Tuesday, Mar 10, 2020
SF STATE’S STUDENT-RUN PUBLICATION SINCE 1927
VOLUME 110, ISSUE 8
CAMPUS CLOSED
Ineligible voters go voiceless in 2020 primaries
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the democratic process. “The importance of being able to vote is to have my voice heard because there are certain issues in my community that I care about that I don’t have a say in. Such as, for example, you got prop 13 coming up on this [ballot] for the state on funding our schools,” Vasquez said. He thinks that not having a voice while paying taxes is not democracy.
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f San Francisco’s 503,899 registered voters, only 275,200 people voted in the March 3 primary election. J Vasquez is a formerly incarcerated student and has been at SF State for two semesters now. Vasquez stated that he doesn’t use his first name because it’s his government name
and identifies more with the letter “J” alone. Vasquez, a sociology major and criminal justice minor, will be on parole for a minimum of five years. Due to his parole status, Vasquez is not eligible to vote. While roughly half of San Francisco’s eligible voters regularly choose not to participate, people like Vasquez lament their exclusion from
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JACQUELYN MORENO JMORENO18@MAIL.SFSU.EDU
“This country was founded on the principle of being able to have a voice and I pay taxes. And so, you know, the whole taxation without representation applies to me, which was important to the founding fathers of this country on why they fought to establish this so called democracy was not a democracy, Vasquez said. Director of Project Rebound, Jason CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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The voteless speak up about disenfranchisement JACQUELYN MORENO JMORENO18@MAIL.SFSU.EDU
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Karamel Nunez-Martinez knunezmartinez@mail.sfsu.edu PRINT MANAGER Andrew R. Leal aleal@mail.sfsu.edu ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Alondra Gallardo agallardo2@mail.sfsu.edu ART DIRECTORS Briana Battle bbattle@mail.sfsu.edu Alexis Joseph ajoseph3@mail.sfsu.edu CITY NEWS Catherine Stites, editor cstites@mail.sfsu.edu CAMPUS NEWS Juan Carlos Lara, editor jlara9@mail.sfsu.edu SOCIAL MEDIA Kameron Hall, editor khall6@mail.sfsu.edu SPORTS Grady Duggan, editor gduggan@mail.sfsu.edu OPINION Kerasa Dimitrios Tsokas, editor ktsokas@mail.sfsu.edu ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Felicia Hyde, editor fhyde@mail.sfsu.edu PHOTO Shandana Qazi, editor sqazi@mail.sfsu.edu
PRINT ADVISER Laura Moorhead lauralm@sfsu.edu PHOTO ADVISOR Kim Komenich komenich@sfsu.edu
@ggxnews @ggxnews
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Bell, assists formerly incarcerated people who want to admit to SF State. This program offers individuals the information needed to apply and meet academic deadlines to qualify. Bell has been recognized as being the exception to the rule but feels that there are hundreds of students part of Project Rebound that have done more than him. She agrees with advocacy for formerly incarcerated voting rights and acknowledges the disenfranchisement that students he interacts with face. In Sacramento the California State Assembly passed Assembly Constitutional Amendment 6, which would restore voting rights to nearly 50,000 Californians on parole according to the ACLU of Southern California. If this passes it will be included in the November 3, 2020 ballot. “Yes, I would like to see actually people be able to vote in custody. And if they don’t, then they ought to be forced to stop using their numbers for political gain in the surrounding communities,” Bell said. Stephanni Hernandez is an undocumented student that came from El Salvador four years ago with her mother without knowing any English. She came to this country to seek refuge from danger in her own country. Assembly Bill 540 gives eligible students who may be undocunmted or the children of someone undocumented exemption from paying non-resident fees, according to SF State’s Dream Resource Center. Passed in 2001 by the California legislature, AB 540/SB 68 allows students who are either undocumented or U.S. Citizens/ Perma-
nent Residents but are considered non-residents permit tuition purposes. “It was really hard cause I just start[ed] here, I didn’t speak English I didn’t know anywhere. I wanted to study but I didn’t know how to apply to anywhere and everywhere you go they just start talking English and the people that speak Spanish they don’t speak English,” Hernandez said. Hernandez is in her first year at SF State and her major is currently undecided. She is not able to vote but Hernandez thinks it’s unfair because she lives in this country. Hernandez said that everything that voters decide affects her life too.
