PROP 8 DOESN’T HOLD UP David Bowers and Bruce Ivie alongside Supervisor Scott Weiner celebrate Tuesday in front of City Hall after the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. Photo by Andrew Lopez
4
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// 02.08.12
VOLUME LXXXXII ISSUE 3
ACADEMIC HONORS
SEEKING THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE CULTURAL CHANGE: James Zheng, a student assistant at the Office of International Programs, came to the U.S. from China about 7 years ago. “Study abroad has created opportunities for both of us to share and learn the good and bad from each other,” said Zheng Tuesday. Photo by Nelson Estrada
With more middle class families finding money to send their children to the United States, the number of Chinese students is rapidly increasing.
A
BY BRIAN BALISI | bbalisi@mail.sfsu.edu
N UNSTABLE ECONomy and rising tuition has not deterred students overseas from obtaining a degree in the United States. According to statistics from SF State’s Office of International Programs, Chinese students in particular have shown the highest rise in numbers coming to the U.S. with the number of enrolled international Chinese students at SF State rising from 315 in 2007 to more than 1,000 in the Fall 2011 semester. Associate Vice President of International Education Yenbo Wu, who also studied in the US as an international graduate student 30 years ago, described the sudden influx of Chinese students as a trend that will only continue to grow. India and Japan used to be the top countries sending students to the United States, but due to China’s rapidly growing economy, they have pulled into the top spot. “Their middle class is growing and now parents are able to afford to send their children
overseas for an education,” Wu said. “What used to be un-dreamable and impossible is now doable.” Wu said the Chinese highly value a good education and they see the United States as the best place to receive that. “Getting a degree means something more when you get it from the U.S.,” Wu said. Wu said the transition to the U.S. is not as bad as it was before, but since most come from middle to upper class homes they have to sacrifice a better standard of living and learn to do things on their own such as cooking, cleaning and supporting themselves financially. “There’s not much of a culture shock compared to when I came here 30 years ago. What the students have to deal with now is heaven,” Wu said. “Kids know everything these days with the internet so it’s a little easier to adapt, but they have to learn fast.” Asian American studies lecturer Jeannie Woo said international students have a hard time in the classroom. There are services for international students such as the American Language Institute SEE INTERNATIONAL ON PAGE 2
Gator athletes score high in the classroom BY VONIQUE STRICKLEN | vstricklen@mail.sfsu.edu
Between classes, homework, a social life and a job, it’s hard for many students to keep up their grades, but Gator athletes make getting a 3.0 grade point average possible by following the Athletic Department’s highly organized process for managing time. According to baseball infielder and senior Andrew Suvunnachuen, athletics comes second to academics. “It is always part of the program,” he said. “I can’t have one without the other.” Suvunnachuen was one of the 128 athletes who made honor roll for Fall 2011, more than half of the total student athletes, and one of 79 who made the dean’s list. These athletes have been able to attain academic success by utilizing resources such as the Athletic Department’s study hall, counseling sessions, friends, family and their own drive for success. The academic success achieved by individual players is partly derived from applying athletic dedication to academics, but also supervision and requirements, such as mid-semester progress reports. Student athletes meet with Academic Coordinator David Woo to discuss academic standing once a semester. “Between homework, going to class, taking tests, the games and the practices, it’s a lot,” Woo said. The academic requirements leave little room for athletes to slack off on their grades because they face a constant reminder of academic priority from coaches and advisers. Maintaining good academic standing is part of the student athlete culture, according to women’s head soccer coach Jack Hyde. He and his staff make sure his players are accountable on and off the field. “It’s part of their responsibility to the soccer team, and they embrace it,” he said. During a team’s competitive season, players feel extra pressure to perform academically and athletically, said sophomore softball catcher Kylie Grabowski, sophomore. This is her second season with the team and second semester on honor roll. “You have to find the time to study,” she said. Traveling is one aspect of collegiate sports that most interferes with academics, said sophomore wrestler Andrew Reggi, who made the dean’s list. On the road, time is scheduled between games so players can make up the work from classes they missed. “For me it’s really just about time management,” Reggi said. “If you manage your time well, it will be worth it in the end.” SEE HONOR ROLL ON PAGE 11
02.08.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
2 CAMPUS
SF SPEAKS OUT HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY FOR SEMESTERLONG PARKING?
Probably less than $150 ...if possible. Since I’ve been studying at City College and over there we were paying $40 a semester.
MARIA BOROVAJA 30, BUSINESS
Yeah, I would buy one and I think I would pay around ... $100 to $150. From what I know other campuses that do it are around $200 to $300.
RAE DAWNE GREGORIO
20, BUSINESS MARKETING
I think I would pay around $100 or even $150.
RESYL JOY BEJASA 26, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING
Youth outreach through science BY TAMERRA GRIFFIN | tgriffin@mail.sfsu.edu
Jasmine Williams walks through the halls of SF State’s science building picking flecks of styrofoam from her sweatshirt. The 23-year-old civil engineering student is in the midst of completing a senior project that involves constructing a canoe made out of cement, which will be entered into a race against other universities. “My mom thought my wanting to study engineering was a perfect fit,” said Williams. “I was the kid who always skipped the novel section and went straight to the how-to section instead at the library.” As a black woman, Williams — along with black men, Latinos and women of any ethnicity — is a minority in the engineering field, according to data compiled in 2008 by the National Science Foundation. While she was supported by her family to pursue a career in science, she knows this is not always the case with other students from similar backgrounds. For these reasons, Williams and many of her cohorts have joined the Math Engineering Science Achievement program at SF State, which aims to recruit more underrepresented students into University science fields and provide academic tools to help them succeed. “If they’re like me, they may come from an area where they don’t see people like them working in science, technology, engineering or math. Or they might go to a school that lacks the funds for things like science fairs,” Williams said.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
and English as a Second Language programs that provide assistance for those having difficulty learning the language or doing the class work, but after passing the Test of English as a Foreign Language exam, most students feel they don’t need the extra help. “It’s mainly a language barrier and a different mindset that make it difficult for international students,” Woo said. “They have the writing skills and the reading ability, but they’re just not as proficient as the local students. Plus they have a different mindset; they were brought up to learn a different way.” Asian American Studies chairwoman Lorraine Dong said Chinese students not only have difficulty in the classroom, but they have a hard time with society as well. Most students come here expecting to get an American experience like the ones that get made from Hollywood. “The students have this perception of what an American lifestyle is,” Dong said. “Since most students come from well-off homes, they don’t realize how most of their counterparts live in the States as minorities and as a part of the working class, so this creates a rift between the international and local students.”
