The Pioneer Newspaper February 9, 2017

THE PI NEER Covering the East Bay community since 1961

California State University, East Bay

News, Art, & Culture for the East Bay

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THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017

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Winter 2017 Issue 6

Pioneer updates on America's president What happened?

On Jan. 31, President Donald J. Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch as the new Supreme Court Justice as the replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away on Feb. 13, 2016.

ILLUSTRATION BY DINA ARAKCHEYEVA/THE PIONEER

California joins opposition against immigration ban Seventeen states take president to court

By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF On Jan. 27 President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order that put a 90day ban on immigration between the United States and seven countries that include Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya,

Yemen and Somalia, according to the order.

In response Washington State filed a lawsuit earlier this month that claims the ban targeting Muslim countries is unconstitutional, according to court documents. California and 15 other states followed suit on Monday before a federal judge in Fresno when they filed a collective brief presented by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra that supports the Washington State lawsuit claiming the ban harms the state.

In addition to California, Connecti-

cut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont and the District of Columbia were all included in the filed brief.

On Jan. 27 a Washington State federal judge halted the implementation of Trump’s immigration ban and Earlier this week Homeland Security announced they would go back to all screening processes prior to the Trump executive order, according to CNN. The 23-page brief was co-written by

Becerra and the attorney general offices from New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Becerra said the ban would not just limit travel for citizens from these countries but it would also affect the admission process of state and public university students, which according to him is more than 2,000 students.

Cal State East Bay has 23 students from those countries; 19 from Iran, two from Yemen, one from Somalia and one from Iraq, according to CSUEB Execu-

SEE LAWSUITS PAGE 4

Softball starts season on high note Pioneers undefeated in first four games

By Marissa Marshall STAFF WRITER Victory, victory, victory and another victory.

The Cal State East Bay women’s softball team went 4-0 this weekend as they opened the 2017 season in a double-header against the Academy of Art on Friday.

In the first game, the Academy of Art was the first to put points on the board in the first and third innings, which put them up 2-0 over East Bay. The lead didn’t last long; East Bay scored 12 runs in the fourth inning and 2 in the fifth.

The biggest contribution was from freshman utility player Emilie Portesi, who hit a home run to left center field in the top of the fourth inning and gave the Pioneers their first score of the game.

Moments later, in the same inning, Portesi hit another home run to center field, which plated sophomore infielder Anissa Maldonado and catcher Ali Cerminara. Portesi hit a third home run in the fifth inning, which scored senior infielder Marisa Lerma. East Bay won the game 14-2.

“I went into the game just excited to finally play and did not want to let the first game jitters to get me, so I was just stoked to have such a fun and successful first game,” Portesi said.

In the second game against the Urban Knights, the Pioneer’s bats stayed hot,

PHOTO BY KEDAR DUTT/THE PIONEER

The Cal State East Bay softball team waits for freshman utility player Emilie Portesi to touch home plate after she hit a home run during a victory over Holy Names University at Pioneer Softball Field on Saturday on the Hayward campus. as sophomore outfielder Courtney Leyba opened the game with a home run, followed by a home run by her teammate Lerma, which put them up 3-0. Leyba finished the first two games 5-for-7 at the plate, with 3 runs batted in. After the homer’s, the Pioneers continued to hit well and put points on the board. By the bottom of the third, they were up 13-0.

The Pioneers looked very confident and comfortable in their first two games, in which they hit 7 home runs. On Saturday, East bay faced Holy Names University in another successful double header.

The first game was tied at zero until the bottom of the third inning, when junior infielder Haley Keahi doubled

to left field and Leyba scored. Moments later, Cerminara flied out to right field, Portesi scored and the Pioneers led 2-0 going into the fourth inning.

Freshman pitcher Abby Greer did not let a single Holy Names player reach base until the fourth inning. She struck

SEE SOFTBALL PAGE 11

Who is he?

Gorsuch has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit since he was appointed by George W. Bush in 2006, according to SCOTUSBlog.com, the official blog of the Supreme Court that tracks developments within the department.

Gorsuch was one of 21 potential candidates chosen by Trump’s team, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Gorsuch attended the University of Oxford, graduated from Harvard Law School with former president Barack Obama, worked with prominent conservative judges, such as Judge David Sentelle and Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy, according to SCOTUSBlog.com.

If approved, at 49 he will be the youngest member of the Supreme Court since Clarence Thomas who was 43 when he was appointed by George H.W. Bush in 1991, according to CNBC. Since 1900, only 12 Supreme Court justices have been under the age of 50.

Supreme Court justices serve in the position for life. When Trump announced his appointment of Gorsuch, he reminded Americans that a Supreme Court justice can be active for 50 years, however according to CNN, justices serve an average of 25.

The longest term to date was William O. Douglas who was appointed in 1939 and served for 36 years.

Where he stands on the issues Numerous similarities have been noted between Gorsuch and Scalia’s judicial style and persuasive writing techniques: the SCOTUS blog called him a “natural successor.”

A Scalia trademark was his commitment to textualism, an interpretation of the law exactly as it was written, according to a review on Scalia’s book, “A Matter of Interpretation.”

He spoke openly about his support of democracy “under the rule of law — rather than of men.”

Like his predecessor, Gorsuch is a textualist with a tendency to favor religious liberties and criticize the dormant commerce clause, a restriction that prohibits states from making laws that burden interstate commerce, according to the Cornell University Law School’s Legal Information Institute. Gorsuch gained notoriety for his ruling in favor of religious exemption the Hobby Lobby case of 2013.

The Christian family that owned the craft store chain Hobby Lobby sued the federal government over the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that employee insurance plans cover contraceptives, due to religious conflict, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Gorsuch sided with the Christian owners.

A report published in December 2016 by researchers Lee Epstein, Andrew D. Martin and Kevin Quinn that evaluated Trump’s possible nominees for the position anticipate that Gorsuch will vote to limit gay rights, restrict abortion and dismantle affirmative action programs.

By Kali Persall Managing Editor

2 OPINION

Quotes from the Quad

By Evelyn Tijero PHOTOGRAPHER

What does Black History Month mean to you?

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“

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017

THE PIONEER EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Louis LaVenture louis.laventure@csueastbay.edu

MANAGING EDITOR

Kali Persall

kali.persall@csueastbay.edu

COPY EDITOR

Wendy Medina wendy.medina@csueastbay.edu

ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Casey Peuser

casey.peuser@csueastbay.edu

STAFF WRITERS

“It means a lot of things, back in the day one wouldn’t have thought this would be an important month there was just so much going on.

It means representation of a race that are still unrepresented in today’s society.”

