Spring 2015 Issue 7

press GOLDEN GATE

Women’s day honors gender equality

ANGELICA EKEKE / XPRESS

skeleton hand in the dry lab as she prepares to dissect cadavers during her Human Anatomy Lab class Thursday, March 5.

ISSUE 07 VOLUME C GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Serving the San Francisco State community since 1927

turn to page 6

HANDS ON: Lena Alazzeh uses a faux

MARCH 11, 2015

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

Cadaver dissection provides inside view

KELLY SODERLUND kls10@mail.sfsu.edu

campus community rings in year of the ram with a festival inviting students to immerse themselves in traditional chinese culture

STEVEN CALDERON snc@mail.sfsu.edu

Under the direction of her instructor, SF State junior Caylin Ofsanko made incisions to peel back layers of skin and fat, revealing the muscular tissues of the human arm.

This week Ofsanko and her peers will carve into the lower body of a cadaver, exploring with precision what tendons, muscles and ligaments drive the powerful legs that carry human beings from place to place.

Ofsanko is enrolled in human anatomy lab, a course that offers students the opportunity to work with cadavers as a means of training for work in the medical field. Ofsanko, who is studying to become a nurse, said she was excited to take the class because it offers a hands-on experience where she said she can physically see and hold the organs she

The fragrant smell of eggplant in garlic sauce and pork buns hung in the air, drifting through the red lanterns strung from the ceiling of Jack Adams Hall. Branches suspended by fishing wire sported delicate tissue paper cherry blossoms and a single written New Year’s wish: “That we can find and encourage people to donate enough money to start an endowed scholarship fund.”

The wish, hung by Mia Segura, program coordinator for SF State’s Chinese Flagship Program, was part of the impetus behind the Chinese New Year Celebration held on March 9. The annual festivity is intended to bring awareness to the program, while exposing students to the biggest Chinese festival of the year.

“It’s a good opportunity to expose students to Chinese culture and learning Chinese,” said Dr. Wen-Chao Li, the director of strategic Festival Continued ON PAGE 4

Anatomy Continued ON PAGE 3 ILLUSTRATION BY JOURDON AHN / XPRESS

French satire performance speaks truth to privilege KALANI RUIDAS

kruidas@mail.sfsu.edu

D KATE FRASER / XPRESS

MIRROR, MIRROR: (from left) Makeup artists Hedyeh Falsafi, Francisco Rodriguez

and Blake Cianciarulo prepare actors (from left) Megan LIparis, Elyssa Mersdorf and Lo Prentiss for SF State’s opening night production of “Learned Ladies” in the Little Theater Saturday, March 7.

INSTAGRAM

@goldengatexpress

TWITTER

@XpressNews

ressed in immaculately curled wigs and dramatic 17th century garb, the characters of French classic play “Learned Ladies” pit love and knowledge against each other in an over-the-top family feud.

SF State’s theater arts department debuted its spin on Moliere’s classic satire in the Little Theatre March 5. With a fast-paced whirlwind of verse and farce, the plot dials in on the engagement between young lovers Henriette and Clitandre. Henriette’s mother and sister pride themselves on their scholarly pursuits and insist

FACEBOOK

/GoXpress

x

that Henriette do the same by marrying Trissotin, a mediocre poet and pseudo-intellectual, rather than Clitandre.

Junior theatre major Lo Prentiss, 20, plays the role of Henriette’s sister Armande and described the play as fresh, lively, funny and immediate. The show’s themes are relevant and applicable to modern society as they examine the role of patriarchy versus matriarchy and societal expectations of each character, Prentiss said.

“What’s so artful about Moliere’s writing is that he doesn’t hit you over the head with any of these ideas,” Prentiss said. “If you take the time

Play Continued ON PAGE 4

WEBSITE

goldengatexpress.org

or scan here:

MARCH 11, 2015

2 News

.

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

University to offer more courses for summer AVERY PETERSON averylp@mail.sfsu.edu

Increased class offerings and financial aid options will transform Summer Session 2015 into a more complete semester, similar to Spring and Fall, as detailed in the upcoming March 17 schedule.

Starting in June, the University will offer Summer Session as a state-supported term rather than through the College of Extended Learning. The shift will allow the school to offer more courses and financial aid options, according to Senior Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Jo Volkert. Student input played a role in the decision to make this change, Volkert said.

“Feedback from students often showed that they wished more courses were offered in summer and at a lower cost,” Volkert said. “The new state-supported model responds to this need.”

The change was a campus-wide decision stemming from a Student Success and Graduation Initiative aimed at raising graduation rates. The University will offer 600 courses in five-, eight-, and ten-week

sessions, which is about a 20 percent increase from last year, Volkert said.

Summer tuition fees for undergraduates will be the same as Spring Semester at $1,768 for part time and $2,917 for full-time students.

More options for financial aid will be available during Summer Session, according to Associate Director of Financial Aid Jimmie Wilder.

“Many students will be eligible for the State University Grant this summer as long as they enroll in at least part time units,” Wilder said. “Any additional financial aid (loans or pell grant) will be what the student didn’t use during fall or spring semesters.”

Students approved for the grant who enroll in seven to 12 units will have their full-time fees covered by the SUG except for a local campus fee of $181.

Senior Maia Estropia said she did not take classes during Summer Session in the past because she couldn’t use financial aid.

