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VOLUME LXXXXVII ISSUE 4
Queer center progress delayed
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INCLUSIVE: Lexi Adsit, an activist in the SF State queer community, has applied to be director of the Queer Resource Center, a project she said she has been suspicious of since its proposal. Photo by John Ornelas
Wong pushes for athletics University president pledges to stress importance of SF State’s sports department
BY HEATHER ITO | hito@mail.sfsu.edu
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BY KIRSTIE HARUTA | kharuta@mail.sfsu.edu
MIABLE CHATTER BETWEEN FRIENDS GAVE WAY to tension when a small portion of SF State’s queer community met with two Associated Students, Inc. representatives to discuss the status of the Queer Resource Center. The center was proposed last spring by ASI as a new safe space for all queer students on campus. Initially excited about the prospect of this new resource, some queer-identified students are now voicing their frustrations with the dragging process of hiring a director and getting the project off the ground. “They basically said they were going to wait until the semester starts to start to widen the pool of applicants and interview more people,” said Lexi Adsit, who was one of the few people to apply over the summer. “Apparently that’s where they are now.” Adsit is a women and gender studies major, an organizer of the Queer Yo’ Mind conference and a recognized leader in SF State’s queer community. She was wary of the ASI’s proposal from the beginning. “There was an unveiling of the proposed Queer Resource Center, and there was a lot of community feedback about what it was missing and why parts of it were extremely problematic, and there were no conversations after,” Adsit said. Planned to be a part of EROS, SF State’s sexuality resource center, and to grow from there, students felt that the proposed QRC didn’t do enough to expand existing resources. “This meeting is to kind of push the administration into actually making this about students and hiring people that reflect the needs of all students,” Katie Tims, secretary of the Queer Alliance, said. “Many present at the (unveiling) felt it was very homogenous, homonormative if you will.” With such a diverse queer community, students wonder why there hasn’t been more diverse input in the planning process. ASI representatives Abel Gomez and Nazia Chandiwalla, both present at the meeting Sept. 13, insist they are and have been open to suggestions regarding the QRC. “I feel as though I’ve reached out a lot,” said Gomez, who made announcements to campus organizations and sent out a press release regarding the QRC. “I’m not sure what more I can do outside of walking up to them and saying ‘let’s talk.’” As a queer-identified student himself, Gomez said he felt compelled to join ASI’s Board of Directors this year for the very purpose of lending a queer voice to the board. “I have a vote,” he said. “If there’s a proposal, I have the power to say, ‘I approve this.’ That power is restricted to the board of directors. So it felt important to me, as a queer-identified person, to be on the board of directors to midwife this process.” The ASI representatives say that because of Adsit’s leadership role in the commuSEE AGGRAVATED ON PAGE 2
ORMER UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT Robert A. Corrigan was rarely seen at any Gator practices. He barely attended any games. This president will. Among many other things on his agenda, SF State’s new President, Leslie E. Wong, is dedicated to renewing the University’s focus on the sports program. “We want to provide athletics a new sense of support and encouragement,” Wong said. “I have high expectations. I think it can be very, very successful and I think it will complement the very successful academic programs that we have.” According to head baseball coach Mike Cummins, Wong’s announcement generated a positive reaction from the coaches and staff. “I think by him just mentioning that athletics is the gateway for the University is a positive step in the right direction, no doubt,” Cummins said. In the past, SF State’s sports received little attention compared to other departments, according to head wrestling coach Lars Jensen, who has been coaching at SF State for
33 years. He said sports was “like another department” within the University. “I mean, there was not an emphasis put up on sports,” he said. “The number one thing here is academics, of course.” However, Jensen said he is excited that Wong plans on supporting the program. “He’s been at University of Northern Michigan and some other places (like) Southern Colorado and places where the administration puts a greater emphasis towards athletics,” Jensen said. One of the things Wong sees as potential for sports teams is an athlete’s ability to be a role model on campus. Because student athletes are some of the most “highly visible” members of the student population, Wong said they can represent a new image for SF State. With more media attention, sports teams can help bolster the University’s reputation outside of the campus community. Ultimately, Wong said this kind of increased media attention will attract individuals to donate money to the program. “When sports teams are successful, it generates some SEE PRESIDENT ON PAGE 14
2 CAMPUS SF STATE SPEAKS OUT WHAT DO YOU DO TO INVOLVE YOURSELF IN SF STATE’S COMMUNITY?
09.19.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Transgender artist speaks to inspire BY CHARLOTTE BOUDESTEIJN | cboudest@mail.sfsu.edu
WARREN LEWIS, 20
COMMUNICATIONS MAJOR I try to go to all the public things that happen in Cesar Chavez and try to go to all the different career days and those kinds of things that we have and I usually meet a lot of cool people, a lot of cool connections in my field, which is communications right now.
JACOB HSIEH, 20
THEATRE ARTS MAJOR I am the treasurer of the Players Club. It’s a club that’s in charge of running all the events that are extra curricular to the theatre arts department. We have events outside of the department, like Shotgun, which is like this small 24-hour thing that we do for fun.
ALEXIS DUMENG, 17
COMMUNICATIONS MAJOR I had a work study loan so I just applied for a job. The job I applied for was definitely a job that involves the community – it’s for JumpStart. So I was like “Wow, this is gonna be a great way to involve myself in the community outside of SF State.
HANDS OF LOVE: Ryan Cassata cultivates his life experience and expresses his struggles as a transgender male through his passion for music and as a motivational speaker. Photo by Andy Sweet
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
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HEN RYAN OTTO CASSATA STANDS UP with his guitar at the Dolores Park Cafe, he seems like a normal 18-year-old. But there is something different about him. Cassata always felt a little different than everyone else, but didn’t notice what this feeling meant until he met a transgender for the first time. Cassata, born a girl, didn’t feel like a girl. He felt
like a boy. This summer, Cassata moved from New York to San Francisco to study at SF State. He is a motivational speaker, singer-songwriter, activist and first-time freshman. Cassata came out as transgender when he was 14 years old. His mother didn’t take it very well. “I had to come out to her several times because she didn’t really believe it. I think she didn’t want to believe it. She was in denial. I guess I can understand that. Adjusting to anything new is hard,” Cassata said. His dad wasn’t supportive either. “I have two brothers so I was the only daughter. I think that was hard on my dad,” Cassata said. High school and middle school were hard as well. Cassata was bullied and asked why he sounded like a girl. He didn’t take hormones, but did have chest surgery. “Before my surgery, I was often depressed,” Cassata said. “My whole life has really changed. Before I was pitying myself, it’s so awful that I was born this way. Now I’m just like, I don’t care. It made me to the person that I am today. I ended up being a good person.” After all the changes and struggles, Cassata feels happy. He describes his mom as one of the most supportive people in his life now. He and his girlfriend, Alexis Borsky, have been together for about a year. When Cassata performs, he often dedicates a song to her called “Alexis.” Being together didn’t start off easy. Although Borksy said that the couple fell in love at first sight, coming out for the relationship wasn’t easy for her. Her parents kicked her out of the house as soon as she told them she was in a relationship with Cassata. “Ryan supports me in every way possible. I never got that from my parents,” she said. Cassata understands that people are scared to come out of the closet, and tries to inspire and support them through giving speeches and writing songs that he uploads to YouTube. “Hands of Hate,” one of his latest songs, received 21,660 views. In 2011, he received the Harvey Milk Memorial Award. José Bonilla attended Cassata’s performance. Bonilla supports the LGBTQ community and Cassata’s activism. “What’s not to support?” Bonilla asked. At SF State, Cassata mostly hopes to enjoy the college experience to the fullest and inspire people. Cassata also plans to give a speech to the Queer Alliance on campus Sept. 25. After joining a Long Island motivational speaking team, he got calls to do other speeches without the team, in particular about being transgender. “I’m really an open book and I want to be as visible as possible to give the transgender community a good name,” Cassata said.