- Shanovi Bass, 19 Anthropology, Sophomore

“I see Black history month as a way to remember and reflect on the adversities and successes of blacks in the U.S. We can learn a lot from the history and struggles of other groups of people.”

- Eric Yip, 21 Sociology, Senior

“Our nation has gone through a significant culture change throughout U.S. History and is a time to appreciate and honor past African American’s who have strived for freedom and equality.”

- Osvaldo Ramirez, 23 History, Senior

Marissa Marshall marissa.marshall@csueastbay.edu

Tishauna Carrell tishauna.carrell@csueastbay.edu

ILLUSTRATOR

Dina Arakcheyeva dina.arakcheyeva@csueastbay.edu

PHOTOGRAPHER

Kedar Dutt kedar.dutt@csueastbay.edu

Evelyn Tijero evelyn.tijero@csueastbay.edu

EDITORIAL PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Marina Swanson marina.swanson@csueastbay.edu

FACULTY ADVISOR

“It reminds me of what equality should be.”

Gary Moskowitz gary.moskowitz@csueastbay.edu

- Marco Matos, 28 Psychology, Senior

FACULTY COORDINATOR

Dr. Katherine Bell kate.bell@csueastbay.edu

“Black history month means to me that they gave us the shortest month of the year.”

- Tim Sanders, 22 Criminal Justice, Senior

“What black history month means to me is signifying and acknowledges the success of my ancestors and the people who came before me. Black history is all year not just a month, but the month highlights the struggles and accomplishments of my people who’ve been pushed or held down for so long. It’s a reminder that our fight is not over and we still have to overcome.”

- Carmen Cummings, 21 Health Science, Senior

MANAGING EDITOR

It’s been less than a month since President Donald J. Trump took office and talk of “Calexit,” a movement where the state would secede from the rest of the country, is already picking up steam.

Ballot measure campaign committee Yes California started the the Calexit campaign in November after Trump was officially elected president, according to The Sacramento Bee. The campaign was founded by Louis J. Marinelli, an English language teacher who has taught English as a Second Language in the U.S. and Russia for the past decade, according to Yes California.

Some have pointed out that other states have attempted to exit the Unit-

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California to become a country?

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ed States without success. Following former president Barack Obama’s reelection in 2012, Texas attempted to secede from the U.S. under the “Texit” initiative, in the same fashion as The United Kingdom’s “Brexit” vote that withdrew the nation from the European Union, according to The Guardian.

During the election, Hillary Clinton received all 55 of the state’s electoral votes and 8,753,788 popular votes, reports the New York Times. Trump won none of California’s electoral votes and 4,483,810 popular votes.

Since his election, protests have rocked the country and Californians who oppose Trump have not shied from expressing their dissent.

Fourteen California cities held their own peaceful protests in support of the Women’s March on Washington on Jan. 21, according to the movement’s website.

Despite California’s vocal opposition, the state has managed to fly under Trump’s radar until last week, when he threatened to cut federal funding to the state in light of legislation that would make the state a sanctuary state for im-

migrants, according to NBC Bay Area news. If passed, the legislation would also exempt local law enforcement from complying with federal immigration laws.

The initiative follows Trump’s executive order to ban all Syrian refugees indefinitely as well as Muslims from seven different “terror-prone” countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days, according to CNN. Last week, Trump also threatened to defund UC Berkeley after campus protests against Milo Yiannoupoulis, a controversial provocateur and the senior editor at Breitbart, a right-wing news, opinion and commentary website, resulted in vandalism on Feb. 1.

Proponents of Calexit believe that California, with the sixth-largest economy in the world, according to the Sacramento Bee, can sustain itself without the help of the federal government. The Bee reports that Californians pay $370 billion annually to the federal government in taxes, while the government spends only $334 billion in the state.

Yes California insists that Calexit

symbolizes California taking it’s place in the world and standing as an equal among nations. The group believes that California has a positive influence on the rest of the world and that California would be more progressive as an independent country than as a state.

Yes California is working to collect the necessary 585,407 signatures of registered voters needed by July 25 to push the initiative all the way to the 2018 November ballot, according to the Yes California website.

If Calexit receives enough signatures in time, Yes California would again ask California voters how they feel about secession through an independence plebiscite, a direct vote through which citizens of a country express feedback on a political proposal, on Mar. 5, 2019.

One in three Californians favor the secession initiative, according to a Reuters Poll published earlier this month. Yes California directs people to pledge their support through online petitions, volunteer opportunities, events and a donation portal.

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Itzamar Llamas Advertising Contact t. 510.885.3526 f. 510.885.2584 pioneer.advertising@csueastbay.edu Funding for The Pioneer comes, in part, from the Academic Access, Enhancement and Excellence (A2E2) Fee.

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OPINION 3

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017

THE PIONEER

‘America First’ will leave us last

By Daisy Ortiz CONTRIBUTOR I was fortunate enough to study abroad in Madrid, Spain for the 20152016 school year.

Spain has experienced an economic recession since 2007 and yet I saw the people of Madrid — Madrilenos — going about their everyday lives with vigor: they still indulged in “tapas,” took their afternoon “siestas” and their soccer teams continued to be top ranked.

Life was easy and stress-free. Madrid never seems to sleep: college students from all over the world are often out enjoying themselves at clubs that stay open until 6:00 a.m.

Of course as an international student, I went out often, and every time people abroad heard I was an American they would inevitably ask about Donald Trump, many not content with him running for president.

The U.S. primaries took place while I was living there, and we were able to cast our votes through the organization Democrats Abroad.

We returned to the U.S. in time for election day.

We were all so shocked and hurt from the decision that almost half of the United States made and resulted in Donald Trump becoming the 45th president of the United States.

President Trump said in his inaugural address on Jan. 20, “I will make America first.”

He also claimed his presidency would be about “transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to the [American] people.” My

whole life I experienced living in “two cultures at once” and that’s how I always looked at the states. A country that accepted me for who I was.

Trump though, has made decisions and comments that threaten those American ideals of inclusivity.

Having lived abroad, I experienced life differently than in the states.

I come from Mexican immigrant parents and was born in the states.

Seeing the states from outside of the U.S. opened my eyes even more.

Everything I experienced overseas, especially creating such a diverse group of friends, has made me question the decisions of President Donald Trump.

Trump recently signed executive orders to build a wall along the Mexican/U.S. border, temporarily banned entrance to visa holders from seven predominantly Muslim countries and has threatened to retract federal funds from sanctuary cities.

His actions leave a lot to question.

