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SEE OPINION PAGE 2
WOMEN TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR BIRTH CONTROL
SEE NEWS PAGES 6 & 7
PEACEFUL PROTESTS FILL OAKLAND STREETS
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Fremont senator discusses student debt at East Bay By Kali Persall MANAGING EDITOR Over 40 million Americans have student loan debt, Sen. Bob Wieckowski, D-Fremont, told Cal State East Bay students, staff and faculty at a presentation on campus on Wednesday. From 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Wieckowski spoke to under 50 attendees in the University Union’s Bay View room about SB 16, a new bill that aims to alleviate student loan debt by lowering the amount of money that private loan creditors can be garnished from student’s wages to the same as federal student loan borrowers. According to Wieckowski, private student loan creditors can take 25 percent of a working students’ disposable income, whereas federal student loan borrowers can only garnish 15 percent. Federal loan borrowers have several repayment options that make it easier to make loan payments on time, such as the right to receive a 30-day notice beforehand, to request and inspect copies of loan documents, to request a hearing and argue against garnishment and to negotiate a repayment plan with the loan creditor, according to Wieckowski. Private student loan borrowers do not have any of these rights, as lenders aren’t required to offer different repayment options regardless of circumstance. The bill aims to change the private student loan process to mirror the federal. The bill was introduced on Dec. 5, 2016. According to the office of the senator, the bill hasn’t yet been assigned a hearing date, but by February will begin to go through a series of hearings, until Sept. 15, the deadline to present to Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown will have until Oct. 15 to sign the bill, which if passed, will go into effect on Jan. 1 2018.
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THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017 Winter 2017 Issue 4
Hayward to begin search for new police chief By Louis LaVenture
What happened?
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The search for a new Hayward Police Department chief will begin in the next few weeks, according to Hayward City Manager Kelly McAdoo. HPD has been without a leader since former chief, Diane Stuart formerly Diane Urban, was placed on administrative leave by McAdoo on Aug. 29. In accordance with state law privacy protection for police officers, McAdoo or the city did not release any details about what led to her being placed on leave. However, Hayward lawyer Michael Lawson said it was a “personnel investigation” that led to the eventual administrative leave and retirement of the former chief. On Dec. 14, Diane retired and longtime HPD officer Mark Koller took over as acting police chief before being named interim police chief on Dec. 15.According to documents obtained by KQED, Diane married Clark D. Stuart II in the spring of 2015, and between 2011 and June 2016, the city paid Clark and his company Trident Professionals $159,248 primarily to teach courses to employees that centered around “effective executive communication.” The Trident Professionals official website says that their primary goal is to critically evaluate their clients in order to develop and transform their communication skills through courses and literature. It was founded by Clark in 2003. According to McAdoo, the search will be a national one, in which the city will work with an executive recruiter. The process could take three to five months.
On Friday, Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of United States. Here are some of the highlights from the ceremony: Swearing-In At noon on Jan. 20, Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Trump was joined on the platform of the U.S. Capitol Building by his wife Melania Trump, his five children and Vice President Mike Pence. Four former presidents — Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter — also joined them on the platform. Inaugural Address The 16-minute inaugural address touched on key promises Trump made throughout his campaign, including uniting against Islamic terrorism, strengthening relationships with other countries, creating new jobs, defending U.S. borders, repairing infrastructure and dethroning the Washington D.C. elite.
PHOTO BY TAM DUONG JR./THE PIONEER
Former Hawyard Police Chief Diane Urban Stuart talks to reporters during a press conference last February. Stuart retired last month amid a personnel investigation by the city of Hayward.
Hayward High School junior shot and killed By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sixteen-year-old Hayward High School junior Lamar Murphy was shot and killed on Princeton Street and Smalley Avenue on Monday evening, shortly after 6:30 p.m. according to press statements from Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. The shooting happened in an unincorporated area of North Hayward that falls under the Alameda County Sheriff's jurisdiction. According to Murphy’s father, Phillip Rushing, Murphy was walking back to his home on Smalley Avenue from a nearby store when a suspect in the passenger seat of a vehicle got out and fired at Murphy, fatally wounding him. Rushing and the Sheriff's Department have not released any details on the vehicle or the suspects, other than that there were two. PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILLIP RUSHING Rushing said his son was “nonviolent” and was not involved with any street gangs. Phillip Rushing, left, and his son Lamar Murphy. Murphy “It’s hard to know my son ain’t coming home again,” was shot and killed on Monday night in an unincorporated Rushing told the Pioneer Tuesday evening. “I just want area of North Hayward. somebody to help catch these guys.” Rushing said there was a large group of people outside when the shooting occurred, but many of them fled the scene after the shooting and after law enforcement officials arrived. The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office did not confirm details about the incident. On Tuesday evening, family and friends held a candlelight vigil and released balloons with messages on them for Murphy at the intersection where he was killed. His girlfriend and fellow Hayward High School student, Maggie Engels, was visibly distraught by his death. “He’s such a good person,” Engels said. “He didn’t deserve this. He had so much left to do.” Anybody with more information about the incident is encouraged to call the Alameda County Sheriff's Office at 510-667-3622.