Aggravated students blame ASI
nity, she was invited to join the planning process, but chose not to. Adsit was planning the first Queer Yo’ Mind conference at the time and said her unavailability doesn’t excuse the lack of diverse representation throughout the process. “This isn’t a project that should be left to only ‘leaders.’ It should also be something that nonleaders and other community members had a say in,” she said. The most starkly contrasting opinions between the concerned students and the ASI representatives have to do with transparency. “I think on our end we’ve been completely transparent from the very beginning,” ASI President Adenike Hamilton said. “Our minutes are posted, our agendas are posted. We’ve done everything we can to inform the student population about the Queer Resource Center.” But Anibal Hurtado, who acted as a moderator during the meeting, insisted there was no transparency and was not content with the suggestion that all was being done to inform the students.
“(ASI doesn’t) know what they’re doing and they don’t know what an action looks like,” said Hurtado, a Cal State East Bay student. Though the students have already grown restless, ASI has asked for patience. “We are actively involved in this process, it’s just that it’s taking a little longer than expected,” Chandiwalla said. “But that doesn’t mean we’re not taking any interest or initiative in it.” There are still concerns about the diversity of representation in the project and about the hiring process, which is to resume this week. “One of my personal goals is to have us as queer students reexamine and analyze what our community institutions on this campus look like, and what they should look like,” Adsit said. “We have one of the richest histories of any campus out there, so I think it’s important for us to do justice to that history.”
CRIME BLOTTER
Comedic interpretations of criminal events at or near SF State
09.12 through 09.18
Driving Under the Influence of Party Rock
CALOY DEGUZMAN, 17
DESIGN INDUSTRY MAJOR I kinda just sit around. I’m not gonna lie! I have no friends. I have my earphones on, just listening to music (and) looking around. I’m kind of a loner. Photos by Sam Battles Reporting by Heather Ito
Officers conducted a traffic stop Sept. 14 on 19th Avenue and determined a subject was driving under the influence around 3 a.m. While intoxication can sometimes lead to a great story or two — come on, this is San Francisco, a city only seven miles across — there are cabs, BART and Muni. Plus, no one is on the bus that late at night so you can turn an empty Muni into a luxurious drunk tank or an impromptu dubstep dance party. The other option is a cold bench at the police station.
Don’t Be a Phony Officers received reports of a stolen phone Sept. 13. The phone was taken from its owner around the Fine Arts Building between 2:20 and 5 p.m. at an estimated loss of $420. Did this person lose a phone or a valuable painting? If you see this phone, contact the owner along with a pair of pants with pockets. This whole scenario is getting nothing but poor reception.
Reporting by Brad Wilson
One Auto Know Better A vehicle was broken into on Winston Drive Sept. 13. When the report was taken, it was noted that nothing was taken and the revenue loss was $0. It appears to be just another case of a good citizen doing his Civic duty testing the legitimacy of an automobile’s security system. Remember to keep a keen eye, lock your doors and set an alarm, unless you think you can a-Ford to lose all those fancy school materials or the car itself. Give us a brake!
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CAMPUS 3
| 09.19.12
ZomBee Watch Project to create a buzz on campus BY VIKRAM SINGH | vpsingh@mail.sfsu.edu
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ESEARCHERS AT SF STATE ARE CALLING ON ALL citizen scientists to do their part in tracking bee parasites, as a possible link to the disappearance of honeybees in hives across the U.S. In 2011 entomologist John Hafernik and graduate student Christopher Quock found dead bees crawling with maggots in the northern corner of the SF State campus. The maggots came from the zombie fly, a species of fly native to the U.S. that injects eggs into bees and slowly takes over the bee’s body and mind. When researchers found bees acting in a zombie-like fashion, they were inspired to create the ZomBee Watch Project. Colony collapse disorder was noticed in 2006 when a Pennsylvania beekeeper tending his bees in Florida woke up one November morning to find his hives abandoned. “There are probably 150 to 200 species of bees that live in the city,” SF State researcher Gretchen LeBuhn said. LeBuhn, who understands the importance of honeybees to the nation’s food supply, started a national bee census project last year called The Great Sunflower Project. “We always say one in every three bites of food is due to the work of honeybees,” she said. Researchers suspect the worker bees foraging and pollinating flowers are the most at risk, but the problem of hives collapsing is not new. “Hives have been failing for a long time, but in 2006 the rate of collapse for commercial hives increased dramatically,” Hafernik said. The way hives are handled, the use of pesticides and pathogens found in nature all create the perfect storm for declining bee populations. “Collecting data is our biggest problem right now,” Hafernik said. This is where students can come in and help out SF State researchers. At night, as far as they know, zombified bees are attracted to illumination like any other insect and are usually found dead under outdoor lights. Students can create a zombee catcher out of a big sports drink bottle, a cheap LED light and something to keep it over the bottle
to attract the mind-controlled bees toward the light. Leave it outside for the night, but be sure not to place it near an actual hive, and in the morning infected bees may be inside. Collecting a variety of bees contributes to data research. Students who capture infected bees should upload a photo of the bee and give the location and circumstances under which it was found. Keep it isolated and wait and see if maggots begin to crawl out of the chest of the dead bee’s body. “It is important to note the difference between honeybees and hornets,” Hafernik added. If the sports drink bottle is found with a litter of maggots inside the bees, upload a photo and update the findings on the ZomBee Watch website, www.zombeewatch.org. “So far, we have only had a picture of what’s happening at night,” Quock said. By tagging the bees, Quock will have a clearer idea of what’s going on during the day as well. The SF State graduate student also designed the protocol to track the infected bees which maintains data collection for the experiment. “Typical traffic in a honeybee hive runs between 20,000 to 30,000 bees,” said Quock, who keeps the infected hive housed in a wooden box in a lab on the 8th floor of Hensill Hall. “For this project, I can comfortably fit between 2,000 to 3,000 bees.” Quock designed the experiment to track and control the flow of bees during their rush hours, which are largely in the morning and at night. Tracking chips, which look like glitter and cost 25 cents a piece, are glued to the backs of about 500 bees so that when they enter and exit the hive, the chips are read. A plastic bridge connecting the infected hive to the outside world is designed to make the bees walk right-side up and in a straight line so their tracking chips are read correctly. Quock hopes to look at this information and possibly find a behavioral link between infected zombees and healthy bees. “We know there are zombie flies all over the U.S. We have data from as far down as Santa Barbara for bees that have been infected by the fly, but with this project we want to find out if it’s just a West Coast thing or not,” Hafernik said. With the help of the ZomBee Watch Project, students can build their own bee catchers and help SF State researchers help track honeybee parasites.
