Spring 2015 Issue 13

press GOLDEN GATE

sol patch garden produces fresh food for campus community

APRIL 29, 2015 ISSUE 13 VOLUME C GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

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Former staff pickets Parkmerced ANGELINE UBALDO aubaldo@mail.sfsu.edu

A

STEVEN CALDERON snc@mail.sfsu.edu

fter the recent termination of Parkmerced janitors and handymen, the former staff and their supporters picketed April 23 for the second time in two weeks.

When Preferred Building Services replaced Villas Parkmerced Maintenance Management as contractor, 32 employees’ contracts were terminated April 10. Parkmerced residents received an email from management discussing a contractor and staff transition after a demonstration that took place on the same day by the former employees.

The email stated that the previous contractor, Villas Parkmerced Maintenance Management, union representatives for United Service Workers West and the affected employees negotiated and agreed on a severance package.

“The union encouraged its members to take the severance payout and benefits and to resign from employment at Parkmerced,” said the email to residents. “Every worker chose to take the severance package. No one was fired or terminated.”

The email sent to the residents articulated Parkmerced’s stance on the issue, according

WORKERS Continued ON PAGE 2

ANGELINE UBALDO / XPRESS

united: Former Parkmerced janitors and handymen who were terminated two weeks prior rally in front of the Parkmerced leasing office Thursday, April 23.

Muni increases service amidst growing ridership DAYVON DUNAWAY ddunaway@mail.sfsu.edu ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STEVEN CALDERON snc@mail.sfsu.edu

DRAKE NEWKIRK / XPRESS

EXPANDED TRANSIT: The 29 Muni bus, moves down 19th Avenue toward Brotherhood

Way in front of SF State Monday, April 27. The bus is one of the routes experiencing an increase in frequency during the day.

As the Municipal Transit Agency service improvements rolled out across the city Saturday, SF State sophomore Andrea Rios said she waited nearly half an hour at the intersection of 19th and Holloway avenues for the 28 bus to arrive.

The changes are part of Muni Forward, a campaign to improve service for some bus and trains with new routes, traffic signals and fewer stops, according to the project website. Muni is looking to take advantage of an improved

climate and increased ridership to elevate their reputation, according to Muni Forward.

On its weekend debut, however, arrival times did not improve for some riders.

“The first day is always the hardest,” Rios said as she boarded the bus. “I’ll give it some time for it to improve.”

Significant adjustments include renaming Limited routes to Rapid and increasing the

EXTENDED Continued ON PAGE 2

First female drummer jazzes up recital ANGELICA WILLIAMS anwms@mail.sfsu.edu

At center stage in a dimly lit auditorium, formally trained piano player Lilian Wu riffs and shuffles smoothly into her drums, giving music lovers an afternoon of jazz drumming masterpieces.

Wu, who is receiving her Bachelor of Music in jazz performance, grew up playing classical piano and began playing the jazz drums just five years

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ago. She presented her senior recital for family, friends and former teachers as the first jazz drummer at SF State April 12.

“Jazz really challenges every part of you because as a human being and a musician, it takes an incredible about of work,” Wu said.

Andrew Speight is a lecturer in the school of music who has been teaching for the past 15 years. He said he cannot recall another female drummer in the SF State jazz band, a music performance

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ensemble available to music students. “(I) admire her persistence,” Speight said. “She’s a really good student and if she keeps that she’s going to be alright.”

Wu’s recital was a collection of music that she composed as well as already existing pieces from other jazz artists like Charlie Parker and Clifford Brown.

Wu said she composes music by creating notes based on preexisting pieces and

JAZZ Continued ON PAGE 5

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ANGELICA WILLIAMS / XPRESS

MUSIC STAFFS: Jazz drummer Lilian Wu leans

against a wall in the Creative Arts building Thursday, April 16.

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2 News

APRIL 29, 2015

Extended bus lines may shorten commute time

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Increased Service 5R Fulton Rapid 8 Bayshore 8AX: Bayshore A Express 8BX: Bayshore B Express 10 Townsend 14R MIssion Rapid 14x Mission Express

28 19th Ave 29 Sunset

extended Continued from the front frequency of the busiest lines. Despite the name change, Rapid will follow the same routes as the Limited lines.

The 29 Sunset increased arrival frequency from 15 minutes to 12 minutes during the midday commute following the Muni Forward changes, according to the SFMTA website.

“It’s just a matter of semantics, maybe it will change the perception that Muni is actually rapid now,” said Marcus Ismael, SF State advisor to Associated Students external affairs. “I think it’s easier and the ‘limited’ terminology is limited so I wouldn’t know what it meant if I were new to the system. But if I were to see ‘rapid,’ I’d know that it’s a faster route.”