“That’s a lot to cash out for a summer,” Estropia said. “If financial aid covers it, it will open it up to a lot more

MARTIN BUSTAMANTE / XPRESS

CROSS CAMPUS: Students walk next to the statue that sits between the Administration and Business buildings at the southeast end of the SF State campus Wednesday, March 9.

people. I have one more class to take, and if I could knock it out in the summer, that would be ideal.”

Senior Samantha Wooton said she chose not to take summer classes in the past because she questioned their worth.

“I want to get the most out of my time and get the most for my money, and I think the classes offered during the school year are better quality than during the summer,” Wooton said.

Business major Miles Smith said it is smart to give people the option to take

classes year-round.

“It’s pretty much like the comparison to a 24 hour fitness – why close a gym when you can just get in better shape 24 hours a day, at any time instead of just taking a summer off,” Smith said. “It offers students more options year round.”

Director of Advising Francisco Castillo said once the summer schedule is released, students can receive assistance with class selection at the advising center.

Students can begin registering for summer courses on April 6.

be more fiscally responsible with the extra income from the minimum wage increase and wants to focus on saving money.

Gebru said commuting, balancing schoolwork and working part time for minimum wage are common practices for college students.

Lift Up Oakland — a group comprising several Bay Area and statewide organizations — created and endorsed the city’s wage increase measure that received 81.77 percent of the vote in November 2014, according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.

Now, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, one of Lift Up Oakland’s steering committees, is focused on raising minimum wage throughout the Bay Area, according to Communications Director Beth Trimarco.

“People from various places are standing up and saying: ‘We’ve got to do something about minimum wage,’” Trimarco said. “Young people are– more and more– getting these jobs, so that they can survive and contribute to their families’ income.”

Trimarco said the minimum wage increase would have a lasting impact on the lives of working students, especially in regards to financial stability and healthy eating.

“I think it’s going to have a huge impact on young people in improving quality of life,” Trimarco said.

The measure also protects employees by prohibiting employers from cutting employee hours to cover the cost of raising wages. However, Oakland native Jessecca Brown said she is concerned about working enough hours to sustain herself.

“If owners and bosses are willing to give more hours that employees deserve, then that would make a difference,” Brown said.

Brown, 24, graduated from Clark Atlanta University in 2013 with a degree in business and has worked for minimum wage at a women’s boutique in Oakland since last July. She said she might not see a large impact from the wage hike since the increase would only cover the taxes she would have paid on her previous paychecks.

Looking towards the future, Gebru hopes to find a sustainable income related to music after graduating, in lieu of continuing working minimum wage jobs.

He has worked on a music blog called Youthful Kinfolk since 2010.

“I’ll try not to settle, if that makes a difference,” Gebru said. “This is just a job, it’s not a career.”

Oakland approves minimum wage increase JULIUS REA

jrea@mail.sfsu.edu

Following San Francisco’s footsteps, Oakland increased its minimum wage from $9 to $12.25 per hour, which went into effect March 2.

SF State student Sam Gebru — unsure if the wage hike will have a lasting effect on his life — is one of the many individu-

als impacted by the increase.

“This extra $100 (from the increase) isn’t going to lift a huge weight off my shoulders, but it will definitely help,” Gebru said.

Living with his mother and two brothers in West Oakland, Gebru said half of his income goes to bills while the rest is spent on transportation, food, miscellaneous expenses and savings. He hopes to

KATIE LEWELLYN / XPRESS

de-stressing: SF State transfer student Sam Gebru, 22, takes advantage of his day off from two jobs and a full-time school schedule in Oakland, Calif. Friday, March 6.

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

.

MARCH 11, 2015

NEWS 3

Campus disagrees with anti-Semitic title

T

he Star of David necklace has become a second skin for 19-year-old Jacob Mandel, who wears his jewelry proudly but subtly underneath his striped, buttonup shirt. The Jewish student began his education at SF State before it was recently named one of the top anti-Semitic schools in the country, otherwise he said he might have been misled about the University.

The David Horowitz Freedom Center, titled after its founder, reported the 10 U.S. campuses that experienced the worst anti-Semitic behavior Feb. 21. SF State was selected as the seventh worst college, below sixth ranked San Diego State University and above ninth ranked University of California, Los Angeles.

FARNOUSH AMIRI famiri@mail.sfsu.edu

The organization picked colleges based on the severity and amount of anti-Semitic behavior that occurred on campus, often with the use of university funds, according to the Horowitz Center website.

Mandel is an active member of SF State’s Hillel, the largest international Jewish student organization, spanning over 500 U.S. campuses. He was baffled when he heard about the report.

“I was quite surprised when I read more into the article,” Mandel said. “I didn’t feel that (the center) really knows the feel for this campus and they had not really looked into Hillel or contacted us at all.”

In addition to the Hillel, SF State has an active Jewish fraternity and sorority on campus, along with a Jewish studies

SARA GOBETS / XPRESS

BRAIDED BREAD: SF State students Alexa Johnson (right) passes Challah bread to Brandon Glajchen

during the opening Shabbat ritual at the San Francisco Hillel Jewish Student Center Friday, March 6.

department. The chair of the department, Fred Astren, said he found the Freedom Center’s report misleading.

“We’ve heard this kind of message before - it doesn’t correspond to the reality that characterizes our campus and our campus community,” Astren said. “If you ask Jewish students or Jewish faculty, you are going to have a hard time finding people to corroborate that this is an antiSemitic place.”

