The Pioneer Newspaper May 26, 2016

Page 1

THE PIONEER Covering the East Bay community since 1961

California State University, East Bay

News, Art, & Culture for the East Bay

THURSDAY MAY 26, 2016

www.thepioneeronline.com

Spring 2016 Issue 8

Train kills mother, daughter in San Leandro SEE OPINION PAGE 2

COUNTRY MUST SETTLE ON A LEADER

PHOTO COURTESY VANESSA HENRIQUEZ

SEE FEATURES PAGE 8

By Louis LaVenture

DIY SKATE PARK BECOMES OFFICIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ILLUSTRATION BY ARIANA GONZALEZ/THE PIONEER

Civil rights activist to visit Hayward Elizabeth Avalos

SEE FEATURES PAGE 10

STUDENTS HOST PILIPINX CONSCIOUSNESS NIGHT

#PIONEERNEWS /thepioneernewspaper @thepioneeronline @newspioneer

Warriors on brink of elimination

STAFF WRITER

American labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta is set to visit Cal State East Bay on May 31 to speak and reflect on her life and work in the labor movement in a presentation titled, “Lessons Learned: Past, Present and Future.” The event will take place at the University Theatre from noon to 1 p.m. and food will be served before the event from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The event is free but pre-registration is highly encouraged due to limited seating. Huerta’s visit to Cal State East Bay, co-hosted by the Office of University Diversity, the Chicano/Latino Faculty & Staff Association and the Associated Students, Inc., came about as the uni-

versity celebrated Cesar Chavez Day in March, said Dr. Lettie Ramirez, professor in the Department of Teaching Education. “At the university we try to celebrate our diversity. This year we wanted to bring Dolores Huerta who was Cesar Chavez’s left and right hand, to celebrate all the work that they have done for all farm workers,” Ramirez said. “As time goes by we often forget all the struggles and efforts that many have gone through and it is important to bring all the lessons that they learned from the past.” The title of the presentation was given by Cal State East Bay, and Huerta will be speaking about movements and leaderships that she helped mobilize, as well as how to advance leadership in our communities today. According to Ramirez, bringing Huerta’s lessons and sharing them with

the Cal State East Bay community is important because many continue to experience similar struggles to those that she has been fighting to improve. “We are currently experiencing a high dropout rate of Latinos at the high school level, as well as the university,” Ramirez stated. “We have a low graduation rate that President Morishita wants to change. We need to remember how much we’ve improved and how much work we have ahead.” According to the Dolores Huerta Foundation, Huerta was born Dolores Clara Fernandez in April of 1930 in a small mining town in the mountains of northern New Mexico. Following her parent’s divorce at the age of three, Huerta moved with her mother and brother to Stockton, California where she spent most of her childhood and

SEE NEWS PAGE 3

East Bay loses another head coach By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PHOTO COURTESY OF NHAT V. MEYER/ BAY AREA NEWS GROUP/TNS

By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF This has been a season of firsts for the defending champion Golden State Warriors, which includes the 73 regular season wins, the most by any team in NBA history. However, it was a first of sorts that doomed the Warriors on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City. After getting blown out 133-105 on Sunday night, Warrior fans were confident going into game 4 since the team hadn’t lost back-to-back games all season. The Thunder gave Golden State another first when they blew them out again 118-94, the first time the Dubs have lost two games in a row this year. Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook became just the third player in NBA history to record a triple-double against the defending champions with 35 points or more as he tallied 36 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the victory. The Warriors now find themselves on the brink of elimination down 3-1 in a series for the first time in the Steve Kerr era. They were down 2-1 two times during the playoffs last year to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Semifinals and in the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but overcame both of those deficits en route to an NBA title.

SEE NEWS PAGE 3

Coaches leaving is not new at Cal State East Bay. In the last year, the school has seen its track, cross country, softball and men’s soccer coaches all leave for other opportunities. This trend continued last week when CSUEB swimming Head Coach Ben Loorz accepted the head job at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “I am certainly not running away,” Loorz said. “We have an awesome lineup for next season, and whoever takes over this program is going to have a great time.” The squad that finished in second place at the Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference championship will return 14 of 23 swimmers and lose nine seniors to graduation. It is a homecoming of sorts for Loorz, who was an assistant coach at UNLV from 2007-2010, during which the team won three consecutive Mountain West Conference championships. “The personal capital I have in UNLV Athletics opened some doors for me,” Loorz said. “From there, the pieces fell into place. Our family is in Northern California, so this decision was incredibly hard, but in the end, it is such a unique opportunity to step up to DI Athletics, and also to coach both men and women.” During his six-year tenure at East Bay, Loorz led his team to three second place conference finishes and qualified for the NCAA championships twice, where they finished 21st in 2013 and 15th in 2014. Under Loorz, Pioneer swimmers have broken 20 of 21 records in every event except the 100 individual medley, which was set by Julie Radecke during the 19871988 season.

PHOTO BY TAM DUONG JR./THE PIONEER

Former CSUEB Swimming head coach Ben Loorz talks to his women's swimming team after a home meet in 2014. Loorz was an assistant under UNLV longtime Head Coach Jim Reitz, who was a fixture for the Rebels for 35 years until he retired prior to the start of this past season. Bobby Folan served as the UNLV Interim Head Coach in 2015-2016, but after the sea-

son, the school decided to open the position, which eventually went to Loorz. The UNLV women finished in fourth place last season at the conference championships while the men finished tied for 23rd place at the NCAA championships in Atlanta in March.