“It will be more help for them like health care because I know a lot of people that are over 18 years old and they just came to work and they don’t even have healthcare or anything.” Hernandez said there are certain issues that she is concerned about the most. Health care and racial injustice are the issues pertaining to politics that stand out the most for Hernandez. “Also it could be injustice because sometimes there’s a lot of racism anywhere that you go. They prefer to attend first white then people of color especially if they don’t speak English or if they don’t have to convince,” Hernandez said. ➢
J Vasquez smiles for a photo outside of the Project Rebound office in the Cesar Chavez building (James Wyatt / Golden Gate Xpress)
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SF State cancels events, classes remain in session BY WHITNEY PAPALII WPAPALII@MAIL.SFSU.EDU DAVID SJOSTEDT DSJOSTEDT@MAIL.SFSU.EDU JUAN CARLOS LARA JLARA9@MAIL.SFSU.EDU
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F State President Lynn Mahoney announced through email Monday that face-to-face classes are cancelled until March 15 and classes will be moved to online instruction from March 16 to April 6 amid concerns over COVID-19. In the email, Mahoney cited increasing numbers of confirmed cases and moves from other educational institutions for the decision. On Monday, UC Berkeley announced that their classes would be held online until March 29. This announcement stands in stark contrast to an email from Mahoney two days prior, where she announced that on-campus events this month would be cancelled, but said classes would remain in session, stating the university was acting based on recommendations from local health officials. Six San Francisco residents were confirmed positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, which brought the total number of cases to eight within the city. One victim was related to a student at Lowell High School, situated less than a mile from campus. The school closed temporarily in response. John Viola, a professor of criminal justice, made the decision to switch his classes to an online format a week ago. Viola still intends to try to get some content out to his students this week, despite the cancellation announcement. “For most of my students, it’s a relief to not have to deal with the stress
factor,” Viola said. Maggie Beers, Assistant Vice President of the Teaching & Learning Department, oversees the Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) at SF State. CEETL is currently working on preparing to move face-to-face classes to a virtual teaching and learning experience, according to Dr. Beers. Despite the preparations, Beers understands
Dr. Beers also mentioned that there are apps for Zoom and iLearn available for downloading on smartphones. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Jennifer Summit, sent out an email last Tuesday to SF State faculty members that provided resources and guides for online instruction, advising faculty that this move might be necessary soon. Associate Chair of the Biology
“I got the idea to do this petition because I asked a lot of students in the community through wildfire, if they would be interested in signing this if they saw this issue as important as I did, and they all did agree.” the issue of inaccessibility for certain required resources. “It’s not about asking faculty who’ve never taught fully online courses to immediately start teaching a very engaging effective online course,” Dr. Beers said. “It’s about, in this moment, in this very unusual situation, where we don’t have as much preparation time as we would like, how can we help our faculty get up and running quickly using our existing tools to move some of their course materials into an online environment?” Webinars and on-campus assistance are offered through CEETL and Academic Technology for students, faculty and staff. Dr. Beers also noted that instructor and student guides are available online through Instructional Continuity at SF State to prepare students and faculty members in the possible transition to online classes.