In addition to the increased frequency of the busiest routes, Muni renamed its Parkmerced route from the 17 to the 57 and the 8X Bayshore Express to the 8.

The limited lines ran during select peak periods prior to Saturday. With the new change, rapid buses such as the 28R will be expanded to all day service, according to SFMTA’s website.

Biology major Carissa Ortega said she takes the 28 bus daily to campus and typically waits about 18 minutes before her bus arrives.

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38R Geary Rapid 41 Union

Discontinued Routes: 6 (Inbound & Outbound)

Starting April 25 Muni implemented these route and bus line changes. *R is replacing L for Limited-stop routes.

INFORMATION COMPILED FROM SFMTA.COM

New route numbers and names 6 Parnassus 8x Bayshore Express

6 HAIGHT-Parnassus

16x NOriega Express

17 Parkmerced 33 Stanyan 71/71L HAIGHT-Noriega 108 Treasure Island

INFOGRAPHIC BY KATRINA ANDAYA / XPRESS

“If (the 28) could come every ten minutes that would be great,” Ortega said.

Ortega said she waited for about three minutes before a bus arrived Saturday. She said that she was unsure whether or not she should attribute that outcome to the Muni Forward program or just good timing.

The service improvements took place seven months after Muni fares climbed from $2 to $2.25. Ismael said that Muni is a great program because it encourages more

8 Bayshore 7x Noriega Express

57 Parkmerced 33 ASHBURY - 18th 7/7R Haight-Noriega 25 Treasure ISland

7/7R, N OWl (InBound & outbound) 9 (Inbound & Outbound) 19 (Inbound & Outbound)

23 (Inbound & Outbound) 33 (Inbound & Outbound) 47 (Inbound & Outbound) 90 (Inbound & Outbound)

kt (Inbound )

PHOTO BY DRAKE NEWKIRK / XPRESS

people to ride public transportation, but bringing affordable transit to students should also be a priority.

SF State students and administration are in pursuit of discounted passes for students similar to those adopted by the University of San Francisco, which offers free passes included in students’ university expenses.

“It’s great to have all of these service improvements, but if we don’t pair them with equity for students then what use are they in a larger context?,” Ismael said.

Workers say contractor forced them to quit Workers Continued from the front to P.J. Johnston, Parkmerced’s public relations consultant.

“The union for the janitors actually negotiated the terms of the severance with our subcontractor, VPM,” Johnston said in an email, “And every single janitor and handyman signed the agreement and took a generous payout.”

Romil Domingo, a former employee on the janitorial staff at Parkmerced, disagreed with the statement in the email.

“They forced us to quit,” Domingo said. “You take it or not, the outcome will be the same. They just want us out of here.”

Employees were told not to return to work after their lunch break on their last day, according to Mauricio Sandoval, foreman of the handymen before he was terminated. Sandoval said that he, the janitors and the handymen still do not know why they were let go.

“That’s what I need an explanation (for),” Sandoval said. “I think everybody’s asking the same question, ‘Why did we get fired?’”

Emmanuel Eric, a member of USWW board of executives, said that nothing has happened regarding negotiations since they last picketed April 15. “(Preferred Building Services) are not feeling our pain,” Eric said. “They see a dollar sign. They don’t see the loyalty, the hard work that these people have been giving to them.”

Preferred Building Services terminated the staff’s

contracts and did not offer work to the former janitors and handymen, according to Colin O’Leary Union Organizer and Representative of USWW. Marcia Laidlaw-Bolt worked as a janitor at Parkmerced for more than 20 years and said she was on track to retire in eight years, but is now jobless.

“I enjoy working here– that’s why I’ve been here 23 years,” Laidlaw-Bolt said, “I would love to come back.

All the people that live here, they know me very well, they love me, they want me to come back.”

Julian Lagos, a 22-year resident of Parkmerced, said that he and other residents are considering petitioning the rent board for a decrease in rent because of the lack of service.

“I’m outraged by what (Parkmerced) is doing by hiring all these non-union employees at minimum wage and not willing to extend union recognition to these workers,” Lagos said. “I know tenants are outraged here because they’re getting a reduction in service.”

Sheila Tully, president of the California Faculty Association at SF State, said the CFA supports the actions of USWW. “CFA-SFSU stands in solidarity with the unionized janitors and handymen who were terminated,” Tully said in a statement via email. “We join with other unions and community organizations and call on the new contractor, Preferred Building Services, to rehire these longtime employees and honor their union contract.”

SF State sophomore Andy Sandoval’s father was the former foreman of the handymen who were dismissed.

EMMA CHIANG / XPRESS

WORKERS' RIGHTS: Haok Ma, former janitor with Villas Park-

merced of 18 years before he was terminated, pickets around Parkmerced Wednesday, April 15.

