BASEBALL RETURNS TO CLASSROOM BY GERARDO RECINOS | grecinos@mail.sfsu.edu
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HE SMELL OF FRESHLY cut grass, the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd as the ball flies over the outfield fences are all familiar to baseball aficionados, but will soon be the subject of lectures and exams. For the first time since 2008, University history lecturer Mark Sigmon will revive the course this coming spring semester. “Jules (Tygiel) had probably forgotten more about baseball than I’ll ever know,” Sigmon said. “They’re really big shoes to fill. I don’t know nearly as much as he did.” Tygiel, a celebrated historian and SF State professor, was regarded as an expert in baseball history and Jackie Robinson. His book, “Baseball’s Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy,” is ranked 50th in Sports Illustrated’s list of 100 greatest sports books. Tygiel taught the history of baseball course at SF State until he died of cancer in 2008.
Sigmon’s affinity for baseball started as a young boy in a foreign country. Growing up in Norway as the son of a U.S. Navy pilot, he was only able to get a newspaper once a week. That newspaper was the only way for him to keep up with his favorite sports team, the Boston Red Sox. He poured over the paper checking stats and calculating them himself, as a way to participate from thousands of miles away. Sigmon said he was never much of a player, but always loved the game. As an 8-year-old boy playing Little League, he wrote a letter to Red Sox Hall of Fame outfielder Carl Yastrzemski asking for tips — and to his surprise, received a letter in response. “I’ve been hooked on baseball ever since then. I’ve been a student of the game and I’ve always just enjoyed reading about the game,” Sigmon said. “I was an avid Red Sox fan until about 1980 when I switched over to the SEE A REVIVAL ON PAGE 15
PLAY BALL: History lecturer Mark Sigmon will teach the history of baseball class Spring 2013. The course was taught by Jules Tygiel until he died in 2008. Photo by Godofredo Vasquez
BY ELLIE LOARCA emloarca@mail.sfsu.edu
and
BY MATT SAINCOME
saincome@mail.sfsu.edu
// 11.28.12
VOLUME LXXXXVI ISSUE 13
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GOLDEN GATE XPRESS //
STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER PROUDLY SERVING THE SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1927.
Israel abroad program reopens
After almost a decade of being suspended, the Office of International Programs has opened up the opportunity to study in Israel despite recent violence in the Gaza Strip. The current semester was the first time the program has allowed students to apply to the University of Haifa in Israel for study abroad. While no students from SF State are currently studying abroad in Israel, some are eager to sign up for the chance to do so. “To be able to have our students go to one of
the major Israeli universities is a fantastic thing, and the fact that this is opened up now for spring is great news. So we are happy to see this go forward,” Fred Astern, Jewish studies department chair, said. The California State University system had suspended the program in 2002 due to safety concerns issued by the U.S. State Department. The safety concerns have been lifted as of now, but travel warnings in Israel have stayed in place. Chancellor Charles B. Reed compiled a review
of the benefits and risks of opening the program in Israel in 2011, according to David Wick, assistant director of the OIP. Reed concluded that the academic opportunities outweighed the risk factors and agreed to allow students to study there. “It was a strategic move because of the location of the university in Haifa. It is a city that is influenced by both sides — Israelis and Palestinians — and there is really a blended culture,” Wick said. “It’s like the San Francisco of Israel.” Wick explained that security issues are always
SEE PALESTINIAN-BORN ON PAGE 3
To be able to have our students go to one of the major Israeli universities is a fantastic thing, and the fact that this is opened up now for spring is great news FRED ASTERN
| JEWISH STUDIES DEPARTMENT CHAIR