A mother and her 3-year-old daughter from Oakland were killed by a train in San Leandro on Tuesday afternoon. Thirty-year-old Vanessa Marisol Henriquez was running errands with her daughter Saidy when her Toyota Rav-4 stopped on the train tracks near Chapman Road and Washington Avenue, according to family members. The vehicle was struck by the Capitol Corridor Amtrak Train headed from San Jose to Sacramento and both victims were pronounced dead at the scene. “The heavy traffic in the area may have forced the vehicle to stop on the tracks,” San Leandro Police

SEE NEWS PAGE 3

Professor emeritus of psychology dies By Kali Persall MANAGING EDITOR Dr. Lyle D. Edmison, professor emeritus of psychology and former vice president of Student Services, died on May 4 in Cameron Park, California, according to an announcement from the Office of Academic Affairs. He was 91 years old. Edmison was hired at East Bay in 1959, the same year the school was founded by President Fred F. Harcleroad, who passed away at age 93 in 2012. According to the official CSUEB website, in 1959, the school was known as the State College for Alameda County. A few years and name revisions later, it was renamed California State College at Hayward in 1961. According to the Office of Academic Affairs, Edmison was the first person hired by President Harcleroad at CSC Hayward. Edmison remained involved with the campus after his retirement. East Bay’s Annual Report of Private Giving shows that Edmison and his wife Phyllis contributed between $1,000 to $2,499 in the Director’s Circle category as recently as the 2006-2007 year. Edmison served as the associate dean of students until 1961, when he was appointed dean of students and later vice president of Student Services in 1984. He retired in 1991 with a number of recognitions under his belt, including the NASPA Foundation Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean from Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education in 1982. According to the Office of Academic Affairs, a memorial service is not scheduled at this time, pending a family decision later this year.


2 OPINION

THURSDAY MAY 26, 2016

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

VISUAL EDITOR

Tam Duong Jr.

tam.duong@csueastbay.edu

ILLUSTRATORS

Ariana Gonzalez

ariana.gonzalez@csueastbay.edu

STAFF WRITERS

Erik Khan erik.khan@csueastbay.edu

Elizabeth Avalos

elizabeth.avalos@csueastbay.edu

Marissa Marshall marissa.marshall@csueastbay.edu

VISUAL JOURNALISTS GRAPHIC BY TAM DUONG JR./THE PIONEER PHOTOS COURTESY OF PROPAULA R. LIVELY AND GAGE SKIDMORE VIA FLICKR

Presidental elections heat up By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The presidential primaries are nearing a close, and while Donald Trump has all but secured the Republican nomination, the Democratic elect is yet to be determined. At the moment, it seems Hillary Clinton has a firm grasp on the nomination, but not if Bernie Sanders has anything to say about it. Sanders has already gone on record saying that if Clinton wins,

What difference at this point does it make? he will contest the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July, meaning he will not accept his party’s nomination if it isn’t him. This means that since Trump has dismantled all of his Republican competition, he has the luxury

There are many reasons that Clinton has not received the full Democratic support. to sit back and watch the bloodbath that will be the Democratic nomination. This leaves Clinton with two battles — an impending one against Trump and the current one within her own party against Sanders. There are many reasons that Clinton has not received the full

Democratic support, including a lack of transparency that started when she did not release all of her work-related emails to the State Department like she said she had. Also, the current FBI investigation into her illegal use of a home server that could lead to her indictment, has led many critics to question if somebody should be allowed to run for president while federally indicted. Meanwhile, Sanders has managed to capitalize on her downfalls and swoop up the on-the-fence supporters, which has kept him in the race. For Clinton to defeat Trump, she’ll need to win over the Sanders’ supporters, which currently seems impossible, as well as the numerous people trapped in the middle who hold no allegiance. Sanders supporters have been adamantly against Clinton for the way she has gone about her political business. Clinton’s reaction to the September 11, 2012 Benghazi attacks that saw four Americans murdered, including an ambassador, will be remembered by her response to lawmaker’s questions: “What difference at this point does it make?” All of the controversy aside, the bigger questions for those undecided and even those aligned with parties are: Is Clinton pretending to get votes? And are Trump’s actions just acts to garner attention? I guess we will never have the true answers to these questions and voters will just have to do their best at determining who they would like to run the United States. Trump continues to put his foot in his mouth with minorities, most recently when he posted a picture of himself eating a Trump Hotel taco bowl on Cinco de Mayo with the caption: “Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!” The same man who proposed to build a wall that blocks Mexico from the United States claimed he loved Hispanics? Ironic? Many

critics believe so. It is this oblivious and insensitive attitude that has led to raucous opposition to his campaign, highlighted last month when his Burlingame visit was blocked by protesters. Trump’s motorcade was forced to stop on the 101 highway and enter the venue through a side entrance. “That was not the easiest entrance I’ve ever made,” Trump told supporters during his speech. “We went under a fence and through a fence, and, oh boy, it felt like I was crossing the border, actually.” As if he didn’t do enough damage in the Bay Area with that comment, Trump put his foot in his mouth again last week when he

Trump continues to put his foot in his mouth with minorities. was asked by The New York Times what the most dangerous places he has visited were. His initial response was Brooklyn and then he turned his attention elsewhere. “There are places in America that are among the most dangerous in the world,” Trump told the Times. “You go to places like Oakland. Or Ferguson. The crime numbers are worse. Seriously.” In an email to The East Bay Times after hearing Trump’s comment, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said, “The most dangerous place in America is Donald Trump’s mouth.” With Trump consistently burning bridges with his insensitive comments, Clinton being evasive and lacking transparency and Sanders trailing in a distant third place, the question for Americans shifts from who do you want to be president to who are you going to settle for.

