coalition of groups around the state, called on Gov. Jerry Brown to be a climate leader and impose a ban on fracking. Marchers insisted on real action from Brown following his inauguration speech Jan. 5, where he vowed to fight climate change. “Claiming that you’re a climate leader while also fracking is like saying you’re trying to save money while you’re in a Louis Vuitton,” said Linda Capato Jr., fracking campaign coordinator of 350.org. “We’re here to make sure that Brown understands that while we continue to frack and expand extraction for oil and gas in this state, he will no longer be known as climate leader.” Fracking is a method in which water, chemicals and sand are injected into geological formations to allow oil and gas resources to be extracted, according to Ja-
son Gurdak, an assistant professor in SF State’s department of earth and climate sciences. “There are many concerns about fracking,” Gurdak said. “The gist of it is we use a lot of water in the fracking process and there’s a lot of potential contaminants that are used. Although they’re used in areas we don’t really use for water resources, they can get up into the water, cause environmental damage and potential health effects for humans.” Several SF State environmental groups organized a contingent of students to storm the march together including Jason Schwartz of Fossil Free SFSU, an organization that pushes the university foundation to sell off investments in fossil fuel companies. “The reason that I organize is to effect change to stop the trend over the last 40 years favoring profit over people,” Schwartz said. “As a student here, I can make the most impact in making the changes I want to make.” According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency website, the EPA is conducting a study to better understand the potential effects fracking has on drinking water. There are several sites all over California where unconventional oil development, including fracking, take place, according to CA Frack Facts. Central California’s Kern County, which encompasses Bakersfield, has more than 42,000 active wells and produced 72 percent of California’s oil in 2012. Sofia Parino, senior attorney at the
HELEN TINNA / XPRESS
PEDAL POWER: Cyclists ride stationary bikes to power the stage’s sound system during a protest against fracking in California during the Climate Change march in Oakland Saturday, Feb. 7.
Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment in Oakland, said that the proximity of the fracking sites are detrimental to Kern Country residents. “These fracking sites are literally next door to houses and schools,” Parino said. “The people in Kern are concerned about their health, the air pollution and the water pollution.” Parino said that her group works closely with Kern County neighbors and local electives to help them understand what
fracking is. Students from around California, like Tenley Lillegard from Cosumnes River College, came out to the march to show support. “I am very, very, very against fracking, it’s a very risky thing to do,” Lillegard said. “Right now, we’re in college and it seems like we can’t do much but our voices matter and we are the generation that’s going to be ruling the world someday so we need to start acting now.”
Alumna inspires students to lose hate not weight
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Continued from the front Your Body Week, which begins at SF State Feb. 13. The two part event about positive body image is hosted by Active Minds, a student group raising awareness about mental health. As an alumna of SF State, Tovar comprehends the pressures college students face. She identifies with the stressors in college that include performing in academics, preserving relationships and managing a budget. “On top of that you’re also dealing with the cultural obsession with weight loss and the ‘perfect’ body,” Tovar said. “This message is targeted at people who are in the age group of most students at State.” The National Eating Disorder Association reports that 10 to 20 percent of women and 4 to 10 percent of men in college in the United States suffer from an eating disorder. Twenty-four million people in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, but only 1 in 10 people receive treatment, according to the National Association on Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders website. Tovar was not always as confident and outspoken on the issues she now proudly promotes. Like many young women, Tovar said she has struggled with body image and said she believed her life would not start until she became thin. “I would fall in love, wear cute clothes, feel beautiful, wear red lipstick, travel, enjoy cake, smile in pictures later,” Tovar said. “I would love myself later. I lived a very long time with the belief that my body was my enemy and my greatest failure.” In 2007, Tovar wrote her first essay
I felt like I had entered this secret society of amazingly bold and hot fat babes who were revolutionizing the world.
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-Virgie Tovar
SIRIUS BONNER / SPECIAL TO XPRESS
Body image: Virgie Tovar takes a photo with the “Pig Out” sign at the restaurant Lardo in Portland, Oregon Saturday, July, 20, 2013.
about her body titled “Fatties of the World Unite.” When she published it online she said it resonated with readers. She reached a turning point in 2010, when she was first introduced to the fat acceptance movement through her graduate studies at SF State. “I felt like I had entered this secret society of amazingly bold and hot fat babes who were revolutionizing the world,” Tovar said. “I grew up being taught that my life as a fat girl was going to be pretty limited.” Love Your Body Part I was devel-
oped by health educator Ingrid Ochoa and focuses on sexual health while Part II, created by clinical counselor Yolanda Gamboa, centers on eating disorders and body acceptance. The first part of the event includes tabling by Peer Educators Advocating Campus Health. PEACH members Mikaela Amble and Dailly Mack said they tried to make the event open and welcoming for students. “We want people to be able to relate to it,” Amble said. “Some people aren’t really sure what their gender qualifies as
or where they belong so we try to make it so they find at least one thing they can relate to when they talk to us or come play games with us.” Part II begins Feb. 23 and coincides with National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. The nationwide week-long event will center around the theme of “I Had No Idea,” and will focus on the significance of early intervention and the unique experiences of each individual, according to the National Eating Disorder Information Center’s website. Scheduled activities for Love Your Body include tabling and four workshops including ‘Let’s Talk: About Beyonce and Body Image,’ ‘Body Positive Workshop’ and the highly regarded ‘Alter Ken and Barbie on the Plaza.’ Love Your Body Part II will wrap up with Tovar’s workshop on Feb. 26. Tovar described the event as “an amazing tourde-force” that will feature student discussions, writing activities and readings from her book “Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love & Fashion.” “It’s going to be deep, fun, potentially awkward, but ultimately super provocative and educational,” Tovar said. “I want students to begin to really critically analyze diet culture and the way that it touches their lives. I want students to leave empowered to tell their own stories.”
