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STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER PROUDLY SERVING THE SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY SINCE 1927.
VOLUME LXXXXV ISSUE 15
LADY PARTS: Ms. Vagina Jenkins performs a burlesque routine at the Queer Rebels Winter Shindig at El Rio in San Francisco. Queer Rebels of the Harlem Renaissance is a production that embraces a diverse range of artistic genres and perspectives from the LGBT community. The popular production looks to create a safe space to showcase and amplify the voices of queer people of color. Photo by Matt Maxion
REBELS REVIVE HARLEM HISTORY Queer people of color use their performance art to showcase a shared history of struggle BY KIRSTIE HARUTA | kharuta@mail.sfsu.edu
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HROUGH AN “unapologetically, riotously gay” performance, Queer Rebel Productions is shaking out the rugs under which the histories of queer people of color
have been swept. Partners in work and in life, KB Boyce and Celeste Chan saw an absence of spaces available for queer artists of color and, with a grant from the San Francisco Queer
Cultural Center, created Queer Rebels in 2008 to fill that void. Four years later, the dynamic duo is celebrating the end of its most successful year yet. “We’re at this exciting moment for QPOC art,” Chan, a graduate of SF State’s social work program, said. “It’s like things that weren’t possible before feel like they are possible now.” The project was born out of Boyce’s struggle to find gigs and the realization that it was a widely shared struggle. As a Two-Spirit — a dual-gender identifying SEE HARLEM ON PAGE 11
Black market driven by permit prices SECONDHAND: SF State parking Officer Pedro Reyes puts a ticket on a car in Lot 20 without the proper payment for parking. Photo by Virginia Tieman
College students are always looking for means of saving money. Selling or giving away parking permits has given students that mean. It’s illegal to sell — or even give away — the daily parking permits that are sold for $6 in the parking garage, according to University spokeswoman Ellen Griffin. “Parking permits are not transferable and are not for resale. Only a buyer who has paid the University for the right to park in a spot has the right to occupy that spot with their vehicle. In a ‘reselling’ situation, both the
seller and buyer are working in concert to deprive the University of funds due to the University and both could be held liable for the misdemeanor charge of petty theft,” Griffin said in an email. Students like John Kalley, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering, give away their permits to their peers for free as they leave campus for the day. “If I pay $6 for the one and I’m only using it for about four hours, I don’t see a reason why I should just throw it away. If I see someone I give it to them — Good Samaritan,” Kalley said. He says Good Samaritan,
BY MATT SAINCOME
saincome@mail.sfsu.edu
Griffin says petty thief. “Whether free or paid — the ticket clearly states it is not transferrable,’ Griffin said. But it doesn’t. The permits, pay stations, and parking and transportation website make no mention of the tickets being “nontransferable.” Despite what campus police and Griffin may believe, the $6 permits from the official pay stations do not have “nontransferable” or any other warnings printed on them. Many students who use the garage are unsure SEE STUDENTS ON PAGE 2
Website weighs book buying options BY BRAD WILSON
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bradw949@mail.sfsu.edu
BY ELLIE LOARCA
emloarca@mail.sfsu.edu
HEN IT comes to buying textbooks, most students expect to pay big bucks, face book shortages and wait in long lines at the SFSU Bookstore, but BIGWORDS.com may be the solution to alleviate book buying difficulties. BIGWORDS.com takes the lowest prices of books from top online book sellers, such as Amazon and Chegg, and gathers them in one place so students can compare prices and choose the best price. They also have a new tool on the site that will inform students of the buyback value of the textbooks before they even purchase them. “Pretty much the Kayak.com of college textbooks,” CEO and founder Jeff Sherwood said. “We only host reputable book sellers, so we can guarantee a prompt delivery and books in good condition.” In 2001, Sherwood created the site in order to help students save money when it comes to buying books. “We would stand in line for two or so hours just to be ripped off. When I graduated SEE RENTING ON PAGE 5
2 CAMPUS
12.12.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Playwright masters the mundane
SF STATE SPEAKS OUT WHAT IS THE LAST THING YOU WOULD DO BEFORE AN IMPENDING APOCALYPSE?
BROOKE-LYNN ORAGE, 21 CREATIVE WRITING MAJOR
If I knew the world was going to end, I’d find my ex-roommate and beat the crap out of her.
DOM GARCIA, 22
PHOTOGRAPHY MAJOR
I’d call my friend in Arizona and go on a trip, just me and her — but we’d probably have to pick up her girlfriend.
I
BY LAURA SAVAGE | savymama@mail.sfsu.edu
T’S ONE THING TO RECALL A moment of hilarity in everyday life and quite another to translate that amusement into writing. Graham Gremore, a master’s degree candidate at SF State in creative writing with an emphasis in playwriting, humorously puts it all out there when he’s writing plays or reading his works on stage. “A lot of what I write about is inspired by true events from my everyday life,” Gremore said. “It seems like every other day something weird or off-kilter happens to me.” Gremore wrote and performed a oneman show “Private Parts,” a humorous retelling of stories from his youth in Minnesota, complete with songs and piano playing. It sold out nine out of its 12 performances at the SF Playhouse this past February. “It was basically a collection of stories from my childhood, stories about my family and my neighbors and the people who I grew up around,” Gremore said. “It chronicles different things that happened over a period of time in the ‘90s.” During his teenage years, Gremore wrote and acted in plays at SteppingStone Theatre for Youth in St. Paul, Minn. Artistic director Richard Hitchler remembers Gremore as a quiet, creative and mischievous, but also a good-natured teen who blossomed during his time there. “I think he’s a very whimsical writer,” Hitchler said. “He creates believable characters. There’s a sense of introspection that comes through in his writing.”
BY ANGELA RAIFORD | araiford@mail.sfsu.edu
Anne Galjour, a lecturer in SF State’s “We are going to offer literary readings creative writing department, has invited Gre- featuring published creative nonfiction writmore to her classes as a guest lecturer and ers, offer classes and workshops, seminars worked with him during “Private Parts.” and social events,” Gremore said. “I was inspired by his work. ParticuHe will soon be seen on the LGBT news larly his stick-to-it-iveness in the revision and entertainment site Queerty.com. After process,” Galjour said. submitting his YouTube video depicting his Currently, Gremore produces the humor essay, “You can’t be gay unless you have a writing series LitUp Writers, a platform for job,” to the site, he received an email from writers with several performances each year. managing editor Dan Avery asking him to “Each show features a different theme and freelance. The video has garnered more than a different group of writers. People submit 8,000 views. their humorous essays and then my partner “We’ll see where it goes, but I’m really (Jennifer Lou) and I pick the ones that fit best excited to be writing for them,” Gremore together and then we invite those people on said. “For me, writing is more about satisfyour stage,” Gremore explained. “Our largest ing others than it is about satisfying myself.” show had, I think, 200 people turn out for it.” Next up for Gremore is the January 2013 launch of Storyfarm, a creative nonfiction cooperative “for writers, thinkers and other interesting animals” started with creative writer Peg Alford Pursell. It was facilitated by the Intersection for the Art’s Incubator Program, a sponsorship program set PLAYFUL: Graham Gremore, a candidate for a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis in playwriting, takes to the seats where audience members get the to help artists and chance to hear his humor-heavy plays. Photo by Virginia Tieman aspiring nonprofits.