SILVIO HUEBENER
REPORTING BY ANGELA RAIFORD PHOTOS BY HENRY NGUYEN
International Chinese student and marketing major James Zheng said learning the language and culture was difficult, but once he overcame the struggles everything got a lot better for him. Last year he and a friend launched the SFSU Student Hub, a website where SF State students can search an online bulletin board for everything from students asking for tutors to looking for housing. “I hope other international students take advantage of their opportunities when they come here,” Zheng said. “It’s a once-ina-lifetime experience so you have to enjoy it, but first you have to help yourself and not sit around. Go out and get a hobby and don’t be shy.” Wu said he expects the number of international students to be on the rise for years to come, however the U.S. should keep doing its best to attract the brightest minds before they are drawn to other countries. “International education is important for the world,” Wu said. “Studying overseas allows us to make the people to people interaction, which in turn will deliver a better understanding of everyone’s situations so we can ultimately achieve the main goal of world peace.”
12.20 through 01.20
Marijuana Doesn’t Cure Stupidity
21, COMPUTER SCIENCE
saying, ‘This is so much fun! I want to be an engineer!’” Youth outreach is but one component of MESA, according to program director Nilgun Ozer. Following acceptance into the program, students receive a variety of services. “We offer free tutoring (and) academic excellence workshops in which professors provide specialized training and scholarships that only MESA students can apply for.” MESA scholarships, in fact, have helped Williams realize her engineering dreams. “Through MESA I’ve had numerous job interviews and offers, I’ve become more articulate and I receive all of my books through MESA-related stipends,” Williams said. She has already been offered a job at Jacobs Engineering, which she plans to take after graduating this spring. Ozer notes the role of city-wide involvement in the success of underprivileged youth in their scientific pursuits. “Community awareness, especially towards people coming from economically disadvantaged groups, is important,” she said. For Bill, the motivation comes from the need to overturn the status quo. “Now that I have the tools to do so, this is the best way for me to help kids who may lack support (in the sciences),” he said. “It’s kind of like being a rebel, like saying to them, ‘You don’t have to go to a private school. If I can do it, you can do it, too.’”
International students make American transition
CRIME BLOTTER
Seeing as I only drive to class once or twice a semester I probably wouldn’t pay more than $5.
The latter was the case for Luis Bill, who attended public school in Panama before coming to the United States in 2006. “Those kinds of opportunities were only in the after school programs of private schools,” said Bill, who majors in electrical engineering. Throughout the years, the MESA program at SF State has been steadfast in its participation in Bay Area outreach programs. According to Bill, MESA hosted a robotics competition at Horace Mann Middle School in the Mission District in May 2011. Williams added that last semester the National Society of Black Engineers (an organization funded by MESA) helped tutor math and science at San Francisco’s Inner City Youth after school program. MESA also coordinates with on-campus organizations like Project Connect and the Educational Opportunity Program to act as tour guides to visiting high school students. And, according to Daniel Catalan, electrical engineering senior and member of MESA-backed Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, MESA will make weekly trips to Horace Mann to help students construct robots made out of Legos. “We want to give them something to look forward to when they go to college,” said Catalan. These outreach programs are generally well-received, according to Williams. “Once, we worked with Project Connect and helped high school students make bridges out of gumdrops and toothpicks. I remember one of the girls
A student decided to hit his bong a few times in his dorm Feb. 2. Apparently, the weed fogged his memory and he forgot that paper towel rolls filled with dryer sheets only make the room smell like clean breeze, oh yeah, and WEED. He also forgot he lived across the hall from an RA with the nose of a bloodhound. After the hallways filled up with drugsniffing RAs, the culprit was caught, cited and his weed was confiscated. No flying high today.
Hope You’ve Money in the Banksy
Compiled by Xpress Staff
Watch Your Whip
Since leaving for break, Officers responded to a there have been eight car break-ins and two report of graffiti in the elevators at Mary Ward stolen vehicles, one from Hall Feb. 5. Apparently, Lot 25 and the other on someone thought it was Buckingham Way. In order to help prevent auto a brilliant idea to risk burglary, remove high one year in jail and dollar items from vehicle up to $10,000 in fines (GPS’s, CD players, purses, in order to let people wallets, MP3 players, laptops, know that they can backpacks, luggage, etc). Do spell their name with not leave your property in a K instead of a C and plain view. If your car stereo can write illegibly in some funny font. $uper has a detachable face, take the faceplate with you every kool. time you park your vehicle.
Tony Hawk? I think not.
Presumably with the intention of dropping out of college and dropping into the half pipe and going pro, a skateboarder fell doing a “Loop of Death” and hit his head in Lot 6 Feb. 5. He was taken to the hospital where the doctors probably prescribed this new invention involving a plastic padded protective thingy that straps onto your head to potentially prevent future injury.