4 LIFESTYLE & CULTURE
FEBRUARY 11, 2015
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BEER FLIGHT: Bartender
Sean Halpin of Social Kitchen & Brewery serves drinks during their Barrel Aged Beer night for SF Beerweek Monday, Feb. 9. ZHENYA SOKOLOVA / XPRESS
SF Beer Week offers more than brews KELLY SODERLUND kls10@mail.sfsu.edu
Craft beer flowed heavily as approximately 2,500 people gathered for the sold-out 2015 San Francisco Beer Week opening night gala at Fort Mason Center Friday Feb. 6. Participating bars, breweries, restaurants and vendors from Santa Cruz to Santa Rosa offered nearly 800 single-day and ongoing Bay Area events and specials occurring Feb. 7-Feb. 15. SF Beer Week originated in 2009 after the cofounders of the San Francisco Brewers Guild returned from Philly Beer Week, the largest beer festival in the U.S., and were inspired to refashion that atmosphere in the Bay Area. “(The cofounders) said, ‘Hey, we can do something just as good, if not better,’” said SF Brewers Guild Executive Director Brian Stechschulte.
The guild, which sponsors and provides logistics for SF Beer Week, incubated the event as the years progressed, so that it matured in both breadth and quality. “It’s just grown more popular, alongside craft beer,” Stechschulte said. “And we’ve just seen this tremendous grassroots groundswell of interest and participation.” Although it is impossible to estimate the total number of attendees that will imbibe during the course of the SF Beer Week, over 12,500 user accounts have been created on sfbeerweek.org. For those expecting a huge bar crawl, heavily slashed prices or student discounts, Stechschulte noted they might be disappointed. “We do everything we can to discourage excessive drinking,” he said, additionally referencing the ample amount of ride-sharing and public transportation services available in the Bay Area. Stechschulte also stressed SF Beer
Week’s commitment to quality over quantity in both events and patrons. Building on that idea of substance, 79 events this year have an educational component, some of which require attendees to ask questions of the instructors. Open to novices and beer geeks alike, there are a number of opportunities to brush up on basic knowledge, brewing and food pairing. Zac Cloud, 21, a home brewer and communications major at SF State, tried to attend Sonoma-based Russian River Brewery’s much-anticipated annual release of Pliny the Younger on Feb. 8, but was greeted with a 9-hour wait and a line wrapped around two blocks. In 2014, the wait in line was up to 12 hours in the freezing cold rain. Changing course, his party found a welcoming atmosphere at Bear Republic Brewing Co. in Healdsburg where the brewery is hosting a week-long 19th anniversary celebration to
Book empowers women through portraits KALANI RUIDAS
kruidas@mail.sfsu.edu
An SF State alumna turned the camera toward herself, centered her face within the frame, smiled and snapped the photo. While most might see the picture as just another selfie, Spring 2014 graduate Jamie Oliveira used the photo as a response to the offensive verbal abuse she endured from an exboyfriend. Oliveira posted the selfie on Facebook, accompanied by the ex’s hurtful words, as a way to overcome the frustration he had caused her. The resulting positive feedback from various women prompted Oliveira to turn her selfie into a book of portraits that give women a platform to confront misogyny with confidence. The book titled “(more than) dust” creates a conversation about misogyny and minimization through a series of personal portraits and stylized typography. “I think there’s this expectation to tolerate this kind of treatment,” Oliveira said. “But opening up and talking about it helps us to realize that we don’t have to tolerate it anymore.” Oliveira has photographed 16 women, including multiethnic and transgendered individuals. She intends to broaden her scope of inclusion by including older women and will launch a Kickstarter at the end of February to fund publishing and production costs. The women in the photographs appear topless, yet in a non-sexualized manner to portray the raw essence of their femininity, Oliveira said. Each portrait will appear next to several emotionally triggering phrases that each specific woman has heard. The name “(more than) dust” serves to reclaim women’s expansiveness by expelling feelings of isolation and
coincide with Beer Week festivities. Noting that Beer Week brings together a wide range of people, Cloud said, “It offers a chance for (novice) people to learn about the brewing process.” In the East Bay, Pyramid Breweries’ Berkeley Alehouse hosted “Dodge Balls, Drink Beers,” a last-person-standing charity dodgeball competition, Feb. 7. The $10 entry fee, waived with an approved food donation, benefitted Project Open Hand, a San Francisco-based non-profit that provides home delivered meals, groceries and nutrition counseling to seniors and the critically ill. “(SF Beer Week) is an opportunity for people to come and experience craft beer without being intimidated,” said Pyramid’s Berkeley Alehouse community manager Danielle Blumen. “It’s also a perfect way to get involved with the community.”