whether they’re allowed to resell their permits. A history professor, who wished to remain anonymous, referred to secondhand permits as “illegal” and said the exchanging of permits for cash is a “black market.” Civil engineering major Jamie Brownell usually parks 20 minutes away from campus on Winston Drive and walks to class to avoid paying for parking, but settles for the parking garage if she is running late. The 18-year-old freshman, like many other students, is constantly looking for ways to save some money. So when she was approached by a student who was finished with classes for the day who offered to sell her a permit for $5 instead of $6, she agreed. “I guess (it might be against the rules), but it’s cheaper and I don’t want to pay that much just to park at my school,” Brownell
Students share parking passes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
said. The cheaper price is the reason students would seek out secondhand parking passes. Five days a week at $6 a day, adds up to approximately $480 a semester. Students can purchase Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/ Thursday parking passes for the predetermined days. “Six dollars a day is way too much. At the community college it’s $3 a day,” Brownell said. Karen Inthinavong, a 22-year-old kinesiology major, has bought secondhand parking permits in order to save the money, and to save the time it takes to walk back and forth between the pay stations and her car. “I don’t think (buying permits secondhand) breaks the rules. I need to save my money any way I can. That garage is a ripoff,” Inthinavong said.
TYLER WELLS, 21
UNDECLARED MAJOR
If I had a credit card, I’d be maxing that thing out and then go on a trip.
CRIME BLOTTER
Comedic interpretations of criminal events at or near SF State
12.05 through 12.11
Where da weed at?
VERONICA LE, 18 JAPANESE MAJOR
Wake up and eat cereal like every other day. Photos by: Virginia Tieman Reporting by: Ellie Loarca
A verbal altercation broke out at The Village at Centennial Square Dec. 6. Officers responded and approached the squabblers to abate the altercation. Upon further investigation, it was determined one of the subjects was in possession of marijuana. The subject was cited and released. With the market for “purp” at it’s most volatile around finals, the two were likely engaged in some intense price negotiations. Next time use your inside voices if you’re trying to do business in the shade.
Why smash pumpkins when you can smash bottles? A group of people were found smashing glass bottles and throwing trash near Mary Park Hall Dec. 8. Officers responded to the incident and took an informational report. While we would never endorse such a callous act as littering, sometimes you need take out some end-of-semester angst and what better way to do it then to throw some stuff around? It’s better than lighting essays on fire. Reporting by Ellie Loarca
Fire fake out Dispatch was notified of a fire alarm activation in the J. Paul Leonard Library Dec. 6. They say that where there’s smoke, there’s fire — but since there was neither, the alarm was simply reset. It seems SF State’s false alarm system has been quite the success this year. Or maybe the heat was coming from all those overused laptops checking Facebook instead of reviewing microbiology notes.
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CAMPUS 3
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Professor pens space narrative BY VIKRAM SINGH | vpsingh@mail.sfsu.edu
OUT OF THIS WORLD: Cinema professor Jan Millsapps spent three years researching at various locations, such as the Lowell Observatory and Goldstone Deep Space tracking network in the Mojave Desert, for her second novel, “Venus on Mars.” Photo by Alejandrina Hernandez
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ITH NASA’S Curiosity Mars Rover constantly sending back new data about Mars, eyes are on the sky. SF State cinema professor Jan Millsapps’ gaze has been pointed toward the skies for years. Her second history-based novel, “Venus on Mars,” is all about finding one’s place in the cosmos. Millsapps had a release party for the book June 2 at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz. Events took place at the observatory for the transit of Venus, an astronomical event that would happen only once in a lifetime when the planet appeared as a black dot crossing the surface of the sun. Founded in 1894, the observatory is home to the Discovery Channel Telescope, the fifth largest telescope in the continental U.S. The novel was made possible by a one-year sabbatical granted by SF State. Millsapps’ research took her to the Mojave Desert; the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.; Lowell Observatory and even Boston. Set in the 1970s during NASA’s unmanned Mariner 9 mission to Mars, the story follows Venus Dawson, as she returns from her grandmother, Lulu Dawson’s, funeral. Lulu’s character, who faces misogyny and gender bias, is based on astronomer Percival Lowell’s actual secretary Wrexie Louise Leonard. “At Lowell Observatory I examined all of Wrexie Louise Leonard’s materials, including a journal she kept before she began working for Lowell — but her journal as it appears in my novel is fictional — based on the facts I was able to uncover,” Millsapps said. Lowell, a main character in the book, was an astronomer who strongly believed Mars contained evidence of extraterrestrial life. The book explores issues female astronomers faced in both the 1970s
through Venus Dawson’s storyline and the 1900s through her grandmother’s. Both were times when exploration of Mars was at its peak. “It was very rare for a woman to be able to look through a big telescope in the Victorian Era. It wasn’t until the 1960s that women got full access to major observatories,” Millsapps said. She decided that this was the perfect era in which to set the story. “After continuing with my research, I realized I set my story right at the cusp of when women were pushing for equal status in the workplace,” Millsapps said. Venus inherits her grandmother’s journal and takes it with her to her workplace in Pasadena, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Both the reader and Venus begin to uncover the romantic relationship Lulu and Lowell had during their time together through a series of journal entries woven into the narrative. But it wasn’t until she was finished writing the book that she approached William Sheehan, a historical fellow at Lowell Observatory. “At first I was critical, because I was reading it through a historian’s point of view, but once I loosened up and began to respond to it as historical fiction, I loved it,” Sheehan said. Millsapps has placed quick response codes at the end of certain chapters to augment the reading experience. By scanning these codes, readers can access content online that will add to the story. Eleventh grade English teacher, Jeannette Miles from South Carolina likes the idea of bridging the gap between old media and new and plans to use “Venus On Mars” as a part of her curriculum. “I don’t have any problem asking my students to help me out with my technology. It’s a reciprocal interaction with students and I think this will make me successful with Jan’s books,” Miles said. Millsapps’ plans to continue to push the envelope with new media back at SF State next spring, when she plans on “teaching cinema as an online medium and do the whole thing with smartphones and tablets.”
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12.12.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
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TENURE TRACK PROVIDES POTENTIAL JOB SECURITY ten ure
/‘ten-y r also yur / noun e
THE SIX-YEAR PROCESS TOWARD TENURE
Step 1: An online report is made available to show the faculty member if they are eligible for retention, tenure and promotion.
Step 2:
The department peer review committee assembles relevant information for evaluation, and a written report summarizes the evaluation along with concluding recommendations. The report is then given to the faculty member in question prior to the review.
Step 3:
The department chair prepares a recommendation for the faculty member, working personnel action file and the college dean.
Step 4:
The dean’s recommendation is delivered to the provost, who is the senior academic administrator, and vice president of academic affairs and University tenure
Step 5:
The provost and University tenure and promotions committee final recommendation is made after careful review of all previous evaluations made. The recommendation is then sent to the University president as well as the candidate.
Step 6:
The University president meets with the provost and vice president for academic affairs and university tenure and promotions committee before making a final decision.