Kristiana Federe kristiana.federe@csueastbay.edu

Crystal Jeffers

crystal.jeffers@csueastbay.edu

SPANISH EDITOR

Pavel Radostev Pushina pavel.radostevpushina@csueastbay.edu

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Dr. Katherine Bell kate.bell@csueastbay.edu

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NEWS 3

THURSDAY MAY 26, 2016

THE PIONEER

Huerta From Page 1 early adult life, while still maintaining a relationship with her father. Upon graduating from Stockton High School in 1947, Huerta continued her education at Stockton’s University of Pacific’s Delta College, where she earned a provisional teaching credential. The classroom is where Huerta found her calling to fight economic injustice, as she found herself unable to continue watching her students come to school without shoes and on empty stomachs. Many of these children were sons and daughters of farm workers and soon after she left teaching, Huerta founded the Agricultural Workers Association, set up voter registration drives and pressed local governments for barrio improvements, while serving in the leadership

of the Stockton Community Service Organization (CSO). She then met civil rights, Latino and farm labor leader Cesar Chavez in 1955 and quickly discovered that they both shared a strong desire, vision and need to help farm workers and improve their working conditions. However, organizing farm workers was a mission that did not align with the CSO’s mission. In response, Chavez and Huerta resigned in 1962 and immediately launched the National Farm Workers Association together, which later became the United Farm Workers. According to the organization, the United Farm Workers of America “is the nation’s first successful and largest farm workers union currently active in 10 states.” Huertas’ foundation explains that she was also a fundamental factor in the enactment of the Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975, which was “the first law of its kind in the United States,

Train From Page 1

Lieutenant Robert McManus said. Construction crews were working on the road in the area, which caused traffic to “bottleneck” according to McManus. Several witnesses, many of whom remained at the scene well into the night, said the vehicle was stopped on the tracks when the train struck it. According to Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham, there were 39 passengers and three crew members on board, none of whom were hurt. “We heard and felt the train slow down,” train passenger Paul Wilke said. “Then a little bump and then we

granting farm workers in California the right to collectively organize and bargain for better wages and working conditions.” Soon after, Huerta met American feminist, social and political activist Gloria Steinem and realized that they too shared much in common. Similar to Steinem’s battle for gender equality, Huerta quickly began to battle gender discrimination within farm working as well. But following an assault at the age of 58, Huerta took a leave of absence from the union and began campaign-

“She often speaks to students and organizations about issues of social justice and public policy.”

stopped.” According to Alameda County Fire Department representative Aisha Knowles, firefighters responded to the scene around 1:19 p.m. and attempted life-saving techniques on both victims but were unsuccessful. Knowles also confirmed that the vehicle was a quarter mile down the road from the intersection where it was hit when crews arrived, and that trains in the area travel a maximum of 70 miles per hour. According to several family members who showed up to the scene, Henriquez is survived by husband Lorenzo Henriquez Salmeron and a 10-year-old son. According to family members, the family lives in Oakland but both Vanessa and Lorenzo are originally from El Salvador.

Attention Students Most Spring quarter 2016 courses will be evaluated using an online course evaluation tool. The online course evaluation period will be from May 29th to June 4th 2016. Please make sure you check your Horizon e-mail account regularly during this period. You can complete your online course evaluations via computer or a mobile device. You will receive an e-mail saying you have courses waiting to be evaluated. Please submit your anonymous online course evaluations as soon as possible. Course evaluations are also accessible through Blackboard. Student course evaluations provide valuable feedback to the University on course content and instructor effectiveness. Your opinion matters.

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ing for women’s rights and encouraging Latinas to run for office. Today, her work remains especially important because there are thousands of poor, working immigrants in the San Joaquin Valley who are unfamiliar with laws or agencies that offer benefits and protection for farm workers. “As founder and president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, [Huerta] travels across the country engaging in campaigns and influencing legislation that supports equality and defends civil rights,” her online foundation site states. “She often speaks to students and organizations about issues of social justice and public policy.” According to Ramirez, the reason we have not had her at Cal State East Bay before is because “she is so involved with all the politics right now that the foundation wants her to slow down but they can’t catch her.” Even at age 86, Huerta remains a tireless advocate for the working poor, women and children.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LORENZO HENRIQUEZ SALMERON

Warriors From Page 1 “The good news is, we go home,” Kerr told reporters following the game. “Obviously we play well at home. The idea now is to go home and get one win. Do that, and we put some pressure on them and we’ll see what happens.” The Warriors will have to get their shooting back on track if they want to stay alive in the series. Two-time league MVP Stephen Curry had a dismal shooting night as he scored 19 points and made just 6 of 19 shots. “I think we’re a special team and this isn’t how we’re going to go out,” Curry said in a press conference following Tuesday’s loss. The Thunder gave Golden State another first, as they scored the most points in one half against the Dubs in back-to-back games, 70 points and Sunday and 72 points on Tuesday. According to The Elias Sports Bureau, Oklahoma City is the first team to score at least 70 points in a half in consecutive playoff games since the 1987 “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers led by Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Klay Thompson, the other half of the Splash Brothers, led the way for Golden State with 26 points on a 13-for 28 shooting night for the fourth year guard from Washington State. Draymond Green’s struggles continued for the Warriors, who was not suspended by the league for his flagrant foul, an inadvertent kick to the groin of Thunder big man Steven Adams in Sunday’s loss. One more technical or flagrant foul for Green and he will receive a one game automatic suspension from the league. Next up for both teams is a trip back to Oakland for game 5 at Oracle Arena at 6 p.m.


4 NEWS

THURSDAY MAY 26, 2016

THE PIONEER

CSUEB makes training mandatory By Jayakrishna Dasappan CONTRIBUTOR What does one do to protect himself or herself during a sexual assault? Does everyone on campus know what to do? A new California State University program titled “Not Anymore” aims to provide answers to those and other questions about sexual assault for students. The “Not Anymore” program is completely online and geared to inform students about sexual misconduct. This year it was made mandatory by the CSU Chancellor, Title IX coordinators, as well as by state and federal mandates. The “Title IX” act is part of

the Education Amendment of 1972, which aims to eliminate any sexual discrimination in schools and colleges, and also take immediate action on sexual harassment. The department on campus, Risk Management and Internal Control, is headed by Title IX coordinator Terri Labeaux. Before the “Not Anymore” program, there was an alcohol education program that every student had to complete. “AlcoholEdu” was a requirement for students, however there were no repercussions if they did not complete the program. With “Not Anymore” this year, the final deadline was April 29, and this program carried with it a hold on student

accounts if it was not completed. “Not Anymore” utilizes pre and posttests as well as a set of videos to educate students on issues surrounding sexual assault. Not only is it mandatory to complete the program, but every student is required to score 70 percent for full completion. As made apparent by the program, women and men alike are affected by sexual abuse. According to the reports from the Health Center at CSUEB, one in every five women and one in every 25 men are sexually assaulted. The program starts with a pre-test followed by several videos and interviews of sexual assault victims, leading up to the post-test, which is the one that