dehumanization caused by misogynistic or otherwise hurtful comments, said Oliveira. Farah Amezcua, a creative writing graduate student at SF State, posed for a portrait featured in the upcoming book. She was intrigued by Oliveira’s vision to combine photography and poetry to convey an underlying message that she could relate to personally. “Everyone has some deep pain caused by things people have said to them,” Amezcua said. “I know that in my life I’ve held onto things people have said to me and let those things become a part of who I am. Working on personal projects like this is a way to get rid of some of the stuff that holds you back from becoming more than what they said you were.” Oliveira is a member of Wildflower, a Southern California-based art collective inspired by the struggle and growth that comes from facing personal and structural adversity. The collective was co-founded last July by Lora Mathis and Kasey Reinbold, both of whom have worked with Oliveira to provide feedback and make artistic contributions to “(more than) dust”. According to Mathis, Oliveira’s photo series is representative of the collective’s ideals as it sheds light on issues that are often internalized. Mathis struggled with rereading old text messages while KATIE LEWELLYN / XPRESS looking for phrases to contribute to the book. She was reassured by a sense of solidarity after realizing RAZORS: Artist Jamie Oliveira, 22, photographs her artwork in her San that the other women involved in the project were also Francisco home Sunday, Feb. 8 for the book, “(more than) dust”, she is publishing this summer. going through a similar process. “It’s interesting to discover that these experiences operates within relationships, behind closed doors.” are not unique to us,” Mathis said. “This project is power“(more than) dust” will be available for purchase ful because it confronts misogyny by exposing the way it through Wildflower’s blog in the summer of 2015.
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LIFESTYLE & CULTURE 5
Student secures residency at historic venue HANNAH MULLINS hmullins@mail.sfsu.edu
In the dimly lit bar, couples secluded themselves into tables nestled against the wall while others crowded the dance floor, eagerly awaiting the curtain to rise on stage. Miss Lightning, a band started by SF State student Dominique Gomez and four close friends, began their residency Feb. 4 at the historic Fillmore bar, the Boom Boom Room. “Residency means your band has that night every single month, and you are the people pretty much managing that venue,” Gomez said. “You get to choose who opens up and you’re in control of the turn out of people that are going to come, it’s kind of shifting the power of the venue over to the band.” Miss Lightning played seven original songs their first night of residency, all of which they wrote themselves. The band also performed a few cover tunes, including Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools.” With Gomez stationed front and center, the group bellowed out harmonies as beers were cheered and feet hit the dance floor. Gomez, the lead vocalist and keyboard player, is a junior who studies communications and music. At 21 years old, Gomez has already played in four bands and has worked on other musical side projects. She found her musical talents at a young age, performing in musicals and eventually finding her way past the auditions of American Idol on FOX. After high school, Gomez headed to San Francisco to
DAVID HENRY / XPRESS
HEADLINER: SF State student Dominique Gomez performs with the band Miss Lightning as they play their first residency show at The Boom Boom Room in San Francisco Wednesday, Feb. 4.
continue her journey. With Gomez as the singer, Robbie Hammett on the drums, Patrick Mahon on bass, Renato Linures and Cameron Honda on guitar and vocals, the group formed Miss Lightning in September 2014. “We started jamming in the second bedroom of my apartment, then we got real,” Hammett said. “Then we brought on Dominique and we just started moving from there.” Miss Lightning created a genre of their own from that point on, unique to their individual styles as artists. “I would go dark-soul-rock,” Linures
said of the band’s musical approach, a style Hammett and Mahon also agreed was a type of “throw-down funk.” When the band was asked to play at the Ocean Beach Music & Art Festival in October 2014, they were still working on their image and had not come up with a band name at the time. “We didn’t come up with the name Miss Lightning,” Gomez said with a laugh. “It was sort of bestowed upon us.” It was a audience member who suggested the group be called Miss Lightning because of the lead singer’s bright purple hair and their original song “Blue Miss
Lightning.” With their new identity, Miss Lightning began to look for gigs around the city. With a following of SF State students, the band has made their way into some well-known bars like Neck of the Woods and Hotel Utah, with a crowd in tow. After playing their first gig at the Boom Boom Room, they were asked to take a residency spot every first Wednesday of the month. The band said that accepting their first residency was not where Miss Lightning ended, but rather they hoped to expand their fan base and continue to find gigs at any place that would give them a stage. “We have enough songs for our album, we just don’t have a confident recording of our music, so that’s the next step,” Gomez said. “We’re trying to get like at least three gigs a month, we’re at like two.” After the band stepped off stage, they were rushed by friends and fans passionate about their music. “Dominique has been my best friend since I moved up to San Francisco,” Alex Harnly, a friend of Gomez’s said. “She has the personality. I pushed her to make her music. Her vocals dominate everything.” As the night came to an end and audience members began to exit the venue, the band gathered to talk to their friends about their performance. “The crowd was great,” Gomez said. “I would say it got more packed in the end of it, it is a Wednesday night.” Miss Lightning will perform at the Boom Boom Room the first Wednesday of every month for $5 at the door.