He said his father has been without a job for nearly two weeks, which has affected his him and family.

“He was hurt, our family is hurt right now,” Sandoval said. “My dad needs a job. It’s tough, but we’re out here protesting for justice.”

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NEWS 3

APRIL 29, 2015

Kid-inspired tales earn storybook status KELLY SODERLUND kls10@mail.sfsu.edu

The first time Daniella Morales met Francesca, a preschooler in the Tenderloin, she learned about the young girl's fascination with birds and how she would give them names and make up stories about them. In return, Morales has developed a story for Francesca.

"My story is about this little bird, Francesca, whose family is a family of migrating birds and Francesca’s really scared to migrate," Morales said. "It’s her first time and she wants to stay in her cozy home. Her family decides to leave and Francesca has to decide if she’s going to go with them or stay home."

Morales' storytelling efforts are part of a children’s book creative writing project developed

by Ivana Markova, a lecturer in the department of consumer and family studies. Markova's students have been working since March to develop both the story and the illustrations that will be presented April 29 to children at the Compass Children’s Center.

Compass Children’s Center is an award-winning, enriched early childhood education center that adapts its curriculum in order to meet the specific needs of children living in extreme poverty and homelessness, according to its website.

MARLENE SANCHEZ / XPRESS

PERSONALIZED: (right) Isabella Brown, a consumer and family studies major, shows the book that she made for the Children’s Book Project to a colleague Thursday, April 23.

"(The children) come from the lower socio-economic status families– a lot of them are homeless," Morales said. "They are underserved, so this project is a big deal for them."

The non-profit is a part of the San Francisco-based Compass Family Services, which helps homeless families and families at imminent risk for homelessness to achieve housing stability, family well-being and self-sufficiency, according to their website.

Markova said the idea for the project originated from her own preschool observation experiences as a graduate student, when she noticed how selective children are about books. She said the project is a manifestation of the CFS department's mission statement, which pledges to focus on the contribution to the well-being of individuals, families, and communities.

“Instead of merely talking about contributing, I wanted to

bring theory to practice and let our students experience it firsthand,” Markova said. "Many of our students already work with little children. As a result, they understand the importance of this project."

While writing the stories, students needed to be aware that they were writing for children from multicultural backgrounds while invoking imagination and incorporating children’s interests, Markova said.

In order to give her students deeper knowledge of writing for children from different cultural backgrounds, Markova invited Natasha Yim, a Bay Area children’s book author born in Malaysia, to talk to students about culturally and linguistically sensitive books and her experiences writing for children from Asian cultural backgrounds.

"It’s important for kids to see themselves reflected in the books they read, that our society is not homogeneous and there are other kids like them," Yim said in an email. "It’s also important for kids to know about other cultures early on, not only that they exist, but all the wonderful cultural traditions, beliefs and rituals of that culture that make up the world."

The expected outcome for her SF State students, Markova said, is to experience community service firsthand and to develop writing skills to positively impact the life of a child, who in turn, may develop an interest in book reading.

Morales said that the project's reception had been greeted with enthusiasm by both the preschoolers and their teachers. "(Compass) teachers were really excited for the stories to come about for the kids," Morales said. "Giving them something that’s about them is more than these kids can ask for so it is really rewarding."

4 LIFESTYLE & CULTURE

APRIL 29, 2015

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Men strut in heels to end sexual assault EVA BARRAGAN

evbarrag@mail.sfsu.edu

MARTIN BUSTAMANTE / XPRESS

STEPPING UP: Wilton Marin who is majoring in psychology

and minoring in Latino studies, asks for donations in heels in Malcolm X Plaza Monday, April 20, for “Walk in Their Heels,” an event to raise awareness on sexual crimes committed against women.

The men of on-campus Latino organization Hermanos Unidos ditched their sneakers and strapped on high heels to help raise awareness for survivors of sexual assault during the Walk In Their Heels event in Malcolm X Plaza April 20.

SF State psychology major Wilton Marin, a member of Hermanos Unidos, said wearing heels was a fairly positive experience, but he noticed a lot of people looked at him differently.

“A lot of times women say they feel like an object, something for people to just simply stare it,” Marin said. “That’s how I feel (today).”

Hermanos Unidos operates its nonprofit organization on three pillars: academics, social networking and community services, according to SF State biology major and Hermanos Unidos fundraising chair Jose Ramirez. “(Hermanos Unidos) is partnering with The Sexual Abuse Free Environment Place for Walk In Their Heels,” 19-year-old Hermanos Unidos member Jacob Montoya said. “We

want to bring an end to gendered violence on campus and to the community abroad.”