The words on the Statue of Liberty, our nation’s symbol, reads “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...” I agree, we should protect our borders but not in the way he is doing. We can not forget to show compassion to those in need.

These people risking their lives to come to the U.S. in boats and across deserts in hopes of a better life and we dare reject them? I can not fathom the idea that President Trump believes he gets to pick and choose who is “deserving” of being called an American.

I’m in disbelief that some of these people who are banned have visas.

They are already considered legal residents, nevertheless they have to go through yet another vetting process.

When I was abroad, I met people from all over the world: Morocco, Mexico, Germany, you name it.

My friend and I were headed to Budapest but there was a delay with our bus. We started talking to others waiting, including some from Pakistan and Istanbul.

I don’t run into people from these countries too often in the states but talking to them made me realize how we’re all so similar. We are all college students, working for a career we love.

Religion and race didn’t even matter.

This is what traveling does, you’re able to relate to people that you otherwise would have never met.

According to CNN, only 30 percent of Americans hold a valid passport.

That leaves 70 percent of people unable to travel abroad and leave their comfort zone.

This could affect the mentality and tolerance of others.

If we take a look at the United States of America and how states vote in elections, we note that states with less diversity tend to go Republican.

I’m not stating there’s a direct correlation between diversity and voting liberal, but I do believe that being exposed to differences in culture, religion, race, etc. changes the way we think.

You become sensitive to other’s cultures and views by living how they do.

We are afraid of the unknown and sometimes do not visit certain places because the U.S. state department deems it “dangerous,” where in fact

they are full of culture and provide a different outlook on life.

If Americans visited these places, it could possibly humanize them.

Paris, London and Rome are advertised and idolized by American culture.

According to U.S. News these are the top 3 destinations for Americans in Europe. U.S. News is a website that offers its readers information to improve quality of life, including travel tips.

Trump, in my eyes, has accomplished one thing: dividing true American people.

He won the election by instilling fear of minorities to half of our population and they bought into it.

He has managed to make us question the person sitting next to us. He is a danger to America’s democracy.

I can not see America progressing by closing ourselves off to people that only hope to find a better future.

We can not be okay with sitting in the comfort of our homes and not doing anything to help our neighbors.

These people are human too, with our same hopes and dreams.

When we get to talking to people and finally put our prejudice behind, then we can move forward as a country.

I encourage students to study abroad and people to travel.

It is truly such an enlightening experience. Open your mind and open your heart.

SPORTS

Basketball teams go 1-3 on road trip

The Cal State East Bay men’s basketball team cheer on their teammates during a home game against Cal Poly Pomona at Pioneer Gymnasium on the Hayward campus on Jan. 28.

By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF A four-game Southern California road trip for the Cal State East Bay basketball teams yielded just one win over the weekend. Here’s how the women and men did: WOMEN’S BASKETBALL The CSUEB women’s basketball team was able to split their road games over the weekend.

Things started rough for the Pioneers who fell to Cal State San Bernardino on Friday 59-47. However, they rebounded on Saturday in La Jolla and took down the UC San Diego Tritons in convincing fashion, 71-57.

It was a pair of guards, senior Shomari Harris and freshman Kayley Hsuing, that led the way for East Bay as the

pair both scored 16 points each. Freshman forward Morgan Greene also scored in double-digits with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists.

The women will also host Sonoma State tomorrow and San Francisco State on Saturday in Hayward with both games tipping off at 5:30 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL The road was unkind to the men who fell to Cal State San Bernardino 82-74 on Friday and 84-45 to the UC San Diego Tritons on Saturday.

The two losses extended the Pioneer losing streak to four games and the men are now 12-11 overall and 5-10 in California Collegiate Athletic Association Conference games.

Despite the blowout loss on Saturday, there were some bright spots for the men in the eight-point loss on Friday. Senior forward Micah Dunhour

PHOTOS BY KEDAR DUTT/THE PIONEER

Cal State East Bay freshman guard Kayley Hsiung dribbles past her opponent during a home game against Cal State Monterey Bay on Jan. 14 at Pioneer Gymnasium on the Hayward campus. got to the free throw line 13 times in just 134 minutes of playing time as he made 10.

Dunhour finished the game with 16 points, 8 rebounds and also leads the team in both of those categories this season averaging 16.1 and 6.5, respectively.

The Pioneers will have a chance to end the losing streak this weekend when they host Sonoma State tomorrow and San Francisco State on Saturday.

Both games will take place at 7:30 p.m. at Pioneer Gymnasium on the Hayward campus.

My quarterlife crisis

By Michelle Johnson CONTRIBUTOR After five and half years of taking classes, I will finally graduate from college in June. I’m excited, and I can see the finish line as I complete this chapter in my life. However, despite my excitement, I’m also stressed, anxious and uncertain of what’s to come for me.

On June 10, I will join other graduates onstage on the track field, where the graduation ceremony takes place every year at Cal State East Bay. I’ll wear my cap and gown, stand and wait for my name to be called and cross that stage proudly. I’ll join my fellow grads in a separate Educational Opportunity Program graduation with other first-generation and low-income students. I’ll also take part in “Black Grad,” a celebration of African American graduates here. After all official ceremonies are over, I will celebrate this occasion with family and friends.

But first, I have to make it through these last five months. I made it this far with the hope that my last two quarters would be smooth and fly by fairly quickly, but that’s not the case. Trying to complete these last courses coupled with the anxieties of life is driving me nuts.

This winter quarter started off a little rough when a death in the family derailed my back-to-school flow and marked the beginning of a stressful road toward graduation.

I’m also stuck with a terrible schedule that makes the balance between school and work barely tolerable. As a BART commuter from Richmond, normally I would try to take classes only two or three days a week to reduce transportation costs. But since I only have a few classes left, I can’t be picky on the days and times a course is offered, so I’m on campus four days a week. That extra day and extra $10 to commute makes a big difference physically and financially.

I’m a communications major and we write… a lot. Many of my writing courses are lumped into this current quarter.

Sounds simple enough, but writing and editing papers every week is challenging when combined with my 25-hour work week. There’s no day that I’m doing nothing and I have no downtime.

It has me pulling my hair out and I’m not alone. Over the past 25 years, more than 70 percent of college students have worked while attending school and the number of working students has grown, according to a new study from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce.

I am not a first-generation college student, but come from a humble background where the value of success is not placed on becoming CEO or making millions of dollars. As the youngest of my two older siblings who have seen graduated from universities, I value not only doing work to support myself but doing what I love.

I’m anxious about my journey after graduation. I’m not one hundred percent certain as to what I want to do or where I want to go and that’s a little unnerving. What is the job market like for a young African American woman fresh out of a state university?