FEBRUARY 11, 2015
6 SPOTLIGHT
Students rock out to impromptu jam session PHOTOS BY EMMA CHIANG & ALEAH MOYA-FAJARDO STORY BY PETER SNARR
psnarr@mail.sfsu.edu
EMMA CHIANG / XPRESS
Psychedelic sounds reverberated through the air Thursday night as student passersby were drawn to Malcolm X Plaza where a musical trio spontaneously started to jam. The unnamed group, comprised of freshman Alec Kersenboom, freshman Andrew Harley and junior Trevor Ramirez, played improvised psychedelic jam rock reminiscent of the Grateful Dead and The Jefferson Airplane after being cut short at The Depot’s Thursday open mic night. “We were low on the list so we didn’t get to play long,” said bass player Harley. “(The Depot) gave us a show so they must have liked us, but we wanted to keep playing so we came up here.” Once outside, the band set up their gear and drew a crowd of approximately 45 people at around 8:30 p.m. The sound of Harley’s red Rickenbacker bass guitar rumbled the ground as Kersenboom’s blonde telecaster guitar cut through the brisk evening air and Ramirez’s drums thundered against the walls of the Cesar Chavez Student Center. The crowd joyously danced along to the music as the band played improvisational instrumentals, as well as a Jimi Hendrix cover.
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ALEAH MOYA-FAJARDO / XPRESS
Kersenboom, who plays guitar, and bass player Harley met in Hermosa Beach, California during high school. After moving up to San Francisco in August, the duo met Ramirez and the three started to play music together, according to Harley. During the concert, freshman Andrew Sanders was the most animated of the onlooking crowd, dancing as if he were a psychedelic flower child of the ‘60s. “I knew I had to shred everything into existence, and I did.” Sanders said of his dancing. University Police Department drove past the scene but didn’t attempt to stop the music. The band stopped the performance at approximately 9:30 p.m. when Ramirez broke a drum stick while Harley hinted to the crowd that this would not be the last late-night jam session. “I loved it,” said environmental science major Makena Guthrie. “Really good vibes.” Despite pleas for an encore from onlookers, the crowd dispersed at the end of the set with smiles on their faces from the treat of the surprise session.
BAND: (FAR ABOVE)
Andrew Harley (left) and Alec Kersenboom (right) perform together in the Malcolm X Plaza at SF State after an open mic performance in The Depot Thursday, Feb. 5. (ABOVE) Students dance to music performed by Harley, Trevor Ramirez and Kersenboom. (RIGHT) English and creative writing major Ramirez plays the drums in front of a crowd of students. (FAR RIGHT) Harley freestyles during the performance.
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EMMA CHIANG / XPRESS
EMMA CHIANG / XPRESS
8 OPINION
x FRANK LADRA
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF fladra@mail.sfsu.edu
NASHELLY CHAVEZ
MANAGING EDITOR nashelly@mail.sfsu.edu
MICHAEL DURAN
ONLINE SUPERVISING EDITOR michaeld@mail.sfsu.edu
SERGIO PORTELA
PRINT SUPERVISING EDITOR sportela@mail.sfsu.edu
KATRINA ANDAYA
CREATIVE DIRECTOR kandaya@mail.sfsu.edu
EVELYN CAICEDO
ONLINE CREATIVE ASSISTANT ecaicedo@mail.sfsu.edu
JOURDON AHN
PRINT CREATIVE ASSISTANT COPY EDITOR jahn@mail.sfsu.edu
DANIEL E. PORTER
PHOTO EDITOR danielep@mail.sfsu.edu
JENNAH FEELEY
NEWS EDITOR jfeeley@mail.sfsu.edu
TIMOTHY SMITH
NEWS EDITOR tsmith@mail.sfsu.edu
CALLA CAMERO
LIFESTYLE & CULTURE EDITOR ccamero@mail.sfsu.edu
NICOLE PARADISE
OPINION EDITOR nparadis@mail.sfsu.edu
ELIZABETH CARRANZA
SPORTS EDITOR ecarranz@mail.sfsu.edu
FEBRUARY 11, 2015
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STAFF EDITORIAL
Campus safety loses integrity On any given day, a casual stroll across campus might include seeing friends sunning on the quad, chatting with student club members in Malcolm X Plaza or making a quick pitstop at the convenience store for a snack before class. As of last week, it also might include being dragged behind a bush at knifepoint. We come to SF State to improve our education, to make new friends and above all else to feel protected for our future. Last week’s late night attack on a student as she walked on the pathway between Burk Hall and the Student Health Center sent a very clear message to the rest of the student body. Our safety is not guaranteed. For most of us, it is difficult to relate to the incident that was detailed so vividly in an email that appeared the next day. “The suspect pressed an unknown sharp object against the victim’s side, lifted her shirt, and roughly grabbed her breasts and groin area for over a minute,” the memo read. “The victim began to cry and the suspect told her to ‘shut up.’” Further reading of the email revealed that the suspect had been seen sitting visibly in front of the Cesar Chavez Student Center just before the incident. Yet nobody seemed to think it was out of the ordinary for a person to be sitting alone in the dark on campus in the late hours of Wednesday night. Where were the campus police? Perhaps in their patrol, they didn’t notice the individual
A recent attack challanges campus safety and leaves sf state students unprotected . lurking there in the shadows, long after the restaurants had closed and the student center had locked its doors. Regardless, a student was attacked on the very grounds we walk upon daily, and we are left questioning how can we prepare ourselves if it happens again. And rest assured, it will. In October of last year, The U.S. Department of Education unveiled final safety law regulations attached to the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, also known as SaVE, an amendment to the 1990 campus safety law the Clery Act, which requires colleges to track and accurately disclose the number of dating violence, domestic violence and stalking reports they receive each year. These annual crime reports will, in theory, generate increased funding for those schools who need heightened levels of security or educational initiatives involving prevention and defense, but these reports are only based on reported incidents. Those who do not feel comfortable disclosing their attack can confide in SF State counselors without having to file an official report.