The Freedom Center cited the General Union of Palestinian Students’ protest during the celebration of Israel Independence last May as an instance of anti-Semitic behavior on campus at SF State.

“When some of the heat was generated on the political expression in (the quad), it now gets generated in the classroom and is framed in the academic study of the controversial subjects,” Astren said.

“It’s less emotional. The stakes have not changed, the stakes are huge but it has taken a new framework at San Francisco State and it’s a good place to come and study these topics.”

Astren, who has taught at SF State for 19 years, said past incidents between Palestinian and Jewish students may have been considered anti-Semitic, but he believes the administration has been receptive and reactive in order to fix those issues.

“In terms of anti-Semitism on the campus, the administration has been very, very supportive and the department has its confidence in President Wong and the administration,” Astren said.

Title IX Coordinator and Vice President of Student Affairs Luoluo Hong heads the administration’s involvement in cases of discrimination.

Since joining the University’s administration 10 months ago, Hong said she has not had any incidents of anti-

“

If you ask Jewish students or Jewish faculty, you are going to have a hard time finding people to corroborate that this is an anti-Semitic place.

”

-fRED AStREN

Semitism reported to her.

“Diversity brings differences and differences can sometimes be uncomfortable but I think it’s a skill set that we’re helping develop here at San Francisco State,” Hong said.

The GUPS and Jewish students at SF State have had disagreements and animosity in the past, but administration and faculty members like Hong and Astren said they view these as expressions of opinion that could be utilized to create necessary dialogue.

Despite occasional clashing of opinions between Israeli and Palestinian students at SF State, Mandel said he believes there is hope for coexistence of the two groups.

“The first step to coexistence will have to happen here in the United States with the students and then eventually it will make its way back (to Israel and Palestine),” Mandel said.

Administration, faculty, and students believe that the most important thing is the present and how students feel and can be identified today, Astren said.

“In the end for me the student feedback is the most important thing for me to do my job,” Hong said. “It’s our community here today. I’m trying to understand what students’ experiences are today.”

Anatomy undergrads explore human bodies Continued from the front studies.

“Seeing the cadavers right in front of (me) exceeded my expectations of what I thought it would be,” Ofsanko said.

“I thought it would be really messy, but it’s very clean and this experience has definitely changed the way I see human bodies.”

The cadavers are provided by the University of California, San Francisco, according to Gloria Nusse, lecturer and manager of human anatomy at SF State.

Nusse said that at the end of the semester students show their gratitude toward the families of the people who donated.

“It’s really quite an incredibly wonderful and generous gift,” Nusse said, “And the students write letters to the families at the end of the semester thanking them.”

Students are given little information ANGELICA EKEKE / XPRESS on the cadavers - no name - just the age SKELETONS: SF State senior Rachel Morales puts on her glasses in the dry lab as she prepares to and cause of the death. However, Nusse dissect cadavers for her human anatomy class Thursday, March 5. said the dissection process offers students a way to understand the behavior of the said. “Whether it was ever diagnosed we graduates to dissect a cadaver. person, based on what is discovered in the don’t know.”

SF State’s program encourages all the dissection.

Anatomy lab assistant Zack Welch said students in the lab to participate in the “Last semester we had a woman who that the lab gives students an edge when dissection, but it is not required. Welch had this very rare tumor in her knee and they go on to graduate school because not said some students are more comfortable probably caused her a lot of pain.” Nusse all anatomy programs allow their underaround the cadavers than others, and that

the smell of formaldehyde, a preservative that prevents the body from decaying, can cause dizziness for certain people.

“If someone is smelling it too strong we’ll bring them back into the dry lab and sit with them for a couple minutes,” Welch said. “It’s usually seeing them for the first time and a little bit of the smell, but after the first lab or two, it’s easy breezy.”

Andrew Gogin, a senior in the physiology program, said he has been waiting for this opportunity since before entering college. Gogin’s father and brother have been in and out of hospitals for hip surgeries his entire life which he said inspired him to become a surgeon.

“I had to witness this as I was growing up, so that makes me more encouraged to be in the medical field,” Gogin said. “And to find out that one of our cadavers has a hip replacement makes me so intrigued to work on his hip.”

Human anatomy lab is training future nurses, physical therapists and surgeons-all students who want to help people when they are done with their time at SF State.

“I just want to help people,” Gogin said. “I’ve always wanted to help people, and help make someone feel better.”

4 LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

MARCH 11, 2015

.

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

IN COSTUME: The

Learned Ladies cast warms up before opening night by running through songs and games in SF State’s Little Theater Saturday, March 7.

KATE FRASER / XPRESS

Play educates through comedic satire Continued from the front to analyze, you’ll definitely be able to see the themes behind all the language and comedy.”

Senior theatre arts major Rebecca Hodges, who performs as Belise, Henriette and Armande’s aunt, said Moliere’s underlying critique shines through with the use of satire.

“Moliere is ahead of his time in the fact that this could be considered a feminist piece,” Hodges said. “It speaks to the idea that women have a larger role in society than having a pot to stir or a nice lace to sew, but Moliere definitely accomplishes that in a humorous fashion.”

SF State alumna Delia MacDougall directed the play, calling from her experience performing “Learned Ladies” as the plucky servant girl Martine years ago at the American Conservatory Theater. Rather than exaggerate the comedic elements of the show as American renditions of Moliere sometimes do, MacDougall said she kept this production simple to focus on refined execution.