Step 7:
The University president then states the logic behind the approval or denial in a letter of decision. According to the Academic Senate Policy
the act, right, manner, or term of holding something (as a landed property, a position, or an office); especially: a status granted after a trial period to a teacher that gives protection from summary dismissal
Evaluations impact professors’ future BY ERIN DAGE | erindage@mail.sfsu.edu
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TUDENTS HAVE the power to determine the course of a teacher’s career at the end of each semester, and they may not even know it. Student course evaluations, given out at the end of every semester to gauge a teacher’s performance, are a key factor in determining whether a faculty member is worthy of promotion to a higher level of tenure. Roughly 49 percent of SF State’s faculty members that are in tenure track, or have full tenure, stand to benefit from larger salaries, health care and retirement if they receive positive student course evaluations. “Student course evaluations, both the quantitative responses as well as the qualitative and written comments, are taken very seriously at every level of review in the process,” Sacha Bunge, dean of faculty affairs and professional development, said. Though student course evaluations are key to faculty members advancing in their jobs, Geoffrey Green, a fully tenured professor at SF State, finds that students don’t take the evaluations as seriously. “The purely quantitative comments are more troublesome because it’s not always clear to students the effect and the use of the data that’s being made,” Green said. “Often students have a tendency to take these evaluations lightly as one more thing that’s wasting their time.” Natalie, a senior psychology major who declined to give her last name, has been through four years of student course evaluations and feels apathetic about them. “I don’t really care about student evaluations,” Natalie said. “It’s just something I have to do. I fill in the bubbles and get it over with.” When going through student course evaluations, Green finds less value in the multiple choice section of the survey, and more in the comments that students can leave about the courses they have taken. “Most valuable would be those comments that actually are thoughtful and contain suggestions,” Green said. “I’ve always considered those
suggestions seriously, and many times have taken them to heart and implemented them.” Thunder Aung, a first-year international studies major, is one of those people that takes student course evaluations seriously. “I’m going to keep writing really critical ones,” Aung said. “The teachers that deserve (to get good evaluations) should advance, and those who don’t do as well, shouldn’t.” Student class evaluations, recommendations from fellow faculty members, proof of teaching effectiveness, professional achievement and growth, and contributions to campus and community are stored in a working personnel action file that tenure track faculty members must submit yearly. There are six-year gaps between assistant professor, associate professor and full professor positions, with pay raises at each level happening when a tenure-track faculty member is promoted. Numbers compiled by Education News say assistant professors stand to make $71,681 annually, whereas associate professors make $81,445 and fully tenured professors make $98,510. Lecturers, who cannot advance to a tenured position, are said to make $62,605. According to Marc Anderson, assistant professor of chemistry, there are less applicants for lecturer positions at SF State, as compared to tenured positions that the school offers. “As a lecturer you’re definitely lower level, your job is less secure and you make a lot less money,” Anderson said. “Everybody wants to have tenure in my department. When we advertise for a new position 300 applicants apply, it’s kind of hard to get a tenured job off the bat.” Anderson takes a lighter approach about receiving bad evaluations from students. “In the department, a couple bad evaluations aren’t a big deal,” Anderson said. “Here and there students can be a bit vindictive, you know, the people that are like ‘I failed my test’ — you know that guy. If you’re persistently bad, it’s going to look bad on your file.”
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$434
Renting option not financially savvy
total cost of three of the most popular textbooks used by students nationwide
$150 average savings when buying a book
25 % average drop of buyback book offers
Source: BIGWORDS.com
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
from USC, I reaized students needed a tool to sift through all these options of buying, selling and renting books,” said Sherwood. Sherwood said that students who sell their books back to university bookstores are being “ripped off.” When students sell their books back, univsersity bookstores do not turn around and sell them back to students. Instead, they sell the book back to the dealer, which then sells it back to the Bookstore at a discounted price. “Book worth really doesn’t change very much during a semester,” Sherwood said. “So ideally we are taking something that is essentially the third biggest expense for students and cutting it down to being the price of groceries for a month.” Andrew Dao, SFSU Bookstore sales associate, explained that bookstore management Follett Corp. has two approaches when it comes to students selling back books. “We will buy the books back tem-
porarily for the store or wholesale and then ship them to another store,” Dao said. “The other is Follett will take the books and sell them to other retailers.” According to Dao, The Bookstore most likely buys product from other stores ran by Follett and redistributes throughout the company. Getting books on time for the beginning of school is a very real frustration for students these days and even ordering books from the on-campus bookstore can be difficult. Linguistics major Daniela Monterroso, 19, used the online tool for The Bookstore this semester but was let down by the service. “This semester I ordered some books from The Bookstore but they never came, eventually The Bookstore told me the order never went through,” Monterroso said. Bookstore supervisor Christian Esmas said that freshmen are the main consumers when it comes to purchasing from The Bookstore. As they
become upperclassmen, they take note of other purchasing options. “Through word of mouth, students will ask other students about buying options,” Esmas said. “However, our rental program is big and we have over 50 percent of titles, which counters online.” When BIGWORDS.com researched the top 1,000 textbooks searched by students on their site, they found that buying and selling books instead of renting them saved students an average of 95 percent, or more than $1,000 per school year. “Despite the trend toward rentals, our data shows that buying and selling books online is better for students,” Sherwood said. “But, however you decide to get your books, it’s always a good idea to use the Consider Buyback Value feature at BIGWORDS.com. This way you’ll know in advance how much those books are going to cost or how much money you’ll be able to make.”
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The Fashion Blueprint Fashion connoisseur Bryan Vo outlines ways to avoid the fashion walk of shame. It’s true, you are what you wear and for him, every day is a runway.
BY BRYAN VO | bryanvo@mail.sfsu.edu
Leaving a lasting impression
T
he time has come for me to sashay away. It’s been a great semester telling you about the latest fashion trends, the do’s and don’ts and sharing my knowledge on what’s hot and what’s not. Before I say farewell, the last piece of advice I leave you with is dressing well for all occasions. Gentlemen, know some of the fashion laws of dressing well. For example the blazer — sometimes button the top, always the middle and never the bottom. “This is something every guy should know by now,” Amanda DeMott, a men’s stylist at Nordstrom, said. “I know it sounds crazy, but people really do actually notice that just as much as if there was a giant stain on yourself.” Ladies, find that pop of color to go with your black dress or layer in the cold to give yourself
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a more in-depth look. Make it simple but let your outfit do the talking. As David Granger of Esquire says, “Style is a gentle act of will.” Dressing with your own style is about standing out and making a subtle statement that says, “I’m different and I am my own.” To look great has never been more important. You never know who you’ll come across, whether it may be an old flame, a job interview or a chance runin with “the one.” Keep up with what’s going on in fashion and what’s in style. The more information and knowledge you carry, the more you’ll be in the know when it comes to being fashion forward. Learn how to piece items together and make it your own personal style. Everyone likes to see something different. Sometimes, you have to color outside the lines. Be bold. Be brave. Be daring.