CAMPUS 3
| 02.08.12
GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
Poet remembered for her originality and innovative teaching style
S
BY JUAN DE ANDA | juand@mail.sfsu.edu
TACY DORIS, AN SF STATE creative writing professor known for her experimental poems and lectures, died Jan. 31 of complications from cancer. She was 49 years old. Doris was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a rare and deadly malignant cancer of smooth, involuntary muscles, in December 2009 and underwent several operations and radiation therapies only to fall into relapse shortly afterward. In most cases, the cancer is incurable. Chet Wiener, her husband of 20 years, said the cancer grew more severe as time went on. “The last recurrence was very different,” Wiener said. “In April, she went through radiation and it wasn’t supposed to grow back for six weeks, but it spread immediately. She tried numerous chemotherapies. She had one tumor that weighed 27 pounds, and that tumor was removed six weeks before she died. It grew back and consumed her.” Norma Cole, a Canadian poet and French translator, was a close friend of Doris for more than 20 years since their days in Paris. “She was an extraordinary friend, generous, honorable, discerning, thoughtful, vivacious—a forever friend,” Cole said. According to Cole, Doris’s intelligence was one of a kind. “Poetry and the world of imagination meant everything, were everything for Stacy,” Cole said. “Her scintillating intelligence was at work every moment. Her innovative writing was different from anyone else’s, and different from herself. In other words, every book was a different experiment in poetry. And yet these experiments are all chapters from the book of Stacy Doris.” Paul Sherwin, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, reviewed Doris extensively before her hire. “Stacy Doris was, and always will be, a star of the first order of magnitude in the universe of poetry,” he said. According to Maxine Chernoff, chair of the creative writing department, Doris’s writing style was reflected in her teaching when she began her tenure at SF State in 2002. “She was a highly original and inventive poet and
brought her generous and visionary ideas to her classes, who loved the openness of her method and the variety of her approaches to the form,” Chernoff said. According to Wiener, Doris challenged the students and herself every semester. “She never taught the same course more than once because she felt that each class had to be alive and spontaneous,” Wiener said. “She would usually teach a course with a different name every semester, and if she was assigned the same course from before, she would not do what she did before. The reading list would always change, always challenging the creative POETIC ESTEEM: Stacy Doris, an assistant professor in the creative writing department, and her husband writing students, and she Chet Wiener shortly before her death Jan. 31. Photo courtesy of Jena Osman. would never use the same sourcesor textbooks.” Kathryn Pringle, an SF play with the possibilities with multiple voices that bring State alumna, said Doris pushed her to learn challenging about a multitude of personalities, a theatricality of the forms of poetry and will dedicate to her a book of poems poem,” Dickison said. “It wasn’t just a question of being that will be published next year. straight-forward or honest, but a way of engaging all the “The first word that comes to mind in describing possibilities of what it means to be human and living life Stacy the professor is generous (but) this does not mean to its greatest extent.” she was easy. She was not at all easy; she was extremely The Poetry Center will be hosting memorial readings challenging,” Pringle said. “Her ideas about poetry and April 19 and 20. being a writer were all very new to me, but now they Doris leaves behind two young children, a 6-yearseem to be fully integrated into my own practice.” old daughter, Rayzl, and a 5-year-old son, Laishgedalya. Doris’s friends and colleagues all attest to her openWiener said Doris continued to write, but for her chilness despite her tribulations. She had few reservations. dren, toward the end of her life. “We had many now-treasured times together in that “While it is very painful and they say they miss her, period of difficulty in her life, often going to lunch or tea she left them a lot of letters before she died. The day and talking about everything from poetry to children to before she died, she wrote these little notes in envelopes idle gossip to deep issues about her own views of life and that are to be delivered periodically, and she also made a death regarding her illness,” Chernoff said. recording that I haven’t played or seen yet,” Wiener said. This was also reflected in her writing, said Steve “She had lots of messages scribbled down, like ‘I love Dickison, director of the SF State Poetry Center. you,’ ‘you’re the most wonderful thing for me,’ ‘I want to “If you look at her poetry at all, you’ll see that there kiss you very much’ and things like that.” is a great amount of candor but also there’s also great
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4 CITY
Rain overwhelms city sewage system Before people moved to San Francisco and covered the hills and wetlands with apartments and parking lots, the exposed topsoil absorbed rainfall. But today that topsoil is hidden under the concrete crust of the city, and San Francisco is facing a drainage problem. All the rainwater collects on streets and rooftops, gathering trash and harmful chemicals, before it runs into the city’s gutters. Instead of letting all the garbage drain straight to the ocean as many cities do, San Francisco combines its rainwater with the wastewater produced by people and treats it all before it’s discharged. “We treat all the sewage coming from people’s homes, businesses, sinks, you name it,” said Jean Walsh, spokesman for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. “In addition to that, we treat the storm runoff and the rain water. In a lot of other places in the U.S., that stuff drains straight to the local bodies of water.” However, the system has its downsides. During heavy rain, the volume of water waiting to be processed can overwhelm the city’s infrastructure, causing some treated sewage to be directly discharged into the ocean and bay. The PUC has recognized this and is embarking on a multibillion dollar sewer improvement program that will take place over the next two decades to increase capacity and minimize discharges, according to Walsh. “I have mixed feelings about the combined sewer systems here in San Francisco,” said Jennifer Clary, program associate at Clean Water Action, a nonprofit focused on clean water issues. “We do have some minimal treatment of storm water, which is more than any other city in California; the difficulty is when you have more than half an inch of rain in an hour it triggers overflows.” These discharges can release bacteria, as well as other potentially harmful chemicals.