CORRECTION

students must score 70 percent on. Reaction on the Hayward campus has been mixed. “It is good that the school made it mandatory,” said Anthony Salas, a junior at CSUEB. However, Karim Chao, a sophomore, felt different. “I am not going to sexually assault someone and if someone tries to assault me or my friends, I have a taser to protect me and my friends,” Chao said. “I do not need a test to save myself.” “Not Anymore” teaches how a guy or a girl should behave during a party or any social event, how to read the signs and be aware of what the intentions of others are especially when alcohol is involved.

In last week’s issue of The Pioneer, Rudy Navarro was incorrectly credited in the byline as a contributor on the story “Navarro driving force for Pioneers.” The story ran in English and Spanish on pages 7 and 10. To clarify, Rudy Navarro did not contribute to the article; credit belongs solely to Marquis Jaramillo. Contributor Jaramillo’s name was also spelled incorrectly in the byline.

OPINION

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The dismantling of the Republican Party Sean McCarthy CONTRIBUTOR Americans have become disenfranchised by their respective parties and have begun to register as no party or Independent instead. The constituents for both parties are at their historically lowest points, according to a study by Gallup. Only 26 percent of the nation identifies as Republican this year, down from 28 percent in 2012 and 33 percent in 2005. The Democratic Party represents 29 percent of the nation, down from 31 percent in 2012 and 33 percent in 2005. The number of people who are now registered as Independent has increased to 42 percent, up from 40 percent in 2012, and 33 percent in 2005. Donald Trump is not a politician. He may have inherited a fortune like many Republican politicians, but at heart, he is a businessman who decided to run for president. He is similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger or Ronald Reagan in the fact that he never practiced politics before running for the position. Despite his party affiliation, Trump is not a Republican; his political views differentiate from the Republican norm. Earlier this month, he said he was open to raising the minimum wage, he does not support free trade, he was pro-choice until last April and avoids topics relating to religious freedom. He is unfavorable in the eyes of the GOP leadership because these viewpoints are considered anti-establishment. Paul Ryan, the Republican Speaker of the House, has been extremely vocal in his disdain for Donald Trump. “I’ll never support Donald Trump and Ted Cruz does very little to appeal to me as a young voter,” Ryan said at Georgetown University in April. However, in the wake of Trump’s victory in

the Republican primary, Ryan has changed his tune. Trump flew to Washington D.C. to meet with Ryan on May 12 to discuss unification of the party. Republicans are desperate to keep Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee, from becoming the 45th President of the United States and first woman to hold that position. “I was very encouraged by what I heard from Donald Trump today. I do believe we are planting the seeds to get ourselves unified,” Ryan said at a press conference after the meeting. This meeting sounds like the party is trending in the right direction, however, the opposite is true. Ryan had no choice but to support Trump because Republican voters were going to vote for him nonetheless. In a poll aired on CNN May 17, 58 percent of people thought that Trump was more trustworthy to lead the Republican party than Ryan, who received 39 percent of the votes. That fact alone shows how disenfranchised the Republican voters have become with the party. Trump currently has just over 10 million votes and comes in a close second to George W. Bush’s 10.8 million votes in 2000. Trump is expected to surpass that number by a wide margin after the Republican primaries conclude on June 7. If Ryan submits to Trump’s version of being a Republican, it shows that Republican voters no longer see the party’s platform as their ideal platform. Trump’s version of the Republican Party goes against many of the conservative Christian views on sexuallity and women’s rights. This would also cut out many of our big businesses that trade with China, which he believes is financially crippling America. If Ryan decides that the GOP cannot submit to Trump, then the GOP will be turning

its back on the vast majority of Republican voters. Trump could abandon his whole platform and conform to the Republican establishment, but that just does not seem plausible. Trump said in April that he would run as Independent if the GOP stole the primary from him. In their effort to do this, the Republicans kept John Kasich in the race as long as they did to steal a few votes from Trump in every state. They hoped that by doing this, Trump would not reach the total number of delegates needed to secure the Republican nominee. This tactic failed miserably. It is likely that Ryan and the GOP will submit to Trump to block a Clinton nomination. In four years, they will try to propel a new Republican nominee to battle either Trump or Clinton in 2020. By that time, Trump will have shaken up the entire establishment. Trump has not stated any specific policy ideas for the greater part of his campaign, yet his statements about building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and banning all Muslims from entering the country have resonated with millions of Americans. These emotions will continue to run through the hearts of his followers until the next presidential campaign in 2020, whether or not Trump runs again. Republican voters will not be voting for whoever the GOP selects going forward. Their only establishment nominees — Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Kasich — failed to gain any traction. The only candidates who had any success this year are Ted Cruz, who is not an establishment Republican, and Trump, who is only a Republican in name. The GOP will need to reevaluate what the people want going forward and change; otherwise there may not be a Republican Party in the future.