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Innovation starts with jazz BY VIKRAM SINGH | vpsingh@mail.sfsu.edu
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BANKING NOTES: SF State lecturer and musician Andrew Speight runs a training program that provides corporate clients with live jazz performances to teach business. Photo by John Ornelas
NTREPRENEURS ARE always looking for new ways of doing business and often turn to CEOs, venture capitalists and money managers for inspiration. But SF State lecturer and jazz musician Andrew Speight believes that it’s jazz musicians they should turn to. Speight and business management professor Ron Purser have worked together to create Jazz@Work, a workshop that combines jazz musicianship with business practices. Using jazz as a metaphor, Speight and Purser teach businesses about improvising rhythm changes while still being able to create a harmonious flow. For jazz, it’s about business and for a business, it’s a product. The one-to-two day arts-based management training program provides corporate clients with live jazz performances. “I was writing a lot on team and social creativity in the mid to late 1990s,” Purser said. Purser wrote an article in 1994 titled “Miles Davis in the Classroom,” which was published in the “Journal of Management Education.” “I knew musical ensembles were unique in their capacity for organizing for creativity and improvisation.” Jazz@Work was originally a component of the Generations Jazz Project, a University-backed music collaboration that started in 2007, focused on applying the jazz metaphor to business. Purser and Speight met in 2003 and after the first educational outreach DVD “Jazzworks” was made in 2008, Speight and
Purser began developing Jazz@Work. After receiving the green light for funding from SF State in 2009, both Speight and Purser began to develop Jazz@Work for the real world. The first workshop tests were in 2010 with The Economist and NASA. They are currently looking to hold workshops with Apple and Google and, according to Speight, both companies have shown interest. Group dynamics vary depending on the size of the group. Smaller groups are inevitably more flexible and capable of reacting to a changing environment more quickly. But both must accept a certain hierarchy within the group. Speight’s workshop looks to ease the process of power sharing through jazz values. Cyrus Ginwala, the director of the SFSU Orchestra, understands competing interests within a group. “The common denominator here is a group of people where, by common agreement, some have more control than others,” Ginwala said. Speight believes the difference between an orchestra and a jazz group can be compared to how big and small businesses operate. “In an orchestra, a conductor organizes everything and the musicians just slide in and do their pieces. Small jazz groups are different because it involves five or six different specialists, masters working together,” Speight said. Speight believes it’s time for the intellectual property of the artist to come to the forefront in the business world. “Being able to create stuff in real time is something attractive to business people who often need to innovate rapidly,” Speight said.
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Supreme decision for same-sex marriage BY ALEX EMSLIE | aemslie@mail.sfsu.edu
A
S GAY AND LESBIAN couples in Washington began to tie the knot Dec. 9, under California’s new law recognizing same-sex marriages, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear two cases that could extend constitutional equal protection principles to same-sex couples looking to marry. In California, same-sex marriage rights have been a roller coaster of ups and downs. The state supreme court legalized same-sex marriage for about seven months in 2008 before voters approved Proposition 8, a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. They were again briefly legalized after a federal district court struck the amendment down in August 2010. In total, about 18,000 same-sex marriages have been legally performed in California, but their state recognition has been called into question since the passage of Prop. 8. “At this point in my life, I’m not looking to be married, but I may want to at some point,” Juan Guzman, SF State Queer Alliance president, said. “It’s important to have the right that everybody else has to show my love.” The highest court in the country has been asked to determine once and for all if a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional in the case Hollingsworth, et. al. v. Perry, et. al. The case questions whether a state ban on same-sex marriage violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, essentially amounting to discrimination based on sexual orientation. The 14th Amendment, added to the U.S. Constitution after the Civil War, guarantees “equal protection of the laws” to every U.S. citizen, and opponents of Prop. 8 argue that allowing opposite-sex couples to marry while denying the right to same-sex couples violates this principle.
“I’ve learned not to try to predict what the court might do,” said SF State constitutional law professor Martin Carcieri, adding that at least four of the nine Supreme Court justices had to vote for hearing each case. Both those for and against same-sex marriage are trying to predict how the court’s swing vote, Justice Anthony Kennedy, will rule. “Kennedy is the center of the universe on this issue,” Carcieri said. He added that majority opinions authored by Kennedy in two previous cases regarding the rights of same-sex couples show that the judge could likely vote that Prop. 8 is unconstitutional. When a lower court, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, deemed Prop. 8 unconstitutional in August, the justices attempted to narrow the ruling so it would only apply to California and would leave the broader constitutionality of voter approved same-sex marriage bans in other states unanswered. But the Supreme Court also agreed Dec. 7 to hear a separate case, U.S. v. Windsor, challenging the national Defense of Marriage Act’s prohibition of federal recognition of same-sex marriages. Section 3 of DOMA prevents same-sex couples who were legally married in states that allow the union from claiming federal benefits the government allows for opposite-sex married couples. Those benefits affect access to spouses in hospitals, federal tax deductions, shared benefits for the spouses of federal employees and immigration status in citizen/noncitizen marriages, to name just a few. The Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, in defense of DOMA, argued in Supreme Court filings that the court should grant review to one of several other challenges to the law defining marriage as an institution between one man and one woman. In response, Edith Windsor’s attorneys wrote that her case presented a poignant example of the harm DOMA does to same-sex couples, citing an estate tax levied against Windsor after she received an inheritance from her deceased spouse. “There is no dispute that if Ms. Windsor had inher-
ited the estate of her husband, she would not have had to pay a penny of estate tax, rather than $363,000,” attorneys for Windsor wrote. Opponents of DOMA argue that it violates the 5th Amendment’s “due process clause” because the 14th Amendment does not apply to the federal government. However, the Supreme Court ruled in 1954 that the 5th Amendment’s guarantee of due process contained an implicit equal protection component. Even though the numbers of the amendments are different, Carcieri said, the legal question in both cases is essentially the same: Does a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage (Hollingsworth v. Perry) or a federal law reserving benefits for opposite-sex married couples (U.S. v. Windsor) violate constitutional guarantees of equality under the law? Petitioners to the Supreme Court, defending Prop. 8, argue that the state has a rational basis in promoting opposite-sex marriage to protect “enduring, stable unions for the sake of responsibly producing and raising the next generation,” according to Supreme Court filings. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in August that there was no legitimate state interest or rational basis for California to ban same-sex marriage, applying a traditional legal test for whether a law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. “It’s a human right,” Guzman said. “Sure, it affects some people and not others, but just like the civil rights movement, everybody should have the same rights. Everybody should try to pursue equality.” Because both the state of California and President Barack Obama’s Department of Justice have declined to defend Prop. 8 and DOMA respectively, the court has asked that third-party petitioners in both cases to prepare arguments explaining why they have standing to defend the laws. Arguments in both cases could be heard as early as March, and decisions are expected summer 2013. Dec. 7, 2012 U.S. Supreme Court grants review of Prop. 8 and another case challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act