PROP 8 DEEMED UNCONSTITUTIONAL BY FEDERAL COURT
BY KALE WILLIAMS | kale@mail.sfsu.edu
“It’s basically whatever we put into the toilet, which isn’t just fecal matter,” said Jason Gurdak, associate professor of geology at SF State. “Some people flush prescription medications and there are chemicals which are flushed through our bodies, like caffeine. There are a lot of pharmaceuticals and personal care products that end up in the system.” On top of all that, the discharges also often carry nitrogen and phosphate, which can act as fertilizers for algae. When algae blooms, it depletes the oxygen content of the water which can be harmful to fish and other aquatic organisms, according to Gurdak. Though these periodic discharges can be bad for the environment, Walsh maintains that when faced with the alternative of letting runoff drain straight to the ocean, the choice is easy. “What we discharge is free of debris, it’s free of solids, it’s free of litter and it’s usually 94 percent rainwater,” she said. Walsh also stressed the importance of the PUC’s monitoring system, which tests for bacteria at 14 locations around the city. Results of these tests are posted on the PUC’s website and, in the case of a discharge, warnings are posted wherever people are likely to come into contact with the water. But posting signs can’t always keep people out of the water, said Oliver Kanner, who surfs at Ocean Beach almost every day. “I try to stick to surf spots in West Marin after a big rain,” Kanner said. “The city does a good job of warning the public, but after storms is generally when the waves are the best. Surfers aren’t the kind of people who are go-
ing to stay out of the water.” The system has its pros and cons, but larger problems loom in the future. Aging infrastructure and rising sea levels will eventually curtail the city’s ability to discharge its excess wastewater, according to Clary. “Realistically, if you can’t throw out that combined sewage storm water, it’s going to back up into low-lying city streets and I don’t think people are going to put up with that,” she said. But simply adding infrastructure will not solve the problem, Walsh said. “The old way was just to build more tunnels, build more pipes, but we’re looking at better ways to detain the water before it even enters the system using low-impact design. We’re looking at rain barrels and native plants and permeable paving and all these features designed to absorb some of the water before it runs into the sewers.” Although the PUC has been active in implementing these low-impact features around the city, Clary said that people cannot depend on the city to solve the problems it’s facing. She advocates for a model that emphasizes personal responsibility. “We need more of a decentralized, people-based model. If you take care of the storm water that falls on your property and your neighbor does the same, we’ll have way less problems down on the shoreline,” she said. In a state prone to drought, and facing water shortages in the foreseeable future, it doesn’t make sense to dispose of so much water, according to Clary. “The idea that a drop of water that falls in San Francisco is less valuable than when it falls as a snowflake in the Sierra doesn’t make a lot of sense. It’s falling in our own backyard, we ought to think about how we’re going to use it,” she said.
CALIFORNIA POLITICS
Court declares voter-approved ban on same sex-marriage illegitimate; San Franciscans rejoice but anticipate future legal battles. BY JENNIFER TERMAN | jterman@mail.sfsu.edu
P
ROPOSITION 8 WAS FOUND PRIDE: William Hamilton hugs his partner Ben Gertzfield at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center Tuesday night at a rally in support of gay to be unconstitutional in a 2-1demarriage after a federal appeals court ruled against California’s ban on same-sex marriage. Photo by Mihail Matikov cision by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday because it restricts gay and lesbian couples’ less than four years ago when nearly 52 percent of voters the case will be taken (to appeal) and for the decision to right to marry. supported an outright ban on gay marriage on the Nobe overturned,” said Orr. “The decision is really important vember 2008 ballot, when Proposition 8 passed. Originally, the California Supreme Court upheld and historic for a federal appeals “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid Proposition 8 as legitimate; but U.S. district court Judge court to find that denying same sex couples the right to or recognized in California” was added to the state conVaughn R. Walker, himself gay, overturned Proposition marry to be unconstitutional. Never before has a ruling stitution the day after the election. 8 in August 2010, ruling that it was a violation of equal like this happened in the history of the country,” said According to Orr, the ruling sets a precedent for other protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution. Rebekah Orr, spokeswoman for Equality, California, an states to follow suit. Currently Connecticut, Iowa, MassaAccording to Pablo Ramirez, director of Queer AlliLGBT advocacy group. chusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont allow ance at SF State, Tuesday’s ruling is exciting news. Not everyone was as excited with the ruling. same-sex marriages. “We are ecstatic about it. The fact that they called it “Stop gay marriage, stop abortion,” said Solomua “It will play a really important role in similar cases unconstitutional humanizes the LGBTQ community,” he Vaaetasi Solomua at the celebratory rally following the across the country, but there is still more work to do,” said. decision. “Love Jesus like you love your mother and your said Orr. “It demonstrates that we have to pursue every In response to what is next for the same-sex marriage father, not no homosexual, not no man and a man or a path to marriage equality, whether legal or legislative, or debate, Ramirez said any movement toward progress is a woman and a woman.” public education. At every level we need to make sure positive. Orr said the ruling is a step toward equality for samegains are made.” “Every step counts as long as we’re moving toward sex couples, but it still does not allow them to marry. But the case can still be taken to the U.S. Supreme progress. We have been through so much happiness and “For now it doesn’t fundamentally change the lives of Court or for one more review by the appeals court. There sadness and we’re excited to see a move forward,” said same-sex couples, but it’s a step in the right direction,” is speculation as to whether or not the Supreme Court Ramirez. Orr said. would decide to take the case. The proposition will not affect domestic partnerships The future of same-sex marriage was not so bright “I think generally legal experts believe it unlikely that or same-sex marriages that were granted before Nov. 5.
5
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02.08.12 | GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG
6 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
WESTERN ADDITION EDITION What’s arguably one of the city’s most demographically mixed neighborhoods, the Western Addition has become a go-to spot for its food and nightlife. From the jazz-influenced history of the Fillmore to the changing culture of Divisadero Street, the Western Addition has morphed itself into a culinary haven boasting diverse food.
SWEET TOOTH
BUMZY’S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
HINT: Though their peanut butter and oatmeal cookies are delectable, it’s their classic chocolate chip cookies, slightly gooey in the middle and crunchy on the edges, which have a meltin-your-mouth quality that will have you coming back for more. 1460 Fillmore St.