The Sexual Abuse-Free Environment, or SAFE Place, at SF State is a resource center for sexual violence prevention and crisis intervention, but as a provider for anonymous discussion and reporting of hate crimes, The SAFE Place is not held under the same requirements that SaVE Act demands. This could mean inaccurate reporting of actual hate crime-affiliated accounts, which in turn could mean little or no assistance from federal or state funding and in effect sends a wrong message to the powers that be--we’re perfectly safe, no problems to report. But the reality is we are not safe. And last week’s attack is evidence of that. If SF State’s primary concern is the safety of its campus community members, as is listed on its website, then there should be no question that we are in immediate need of a revised plan of action regarding security on campus. Yes, there are risk-reduction measures offered in the recent email that can be implemented now, and the University Police Department and Campus Alliance for a Risk-free Environment are prepared to assist those with concerns, but ultimately we are responsible for our own safety. As we walk the pathways of SF State, waving to peers in passing, sipping from our lattes and hoping the impending quiz goes smoothly, in the back of our minds will remain that looming fear that an unassuming attacker might be waiting around the next corner.
Cupid demands romantic proof EVA BARRAGAN
EVBARRAG@mail.sfsu.edu
HANNAH MULLINS
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR hmullins@mail.sfsu.edu
PETER SNARR
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR psnarr@mail.sfsu.edu
DAYVON DUNAWAY
ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR ddunaway@mail.sfsu.edu
RACHELE KANIGEL
PRINT ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu
JESSE GARNIER
MULTIMEDIA ADVISER jgarnier@sfsu.edu
KEN KOBRE
PHOTO ADVISER kkobre@sfsu.edu
EVA CHARLES
ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@mail.sfsu.edu
ARUN UNNIKRISHNAN I.T. CONSULTANT arun@mail.sfsu.edu
SADE BROWNE
CIRCULATION sbrowne822@gmail.com
SHAWN PERKINS
STUDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER smperk@sfsu.edu
WRITE US A LETTER
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For those who are single, Valentine’s Day may not mean much. It acts only as a reminder that there is no “special someone” to present you with extravagant gifts. I suppose in some ways that makes single individuals lucky--it means they have nothing to prove. For couples on the other hand, this day cannot be ignored. The constant flower, Hallmark and jewelry advertisements never let you forget that Valentine’s Day is approaching and you had better be prepared. In third grade my biggest worry concerning Valentine’s Day was deciding between cards that read, “I love you” and “You rock!” This used to be a holiday I looked forward to. I remember my teacher would hand out a list in class with every student’s name on it the day before to ensure everyone received a little love on what society has now proclaimed to be “the day of love.” My mom and I would sit down Valentine’s Day morning and personalize every card, discreetly adding an extra Hershey’s kiss for my besties of course. Then we would fill up my backpack and I’d fly out the door, eager to pass out the goodies at school. When the day came to an end, I’d sit and read all the intimate
letters from my friends, stuffing my face with chocolate and counting down the days until next year. As I grew older however, the pressure to give and receive gifts increased. Unlike elementary school, it was no longer required to pass out cards to everyone in class, so if someone gave me a Valentine it was because they liked me. If they didn’t give me one-well I knew what that meant too. I realized that many of my peers began to attach their self-worth to the number of gifts they received and how expensive or extravagant these gifts were. The holiday stopped feeling like a day to do something sweet for others and started to feel like a holiday everyone around me would celebrate in order to prove something. Approximately 150 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas, according to Hallmark’s corporate
information on their website. The average person spends about $142 on Valentine’s Day, according to a 2014 survey done by the National Retail Federation. For San Francisco residents however, that will probably only cover a fancy dinner at Foreign Cinema, and it doesn’t even come close to including the cost of the gift purchased from a vintage shop on Haight Street or the cost of transportation for the evening. Now being in my twenties, I’ve come to the conclusion that many girls use Valentine’s Day to prove to other girls how much they are loved. Boys use the holiday to prove to their significant other how much they are loved by showering them with gifts. I will admit, I like receiving flowers or being treated to fancy dinners as much as the next girl. But I don’t like when gestures like these feel expected or forced. In reality, Feb. 14 has absolutely no real meaning other than being just a date that demands society to act amorous or romantic. It’s a date we use for “proof.”