“It's hard to know my son ain't coming home again.” —Phillip Rushing, Lamar Murphy's father
Crowd Size White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer spoke at a press briefing following the ceremony, in response to various news reports that compared photos of the crowd at Obama’s 2009 inauguration to Trump’s, which was noticeably smaller. Spicer called the media “shameful” for “attempting to lessen the enthusiasm of the inauguration.” He stated that it was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, “both in person and around the globe.” According to Snopes, a political fact-checking website, there is no reliable data to back up this claim. A final count has not yet been determined; however, Keith Still, professor at Manchester Metropolitan University in England, estimated that the crowd size was one-third the size of Obama’s using aerial photographs, according to Snopes. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority reported 570,557 Metro rides on Jan. 20, which fell significantly short of the 1.1 million rides that took place during Obama’s first inauguration in 2009 and the 782,000 that were recorded during his second inauguration in 2013. Ratings The Nielsen Company, an information, data and measurement company, reported that 31 million people tuned in to watch the presidential inauguration on Friday on television. Ronald Reagan’s 1981 inauguration still holds the record for most viewers at 41 million and Obama’s 2009 inauguration is second with 37 million. On Monday, a poll from Gallup, a research-based performance management company, released Trump’s first approval ratings, which at 45 percent, are the lowest ever recorded for a new president. Executive Actions During his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order to decrease penalties established by the Afford-
SEE TRUMP TRACKER PAGE 3
By Kali Persall Managing Editor
2 OPINION
THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017
THE PIONEER EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Louis LaVenture louis.laventure@csueastbay.edu
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Women, arm yourselves with IUD’s
FACULTY ADVISOR
Reproductive health on the chopping block thanks to Trump
FACULTY COORDINATOR
By Kali Persall MANAGING EDITOR With Donald Trump now officially the president of the United States, and women’s reproductive rights on the chopping block, one thing is for certain: I will be getting that precautionary IUD birth control method before it’s too late. On Monday, just one day after the 44th anniversary of landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which made abortion legal in the U.S. in 1973, the Trump administration reinstated the Mexico City Policy, a Reagan-era “global gag rule” that bans U.S. federal funding from going to international nongovernmental organizations that provide abortions. This includes the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which provides family planning services such as counseling, contraceptives and abortion. Marie Stopes International, a nongovernmental organization that provides contraceptives and performs abortions in 37 countries, estimates that the absence of their services could cause 6.5 million unwanted pregnancies, 2.2 million abortions, 2.1 million unsafe abortions, and 21,700 maternal deaths. The Mexico City Policy prevents the organization from offering 1.5 million women contraceptives annually between 2017 and 2020. The statistics were calculated using the organization’s peer-reviewed “Impact 2 Model,” a report that quantifies the impact of the organization’s work. Whether or not non-U.S. funds are used for the abortions themselves, if the organization promotes abortion as a method of family planning, it will not qualify for any federal funding, CNN reported on Tuesday. Before Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy, these organizations received a small portion of federal funding as providers of abortion services. The policy has been repeatedly rescinded by Democrats and reinstated by Republicans, depending on which party holds office, since Bill Clinton first scrapped it in 1993. We’ve all known this was coming. In preparation for an imminent attack on Planned Parenthood, women like me are scrambling to get our hands on affordable, long-term birth control methods like IUD’s, or Intrauterine Devices, akin to doomsday “preppers” who hunker down with boxes of freezedried foods in their basements. The IUD, a flexible T-shaped piece of plastic that is inserted into the uterus, is over 99 percent effective and can last up to 12 years, according to Planned Parenthood. There are currently five different brands on the market which can be divided into two types: copper and hormonal. The Paragard IUD is wrapped in copper and works as a spermicide to prevent pregnancy for up to 12 years. Mirena, Skyla and Kyleena, hormonal contraceptive brands, contain the synthetic hormone progestin, which causes changes in the uterus to prevent ovulation and cause the mucus lining to thicken and trap sperm. These methods can last for six, five and three years respectively, according to Planned Parenthood. As effective as IUD’s are, at $1,000 a pop, they can break the bank. Even as a working college student, I could never afford one without Planned Parenthood, which is why women need organizations like these to help offset the costs. I’ve been hesitant to get an IUD because of the possible side effects, which include cramping and heavy bleeding that can last anywhere from three to
six months, according to Planned Parenthood. However, at least it’s always been an option. If the Mexico City Policy is any indication of the direction women’s reproductive rights are moving in under the Trump administration, the discomfort of getting an IUD is worth the risk. My IUD will outlast Trump’s presidency. Falsified videos depicting Planned Parenthood employees selling aborted fetus body parts were created by the right wing anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress. Since these videos went viral in 2015, the abortion debate has skyrocketed to the top of the Republican agenda, according to news reports. Trump’s actions are the initiatives that anti-choice proponents have been waiting for. The Planned Parenthood videos convinced many religious, anti-abortion groups that organizations like Planned Parenthood are using their tax dollars to fund services they feel strongly against. Trump has been hailed as a pro-life champion for his advocacy of the unborn by numerous pro-life supporters, such as LifeNews.com “American taxpayer dollars have many good uses, but paying for elective abortions overseas is not and never has been one of them,” said Steven H. Aden, senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian nonprofit that advocates for a number of religious issues, in a Monday statement. “The International Planned Parenthood Federation and other groups that promote abortions outside of the U.S. shouldn’t be allowed to profit from taking lives with American money anywhere, especially in light of their documented abuse of taxpayer dollars.” Alliance Defending Freedom contends that Planned Parenthood is a “profitable abortionist” that has committed “massive fraud, waste and abuse,” evidenced through 50 public audits. Trump has also notoriously been on the wrong side of women’s rights throughout much of his campaign, and even suggested that women should receive “some form of punishment” for having an abortion, during a forum with Chris Matthews on MSNBC in March 2016. He later retracted his remarks, and clarified that doctors who perform these services should be held legally responsible, according to the New York Times. Approximately 40 percent of Planned Parenthood’s services are devoted to STD testing, 34 percent contraception, 11 percent go to other women’s health services, 10 percent are dedicated to cancer screening and prevention, one percent goes to other services and only three percent are dedicated to abortion, according to Planned Parenthood. Defunding an organization that dedicates the majority of its services to preventing pregnancy is counterproductive, especially when abortions aren’t federally funded at all. The Hyde Amendment has prohibited federal funds from being used for abortions since 1976, except in cases of rape, incest or if a woman suffers from a life-threatening illness. This could become permanent under the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017, which was proposed on Jan. 13 and is awaiting a final vote by the House of Representatives. Trump is also making good on his promise to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, which could affect affordable birth control options as it currently requires insurance companies to provide free access to contraception, according to the Huffington Post. Last Friday, Trump signed an executive order to remove penalties inflicted by the program, pending the program’s repeal. It took less than a week in office for Trump to set women back 50 years: in 2017, the only thing more difficult to get than birth control will be an abortion. Ladies, it’s time to batten down the hatches because we’re in for a long four years. The only thing that belongs in my uterus is an IUD, not policy.
Gary Moskowitz gary.moskowitz@csueastbay.edu
Dr. Katherine Bell kate.bell@csueastbay.edu
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NEWS 3
THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017
THE PIONEER SAN QUENTIN NEWS
It’s harder for Black women to be understood as victims By Marcus Henderson SAN QUENTIN NEWS Black women are more likely to be criminalized for defending themselves, according to a Rewire story. “It’s really hard for people to accept Black women as victimized,” said Lenina Trinidad, an attorney who has represented abuse survivors, in an interview with Rewire. “In my experience, in the criminal court system, Black women are inherently questioned and inherently distrusted. The system and the players don’t find them as credible.” Nearly half of women in state prisons and local jails had been abused before their arrest, according to a U.S. Department of Justice report released in 1999. Black women are up to four times
more likely to be imprisoned than White women. The most recent statistics on imprisonment seem to back Trinidad’s observations, according to the article. There is no readily available conviction rate of Black women claiming self-defense and there is little data on the number of domestic violence-related convictions, the article noted. The story cites the case of Cherelle Baldwin, a 24-year-old Black woman found not guilty in the death of an abusive ex-boyfriend. She was freed only after serving close to three years in prison, according to the April Rewire article by Victoria Law. Baldwin had been granted a court order against her ex-boyfriend, Jeffrey Brown. But Brown continued to text threats, the story noted. He then showed up at Baldwin’s house and climbed through a window were he pulled a knife
and choked her with his belt, according to a police affidavit quoted in the article. Baldwin escaped by running outside into her car. Brown managed to get in the car and proceed to choke her again, noted the story. She got out the car, and the car ran over her leg. He continued to chase her, but the rest happened so fast she did not remember how he ended up in front of the car, the article reported. When police arrived, Brown was dead, and Baldwin had a broken leg. Their baby was in the house, unharmed. She was taken to the hospital. Three weeks later, she was charged with first-degree murder and her bail was set at $1 million. She was sent to York Correctional Institution in Niantic, the women’s state prison in Connecticut. Another case the author refers to was about Marissa Alexander, a Florida
mother who argued she had been acting in self-defense under the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law, by firing a warning shot into the ceiling to stop her husband’s assault. She was unsuccessful and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Her conviction coincided with the arrest of George Zimmerman, who successfully claimed “Stand Your Ground” in his shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. In January 2015, after wider attention and support for Alexander, an appeals court ruled that the judge’s instructions on self-defense were faulty and reversed her conviction. Nearly four-and-a-half years after her arrest, Alexander agreed to a plea bargain for time served and two years of house arrest.