STINGING PROBLEMS: Dead honeybees crawling with maggots were found at SF State. Researchers are asking students to help capture and study infected bees. Photo by Tearsa Joy Hammock
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4 CITY The evolution of BART The impact of rapid transit in the Bay Area over the past 65 years
09.19.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
BART celebrates four decades of transportation in the Bay Area
January 1957 — California Legislature approves creation of a five-county Bay Area Rapid Transit
July 1959 — State Legislature approves construction of Transbay Tube to connect San Francisco and Oakland November 1962 — District voters approved $792 million for the construction of BART and Muni lines January 1966 — Construction begins in Oakland July 1967 — Construction begins in San Francisco Sept. 11, 1972 — BART opens to serve more than 100,000 passengers August 1973 — First BART train travels through Transbay Tube connecting East Bay and Montgomery stations November 1973 — Eight stations open in San Francisco and extend service between Montgomery and Daly City stations
October 1988 — Board of Directors approves BART extension from East Bay south to the Peninsula and SFO Oct. 17, 1989 — Loma Prieta earthquake caused severe damage to the Bay Bridge, which made BART the quickest way to get from San Francisco to the East Bay June 2002 — The SFO line opens connecting South Francisco, San Bruno and Millbrae stations Sept. 11, 2012 — BART celebrates 40th anniversary
ALL ABOARD: Many ticket stations around the city were decorated to mark the 40th anniversary of BART Sept. 11. The agency has announced there will be several public events held throughout the Bay Area to give back to the community. Photo by John Ornelas BY NOEMY MENA | mena@mail.sfsu.edu
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to Justin Bell, a freshman and theatre arts major at SF ORTY YEARS AGO, THE BAY State. Although Bell lives on campus, he relies on BART Area Rapid Transit service slid open to get him around the Bay Area. its doors and connected people from “The seats are gross,” Bell said. across the Bay “You hit them and dust flies all over.” Area. With a Sarai Vasquez, 21, a criminal history of price justice major, said she uses the train increases and regularly to visit her sister in the city service expanand she agrees it’s better than having sion, the agency plans to continue its to sit in traffic. growth in the coming years. “BART works well for students BART started service Sept. 11, because of our low cost and on-time 1972, originally servicing passengers reliability,” Trost said. “Plus, you between MacArthur and Fremont can’t cram for a test when driving into stations. BART now spans more than BART works school, but you certainly can when 100 miles to 44 stations, serving more well for students taking BART.” than 375,000 riders Monday through because of our Luis Ramos, freshman and busiFriday and more than 300,000 on low cost and onness major, enjoys the convenience of weekends. time reliability. using the free SF State shuttle to Daly “BART has become part of the Plus, you can’t City BART during his commute. fabric of the Bay Area over the past There are plans to improve and excram for a test 40 years,” BART spokeswoman pand BART even more over the next Alicia Trost said. “We need to invest when driving 40 years. New stations are currently in our system.” into school, but being constructed in Antioch, eastBART, which has the oldest you certainly ern Contra Costa County and Warm train fleet in the country, recently can when taking Springs, which is south of Fremont. purchased 416 new cars. By 2017, BART. “We are all very excited about our the $896 million project should add fleet of the future,” Trost said. an updated public announcement BART, the fifth-largest heavy rail system, extra seating for seniors and Alicia Trost agency, plans to kick off its 40th annipeople with disabilities, and more BART spokeswoman versary celebration beginning Sept. 19 boarding doors to BART trains. with special promotions and events. “At 40 years old, we are carryThe agency is asking passengers to ing more passengers than ever and share their vintage photographs of everything is starting to feel its age,” BART. Photos will be posted on the agency’s Flickr and Trost said. Pinterest accounts. Adding new cars with updated interiors brings relief
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THE INS & OUTS
A virgin’s guide to Folsom Street Fair
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The annual fair dedicated to kink culture will be a land of wonder, but newbies should know what they’re getting into
A WEEKLY SEX COLUMN BY CASSIE BECKER cassbeck@mail.sfsu.edu
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a lot, but hauling around heavy gear or a large bag over the course of a hot day is not HE 29TH ANNUAL FOLSOM STREET FAIR WILL BE AN going to help you have fun. Just grab some cash, a phone and some water, and you’ll exhibition of kinktastic fun, filled with leather daddies, eager be good to go for the whole day. submissives and more than 250 vendors and exhibits displaying While you’re at the fair, you’re going to see everything. Yes, everything, and all that the Bay Area has to offer in BDSM. But don’t strap on maybe even some things your twisted mind has not yet realized existed. Consider it a your ball gag just yet — there’s much to learn before heading to learning experience and stash the memories in your spank bank or keep them locked your first Folsom Street Fair. up to use on a partner later. The fair, which will grace San Francisco’s SOMA neighborWe all know you’ll have a camera with you in some form, but remember that hood with its presence Sept. 23, spans 13 city blocks between people attending Folsom Street Fair are there for their own merriment and not as sideSeventh and Twelfth streets and seven hours, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Estimated attenshow freaks — some may not take kindly to you snapping their photos. Do so at your dance for this year is 40,000 coming from all over the world. own risk. Asking consent is always a good idea. It’s kind of a big deal. Vendors at the fair will have all kinds of incredible gadgets, toys and fetish wear But never fear, Folsom newbies, your kink guide is here with some tips and tricks on display so peruse extensively. However, don’t touch or play with everything. The to get you ready for your big trip to the fair. First, your outfit. Keep in mind that Folsom Street Fair is one of the only opportu- same goes with people. Unless you are asked to participate in a scene, don’t do it. Again, you need consent. nities that some kinksters get to come out of the closet and show their true colors, so Of all the crazy things you’ll see at Folsom Street Fair this year, the craziest will there’s going to be a whole lot of fetish wear — everywhere. The fair marks the end definitely be public sex. It’s the craziest because, if the real police scattered throughof Leather Week in San Francisco, so there’s definitely going to be a lot of leather. If you’re a virgin to leather, this might not be the best time to take it out for a spin. out the crowd catch you, you can be cited and arrested for your behavior. Getting caught engaging in public sex acts in California can get you fined, jailed and regisRemember San Francisco’s freak summer that happens at the end of September? It tered as a sex offender so please keep your legs closed tends to hit the fair with full force. Unless you know how and your dick in your pants until you get home. There are to wear it, opt for just a leather harness and some booty Since breaking up with her inner prude, plenty of other sexual and kinky things you can do at the shorts instead. Or forget the leather entirely and wear Cassie Becker has done it all. Her interest fair to keep your interest piqued. something else in the fetish realm, like a corset in sexual exploration has led her to write Budget your time wisely. There’s lots to see and not a or anything mesh. What you wear can reflect your role several blogs and break even more beds. lot of time to see it. But don’t worry if you can’t and kink, so be careful to put in some research before you She’s extensively researched and written get it all done — there’s always next year. See you at toss on a collar. about it — all with a sexy smile. Folsom! Don’t bring too much with you. It might not seem like
6 CITY
09.19.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Occupy movement proves commitment SEE SF OCCUPIERS ON PAGE 7
Photo by Jeff Sandstoe
Photo by Jeff Sandstoe
Photo by Andy Sweet
Photo by Andy Sweet DEMONSTRATION: More than 400 protesters marched through downtown San Francisco to celebrate the one year anniversary of the movement Sept. 17. After the marches, music and street art, a group of about 100 reclaimed Justin Herman Plaza to set up an encampment, reminiscent of earlier Occupy efforts around the Bay Area.