nparadis@mail.sfsu.edu
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ILLUSTRATION BY JOURDON AHN / XPRESS
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FEBRUARY 11, 2015
Opinion 9
Star’s transition should not be mocked KELLY SODERLUND
ILLUSTRATION BY JOURDON AHN / XPRESS
kls10@mail.sfsu.edu
Today’s television is quickly evolving, reflecting a change in society’s attitudes involving LGBT issues. One of the most groundbreaking of these programs is “Transparent,” Amazon’s widely lauded foray into the streaming genre. After watching the show, however, it was difficult to reconcile the show’s praise with the recent circus show that’s been made of Bruce Jenner. SF State alum Jeffrey Tambor dazzles as “Transparent’s” protagonist Maura, a former professor who has lead a successful professional life, fathering a brood of self-involved children along the way. It’s not until after she retires that she finds the courage to live life as her true gender. The dichotomy of the show’s reception and the recent tabloid treatment of Jenner is unnerving. Why is one celebrated and the other scoffed? Disdain for the Kardashian family does not give the general public carte blanche to declare open season on Jenner. After People magazine confirmed that Jenner is filming his transition into a transgendered woman, in addition to reports of a sit-down interview with Diane Sawyer, I had what Oprah calls an ‘aha’ moment. So this is why the universe, in its infinite wisdom, has inundated us with all things Kardashian for the past eight years, I thought. The transgender community will finally have a mainstream celebrity standing on their platform. It should be disclosed that I am not a Kardashian fan. It’s true that I’ve inevitably watched a few episodes of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and the show’s various incarnations, but it’s always
been with a certain awe at the rampant, self-congratulatory narcissism that seems to define the “Kardashian Klan.” The show’s audience is understandably
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All my life, my whole life, I’ve been dressing up like a man. This is me.
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-Jeffrey Tambor, as “Maura”
too young on average to truly appreciate the adulation that Jenner commanded in the Seventies as a handsome Olympic star. But Jenner used to be The Man, the penultimate male specimen, like a Chris Hemsworth-Michael Phelps hybrid. “When I was a kid, ever since I was five, I felt that something was not right,” explains Maura while coming out to her daughter. “And it was a different time, and I had to keep those feelings to myself. People led secret lives, and people lived very lonely lives.” What secrets, what loneliness has Jenner been forced to endure in his very public life? One could speculate that Jenner’s hyper-masculine pursuits were an attempt to repress his own secret feelings that something was not right. And yet, such speculation, and more specifically, the possible outing of someone mid-transition who has yet to self-identify, has understandably angered the transgender community. Media outlets such as TMZ and the National Enquirer have pointed to Jenner’s willingness to allow his personal life into our living rooms as justification for the invasive nature of their coverage. Bonnie Fuller of Hollywoodlife.com
recently defended the site’s coverage of Jenner, telling the New York Times, “They have a reality show about their lives. It’s not the same situation as somebody leading a private life.” It’s hardly worth mentioning that the Kardashians will most likely exploit “Bruce’s journey,” per Kim Kardashian. After all, the willingness to commoditize personal tragedies is exactly how the Kardashians have managed to flourish under the glare of the media spotlight. And yet, not the Kardashians, not the reality TV show, not the invitation to voyeurism, not the over-sharing-- none of these aspects of Jenner’s life excuse the spectacle that has been made of what should be a very private decision. The fact remains that the reason this story has such traction is due to audience interest. In real-life reality, Jenner has become a figurehead for “otherness”, a caricature that permits our inner child to stare, point and laugh behind the safety of our computer screens. One might argue that the audience that watches “KUWTK” or reads tabloid websites is not the same audience that applauds “Transparent’s” Maura or extols “Orange is the New Black’s” Laverne Cox. But that thinking is a bit too simplistic. It seems our society can deal with the transgender community theoretically, as fictionalized characters or even as “finished” products, but the actual act of transitioning leaves us unsure of where to look. “All my life, my whole life, I’ve been dressing up like a man.” Tambor’s Maura explains to his daughter. “This is me.” And this is Bruce Jenner: a doting father, a world-class athlete, and possibly a transgender woman. Maybe it’s time for Jenner to stand on top of a podium and be celebrated once again. After all, it doesn’t look like he’s going into hiding anytime soon.
10 NEWS XPRESS yoursELF What is the worst date you have ever been on?
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LANCE GARROVILLAS, 22 ENGLISH EDUCATION
The worst date I’ve ever been on was on one that I didn’t know was an actual date until the very end when he tried to kiss me goodnight. I felt so bad because I never liked him like that.