Exploring the rabbit hole that led them to violence By Juan Haines SAN QUENTIN NEWS On a hazy mid-April weekend, 15 men gathered in an old prison yard bungalow at San Quentin to think about why they killed -- why they robbed -- why they ended up here. Most of them are serving life sentences, locked up for decades. They came to this writing workshop, called The Rabbit Hole, to explain who they were and what they became. Doing criminal violence often comes from feeling like you’re in a world that’s gone insane, according to the organizer, Emile DeWeaver He said he named his workshop after the rabbit’s entryway in Alice in Wonderland. In this case, he said, the new world wasn’t fantasy, but a place of confusion and pain, where they did the worst acts of their lives. Knowing you were there “is not an excuse for violence,” said DeWeaver, who was convicted of a 1998 murder. “It’s finding out the reasons for violence in a time when your lives were uncertain.”
If a person can explain his past to himself, DeWeaver believes, he can understand what it means to inflict harm on another human being. A person with empathy may help bring peace to the community, but first he has to have empathy for himself. It happened to him. Some years ago, in an online magazine, DeWeaver published his thoughts about how his alienation from his father created a kind of emptiness and rage in him, culminating in the murder. Writing and thinking about this, he wrote, helped him come to terms with the anger, even extinguish it. His story was read by a crime victim, who commented that it helped her understand what happened to her. His daughter read it too, and they reconnected. DeWeaver came to believe he had a way to help others, and he started a writing workshop called Accountable Communication. The Rabbit Hole is part of the program, designed to take others through something like his process of self-understanding, which can be hard, according to De Weaver. As the men in the
workshop began to describe their past conduct, an uneasy laughter covers a palpable embarrassment, as they begin to reveal the things they did as kids. “The deeper you dig into asking yourself, why you did what you did, the more effective you’ll be in connecting with readers,” DeWeaver tells them. The men hunch over their chairs, heads bowed, pens moving across lined paper. For five minutes they warm up, free-writing about a time in their lives they hurt someone on purpose. What need, DeWeaver asks, were they trying to meet? Ronald Draper recalls a racist taunt when he was 12. “He called me a nigger,” he says. His foster father had shown him a lot of public television about the civil rights movement. When he was called that name, though, it felt like nothing had changed. In frustration, the only thing to do was punch his tormentor. “I wanted him to feel the lack of control that I felt,” says Draper. There was no trouble with the law that time, but he had injured the other boy badly. DeWeaver wants the men to ask them-
selves a series of “Whys,” seeking their missing need. That personal story is the way to finding our universal needs. For Jeffrey Pruitt, the journey down the rabbit hole began at 12, with stealing another kid’s bike. He’d been the youngest of 10 children, and poor. Other men in the group challenge him: the youngest is usually pampered, they say. Not everybody steals – what was it about the bike? Pruitt, replies, that it was a Schwinn and shiny, just the kind of thing a kid wants. The kind of thing other kids would think was cool. The kind of thing he’d have that they’d want—the envy of every kid. Something he’d never known. The 30-something Jerome Watts talks about hurting a girl in high school, hoping the other boys would call him a player. He’d been bullied a lot, but after that, it stopped. “I was just so tired of dudes clowning me,” Watts said. We all know these kinds of adolescent pains, and they are with all of us for life. But they are hard for anyone to talk about, let alone a convict, according to
From Page 1 able Care Act, or Obamacare, pending congressional repeal of the program, according to CBS News. Trump also signed an order to suspend a program that would cut fees on Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance, which would help middle-class homebuyers purchase houses. The program was supposed to begin on Jan. 27 and was going to save homebuyers who borrowed at least $200,000, approximately $500 on their annual insurance premiums, according to CBS. On Tuesday, Trump issued an executive order to revive the Dakota Access Pipeline construction, a controversial project which attracted strong opposition due to its potential to contaminate major drinking water sources in North Dakota. The project was suspended by Obama in December. White House website Changes to the White House website following Trump’s inauguration have captured widespread media attention, when the sections on climate change, LGBTQ rights and the Spanish translation option disappeared and were replaced by a “Standing Up For Our Law Enforcement Community” section.
Weaver. DeWeaver wants him to keep digging. Hurting the girl, he suggests, like hitting the racist boy or stealing the bike, began a cycle of violence, a way of acceptance in a broken world that led to committing crimes. “Look, I know this stuff is embarrassing,” DeWeaver says. “A lot of what you discover about the old you isn’t going to be flattering. But that honesty is what connects you to your reader. More importantly, it will help you realize that you weren’t a bad person. You were a person. And when people lack the tools to recover from trauma, they make bad decisions. It’s called the human condition.”