Department, Jose de la Torre, noted some courses that offer a more handson experience such as labs will be “impossible,” if classes were to be solely online. However, Torre hopes that online courses will be creative and accessible enough to maintain student engagement and learning objectives. The biology professor has not taught online courses, but thinks that the idea makes sense given the current situation of the coronavirus. “Here’s the thing is that, they’re still going to have the exams, but online, that means I still have to study. I’m a bio-physio major so there’s no fun for me either way,” said student Joshua Johnson. “We have an issue most other campuses don’t have,” said Torre. “Not all of our students have access to reliable internet at home. We don’t want to disadvantage students simply
because they do not have the means to have WiFi at home, nor do we want to create a situation where they have to go elsewhere and possibly come in contact with other people and become exposed so that they can get their course work done.” Despite the issues with lack of access, some students feel strongly about transitioning to online courses amidst the coronavirus. Lorenzo Ramos, an SF State student, recently started a petition demanding that all courses transition to a virtual format for the remainder of the semester. “I wanted to start this petition because I was concerned not only for my own health, but for the health of all of my peers and my friends and faculty, esteemed professors that I enjoy going to classes to,” said Ramos. “I got the idea to do this petition because I asked a lot of students in the community through wildfire, if they would be interested in signing this if they saw this issue as important as I did, and they all did agree.” Gator Days, an annual event for newly admitted students to familiarize themselves with the campus, was not spared from the event cancellation. Roughly 2,000 people sent in an RSVP before the university announced the event’s cancellation, according to Maria Martinez, associate vice president of enrollment management. “There is no plan to reschedule because the fact of the matter is, this is a very fluid moment,” Martinez said. The SF State Queer and Trans Resource Center cancelled 13 events originally planned for this month, according to Student Director, Vanessa Hamill.➢
Lorenzo Ramos, who started the petition to get campus closed (David Sjostesdt / Golden Gate Xpress)
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Womxn of color learn healing techniques
Alexa Schuler at the candle decorating workshop at the Womxn of Color Healing Symposium. (Dyanna Calvario / Golden Gate Xpress) JAZZMENE LIZARDO JLIZARD1@MAIL.SFSU.EDU MATTHEW MACGUGAN MMACGUGAN@MAIL.SFSU.EDU
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sortment of dried teas on paper plates. Each tea was partnered with a description card that explained the medicinal and health benefits of the fragrant herbs. Decorative pieces of cloth with twine sat at the end of the table, allowing guests to make their own tea bags. On another table were art supplies for guests to decorate glass bottles. Quetzalli Jimenez, or ‘Vela’, sat at a table between the two rooms with her partner. Vela attends California College of the Arts and is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in illustration. The duo creates work inspired by the Latinx community and pop culture. Their table displayed art pieces created on different canvases, ranging from postal service stickers to mini discs.
Another workshop focused on empowerment through poetry. Womxn sat around a table and shared poems that they wrote following a prompt. One such poem was titled “In My Bones,” with which the participants had to finish the phrase with different aspects that make up who they are. This ranged from the struggles they have faced, their family life, or their personal identities. A recent email sent out by SF State’s President Lynn Mahoney last night stated events will be cancelled for the month of March but facilities such as the Richard Oakes Multicultural Center in the terrace level of Cesar Chavez will remain open during regular hours. ➢
romatherapy scents wisped through the air as womxn of color participated in workshops as part of a healing symposium. Hosted by the Associated Students’ Richard Oakes Multicultural Center in the terrace level of Cesar Chavez, the fifth-annual Womxn of Color Healing Symposium taught womxn of color healing methods to unwind and take action towards their mental growth. The day of workshops included a meditation room, herb bundle making, candle decorating and healing through crystals. SF State student and host of the healing symposium, Ashura Mujawashema said that the event is “dedicated to Alexa Schuler at the candle decorating workshop at the Womxn of Color Healing Symposium. (Dyanna Calvario / Golden Gate Xpress) bringing healers to the community, bringing resources and tools and strategies in order to help each other grow and education doesn’t provide that for us,” Mujawashema said. The event focused on providing tools to womxn of color. Women is spelled with an x in place of an e to encompass those who identify as transgender, non-binary, and intersex people. “The Womxn of Color Healing Symposium is an annual event to provide an empowering and validating space for people who identify as women and femes and intersex,” Ivan García, a Latino Studies major at SF State said. According to Garcia, the day consisted of workshops centered around selflove which is important on a campus community where students are often bound by school work. “There’s no time to really gratify yourself,” Garcia said. Lily Ayer, who owns the first blackowned crystal botanica in Oakland, led a crystal healing workshop. She provided crystals for the guests and proceeded to teach what each crystal chakra does in terms of healing. Ayer started off with a pop quiz, having guests align the crystals from the base to the top. After she went through explanations of where the crystals originated and individually talked about each chakra. In another room, folding tables covered with various arts and crafts objects. One table displayed an as-
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XPRESS YOURSELF Should the university close because of coronavirus?
“The Biology department has pointed out that we shouldn’t penalize anybody whether they’re sick or just don’t want to come to school it’s fine, I totally understand that. So one of the things were starting to do are zoom exercises, basically recording our classes in real time. And with zoom you can record it so that it can be playback as well. I totally blew it, because I didn’t put the mirroring on. So all my writing on the board and all the slides I showed were backwards.”