Ramirez said the money raised during Walk In Their Heels is going to both The Sexual Abuse Free Environment Place Place and La Casa De Las Madres, a non-profit organization in the Mission District that offers advocacy and support services to women, teens and children exposed to and at risk for abuse and domestic violence, according to La Casa’s website.

The SAFE Place offers free counseling sessions for survivors of sexual assault and serves the community at SF State in areas of sexual assault, domestic violence, sexual harassment and stalking, according to SAFE Place intern Sandy Lopez.

“We’re trying to raise awareness and we’re having men promote the event so it’s different and not just women speaking on these issues,” Lopez said.

The men and women that participated in the event wore small plaques around their necks with various sexual assault facts. The

“

A lot of times women say they feel like an object, something for people to just simply stare at.

That’s how I feel (today).

”

-Wilton Marin

plaque around Lopez’s neck stated that in the U.S., every two minutes a woman is sexually assaulted.

“Our mantra (for Hermanos Unidos) is that we want to become ‘un neuvo hombre,’ a new man,” Montoya said. “That goes along with breaking the stereotypes of super machismo, macho man, in the Latino community.”

Montoya said walking in a woman’s shoes meant trying to understand and take into account the double standards and constant pressure society places on women.

“What we’re doing here is the literal sense (of walking in their heels) just to get a shock value,” he said. “It’s not really the heels that are raising the awareness, it’s the attention the heels are bringing to us so we can inform

Design students prep for final fashion show FARNOUSH AMIRI famiri@mail.sfsu.edu

At the transcend fashion show, models will take to the runway wearing the graduating class' final apparel designs.

On the fourth floor of Burk Hall, 18 apparel design students meticulously cut, stitched and sewed together clothing in preparation for the runway show where their pieces will come to life one last time before graduation day.

The anticipated moment will take place at the Runway 2015: Transcend fashion show, a display of the graduating class’ designs for the completion of their bachelor’s degree in apparel design, April 30 at the San Francisco Design Center.

Each student will create four to five looks that will be fitted to models and strutted down the runway for family, friends and fellow classmates.

Fashion Network Association president Hannah Peitzman, who will feature her designs at the show, has been involved with the spring production since her freshman year at SF State.

“Fashion, for me, is just embracing the cultural differences of people and everything you use to express who you are,” Peitzman said.

FNA consists of SF State students who are either in the apparel design and merchandis-

ing major or are interested in fashion-related events on campus. The group hosts both spring and fall shows, which are open to anyone who submits his or her designs to be showcased.

Peitzman said that her designs for the Transcend show were largely influenced by her travels.

“For my final collection, I went to Spain recently and I was really inspired by the architecture there and that was what helped formulate my collection,” Peitzman said.

Peitzman said the best part about being part of a production like the spring show is finding fabrics and coordinating them with her sketches.

“Just finishing the garment is amazing, as you do the final stitch and you cut the thread,” Peitzman said. “It’s a weight lifted off your chest.”

For senior designer Tracey Moreland, this final showcase will be the result of the past two years she has spent preparing and working on her designs, she said.

“I am using all scrap fabrics that are donated from people and companies all over the Bay Area,” Moreland said. “My collection is really based on these scraps so I just came up with doing this bell shape (design).

I was really inspired by the 1970s.”

Moreland, who transferred into the ADM program in 2013, has had previous experience in fashion. The designer earned her

HYUNHA KIM / XPRESS

CRITIQUE: Charleston Pierce, a model coach and runway trainer, watches (from left) Sade Brown, Maya Smoot and

Hannah Rose walking during rehearsal for Runway 2015: Trancend fashion show in Burk Hall Thursday, April 23. The fashion show will take place Thursday, April 30.

associate degree at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco.

FNA students are in charge of promoting and selling tickets for the event, volunteering at the rehearsals and helping make sure everything runs smoothly at the final show, according to FNA secretary and ADM student Ruth Reyes.

“We’re all really excited,” said Reyes. “And for us it’s kind of getting out of our comfort zone because we never really had to pull something like this together.”

While FNA members welcome guests into the venue, BECA students will prepare the video streaming of the show and the interior design students will present their class projects on the stage as an additional element to the program. The whole production will culminate with the unveiling of the garments, debuted on the runway after months of hard work and preparation on behalf of the ADM students, according to ADM professor Kelly Reddy-Best.

“Each garment tells a story and each collection is like a nov-

“

Just finishing the garment is amazing, as you do the final stitch and you cut the thread.

It’s a weight lifted off your chest.

”

-Hannah Peitzman el,” Peitzman said. “From start to finish you should be able to understand the story without the designer having to tell you what it’s about.”

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LIFESTYLE & CULTURE 5

Jazz drummer performs senior recital

“

Jazz is the one genre of music that asks you how well you know every tempo.