“I think there’s a tendency to overdo Moliere to play into the comedic aspect of it,” MacDougall said. “It is very humorous, but I don’t think people always trust that Moliere is such a great storyteller.”

Henriette’s mother and sister’s self-reveling attitudes toward learning contrast expectations of the time to be domestic, said Junior theatre major Megan Lipari, 20, who plays the role of Henriette.

Juxtaposition highlights the ridiculousness of extreme ideals, Lipari said. While Henriette and her father Chrysales are more visceral characters concerned with pleasures of the senses, Henriette’s mother Philaminte and sister Armande represent cerebral characters consumed by academic pursuits, according to Lipari. Moliere uses these character arcs to underscore a need for balance, she said.

The five-act play is set over the course of a single day.

The color of each actor’s costume symbolizes the temperament of his or her character, according to Prentiss. Characters dressed in green represent the reasonable, those in

red represent the passionate and those in blue represent the sensitive. In a rapid-fire series of events, characters come in and out of scenes, adding new information with each interaction to produce a domino effect of action, Prentiss said. “(MacDougall) describes it as passing the baton in a marathon,” she said. “The show begins on a high note and the expectation is to carry that momentum and energy throughout the entire show.”

MacDougall said she worked with the actors to analyze the dialogue’s metered rhyme pattern and by sharing the couplets in iambic pentameter, the pace of the play keeps a constant heartbeat. Along with maintaining a certain rhythm, keeping the lines tight builds dynamic interactions between characters, she said.

“The cast’s level of dedication really shows through in their performance,” MacDougall said. “This is a fast-moving show driven by each character’s passion.

You can see how the actors lean into their roles and use each other’s spark to make the audience believe in every moment.”

Festival promotes Chinese programs Continued from the front language initiative for the SF State Chinese program. “Every class (in the department) had to participate.”

Hosted by the SF State Chinese Flagship Program and cosponsored by the SF State Chinese Program and the Confucius Institute, the event highlighted performances by the students of Chinese classes from both SF State and City College of San Francisco. The performances entailed a mix of singing, Shaolin Gong Fu martial arts and dancing. Dumpling Kitchen, located in the Sunset District, catered the event.

“The performances were really endearing,” said Tia Jiang, an international relations and Chinese flagship double major who emceed the celebration. “It KATE FRASER / XPRESS captured the spirit of the year of the ram really well.”

SPOTLIGHT: SF State student Weijie Yu, left, and Janny Lee performed the song “Fairy Tale” in The Chinese flagship program is a do- Mandarin at SF State’s Chinese New Year celebration at Jack Adams Hall Monday, March 9. mestic and international program launched in 2009 for undergraduate students - about half of whom are non-heritage an internship. seeking careers related to China and the speakers - with an immersion experience “By providing intensive language Chinese-speaking world. in Chinese language and culture. The instruction, cultural training and overseas The grant-funded program is one of program also requires students to spend a intensive language immersion opportuonly nine in the U.S. that provide students year in China participating in classes and nities, we work closely with our students

to facilitate mastery and application of the language for long-term success,” said Erica Guzman, outreach coordinator for the flagship program.

Skye Van Valkenburgh, an English education and Chinese flagship double major, began studying Chinese in high school after developing an affinity for Taiwanese TV shows.

Van Valkenburgh, who performed with her class in the celebration, said she hopes to use the Chinese she has learned at SF State to teach overseas. The flagship program, she said, provided her with the best option of doing so.

The New Year’s celebration furthered students’ application of language, as most of the dialogue and all of the entertainment performed by students was in Chinese.

Seguro said that the event provided a platform for students to show off the fruits of their labor and remind them that learning a new language is meant to be enjoyable.

“It’s just fun,” Seguro said. “Students work really hard in order to get to this level. This event is meant to celebrate them.”

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

.

MARCH 11, 2015

LIFESTYLE & CULTURE 5

Alumna tailors career toward fashion FARNOUSH AMIRI famiri@mail.sfsu.edu

ZHENYA SOKOLOVA / XPRESS

A

fter an interest in nursing dissipated and classes for health education were impacted, Mayette Delos Santos defaulted to an unsure educational path in business, a major that prepared her for a career at major online boutique Tobi.

The California-based startup has offices in the Bay Area and Los Angeles and serves more than 150 countries around the world. The company’s mission is to provide high quality clothing and fashion at affordable and accessible prices.

Delos Santos, 24, has served as the community coordinator for the online boutique for six months but it was a journey of six years to get to where she is today.

With a concentration in marketing at SF State, Delos Santos was involved in Associated Students Inc., as a senior representative and was ILLUSTRATION BY JOURDON AHN / XPRESS

COUTURE: SF State alumna Mayette Delos Santos, the community coordinator of the clothing website Tobi, takes a moment of her work day at the office in South San Francisco Monday, March 2.

working on campus at the Office of Academic Planning in the Administration building.

“I was doing a lot at that time and I wanted experience in my marketing major so I quit the on-campus job and landed a job in downtown Oakland for an electrical company,” Delos Santos said. “It was something very foreign to me but I decided to give it a shot.”

After six months on the job, Delos Santos said she resigned to venture outside of her comfort zone and find a more passionate trade.

“I felt like at that job, I wasn’t going anywhere or learning anything new and I felt stuck and that’s never a position you want to be in,” Delos Santos said. “So after half a year on the job, I decided either I stay in something I’m really comfortable in or take a leap of faith.”