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6 OPINION

THURSDAY MAY 26, 2016

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Is emoji the new feminism? Conquering sexist technology

ILLUSTRATION BY ARIANA GONZALEZ/THE PIONEER

By Kali Persall MANAGING EDITOR It’s been a long time since women’s career options were limited to being either a princess or a bride, but surprisingly, it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that emoji developers got the memo. On May 10, Google employees Rachael Been, Nicole Bleuel, Agustin Fonts and Mark Davis submitted a proposal to the Unicode Consortium, a nonprofit organization based out of Mountain View that oversees the coding standards for emojis and software worldwide, for the creation of 13 new emojis that will depict women and their male counterparts in various professional positions. A princess, a bride and a dancer: That’s basically the extent of female representation as “professionals” in the world of emoji, a sexist and restrictive representation. While males are depicted eternally riding on horseback, launching soccer balls into goals and assuming roles as police officers or Santa Claus in cyberspace, females are frozen in time in archaic, stereotypical gender roles. The proposal opened with a quote from Amy Butcher’s March op-ed for the New York Times, “Emoji Feminism,” a driving force behind the movement for equal representation in the world of emoji. “Where, I wanted to know, was the fierce professor working her way to tenure?” Butcher wrote. “Where was the lawyer? The accountant? The surgeon? How was there space for both a bento box and a single fried coconut shrimp, and yet women were restricted to a smattering of tired, beauty-centric roles?” Google’s 13 new proposed emojis depict women and their male counterparts in the fields of business, healthcare, education, the tech industry, food service, music and more. If approved, Google will develop the new characters, which may or may not change throughout the process. How were these professions chosen? According to the proposal, the group determined which occupations should be depicted by surveying data from the top sectors in the workforce, as well as trends in job growth and in the media. Surprise, surprise! No princess or brides made the cut for the top professions held by women. It turns out that in 2016, women do a lot more than look pretty and walk down the aisle. But just when we thought 1950s gender roles were a thing of the past, technology yanked us right back into the kitchen, endlessly baking cookies and casseroles for our hard-working husbands. Should I ever find the need to hit someone with a cake or a credit card emoji, I’m covered, but if I ever want to illustrate a new job or a promotion, I’m stuck with cocktail glass to represent a toast. During times like this, I hit up my go-to — which I think

works for just about everything — the flexed bicep emoji. I reckon that it’s close enough to the famous Rosie the Riveter pose to represent some semblance of women empowerment, right? While there are plenty of emojis depicting popular activities, from swimming to biking, weight-lifting, boating, playing basketball, surfing and horseback riding, what’s important to note is not one of the characters is female. Yes, they are just silly little graphics that arguably don’t hold much weight against more important issues, but the subliminal messages they convey haven’t escaped without impact. Teen girls, some of the heaviest users of emojis, are impacted the most. On March 2, Always, the feminine hygiene product producer, released the video #LikeAGirl, that highlighted the impact emoji’s have on the self-esteem of adolescent girls.“Girls love emojis but there aren’t enough emojis to say what girls do...that’s just how things are,” one of the girls in the campaign stated. According to the video produced by Always, 72 percent of girls feel that society limits them by dictating what they should and shouldn’t do. “They may seem small, but emojis are more than just funny faces,” stated a caption in the video by Always. “They’ve become how girls express themselves in text and online. But do emojis truly represent girls? Always asked, and it turns out 67 percent of girls feel that even emojis imply that girls are limited.” Always asked, and Google answered. The proposal referenced the video as evidence of a growing equality movement. The video received 18 million views on Youtube and even elicited a tweet from First Lady Michelle Obama, who called for a “girl studying emoji,” according to the proposal. Although emojis may seem insignif-

“No matter where you look, women are gaining visibility and recognition as never before.” icant, they reflect a larger struggle for gender parity. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, an organization that conducts studies and research on issues and public policies, women still earn considerably less than men in almost every single occupation for which measurable data exists. For every dollar that a man made in 2015, a woman made 79 cents for doing the same work.

This constitutes a gender wage gap of 21 percent. While the equalization of the emoji doesn’t come close to the efforts of the 70-year-long women’s suffrage movement, it’s ironic that when emojis diversified to include racial options for their characters, female representation took a back seat; eerily reminiscent of when the right to vote was awarded to people of all races and ethnicities, but excluded to women. The addition of the 13 female emojis are more than just an entertaining text tool, their presence tells a story in itself: That women are just as successful,

“Girls love emojis but there aren’t enough emojis to say what girls do... that’s just how things are.”

intelligent and capable as men. “No matter where you look, women are gaining visibility and recognition as never before,” stated the proposal. “Isn’t it time that emoji also reflect the reality that women play a key role in every walk of life and in every profession?” Truly. The proposal is just that, for now. It hasn’t been approved yet, but it needs to be. If not for the sake of all the adolescent girls who wonder why their options are princess or bride, at least so I can spam my little sister with an emoji of a girl in cap and gown when she graduates high school in June.

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NEWS 7

THURSDAY MAY 26, 2016

THE PIONEER

Bernie Sanders "Berns" the Bay Area

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID GROSS

Left: Bernie Sanders, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, speaks to thousands of supporters at the "A Future to Believe In" rally in Vallejo, California. Right: People react to Bernie Sanders at the "A Future to Believe In" rally in Vallejo, California. Bernie Sanders is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president.

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8 FEATURES

THURSDAY MAY 26, 2016

THE PIONEER

Oakland skatepark thrives one year later By Marquis Jaramillo CONTRIBUTOR Oakland’s Town Park Skate Gallery looks sleek and professional. Shiny metal coping and sharp corner ledges line the top edges of new, smooth concrete transition sections of the park, allowing skaters seemingly endless possibilities for maneuvers, tricks and runs. This park covers 8,300 square feet with transitions reaching as high as nine feet, rails that stretch up to six feet long and a set of stairs totaling eight steps. Surrounding the park are graffiti pieces and murals from local Oakland artists. But the park didn’t look this way: for eight years the DeFremery Skate Park use to be a rundown do-it-yourself skatepark. Town Park started out unlike any skatepark in California, or even the United States. Original construction began in 2005 by local skaters and community activists looking to establish a spot to skate in the west part of Oakland. They found leftover wood from an abandoned skate park at a Boys and Girls Club 30 minutes away, and hauled it all back to DeFremery Park where they created obstacles to skate on. Keith “K-Dub” Williams was the man behind the operations in West Oakland. Once an art teacher and now an artist and community activist, Williams turned a rundown empty space into a do-it-yourself skate park. In 2009, the city used $40,000-50,000 to pave and fence the area where Keith was building his project. An additional $35,000 grant from the city was used to re-vamp the surfaces of the old wooden ramps to