Prop 57 opens a door for juvenile offenders By John Lam SAN QUENTIN NEWS With the passage of Proposition 57, Kid CAT will strive to build upon the positive changes in the law and community attitudes and rehabilitation initiatives which are giving juvenile offenders hope for freedom in the future. “The passage of Proposition 57 on Nov. 8 represented a big step toward a more restorative approach toward addressing the systemic failures in prosecuting minors as adults,” said Charlie Spence, Kid CAT Chairman. “The adult criminal justice system is just not set up to help young people.” The passage of Proposition 57 takes away the District Attorney’s discretionary power to try a juvenile as an adult and authorizes the juvenile court judge to take into consideration, “any relevant factor...not limited to, the minor’s age, maturity, intellectual capacity, physical, mental and emotional health at the time of the alleged offense…. [And] whether the minor can be rehabilitated prior to the expiration of the juvenile court’s jurisdiction.” “It is Kid CAT’s belief that all youth are capable of redemption given the right conditions through nurture, compassion and education opportunities,” said Spence. “Kids can grow and flourish into caring and productive members of their communities, and this can even take place in an adult system given the right conditions.” In the words of first-term youth of-
fender David Rodriguez on the passage of Proposition 57, “I consider myself fortunate, had it not been for rehabilitative policies like AB1276 (a program that diverts youth offenders to lower level security prisons), I would’ve not been here in San Quentin to take advantage of the programming opportunities but be stuck somewhere in a level 4 maximum security prison, facing violence.” As the California voters decided with Proposition 57, the criminal justice system continues to increase its focus on restorative justice approaches. “We at Kid CAT will continue to foster the idea that youth offenders can be empowered to make a difference through educating and mentoring others in their communities,” said Philip Melendez, Kid CAT Public Relations president. “We empower our communities through the programs we do and created here.” In the last six months, Kid CAT has worked on the following projects to further its mission to empower and educate: In June, Kid CAT created a class that specifically addresses the concerns of Youth Offender Program (YOP) population, offenders between the ages of 18-23. In August, a public viewing in San Quentin of the film “The Mask You Live In” directed by Jennifer Siebel-Newsom, which features some of the men of Kid CAT sharing about how they understand masculinity. In October, Kid CAT held a symposium entitled “The Value of Rehabilitation,” where more than 70 community guests, which included survivors of
crimes, lawmakers and juvenile justice advocates, to discuss solutions toward creating a more holistic approach toward rehabilitation. In November, 27 individuals graduated from Kid CAT First Step Curriculum after spending six months of intensive activities taught from eight modules ranging from Communications, Masculinity and Forgiveness to Compassion. One of the many ways Kid CAT members practice empowerment is through amends and accountability through service to their community. This December, Kid CAT will be conducting their fifth annual holiday card decorating. Decorated cards will be given to the children in Oakland’s Children’s Hospital. Also in December, Kid CAT will be conducting the fourth annual hygiene drive to raise awareness on the plight of homeless children. This drive has successfully raised funds to purchase more than 1,000 hygienic kits to benefit homeless children in the Bay Area. If you would like to become involved, you can: Get your family or friends to donate on your behalf by going to www.huckleberryyouth.org. “We are inspired by the work that still needs to be done. Kid CAT wants to thank and acknowledge all who have advocated on the behalf of youthful offenders,” said Spence. “We also want to thank all the men and women who write to our Kid CAT Speaks page each week seeking correspondence courses to improve their lives and who are striving to make positive changes in their lives.”
4 FEATURES
THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017
THE PIONEER
CSUEB graduate completes second book By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF For most 24-year-old college graduates, life consists of looking for jobs or settling into a position using the skills they recently acquired. However, Cal State East Bay alum Lauren Lola already has a firm grasp on what she wants to do: write. Lola’s second novel, “An Absolute Mind” was released in Nov. 2016 and the author recently read a portion of her new release at Suju’s Coffee in Fremont in December. This is the follow-up to her first novel released in July 2014 titled “A Moment’s Worth.” While Lola considered her first novel “contemporary fantasy science fiction,” she said her second novel is strictly science fiction. The book focuses on a college sophomore named Sonya Ogino who learns she has a genetic ability called “absolute memory” that allows her to see things when she touches objects. The novel takes place 50 years in the future where college is free, a quarter of the United States population identifies as mixed-race and the president is a mixed-race lesbian woman. “It was something I could relate to because I am different,” Lola said. The communications major left CSUEB with a minor in theater after she completed her degree in Dec. 2014. Lola said that her time in college influenced her books and characters, evidenced by the college-aged students in her first book and the main character of her second book who is in college as well. In addition to going to school fulltime, Lola also did Taekwondo, was involved with several campus clubs and a non-profit organization that showcases Asian-American talent, making her window to write small. “I would work on writing them whenever I could,” Lola said. “Before, during, between classes, I was always writing down notes.” Lola is from the East Bay, born in Fremont and raised in Newark and said she has been interested in writing books and stories as long as she can remember. “My dad told me one day something to the effect of ‘you knew you were a writer when you were in the sandbox,’” Lola said. “Both of my parents were major bookworms and really encouraged me and my brothers to read and write.” According to Lola, her half Filipino and half white ethnicity has also influenced the storylines and characters in
PHOTO BY LOUIS LAVENTURE/THE PIONEER
Cal State East Bay graduate and author Lauren Lola looks through newspapers from her time on staff at the Pioneer Newspaper. her writings. “For me, developing a book is a very sloppy and up-in-the-air process,” Lola said. “It’s just in a manner of writing down thoughts you might have on a whim, seeing if they stick and if it doesn’t, at least is documented. It involves world building, societal mentality, who the characters are, races, ethnicities and how does that play a role in who the characters are as people.” During her time at East bay, Lola also dabbled in journalism as a staff writer and an arts and entertainment editor at The Pioneer Newspaper,
during her freshman and sophomore years. Lola was also active in the theater department and made several connections including one with a former teacher, associate professor Ann Fajilan, who recently directed the CSU Ferguson play. Fajilan said she remembered Lola as a passionate student and would like to bring her back to campus during the spring quarter to read passages from her newest book to her class. In addition to the clubs and nonprofits she devoted time to, Lola also worked as an intern at The Center for
Asian American Media in San Francisco. According to CAAM, they fund, produce, distribute and exhibit television, film and digital media primarily by Asians and Asian Americans for more than 35 years. “Once I finished college, I really didn’t have to apply,” Lola said. “It was just kind of like, see you on Monday. They really knew me.” Lola said she has many duties at CAAM that include sifting through submissions as well as writing things for the website. Despite the busy schedule, Lola
keeps a plethora of projects on the back-burner, including an anthology geared for theater she is co-writing called “The Geek Show,” which she described as “The highs and lows of being a geek.” Lola said the show should premier in San Francisco in April. Lola also just had a poem accepted for publication in the upcoming issue of Zine literary magazine, the fourth time she has had her work accepted for the publication. She has written other poems for performers and is trying to connect with some friends in Los Angeles to create a screenplay.
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6 NEWS
THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017
THE PIONEER
Inauguration protests attract thousands of people in the Bay Area By Kali Persall MANAGING EDITOR Inauguration Day Two-thousand peaceful protesters were armed with signs gathered at the Oakland City Hall at 7 a.m. on Friday to protest the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Undeterred by the rain, marchers met to voice their dissent with Trump, who has made offensive comments about women, minorities, immigrants, the LGBTQ community and the disabled throughout his campaign. The protesters walked up Telegraph Avenue to 27th Street and made their way back to Frank Ogawa Plaza around 1:30 p.m., according to the East Bay Express. Oakland’s inauguration protest was one of at least a dozen others organized in the Bay Area on Friday alone, according to ABC7 News. Women’s March Bay Area residents did not stop there. On Saturday, Oakland streets closed and BART added additional cars in preparation for the Women’s March, which aimed to “empower everyone who stands for human rights, civil liberties and social justice for all,” according to the Women’s March Bay Area website. A sea of pink knitted hats — some handmade, others manufactured specifically for the occasion — became an unofficial trademark of the march. Affectionately referred to as “pussy hats” for the cat-like ear points on either side, women attempted to reclaim the derogatory term in response to Trump’s comments about grabbing women by their genitals. A plethora of signs that bore messages such as, “Love not hate makes America great” and “One day a woman will be president” crowd-surfed, as men, women, babies and the elderly championed for human rights. The march took place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and led protesters from Madison Park up Oak Street to Grand Avenue, following Lake Merritt and ending down Broadway at Frank Ogawa Plaza. The event was mirrored in San Francisco later in the day, as well as nationwide and overseas, manifesting in 670 events with over 1 million participants, according to the Washington Post. A record 597,000 trips were recorded on Metro in Washington D.C. for the Women's March, in comparison to only 368,000 on Inauguration Day, according to the Washington Post. News outlets have called it “the largest one-day protest in U.S. history.” The East Bay Times projected a 28,000 person turn-out based on responses to the Oakland event’s Facebook page. The event drew an estimated 60,000 attendees in Oakland and resulted in no arrests, according to the Oakland Police Department.