FIGHTING FOR EQUAL RIGHTS Same-sex marriage rights have been on a wild and bumpy ride. This timeline showcases 12 years of struggle for queer couples
GRAPHIC BY ALEX EMSLIE
Aug. 16, 2010 U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals stays Walker’s ruling and schedules hearing
of appeals for December
March 7, 2000 Voters pass Prop. 22, a legislative ban on same-sex marriage
Aug. 22, 2005 State Supreme Court rules that gay and lesbian couples who raise children are lawful parents
Sept. 19, 2003 State Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act expands domestic partnership rights
May 15, 2008 State Supreme Court invalidates Prop. 22. Samesex marriage legal for about five months
Sept. 29, 2005 - Oct. 12, 2007 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoes same-sex marriage bills
Nov. 4, 2008 State voters approve Prop. 8, a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage
May 26, 2009 State Supreme Court upholds Prop. 8, but rules that some 18,000 same-sex marriages that took place before Prop. 8 are still valid
Feb. 7, 2012 9th Circuit strikes down Prop. 8 but attempts to narrow the ruling so it will only apply to CA. Prop. 8 supporters vow to appeal to U.S. Supreme Court
Aug. 4, 2010 Federal District Judge Vaughn Walker rules Prop. 8 unconstitutional. Same-sex marriage is legal in CA for about two weeks
Source: LA Times
I DO: (Left) A gay man holds his marriage certificate after the state ban on same-sex marriage was reversed Feb. 7. (Center) A lesbian woman puts a hand around her partner at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center. Photos by Mihail Matikov/ Special to Xpress (Bottom) Frank and Joe Capley-Alfano celebrate the repeal of Prop. 8 in front of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Photo by Andrew Lopez/ Special to Xpress
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Musicians end fall semester on a high note
9 MAESTRO: Martin Seggelke conducts the SF State Wind Ensemble in Knuth Hall Dec. 4 as members rehearse for the upcoming, end-of-semester concerts, including the trip to Sonoma State University. This semester is the first time the wind ensemble has left the University to perform. Photo by Andy Sweet
The SF State Wind Ensemble, comprised of 45 musicians, traveled to its first off-campus performance at Sonoma State University Dec. 7. The ensemble is known for featuring new compositions in its perfomances and sometimes features pieces by world-renowned musicians
SOUND ADVICE: Kyle Hildebrant and Virginia Tieman talk to Santa Rosa High School students after playing for them in their band room. The students were interested in hearing about universities with exceptional music programs. Photo by Andy Sweet
TRUMPED: From left, Cameron Carabajal, Jeremy Marucut and Clint Lewis rehearse in Knuth Hall Dec. 4 for the upcoming concerts, including the trip to Sonoma State University. Photo by Andy Sweet ROAD TRIP: The SF State Wind Ensemble boarded a charter bus to go to Sonoma State University to play its first off-campus concert Dec. 7. The ensemble was excited to perform David Maslanka’s Symphony No. 7. Photo by Andy Sweet
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12.12.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
SOBER: Taylor Todd stands outside the SUB-Mission gallery, where his band just finished up their set. He is wearing a Society System Decontrol shirt with his fists x’ed up with permanent marker, symbolizing his straight edge lifestyle. Photo by Matt Saincome
Punk smashes stereotype
BY MATT SAINCOME | saincome@mail.sfsu.edu
T
HE TERM STRAIGHT EDGE was coined in the Minor Threat song “Straight Edge” more than 30 years ago, but after decades of misrepresentation, the term has been skewed. Straight edgers don’t drink, smoke or do drugs. Some don’t engage in promiscuous sex, consume animal products, or drink caffeine, but the three core tenets of straight edge that all edgers share are no drugs, drinking or smoking. This choice often finds them at odds with the idea of a typical college experience, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that 28.2 percent of college-aged people binge drink. “It’s weird for me to even think about what the words ‘college experience’ mean. I would never, ever join a frat or do any of that stuff. Drinking and doing drugs just aren’t a part of my life,” a straight edge student and liberal arts major Taylor Todd, 22, said. The message remains relevant to many people, including college-aged people like Todd, who are looking to find their high without the use of substances. Often, that high is found by playing in a band — or two in Todd’s case — and being a part of the punk and hardcore community. In response to the late 1970s punk scene — filled with nihilist aspects involving substance abuse — straight edge first boomed in the early 1980s around bands like Minor Threat and Society System Decontrol, according to “American Hardcore: A Tribal History” written by Steven Blush. As bands and people moved on over time, the idea remained, and in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s straight edge took a new form around youth crew bands including Youth of Today, Chain of Strength and Gorilla Biscuits. Later on, a more militant straight edge movement
rose from the scene and some bands, like Earth Crisis, started advocating violence toward drug dealers or intoxicated people at their shows, according to Carl Gunhouse, 36, who has been involved in the straight edge scene for more than 20 years. The more militant aspect of straight edge ended up garnering more attention and left a harsh stigma on people like Todd. Todd plays in two hardcore bands featuring exclusively straight edge members: Secret People, his main project, and Counter, his side project. Counter is one of the few bands in the Bay Area hardcore scene that openly claim the straight edge title, and are going on a three-day California tour with the popular Maryland straight edge band Mindset. Todd came to San Francisco to get away from the drug culture in Mendocino County, where he was raised. As he watched friend after friend fall victim to drugs, he saw straight edge and the big city as a positive escape. Todd doesn’t have a story of heartbreak or family tragedy behind his reason for claiming edge. He doesn’t slap beers out of other people’s hands and won’t refuse to sit at the same table with a person eating meat. “I am straight edge because I observed the world around me. Straight edge and vegetarianism are about rejecting things that are blindly consumed. Just because something is the traditional diet doesn’t mean it’s what’s best for you,” Todd said. Going through college being straight edge wasn’t much of a challenge for Gunhouse, as he was part of the hardcore community where straight edge was understood. After receiving his master’s of fine arts from Yale University, along with a slew of other degrees, Gunhouse now teaches photography to college students and documents bands. “In hardcore in general I think it’s fair to say the militant aspect has always been in the minori-
ty, which can lend itself to some boisterous over compensating, i.e. Judge, Earth Crisis, Floorpunch, etc.” Gunhouse said in an email explaining that some people may have a misconception of straight edge as a whole due to some poorly made documentaries. But Todd said he doesn’t see straight edge as a dividing or isolating factor in his life. Some extreme factions within the straight edge scene are more militant, excluding others who partake in drugs and alcohol from their social circle, but for Todd and many others like him, that isn’t what a positive lifestyle is about. Carloz Cruz, 19, a fan of Secret People and student at Skyline College, explained why other straight edgers may get a bad rep for being judgmental, but the guys in Secret People, Todd included, do not. “I think it’s all about how they go about it. They don’t push it on you,” Cruz said. On tour, Todd’s bandmates say he is the enthusiastic guy who gets them off the couch to go see the city. The youngest in his band, Todd provides the youthful energy and his friends provide the experience needed to complete their band’s goals. Matt McCall, who is in both of Todd’s bands, recalled what it was like touring the Northwest with a man almost 10 years younger than himself. “He pushes us to do stuff when I would just sit down and watch TV,” McCall said. Todd enjoyed skating from a young age and says seeing his friends quit skating once they got into heavier drugs, reaffirmed his choice to live a drug free lifestyle. Fearing that he too would get stuck in a small town working a dead end job, Todd used straight edge to “keep his focus.” “I can’t tell if I’m going to be edge forever. I hope if I’m not edge that I will have gained some perspective from being edge that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I hope I’ll be.”