Black women still face a stark wage gap and are less likely to work in higher-paid occupations, according to The U.S Department of Labor.

But despite the odds I’m optimistic.

I can see myself working at a museum or media company in communications, publications, social media or something related.

I’m stressed, anxious and full of uncertainty, but I am graduating in June. I’m full of bittersweet feelings as I reflect on how and why I managed to make it through these years here at Cal State East Bay. I’m going to miss it here, but I’m ready to go.

4 NEWS

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017

THE PIONEER

Berkeley shootings spark concern City residents attend public safety meeting

By Degen Gleason-Hyman CONTRIBUTOR Berkeley residents gathered on Jan. 29 at the Frances M. Albrier Community Center for a meeting to address shootings that occurred in the city on Jan. 25.

At the meeting, which was organized by councilwoman for West Berkeley, Cheryl Davila, police officials said they received several calls on Jan. 25 reporting gunshots.

Roughly 200 people, most of whom live in south and west Berkeley, listened to city council members and police officers discuss the recent shootings in the area and what is being done to prevent similar incidents. Afterwards, audience members voiced their concerns about the shootings. The investi-

gation is still ongoing, and police Lt. Angela Hawk stated early in the meeting that no deaths or injuries had been reported.

Davila led the meeting, along with a panel of Berkeley city officials, including councilmember Ben Bartlett from District 3 and current Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin. Interim Chief Andrew R. Greenwood and several police officers also attended.

Passions rose when community members spoke about looking after each other’s safety. People nodded, clapped and cheered at the end of most speeches like local Cessie Glenn’s when she said, “Let’s get up and let’s walk around.”

Glenn referred to people living in Berkeley District 2 — which reaches from Seawall Drive to California Street, and District 3, which spans from MLK Jr. Way and ends at 62nd Street — should be more active in their communities.

She suggested that a way to do this would be to walk around so they can be vigilant and aware of what’s happening in their neighborhoods in order to be prepared if things take a turn for the worse.

Chief Greenwood encouraged the audience to band together and form a neighborhood watch.

“That sense of community and communication to the department is important regarding crimes that happen in your neighborhood,” he said.

Audience members reminded city officials of their experiences with losing loved ones to shootings in recent months and criticized police response to those incidents. Some mentioned local rapper Alex Goodwin — also known as Ayegee — and his death on Aug. 18.

People in the audience, mostly Goodwin’s close friends and family, wore shirts with his stage name “Ayegee” in capital letters. Some brought in several large signs that said “Justice for Ayegee” and “Long live King Ayegee.”

Goodwin’s grandmother Sarah Patterson talked about how even though her grandson was shot outside her house, she would not be afraid.

Patterson even put up a mural to honor her grandson outside of her house.

“I’ve been there for over forty years and will be there till I’m dying,” she said.

SAN QUENTIN NEWS

SQ Mission: Learning to earn a living wage

By Kevin D. Sawyer SAN QUENTIN NEWS In prison, education is all about public safety. Shannon Swain, Deputy Superintendent for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) Office of Correctional Education (OCE) understands this well.

“If someone’s going to do time, then they should learn something to better their community,” said Swain. “If someone learns a skill in prison it will lead to a living wage when they get out.”

In October, Swain visited San Quentin State Prison, where she was able to get a general idea of its educational programs. The prison is recognized as the CDCR’s flagship prison for what rehabilitation looks like, and Swain wants to make it better.

“We have some really exciting things happening for education at San Quentin,” said Swain. She explained that Titan Gilroy, owner of Titan America MFG, is bringing a state-of-the-art CNC (computer numeric control) machine shop to the prison.

“The entire machine shop had to be gutted,” said Swain, “so it will look like the potential jobs they’ll (inmates) get.”

Swain’s focus is not solely on San Quentin. She is responsible for ensuring education is available to prisoners statewide. She said that CDCR’s rehabilitation programs reach roughly half the inmate population.

According to Swain, the RAND Corporation did a study and concluded college impacts recidivism the most. “That’s something that matters,” she said, adding that Senate Bill 1391 is now taking effect in 29 of the CDCR’s 35 prisons so inmates now have face-to-face instruction with college instructors. Swain said San Quentin “blazed the trail” with face-to-face college, citing the Prison University Project’s

Jody Lewen, who recently received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama at the White House. “She’s an inspiration to us.”

CDCR has other college programs such as Coastline Community College, Lassen College and Feather River College. “We know face-to-face adds considerable value,” said Swain.

Swain said CDCR has 25 academic trades and OCE is increasing the linkage of programs throughout the system to encourage a “stackable curriculum.”

For example, if an inmate starts a program and transfers to another prison, they still maintain their credits. Swain said the National Center for Construction Education and Research is another program adopted by CDCR because it is transferable, standardized and offers certification.

“We’re excited that technology can help us,” said Swain referring to E-readers for inmates to complete their education and Internet Protocol Television. “We have four channels that OCE is responsible for.”

Those channels are Freedom TV that teaches inmates about effective family relations and substance abuse; Education, broadcasting Coastline Community College and GED courses; Health and Wellness, to teach fitness and nutrition; and Employment/Employability that provides instruction on interviewing and writing resumes.

“Each institution has a TV specialist to help get it started,” said Swain. “As we expand we hope to get more inmates involved.”

Governor Brown appointed Swain on April 29, 2014.

Previously, she worked at the Martinez Detention Facility in Contra Costa County teaching adult basic education and high school equivalency. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in American Studies from California State University Fullerton and an Educational Leadership Credential from California State University East Bay. “Anytime I teach anything to adults I make sure they want to learn it, otherwise they won’t,” said Swain. “Correctional education is a specialized field. I love it. I wouldn’t do anything else.”

Lawsuits From Page 1 tive Director of International Programs, Raymond P. Wallace. He further told The Pioneer all of these students are here through student visas, and “I assume that students in this group will defer travel until such time as the implications of the new policy are clear.”

Professor and Chair of the CSUEB Political Science Department David Baggins said Trump is a constitutional crisis that is comparable to former President Richard Nixon.

“The focus to me is, do we really take Middle East terrorism so seriously as to undermine the whole rule of law we have stood for at home and in the world?” Baggins said. “We stood for something as a nation. That the world was progressing toward liberty and the rule of law.

President Trump is leading us back to a more violent world.”

On Jan. 30 CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White and all 23 campus presidents, including CSUEB President Leroy M. Morishita, issued a unified statement about the travel ban on Monday afternoon. The statement said the order went against the “fundamental tenets” of the CSU system and they stand with state and national officials requesting he reconsider the policy.