PHOTOS BY IRA LAZO/CONTRIBUTOR
Thousands of people came to downtown Oakland to protest President Donald J. Trump on Friday and to support the Women's March on Saturday.
NEWS 7
THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017
THE PIONEER
PHOTOS BY KALI PERSALL/THE PIONEER
Men, women and children attended the Women's March In Oakland on Saturday. Attendees marched in the streets to protest President Donald J. Trump because of comments and actions taken during his campaign.
PHOTO BY KALI PERSALL/THE PIONEER
PHOTOS BY IRA LAZO/CONTRIBUTOR
8 FEATURES
THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017
THE PIONEER
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KEDAR DUTT/THE PIONEER
Comedians tackle race, religion, college By Tishauna Carrell STAFF WRITER Around 300 students laughed and teared up as comedian Tony Roberts jokingly danced to hit single, “Juju on that Beat” during a recent comedy show at Cal State East Bay’s Hayward campus. When he asked a student from the audience to come up on stage and dance with him, a roar of “Aye” chants came from the crowd. Roberts also shared a story about the first time he performed on stage where he passed gas 14 times. “It smelled bad,” Roberts told the crowd. I thought I had cancer, like that’s the West Nile Virus.” Roberts has appeared on HBO’s Def
Comedy Jam, BET’s ComicView, It’s Showtime at the Apollo, and “Shaquille All Star Comedy Jam.” Associated Student Inc., the student government body at Cal State East Bay, hosted its 3rd annual comedy show with five headliners, Arnez J, Tony Roberts, Taylor Tomlinson, Ray Lipowski and Nema Williams, at the University Theatre on Jan. 19. DJ Quam spinned hiphop hits before the event and during the breaks. The event was free for students through ASI. Roberts, an actor, comedian and M.C. for the night, amped the crowd with stories, animated behavior and interactive questions, in a 20-minute performance and four 10-minute breaks. Other comics throughout the night
also shared personal experiences in their comedy routines, which often centered on racial themes. “I look very wholesome, like I’m very white,” said Taylor Tomlinson, a Modesto native who wore black skinny jeans, a gray cotton top and black leather jacket on stage. “If I told you my dad was mayonnaise you’d be like ‘that checks out’. I look very wholesome, like men don’t even picture me naked. They picture me helping their mom on Christmas.” Tomlinson discussed topics that college students can relate to, such as roommate issues and dating. “I follow the special events page on Instagram and when I saw [Taylor], I was like, let me see who she is and thought she was
really funny so I wanted to see her,” said Jazz Chand, a 27-year-old business administration major and comedy fan. Tomlinson asked the mostly 20-something crowd if the people they went to high school with are having kids and getting married all over Facebook. “And it’s never the best people from high school that start doing it first, is it?” she asked. “It’s never like ‘oh the valedictorian has a family’ it’s always like ‘oh trashy Lauren made some garbage babies, good for her.’” Race and religion were the most popular themes of the night. The audience was diverse, but African Americans seemed to dominate the population. Topics ranged from poking fun at cultural differences in Caucasians, African
Americans and Asians. Religions such as Christianity and Islam were also mentioned. Some of the comedians even referenced each other’s jokes. The biggest laugh of the night went to comic Ray Lipowski when he referred to Roberts’ topic of passing gas. “If you can’t control your bowel movements, stay home,” Lipowski said. “This is why you don’t doo doo in public, cause there’s no amount of wiping that will ever suffice.” Lipowski, who is white, shared how biggest cultural difference between he and his African American wife is the Happy Birthday song. He asked the Black audience to sing their version of
SEE FEATURES PAGE 11
FEATURES 9
THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017
THE PIONEER
Local moms make no excuses
Members of the Hayward-Castro Valley No Excuse Mom group pose for a picture after a Mother's Day 2015 hike up Mission Peak in Fremont.
By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Maria Kang, who was born in San Francisco and lives in Elk Grove, had no idea what she had gotten herself into when she posted a picture in 2013 of her wearing workout clothes, with her three sons and the caption “What’s your excuse?” The photo went viral online and eventually led to a ton of support and criticism not only from people online, but also from the media. Many of her critics said Kang was “fat shaming,” and eventually a backlash began with moms listing their excuses for not being in shape. However, not all of the feedback was negative. Kang already had her own website since 2005, but she decided to start another called “No Excuse Mom” in Dec. 2013 to help moms make physical fitness and healthy eating a lifestyle. Groups can go to the website or social media for workout and diet support, as well as a slew of other
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Against Asian-Americans Today, it is important for the Public to know that our US Federal Government has secretly STOLEN, DESTROYED, AND ENSLAVED our FREEDOM, LIBERTY, EQUALITY, AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY by secretly NOT ENFORCING AND NOT DEFENDING our 14th Amendment (to provide all its citizens “equal protection of the laws” against Crime and Racism) as NBC continues to secretly maintain and enjoy Their UNCIVILIZED ‘RACIST GRIP OF CRIME AND TERROR AGAINST THEIR KIDNAPPED AND TORTURED’ Asian-American Hostages who still seek TRUTH AND JUSTICE after being severely punished and confined by the US Federal Government (for 29 years) for being the ‘INNOCENT VICTIMS’ of Federal Crimes by NBC.