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BY ALEX EMSLIE | aemslie@mail.sfsu.edu and DANIELLE STEFFENHAGEN | drsteff@mail.sfsu.edu
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CITY 7
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SF Occupiers remain dedicated to movement
not be part of our national discourse,” Taylor said. FTER A GROUP OF PROTESTERS BEGAN A Altman, agreed with Taylor’s point about the response to Occupy, and took a mensocial movement in New York City one year ago decrying tal step back to look at the movement on the whole. systemic inequality in the U.S., the group Occupy Wall Street “We are part of a worldwide revolution and we know that,” Altman said. “Once we West reunited to flood downtown San Francisco Sept. 17 to can change it here, we can change it for everyone.” celebrate Occupy’s birthday and demonstrate that the moveBut the amorphous, leaderless movement characterized by masses occupying pubment is not over. lic spaces in tent cities, reminiscent of Hoovervilles during the Great Depression, did “No, Occupy isn’t dead,” Magick Altman, an Occupy SF not develop in a vacuum. Spurred by the disinegration of the middle class’ American Action Council member, said. She added that media may have portrayed it that way, but it’s been here all along. “What we’re really doing is reaffirm- dream since World War II, Occupy was also preceded by a labor uprising in Wisconsin, the Indignados movement in Spain and a battle between citizens and entrenched ing life — we can do this.” pro-capitalism regimes in the Middle East. The Occupy movement can be difficult to analyze. Its chapters are decentralized “I think that these movements are symbiotic,” Taylor said. “They may be totally and highly localized, even though its goals and struggles are global. The movement unrelated in terms of the particulars on the ground. But whether we’re talking about a is leaderless and has no official spokespeople; instead members of the movement use kid in Detroit or a middle-class person in the West Bank, we’re talking a system requiring consensus — near 100 percent agreement — about a global reaction to global capitalism — the way in which rethrough direct democracy. The list of social issues Occupy combats is sources are being atrophied and huddled by the elite in the world. Are long and disparate, from fighting foreclosures and pushing financial they identical? No. Does one idea inspire the other? Maybe, but the regulation to reforming public education and the criminal justice sources are the same.” system. Chabot College communications major Jessica Holly, commonly Protesters descended on the Wells Fargo at 464 Montgomery St. known by her Ustream handle Bella Eiko, never expected to become Sept. 17 in celebration of Occupy’s one year anniversary. More than an Occupier. Her first experience with Occupy was Nov. 2, 2011, when 400 protesters marched around San Francisco’s Financial District. a crowd of nearly 10,000 people clogged the streets of Oakland and Some ripped up symbols of their debt, the Alliance of Californians marched to the city’s port, disrupting its shipping operations for a few for Community Empowerment highlighted the work of several foreWe are part of hours. closure fighters and a splinter group of about 100 ended the evening a worldwide “I came out as an Oaklander who wanted to participate in a historic by reoccupying Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco. revolution and we event,” Holly, an East Oakland native, said. “I think it’s changed the dialogue of national politics and put into know that. Once That peaceful day of protest, which many occupiers point to as the the consciousness of Americans that there is this huge inequality,” we can change movement’s greatest local success, disintegrated into violent clashes recent SF State graduate Kevin Coleman said. He added that the turnwith police as night fell, Holly decided to become more involved with it here, we can out for Occupy’s anniversary in San Francisco was bigger than he the movement. She said she wants Occupy to find a way to connect thought it would be. change it for with the poor. As the dust of celebration settled, some Occupy participants and everyone. “Sometimes I wish we could find a way to talk about other issues scholars following the movement weighed in on the successes and Magick Altman, for people who have been disenfranchised for so long, besides unemfailures of the movement after one year. Occupy SF Action Council ployment, besides military police departments,” Holly said. “Many peo“Since the boot of the empire stomped on us so severely, we figmember ple have never owned homes, so predatory home loans are so outside ured out we’d have to regroup in several ways,” Altman said. their radar. They don’t go to higher education, so student loan issues are Altman discussed the inner workings of the Occupy movement off their radar.” and what they’ve done since it began. Fifty-two homes have Taylor echoed Holly’s remarks as a chief criticism of Occupy, been saved from foreclosure in Noe Valley and Bernal Heights. though he doesn’t really blame the movement. Some members of the movement also stopped the auctioning “Occupy was largely, if I’m not mistaken, a manifestation of of 300 homes and are now trying to save City College of San middle-class white and young people’s disenchantment with the Francisco from losing its accreditation. collapse of their expected futures, of what the country has prom“What we’re really trying to do is make a connection,” ised since World War II,” he said. “Barack Obama used Occupy to Altman said. “We’re working with people. We’re not claiming talk about the middle classes, but one would hope there would be to do any of it alone.” some discussion about the poor. The poverty rate has maintained According to James L. Taylor, University of San Francisco itself at about 15 percent, but nobody’s talking about the poor. Ocpolitics department chair, there was no popular response to the cupy has affected a discussion about the middle class, even if Oc2008 economic crisis before Occupy. cupy’s focus has been on the poor and the disaffected in society.” “Without Occupy, the idea of class as a social reality would
“ FOR VIDEO COVERAGE OF THE OCCUPY ANNIVERSARY, VISIT
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09.19.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
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STRENGTHENING: bonds build flourishing community
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From a commuter campus, green gardens and window art are examples of how SF State shows off its extensive and creative community
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The demographics are that we have more resident life students, more students living in and around campus, and that’s a challenge for San Francisco State Leslie E. Wong,
BY BRAD WILSON | bradw949@mail.sfsu.edu
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HEN CLASSES end for the day, students are often overwhelmed by an urge to leave campus right away and get home. The sense of urgency these students feel is part of what has led to SF State’s designation as a commuter campus, but times are changing. Administration is implementing new ways to encourage student involvement, hoping to shift the University from a commuter to a destination campus. “It doesn’t mean we still don’t have commuters. We have a lot coming from the local area that commute from a home location, either in San Francisco or the Bay Area region. In a way, we’re kind of both,” Jo Volkert, associate vice president of enrollment management, said. In recent years, there has been an increase in first-time freshmen from outside of the Bay Area, many from Southern California, according to academic senate chair Shawn Whalen.
“It is hard to identify exactly w case, but one key factor is that the acquired a lot of campus housing that made SF State a more attracti out of area students than it had be Whalen on behalf of University P E. Wong. Although Wong contends that State demographics imply that it i commuter campus, the statistics a enough to support the claims. In a meeting with Xpress staff ed that things are changing for SF of its former designation as a com From 1992 to 2006, first-time enrollment consisted primarily of in the six Bay Area counties as op California counties. From 2007 on ment started leveling out, accordin enrollment data. “The demographics are that w resident life students, more studen around campus, and that’s a challe Francisco State,” Wong said. “Bec derstand is that we’ve been very u
President of SF State
Commuter campus
Students and faculty gather green efforts BY ERIN DAGE | erindage@mail.sfsu.edu
The lot behind Hensill Hall at SF State has been many things — a softball field, a construction site for the campus fuel cell and now the site of a community garden. The community garden, dubbed the Campus Community Farm, will debut Oct. 24 during Sustainability Day, a campus-wide event put on by SF State clubs and organizations honoring a green and sustainable way of life. “There have been groups and people that have wanted a community garden for an eternity here,” said David Wentworth-Thrasher, sustainability coordinator for the physical planning and development department. “The recent incarnation of this project began in Spring 2010.” The slated location behind Hensill Hall was decided upon last spring. The dimensions for the Campus Community Farm are 100 feet by 50 feet, with plans for expansion if the project is successful. “We’ll be able to plant some edible fruit trees, berries, other things — herbs, flowers, and make this place beautiful,” Wentworth-Thrasher said. Since the area’s ground is compacted earth, plants and vegetation will be kept in 12 planters above ground. Most materials to go into the Campus Community Farm have been previously used for the sustainability projects. Planters were salvaged from the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, an abandoned school near
ORGANIC: David Wentworth-Thrasher (above), the sustainability coordinator for the Physical Planning & Development department, works with a volunteer group of SF State students and faculty to help relocate and replant topiaries for the garden. Photo by Sam Battles