PLAY: French Cassettes before a recent show in the Mission District. They’re currently preparing to record their first full-length album and will be playing at the Rickshaw Stop March 4. From left: Drummer Ben Isganitis, Mackenzie Bunch, who plays guitar and keys, bass player Thomas Huerta, and his brother, singer and lead guitarist Scott Huerta. Photo by Melissa Burman
Indie band finds music niche
CHEAP EATS
ZAZANG KOREAN NOODLE
HINT: Despite its funky, out-ofplace interior, the high quality food establishes this place as an authentic noodle house. For only $7.95, you can try their Jajangmyeon, which is a Korean comfort food consisting of thick wheat noodles covered in an irresistible black bean sauce. 2340 Geary Blvd.
ROMANTIC
1300 ON FILLMORE
HINT: When stepping into this aptly-named restaurant, it feels like stepping into a rich cultural history of what the Fillmore District was like before urban renewal. With live jazz music playing in the lounge, the mood is always lively, which makes this a perfect date spot. 1300 Fillmore St.
WILDCARD
EDDIE’S CAFE
HINT: This unassuming hole-inthe-wall is modest on the outside, and well, modest on the inside too. Eddie’s is a low-key, classic diner with looks that compliment its menu of simple, all-American fare made with soul. 800 Divisadero St.
AN XPRESS GUIDE TO DINING IN THE CITY. COMPILED BY EAST BAY DWELLER AND VORACIOUS FOODIE MATT MAXION, WHO ENJOYS WRITING ABOUT THE BAY AREA FOOD SCENE. HE IS ALSO THE SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR FOR THE GOLDEN GATE XPRESS.
Local group French Cassettes gains attention and momentum through trial, error and a bit of luck.
I
T IS LARGELY THROUGH trial and error that French Cassettes has become the band they are today. The indie pop quartet, consisting of Scott Huerta on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Thomas Huerta on bass, Mackenzie Bunch on guitar and keys, and Ben Isganitis on drums, originally came together while attending high school in Ripon, Calif. For five years now, they have been bringing life to small stages with their catchy songs and vibrant performances. After making their mark in the Central Valley through local shows and a number of casual EP releases, French Cassettes began to shift toward the Bay Area, beginning with Scott’s acceptance to SF State. “After I graduated high school, it was drilled into my brain that I needed to go to college,” he explained, while grabbing a quick bite with his bandmates, before playing a set at the SUB-Mission Art Gallery. “San Francisco State was one of the only colleges that let me in, so I just went.” Though Scott loved San Francisco, he found he had little desire to pursue anything outside of his own musical endeavors. He dropped out after a semester, but not without forming some important friendships. “I still lived in the dorms in this twobed one bedroom dorm on State campus on the floor. These girls let me live there,” he said. “They’re now my friends and roommates.” Bunch, the band’s guitarist, would
BY KIRSTIE HARUTA | kharuta@mail.sfsu.edu
later join Scott in San Francisco to pursue urban studies and planning at SF State. Currently, the two band mates live in the city with seven roommates, while the bassist, Thomas, and drummer, Isganitis, still reside in the Central Valley. In their five years as French Cassettes, they’ve tried to sound like other bands, experimented with different instruments, and have seen members come and go, but the four current members have become a solid unit, and have found success in a new approach to their song writing: not trying so hard. “I think we stopped trying to do something, and just started doing it,” said Scott. “Why try and do something when you naturally want to do something else? In two weeks we wrote three or four songs because it had just built up inside of us for so long, and we just gunned them out. That was most of ‘Summer Darling’ in that twoweek period.” “Summer Darling,” their latest EP, was released in the summer of 2011. It has been one of the most significant accomplishments to the band, namely because of a track called “Radley,” which has an accompanying music video directed by the Perez Brothers. “The Perez Brothers did a great job with it,” said Scott. “They did it just as a favor because they liked us.” “We never actually met the actors, the mermaid and everyone, and since we’re not big, a lot of people actually think those kids are us,” he added with a laugh. Not only is “Radley” the band’s first official video, but the song also represents
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a turning point in their music. “It was our first stab at writing pop music,” Scott explained. “We took a trip to San Francisco one time before we lived here, and everyone went back home to the Central Valley, but I stayed in San Francisco and crashed at a friend’s house for like a week to write music. That’s when I got the riff for ‘Radley.’ It sort of became our undeclared single.” “We always say (our music is) indiepop, because the umbrella of indie is so wide,” said Thomas. “It basically means we’re doing the best with our tools.” The band strives to write music that provokes movement and ultimately sticks with listeners. They have made an impression on friends and first-time listeners alike. “Their hard work pays off and people can see that (in their stage presence),” said Paula Duarte, a senior broadcast and electronic communication arts major at SF State and roommate of Scott and Bunch. “This is the first time I’ve seen them and I like them,” said Tyler Cornfield, an SF State student and musician whose band took the stage after French Cassettes at the SUB-Mission show. “It’s tight song writing and harmonies, and I think there’s good things on the horizon for them.” With 10 songs ready to record, a full-length album could be what’s on the horizon. The band will be looking to the funding site IndieGoGo to get started. French Cassettes will be back in San Francisco to perform at the Rickshaw Stop March 4.