Following that leap of faith and after working a short time in retail, the SF State alumna said she found herself perusing Craigslist for a job that would offer her more stability and a stepping stone toward a career she would enjoy. That is when she discovered an advertisement for a customer service stylist at Tobi.

“Clothes have always been a thing of mine,” Delos Santos said. “I’ve always liked shopping so I thought I might as well do something that interests me.”

Shortly after working as a stylist, Delos Santos was presented with an opportunity to become Tobi’s community coordinator, whose main responsibility is to reach out to fashion bloggers to showcase the brand’s clothing through social media and fashion blogs.

“I feel like the position I’m in now is catering to a demographic that we otherwise can’t reach,” Delos Santos said. “It’s kind of nice because customers get to see the clothes on an actual person rather than it being on a model.”

Since beginning the role, Delos Santos said she and

her colleague Ingrid Liggayu have built relationships with more than 500 local and reputable fashion bloggers. “(Delos Santos) always makes communication personal, whether it be with customers or bloggers,” Liggayu said. “That’s important since at the end of the day, the key to a successful business is the relationships you build.”

It was those partnerships formed with fashion bloggers that have created a new platform that intriuged a new group of customers for the online boutique, who can now envision the clothing on the “average girl,” Delos Santos said.

“The one thing that I most enjoy is seeing the customers and bloggers wearing our clothing and feeling comfortable in our clothing, it says a lot,” she said. “It’s the most satisfying part of my job.”

Delos Santos described a very young and open atmosphere at Tobi, where it does not matter if employees are just starting, a seasoned employee or the CEO, everyone is approachable and works as a team, she said. “(Delos Santos) was one of the first people I met my first day at Tobi. She was so friendly and immediately made me feel at ease in my new work environment,” said coworker Muna Ibrahim. “She has a unique, creative eye and a passion for the work that she does, and it’s truly apparent in her work ethic.”

Even though her job at Tobi was an unexpected path, Delos Santos said she is confident in what she has contributed to the company and sees a bright future for herself as she moves up the professional ladder.

“When I first came to Tobi, they asked me what I was looking for and I told them I’m looking for a company that has the ability to provide me with such growth,” Delos Santos said. “And in just a year, I did not expect myself to be in this position. It’s been a good year.”

MARCH 11, 2015

6 Spotlight

.

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Rally celebrates working women

A

ztec dancers dressed in feathered headdresses blessed the crowd as they blew on conch shells and the air filled with incense. Hundreds of people of all ages swarmed in the center of Lake Merritt Amphitheater in Oakland and prepared their chants to march alongside a drumline in commemoration of International Working Women’s Day. “Tell me what you want, what you really want,” the crowd shouted. “Justice.”

“How we gonna get it? People power.”

The marchers chanted several other mantras in various languages.

March 8 marked the 105th anniversary of the first observed strike in New York in 1909 when women workers demanded better work environments, fair pay and the ability to unionize. Women today continue the fight for free preventative care, affordable education, good health care and equal salary jobs, according to 105th International Working Women’s

STORY BY PRISCILLA SALAHUDDIN prodarte@mail.sfsu.edu PHOTOS BY KATIE LEWELLYN

Day Facebook event page.

“We came together trying to figure out how to commemorate the 105th anniversary of Working Women’s Day,” said Pyxie Castillo, chairperson of the League of Filipino Students at SF State.

“We decided that having a celebration event that includes a rally, a march and a cultural program would be the best way to engage people in Oakland and to have people learn about the issues.”

LFS began planning the event in January and worked closely with General Assembly Binding Women for Reform, Integrity, Equality, Leadership and Action.

The event reflected on the struggles that third-world women have endured but also celebrated the hard work that they have accomplished, according to Pia Cortez, co-chair person of GABRIELA San Francisco.

“You can really see the richness and diversity with all the endorsing organizations, mostly from third-world

women,” Cortez said.

Gentrification, police brutality and U.S. imperialism were main topics of discussion at the event. The roots of violence and oppression have direct ties to U.S. imperialism, according to Cortez.

“We believe that the root of all the oppression and violence that women face goes back to U.S. imperialism,” Cortez said. “There are so many different wars of aggression and military occupation that have really put women and children in danger because of it. It becomes collateral damage.”

The event was intended for both men and women to gather and show appreciation for the women in their lives, according to Jordan Ilagan, secretary general of LFS. “It is important for not just women to come out to these mobilizations but also for men to show support as well because we came from women,” Ilagan said. “My mom is a working woman, all the women in my life are working women. This is all for them.”

EMPOWERMENT: (far above) Rachel Palacios holds her daughter and blows a conch shell

during the start of Oakland’s International Working Women’s Day Sunday, March 8. (above) Kids chant with the use a megaphone while participating in the march. (left) SF State sociology student Jeannel Poyaoan listens to instructions for the march while wearing a bandanna, which was handed out to the crowd.

MARCH 11, 2015

8 SPORTS

“

.

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

It means a lot because you put in a lot of time and a lot of effort into it and it’s a good accomplishment.

”

-Udun Osakue

SARA GOBETS / XPRESS

DRIVING TO THE PAINT: SF State Gators player Udun Osakue ,#21, dribbles past the San Bernardino Coyotes defenseman Gilbert Parga ,#1, during a game at the Gators home basketball game Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014.