campus currently being demolished and transformed into a 2.5-acre recreational space. The farm will be organic and pesticide-free. The green house next to the space will provide all the beneficial insects for growth, according to Wentworth-Thrasher. “We haven’t asked the University in particular to donate funds aside from my time and labor to facilitate this space,” Wentworth-Thrasher said. The farm does not run on the time and labor of those who work to build the space, however. The project earned a $1,000 grant, won by the campus organization Environmentally Concerned Organization of Students and $1,500 from last years annual Farm to Fork Event, which featured organic produce that has been grown within 250 miles of SF State. The Physical Planning and Development department has also applied for a $5,000 grant that would fund most of the plans for the space. Michelle Gallemore, a physical planning and development department intern at SF State majoring in environmental studies, hopes the farm will impact the school in a positive way. “One of my hopes for the community farm is that sustainability will be trickled around campus as a result,” Gallemore said. “The project has the chance to
create campus jobs and bring this campus together.” Yanmin Deng, a Chinese international student studying finance, said the farm would be a welcome addition to campus. “I’m not used to the idea of a community garden, but I would use it,” Deng said. “I like the idea of fresh food and a free space for people.” According to Wentworth-Thrasher, students have already taken an interest in the space. During campus Welcome Days, a group of students, staff and faculty came to get their hands dirty, so to speak, and clear the area. Phyllis Wong, University President Leslie E. Wong’s wife, even put in a helping hand. “(By having the space) someone can say ‘Hey I planted this, I started this seed, and I watched this little bean stock grow and I ate that bean, and maybe I shared it with a friend.’ I want people to have that connection, and be like, ‘We did this together!’” Wentworth-Thrasher said. If all goes according to plan, the farm could directly benefit the community. “Maybe we’ll have enough bounty to where we can bring this food (from the farm) to shelters or other people in need,” Wentworth-Thrasher said. Everyone is encouraged to stop by to help clear and prepare the area every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
| 09.19.12
9
GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
why that is the e University ... in 2005 and ive option for een before,” said President Leslie
recent SF is no longer a are not definitive
fers, Wong statF State in terms mmuter campus. freshmen those living pposed to other n, the enrollng to SF State
we have more nts living in and enge for San cause what I unused to a com-
Community campus
muter San Francisco student body. I was told a third of our freshman class comes from Southern California, which (James M.) Rosser from Cal State L.A. had been giving me a bad time about, but in a kind way. It does make you think more about student life, about programming, etc.” Despite a lack of specific statistics supporting the diminishing commuter status and students still not witnessing much student life outside of school hours, there are still parts of campus that are booming. “It’s dead, like on campus, but it’s never dead in The Village (at Centennial Square) or (The) Towers (at Centennial Square) around the residence area,” said Destiny Vaca, 19, a resident of Mary Park Hall. Spanish major Aaron Schilling travels from the Mission District and considers himself a commuter, but believes a possible changing status could be due to students looking for a sense of belonging. “Everything is so general and big, and our peers are just trying to find a connection,” Schilling, 22, said. “In a big city like San Francisco, people are looking for a sense of community.” Angela Raiford contributed to this report.
Photos by Jamie Balaoro
Windows inspire creative communications Students living on campus share colorful messages on dorm room windows with sticky notes
BY JESSICA SCHIMM | jschimm@mail.sfsu.edu
Just days after writing the famous “Mean Girls” catchphrase “You go Glen Coco” with sticky notes on their dorm room window, three SF State roommates were shocked to find out their window art struck a chord with students, topping out at 187 likes on an SF State Facebook page. These dorm window displays have created a forum where students can communicate and strengthen the bonds forged in on-campus housing. From the first night when the three roommates — Emma Lindberg, Veronica Macias and Michelle Withrow — put up the “Mean Girls” phrase, they recalled hearing people yell up to their window, often repeating the phrase or variations such as, “You go Village C” and saw multiple people stopping to take pictures. “We didn’t ever think it would get that much of a response,” said Lindberg, a 20-year-old political science major. “I think it (window art) adds life to the dorms. It makes it not so serious.” Another set of residents in The Village at Centennial Square has already changed their art three times this semester after experiencing a new way to meet peers across the way. Angel Suarez, a 17-year-
old undeclared freshman, was visiting his friends’ dorm when he noticed that the window across the way put up a reaction to their sticky note design. “We were setting up Mario (on the window) when people in another window wrote ‘Hey,’” Suarez said. Suarez’s friends wrote “hello” back, and after further dialogue, headed over to the dorm that was interacting with them across the way. “For us it’s mainly a way to communicate,” said 18-year-old marine biology major Rachel Weinberg, who lives in the dorm that invited Suarez’s group to come over. “I think window art is community building.” Weinberg said that some of her peers on campus recognized through conversation that her dorm had the Pac-Man window. “It’s kind of a way to meet people even though it’s kind of roundabout,” Weinberg said. Not all window art is as innocent. One window depicts a figure defecating while others have suggestive phrases such as “Let’s get nasty” and “Touch me.” “Some people, you pass their rooms and you just think they are really raunchy,” said freshman and apparel design
major Alex Lumbang, whose room has a sticky note image of a mooninite from the Adult Swim cartoon “Aqua Teen Hunger Force.” Russell Crespin, president of the residential housing office, said that as far as he knows, there are no restrictions to having window art on campus. He enjoys it when students put sticky note art on their windows. “There are some cases of window art that I think are really cool and I see people smile when they get the references.” Since posting their “Mean Girls” quote, Lindberg, Macias and Withrow established a connection with some upstairs neighbors, who put “so fetch” on their own window. Although the neighbors don’t really know each other, 19-year-old resident Hanna Wolff said that they have since established a connection. “We have no idea who the people are downstairs, but it has kind of brought us together,” Wolff said. Lindberg, Macias and Withrow have already changed their window art to a phrase from the HBO series “Girls” and have two sticky notes full of further ideas. “There’s a definite pressure to keep it up now,” Withrow said.
10 A R T S A N D E N T E R T A I N M E N T
09.19.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
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.
HANDS-ON: Centa Schumacher and grad student Sarah Kimmerle hang a print, “Untitled (Curtain),” by Matt Lipps, assistant professor. The Art Faculty Exhibition opens Sept. 25 in SF State’s Fine Arts Gallery. Photo by Deborah Svoboda
BY BRYAN VO | bryanvo@mail.sfsu.edu
Eco-friendly fashions put pesticides aside It looks like organic fiber is the new black when it comes to fashion. Ladies, think twice before buying those cute simple cotton tanks from your go-to store. And gentlemen, don’t be so quick to buy those slimming tailored wool pants. You are potentially bringing home items that were infused with chemicals and pesticides. You might be thinking, “What do I care about pesticides?” but let me tell you that you can be environmentally conscious and still have that fashionable flare with organic fabrics. Global Organic Textile Standard is a strict international set of rules that processes organic fiber-filled products after the post-harvest stages. In other words, it’s the cream of the fabric crop. Processing includes spinning, knitting, weaving, dying and manufacturing. Increasingly, companies are making apparel that include organic cotton, organic wool and other organic fibers, according to the Organic Trade Association. Therese Bataclan, buyer for Chloe’s Closet, said for a thrift store that primarily provides reusable and nonhazardous children’s and women’s clothing, organic-made items are in high demand and allow the store to up the price on such items. “We sell a lot of used clothes,” she said. “I rarely buy new clothes and I think it’s important — especially for our female customers — that we make clothes in a natural way without containing chemicals or plastic.” Since wardrobes are made up mostly of cotton, insecticide use could be reduced by 25 percent if cotton was produced organically, according to the OTA. It seems like cotton is one dirty crop, so why not get the best when trying to look clean and chic? Farid Khalkhal, an environmental studies major, has a soft spot for the eco-friendly, but he also doesn’t want fashion to stop. “I love fashion myself but I don’t like the idea of being exposed to chemicals from clothing, just like hand-picking cotton,” he said. Remember when you purchase those fashionable cotton V-neck sweaters or wool slack trousers: You can be your own fashion police and see where your clothes are really coming from. “We should manufacture clothing that’s more effective than efficient,” Khalkhal said. “We’re taking more from the earth than what’s given to us.”