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8 OPINION
STAFF EDITORIAL
A STEP TOWARD EQUALITY
KELLY GOFF
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF kgoff@mail.sfsu.edu
SARA DONCHEY
ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR sdonchey@mail.sfsu.edu
SCOTT GRAF
PRINT MANAGING EDITOR sgraf99@mail.sfsu.edu
GODOFREDO VASQUEZ
MEDIA EDITOR gvasquez@mail.sfsu.edu
NATALIE YEMENIDJIAN ART DIRECTOR nataliey@mail.sfsu.edu
MICHELLE OLSON
ONLINE COPY CHIEF maolson@mail.sfsu.edu
CASSIE BECKER
PRINT COPY CHIEF cassbeck@mail.sfsu.edu
TAMERRA GRIFFIN
CAMPUS EDITOR tgriffin@mail.sfsu.edu
LISA CARMACK
CITY EDITOR lcarmack@mail.sfsu.edu
HUNTER MULICH
A&E EDITOR hunter@mail.sfsu.edu
ART BY SARA DONCHEY | sdonchey@mail.sfsu.edu
KC CROWELL
OPINION EDITOR kcrowell@mail.sfsu.edu
KEALAN CRONIN
SPORTS EDITOR kealancronin@mail.sfsu.edu
KRISSA STANTON
BREAKING NEWS EDITOR kstanton@mail.sfsu.edu
HENRY NGUYEN
PRINT PHOTO EDITOR nenhenry@mail.sfsu.edu
GIL RIEGO JR.
ONLINE PHOTO EDITOR griegojr@mail.sfsu.edu
JUAN DE ANDA
ASSISTANT CAMPUS EDITOR juand@mail.sfsu.edu
ELISSA TORRES
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR elissat@mail.sfsu.edu
With the announcement that the Ninth Circuit panel has declared Proposition 8 unconstitutional, many people across California were popping champagne and declaring victory. And rightfully so. This is a powerful decision and a milestone in a saga that will continue to affect the lives of same-sex couples for years to come. The history and very definition of marriage is evolving. But there’s a catch. Although this is an important legal and ideological step for those fighting for the recognition of same-sex marriage, this is by no means a final victory. The legal battle will most definitely continue. It is possible (and almost certain) that Propositon 8 backers will bring in additional judges and re-appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court. That means the entire case will be heard again. If the court upholds their ruling that a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, Proposition 8 proponents could then submit their case to the Supreme Court. A court that, in all likelihood, might not even choose to hear the case. As the debate unfolds in the courts, it will continue to influence
the lives of couples across California. If it moves on to be heard by the Supreme Court, it will affect the lives of couples across the nation. As the decision in California attracts more national attention, the idea that gay marriage is valid and should be protected will gain a wider audience and foothold in public opinion. This victory in the public spectrum is just as important as a victory won in the legal arena. The decision is also incredibly important in terms of the discussion of the “sanctity” of marriage. Now that it has been ruled that a ban on gay marriage discriminates against gay and lesbian couples, the argument that same-sex marriage is inherently detrimental to family values loses even more of its steam. If gay marriage was truly a morally damaging act, it’s not logical that it would also be ruled as protected under the constitution. Nonetheless, this is a subject that will still draw heavy and impassioned debate. There will be pushback from both sides. For now, LGBT people are still denied the right to marriage. So put the champagne back on ice.
MATT MAXION
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR mmaxion@mail.sfsu.edu
RACHELE KANIGEL
FACULTY ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu
KEN KOBRE
PHOTO ADVISER kobre@kenkobre.com
JUSTIN OROZCO
CIRCULATION jaorozo@mail.sfsu.edu
ARUN UNNIKRASHNAN I.T. CONSULTANT arun@mail.sfsu.edu
EVA CHARLES
ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@mail.sfsu.edu
MONICA QUESADA
PRODUCTION ggxads@mail.sfsu.edu
WRITE US A LETTER The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words. Letters are subject to editing. Send letters to KC Crowell at: opinion@ goldengatexpress.org
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 Kelly Goff at: editor@ goldengatexpress.org
Stop making the parking nightmare worse
A
BY SARA DONCHEY | sdonchey@mail.sfsu.edu
S IF YOU AREN’T already angry about dwindling classes and skyrocketing tuition, here’s something else that might get your panties in a twist: SF State is making it even more difficult for you to park on campus. Not only is the paid parking system at SF State primitive and inefficient, it appears to be regressing. After increasing parking fees and eliminating hourly parking rates last July, parking payment machines are no longer accepting coins. That may not sound earth-shattering, but if you don’t have six dollars exactly, you’re out of luck. Machines do not give change. They also don’t take credit cards. Though it probably was not the University’s intention to make parking the most drawn-out and painful process in a student’s already hectic day, that is what is happening. Coughing up $6 a day to park on campus may not seem like a lot, but look at it this way: If you spend more than two hours on campus a day for at least three days a week, you’ll end up spending about $288 a semester on parking. If you attend classes five days a week, you’ll end up shelling out approximately $480 a semester, assum-
ing your vehicle remains in the garage for longer than two hours a day. Looking at other local colleges, it seems as if we are the only ones that haven’t already figured it out. Students at City College of San Francisco pay $40 for a semester-long parking permit; if the student is on financial aid, that price drops to $20 per semester. Meanwhile, at San Jose State University, students can purchase a parking permit for seven days a week for the entire semester for $192. Out of the 23 CSUs, SF State is the only campus that doesn’t offer semesterlong parking permits to the general student body, with the exception of students who live on campus. The University is, in essence, offering a parking solution to the only students who do not actually have to drive to school. The University has made measly attempts at offering a fast track to paid parking. Prepaid $20 and $50 debit cards are sold at the Bursar’s Office, but certainly do not make the physical parking process any less burdensome. So long as you still have to park, exit your car, pay at a machine and return to your car to display proof of payment, parking on campus is still a pain. SF State’s parking website also advertises a two-day parking permit for $12, but anyone with kindergarten-level math skills knows that at $6 a day, that isn’t a deal at all.