CSUEB Department of Political Science Associate Professor Elizabeth Bergman said several legal experts predicted this case will go to the Supreme Court.

“The very young Trump presidency has created a lot of civics lessons,” Bergman said.

According to Becerra, the attorney general's against the immigration ban believe a federal court will overturn the executive order.

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THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017

THE PIONEER

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017

THE PIONEER

FEATURES 7

Students protest against tuition hikes and more on campus

PHOTOS BY MORGAN GLASPER/CONTRIBUTOR

The Cal State East Bay Students for Quality Education (SQE) led and organized a day of action on Feb. 1 on the Hayward campus. Students, staff and faculty met near the Recreation and Wellness Center before they marched around campus ultimately ending up at the Student Sevices and Administration Building. SQE presented a list of demands to CSUEB President Leroy M. Morishita and also sent the same list to CSU Chancellor Timpthy P. White. The list included no tuition increases and making all CSU campuses sanctuaries for AB540, undocumented and immigrant students. According to SQE, if the demands are not met they will continue to protest on campus.

8 SPORTS

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017

THE PIONEER

Baseball wins home opener

By Marissa Marshall STAFF WRITER After four long months of preseason practice, the California State East Bay men’s baseball team kicked off its season against the Academy of Art (1-3 overall) on Thursday and Friday.

“Our goal is to pick up right where we left last year,” senior Troy Resch said.

“Winning the North Division and getting to regionals are two things everyone on the team is trying to accomplish again.”

On Thursday the Pioneers fell to the Urban Knights 4-2 in what was both of the team's first preseason game. East Bay allowed 8 walks and made a throwing error, which led to the loss. Despite the loss, junior pitcher Alex Vesia was solid on the mound for the Pioneers. He allowed one hit, 2 walks and had three strikeouts in three innings of work for the hurler.

The next day, East Bay continued their series against the Urban Knights.

They came out strong in the first inning when first baseman Resch singled to right field, which led to a fielding error by the Academy of Art right fielder that put the Pioneers up 1-0 after senior outfielder Kris Bartlett scored on the play.

Shortly after, junior infielder Dakota Conners grounded out to shortstop, but Resch scored a run and put the team up 2-0. East Bay and the Academy of Art both went scoreless until the fifth inning when the Pioneers scored on a single to the left field by Resch that put

them up 3-0. The Urban Knights caught some rhythm when senior infielder Erik Luna singled up the middle, and senior outfielder Cameron Jones scored to put them on the board. Academy of Art went on to score 4 more runs in the fifth inning, which gave them a 5-3 lead.

But in the sixth inning, East Bay came alive again when senior outfielder Daniel Goodrich doubled to left center field and senior catcher Zack Perugia scored, right after Goodrich scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 5-5.

Resch was the only Pioneer player who had multiple hits, as he finished 2-for-4 and got the game-winning hit when he flied out to center field, and gave senior outfielder Marcus Wise the game-winning run. “It just felt great to get out there after practicing and training all fall, I was just excited to finally play,” said Resch.

The next day, the Pioneers finally got to play their much-anticipated home opener with two back-to-back games against AAU, that ended in a pair of victories. The first game featured muddy fields and two East Bay players were walked when they got hit with the baseball at bat, but despite that the Pioneers had a very strong performance.

On Saturday, the men played against AAU on their home turf, which was wet and muddy from the rain the night before.

“The field was a little muddy, but not enough to really make a huge impact on the game,” Wise said. “We adjusted well and we are used to practicing in the morning with worse conditions so we

know how to handle ourselves. To an extent, we use the conditions as a home field advantage.”

East Bay’s batting was filled with accuracy. Bartlett, senior catcher Wyatt Foreman and junior infielder Pablo Artero all had three hits in the first game which provided East Bay with the opportunity to put points on the scoreboard.

The Pioneers led 4-0 going into the fourth inning, but at the top of the fourth, the Academy of Art’s junior infielder Brennan Mauchline hit a homerun to left field with bases loaded to tie the game up 4-4. East Bay did not let the Urban Knights score again.

They dominated the rest of the game and scored 7 more runs to give them the 11-4 win.

After the victory, the Pioneers played the Urban Knights again directly afterwards. East Bay started out strong again as they took a 5-0 lead in the first two innings. They went on to win 7-4, with 6 different players who scored a run.

Wise had a total of 2 hits, 1 run, 2 RBIs and three steals in the game. “I want to be the table setter for my team and lead by example,” Wise said. “I want to be able to consistently go out there and put myself in good positions offensively to allow my teammates to succeed.”

Despite the muddy conditions, East Bay looked very good out on the field and they are now 3-1 to start off the season. They host Central Washington on Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m.

Cal State East Bay freshmen pitcher Ransome Alexander throws a strike during the game against Academy of Art Urban Knights on Saturday at Pioneer Baseball Field on the Hayward campus.

PHOTOS BY KEDAR DUTT/THE PIONEER

Cal State Eastbay senior catcher Wyatt Foreman tries to hit a ball during a home game against Academy of Arts Urban Knights held on Saturday.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTHONY BEHAR/SIPA USA/TNS

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick celebrate during the post-game ceremony for Super Bowl LI after the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in overtime on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Super Bowl might have been best ever

By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF It’s almost unbelievable. Super Bowl LI was a blowout, which is typical of the NFL’s championship game.

With just more than 4 minutes left in the third quarter, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw a touchdown to running back Tevin Coleman essentially sealing a championship with the score 28-3.

Things looked promising for the Falcons and their owner Arthur Blank even came down from the luxury suite to be on the sideline. The game seemed over, people even stopped watching it at the party I was and resorted to apps on their phones or social media.

Then the unthinkable happened, four-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and the New England Patriots scored 31 unanswered points completing the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history as they captured the franchise's fifth championship since 2002, 34-28.

It was a game of firsts for the Pats.

Brady and head coach Bill Belichick became the first player and coach to win the Super Bowl five times. It was also the first in Super Bowl history to go into an overtime period and Brady set a passing record with 466 yards on 62 attempts.

The Patriots did take the game, but the Falcons also gave it to them. Quarterback Matt Ryan looked unstoppable until the third quarter when the offense became inept, punting and turning the ball over the New England

several times.

The Patriots capitalized on Atlanta mistakes, especially Brady, who nabbed his fourth Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award. Running back James White played a huge role in the comeback too as he recorded 110 receiving yards, 29 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.

"James White is like my oldest son,” Brady told reporters following the win.

“He just does everything right. You can't get mad at him.”