”

-Lilian Wu

ANGELICA WILLIAMS / XPRESS

KEEPING RHYTHM: Jazz drummer Lilian Wu sits with her drums in the Creative Arts building for a portrait Thursday, April 16.

Jazz Continued from the front presents them in her own way.

“For me, less is more,” Wu said. “I wanted to move away from everyone playing at the same time, everyone harmonizing at the same time.”

When Wu picked up her first set of drum sticks at the age of ten, classical piano was no longer her genre of choice.

“I knew nothing about jazz until I was 19 years old,” Wu said. “I didn’t even know who Miles Davis was. But my curiosity about it kept me going.”

Wu’s older sister, Melissa Bailey, said that Wu was expected to play classical piano because it was what her

older sisters studied.

“Jazz is very different than classical music,” Bailey said. “(With) jazz, you add some personal touches, with classical music you follow the music.”

Bailey said her parents were surprisingly supportive of Wu’s choice to pursue the drums instead of following the traditional Chinese family expectation to play the violin or piano.

“I think she chose it because it was different, she discovered it on her own,” Bailey said.

After her introduction to the drums in her middle school band, Wu started playing gigs with her band Parallelephantin in high school. She was also a part of her high school marching band, which was featured during the

Tournament of Roses Parade, as well as the Mark Davis Quintet for two years at SF State.

Speight has known Wu since she began her jazz studies at SF State’s School of Music and Dance three years ago. He said when Wu began, she was determined to learn by asking questions and testing her abilities as a drummer.

Wu said Speight helped her find rhythm and tone by having her listen to different records for inspiration.

She recalled listening to albums like “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis, studying early jazz musicians’ recordings and playing for audiences at places like Pier 23 Cafe and Savannah Jazz Club to gain experience as a performer.

“I actually had to sneak into many jazz clubs at the time because I was underage,” Wu said. “I snuck into clubs so I could sit in at the jazz jam sessions.”

Wu said she feels that jazz music has challenged her, not only as a musician but as a person because of the amount of work it takes to perfect and pursue it.

“Jazz is the one genre of music that asks you how well you know every tempo and if you were even aware of tempos such as the ones you hear in jazz,” Wu said.

Wu said she hopes to keep practicing so that she can succeed as a freelance drummer.

“The way to know is to jump off that cliff and see how it’s like,” Wu said. “It might be a challenge but I’m gonna really breakthrough in freelance and hopefully I can make it that way.”

6 Spotlight

APRIL 29, 2015

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COMMUNITY SPACE :

Caitlyn Morrell, president of the Environmentally Concerned Organization of Students at SF State, pulls carrots from the Sol Patch Garden behind Mary Park Hall during the opening of the garden Thursday, April 23.

MELISSA MINTON / XPRESS

Students dig sustainable food garden

T

iny sprouts of kale, spinach, lettuce and chard jutted up through a layer of soil on display at the reopening of SF State’s Sol Patch Garden April 23.

Environmentally Concerned Organization of Students President Caitlyn Morrell provided tours at the event and explained the purpose of the garden, which is located next to the Mary Park Hall resident hall.

“We wanted to create a piece that is a full circle– a full life cycle,” Morrell said.

“We are going to be using the plants we grow here and when they are done we will compost them. So the garden is also about our external waste and how our choices impact the world around us.”

The group received a grant of $1,200 from the California Student Sustainability Coalition to fund the garden, according to Morrell.

AVERY PETERSON averylp@mail.sfsu.edu

Liana Derus, Associated Students, Inc. Sustainability Manager, organized the event and said the garden’s unveiling was to promote student participation and showcase the hard work of volunteers.

Members of ECO Students care for the garden, but anyone can volunteer, Derus said.

“We’d love for the housing community to pick up the project to get the students living on campus involved and create a community around this garden,” Derus said. “This garden should be made by, cared for and enjoyed by all of SF State.”

The garden has been tended by students, who have replanted the bed every spring for the past seven years. Morrell helped start this year’s crop.

“I had a vision for it and I felt like there was a target community around here that would enjoy gardening,” Morrell said.

MELISSA MINTON / XPRESS

BLOSSOMING: SF State art major Veronica Rueda helps clean up flowers left from the opening of the Sol Patch Garden behind Mary Park Hall Thursday, April 23.

“We don’t have many gardening resources really for students on campus, particularly for residential students who don’t have access to community gardens in the city.”

Chartwells, the

“

This garden should be made by, cared for and enjoyed by all of SF State.

”

-Liana Derus,

ASI Sustainability Manager

food service provider behind the dining centers on campus, and Sustainable SF State have used the produce at past events like the Farm to Fork luncheon. The crop was not ready in time this year, so instead it will be enjoyed at a potluck for garden volunteers and guests, which Derus said will take place as soon as the produce is ready.