President Trump should STOP these FEDERAL CRIMES
PHOTO COURTESY OF JUNETTE VILLAROSA
their children, who are even incorporated into the workouts in some instances. “The time really has flown by, but it isn’t sad,” Villarosa said. “If anything it makes me really happy because many of these women I have met through [No Excuse Mom] will be friends with for life.” The group utilizes local parks like Pepsi Park on Hesperian Boulevard, Birchfield Park and Cannery Park, both in North Hayward, to host the workouts. For the founder, Kang, the group was born after her photo went viral, but weight and health is always something she has struggled with. Kang had an eating disorder that damaged her metabolism and led to her struggle to lose weight. Her mother was overweight and “unhealthy” which eventually led to diabetes and several strokes, something Kang vowed not to perpetuate. “I had good intentions,” Kang said. “I am a working mom and I just wanted to show others if I can do it, you can do it too. I felt like a huge fighter when I was attacked; bring it on.” Both Villarosa and Zacarias have multiple children, which were their primary motivation to become involved; not just to make themselves healthy, but to change their whole families lifestyles to prioritize their health. “The ‘What’s Your Excuse?’ picture really sparked us locally,” Villarosa said. “We want to incorporate a family lifestyle setting, incorporate kids in workouts, establish healthy habits as well as create a bonding experience and support group. Like a big family.” Villarosa and Zacarias both said the online network has become a huge support system and also a great place to get feedback and guidance for workouts, diets and everything healthy. The group has evolved and now does things like walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, climb Mission Peak in Fremont and even enter “Spartan Races,” which are obstacle style endurance races hosted around the country and world. The group is not limited to moms; they also welcome grandmothers, aunts, cousins, sisters and more, but they try to keep it primarily female. A spinoff group for dads, “No Excuse Dad,” was also created recently by Zacarias’s husband, that functions the same way as No Excuse Mom. The group is fairly new and struggled to get members; however, they are in their grassroots period. Zacarias said the group has transformed her entire family and even her five-year-old daughter has completed two “Spartan Races.” “We still eat bad and fast food occasionally,” Zacarias said. “But even my kids workout now with my husband and our eating habits have really changed. Lots of brown rice, turkey and chicken, but we’re human, we don’t deny ourselves. That is where the importance of working out comes into play and we are committed as a family.”
“I had good intentions,” Kang said. “I am a working mom and I just wanted to show others if I can do it, you can do it too. I felt like a huge fighter when I was attacked; bring it on.” resources in order to prioritize their family’s health. The local Hayward-Castro Valley group recently celebrated its two year anniversary and celebrated with a workout at Cannery Park in North Hayward in December, as well as a dinner to commemorate the milestone this past week. Kang’s presence was felt locally in 2014 when Hayward resident Junette Villarosa met a Northern California regional director for the No Excuse Mom group after she began to look for more workout ideas. “I just had my son and I gained 40 to 50 pounds during my pregnancy,” Villarosa said. Villarosa said she gained so much weight after the March 2014 birth of her son that she didn’t recognize herself. By the summer, she was working out regularly and dropped about 20 to 30 pounds. She reached out to a friend to create workout goals and that’s when the local group began to form. Her friend’s wife was a regional director for No Excuse Mom and after some prodding, Villarosa decided to help create a Hayward-Castro Valley chapter of the group. On Dec. 28, 2014 Villarosa hosted her first workout for the Hayward-Castro Valley chapter that drew roughly more than 20 people. Villarosa was shocked by the turnout and knew she needed help so she reached out to one of the attendees, Lucy Zacarias, who eventually became the co-leader of the group on Jan. 18, 2015. Zacarias said she was unsure to get involved at first because she just started working out, but things changed quickly. “My cousin saw the group on Facebook and it sounded perfect,” Zacarias said. “I was hesitant because I just started to work out. After the first workout, I went to the car and I knew I was going to be a leader.” Zacarias cited the camaraderie, support and friendliness as the main reasons she wanted to be involved. “I saw all these women talking like they knew each other for years but most of them just met,” Zacarias said. With Villarosa returning to work, the timing was perfect as the two were able to co-lead the group that generally sees anywhere from 10 to 25 people at their workouts. Women are encouraged to bring
"We still eat bad and fast food occasionally,” Zacarias said. “But even my kids workout now with my husband and our eating habits have really changed. Lots of brown rice, turkey and chicken, but we’re human, we don’t deny ourselves."
10 NEWS
THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017
THE PIONEER
From East Oakland to Ph.D. for author By Evelyn Tijero PHOTOGRAPHER Before Dr. Victor Rios became a professor at UC Santa Barbara and an author of five books, he grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods in East Oakland. Surrounded by drugs, gangs and violence, he joined a local gang for protection by age 14. Beating the odds, Rios was the only one in his family to attend college. In 1995, Rios was accepted to Cal State East Bay — then known as Cal State Hayward — under the condition that he take part in a Summer Bridge program, an Educational Opportunity Program that provides basic academic skills for incoming college students. Rios graduated from Cal State East Bay — what he calls his intellectual birthplace — in 2000, earned his master’s degree in 2002 and then his Ph.D. in 2005 from UC Berkeley. He is currently a professor at UC Santa Barbara, where he teaches courses in juvenile justice and sociology. On Friday, in the New University Union from noon to 1 p.m., Dr. Rios spoke briefly about his book “Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys,” which was published in 2011. He explained the challenges these young men face and their harsh treatment in schools, communities and the world in which they are constantly policed and condemned. He discussed his work with minority groups and his research of 10 years with juvenile delinquents and gang-affiliated teens. “You can take me out of Oakland, but you can’t take Oakland out of me,” Rios told the audience. For about an hour, Rios talked about his life as a gang member, and showed a trailer of a documentary about his
PHOTO BY KEDAR DUTT/THE PIONEER
Professor Victor M. Rios explains his work to audience members during Inclusive Excellence week held in the New University Union multipurpose room on Jan. 20 on the Hayward campus. life. He discussed his current work on Project GRIT, which stands for Generating Resilience to Inspire Trans-
formation, aimed at helping minority groups that consist of “at-promise youth” in Southern California’s in-
ner-city Watts. The term “at-promise youth” is what he calls children considered at-risk, or adolescents labeled
less likely to find socioeconomic success in their transition to adulthood. Dr. Rios doesn’t believe these students are at-risk, they just need the help and guidance to continue on the right path. Dr. Rios himself was once classified as an at-risk youth. These at-promise youth are not only found in Oakland but in the poorest neighborhoods around California. “As a current staff member and alumni of EOP and CSUEB, it makes me proud to see how others are doing. Also, to see a Latino male with a doctorate degree it’s amazing and motivational,” said Belen Menjivar, the Outreach and Admissions counselor for the transfer program Gaining Access N’ Academic Success, or GANAS. “Oppression should never stop you from dreaming,” he told the audience. Rios explained how dreaming was his only outlet from reality. He never guessed his dreams would come true, and that he would be back to the place that gave him a chance, the place that became his intellectual birthplace: Cal State East Bay. Dr. Diana Balgas, an executive director at CSUEB for the Transfer Student Programs, was the Summer Bridge counselor at CSUEB when Rios applied in 1995. Balgas described his wardrobe as “cholo-like.” “Picture an 18-year-old fresh out of high school wearing a pendleton, nice crisp khakis and Converse joining the Summer Bridge program,” Balgas said. Dr. Balgas mentioned how in the Summer Bridge program they had multi-cultural workshops and presentations. There was a doctor who was also a former cholo and went to the program to give a speech, inspiring Dr. Rios to change his ways. Dr. Rios is now a recognized National Latino Leader by our former Vice President Joe Biden.