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Congressman John Lewis to discuss civil rights practices Congressman John Lewis will visit SF State Feb. 18 to review civil rights practices in Annex 1 on North State Drive from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Lewis, who was the former leader of the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee, will be joined by Andrew Aydin. The two collaborated to write the script for the history-based graphic novels, “March: Book One” and “March: Book Two.” More information can be found by email at info@ momagic.org or phone at (415) 567-0400.
Gardens tour
There will be a guided tour of the San Francisco Botanical Gardens organized by the University Women’s Association Feb. 19 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The cost is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and $8 for Garden members and San Francisco residents. The group will be limited to 14 participants and the deadline to reserve a spot is Feb. 16. For more information, email Lin Ivory at linivory@comcast.net.
President Wong joins AAC&U Board The Association of American Colleges and Universities appointed President Leslie E. Wong to the board of directors Feb. 3. The AAC&U, which is comprised of more than 1,300 member institutions, is a nation-wide organization that focuses on the “public standing of undergraduate liberal education,” according to the association’s website.
UNIVERSITY CRIME BLOTTER
GRACIE LABRA, 21 COMMUNICATIONS
COMPILED BY XPRESS NEWS STAFF
Between Tuesday, Feb. 3 and Monday, Feb. 9, the University Police Department responded to 21 incidents. Here are some of the highlights.
It’s a big red flag when someone you’re on a date with says ‘I didn’t know the moon was so round.’ I’m like, ‘it’s a full moon, you didn’t know a full moon was round?
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KENTON RAIFORD, 21 MARKETING
Tuesday, February 3
RECOVERED CAR
A UPD patrol spotted a suspicious vehicle parked outside the former Sutro Library at around 3 a.m. Upon arrival, the officer determined the car was reported stolen from San Francisco. UPD released it to the owner without further incident after they determined it was empty.
Wednesday, February 4
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DATING BATTERY
He took me on a date to get pizza and as we were sitting there, I just realized he was super boring and all he could talk about was himself.
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ISABELLA KIM, 19 CINEMA
GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
COMPILED BY XPRESS NEWS STAFF
Muni will observe President’s Day Feb. 16 by reducing their regular weekday service. Bus and rail services will follow Saturday schedules. To find Saturday schedules, go to sfmta.com for more information.
Last September I went out with a girl I met in class. We went to this bar and when I got up to use the bathroom she texted me saying, ‘I miss you already.’
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University Women’s News Bites Association Botanical
Muni service reduced for President’s Day
WE ASKED SF STATE STUDENTS:
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FEBRUARY 11, 2015
REPORTING BY EVA BARRAGAN PHOTOS BY HELEN TINNA
University police responded to reports of a man who hit a female subject in the HSS Building around 11 a.m. Officers made contact with the subjects, took the male subject into custody and cited him for battery of a person in a dating relationship. Officers released the man at the UPD station.
Thursday, February 5
SEXUAL BATTERY
UPD responded to reports of a woman who had been assaulted near the Burk Hall around 12:30 a.m. Officers determined the victim had been sexually battered and held against her will using an unknown sharp object. Officers took a report and described the suspect as a 5-foot-7-inch male of an unknown race wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt.
Friday, February 6
FOUND UNCONSCIOUS
A person was found unconscious near Buckingham Way shortly after 1 p.m. Officers made contact with the subject and determined they were unresponsive and in need of medical attention. Medical personnel transported the subject to UCSF for evaluation.
Saturday, February 7
OUTSTANDING WARRANT
Officers patrolling the Parkmerced area spotted a suspicious subject at the newly renamed Lister Bar on Cambon Drive Saturday around 10 p.m. Officers made contact with the subject and determined he had an outstanding $75,000 warrant in Glenn County and transported him to San Francisco County Jail.
Sunday, February 8
SUSPENDED LICENSE
A UPD patrol conducting a routine traffic stop on Font Boulevard determined the driver of the vehicle was in possession of a suspended license around 10:30 p.m. Officers cited the subject for driving with a suspended license, and released the vehicle to a licensed driver without further incident.
GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
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FEBRUARY 11, 2015
SPORTS 11
Guard shifts from sidelines to leader VINCENT FAUSONE IV
Before senior point guard Bren Haley steps onto the court, he bends down his 6-foot frame and raps his knuckles three times against the painted hardwood. In the midst of a breakout season that was never guaranteed to happen for Haley, it’s hard to imagine those knuckles aren’t getting sore. “All I was ever promised was an opportunity to play, to compete,” said Haley, a San Diego City College transfer student. “Over the summer they saw how hard I was
HELEN TINNA / XPRESS
BALLIN' : SF State’s Bren Haley, who leads the basketball team in stats,
vfausone@mail.sfsu.edu
working and knew they could stick with me. Their trust means the world to me.” A year removed from filling a supporting role as a bench player in his first season as a Gator and six months after surgery on a torn labrum in his shoulder, Haley has refused to get off of the court. He’s accumulated more playing time than anyone else on this season’s squad in large part due to a level of trust that head coach Paul Trevor challenged him to earn. “He’s got a lot of leadership abilities, and running the team comes naturally for him,” Trevor said. “He worked extra hard in the offseason, matured physically and evaluated what was important to him.” Haley has long since solidified his role as the glue of the team, implemented from coach Trevor’s game plan of the predominantly ball-distributing point guard position. He scans the court on a play-by-play basis, searching for an ample pass or move to catalyze a scoring opportunity. More often than not he is successful, evidenced by his conference-leading assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.5. His resolve to improve and ability to elevate the play of his teammates have led to his designation as one of the team’s captains. Leading SF State’s basketball team was never a certainty in Haley’s journey since leaving his hometown of Chico. A predisposition to both basketball and San Francisco, however, is not surprising given his family history. “My mom ran away to San Francisco from Tennessee when she was 17, and my brother Tim played and now coaches for Chico State,” Haley said. “It’s been a great story for my family that I’m back here playing.” The Gators compete in the same conference as Chico State, meaning Haley gets to travel home twice a year to play in front of his family and friends. His mom, who considers herself Bren’s biggest fan, proudly watches from the stands as her sons engage in the sport they love.