A RTS A N D EN T ERTA I N M EN T CALENDAR
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG SFSU Literary Release Party Dec. 12 7 p.m. FREE Joe Goode Annex
SantaCon2012 Dec. 15 All Day Free Larkin Street and Grove Street
Berlin-Style Ping Pong and Karaoke Dec. 21 8 p.m. $7 Rickshaw Stop
A Jewish Christmas: Films, Chinese Food and Strip Dreidel Dec. 25 5 p.m. $10 Make-Out Room
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A R T S A N D E N T E R T A I N M E N T 11
Queer community rallies around art CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
individual — drag king blues performer, Boyce found that audiences expected quick, campy routines rather than a true singer-songwriter performance. “I was actually pulling teeth to get gigs,” said Boyce, who performs under the name TuffNStuff. “And I realized that it wasn’t just me that I saw that happening in the community. So we just started brainstorming. Why is this such an issue? How can we change?” Boyce and Chan hosted their first Queer Rebels of the Harlem Renaissance production at the African American Art & Culture Complex in 2010. The event was so popular that people had to be turned away. The show was expanded to two days in 2011 and to three days this year. “We wanted to showcase that energy from the queer Harlem Renaissance, and recreate it in a way that’s more modern and that’s today and our artists, but paying tribute to those who came before us,” Boyce said. “It’s all these obscured histories,” Chan said. “In the Harlem Renaissance, there were all of these brilliant poets and blues musicians and dancer...” “And it was so gay!” Boyce interjected. “And how many people have no idea? It gets lost, it gets hidden.” Poet Joshua Merchant values the destruction of myths of black and queer communities through
Queer Rebels, as well as the connections he has made through attending and performing in their shows. “It’s a good networking tool for us to find each other,” Merchant said. “I didn’t know there were that many queer artists of color in the Bay Area until I discovered Queer Rebels of the Harlem Renaissance.” To close out another year of their snowballing success, Boyce and Chan threw a winter shindig at the El Rio bar on Mission Street Dec. 9, which doubled as a CD release for Boyce’s new TuffNStuff EP, “Trans of Venus.” Though it was only a taste of what audiences see at Queer Rebels of the Harlem Renaissance, it was a night packed with music, poetry, dance and film. Spoken word artist Elena Rose and singer-songwriter Star Amerasu both made their Queer Rebels debuts that night. “We have history and context, and I think it’s really lovely to be a part of that lineage,” Rose said. “To be able to step into that and say we’re part of a family here, we’re part of a tradition of being amazing, that’s something I really value about this group.” Amerasu, who took the stage at El Rio with a child’s sized guitar and her Clipper card as a pick, was also excited to take advantage of the performance space and debut a song she wrote called “Light the Way,” a lighthearted response to a particularly hateful experience.
To see our Xclusive video featuring live performances and interviews with the artists of a Queer Rebels show
“I was walking down the street, and these girls were yelling ‘faggot’ at me,” recalled Amerasu. “And I was like, ‘Oh my god, these are like, 12-year-old girls!’ and I can’t believe little kids are learning to hate.” The song conveys a message of hope for a more loving world, mixed with bits of biting retaliation that had the audience in stitches. “I hope that people realize that one day there will be a world we can just smile and remember the past and remember that this is what happened, but we live in a different place and I’m ready to be in that place,” Amerasu said. All proceeds from the Queer Rebels winter shindig will go towards events coming up in 2013, including “Spirit: A Century of Queer Asian Activism,” and the next screening of the “Exploding Lineage!” experimental film series. Chan and Boyce hope to continue the growth of their project, and are hoping to hire interns in the near future. “I think with cultural production can change our lives and what we think is possible, and our images of ourselves and each other,” Chan said. “We really want to be a community building arts organization that’s making sure our histories are known.” Discounted tickets are available for seniors and youth for all Queer Rebels shows. Be on the lookout for upcoming show information at queerrebels.com and facebook.com/QRProductions.
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12.12.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG STAFF EDITORIAL
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STUDENTS HAVE SAY IN PROFESSORS’ FATE
T
HE ROLE OF STUdent and professor are pretty rigidly defined. We students do our best — or at least try to convince our professors that we do — all semester and then we patiently wait for our benevolent instructors to post our grades. But at the end of each semester the tables get turned and we get a chance to grade our professors, a responsibility that we need to take seriously. Those pesky orange standardized test forms that tend to keep us in our last classes of the semester for an extra 15 minutes can seem like more of a nuisance than anything else. Our brains are overloaded with memorized facts, our wrists are sore from using number two pencils to fill in bubbles and the thought of another form to fill out is often too much to bear. But these evaluations are important — perhaps more than most students realize. The praise or criticism that we pass along on these forms goes directly to the committees that decide the futures of our esteemed educators, and these decisions can have long-lasting implications if they are consistently negative. These grades we give our professors are a key factor in deciding who gets
tenure, which is basically the holy grail of a career in academia. Once a professor is granted tenure, it’s nearly impossible to fire them, barring a grievous breach of ethics or a felony conviction. That means that every crappy tenured professor you’ve ever had will continue being crappy, and get paid well for it, until they decide to retire. The perks of tenure don’t end with job security. Assistant professors, who don’t have tenure, make $71,681 annually, whereas associate professors make $81,445, and fully tenured professors make $98,510, according to Education News.
But the knife cuts both ways. For every professor out there who is condescending and overbearing, there is another professor who is understanding, competent and deserves to be promoted. These professors deserve your praise just as much as that instructor who embarrassed you for asking a silly question deserves your vindictive rant. So take these evaluations seriously. Their implications are likely to impact students here at SF State long after you graduate.
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MTV still a valid source for music
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WRITE US A LETTER The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words. Letters are subject to editing. Send letters to Lindsay Oda at:
There used to be a time when MTV was all about TRL rather than GTL (gym, tan, laundry). It was these days when more video premieres flooded the network than reality show dramas. Since its launch in 1981, MTV has evolved into a pop culture phenomenon as it transitioned from daily video countdowns to reality programs like “The Real World.” Through the transition, it appeared that MTV had lost a sense of what started it all as reality shows became a key part of the daily schedule, overtaking the amount of music shown. My fondest memory of MTV when I first started watching was “Total Request Live.” The show, hosted by Carson Daly, hit the air in 1998, and featured the top videos of the day and often had popular artists stop by the studio for live performances and interviews. Everyone from ‘N Sync and Britney Spears to Green Day and Blink-182 made an appearance on the show, which aired live from Times Square. Sadly, the show was cancelled in 2008. As an avid MTV viewer for more than a decade, I feel like the network is still strong for music despite being flooded with reality entertainment. I constantly find new music to listen to based on songs that are played on “The Real World” or “Jersey Shore.” One thing most viewers may not know is that reality shows have been on
MTV for far longer than they think. “The Real World,” MTV’s longest running reality show, first aired in 1992. Since then it has become home to “Jersey Shore,” “The Hills,” “Jackass,” “Teen Mom” and more. While MTV has branded itself with images of reality stars such as Snooki, Speidi, Tila Tequila and Paris Hilton, I feel like the station never lost its true musical identity. In 1984, MTV introduced the moonman statue as they kicked off the annual Video Music Awards. Winners are chosen based off viewer votes in numerous categories such as video of the year and best new artists. The 2011 VMAs netted roughly 12.4 million viewers, the highest ratings for the yearly awards show, according to Billboard. This year Billboard reported the 2012 award show only brought in 6.1 million viewers. I still see MTV as a place to discover new artists as they often feature an artist of the week during the closing credits of their many reality shows. The music aspect is still there. MTV also provides fans another resource to find new music through other networks: MTV2, mtvU, Tr3s, MTV Hits and MTV Jams. There is also a great online community where video premieres, music news, interviews and live performances can be streamed.