Faculty fine art adorns student-run exhibit BY SEAN REICHHOLD | spreichh@mail.sfsu.edu
T
HE HALF-EMPTY ROOM IS ITSELF A blank canvas. The white walls wait as they are slowly transformed into a broader work of art with the political, surrealist, contemporary and abstract works of others. Still waiting lay the more curious pieces ready to be plugged in, assembled or inflated. Adorning the walls of the Fine Arts Gallery are works created by faculty members. The art majors and grad students of SF State are in the process of preparing for the Art Faculty Exhibition of 2012. The event is organized, set up and managed by students of the exhibition and design class. The class of 30 students has been tasked with putting on a professional-grade fine art exhibition in less than one month’s time and will open Sept. 25. Classes meet every Friday from 9 a.m. to noon, and with only two more six-hour periods left until the reception, the students are getting a crash course in what professors affectionately call hands-on experience. “We teach art but come at it from a variety of perspectives,” said Mark Johnson, who has taught the exhibition and design class for 18 years. Johnson hopes the exhibition will accurately represent the art department’s vision and communicate what the faculty hopes to teach their students. “It’s about passioned expression and developing skills,” Johnson said. The exhibition will consist of 25 pieces created by 12 tenured and tenure-track faculty members. Despite the seemingly manageable number of works, the pieces themselves are extremely eclectic in style and represent different mediums including paintings, textiles, photography, ceramics, printmaking, multimedia installation and one 26-foot inflatable Buddha. “Time is not intimidating,” Edgar Micua, an art history major enrolled in the upper-division course, said. “It’s a great working experience and we want to succeed.” The diversity of the works adds an extra challenge to installation. Students have to hang paintings, install speakers and
allocate room for sculptures and carvings, all while making sure that the correct lighting complements each piece. “We’re working with real artwork with real value,” Sarah Kimmerle, a grad student pursuing a master’s degree in museum studies, said. “We want to respect the objects and respect the jobs we’ve been given.” Kimmerle, along with some of the other grad students in the class, already have professional experience in the art world and with art installation. She noticed an important difference between the professional world and her time as a grad student. “It’s a learning environment,” she said. “This class is teaching us to be more flexible and you feel like you can ask more questions.” Kimmerle is also the operational manager of installation for the exhibition, and says the experience has been demanding and rewarding. “There’s an organized chaos,” she said. “Here (we are) constantly sharing ideas, and everything is going really smoothly.” The department’s faculty artists and art historians will give talks throughout the exhibition. Each talk will encompass the artist’s work and the art historian’s particular area of expertise and knowledge. Perhaps the most crucial goal of the students and faculty is to get the word out around campus and the community that SF State has a thriving art scene. “We are doing all this because we want students to know we have multiple art galleries on campus,” Monika Jones, another grad student and operations manager of the exhibition, said. “All you see from the outside are buildings, and we’re trying to bring people in.” The opening reception Sept. 25 will also feature a dance performance with original choreography by Ray Tadio and Cathleen McCarthy. Short films by cinema department faculty members Jennifer Hammett, Britta Sjogren and Martha Gorzycki will be screened. The exhibition will run through Oct. 18 and is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibition is free to the public.
A RTS A N D EN T ERTA I N M EN T CALENDAR
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG Nerd Nite Sept. 19 7 p.m. $8 Rickshaw Stop
#trendingtopics Twitter Comedy Night Sept. 20 9 p.m. FREE Sip Bar & Lounge, 21 and up
Humans vs. Zombies: Urban Battle Game Sept. 22 12 - 5 p.m. FREE Malcolm X Plaza
Folsom Street Fair Sept. 23 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. FREE Folsom Street @ Folsom between Seventh and Twelfth streets
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| 09.19.12
A R T S A N D E N T E R T A I N M E N T 11
Symphony honors LGBTQ history BY KIRSTIE HARUTA | kharuta@mail.sfsu.edu
W
ITH TINKLING PERCUSSION AND SURE STROKES of their bows, the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony filled the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with the beginnings of its 2012-13 season. Reunions abounded at the BARS season opening concert Sept. 15. For the first time since the symphony’s humble beginnings in 2008, Cyrus Ginwala, SF State professor and orchestra director, returned to the group as a
guest conductor. “It’s amazing to see how the group has grown and how it’s improved in that time,” Ginwala said. “It’s like a different orchestra completely.” While the symphony has grown, its mission to reclaim LGBTQ history through music has remained pivotal to the organization. Through the performance of Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, the BARS acknowledged Ravel as a prominent gay composer in classical music. “Ravel was not known to be gay or straight when he was alive, but there’s a lot of evidence to suggest that he was gay, and it’s only within the last 10 years that scholars have sort of come to claim him that way,” Ginwala said. The Ravel piece also reunited Ginwala with pianist Marc Peloquin, who he had not performed with since the 1980s. “It’s absolutely wonderful. It’s like going back in time,” Peloquin said. “It’s fun to collaborate, especially on a piece like Ravel’s concerto, which is full of color.” Peloquin remarks that the BARS is a celebration of community, and a chance to highlight the diversity of artistic talent and interest within the LGBTQ community. “A lot of times with gay men it tends to be disco or dance music,” he said. “Which is fine, but there’s actually a community of musicians who gather to make (classical) music like this.”
OPEN BARS: Cyrus Ginwala, SF State professor and director of the University Orchestra, returned to Bay Area Rainbow Symphony as a guest conductor for the season opening. BARS has a mission to reclaim LGBTQ history by celebrating the musical talents in the community. Photo by Melissa Burman
Bookending the Ravel concerto, the BARS performed “Blue Cathedral” by contemporary composer Jennifer Higdon, and Symphony No. 2, a staple in classical repertoire by Johannes Brahms. For violinist Drew Cranfill, a music student at SF State, the Brahms was a must-play, but the Higdon piece provided an important educational opportunity as well. “Oftentimes in academia, classical musicians don’t get a chance to play contemporary music because we’re too busy learning the repertoire from the past,” Cranfill said. “This Higdon piece is edgy. It’s good to play it, for me, because it has technique that I won’t learn in Mozart.” As BARS strives to perform eclectic combinations of recognizable masterpieces and emerging ones like Higdon’s, the musicians and audiences have a lot to look forward to. “Contemporary concert works often have more percussion, so as a percussion section, we enjoy playing those,” said Mark Saccomano, the BARS percussion section leader. “It’s fun to be playing a living composer, a lesbian composer, a composer who won the Pulitzer Prize recently.” While there will certainly be more exciting contemporary pieces performed throughout the season, Saccomano said the symphony will also perform such unmistakable classics as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. There is truly something for everyone in a BARS performance, from classical connoisseurs to fans of art music to LGBTQ activists. Beth Wiesendanger, political activist by day and BARS percussionist by night, has found the perfect niche in this organization. “Being able to take my love of politics and infuse it with music is a really great opportunity,” said Wiesendanger, an alumna of SF State. “I think the awareness that we’re creating for LGBT musicians is a wonderful experience to be a part of.” BARS will perform again Nov. 10 at Calvary Presbyterian Church with Christian Baldini as guest conductor.