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I want to be remembered for my leadership, as the guy that made sure everybody was on the same page.
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-Bren Haley
“If you asked me who my biggest fan was in front of my mom I’d have to say my mom, but if you asked me in front of my girlfriend I’d have to say her,” Haley said, laughing. “They both kind of want the bragging rights.” After graduating from SF State in the spring with a bachelor’s degree in communications, Haley plans to emulate his older brother by traveling to Europe and playing internationally. “I’ve always been proud of Bren,” said Tim Haley, Bren’s older brother. “Love for basketball has always been something we shared. I am very happy to see him have success during his senior season because he has worked very hard to get where he is at. He has proved a lot of people wrong, but not me. I’ve always had confidence in his game.” Haley’s accolades already include being named to an all-tournament team this season, but it is the person he is away from basketball for whom he hopes to be remembered. “I think that the coaches are proud of the man that I’ve grown to be,” Haley said. “I’ve made my mistakes, but they’ve stuck with me. I want to be remembered for my leadership, as the guy that made sure everybody was on the same page. I’d like to be considered one of the best point guards coach Trevor has ever coached, and I know there’s a lot of them.”
hangs out in the locker room on campus Tuesday, Feb. 10.
Dedication fires up wrestler on the mat JOHN MONTOYA jmontoy1@mail.sfsu.edu
Growing up in a household where his older brothers wrestled and his father ran a children’s wrestling program, sophomore wrestler Jordan Gurrola considers the wrestling mat his natural habitat. “I started when I was about four,” Gurrola said. “It’s always just been the family thing to do but ever since high school ended, I’ve been trying to go as far as I can.” Gurrola leads the team in two categories this season with a 25-9 record and 10 pins. His growth and dedication on the mat have been noticed by Gurrola’s teammates and coach. “He’s been improving every day,” teammate Brandon Vu said. “He works hard and everybody sees it. Whenever coach teaches us a move, (Jordan) will explain it to me real fast when I don’t understand it.” Gurrola came to SF State with a successful career at North Torrance High School where he ended his last season with
a 52-5 record. Head coach Lars Jensen knew from the start that the 133-pound grappler would fit well into the Gator’s program because of his dedication to improve. “Every day, he’s Mr. Dependable,” Jensen said. “He hurt his knee a little bit, but didn’t miss any time. He’s a very humble individual, very laid back and he fits well into our program.” HYUNHA KIM / XPRESS The success for Gurrola continued as he stepped foot onto the Gators’ mat SQUARE-STANCE: SF State’s leading wrestler with a record of 25-9, Jordan Gurrola, stands on the mats in the with an exceptional 16-8 freshman sea- gymnasium Monday Feb, 9. son. During his freshman campaign, he had five wins by fall, placed second in the and Nationals.” this Thursday before preparing for ReUnder-21 Junior College Open and fourth When it’s all said and done, Gurrola gionals and Nationals, which begin at the in the Mike Clock Open. said he aspires to be up on the same list as end of this month and continue into early Coming into this season, Gurrola had other accomplished SF State wrestlers. March. high expectations and took what he learned “I’d like to have at least a plaque, a “People underestimate him, but he’s last year into this season. nice plaque,” Gurrola said. “Gotta have at won 25 matches already,” Jensen said. “We “I wanted to do well and I was trying to least one and be up there on the boards.” expect him to place in top four Regionals, be the starter,” Gurrola said. “Most of our The Gators will have one more match go to Nationals and become an Allexpectations are still coming at Regionals up against seventh ranked Menlo College American.”
GATOR SCHEDULE
SOFTBALL FEB. 11
Gators vs. Academy of Art at 9 a.m. at SF State’s Softball Field Gators vs. Holy Names University at 1 p.m. at SF State’s Softball Field
WreStLING
FEB. 12
Gators vs. Menlo College at 7 p.m. at The Swamp
Basketball
FEB. 13
Women’s basketball vs. UC San Diego at 5:30 p.m. at The Swamp Men’s basketball vs. UC San Diego at 7:30 p.m. at The Swamp
BASEball
FEB. 13
Gators at UC San Diego at 6 p.m. at Triton Ballpark