San Francisco close getaway for East Bay residents
PHOTOS BY LESLY ZELAYA/CONTRIBUTOR
Views from Fisherman's Wharf at Pier 39 in San Francisco. The City is a local getaway destination for East Bay residents looking to take in views, culture, arts, entertainment and scenery.
FEATURES 11
THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017
THE PIONEER If you could add any restaurant on campus what would it be? Why?
By Evelyn Tijero
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Quotes from the Quad
PHOTOGRAPHER
“I really like burgers. So, a burger joint, Maybe Carl’s Jr. Because their Flame Broiled Burgers are delicious.”
- Cristal Peralta sociology, senior
- Andrew Perez art option multimedia, senior
“I would incorporate a juice bar. It’s a healthier alternative, I would be willing to pay extra for something healthier than for an expensive name brand drink.” - Estefany Cabrera sociology, senior
Comedy From Page 8
“Happy Birthday,” originally sang by Stevie Wonder. “Now watch the energy in this room change,” he said. Walking on stage with a black suit and a gray fleece infinity scarf around his neck, Arnez J. was unapologetic about his jokes about race and warned, “It’s only funny till I get to your race.” He said, “We’ve been living with this one thing for a long time. Black people, remember that cliche saying ‘All you black people look alike?’ Remember that? Yeah, that’s an outright lie, it’s the Asians.” Students gasped and chuckled when Roberts pointed to a girl in the audience and told her she had big breasts. The audience was shocked but seemed forgiving when he joked about women looking like lamps, “Big breasts and skinny bodies look like a lamp, you can’t even tie your shoes.” ASI officials chose comics featured in the show based on surveys given to students after previous comedy shows, as well as comedians who are available to perform, according to Cochran. In efforts to follow the Title IX, an act that was passed in 1972 to end discrimination and sexual assault in schools, comics are censored on the top-
“I would add a vegan cafe, Saturn’s Cafe or Native Foods. Just because it’s healthier and it would include students with that type of lifestyle.”
“So any restaurant, does that include fast food? In-N-Out! First of all, I love In-N-Out! Their menu is also very simple, and I think that the general population on campus would enjoy it. So people can’t say I’m selfish, I think on what others also like.” - Marcy Ortiz chemistry, senior
ics of sex and race. Cochran said they’ve received complaints from students and staff about previous performers saying derogatory and racial slurs in the past. “It’s not my intent for any artist that we book to offend the university,” said Cochran. According to Cochran, when Ty Dolla $ign performed at Spring Mayhem in 2016, he used derogatory language that caused Cochran to receive two ‘strikes’ from the university. Strikes could have an effect on his job and ASI’s future events. The second strike came when singer Kamaiyah performed at Al Fresco in 2016 and said the “N-word” which offended some of the African American community, according to Cochran. “I have two strikes with the university, due to performing artist issues,” Cochran said. “I can’t risk another.” The comedy show experience was originally started by previous program coordinator, Jon Stoll from 2008-2013, however, when Cochran became the new coordinator in 2013, he temporarily discontinued the show as he settled in his new position, but then picked up again in 2015 because of its previous success. “The goal is for students to laugh so hard that they momentarily forget the climate of our country,” said Cochran.
Local artists ‘Looking Forward’ to exhibit By Marcus Bishop CONTRIBUTOR There are no two identical pieces, and it’s evident that each of the watercolor, acrylic, oil, photography and ceramic works created by 59 artists featured in a new Adobe Art Gallery exhibition have their own story, influences and inspirations. Through March 4, Adobe Art Gallery in Castro Valley, a public fine art gallery, is hosting “Looking Forward,” a six-week art gallery exhibition that features 2-D and 3-D abstract, visual and fine art across various media. Virsik described the theme “Looking Forward” as “a view to the future.” The exhibit opened Saturday, and is open to the public. “Art fans everywhere have a wonderful opportunity to see the breadth and talent of East Bay Area artists,” said gallery director Leah Virsik. Each piece of art uniquely represents its artist. Marie Kulka’s panoramic “Early Morning Fog Glow,” which received honorable mention, depicts a stunning view of the San Francisco Bay at dawn. Kulka’s composition aims to make viewers feel as if they are there, in person, viewing the Bay at daybreak. CSUEB alumni Lee Daguman’s acrylic piece “Lady” is one of many unique pieces on display. “Evoking beauty and depth through a faceless but feminine hair style hovering amidst vibrant splashes of color over a small, single feminine silhouette,” exhibit attendee Bruce Roberts said about Daguman’s work. Botanic artist Kathleen Hardwig’s work “Red Flowering Gum” utilizes watercolor to bring to life the branch of a flower, but she opted not to use green paint, despite its obvious choice. “The many natural shades of green were created through the use of other colors,” Hardwig said. Before becoming an art space, the Adobe Art Gallery belonged to Castro Valley’s first elementary school. The Adobe building was leased to the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District to satisfy the need for an art center, according to gallery officials. In 1984, a group of artists affiliated with the Adobe Gallery founded a resident organization within the gallery, called “Artists Relaxing Together,” or A.R.T. Inc., to help Bay Area artists come together to support one another, and provide a place to exhibit work. The group hosts free art demonstrations, exhibitions and social events, funded by its own members and Alameda County Arts Foundation grants. The exhibit features the work of Artist Guild East Bay vice president and watercolor specialist Barbara Berner and landscape and aviation artist Attila Cziglenyi, a recipient of local, regional and national art awards. Oakland impressionist painter Biz Rasam — born in Kabul, Afghanistan — will also have work on display. “My work is mainly representational and influenced by my surroundings and culture,” Rasam said. Of the 59 entrants, five received judge Angela Johal’s award of merit. Award recipients include Mercie Harris’ “Breeze,” Nick Calarco’s “Star of India,” Lynne Shephard’s “Migration,” Lisa Rigge’s “When Life was Simple” and Kay Athos’ “Secrets.” In addition to the merit award, the five recipients also a received a $100 cash prize. Johal is an artist and San Jose State University alumni represented by the Slate Contemporary Gallery in Oakland, as well as the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco. Artistically, she is recognized for her use of recycling materials and geometric figures. The Adobe Art Gallery resides behind a park, so it’s hidden from pedestrians and traffic. Virsik referred to the gallery as “One of Castro Valley’s best kept secrets.” “Looking Forward” will run Thursday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. and admission is $10.