12 O P I N I O N
09.19.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
STAFF EDITORIAL
KALE WILLIAMS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF kale@mail.sfsu.edu
ANGELA RAIFORD
PRINT MANAGING EDITOR araiford@mail.sfsu.edu
MATT MAXION
ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR mmaxion@mail.sfsu.edu
ELISSA TORRES
ART DIRECTOR elissat@mail.sfsu.edu
JEFF SANDSTOE
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR jsandsto@mail.sfsu.edu
CASSIE BECKER
PRINT COPY CHIEF cassbeck@mail.sfsu.edu
KEVIN SKAHAN
ONLINE COPY CHIEF kskahan@mail.sfsu.edu
SAM BATTLES
PRINT PHOTO EDITOR sbattles@mail.sfsu.edu
GODOFREDO VASQUEZ
ONLINE PHOTO EDITOR gvasquez@mail.sfsu.edu
BRAD WILSON
CAMPUS EDITOR bradw949@mail.sfsu.edu
CRISTINA RAMOS
CITY EDITOR cjramos@mail.sfsu.edu
ADRIAN RODRIGUEZ
A&E EDITOR arrodrig@mail.sfsu.edu
CAITLIN BYRNE
SPORTS EDITOR cmbyrne@mail.sfsu.edu
JESSICA SCHIMM
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR jschimm@mail.sfsu.edu
RACHELE KANIGEL
FACULTY ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu
SCOT TUCKER
PHOTO ADVISER tucker@mail.sfsu.edu
JESSE GARNIER
ONLINE ADVISER jgarnier@sfsu.edu
BETH RENNEISEN
DESIGN ADVISER gnusart@sfsu.edu
JUSTIN OROZCO
SPORTS FOCUS A WELCOME CHANGE
S
F STATE IS AWASH WITH ATHLETIC GEAR. On a short stroll through campus you’ll encounter hats and shirts supporting the Giants, A’s, Raiders, 49ers and even the lowly Warriors. It doesn’t take a detailed statistical analysis to show that this campus isn’t known for its athletic prowess. With a focus on academics as a priority, athletics tend to fall by the wayside — but University President Leslie E. Wong plans to change all that from now on. The new president has pledged a renewed focus on the athletics department. Wong, who comes from a school that has an emphasis on sports, likely feels like there’s a void that needs to be filled on campus, and he’s right. For a school with 30,000 students, the funding SF State receives for athletics is pathetic. The 2009-10 annual report from the California State University Office of the Chancellor titled “Voluntary Self-Monitoring Report regarding Equal Opportunity in Athletics for Women Students” shows a significant difference in how much money SF State spends compared to other CSUs. San Diego State, which has roughly the same number of students as SF State and has multiple Division I teams, spent just more than $32.6 million for its men’s and women’s athletics during the 2009-10 school year. In comparison, SF State spent $3.5 million during that school year, a difference of about $30 million. Wong realizes that the support for SF State athletics is unnecessarily low, both by students and in state funding, but his experience at Northern Michigan University has him thinking about changes. During his tenure at NMU, Wong oversaw a sports department that sent multiple teams to regional
playoffs, and had a corresponding surge in student enthusiasm. The popularity of the athletics programs at NMU even spawned a dedicated group of hockey fans affectionally known as the “Puckheads.” While it may be a while before we see students doing the Gator chomp at a March Madness game, the fact that our new president is willing to publicly state his commitment to sports is an encouraging sign. A winning team could do wonders for SF State’s reputation. Schools that produce playoff-caliber teams are able to recruit more talented players and thus are likely to reach the finals and win. But an upgrade to our sports department will not only benefit the athletes who play on our fields and courts, it will also help to promote our brand to future students and, perhaps more importantly, philanthropically-minded alumni. Wong himself has said that successful alums could turn around and donate generously to the institution they graduated from. The athletics department currently receives the bulk of its money from fees paid by athletes in the program, enhanced slightly by fundraising, and it doesn’t amount to much. We need those donations to be the foundation for SF State athletics to give us stateof-the-art equipment, fields and stadiums. That leg up, along with improved players, will ultimately help the Gators win. When teams win, they generate excitement, and that excitement can translate directly to money in the bank. A quality sports department brings in excitement from the surrounding community, which generates even more revenue from game attendance. Outside of the monetary benefits, sports unite campuses and turn them into communities. There’s nothing like the fervor that fans experience when watching their sports teams — at any level — play and win. Anybody who was in San Francisco for the Giants’ 2010 championship or last year when the Niners almost made the Super Bowl will remember the exuberance that permeated this city. Imagine if that same winning spirit came to SF State.
CIRCULATION jaorozo@mail.sfsu.edu
ARUN UNNIKRASHNAN I.T. CONSULTANT arun@mail.sfsu.edu
EVA CHARLES
ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@mail.sfsu.edu
MARIELLE ATANACIO
STUDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER marielle@mail.sfsu.edu
ART BY KALE WILLIAMS
WRITE US A LETTER The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words. Letters are subject to editing. Send letters to Cassie Becker at: cassbeck@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 Kale Williams at: kale@mail.sfsu.edu
CORRECTIONS FOR XPRESS PRINT EDITION We regret our errors.
In the “Grass greener on Gators’ side” story published Sept. 5, we incorrectly attributed part of a quote by John Cahill to Mike Cummins. The quote should read as follows: “So far, so good,” Cummins said. Cahill has his own game plan for the upcoming seasons. “You gotta get (the fields) really tuned up because they’re gonna take a beating again next time you get in the season, then you come back and do it again,” Cahill said. “That’s what maintenance is all about.”
In the Sept. 12 issue, we incorrectly labeled the dates on the crime blotter. All incidents occurred between Sept. 5 and Sept. 11.
GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
O P I N I O N 13
| 09.19.12
Decency as good as
DEAD
BY BRAD WILSON | bradw949@mail.sfsu.edu
I
S CHIVALRY DEAD? MAYBE NOT, BUT IT’S certainly on its deathbed. I’m a cynic and my sarcastic sense of humor has often been cited as rude, but it does make life a bit easier when we live by the “do unto others...” rule. Chivalry is defined as a code of conduct associated with the medieval institution of knighthood. Well, I’m no knight of the round table, but growing up in a family dominated by females, I have learned a thing or two about chivalry, and just manners in general. It has been my observation in my years at SF State as a college student that this concept has skipped the latter of my generation. The act of holding doors open, pulling out chairs or buying one of those adorable vodka cranberries that girls love doesn’t seem to be important anymore. Now, I don’t know if this is due to our interpersonal communication skills being jaded by advancements in technology where we can’t communicate without an “OMG,” or if it is just how we grew up. This is not a gendered problem. While us guys should always be gentlemen to the opposite sex, I’ve seen a lack of decency in our better halves. It’s 2012, by golly! We should ALL show decency as human beings. One particular incident occurred while I was with one of my editors. We both experienced a lack of chivalry, or a helping hand, from our fellow college students while pushing numerous shopping carts (ones that you would find at a grocery store) from the third floor of the Humanities Building. I don’t expect too much, but being allowed to use the elevators before two girls, (God forbid they walk down three flights of stairs), would have been helpful. But alas, we were left in the dust and seen off with a “Uh, I don’t think there’s room.” It seems like a petty complaint, but it’s the little things that seem to stick out the most. I can also recall an incident earlier this semester. In between making myself deaf with my iPod, I held a door open for a professor. “Finally, a gentleman,” she said.