Social media erupted with criticism of the Falcons for blowing the lead and Brady for his support of President Donald J. Trump as well as his four-game suspension he served earlier this year for his role in “Deflategate.” According to the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, Brady worked with a team employee to deflate footballs before games under the required amount.

It was an awkward moment when Goodell presented Brady, Belichick, owner Robert Kraft and the rest of the team with the championship trophies. It was like running into your ex in public and they are with someone extremely gorgeous, it was tense.

Patriot fans took to the streets to rub it in Goodell’s face on Tuesday when some supporters spelled “F--- Goodell” and a picture of a penis in the snow near Foxborough Stadium. Other fans voiced their displeasure with Brady’s open support of President Donald J. Trump. Earlier this season, Brady spoke to reporters in front of his locker with a “Make America Great Again” hat prominently on display.

FEATURES 9

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017

THE PIONEER

Oakland nonprofit beautifies Chinatown with golden dragons

By Kali Persall MANAGING EDITOR In Oakland’s Chinatown, 99 large golden spray-painted dragons adorn the sides of buildings throughout the 16-block neighborhood. The buildings serve as a gallery of sorts; one piece of art leads visitors to others nearby within the line of sight.

The dragons were created by graffiti artist and UC Berkeley graduate Luqman Lin. They have become an iconic representation of Dragon School, an Oakland nonprofit organization that pairs local youth with professional artists to create murals around Chinatown.

Dragon School is the brainchild of Lin — also known as “Doctor Dragon” — and Sage Loring, who established the organization in 2013 as a way to make Oakland’s Chinatown, a notorious area for graffiti and vandalism, a more appealing place for both locals and tourists, according to Loring. The duo also envisioned the program as a way to connect Chinatown youth with local artists to teach them basic techniques of mural art.

In 2015, Loring saw potential in Oakland’s Chinatown, which was settled in the 1850’s and is one of the oldest Chinatowns in the United States, according to the Visit Oakland website. Despite it’s central location in the city, Loring said he noticed that the area was lacking resident and tourist visitors.

Loring connected with Lin, a friend from medical school, who is Chinese-American and had created art for various business owners in the Chinatown community. Lin had collaborated with prolific Bay Area graffiti writers such as Eugor, 3ayem, Crayone and STARE TDK. Loring started a social media page and Lin stenciled dragons on dilapidated buildings around Chinatown. They were painted gold later on with the help of local youth. The goal to paint 99 dragons

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF FUMING GUERILLA PRODUCTIONS

One of the murals created by Dragon School in Oakland's Chinatown neighborhood on 10th and Webster Streets. was met last spring, according to Loring. Lin said among other reasons, he chose to start with the dragons because they were a symbol he felt the community could relate to. “For the children in the community, the dragon is a symbol of pride and loyalty and all these good qualities; a symbol of honor,” said Lin. Lin said the stencils teach kids the basic skills of spray painting, such as filling in, outlining and shading. Loring said that from a marketing perspective, the dragons were also a way to attract youth and bring attention to the organization. At first, some of the dragon murals were tagged by other graffiti artists, but over time, Lin said the organization was able to establish respect within the graffiti community through guest artist connections.

“I recruited kids and adults into

Dragon School, so we were strong in numbers,” said Lin. “We just kept repainting the dragons they destroyed until they stopped.”

Lin was introduced to graffiti art as a teenager, growing up in Berkeley. “I vandalized my school a lot when I was in high school,” he admitted. “Spray painting really took off in high school.

It's always been part of my life.” Lin said he wants youth to focus on school and academics and treat Dragon School as an artistic outlet.

Dragon School partners with middle and high schoolers, as well as neighborhood youth who attend charter schools in Chinatown. Loring said they prefer to instruct high schoolers and kids no younger than 12, however adults of any age can also partake.

“Artists will have an area to paint and

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work with kids and give them outlet. It teaches the community about street art and graffiti and how it’s not all black and white,” said Loring.

Dragon School is made up of a core group of seven people; three are board members and the others are local artists. The organization started off as a grassroots campaign, or “100 percent guerilla,” according to Loring. For a year and a half, Dragon School founders spent approximately $500 of their own money to buy supplies and lunch for the participants. Initially artists weren’t paid, but Loring said potential grants from Clorox, Oaklandish and a commissioned project for Visit Oakland will help pay for the guest artist’s time.

Dragon School has raised $1,500 in donations through GoFundMe, a fundraising website, and local businesses whose buildings the group has painted murals on, according to Loring. This money covered the $800 nonprofit filing fee, as well as lunches and painting supplies. Dragon School received its nonprofit status four months ago, according to Loring. The organization is funded only through contributions and donations.

Loring, the owner of Fuming Guerilla Productions, a company that produces public and private commissioned art installations, moved to Oakland from Los Angeles in 2012. He manages the business and marketing aspect of Dragon School by connecting with local artists and schools through social media and community events. He also helps artists learn how to budget, bid, create proposals and market their work. Artists involved with Dragon School were chosen based on a number of criteria, but “genuine interest in community involvement was tantamount,” according to Loring.

“I really always had artist friends,” said Loring. “I’m kinda this weird hybrid dude who’s right in the middle of the left brain and right brain. I’ve always had an appreciation for art.”

Fuming Guerilla Productions pro-

duces art for a variety of businesses, such as the Oakland Museum Women’s Board and Oakland’s Cat Town Cafe, and cities like Anchorage, Alaska.

Dragon School organizes two-hour painting sessions once or twice a month with small groups of kids from local schools. Teachers and parents often reach out to the organization via Facebook or Instagram to set up dates and times, according to Loring. Then Dragon School purchases any supplies, including brush paints, spray paint masks and lunches.

The team of artists pick the theme they want to paint and a location on a wall that’s approved by a business. The artists outline the design, such as dragons or koi fish, and place the colors out for easy access. Artists then assign participants a spot to paint, offering guidance and tips throughout the process.

Loring said it ideally takes a full day to complete a piece on a 10-by-6 wall.

Dragon School isn’t limited to painting dragons anymore. The group can create anything; however, out of respect to the community, they always try to incorporate a Chinese theme, according to Loring.

In celebration of the Chinese New Year, and in commemoration of this year’s zodiac animal sign, Dragon School will paint a giant, modernized rooster that embodies “traditional Chinese culture with a modern twist on it,” according to Loring, one of the founders of Dragon School. The Lunar New Year spans from Jan. 28 to Feb. 15, 2018.

They haven’t yet agreed on a date and time for the rooster, but the group has selected two potential areas on a 12-by6 wall that offers “high visibility,” according to Loring.