keep them in good condition for skating. With social media taking notice of “K-Dub’s” project, it was only a matter of time before this park would be transformed into what it is today. In 2015, the city of Oakland, Levi’s Skateboarding, California Skateparks — a nationally recognized organization that has built 350+ parks and 10 parks outside the country — and Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation supported Williams’ project financially and by supplying materials, allowing him to build his park hassle-free, and his hard work has not gone unnoticed. Local skater Isaiah Davis who use to live down the street from DeFremery Park said the new skate park has “definitely brightened the community,” by bringing out the local children, as well as artists to literally add color to the concrete. Davis is a sponsored skater who is allowed to continue his skating career through support from DGK, Lakai Limited, Spitfire wheels and for the city of San Francisco, who noticed him at Potrero del Sol Skatepark, another park in the Bay Area. The community vibe is felt throughout the park. Clyde McElveen brought his two-year-old son to the park on a recent windy Friday afternoon to teach him how to skateboard. The locals cheered him on as he peddled his way around, even letting the two-year-old use their boards. One local took the boy and began to teach him how to roll down the ramps. “Instead of basketball, football and tennis you know, this is something kids can go do and burn energy,” said McElveen. “Or if they might be having problems it’s a whole other outlet.”

PHOTOS BY MARQUIS JARAMILLO/CONTRIBUTOR

Local skater Isaiah Davis does a Indy frontside grab off of a fence on Saturday at Town Skatepark in Oakland. This space provided to Williams has proved to be an excellent resource for community members. There was a large influence and a push for skateparks at

community focus groups in Oakland, said Dana Riley, supervisor of Parks and Recreation of Oakland. “The skate park serves the youth, and the older youth,

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by keeping them busy in a constructive way.” As of now, there are no plans to build a new skatepark in Oakland’s future.


FEATURES 9

THURSDAY MAY 26, 2016

THE PIONEER By Vanessa Pineda CONTRIBUTOR To my little brother David aka Dey You have grown up without our mom or your dad. Our mom is a drug addict, and her drug abuse affected our family, especially you. Your dad has been absent since before you were born. What you have gone through and the emotional battles you have faced are unimaginable. Growing up parentless About 49 percent of children in the US live in a home without their father, a number that has increased over the past 50 years, according to a 2015 study by the U.S. Census Bureau. My 12-yearold brother, David, is included in this statistic. He is a young boy in middle school finding his way without the guidance of his biological parents. According to the National Center for Fathering, a nonprofit organization devoted to research on fatherlessness in America, children who grow up without a dad are more likely to live in poverty, perform poorly in school, use drugs or alcohol and commit crimes. David has been raised by three women: my selfless grandma, my sister Amanda and me. We do our best to teach David to work hard, to do what is right and most of all, to love. We always encourage him to do well in school and stay out of trouble. Lately, I’ve started to talk to my brother about what it means to be a man. I tell him that he has to get an education so he can get a good job to support and raise his own family one day. I tell him to be brave and be a protector, but in reality, for the past 22 years, I have never had to act or think like a man. I honestly don’t know what it is like. When David was younger — around five years old — he went through a period of time where he was very angry. He threw temper tantrums. He would fiercely throw all of the framed photos and knick-knacks off of a counter between the living room and the kitchen, all over the floor. If he was extremely upset and started kicking, we would have to hold his arms and legs down to try and calm him. David went to counseling and learned to manage his feelings. He became more mature and that phase ended. Some acquaintances, school administrators and family friends think that growing up without a parent isn’t hard because many people go through it. But that is far from the truth. Unless you are a child growing up without either parental figure, then you have no idea. “The effects on children from growing up without a mother and father are significant, though there are certain factors that affect the impact,” Dr. Steven Ross from the CSUEB Department of Psychology said. “The age of the child

Letter to my little brother, growing up without a father

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VANESSA PINEDA/CONTRIBUTOR

David, left, and his sister Vanessa take a picture on their birthday. The two siblings share a birthday, Dec. 5.

when the parents were no longer in the household, what the extent of the parental attachment before the parents exited from the household, the frequency and type of contact/interaction that the children maintained with the parents and who raised the children once the parents were no longer in the household.” David was raised by his own biological family, but some children in his situation are put into foster homes. In California, there are more than 100,000 children who have been removed from their families and put into foster care, according to the Bill Wilson Center, an organization in San Jose that provides services to youth and families through counseling, housing, education and advocacy. For children dealing with these types of issues, there are community agencies that offer counseling. They may be non-profit or established by the county and offer different programs, explained Ryan Guetersloh, associate director of counseling at CSUEB Student Health and Counseling Services. Growing up, my dad and grandmother raised me. David and I have different dads. My dad always worked hard to support our family financially, and he made sure to take care of us. He taught me to be confident, independent and hard-working. I cannot begin to think how hard it would have been to go through life in your shoes, Dey. To all the boys out there growing up without a father, I know it’s not easy. You are so strong for dealing with this type of adverse issue. Life may be tough and you may face countless problems in the future, but never give up. There is someone out there rooting for you to do well, be successful and reach your goals. Although many people don’t know what it’s like to walk in your shoes, you are not alone. David is experiencing the same internal battles you do. It’s normal to seek help; there are people out there who can give you guidance and support. Ross explains that it is often helpful for the children to be able to work with a therapist to better assess the loss and to monitor the development of interpersonal skills. And to my Dey I love you so much and it hurts me that you have to go through life without Mom or your dad. I know growing up without them is difficult. You already beat half the battle, you just need to continue to develop and work to always do better. Everything I do, all the hard work I put into school and my job is for you. One day I hope you follow my footsteps and become a college graduate. You are already one of the strongest men I know and you have overcome many obstacles in your life. I am proud to be your big sister and a mother figure in your life.