ART BY KALE WILLIAMS
It’s such an instinct that I don’t think too much of it. Plus, it’s “hella” easy and it makes mama proud. I was very fortunate and blessed to have a good relationship with my dad who showed me the ropes of chivalry — while telling me to pull his finger — so I intend to pass on the skills of the Wilson clan. He put an emphasis on holding car doors open, offering to pay for meals and pulling out chairs. At a young age, he gave one specific reason as to why I should follow this agenda: chicks dig it. I’ve been in a steady relationship for about three years and I’m hoping this and my personal decisions come across as a positive reflection of my father’s teachings. But even all parents aside, our culture is supposed to ingrain these same values. They just seem to have been ignored. Chivalry is not limited to the acts aforementioned. As I said earlier, it could be simple manners. Working in a customer service environment my whole life from a barback to a barista, I’ve interacted with various types of people — people and acts of rudeness have ranged from no please or thank you, throwing money on the counter instead of simply handing it over, talking on the phone while placing orders, or always my favorite, having too much superiority over others to acknowledge someone else’s existence. It’s a fairly easy action to engage in and together we can prevent chivalry from meeting its hole in the ground.
14 S P O R T S
09.19.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
PLAYER
BRIA ADAMS
WEEK
WOMEN’S SOCCER
of the
Freshman Bria Adams has been chosen as the Xpress Player of the Week. Adams scored her first goal and second of the Gators’ season Sept. 11 in the last remaining seconds of the match against UC Santa Cruz. Adams, with the help of senior Nicole Vanni, found the back of the net to pick up the second win of the season for the women’s soccer team.
PHOTO BY TYLER DENISTON/SF STATE SPORTS
G AT ORS’ SP OR T S SCHEDUL E FRIDAY (9.21) MEN’S SOCCER SF STATE VS. CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO 12:30 P.M. (SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.)
WOMEN’S SOCCER SF STATE VS. CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO 3 P.M. (SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.)
President throws support behind student athletes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
electricity on a campus and it generates electricity among alums,” Wong said. “One of the byproducts of that excitement (is) donations.” According to Wong, these donations will most likely come from generous alumni. He knew of one student alumnus who became a successful businessman after graduation. Not only did that alumnus donate to the sports team he played with, but Wong said that his largest contribution went toward the institution he graduated from. SF State athletic director, Michael Simpson, said the sports program needs more money to support its students. He said the main source of money comes from athletic fees paid by the 225 to 240 athletes in the program. Besides that, Simpson said the program raises money through fundraisers put on by the coaches and staff. “We love our students because they’re helping to support athletics on this campus,” Jensen said. Jensen said he knows “changes don’t come overnight at San Francisco State,” but he is looking forward to them. Wong, who has a background as a baseball player and tennis coach, according to Cummins, plans to focus not only on sports, but other departments on campus as well. “You don’t want to get obsessive about building up the sports programs, but you want them to get the same kind of attention and treatment that we do across the institution,” Cummins said. In order to demonstrate his support, Wong said he plans on attending as many home games as possible with his wife, as well as a few practices. He also plans on traveling with teams to attend some away games. “I think it’s important to be a good role model,” he said. “I’ll be at sports events to the same degree that I’ll be at theater
(events) and that I’ll be at other venues where students are demonstrating their passions and interests.” Tyler Deniston, a senior cross country athlete and president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, said he can tell that Wong is supportive on all ends. “I get the feeling that he’s here for not just athletics; he’s here to improve the entire University and that’s what I like about him,” Deniston said. The 21-year-old physiology major said he met Wong at a welcome dinner for the athletes that coincided with the women’s volleyball home opener Sept. 4 and thought he was “extremely nice and the fact that he met with us was awesome.” Cummins said he believes this kind of personal support from Wong is important to the athletes. “I think (the student athletes) are excited about that, that someone is taking interest at that level in what they’re doing,” he said. Although both Jensen and Cummins said they feel no new pressure as coaches with this new focus on sports, Deniston said he feels athletes should still perform to meet some expectations. “I mean, you definitely want to perform if someone’s helping you out,” he said. “If you’re gonna have a mediocre showing, I’m sure that people ahead of you are less likely to support you.” Wong said that one of the things he asked coaches to keep in mind is to keep the quality of competition high. “You don’t have to be winning for it to be a first-rate experience,” he said. “It’s good training, good practice, good support, a respect for their academic lives and to be competitive on the field.” Deniston said things will just get better from here. “Athletics on a whole is on the rise and this is just gonna add to that momentum,” he said.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SF STATE VS. CAL STATE STANISLAUS 7 P.M. (TURLOCK, CALIF.)
SATURDAY (9.22) WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SF STATE VS. CHICO STATE 7 P.M. (CHICO, CALIF.)
SUNDAY (9.23)
THE SPORTING LIFE: University President Leslie E. Wong, left, and wife, Phyllis, attend a women’s volleyball match in support of the Gators. Wong has pledged to make appearances at sporting events throughout the year and make athletics more of a University priority. Photo by Michael Getman/ Special to Xpress
MEN’S SOCCER SF STATE VS. UC SAN DIEGO 11:30 A.M. (SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.)
WOMEN’S SOCCER SF STATE VS. UC SAN DIEGO 2 P.M. (SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.)
S C O R E
SCORES FROM THE LAST WEEK OF GATOR SPORTS
B O A R D
MEN’S SOCCER LOSS
WIN
SF STATE VS. SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 0-2 SF STATE VS. CALIFORNIA MARITIME ACADEMY 6-0
WOMEN’S SOCCER LOSS
WIN
SF STATE VS. SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY 0-2 SF STATE VS. HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY 3-2
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WIN
SF STATE VS. CAL STATE EAST BAY 3-0
WIN
SF STATE VS. CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY 3-0
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY SF STATE INVITATIONAL 1ST OF 5 (27 PTS.)
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY SF STATE INVITATIONAL TIED AT 6TH OF 7 (140 PTS.)
GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
S P O R T S 15
| 09.19.12
Ostello kills Gator competition BY ROCHELLE ROMERO | reromero@mail.sfsu.edu
The ball flies high into the air, spinning slowly above the net. She starts her approach by locking and loading her right arm, waiting for her moment to spring into the air and attack. All eyes are on her as she slams the ball across the court; Kelly Ostello for the kill. Starting her second season for the SF State women’s volleyball team, outside hitter Ostello is prepared to put away any competition that stands in her way. This season has been a success for Ostello as she leads the team with 118 overall kills. She was named to the All-Tournament Team during the Route 92 Showdown tournament. Ostello attributes her early success to a beneficial spring training. She worked hard getting in shape and increasing her cardio so she
could last longer in rallies and finish strong. Head coach Michelle Patton is looking forward to the rest of this season and is impressed with Ostello’s ability to find ways to keep improving. “All we can ask for is that she comes in every day with a mindset to get better; the sky’s the limit for her. If she keeps putting in the work and working hard she’ll continue to help our team,” Patton said. “Consistency is key.” The Gators’ conference is stacked with a host of powerful teams, but Ostello believes that this year will bring a lot of victories if the girls can work together. “No game is guaranteed for us. We have to work hard in every game because everyone is good this year,” Ostello said. “We have to perform in every game and
work hard.” Coming in as a freshman last year, Ostello competed in 26 of 27 matches for SF State and completed 130 kills averaging 1.94 kills per set. Senior Megan Johnson, an opposite hitter, sees Ostello as a mature return player who is determined to increase her competition. “I see her doing exactly what she’s doing now — being a leader on the court. We expect every girl on the team to be a leader but she’s very athletically capable of that,” Johnson said. “She’s demanding a lot from herself and it’s showing.” With a 7-2 record and conference play starting up, Ostello is ready for new goals at SF State. “I want to set some records here and be in the record book for years to come. I just want to make an impact as much as I can for all my years here,” Ostello said. “I want to be remembered!”
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HIGH FIVING: SF State Gators’ Kelly Ostello, left, and teammate Katie Judd, right, celebrate after their volleyball victory against Cal State East Bay Sept. 14. Photo by Godofredo Vasquez
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