“We want to honor Chinatown so we make everything have a Chinese flavor, accent or motif, but we have a lot of different cultures and a lot of different styles of art,” said Loring. “It’s very ‘Oakland,’ one of most diverse cities in country.”

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10 FROM THE WIRE

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017

THE PIONEER

Celebrating Black History Month with added resonance Congressional diversity in its early stages

By Jason Dick ROLL CALL Black History Month this year has taken on an added resonance, reflected in the record number of African-Americans in Congress.

In the Senate, it has been a long buildup to the current high-water mark of three members: Republican Tim Scott of South Carolina and Democrats Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California.

In the House, Democrat John Conyers Jr. of Michigan is the dean of that chamber as well as its slate of 49 black lawmakers, 47 Democrats and two Republicans.

Conyers has a link to one of the civil rights movement's icons, having employed Rosa Parks as a staffer from 1965 to 1988. Parks now occupies a place of honor in the Capitol's Statuary Hall.

This year also comes with special significance because of the conclusion of the presidency of the first African-American commander in chief, Barack Obama, who left office on Jan. 20. Rep. Cedric L. Richmond, the Louisiana Democrat who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, said that was the reason he went to the inauguration of Donald Trump _ to see Obama off.

"I was there strictly to say goodbye to the old guy and to thank the president for eight years of hard work, of grace, of class, and not embarrassing the country, and increasing our standing around the world. And to see him, not far from Emancipation Hall, get in what would be Marine One and fly off, was very important and it was an emotional moment because it reminds you that we can achieve anything," Richmond said.

It was a bittersweet moment, explained Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a Maryland Democrat and former CBC head.

"I was sad, and I think I would not have felt that sad if Trump wasn't replacing him. I thought about all that he had done. I thought about all the fights he had fought. I thought about how the Republicans resisted him at every turn, and that he was still able to achieve a lot," Cummings told Roll Call.

Even with those fights, Obama's place in history is one that crosses the partisan divide.

Scott described an emotional moment he shared with his grandfather on Election Day 2008.

"He just could not believe that there was a chance that this country, his country, would elect a black man to be president," the senator told Roll Call, adding that his grandfather had tears in his eyes as they drove to the polls. "It was only the second time I'd seen him cry. In 2001, when his wife died, and in 2008, to go vote for President Obama."

One of the cruel ironies of history is that slaves helped build the Capitol, one of the world's most recognizable symbols of freedom.

Their efforts are marked in Emancipation Hall by a block of Aquia Creek sandstone, a poignant symbol of how entwined U.S. history and black history is.

The Capitol now honors several black heroes, from the statues of Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth in the Capitol Visitor Center, to the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Rotunda to Parks, seated as she was in desegregating Montgomery's buses, in Statuary Hall.

Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black, the first African-American to hold that position, recalled a highlight of his tenure when he offered the prayer for Parks when she lay in honor in the Rotunda after her 2005 death.

ILLUSTRATION BY DINA ARAKCHEYEVA/THE PIONEER

Proposition 57 How overzealous personalities revisited by expert SAN QUENTIN NEWS

drive the death penalty

By Juan Haines SAN QUENTIN NEWS A small number of prosecutors across the country is vigorously pursuing death sentences and, according to a new study, have done so without regard for fairness and accuracy.

“These prosecutors are evidence that the application of the death penalty is — and always has been — less about the circumstances of the offense or the characteristics of the person who committed the crime, and more a function of the personality and predilections of the local prosecutors entrusted with the power to seek the ultimate punishment,” the study reports.

It is titled Fair Punishment Project: America’s Top Five Deadliest Prosecutors: How Overzealous Personalities Drive The Death Penalty: June 2016.

One example is Joe Freeman Britt, head prosecutor for Robeson County, North Carolina, who obtained 38 death sentences in 14 years.

“Within the breast of each of us burns a flame that constantly whispers in our ear, ‘Preserve life, preserve life, preserve life at any cost,’” Britt once said. “It is the prosecutor’s job to extinguish that flame.”

Misconduct was alleged in almost 82 percent of Britt’s cases, while miscon-

duct was found in about 37 percent of them and two people were exonerated, the study reports.

Britt is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as "the deadliest prosecutor in America."

Robert J. Macy, aka, “Cowboy” Bob Macy, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, is responsible for 54 death sentences, “more than the current Death Row populations of Colorado, Indiana, New Mexico, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming combined,” Fair Punishment Project reported.

In 21 years as a prosecutor, misconduct was alleged in nearly 95 percent of Macy’s cases. Misconduct was found in 18 of his cases. The courts reversed nearly half his death sentences and three people were exonerated.

After Macy retired, the county has had three death sentences in the past six years.

Federal prosecutor Donald V. Myers, 11th Judicial District, South Carolina, secured 39 death sentences in 38 years.

Misconduct was alleged in nearly 62 percent of his prosecutions. Misconduct was found in more than 45 percent of them.

Under Lynne Abraham, who has been dubbed the “Queen of Death” and “The Deadliest D.A.,” the Philadelphia County District Attorney’s office obtained 108 death sentences, Fair Punishment

Project reports. “She described herself as ‘passionate’ about the death penalty.

‘I truly believe it is manifestly correct,’ she said.”

In 19 years, two people were exonerated.

Abraham drew criticism after a reporter once noted 85 percent of the people incarcerated in the city’s jail were African-American. Abraham was asked if she believed 85 percent of the city’s crime was committed by African-Americans. “Yes, I do. I really do,” replied Abraham, the Fair Punishment Project reported.

Under the leadership of Harris County District Attorney Johnny Holmes, 201 people were sentenced to death from 1979 through 2000.

“If you murder someone here, the state of Texas is going to kill you,” Holmes is quoted in the Fair Punishment Project report.

When death sentences obtained under the leadership of Lynne Abraham and Johnny Holmes are included, that total comes to 440.

“If you compare that total to the current number of prisoners on Death Row in the entire country, which was determined to be 2,943 as of Jan. 1, 2016, it is clear that these five prosecutors have had an outsized impact on the death penalty,” Fair Punishment Project reported.

By Kevin D. Sawyer SAN QUENTIN NEWS Mike Romano, director of the Three Strikes Project at Stanford Law School, shared a few thoughts on ballot initiative Proposition 57 before the election.

Now that it has passed, many inmates in California are asking what to do next.

Romano did not provide specific details on how the law will be applied because no one is certain. “In some ways it’s guess work,” said Romano in an interview at San Quentin State Prison. “We think there’s going to be two classes affected.”