“I think it should close, and I think American people do not really care about this because not a lot of people wear a mask, but in China that’s the law.”
-Sharon Xie , economics
-J.R. Blair, biology lecturer
“I think if everyone washes their hands and treats this scare like it’s just the holiday season when you’re worried about the flu. Then you should be ok.”
-Claire Doyle, nursing major
“A lot of us do clinicals in the hospital, and half of us have been told not to come. So it’s really postponing things, some people are gonna have to make up hours.”
“My concern with if the university is shut down is about the students who live here on campus because I I have lived on campus here when I was a student here. And while I was fortunate that I had a kitchen and things like that I’d be more concerned about people who live in like the first freshman dorms and how are they going to eat? And is the dining hall going to be close?”
-Aren Castleberry, curriculum analyst
-Kiefer Cropper, nursing major
Apology for headline errors in issue 6 The Xpress Staff deeply apologizes for both headlines regarding the Dancing While Deaf lecture in last week’s issue. We sincerely apologize to Antoine Hunter and the entire deaf community for irresponsibly not double checking our headlines before publishing.
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Tulips are stacked and handed out by volunteers in order to adhere to San Francisco health regulations spurred by recent COVID-19 developments during the American Tulip Festival at Union Square (William Wendelman / Golden Gate Xpress)
COVID-19impact Tulip Day Festival pickings BY MALAKAI WADE MWADE@MAIL.SFSU.EDU
she supported the changes made to the event because it was always crowded. espite the rain and recent While Salih said she misses how she COVID-19 health scare, huncould just walk through the flowers dreds of people still clustered around and pick her own, she explained that Union Square to collect free tulips. “the festival functions very well, today However, the event was different than even better, because there’s no crowds in past years. at all. Which is kind of nice for us. But After a press release issued Friday, not for [the hosts],” Salih said. March 6, by Mayor London Breed, This year, tulip day hit a happy which urged San Francisco medium as Royal Anthos residents to avoid large public was still able to provide events, the American Tulip Day free tulips to people while festival was at risk of cancellakeeping health risks low for tion. everyone involved. Henk Westerhof, president of “I love the way they’re Royal Anthos, a Dutch company doing it,” Salih said. “To just that exports about 500 million give [tulips] away and then tulip bulbs to the U.S. annually, you know, hope that people explained that he and his team start buying them in the still wished to proceed with a future.” scaled down version of the event. She explained that a good “We were allowed to organize way to preserve tulips is to it in the same way as in previous put an old copper penny years,” Westerhof said. “But the in the vase, which will requirements were that strict that help them stay up straight we said, ‘well, I don’t want to take longer. a risk.’” In a lighthearted effort to Westerhof wanted to be “polite” usher in spring and bring to the City of San Francisco and the Netherlands’ tulips to honor the city’s recommendation Henk Westerhof is hands on during the American Tulip Festival celebrating the third annual “you-pick-em” event at people in San Francisco, to minimize physical contact at Union Square in San Francisco California. (William Wendelman / Golden Gate Xpress) the annual American Tulip large events as much as possible. Day went on as planned. Many people, also see that people are spread around, their release. This morning around 11:00 a.m. Westerhof included, are expecting the not close to each other. No big crowds. Beatrix Salih, who has been to the volunteers in bright orange jackets event to be able to return to its normal And that’s what we have to avoid.” event before and feels a personal constanding behind event barriers were Westerhof said. nection as she is of Dutch descent, said extravagance next year.➢ handing out bunches of tulips to a
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steady crowd of over 100 eager people. But as concerns revolving around the COVID-19 continue to escalate, compared to the 2019 tulip day, the event was minimized to help reduce the chance of germ contamination. “Instead of getting the people to us, we go to the people and we give them a bunch of flowers. And as you can see, there’s still a lot of people. But you
In the past, Union Square was covered in tulips, and at 1:00 p.m. people could swarm in and pick their own bouquets. The tulips were arranged to create a large mural that could be seen from the top floor of Macy’s. This year, by Friday night, three large trucks of tulips were already on their way from Redding to San Francisco in order to set up the mural when the city issued
CORONAVIRUS
January 21 The first case of COVID-19 is confirmed in the United States.