Benefits of the garden extend beyond the fruit and vegetables produced, according to Derus, who said volunteering is a great experience. Students who volunteer are welcome to the fruits and vegetables grown in the garden, she said.

“The garden is an educational opportunity to show people where their food is coming from,” Derus said.

“It’s incredibly satisfying to grow something from a seed and be able to eat the fruit of your labor, literally.”

The reopening of the garden hap-

pened the same week as Earth Day, which SF State celebrated April 21 at Malcolm X Plaza.

Organizations tabled at the Earth Day event to garner student support and showcase current projects. Several members of the different organizations offered suggestions for students interested in helping protect the planet.

At the Real Food Challenge table, the group promoted their campaign for humane, local and ecologically sound food sources. Junior An Bui who is a member of RFC said students can help by always questioning food sources.

“With processed foods and large corporation farms, we have lost track of where our food is coming from,” Bui said.

“We have lost our voice to tell where our food should come from and how it should be grown. The Real Food Challenge restores that voice.”

Morrell said she attended Earth Day to spread environmental awareness on campus. She said events like Earth Day and the opening of the garden create a sense of community around a positive message.

“It’s all students (working on the garden), we all have a bond and this is a place where we can come to be at peace with each other and just do some gardening,” Morrell said. “It’s kind of simple, but it represents a lot.”

ILLUSTRATION BY JOURDON AHN / XPRESS

8 OPINION

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF fladra@mail.sfsu.edu

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MANAGING EDITOR nashelly@mail.sfsu.edu

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JENNAH FEELEY

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TIMOTHY SMITH

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LIFESTYLE & CULTURE EDITOR ccamero@mail.sfsu.edu

NICOLE PARADISE

OPINION EDITOR nparadis@mail.sfsu.edu

APRIL 29, 2015

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STAFF EDITORIAL

Gender identity deserves recognition When Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner announced on national television last week that he has been transitioning into a woman since the 80s, viewers no longer saw the awkward, introverted figure the former champion athlete had become over the years.

Instead, we witnessed a renewed individual, full of gusto and confidence and ready to reveal a persona that has been in hiding since Jenner’s childhood.

Through heartfelt tears and genuine laughs, Jenner discussed his most personal feelings and life experiences, from the first time he secretly tried on one of his sister’s dresses to the emotional hurdles he encountered when confessing his gender identity to his children.

Yet when interviewer Diane Sawyer shifted the tone in her questioning to something some might consider less than professional, a few eyebrows were raised collectively across the nation.

Using dialogue that sounded less like a journalistic inquiry and more like two ladies gabbing over a bottle of chardonnay, Sawyer questioned the pairing of Jenner’s transitioning female status to his attraction to females, asking bluntly if Jenner was therefore a lesbian.

Even Diane’s perplexed facial expression seemed a little off-putting as the words escaped her mouth. Why would she ask such an odd question in the middle of such a sensitive interview?

Jenner immediately corrected Sawyer, reminding her that sexual orientation and gender identity have entirely different meanings.

“

community that even a professional like Diane Sawyer has to dumb down her line of questioning just to pander to the needs of the television-watching populous?

Hollywood has taken great strides in introducing roles that not only bring transgenderrelated issues to the table, they also develop the characters into relatable people with whom many viewers can easily identify.

SF State alumnus Jeffrey Tambor’s recent -Bruce Jenner Golden Globe win for his character in “Transparent” showed America the necessity and “Sexuality is who you are personally value of including transgendered citizens in attracted to,” said Jenner. “But gender identity mainstream media and culture. And “Orange is who you are as a person and your soul and is the New Black” actress Laverne Cox, who who you identify as inside.” continues to be a strong activist on and off His clarification seemed obvious. But alas, screen for transgender rights, has publicly gender identity, defined as the totality of phys- honored and praised Jenner’s recent announceical and behavioral traits that are designated by ment. a culture as masculine or feminine, continues “Visibility matters when it can save lives to be a taboo and misunderstood topic in many and influence the changes of hearts and homes and classrooms across the country. minds,” Cox said at the recent White House The lack of education surrounding transCorrespondents’ Dinner when asked about gender issues is only creating a larger divide Jenner’s television interview. “I think a lot of that prevents transgendered human beings people tuned in expecting to see a spectacle, from feeling like equals in today’s society, a and they tuned in and saw a profoundly nucrippling emotion that often results in suicide. anced, complicated, beautiful human being.”

Nearly half of young transgender people A person should never be ridiculed for behave seriously thought about taking their lives, ing honest about his or her identity. It is, after and one quarter report having made a suicide all, one person’s choice and his or hers alone. attempt, according to a report from the Trevor As a society, it is our responsibility to foster Project, a suicide prevention organization that this admiration of individuality, to encourage provides services to LGBT youth. others to feel liberated in being themselves.