Gators earn conference awards JOHN MONTOYA jmontoy1@mail.sfsu.edu

D

SARA GOBETS / XPRESS

POST UP: SF State Gator basketball player Bren Haley,#3, drives the

ball down the court past Academy of Arts Urban Knights player Sergio Valdeolmilos ,#10, during a game at SF State Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014.

espite a 2014-2015 season where the SF State Gators men’s basketball team went below .500 in the win-loss column, seniors Bren Haley and Udun Osakue wrapped up their basketball career with All-California Collegiate Athletic Association awards.

Osakue is the second Gator in a row to be given first team honors, following Nefi Perdomo, who received the same honors the previous season. He played in all 26 games this year and grabbed 5.2 rebounds per game. The forward’s 14.3 points per game earned him the seventh ranked spot in the CCAA Conference.

“It means a lot because you put in a lot of time and a lot of effort into it and it’s a good accomplishment,” Osakue said. “It’s a good award and I’m really proud of it and my teammates really helped me along. I couldn’t do it on my own.”

Starting point guard Haley finished up his senior year with an All-CCAA honorable mention, with a 7.8 points and 5.0 average assists per game to rank him first in the CCAA Conference.

“I’m thankful to get some type of individual award,” Haley said. “You put a lot of work into the sport your whole life especially your senior year.”

The Gators finished the season 11-15 overall including a 1-11 record for games away from The Swamp. The team’s inability to win away from the confines of the home court hindered their chances of making the CCAA playoffs.

“You have to play better on the road because you don’t have that energy that the fans provide

BASEBALL

for you at home,” said head coach Paul Trevor. “So you have to provide that energy, you have to play smarter on the road and make better decisions. You have to execute better and I think we had a hard time doing that and learning that.”

Despite their away game record, the Gators utilized Trevor’s full-court pressure strategy to rank 15th nationally in scoring defense, which held opponents to an average of 62.9 points per game.

“What we do defensively is very complex,” Trevor said. “I think having a new group, you’re going to have ups and downs with it, especially early. But it really developed and now a lot of guys returning know what to do to get it done defensively and it should bode well for our future.”

The Gators fell three spots shy to make the CCAA playoffs finishing ninth in the division. Next year’s team will be without seniors Haley, Osakue and point guard Sam Colmenero, who contributed minutes off the bench.

Trevor said he looks to use the experience the young players took from this season and hopes the team will take that next step to improve offensively.

The Gators shot a 42 percent on the field with a low 30 percent from behind the arc.

“We need to shoot the ball at a higher percentage, and be more efficient offensively,” Trevor said.

“We could not score the basketball and we need to be a better scoring basketball team because if you can score, it’ll take a little pressure off of our defense. We have to become more efficient offensively and it’ll help us defensively, I’m sure.”

Softball

GATORS SCOREBOARD

March 6

March 6

March 7

LOSS 5-9 LOSS 0-5

WIN 6-3 against Cal State East Bay

WIN 3-1 WIN 8-1

doubleheader against Cal State East Bay

March 8

WIN 7-3 against Cal State East Bay

LOSS 2-5 LOSS 3-10

doubleheader against Cal State Dominguez Hills

March 7

doubleheader against Cal State Dominguez Hills

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

.

MARCH 11, 2015

SPORTS 9

Family, religion and coaches help wrestler head to Nationals

I

n his purple SF State wrestling singlet, Johnny Costa knelt to the mat on one knee to attach his ankle band, but inside he was praying in anticipation of his first match at Massari Arena at Colorado State Pueblo University on Feb. 27. It was a tradition his grandfather had taught him to do before every match.

“I’m a really religious guy, I keep everything the same and go out there to wrestle,” Costa said. “I pray before every match, my grandpa told me to do that.

I’ve believed in it ever since and never stopped.”

The tradition payed off as Costa became the first non-scholarship wrestler from SF State in 15 years to head to Nationals.

This dual however was unlike any other because it occurred at the 2015 NCAA Division II West Super Regional, where Costa became one of three Gators to earn a ticket to St Louis, Missouri.

Costa, a redshirt sophomore from Escalon, Calif., placed fourth in his 184-pound weight class at Regionals and will be joining teammates Andrew Reggi and Jordan Gurrola for the National tournament.

“He doesn’t get any scholarship money at all,” said head coach Lars Jensen. “Here’s a guy going to a national tournament not getting one dime. It’s very rewarding and I’m looking forward to coaching him for two

SERGIO PORTELA sportela@mail.sfsu.edu

more years.”

Costa improved from where he was last season where he struggled to make his 174-pound weight at times. After countless attempts to convince coaches he was perfect for 184-pounds, he competed at that weight and defeated California Polytechnic State University’s Nick Fiegener in their first match this season.

After the match, Assistant Coach Isaiah Jimenez gave him the OK to stay at 184.

“My eyes just glowed right away,” Costa said after Jimenez approved his move up in weight class. “It was probably one of the best decisions ever because I would have died at 174.”

Costa ran into academic trouble last season and lost his starting spot but with the help of his father, Costa was able to steer into the right path and come back to earn his starting position this year.

“It was definitely an eye-opener,” Costa said. “My dad helped me get back on track, told me I needed to get my grades right. I came back got my grades right and I’ve been wrestling well. I’ve got everything back on track.”

Sharing a strong father-son relationship, Costa’s father, Joey introduced him to wrestling at age five and he has loved it ever since.