February 19 Passengers disembark the Diamond Princess in Japan where hundreds on the ship had tested positive for the virus.
March 4 The first fatality occurs from the virus in California.
March 4 Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in California to help the state prepare for the spread of the virus.
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Be cautious next time you take a selfie in locker rooms BY PAMELA ESTRADA CESTRADA3@MAIL.SFSU.EDU
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woman walks from the showers to her locker holding her towel. As she glides across the room she looks around as if searching for something or someone. She opens her locker and I excuse myself from being in her way. She once again looks around as if searching for someone. Then she looks at me and says, “can I ask you something?” As she says this, I set my phone on the bench after pulling it out of my duffle bag. She says, “okay, now that you have that in your hand (meaning my phone). Why is it that this area of the gym cannot go without it? I mean in many places it is banned from even being present.” This mystery gym goer could be you, wondering the same questions as you change in the locker room and out of the corner of your eye spot someone using their phone. Attending a gym and not running into someone with a cell phone is hard. According to the Pew Research Center published as of 2019 about 96% of Americans own a cellphone. Which means that when attending any of the 39,570 gyms in the U.S., reported by International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association in their latest data report of 2018, you are likely
to be in a space where phones are at hands reach. Many may be wondering, what the big deal about phones in the locker room and let me tell you that it is a big deal. A slight slip of capturing someone in your private image undressed or indecent can lead to criminal invasion of privacy – the act is illegal. One viral incident well known is the 2017 then Playboy playmate Dani Mathers taking a nude picture of a 70-yearold woman and posting it on social media. ABC News sat with Mathers then to review the consequences from her decisions to snap and share the nude photo. Loss of a career, loss of privacy, and public attacks. In her interview she states that the image was for personal use and not for it to go public. I am sorry but why should one person lose their privacy for the satisfaction of someone else. Then you have people who wait to be alone in the locker room. The setting changes where the person holding the camera phone looks around to ensure no one is watching, sets the pose and snaps
the picture. There is no capture of anyone in the background. For Noemi Gonsalez a makeup YouTube artist who began posting her weight-loss journey on Instagram the locker room selfies are a confidence booster. She likes the large wall size mirrors in the gym where after a workout she can document her process. “I always make sure there is no one around me. One, so that I can respect their privacy and two because I might self-conscious.” It seems that documentation of one’s progress in the gym is crucial and it may be something only gym-goers may understand. The need to do it right after the workout rather than in a much more private setting like home. Yet it could even be argued that as students on campus at SF State it may be just the same because we share spaces with roommates. When Kelly Lopez a first year at state majoring in Biology was asked why those pictures are best taken in the locker room rather than elsewhere she explained, “for those pictures, for me, I kind of show more of my body so I’d rather have that in
the locker room than outside.” She says she ensures people are not in the frame or goes where there are no people in order to snap her image. Now as much as we say yes to picture taking for self-use there is still that stand that they should not be used. That we need to be conscious of those outside of ourselves and what we need. Yet it still stands that if we are cautious, we should be able to take the images for our personal use. Just keep in mind if you release something that violates someone else’s privacy you are breaking the law and charges can be filed - consequences. During his time in various gym settings Arion Smith Bay Area trainer says technology will change and regardless of age will people utilize it as they see fit for them regardless of rules and regulations. “People will use technology to the way they see fit. If they want to use it then they will – there is no other doubt about it,” said Smith.➢
BYCIERRA QUINTANA CQUINTANA@SFSU.EDU
and festivalsFrom the four leaf clover to chugging Irish car bombs, St.Patrick’s day has and always will be a holiday reflected on the wrong circumstances. St. Patrick’s Day observes the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special
foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green. It almost makes you wonder when will we get it right for holidays being respected as a unit for what they are, and what they aren’t. SF State student, Thomas Galatas , has an Irish background and is majoring in marketing. Galatas was wearing an emerald green shirt, that stated. “I heart beer”, with the four leaf clover representing the heart. He said his culture is represented wrongly, but is used to it as well. Stating “It’s been misrepresented for awhile now,” Galatas said. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling. “I don’t think Irish people are disrespectful in California, I just think that for example with Hispanic holidays and cultures, as well as African-American holidays you’re expected to give some mind to it, you’re expected to care about it.” Galatas said. Galatas goes into saying that all holidays should be respected and learned properly before celebrating. “But for St. Patrick’s Day is all about let’s get drunk and that’s okay sometimes, but us as an Irish culture we’re all about positivity, but at the same time we don’t