12 SPORTS
THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017
THE PIONEER
Raiders could be ‘Just Moving Baby’ By Gabriel Armenta-Rose CONTRIBUTOR Two NFL teams have changed cities in the past two years, and now there may be a third; the Oakland Raiders officially submitted the relocation papers to move to Las Vegas on Jan. 18. One obstacle remains: Twenty-four of the 32 owners must approve of the move. The vote is set to take place at the annual owners meeting in late March. Just last year there was talk about the Raiders potentially moving back to Southern California to share a stadium with the Los Angeles Rams. But they had to wait for their division rivals, the San Diego Chargers, to decide whether they were going to stay in San Diego or move to Los Angeles. The team announced on Jan. 12 they will formally become the Los Angeles Chargers next season. Back in October, the Nevada senate proposed a bill that would allocate $750 million from public investment to help move the Raiders to Vegas. That bill was met with an astounding 35-7 vote in assembly and a 21-0 vote in senate. Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval signed the bill with a huge smile, and standing alongside with a smile to match was none other than Raiders owner Mark Davis. According to the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee’s proposal, the stadium would sit over 65,000 seats, 100 executive box suites and become one of the few NFL stadiums with a dome. The stadium would cost over $1.9 billion to construct and would be financed from the $750 million from public investment, $650 million from Las Vegas Sands Corporation and the final $500 million coming from the Raiders and the NFL. As reported by multiple media sources, including the SFGate, Hall of Famer and former Raider, Ronnie Lott, is leading a project with his investment group called the Oakland City Pro Football Group, along with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, to keep
By Marissa Marshall STAFF WRITER
ILLUSTRATION BY DINA ARAKCHEYEVA/THE PIONEER
the Raiders in Oakland. Lott and his group are proposing to actually rebuild the Oakland Coliseum instead of moving the Raiders. First reported by the Associated Press, the proposal by the Lott Group and Oakland would cost upwards of $1.3 billion in renovations. Three-hundred-fifty million are coming from the city, the Oakland City Pro Football Group is contributing $400 million and the Raiders and NFL
are contributing $500 million, with the NFL already pledging $300 million for the Raiders. There are just two small problems. The city and the county are already in debt $103 million for previous renovations done to the coliseum. The other problem? That Davis really wants to be done with Oakland and move onto Vegas, for the reason that he “felt disrespected by the city of Oakland” in their attempts to keep the
Raiders. As the city “kept raising the rent two or three times” as stated by Davis, and would never give them a true home and instead keep leasing the stadium to the Raiders for a few years at a time. When Davis signed the bill, he said he hoped that he could change the nickname of Nevada from the Silver State, “To the silver and black state.”
Water polo season starts with victory By Marissa Marshall STAFF WRITER After months of pre-season preparation, the California State East Bay women’s water polo team earned its first victory of the season against Fresno Pacific on Saturday. “It feels good to finally be playing against someone that is not ourselves,” said senior utility Rocio Fesembeck. “And to have our season opener be a win makes it even better.” East Bay came out strong: senior driver Nicole Williams scored in the first three minutes of the game. Freshman utility Ariel Bill and junior utility Gabriella Garcia scored two more goals to put the Pioneers up 3-0. “We have been training and conditioning for 4 months,” said Bill. “It was mentally and physically draining during that time, but we overcame it and came out to play with a great mindset.” Fresno Pacific earned their first goal before the quarter ended, which put the score at 3-1. Senior two-meter Olivia Mackell scored on the very first position of the quarter and put the Pioneers back up 4-1. Fresno Pacific then bit back as they scored 2 consecutive goals, closing the score to 4-3. East Bay looked as if they were starting to slack, but two late goals by the Pioneers put them back up 6-4 as they went into halftime. In the second half Fesembeck came alive for East Bay as she scored 4 goals in the half, 2 in the third quarter and 2 in the fourth quarter, on only 5 shots.
Men’s basketball splits games over weekend
PHOTO BY SUSI LARSEN/THE PIONEER
The Cal State East Bay water polo team battle for a ball during the alumni game earlier this month in Hayward. “Our mindset going into the game was counter, counter, counter and that is what I did,” said Fesembeck. “Take advantages of every opportunity and eliminate mistakes on the defensive end.” In the final quarter, Fresno Pacific
outscored the Pioneers 4-2, but East Bay’s strength in the first 3 quarters gave them the advantage over the Sunbirds. The Pioneers pulled off the 12-9 win and start off their season 1-0. The team scored 12 goals on only 23
shots, and the Pioneers senior goalkeeper Nikki Vaughan had a total of 11 saves and two wins. East Bay have their season home opener on Sunday against California State Northridge, who is ranked number 24 in the NCAA Division II.
The California State East Bay Men’s basketball team went 1-1 over the weekend during a trip to Southern California for conference play. On Friday, the men played their first road trip game against California State Los Angeles (10-10 overall, 6-6 conference). In their previous matchup in December at home, East Bay beat the Golden Eagles in a very close game, 86-84 with strong performances from Druce Asah, Micah Dunhour and Jalen Richard. But this go-around was different. Cal State LA came back with a vengeance and snapped the Pioneers’ twogame win streak. “We were not 100 percent focused on the defensive end and we settled a lot on the outside,” said senior forward Dunhour. In the first half, LA was all over the Pioneers and held them to only a 35.4 shooting percentage from the field. Their high press led to East Bay trailing by the end of the half 30-39. The Golden Eagles shot 56 percent from the field and 90 percent from the free-throw line, which made it difficult for the Pioneers to find an advantage. In the second half, East Bay picked it up and their shots started to fall as they scored 50 points in the half, but it was not enough to overpower Cal State LA. The Golden Eagles dominated in the paint 34-24 and outrebounded the Pioneers 40-28. “If we want to make playoffs we have to be stronger in that area, treat every game like it is a win-or-go-home situation and that is by being aggressive,” said senior guard Richard. Giving opponents points inside paint has been a struggle for the Pioneers for a majority of the season. The Pioneers lost the game 90-80. Dunhour had 21 points on 9-for-15 on shooting and 5 rebounds, 3 assist and two blocks. Richard had another great game with 20 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. East Bay had to let the loss go and shifted their focus to their next game against California State Dominguez Hills (9-7, 5-5) where Dunhour and Richard both had another outstanding game and led their team to a win. The Pioneers came out hot in the first quarter. In the first half the team went on a 29-8 run, and took a 45-26 lead going into the second half. The men picked up their defensive play and it showed as they held the Toros to a 29 percent shooting percentage and did not let them score a single three pointer in the first half. A key difference between this game and their game against Cal State LA was in the way East Bay’s shot fell. They shot 58 percent from the floor in the first half and 84.6 percent from the free throw line. In the second half, Dominguez Hills outscored the Pioneers 35-45. They shot 73.9 percent from the field and 60 percent from behind the arc, but the Pioneers strong first half performance was enough to secure the 80-71 win. “There was no way we could lose two games in a row, I was not going to let that happen,” said Richard. Contributions from Richard and Dunhour were also key components to the win. Richard scored 25 points and had a team high of seven rebounds in 32 minutes. He went 8-for-13 on shooting from the field, and 2-for-5 from behind the arc. It was Richard’s 6th consecutive game, scoring double figures. Dunhour had a team high of 26 points on 9-for-19 shooting, with 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a block. “Our team plays well and so do I when I am aggressive defensively and offensively,” said Dunhour. “I just try and stay in attack mode at all times. My role is to be a leader for our guys and try my best to echo what coach wants in the game.”