“I try to be supportive and give him every opportunity to be

successful,” Joey said. “Whether that means going to wrestling camps across the country or taking him to national tournaments ever since he was a little kid.”

Costa hopes to become a coach at his former high school, Escalon High School and eventually put his criminal justice major to use after graduation.

That is in the future. Now Costa is headed to Nationals, where he will face off with the number-one-ranked wrestler in the region, Ouachita Baptist’s Dallas Smith, and will have to win his first two matches to place and become an All-American.

Costa said his recent accomplishment has not hit him yet but directly after the qualifying match, he experienced sheer excitement as he turned around and ran to his coaches who were waiting on the sideline to give them all a hug.

“I knew I had to win the right matches,” Costa said. “I knew I had to win the first one right away because that’s really important. I knew if I won that first one I had a really good shot and I won it. Everything wound up falling in place and I wound up going to Nationals.”

Shortly after celebrating with coaches Costa went to call his dad to tell him to book his ticket to Nationals.

His father replied as happy as can be, “I already did.”

ANGELICA EKEKE / XPRESS

NATIONALS: SF State wrestler Johnny Costa smiles in the wrestling room a few moments before practice in the gymnasium Tuesday, March 3.

“

He doesn’t get any scholarship money at all.

Here’s a guy going to a national tournament not getting one dime.

It’s very rewarding and I’m looking forward to coaching him for two more years.

”

-head coach Lars Jensen

MARCH 11, 2015

10 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

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

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

The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words.

Letters are subject to editing.

Send letters to Nicole Paradise at: nparadis@mail.sfsu.edu

ABOUT XPRESS

The Golden Gate Xpress is a student-produced publication of the journalism department at San Francisco State University.

For more information or comments, please contact Frank Ladra at: fladra@mail.sfsu.edu

.

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

STAFF EDITORIAL

HIV risk strongholds gender neutrality We have come a long way in the fight against HIV/AIDS, from advanced outreach services to the recent introduction of a medication that is effective in preventing transmission, but we are still far from eradicating not only the disease that has already killed an estimated 39 million people worldwide, but also the stigma behind who is at risk for infection.

It has been more than 30 years since HIV/ AIDS was labeled a gay-related immune deficiency or even a gay cancer, yet the evidence continues to show that heterosexual females are still representing a significant number of newly infected cases each year, especially among youth and individuals of African-American or Latin origin.

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was observed on March 10, but recognizing this disease’s indifference to gender is critical to our future.

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that 84 percent of new HIV infections in females originated from heterosexual intercourse. This figure might not be so surprising considering 19 million of the 35 million people living with AIDS worldwide do not even know they are infected, according to a report by UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/ AIDS. Yet, with most media representations of those living with HIV/AIDS, whether it is in the news or in film, there is a tendency to generalize particular demographics and underrepresent all who are at risk for infection.

In 2013, almost 60 percent of new HIV

ALTHOUGH HETEROSEXUAL FEMALES REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF HIV CASES, THE MEDIA CONTINUES TO GENERALIZE ONLY A CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC OF PEOPLE. infections among young persons aged 15-24 occurred in adolescent girls and young women, a population that is often left without a voice or control of their own bodies, according to the 2014 Gap Report released by UNAIDS. The report also indicated that “gender-based violence and limited access to health care and education, coupled with systems and policies that do not address the needs of young people, are obstacles that block adolescent girls and young women from being able to protect themselves against HIV, particularly as they transition into adulthood.”

There clearly exists a disproportionate level of outreach services to young women compared to what programs are being offered to the local gay community here in San Francisco.

While AIDS-related educational programs may be exponentially higher in classrooms than 20 years ago, you probably won’t find an on-the-spot mobile HIV testing van parked on the campus quad, much like you might see on a stroll through the city’s historic Castro neighborhood. And you may not find buckets of free condoms available at the Pub or on your way

out of the Cesar Chavez Student Center, but you will at many of the Castro’s bars, restaurants and coffee houses.

You definitely will not see Catholic nuns on the street corner, trying to warn passersby of the risks of HIV transmission among young people, but you might see the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence spend most of a Saturday afternoon in 6-inch heels, raising awareness in the fight to eliminate a disease that has affected so many others within that community.

So with staggering figures being released annually by the CDC, why are young women not being offered the same programs provided for gay men? There certainly has to be a way to share the education and funding that goes into current outreach services.

HIV/AIDS is not solely a gay man’s disease.

African-Americans and Hispanics represent 27 percent of all women in the U.S., but they account for 79 percent of HIV cases among women.

This is the type of statistic that shouldn’t hide on a minimally publicized CDC or World Health Organization report. It should be taught in schools, shared on social media platforms, advertised in the media and even talked about around the family dinner table.

Communication is the key.

HIV/AIDS is a real issue that shouldn’t be shamed or passed off as only affecting certain demographics of people—it affects all of us.

Until AIDS is eradicated, it is our responsibility to confront the issue and make sure we are doing our best to protect our community.

NCAA recruiting diminishes childhood

M

y childhood dream of playing professionally in the NBA was not motivated by money but rather the need to go out and play the game with which I had fallen in love. That’s what most young athletes want to do when they are still in elementary and junior high school. But when you insert college recruiting into organized athletics, a career in sports becomes more about the job and less about the game.

The NCAA needs stricter rules for recruiting to deter coaches and scouts from enlisting children younger than the high school age level. Recruiting an athlete that early may affect the child’s ability to experience a normal youth.