really get that same sensitivity as cultures get it, that’s just a fact.” For generations now we have used this lucky holiday, as a way to flourish ourselves with a “good time.” On social media it’s even reflected as a hoax on multiple peoples accounts not knowing the history behind it. One user from Whidbey Island, Washington posted a picture decorating a Christmas tree stating “Happy March! Just finished decorating my St. Patrick’s day holiday tree”. The comment above it wrote, “Dear Americans. This is not a thing. Please stop.” Stop there events, from running a 5k beer run, to how many corned beef cabbages can you eat in a contest. So while others are misinterpreting this holiday season, let’s remember and learn more about students like Thomas Galatas, wishing them not luck or pots of gold, but the respect that their holiday deserves on St. Patrick’s day. ➢
The luck of the Hoax S
t.Patrick’s Day is synonymous with leprechauns, guinness and pots of gold in popular culture. The holiday has become Americanized mostly celebrated with booze and “luck.” San Francisco is notorious for pub crawls
Illustration by Briana Battle
TIMELINE March 5 Lowell High School shuts down due to a student’s relative being treated for the virus.
March 7 SF State President Lynn Mahoney puts a moratorium on all SF State campuses and all Univversity-sponsored events in March via a campus wide email.
March 9 Grand Princess cruise ship docked at the Port of Oakland. The ship has 21 people who have tested positive for the virus, and over 3,500 people aboard.
March 10 SF State suspends face-to-face classes
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SPORTS
NBA Draft - rigged or luck?
BY KERASA TSOKAS KTSOKAS@MAIL.SFSU.EDU
In light of the recent news about the Houston Astros sign-stealing, our attention should be turned to what other leagues might be cheating as well. While the NBA Draft is four months away, conversations about it being rigged has been reigning the league since 1985. The draft itself provides an opportunity for NBA teams to potentially acquire players that can improve its stock, making room for teams to rebuild and rebrand themselves through potential future stars. Dieter Kutenbach, a sports columnist at the San Jose Mercury News in the East Bay, said usually there are prospects that are a sure-fire lock to be great like Kyrie Irving or Zion Williamson. This upcoming draft however is not the case. “Some of these guys might turn out to be big-time superstar players,” said Kutenbach. “But, it is not readily apparent to really anyone involved who or why or how that’s all gonna happen.” While the draft happens in May, prospects are being looked at months in advance. According to ESPN, the top three overall prospects in the 2020 NBA Draft are Anthony Edwards from Georgia, LaMelo Ball who played professional basketball in Australia and James Wiseman from Memphis. Though prospects are the “main event” when it comes to the draft,
many sports fans and basketball fanatics focus on the authenticity of the draft. In the ‘85 draft the New York Knicks, one of the largest basketball brands in the country, received the first pick and with that, Patrick Ewing. From freezing the envelope to forcefully shoving it against a metal bar to create a crease in the envelope, conversations over what exactly happened that year are still talked about and debated. For Kutenbach though, the NBA isn’t rigged. “It would be an absolutely colossal mistake by the NBA that would not just jeopardize anything, it would legitimately end the entirety of the league because there would be so many lawsuits brought against them for fraud,” said Kutenbach. “It would bankrupt them in a second.” While the ‘85 Ewing draft is the most notorious case to support theories of rigging in the league, sports fanatics have pointed to other possible incidents. In 2002 the New Orleans Hornets sold the team to the NBA due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. In the midst of the team’s relocation, Chris Paul, arguably one of the Hornet’s best players got traded. By the time the current owner, Tom Benson, bought the team and rebranded it as the New Orleans Pelicans, the value of the team dropped. The Pelicans had the fourth-
best odds (13.7%) of getting the top overall pick. Whether it was luck or proof of rigging, the Pelicans got first overall pick and with that Anthony Davis. Another instance of pure luck or definate rigging, depending on how you view it, was when Orlando Magic back in the early ‘90s got their first picks back-to-back in the lottery. Similar to the Pelicans, the team was recently bought by a new owner, Rich DeVos, and their odds of winning first overall pick was low. In 1992 they had the second-worst record and in 1993 the team had the 11thworst record. Chances of the team winning top pick in 1993 was 1.5% however, they still got first pick both years— Shaquille O’Neal in ‘92 and Chris Webber in ‘93. Teams that are on the brink of extinction are conveniently saved by
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the time the draft comes around. It is plausible to say that the teams have pure luck. However, to completely ignore and deny the possibility of the franchise sliding its hand under the table and helping its teams is naïve➢.