The first class would be those convicted of non-violent crimes. “Ordinarily we define violent crimes by what’s in the Penal Code,” said Romano, adding Proposition 57 may follow the Penal Code and for inmates that it will affect, they may have an opportunity for early parole. Still, he said it is unclear how it will unfold.

“This is all conjecture,” said Romano basing his judgment on the language in Proposition 57. “The statute itself is not crystal clear. I really want to emphasize that this is conjecture.”

To reduce inmates’ time for positive rehabilitative programs, Romano said the initiative gives the CDCR the authority to revise its credit-earning schemes. A second class of inmates will be affected by the law giving the CDCR this power.

“It’ll take some time for the CDCR to rewrite the regulations,” said Romano. He did say, however, that the proposition “doesn’t require the CDCR to change anything.” But it can reshape the way the prison awards credits such as milestones.

A commonly asked question among inmates is whether the law gets rid of sentencing enhancements. “I don’t think so,” said Romano. “I really do think 57 is a wave of legislation to find a fair way to get people out of prison who don’t belong.”

“The law will be retroactive in that those currently incarcerated will be given the opportunity to qualify,” said Romano, emphasizing the initiative is not clear or specific about all who will qualify. “This is part of a movement. It’s all up to the CDCR.” Romano said the CDCR wants to see inmates with long records of rehabilitation programs and strongly recommends that they take rehabilitative programs as much as they are able to on the inside. He further offered that it is something to show the Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) “you’ll do whatever it takes.”

He said he does not know if the BPH will be increased to accommodate the number of inmates that may qualify for early parole consideration but cannot imagine that it will not increase. He said inmates who do not qualify under Proposition 57 may challenge it and go to the courts. “It gives lawyers a lot of arguing to do.”

SPORTS 11

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017

THE PIONEER

Investors jump off Raiders Nevada stadium bandwagon Las Vegas looks bleak for silver and black

By Gabriel Armenta-Rose STAFF WRITER The NFL season may be over, but the Raiders are still making headlines: investors at the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., an investment banking, securities and management firm, and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson have withdrawn their investments in the Oakland team’s new Las Vegas stadium.

The withdrawals came three days after the Raiders proposed a lease that would require them to pay $1 in annual rent to the Las Vegas Stadium Authority for its capital investment into the construction of the stadium, per the Stadium Use Agreement.

The rent proposal was initiated by the Las Vegas Stadium Authority Officials without talking to investor Adelson, which caused him to retract his offer according to ESPN. “It’s clear the Raiders have decided their path for moving to Las Vegas does

not include the Adelson family...So, regrettably, we will no longer be involved in any facet of the stadium discussion...”

Adelson told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Adelson is the CEO and founder of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, the parent company of many of Las Vegas’s casinos like The Venetian.

The Raiders also released a statement on Jan. 30 addressing Adelson’s withdrawal. The Raiders thanked the Adelson family for everything they did to help with the relocation to Las Vegas. Despite the lost investments, the Raiders said they would uphold their agreement to Nevada’s Governor Brian Sandoval to pursue a relocation in Las Vegas. The proposed stadium has a price tag of $1.9 billion, and Adelson had initially pledged $650 million to the project. Goldman Sachs investment hinged on if Adelson was going to go through with his investment to cover any cost overruns.

The rest of the money was going to come from Nevada visitors and the NFL, according to the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee’s stadium proposal. Although Adelson’s withdrawal may seem negative since they are losing out on $650 million of their fund-

ing, there is actually something positive from his decision to drop out. The NFL has a rule that an NFL owner is prohibited from having an ownership interest in a casino, so that the fans know there are no influences on the players or coaches to throw the game for monetary purposes, according to League Spokesman Greg Aiello.

Raiders owner Mark Davis now has to figure out how to acquire the additional funding for the Las Vegas stadium or work with Davis to come to an agreement for a new stadium in Oakland.

The vote for or against relocation will be made by the NFL Owners Meetings in late March. Even if Davis decides to move forward with the stadium in Las Vegas he would still need 24 out of the 32 owners to vote in favor of relocating, which still looks promising if they can manage to find the investors.

With Los Angeles no longer an option since the San Diego Chargers relocated there on Jan. 12, if the Raiders don’t get approval to move to Las Vegas in March from the NFL owners, Davis will have to look for a new city or try to work out a deal with Oakland.

Softball From Page 1 out 8 Hawks in the game. East Bay went on to shutout Holy Names 8-0, scoring in every inning after the second.

The women’s batting remained on fire and they won the second game 13-5. Holy Names took a 4-0 lead in the first two innings, but in the bottom of the third, East Bay scored seven straight runs and took a 7-4 lead.

The Hawks scored one more run in the fourth and East Bay scored 5 runs in

the fifth and 1 run in the sixth to give them the 13-5 win. ”Our goal the season is prove people wrong,” Leyba said. “ A lot of people might not see us as a strong team, but I think this weekend showed that we are.”

The Pioneers are now 4-0 to start off this season.

Last year, East Bay won one game and lost another in their double header against these two teams.

I hope to get one percent better each game,” Portesi said.

“I think we will be able to bring diversity to the plate and on the field each game.”

PHOTO BY KEDAR DUTT/THE PIONEER

Cal State East Bay freshman pitcher Olivia McWhorter delivers a pitch during a home win against Holy Names University on Saturday at Pioneer Softball Field on the Hayward campus.

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Atraves de los buenos tiempos y malos siempre ha sido tu y yo. Gracias por amarme de la manera que lo haces. Te amo eres una bendicion en mi vida Laura

e lat ’s the ere l l H a . e for res tur ou ntu en . k y dve adv you n a n e Th ht a s, a Lov o nig to u elf! ed its alc tfs a @

Day e’s . ntin nd Valee, Rola y p v ou!

Hap my lo ey to I lov sley Pre

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PY V A MOM LENTINE ’S D AND DAD AY .

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Gracias

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Happy Valentine’s Day to all my amazing sisters of Kappa Xi!

✿

♥ Presley

h ug eno n’t e how e r a ib ere scr ou. ! y th o de e y Day Bab ords t h I lov ine’s t c n w mu Vale y pp e, Ha Lov ar m Itza

Feliz dia de San Valen tin a mis dos amores.

Los amo gordos!

To my lit keep up tle Daniela, the g I hope y reat work. ou ha a beautif ve ul Valentin e’s Day !

Much lo ve, Lydia

♥ Itza To M y Bell Beauti you a & M ful Littl es r Big oniq love ue, : s yo u!

Pre sley

all the Greek Much love to Finish the organizations! ! quarter strong Presley

nd Marianne, To my best frie l be Love You! I wil day spending the er eth with you wh you like it or not ☺♥

II•XXIII ♥