When asked why parking permits are not made available to students, University Police Deputy Chief Reggie Parson responded that since parking could not be guaranteed, semester permits can’t be sold to all students. This is a lame excuse at best. At the University of San Francisco, where parking is even more limited, 150 parking permits are raffled off to students at the beginning of the semester for purchase. If the issue here is availability, there is no reason why SF State cannot adopt similar protocols. The lack of flexibility and understanding from the University makes it seem as if they are using parking as another ploy to squeeze an extra dollar out of students, and the last thing that students need is another gimmick that will earn the school an extra buck. If budget cuts and the financial crisis are a state-wide issue, then there is no excuse why our counterparts at Cal State East Bay or San Jose State can afford to cut students a break by offering parking permits while the SF State parking and transportation department sprinkles salt on the festering wound left by tuition burdens, the cost of books and increasing competition just to add classes. With hundreds of posters plastered around San Francisco advertising SF State as “the city’s creative spark,” it is high time that the University produces a creative solution to a situation as basic as parking.
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A WEEKLY SEX COLUMN s THE NS & OUTS BY CASSIE BECKER
Gettin’ down on the first date To keep your pants on, or not to keep your pants on - that is the question.
S
CATHOLIC CAMPUS MINISTRY NEWMAN CLUB St. Thomas More Church Father Labib Kobti, Pastor 1300 Junipero Serra Blvd. San Francisco, CA 94132
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For Current Activities: St. Thomas More:
(415) 452-9634 Mondays: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Close to campus! Please call Verbum Dei: (415) 573-9062
people are single and ready to mingle. OME FIRST DATES ARE Interestingly, only about 4 percent of singles so good, they have to end in claim to wait until the first date before having sex. The flirting, the tension, sex with a new partner, according to USA Today, the excitement of meeting which got a special sneak peek at other, yet-tosomeone new and connecting be-released results of the study. well, all perfectly culminating So what happens to their pure intentions? in ripping each other’s clothes “I think that one of the reasons why people off. Then again, some dates have sex on the first date is because they want to are so average, or just plain bad, that the possible make a quick connection with way to potentially salvage it somebody,” said Ivy Chen, sex all is - you guessed it - ripping Since breaking up with her and relationships lecturer at each other’s clothes off. inner prude, Cassie Becker has SF State. “By connection I also According to the second done it all. Her interest in sexual mean an emotional connecannual Singles in America exploration has lead her to write tion, and some people may several blogs and break even study, funded by popular more beds. She’s extensively feel that sex is a shortcut to online dating website Match. researched and written about intimacy.” com and conducted by experts it - all with a sexy smile. Out of 100 SF State stuin the field of sex and relationdents surveyed, 74 claimed to ships, 55 percent of singles - 66 have never gone for that quick percent of men and 44 percent connection, while 26 said they had. of women - have had sex on the first date. “My current girlfriend is the culprit and we That’s right, more than half of the 5,541 surchose to do it because I was horny at the time veyed single U.S. adults 21 years of age or older and she was down,” said civil engineering major have gotten down and dirty at the first meeting, Shawn McGarrah, 24. “I think it’s totally acceptwhether it was good, bad or regrettable. able to do.” These numbers are up from those in last But Chen cautioned that sex on the first date year’s Singles in America results, which reported might not be the right decision for everyone. that only about 6 percent of singles frequently “I think that what people have to do is ask have sex on the first date and 80 percent disapthemselves what they want,” Chen said. “But for prove of finishing the date with sex. people who may feel that the sex is a shortcut That’s almost a 50 percent jump in just one year. Apparently, American singles just can’t keep to intimacy in hopes that it turns into a much longer-term relationship, they might be disapit in their pants, as much as they intend to. But pointed.” at one-third of the nation’s population, plenty of
Contact Eva Charles 415.338.3133 echarles@sfsu.edu
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10 S P O R T S PLAYER
DYLAN PHILLIPY
WEEK
WRESTLER
of the
Sophomore wrestler Dylan Phillipy has been chosen as the Xpress Player of the Week. Phillipy placed second in the 141-pound weight class at the California Collegiate Open Saturday, going 3-1 in the tournament. He has also achieved 16 victories this season.
PHOTO BY TYLER DENISTON/SF STATE SPORTS
GATORS’ SPORTS SCHEDULE
SCORES FROM THE LAST WEEK OF GATOR SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8 BASEBALL SF State vs. Central Washington University at 2 p.m. (San Francisco, Calif.) WRESTLING SF State vs. Menlo College at 7 p.m. (Atherton, Calif.)
FRIDAY, FEB. 10
BASEBALL
LOSS
COACHING: Assistant softball coach and SF State alumnus Ernie Munoz is the newest addition to the coaching staff. Munoz primary focus will be working with the catchers and hitters. Photo by Gil Riego Jr.