Is there such a lack of information in It is far more than saving lives. It is valuing American understanding of the transgender them.

Sexuality is who you are personally attracted to. gender identity is who you are as a person and your soul and who you identify as inside.

”

ELIZABETH CARRANZA

SPORTS EDITOR ecarranz@mail.sfsu.edu

HANNAH MULLINS

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR hmullins@mail.sfsu.edu

Egg donation is more than a paycheck EVA BARRAGAN evbarrag@mail.sfsu.edu

PETER SNARR

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR psnarr@mail.sfsu.edu

DAYVON DUNAWAY

ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR ddunaway@mail.sfsu.edu

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PRINT ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu

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MULTIMEDIA ADVISER jgarnier@sfsu.edu

KEN KOBRE

PHOTO ADVISER kkobre@sfsu.edu

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ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@mail.sfsu.edu

ARUN UNNIKRISHNAN I.T. CONSULTANT arun@mail.sfsu.edu

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CIRCULATION sbrowne822@gmail.com

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STUDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER smperk@sfsu.edu

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I always thought women who sold their eggs for money were only characters in Lifetime movies or weird 20-something college dropouts trying to make a quick buck. A few months ago, however, a friend of mine told me she was planning on studying abroad and when I asked her how she was financing her trip, she casually replied, “Oh, I’m selling my eggs.”

Immediately I had a hundred questions racing through my head. “Why are you selling them?

Who are you selling them to?

Are you going through a random Craigslist ad or a legit agency?”

She told me that donating was an easy decision, knowing her eggs would help a couple have the child they always wanted and the money would pay her rent and finance the trip of a lifetime.

The idea of selling my eggs never sounded too appealing to me. But as my friend went on to tell me she made $8,000 from the transaction, and as she explained to me her reasons for donating, I became more intrigued with the idea.

San Francisco is not cheap.

I’ve been living in this city a little more than a year now and I have already acquired $15,000 worth of debt. I knew living on my own wouldn’t be easy but I didn’t know pursing the life and educa-

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tion I always dreamed of would cost me so much. I’m a full time student who works parttime and barely makes enough to keep my head above water.

If I work extra hours my grades suffer but if I don’t work at least four to five times a week, I can say goodbye to my social life and hello to eating microwave burritos for an entire month.

The conversation with my friend left me wondering, what if my purpose on this earth isn’t to grow up, get married and have a family? What if my purpose is to

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help someone whom BY I’ve never met ON I T RA create a family of his ST U L or her own?

IL With the reality of being a broke post-grad with a degree in liberal arts sinking in, I started to think more about my friends egg-donating experience and began to do some research of my own.

To become a donor, I would have to go through a psychological screening. This is to ensure that I would fully understand the benefits and risks of egg donation. Basically, psychologist and UR

JO

agencies want to make sure I am aware that donating my eggs would mean there would be a kid out in the world somewhere who looks just like me.

Apparently for females, passing on our genes is not as easy as ejaculating into a cup. The actual egg-donating procedure is relatively painless and takes only about 30 minutes but for about three weeks prior, you have to physically, mentally and hormonally prepare your body for the egg retrieval, according to Egg Donor America’s website.

After taking all the health and psychological risks into consideration, I’ve decided that injecting myself with hormones for a couple thousand dollars isn’t such a far-fetched option after all. If I ever decide to donate specifically to get out of financial bind, I think I would try first exhausting all other options--loans, waitressing or asking my parents for money. With a conscious mind and a good heart, I would consider donating my eggs as a good deed.

I’m not sure if I will ever really decide to donate or if I will have children in the future, but if I do, I would proudly tell them that when mommy was in college she had the opportunity to help a family create their miracle baby.

For me, that’s one benefit that outweighs any risk.

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Opinion 9

APRIL 29, 2015

Hairstyles reflect style and individuality DANIEL E. PORTER danielep@mail.sfsu.edu

“

Changing hairstyles is one way people can have fun and be creative with the way they look with just the cut of the scissors.

”

-Daniel E. Porter

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MARTIN BUSTAMANTE / XPRESS

SELF-EXPRESSION: Golden Gate Xpress photo editor Daniel Porter sports his man bun for a portrait at the studio in the Humanities building Monday, April 27.

airstyles can be viewed as a personal timeline, a day-to-day freedom of expression that shows how a person has changed over the years. But when I decided to wear my hair in a man bun, I never expected the varied responses I would encounter.

My journey into the world of the man bun began the day a longer-haired buddy of mine said my hair looked grown out enough to tie up as he handed me an elastic hair tie band. Since then, I have been sporting the trendy

hair style that has been the subject of multiple online articles.