The recruiting process is intended for teenagers in the later years of high school who look forward to the next steps of a possible athletic career, not for young children who should enjoy their time being a kid.

According to NCAA bylaws, a prospective student athlete is one who has started classes in the ninth grade, but that does not prevent college coaches from recruiting kids as early as the seventh grade

SERGIO PORTELA sportela@mail.sfsu.edu

through third parties like Amateur Athletic Union coaches.

LeBron James told reporters before a game against the Detroit Pistons Feb. 24 that his son LeBron James Jr. has received scholarships and letters from coaches.

The son of the most polarizing player in the game receiving scholarship offers from schools might seem normal if it were not for the fact

that he is only in the fourth grade.

Yes, he exhibits flashes of behavior like his father on the court, but he should not be targeted as if he is his father. James has expressed disdain towards colleges recruiting his son and just wants him to be a kid as long as he can be.

College recruiting is a highly-publicized process in basketball and football. ESPN and Rivals. com rank players numerically and have dedicated entire TV shows to the process. ESPN even devotes time during national signing days for student athletes to announce

42 ILLUSTRATION BY KATRINA ANDAYA / XPRESS

which colleges they plan to attend.

Why would you put a child at the age of 10 through the possibility of being ranked? A kid that young shouldn’t worry about whether or not he’s the best 10-year-old basketball player in the world. He should be concerned with having fun with his teammates and growing as a player.

Recruiting kids that early gives colleges no guarantee that they will still choose to attend the schools pursuing them. UConn’s Ryan Boatright committed to the university before high school and Marquette’s Matt Carlino received an offer while he was in elementary school. Quarterback prodigy David Sills was offered a football scholarship by the University of Southern California in 2010, but never lived up to the hype that surrounded him and he ultimately attended another university.

Kids should be playing sports solely because they love it, not to impress colleges that they may not even attend. They are too young to even fathom the monumental decision of where to play a sport for four years. It is unacceptable and unethical that the NCAA allows this practice to happen without creating stricter guidelines. A kid deserves the right to just be a kid.

GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

.

MARCH 11, 2015

OPINION 11

Motivation overcomes financial hurdles ELIZABETH CARRANZA ecarranz@mail.sfsu.edu

I saw the strongest man I know fall to the ground in tears and tell me he failed as a father. No choice of words or the number of hugs I gave him could stop his breakdown of emotion, but the experience molded me into the individual I am today.

My father kept apologizing, looking

up at me with tears running down his face as he told me he could not afford our home anymore after 17 years of living there. My mind wandered to the memories that were made there, from the time I lost my first front tooth to the birthdays when my mother prepared her cheesy enchiladas.

MARTIN BUSTAMANTE / XPRESS

CAP AND TASSEL : Golden Gate Xpress sports editor Elizabeth Carranza holds a graduation

cap at the SFSU Bookstore Monday, March 9. She is the first person in her family to attend college.

I knelt down with my parents and assured them we would be okay but my mind raced with ideas. I wanted to help, but if we couldn’t afford the place I called home, how could we afford to send me to college?

Regardless of my family’s circumstances, I knew I needed to further my education once I graduated from high school. I wasn’t going to be deterred by the fact that nobody in my family has attained a college degree. Financial problems and other hurdles should not prevent anyone from attending college and reaching their full potential.

I have always heard my parents explain to my two older siblings that the reason they worked so much was to provide us with a home and the money to afford college.

When my older sister told my parents she was getting married right after high school and my brother announced he was dropping out, I saw my father’s persona go from a teddy bear to the Incredible Hulk in seconds. He slammed his fist on the wooden table, telling them how he and my mother had lived in a car their first five years in the U.S. in order to provide a better future for their children. My mother and father looked at each other and questioned where they had gone wrong as parents.

Two months into my senior year of high school, I decided I should not give up on furthering my education, so I started looking into school options. When the application deadlines approached, I avoided talking to my parents about it because I knew they couldn’t afford it, but they insisted. Still, I didn’t want to give myself the illusion I would graduate from high school and go directly to a four-year university, so I planned to postpone school and save up money on my own.

After receiving eight acceptance letters, my main concern was how am I going to pay for school? I scrambled for scholarships and was offered the Pell Grant, which, with the help of my AP test scores, is the reason I am able to attend SF

“

I wasn’t going to be deterred by the fact that nobody in my family has attained a college degree.

”

-Elizabeth Carranza

State. The will to learn and the effort an individual puts into his or her grades should be the basis in furthering one’s education, not the parents’ bank account.

People should not be discouraged to attend college if that is what they want to do. Every school should provide resources for people like me, who excelled with good grades throughout high school and want to receive a degree but who worry about financing their education. At SF State, we have resources and programs such as the Educational Opportunity Program that helps first-generation students excel in classes and plan a path toward a degree.

I almost held off on college and most likely would not have continued my education if it were not for my parents pushing me to apply. Right when it seemed I would follow the same path as my siblings, I found a way to pay for my education and be a first-generation college student.

My parents should be in retirement by now, or at least be able to enjoy their lives more. Instead, they continue to work numerous hours to keep our family-owned construction companies running. I’ll never be able to truly express how much I appreciate their sacrifices to put me through school, and there will always be a part of me that feels guilty because of it. Personal problems or financial hurdles should not prevent individuals from attending a university or pursuing their dreams. It should be a motivation to accomplish and live out your dreams.