FROM THE WIRE

More San Jose jail guards arrested on brutality charges By Tracey Kaplan MERCURY NEWS

Two Santa Clara County jail guards were arrested Monday on suspicion of beating a shackled inmate, the first new criminal charges to result from a sweeping probe into excessive force allegations sparked by the fatal beating last summer of a mentally ill prisoner. Guards Phillip Abecendario and Tuan Le surrendered Monday afternoon and were booked on one count each of felony assault under the color of authority. If they are convicted, they would each face up to three years in county jail. They were expected to be released on $25,000 bail each. The two men are accused of assaulting chronic offender Ruben Garcia in July, about a month before three other guards allegedly beat to death mentally ill inmate Michael Tyree and attacked another prisoner. The three correctional deputies in the Tyree case -- Jereh

Lubrin, Rafael Rodriguez and Matthew Farris -- have all pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 25 years to life. Multiple sources familiar with the broader excessive-force probe said more arrests are possible in the coming months. Abecendario, 27, and Le, 31, could not be reached for comment Monday, and the law firm representing them declined to comment. Sgt. Amy Le, president-elect of the guards union and no relation to Tuan Le, asked the community not to leap to any conclusions about the officers. “We don’t condone any criminal behavior, but I really believe in the criminal justice system and ask everyone not to prejudge,” she said. But prosecutors say about two dozen inmates witnessed at least some portion of the incident involving Garcia. Despite that, prosecutors say, the two guards did not file any reports documenting or explaining their use of force,

as required. “We can’t have jail guards administering their own form of punishment to inmates who are waiting for their trials or serving their sentences,” prosecutor John Chase said Monday. Sheriff Laurie Smith put the two men on paid leave in February while the criminal investigation was underway. “Mr. Garcia’s allegation that custody deputies assaulted him was taken very seriously by this office and was vigorously investigated to determine the facts,” Smith said in a written statement. “These alleged actions run contrary to any training they’ve received, any supervision they’ve been under, and are not indicative of the exemplary work performed by the overwhelming majority of correctional deputies.” When Garcia heard the news Monday afternoon, he said he was shocked because it is so rare for officers to be charged for abusing their authority. Garcia had been in jail last summer on a drug possession charge and for violating a restraining order from the mother

of his young daughter. He was released after he served time for the drug possession charge and agreed to domestic violence counseling classes. Since he was released in November, he’s been working in landscaping, laying irrigation lines and building fences. Though he has spent most of his life in jail, he said he is staying straight now. “Just like when I committed a crime, they wanted justice,” said Garcia, of San Jose, adding that he is living in his car. “Now I want justice.” Since the three guards were charged in Tyree’s death, two other jail guards have been arrested. One was accused of illegally using a criminal database for personal use, and the other of workers’ compensation fraud. Both cases are pending. In addition, the former president of the correctional officers union, Lance Scimeca, was placed on administrative leave in connection with a separate probe into the alleged exchange by some guards of hundreds of racist text messages. Earlier this month in a remarkable

political shift, the county’s more than 700 jail guards ousted all their incumbent union officers and elected a woman for the first time to replace Scimeca as head of the Santa Clara County Correctional Peace Officers Association. The beating of Garcia, 50, was featured in this newspaper in December as part of an investigation into conditions at San Jose’s troubled main jail. The former gang member has been in and out of jail for 30 years, most recently on a drug possession charge, and was recently released. He has filed a claim against the county, alleging that officials have long demonstrated deliberate indifference to a pattern of misconduct by guards. In interviews with this newspaper and in his claim, Garcia described a harrowing ordeal the night of July 23 in retaliation for “mouthing off” to guards about not getting any dinner. He said he was punched and kicked in the face and ribs repeatedly while his ankles were shackled, slammed against walls and dragged in a painful armlock with his pants and underwear pulled down.


10 FEATURES

THURSDAY MAY 26, 2016

THE PIONEER

Pilipinx Consciousness Night

PHOTOS BY KRISTIANA FEDERE/THE PIONEER

Top: Lyka Lanuza performs a cultural dance called "Pagdiwata" on Friday during the 44th annual Pilipinx Consciousness Night. Middle right: (Left to right) JC Salamida, Christian Alcalde and Martin Atienza act during a play. Bottom right: Students perform "The I-Hotel" on Friday at the CSUEB University Theatre. Bottom left: The PCN 2016 cast enjoying a comedic scene on stage. Middle left: Kristen Ebreo and Diana Toy perform "Pandanggo Sa Oasiwas" on Friday at the CSUEB Hayward Campus.


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12 SPORTS

THURSDAY MAY 26, 2016

THE PIONEER

GRAPHIC BY TAM DUONG JR./THE PIONEER

By Marissa Marshall STAFF WRITER The Pioneers fell in two tough games on Thursday and Friday that put their record season, 33-22 overall, to an end. East Bay traveled to Riverside on Thursday and competed against top tier California Baptist University, who ranked #7 for their first game of the NCAA Division II West regionals. The game did not go The Pioneers’ way, as they were shutout for the second time this season.