Graphic by Kerasa Dimitrios Tsokas(Golden Gate Xpress)
Gators split series against Cal Poly Pomona
BY GRADY DUGGAN GDUGGAN@MAIL.SFSU.EDU
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fter losing the series against top team UAfter losing the series against top team UC San Diego last weekend, SF State’s baseball team bounced back this past weekend by splitting their season against Cal Poly Pomona last season’s California Collegiate Athletic Association champion. This series allowed the Gators to remain in fourth place of the CCAA as they continue their march back to the playoffs. The team was also ranked ninth in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Associations West rankings. In what has been a reccurring thing for the Gators, SF State won in extra innings on Friday afternoon. Senior center fielder, Jonah Gonzales, came through in the clutch multiple times to help the Gators take the series opener 5-4. First, in the 14th inning, Gonzales singled in freshman Kayleb Becerra to push the game to the 15th. Gonzales wasn’t finished there, hitting a two out walkoff single in the 15th
defense and has a strong arm. He brings energy everyday to our lineup, dugout and team. No matter what Jonah is going to compete, play hard and bring a relentless mindset to the field. I am very proud of the person and player Jonah has become this season.” Jack Higgins continued his solid season on the mound on Friday. The senior threw six innings and only allowed two runs but didn’t receive the win due to the game going into extra innings. Despite getting off to a good start, it was all Pomona on Saturday as they took the second game 7-3. Junior first baseman Trevor Rogers had a strong showing at the plate, putting up his first career four hit game, but the Broncos bullpen shut the door on the Gators by throwing four innings of three-hit baseball. Cal Poly Pomona took game one of the doubleheader on Sunday 6-1 but SF State
was pleased with his teams effort to close out the series.
Poly Pomona. “I expressed how proud I was of the
Jackson Kritsch, 4,Infielder, receives the ball from Rudy Aguilar, 7, infielder which lead to two outs against the Cal Poly Branco’s at the Maloney Field (Daniel Da Silveira Golden ate Express)
Jackson Kritsch, 4, Infielder, goes up to bat against the Cal Poly Branco’s at the Maloney Field in San Francisco (Daniel Da Silveira Golden ate Express)
inning to end the game. Head Coach Tony Schifano recognized what Gonzales brings to the lineup every game. “Jonah is a special talent,” Schifano said. “He possesses all 5 tools that scouts and coaches look for in players. He runs very well, hits for power, hits for average, plays
rebounded with a 4-1 victory in the second game. Sophomore Tyler Franks had his best start of the season in game four. The right-hander threw four innings while only allowing three hits as he struck out and walked one batter apiece. Although the goal is to win every series, Schifano
“Getting the series split in Game four was important. Of course, your goal is to win the series coming into the weekend, but we competed and found ourselves down two games to one going into Game four on Sunday. We got a tremendous effort on the mound from starter Tyler Franks and some key RBI’s from Trevor Rogers, Kody Gardner and Matt Sugden. And our bullpen closed it out. It showed a lot of character, finding a way to win Game 4 and split the series against a nationally ranked opponent.” Although a series split isn’t a desired outcome every weekend, it was the team’s attitude throughout the weekend that stood out to Coach Schifano; especially against a formidable opponent such as Cal
team effort, an “all hands on deck” mentality. I expressed how much the bullpen played a pivotal role in the weekend series and that we can play with anybody in the country. Pomona has been a Division two powerhouse the past eight years and we have taken three out of four last year at Pomona and split with them this season. We hope to earn an opportunity to play them again in the postseason.” The Gators are now 11-2 when playing at home and 3-6 when playing away SF State. The Gators will look to improve that away record when they travel to Southern California this coming weekend for a four game series against Cal State Dominguez Hills.➢