Many reality shows are facing their final seasons this year — “Teen Mom” wrapped in August and “Jersey Shore” has a few episodes to go. “Jersey Shore” has had a decline in ratings since the season four finale Oct. 20, 2011, with only 6.6 million viewers compared to 7.6 million viewers for the season three finale, according to Entertainment Weekly. Perhaps music fans will get their music videos back in those time slots, but viewers should know that MTV wouldn’t keep bringing back GTL for the past few years if fans didn’t tune in for it every Jersday Thursday. MTV is still a place that houses music, it’s just not solely located in a video countdown anymore. Instead, new MTV music discoveries can be found in the PUSH Artist Of The Week feature and tracks featured on reality shows. Plus, MTV is still a good music outlet for night owls and early birds as they often air a block of videos during 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. on AMTV. For all you music fans and lovers out there, don’t give up on MTV just yet. And if you already have, why not give it another chance? It may be a little harder to find new music on the network, but it is still out there. You never know, you may just find your next favorite artist or band the next time you’re waiting for your next dose of reality television.
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CORRECTIONS FOR XPRESS PRINT EDITION 12.5.12
The Ouija board caption on the front page featured photo labeled “Up In Flames” was incorrect. The photo was in reference to the haunted dorms story and should have been credited to Tearsa Joy Hammock.
We regret the error.
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THE INS & OUTS A WEEKLY SEX COLUMN BY CASSIE BECKER cassbeck@mail.sfsu.edu
Just the sex tips: Essential advice for the sexually active college student
As the final installment of The Ins & Outs, I leave you with the most important sex column you’ll ever read
hi•a•tus
(L., pp. of hiare, to gape, whence gap, gasp):
1. a break where a part is missing; 2. any gap or opening...
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T
Rape is the most common violent crime on AmerHE END OF THE SEMESican college campuses today, according to a paper ter is officially upon us and our from the U.S. Department of Justice, “Acquaintance second round has come to an Rape of College Students.” The National Institute end. But before I go, I’d like of Justice reported that for every 1,000 women atto give the five most important tending a college, 35.3 women have been the victim pieces of advice I can to the of rape. That means that on a campus as large as SF sexually active college student. State, more than 1,000 women have been raped. In Stay sexually active. I’ve all cases, no means no. And silence always means said it before and I’ll say it again: We lead busy no. lives. But that’s no excuse to let your sexuality take The inverse is also true — you must always rea backseat to the daily grind. Frequent sex, even if member that you reserve the right to say no. If you it’s with yourself, keeps the blood flowing and will feel even the least bit uncomfortable with participatset you up for a fantastic sex life when you finally ing in a situation, say no and get away as quickly as have time for one. Think of it as an investment in possible. Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t your future, like exercise, and stimulate those genisay no or make you feel bad for doing so. It’s your tals a few times a week. right to feel comfortable in all sexual situations and Sexual desire never really dies. A 2010 study freely say no. by the Kinsey Institute Get tested. Clinics found that more than Since breaking up with her inner prude, abound in San Francis20 percent of people in Cassie Becker has done it all. Her interest co for this sort of thing. the United States aged in sexual exploration has led her to write Planned Parenthood and 80 to 94 were sexually several blogs and break even more beds. Student Health Services active. I want you to be She’s extensively researched and written alone provide plenty of about it — all with a sexy smile. a part of that percentopportunities to get tested. age! Staying sexually There is no excuse to be active will help fight off unaware of your status when it comes to sexually sexual dysfunction later in life. transmitted infections. Between 2010 and 2011, Be yourself. Don’t waste a lifetime of pleasure chlamydia increased 5 percent, gonorrhea 1.5 on activities that don’t get you off. If you’re into percent and infectious syphilis 18 percent, accordsomething off the beaten path, someone out there ing to recently released statistics by the California is also into that! Seek out that person and embrace Department of Public Health. These STIs are the your own sexuality. Most importantly, never let anyone tell you that what you’re into is weird, gross nastiest of the nasty. They can leave you infertile, with infections and sometimes even leave you with or wrong (with a few legal exceptions, of course). life-threatening complications. Now is not the time Sexual positivity across generations will help us to take liberties with safe sex. break out of traditional conventions and accept all Remember to always use a condom, dental dam, sexual behaviors into our sexual dialogue. finger cot or another protective barrier when having Don’t hold back. If you hear about something sex, especially if either participant is unaware of his you might be interested in, if your partner is into or her status. The health center, Planned Parenthood something intriguing, if you’re bored with your normal routine — try something new. And try some- and EROS all supply barrier methods inexpensive or free of charge. Pick some up and make an appointthing new frequently. You never know what you might be into. You could find the one thing that gets ment to get tested. It only takes a quick blood draw you going more than anything else if you just give it and a urine test, and it couldn’t be more worth it. So that’s it. All the words of wisdom I have for a shot. Remember, Dutch researchers recently found you. Please stay curious and keep learning about sex that women were more likely to ignore icky things and sexuality. Read up on it online, take a class and when sexually aroused. Give everything a chance. have copious amounts of sex. Make pleasure one of Get consent. This is mandatory in every situyour top priorities and don’t let anyone stop you from ation. You must always get consent. If the person indulging your sexual self. Enjoy yourself! seems willing but you aren’t really sure, just ask!
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12.12.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
PLAYER
DECENSAE WHITE
WEEK
BASKETBALL
of the
Senior Decensae White has been chosen as the Xpress Player of the Week. White tallied 17 points and a season-high 12 rebounds against Sonoma State Dec. 1, recording his second double-double this season.