FORMER GATOR RETURNS AS COACH ous viewpoints and ideas thrown at players, which may be difficult at times. Fellow assistant coach Tara Tembey thinks Collegiate athletes are lucky to be rememthis will be a great learning experience for the bered through honorary mentions or recordteam. breaking seasons. Upon graduation, most “Every athlete is individualized on how they athletes leave their respective colleges and rereact to coaches, or to how coaches motivate, flect on their team members and coaching staff or what coaches say,” Tembey said. “With three fondly, but rarely do these players get to again coaches, you have things coming at you in three be a part of sports at their alma mater. different aspects and some of the girls can reThat precise opportunity was presented ally learn from it.” to SF State alumnus Ernie Munoz, who was “He explains things... recently hired as an asit’s just nice that it’s not sistant softball coach. Alumnus Ernie Munoz, always coming from myself Munoz played two seasons or coach Tembey,” Byrne who played baseball at of Gator baseball in 2007 said, echoing Tembey’s and 2008 after transferring SF State for two seasons, confidence in the new hired from Chaffey College. becomes an assistant coach. “Now he’s the new “I think that bringing softball coach, focusing on voice and the girls really home a Gator is always working with hitters and take to that.” kind of nice, he was a catchers. With the 2012 season senior my first year here,” underway there are high said head coach Cristina expectations and each coach Byrne. “I got a chance is confident in the ability of the team to come to know him a little bit as player and I really out strong. respect him as a person.” “I think the girls are ready to play; they’re As a senior, Munoz recorded a team high ready to get loose and attack some kids and atof 22 runs and led the team with 10 stolen tack some other teams,” Tembey said. bases. After graduation, he volunteered on the Munoz believes that preparation will be the baseball team and further expanded his coachkey for the team, both for the players and for ing experience by giving private lessons in the coaches. Although he is new to the team, he is East Bay for two years, primarily working with catchers and hitters. He returned to Gator sports already adapting to the determination shared by both players and coaches. this year as a first-time coach. “As a coach our responsibilities are to make “My expectation is that he makes us better. sure they are prepared, day in and day out to I think he has a great energy with the girls,” Byrne said. “He gets really excited about being out play in the games,” Munoz said. The softball team came out strong in their here and he brings that level of excitement and most recent game, grabbing a last-minute win energy that we need.” against Cal State Stanislaus. Munoz plans to focus on hitting and imTheir next game is Saturday, Feb. 10 at Cal proving the team’s batting average. State East Bay. “We have a solid group; we have a lot of Sophomore catcher Kylie Grabowski beyoung talent,” said Munoz. “The expectation is lieves the last-place ranking the Gators received whatever they want it to be. We have the talent last year will only fuel the players in this to do some good things and it’s going to be up coming season. With the additional coach and to however the girls want to play it.” eagerness to win, the women’s softball team is A fresh face on the diamond could throw ready to take on the season. a monkey wrench into team chemistry, but “I think it’s just going to be a huge underMunoz has tried to make the transition smooth dog story this year,” said Grabowski. “We have for both players and coaches. His arrival to the five games this weekend and we plan on going coaching staff comes at an impeccable time for and winning every one of them. We’re going to the team. go out there and put the best nine (innings) on Byrne had surgery just two months prior to the field and play to our abilities and put up a the season opener due to a torn labrum (shoulgood fight.” der) and hasn’t been able to fully participate in Grabowski said the addition of Munoz to practice. the coaching staff is a great addition that will “It’s been a great stress relief for me, especially physically since I haven’t physically been help the team be more successful this season. “He comes out and volunteers all the time,” able to do a whole lot,” Byrne said. “I’m not alshe said. “He’s out here in the morning, he’s lowed to hit balls and throw balls, so his timing out here in the afternoon and he always gives us to come join us has been perfect.” With three coaches on deck, there are varigreat tips. He’s a really good coach.” BY ALVARO ALFARO | aalfaro@mail.sfsu.edu
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SF State vs. Cal State East Bay at 5:30 p.m. (Hayward, Calif.) BASEBALL SF State vs. Fresno Pacific University at 6 p.m. (Fresno, Calif.) MEN’S BASKETBALL SF State vs. Cal State East Bay at 7:30 p.m. (Hayward, Calif.) SOFTBALL SF State vs. Cal State East Bay at 12 p.m. (Hayward, Calif.)
SATURDAY, FEB. 11 BASEBALL SF State vs. Fresno Pacific University at 11 a.m. (Fresno, Calif.) WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SF State vs. Cal State Monterey Bay at 5:30 p.m. (Seaside, Calif.) MEN’S BASKETBALL SF State vs. Cal State Monterey Bay at 7:30 p.m. (Seaside, Calif.) SOFTBALL SF State vs. Cal State East Bay at 12 p.m. (Hayward, Calif.)
Feb. 3 SF State vs. Alumni 8-9
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WIN
Feb. 3 SF State vs. Cal State Stanislaus 67-64
LOSS
Feb. 4 SF State vs. Chico State 51-63
MEN’S BASKETBALL LOSS
LOSS
Feb. 3 SF State vs. Cal State Stanislaus 68-72 Feb. 4 SF State vs. Chico State 44-61
WRESTLING WIN
Feb. 3 SF State vs. Cal State Bakersfield 20-16
LOSS
Feb. 3 SF State vs. Cal State Stanislaus 10-22
SOFTBALL WIN
Feb. 4 SF State vs. Western Washington University 4-1
LOSS
Feb. 4 SF State vs. Cal State San Marcos 3-7
LOSS
Feb. 4 SF State vs. Dominican University 4-5
LOSS
Feb. 5 SF State vs. Humboldt State 6-12
WIN
Feb. 5 SF State vs. Cal State Stanislaus 6-5
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Athletes balance sports with academics CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Athletes, like many students on campus, juggle multiple responsibilities. Time management becomes a skill and the biggest piece of the puzzle, Woo said. Junior opposite hitter for the volleyball team Megan Johnson enrolled in 17 units last semester after transferring from Riverside Community College. Although she initially struggled to manage the new schedule, she finished with a 3.5 GPA. “You have to be focused in every part of your life,” Johnson said. Athletes who meet the athletic department’s requirements receive high priority registration from the University. This adds to their ability to schedule classes to make time for practices and games, said Jo Volkert, senior associate vice president of enrollment management. Student athletes are awarded priority registration on a semester basis and average 14 units, according to Woo. Just like all students they work to balance schedules, but have the opportunity to ask for additional help from professors. Last spring, Suvunnachuen struggled with a video project for his research methodology class.
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“Andrew got help like any other student who comes and asks questions,” said Leah Wingard, communications assistant professor. “Any student who puts in the time for class, shows interest and needs my help, I’m going to help them out.” Wingard said Suvunnachuen didn’t receive any special treatment and credited his success in the course to his own initiative. Athletes who struggle despite academic supervision potentially jeopardize their ability to play in their respective sports. “If something comes up they can always come in and talk to me,” Woo said. Together Woo and the athlete explore solutions, whether the problem is academic, financial or personal. Whatever the issue may be students have different ways of coping with the stress. For softball first baseman and junior Cara Spence the best support comes from family. Spence, who made the dean’s list, calls her mom after she does poorly on an assignment or had a bad game. She said her mother always has calming words of wisdom. “She kind of brings me back to reality,” Spence said.
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