California Baptist put East Bay in a hole early in the bottom of the first inning. The Lancer’s first baseman Antonio Chavarria helped get them on the board when he popped up a ball to center field, giving right fielder AJ David the score. Cal Baptist continued to score as center fielder Ryan Williams and left fielder DJ Porter both hit home runs, giving the Lancers a 5-0 lead at the end of the first ending. The Pioneers had no response in

the second inning, but Cal Baptist continued their stellar hitting when second baseman Jake Gallaway homered to left field and put the Lancers up 6-0, going into the third inning. Throughout the third and fourth innings, both East Bay and Baptist were quiet as the scored remained stagnant. “Our bats just were not getting warm, and Cal Baptist was on their game, so it’s tough to keep up when the other team is hitting like that,” said East Bay catcher Chris Porter. Cal Baptist was definitely on their game and their momentum did not stop there. In the fifth and sixth in-

nings, the Lancers combined for a total of three home runs by designated hitter Bryce Macy, David and for the second time of the game, Williams. This gave the Lancers a 11-0 lead going into the seventh. East Bay’s hopes of making a comeback, as they have done so well this season, seemed unlikely. The Pioneers could not put anything on the board, as it was an offensively-challenged game and they ended up falling to the Lancers 14-0, their worst lost of the season. CSUEB’s Porter went 2-for-4 on the day and second baseman Dakota Conners went for 2-for-3 as well. Despite the tough loss, The Pioneers were not out of the playoff run, and had a chance to redeem themselves the next day in the elimination game, as they faced another top team, Dixie State, 39-13 overall, which ranked #13 in the nation. The game was scoreless through-

out the first three innings, but East Bay put something on the board first, in the bottom of the fourth when first baseman Troy Resch grounded out to second base, leading to a Raymond Jones score. Dixie State answered right back in the fifth inning as shortstop Tanner Morache singled through the left side and both right fielder Trey Kamachi and center fielder Jerome Hill II scored, which put the Trailblazers up 2-1. Resch put The Pioneers back in the driver’s seat in the bottom of the seventh when he homered to right field, which plated third baseman Rudy Navarro. “I have a lot of confidence in myself when I go up to bat, or just in the game in general and it shows when I play,” said Resch. “The hard work pays off.” East Bay designated hitter Zack Perugi helped put another run on the board in the bottom of the seventh, when he flied out and left fielder Myles Babitt scored. The Pioneers took a 4-2 lead into the eighth inning, but could not hold on to it. The Trailblazers fought back and scored 4 runs in the top of the eighth, which put them back in the lead. The game was put away when Hill II doubled to left center and Trey Kamachi scored, which gave Dixie the 6-4 win. The loss eliminated East Bay from the playoffs and put an end to their historical season. “Despite the losses, we had a lot of fun and it was an honor getting to be apart of playoffs for the first time,” said Porter. “Getting to compete at a high level and face great competition is always fun to do. We have proved so many people wrong this season; we were counted out and many did not think we could get here, but we did.” East Bay ended their season with a record of 33-22 overall and 21-16 conference, the best season the program has ever had in a strong conference. With just 10 seniors, The Pioneers will return with 23 underclassmen who will go into next season with a good amount of postseason experience. “We have made such a statement by all the success we have had this year, everything we did was a huge accomplishment and I am proud of the my team,” said Resch.

Warriors guard Klay Thompson is elite among NBA’s best players By Erik Khan STAFF WRITER The Golden State Warriors have followed up their record-setting 2016 regular season, playing at a level that has the team poised to bring home their second championship. One man, Steph Curry, is given a great deal of credit for his role in the team’s success, and rightfully so: the man is the best basketball player in the league, shown by his two-peat as league MVP. Another man, Draymond Green, is praised in the sports community for his contributions to the Warriors, drawing comparisons to NBA legend Magic Johnson for his abilities to shoot, score, pass and defend. Critics will argue Russell Westbrook or Kawhi Leonard, but Green’s ability to pass, score and defend is not displayed by any player in the league except LeBron James. Even second-year coach Steve Kerr is often credited for the Warriors’ success before the man whom I believe is equally responsible as Curry and Green is mentioned: Klay Thompson. In the past two years, Thompson has been an absolute cornerstone to the Warriors’ championship run and 73 win season, and he has proved that he is an elite player in the NBA. Elite is a word that is almost taboo in the NBA, and experts are reluctant to give that title to a player. To earn the title, a player must dominate some part of the game of basketball, such as having the ability to score, defend, play efficiently, rebound, pass, shoot the three-pointer, lift their teammates

GRAPHIC BY KRISTIANA FEDERE/THE PIONEER

and or take the final shot. Thompson checks enough of these boxes to be worthy of the elite label. Can he score? Yes. During the 2015-2016 regular season, Thompson finished 12th in points scored per game with 22.1. While 12th isn’t necessarily top in the league, it is pretty impressive when you consider Curry finished top in the league. The only other teammates that rank ahead

of Curry and Thompson are their Western Conference final opponents, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Both are considered elite players in the league. Not only does Thompson score, but he can also shoot the three-pointer better than anyone not named Steph Curry. For the past three seasons, Thompson has finished second in the league behind Curry for three point

shooting, with 276 total threes on which he shot 44 percent. This is no coincidence. Thompson and Curry benefit from playing together because defenses struggle guarding them both from behind the arc. It is nearly impossible to defend. Can Thompson defend? No doubt. Thompson is typically given the assignment of guarding the opposing

team’s top offensive threat. And he typically gets the job done. Such is the case in the Western Conference finals. In game 1, he held Westbrook to just three first half points and in game 2 just 16 points for the game’s entirety. These traits are enough to award Thompson with the elite label that is coveted by those in the sports world. Many fail to recognize Thompson’s level of play because he is stuck playing in the shadow of Curry. However, this postseason has shown that he is capable of being the best offensive player on a championship contender. When Curry got injured, Thompson carried the Warriors offense through their first round series against the Houston Rockets, and their second round battle with the Portland Trailblazers. Granted, he did benefit from having Green on the court, but Thompson is currently fifth in points per game this postseason. I know Warrior fans would never wish this, but imagine if Thompson played for another NBA franchise. He would instantly become the number one option on two-thirds of teams. I’m a diehard Boston Celtics fan, and I honestly believe that if Thompson were to suit up for the Celtics, we would be in the Eastern Conference finals today. He’s that good. Many fail to recognize this due to his surroundings. I do not want to take away from Curry or Green, or say that Thompson is better than either player. Without Thompson on the court, the Warriors would not be the dominant force in the NBA that they are today. He is elite, and he deserves more credit for the Warriors’ success than he is given.


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