PHOTO BY TYLER DENISTON/SF STATE SPORTS
Biomechanics could enhance athletic ability BY HEATHER ITO | hito@mail.sfsu.edu
The software dedicated to analyzing human movement may help athletes boost skills
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WIMMERS OF A young age are thrust into the water to learn a challenging technique: the breaststroke. Only after years and years of professional training does a swimmer become polished enough for an olympic competition. With biomechanics, physics is used to analyze performance in order to gain a greater understanding of human moveEXERCISE THE MIND: Professor Robert Schleihauf and his students look at the biomechanics software that shows the exact movements of athletes using various ment. devices and high speed cameras. The athletic department has yet to take advantage of the tools the kinesiology department offers. Photo by Andy Sweet University professor Robert Schleihauf could potentially improve the it would be beneficial for them in the long (Schleihauf) is talking about.” is a two-stroke action done under the techniques of SF State athletes through run.” Because the study of biomechanics center of mass, according to Burke. biomechanics, which he said is most efAthletic departments at other universirequires extensive quantitative measure“So at max velocity I want to see the fective with sports like swimming, tennis, ties such as the University of San Francis- ments and analysis, computer programs athlete’s hips as high as possible and very and track and field. co have good relationships with kinesiolo- are used to measure this movement. strong and fast down stroke as that is how After joining the staff in 1995 with a gy departments. Schleihauf spent 35 years developing a force is applied,” he said. “When done background in swimming biomechanics, Doug Padron, USF biomechanics program correctly it is smooth and very silent. I Schleihauf said he intended to work with athletic performance of his own. This program emphasize the latter because a good coach the swimming team, but the coach was assistant athletic direcmeasures an individual’s can hear when it’s wrong because the not interested. Even though the University tor, said the University movements from a video strike will be loud.” men’s and women’s conference-competwould like to integrate clip and creates movement While Schleihauf’s program was ing swimming teams were cut from the some of the professors maps and illustrations that available for coaches at no extra cost, athletic program in 2004, Schleihauf said as “exercise physiolcan be used to compare the Burke said it’s still a matter of finding biomechanics can be used to help improve ogists” once a science same movement from anenough time to use the program with the the techniques of other athletes building is built to other individual, according athletes since they are also busy with as well. house more exercise to biomechanics professor school. “The number one thing is to say, In order to physiology resources Kate Hamel. “I can get the changes that I need ‘Well, identify the one thing you need for the department. Women’s track and without using software,” he said. “I don’t get a science, to do to improve your technique,’ and Padron said biomefield head coach Terry think that I need to add another layer biomechanics then ask the coach — and I was a coach chanics is important Burke said using biomewhen I’m getting progress without (it). (and) kinesiology as well as a researcher — to go ahead not only to help prevent chanics programs is not It’s gonna complicate the process.” program to and implement that change,” Schleihauf injuries, but to help completely necessary to Although Schleihauf said using the contribute to said. “Now, implementing that change improve an athlete’s train his athletes since program shouldn’t take much time if the sometimes takes a year, so you can’t do the welfare and technique. he has been trained in user understands biomechanics, he said this quickly.” to benefit one “I think there’s a the field. Burke said he the biggest problem now is getting the Basketball guard and senior Michaeanother with the value in (using biomecompleted several courses right support. la Booker, who changed her major to athletics program chanics to train) too on biomechanics for his “In order to get a science, biomekinesiology at the beginning of Fall 2012, you gotta get the because you’re doing coaches training under the chanics (and) kinesiology program to thinks that using biomechanics programs right people to injury prevention at the Track & Field Academy contribute to the welfare and to benefit and equipment in college-level sports is same time,” he said. “If for the U.S Track & Field one another with the athletics program, come together not particularly necessary. you’re identifying how and Cross Country Coach- you gotta get the right people to come to“It would be beneficial (but) probably Robert Schleihauf, an athlete moves and es Association. gether,” he said. “You gotta have coaches not at the college level because, at this Kinesiology professor what deficiencies they “When you’re lookthat want to improve and use science to level, all the basketball players already may have as a result of ing for big changes, improve — not all coaches want that — are used to a certain type of way (of that and training them you shouldn’t need softand we got to have scientists that really, doing things),” she said. “You can’t really based on what you’re seeing and what ware,” Burke said. “You should be able to really want to help those people.” change a senior’s jump shot anymore — you’re able to analyze, they perform at a do it by just looking at it.” Schleihauf’s own software suite is in it’s too late. So maybe at a younger age high level with wellness as their base. I An example are key actions emphause in the University biomechanics lab for if you teach them to have the right form, don’t think that’s any different than what sized when an athlete sprints. Sprinting free for college programs. the right technique and that type of stuff,
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SP OR T S SCHEDUL E FRIDAY (12.14) WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SF STATE VS. NOTRE DAME DE NAMUR UNIVERSITY 7 P.M. (BELMONT, CALIF.)
S C O R E
SCORES FROM THE LAST WEEK OF GATOR SPORTS
B O A R D
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
W
SF STATE VS. DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY 60-38
MEN’S BASKETBALL
W
SF STATE VS. SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 72-70
W
SF STATE VS. SONOMA STATE 63-49
WRESTLING
L
SF STATE VS. CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 9-32
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S P O R T S 15
| 12.12.12
Senior sets new Gator standards BY ROCHELLE ROMERO | reromero@mail.sfsu.edu
She is the first person in school history to get MVP in women’s volleyball and second student athlete to earn California Collegiate Athletic Association’s MVP honors in any sport. SF State senior Iris Tolenada has it all. After a heartbreaking loss to Grand Canyon University in the first round of the playoffs for the SF State women’s volleyball team, Tolenada, 21, ended her senior season with her last award by being named to the All-West Regional Tournament Team. The 5-foot-8-inch setter and Bay Area native has proven to be an integral part of the squad since her freshman season, winning the CCAA conference Freshman of the Year award. Fellow teammate and this season’s Freshman of the Year, Meagan Wright, is thankful to have played with Tolenada for her final season. “I’m so sad she’s leaving, extremely sad,” Wright said. “Iris is a valuable player and she did great things when she was here. We’re really going to miss her.” Head coach Michelle Patton couldn’t agree more after watching her develop as a player over the past four years. “It’s been an honor to coach her and push her throughout the last four years,” Patton said. “I know that this was something she really wanted for herself. I’m just proud that she got the recognition.” Tolenada arrived at SF State with an impressive high school career behind her. She led Deer Valley High School to the California Interscholastic Federation’s North Coast Section playoff finals for three straight years 2006-08 while receiving MVP honors as a senior and most outstanding player accolades as a junior. Holding the Deer Valley High School career and single-season record for assists, Tolenada was ready to set her goals high. She first realized she wanted to play competitively after attending Stanford volleyball camps. “My first time at this top University camp opened my eyes to a whole new world of competitive volleyball,” she said. “When coaches asked me what my plans were after high school, I knew I had to get my name out there.” In her first season as a Gator, Tolenada established a new single-season record with 1,254
assists. “As far as breaking records go, I knew I wanted to break records, but I never knew exactly which ones I would break,” she said. After being recruited her junior year by SF State, Tolenada turned down opportunities to play for top CCAA teams Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus. Her ultimate decision to attend SF State was because of its proximity to her family, who support her by attending every game. “For Iris, there is no excuse not to be at her games,” Tolenada’s parents, Ingemar and Janet Tolenada, said via email. “She is such a hardworking athlete and we are proud to watch her always do her best. We know she looks upon us to draw some strength when things are not going well.” Tolenada credits her parents’ support as her biggest motivation to succeed. “They are the most supportive parents I could ever ask for and I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Tolenada said. “They support not only their kids, but their kids’ teammates as well. It was always great to hear my teammates ask me if my parents are coming to the games because I know they appreciate them, too.” With the 2012 season over and her volleyball career at SF State ending on a high note, Tolenada is optimistic about her future and hopes to share her love for volleyball after graduation. “Maybe after I graduate I will look into playing overseas — it’s always been something I’ve been interested in because I can’t get enough of volleyball,” Tolenada said. “Right now I am coaching high school girls’ club volleyball. It’s my first time as an assistant coach and I’m extremely excited to help other players that are motivated to reach a higher level of volleyball.” Beyond coaching and possibly playing overseas, she also plans to attend graduate school for physical therapy. Tolenada is grateful that her last season was her best. “This is the dream senior year I could ever ask for because I am blessed with the best family, team and support system,” Tolenada said. “I tell everyone that dreams do come true and my senior year is enough proof for me.”
RECORD SETTER: Gators Iris Tolenada sets the ball during the women’s volleyball game against UC San Diego. Tolenada was recognized as MVP in women’s volleyball as well as in the CCAA. Tolenada credits her success to the support of her parents throughout her career. Photo by Tyler Deniston/ Special to Xpress
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