But growing out my hair did not stem from wanting to have a specific look. Instead, I was too busy and lazy to get a haircut.

The recent fame of the man bun has gained momentum since 2013-2014, according to manbunhairstyle.net.

A wide range of men from hipsters to celebrities have gone down the path of comfort rather than sporting the classic clean look.

Rockstar and actor Jared Leto has sported his man bun

for a while and from 2013 to 2014 was putting his hair up in a full man bun, allowing his hair to grow long even when it was not trendy. This type of non-conformist mentality is key when trying out a new look or style.

When I think of one celebrity who I associate with changing hairstyles and being influential in the public eye, it’s Brad Pitt. He has consistently changed his image with a variety of looks, with everything from long hair put up in a bun to completely shaved.

The first week I wore my hair up, I attended the Coachella Music and Arts Festival and a guy standing behind me in the bathroom line asked why I was wearing a man bun. It did not make me think twice about my hairstyle choice, instead it made me laugh and interested in what other types of reactions I would get from my new look.

Even though my man bun is not perfect, the reactions have been mostly positive. Most of the time, I find the hair on the sides and the back of my head has half fallen from the hair tie, and I am left with more of a Samurai hairstyle.

I can see how someone would want to steer clear of longer hair since it tends to give the impression of an unclean look. However I feel if someone wants to try out a new hairstyle, whether that means growing it out, shaving it off or even coloring it bright green, then he or she should try it.

Even though my friends have all complimented my new hair choice, not everybody likes this new popular hairstyle. Theguardian.com posted a fashion article listing the top five worst male haircut trends people are getting over the past year, putting man buns in second place. The author said this trend will die quickly and suggested people other than artists, musicians or professional athletes should leave this hairstyle behind and cut their hair.

The man bun may fade away but there will always be people who are too lazy to get their hair cut. Changing hairstyles is one way people can have fun and be creative with the way they look with just the cut of the scissors.

As for my hair, I plan to keep this style until I can grow it into a full man bun. From there, I am not sure what my hair will look like, but I am always open to change.

10 SPORTS

APRIL 29, 2015

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Assistant coach focuses on team’s personal growth ELIZABETH CARRANZA

Sharing laughs and chattering away with teammates about what the new track and field season would bring, Jordan Guerrero remembers when she first met new head coach Kendra Reimer and assistant coach Marissa Chew early this semester. With a swift hand movement, Guerrero recalls Chew snatching the roll sheet from Reimer and saying a simple hello to the Gator squad.

Her firm voice demanded the team's full attention to take attendance.

“We just looked at each other like 'What is going on?,'” Guerrero said about the first day of practice. “I thought she was going to be really mean and super strict, but she had to come across like that to get our attention.”

A Gator squad that was once unsure of Chew's personality would soon discover the coach's easy going nature and beaming smile as she sang along with the team during conditioning. This was the moment Guerrero and other teammates knew Chew was a part of them.

"That’s when we said ‘Oh, OK she’s one of us,'" Guerrero said. "Our bond is really strong.

Coach Chew is a huge part of

ecarranz@mail.sfsu.edu

that because of her personality and energy. She makes us comfortable to be ourselves and not worry.”

Chew said she wanted to get straight to business during the first practice and let the team know she was ready to help them in any possible way.

“I wanted to make sure they were confident in themselves, as well as us as their leaders,” Chew said. “I wanted to show them that they could be strong and that we, as a family, were going to rock this out. There was no reason to be unsure of what was going to be happening.”

Chew competed for SF State's indoor and outdoor track and field team during the 1999 and 2000 seasons. After competing for two years in the Gator uniform, Chew made the choice to transfer to Cal State Long Beach to pursue a kinesiology and physical education degree.

Once appointed as the new head coach for SF State's track and field during the 2014 summer, Reimer went searching for an assistant coach who would fit her criteria of being tough and encouraging. With every phone call Reimer would make, she said Chew's name was recom-

EMMA CHIANG / XPRESS

LEADERSHIP: Marissa Chew, assistant coach for the women’s long and triple jump athletes, crouches for a portrait with her team at Cox Stadium Tuesday, April 21.

mended for her professionalism and for receiving the highest level of certification in the jumps category via USA Track and Field, a national organization governing track and field programs.

"Her name kept popping up and that's when I knew I needed to interview her," Reimer said.

"She is the whole package. She's a great role model for the girls and we're very lucky to have her on our team."

Chew said Reimer's phone call for an interview opened up the opportunity to return to the place where she fell in love with the sport. Without hesitation, Chew said she accepted the offer.

"This is where I learned to really love track, not just to compete and do it," Chew said.

"For me to contribute back to the program that developed me

as an athlete is amazing.”

In just her first year as the Gators' assistant coach for jumps, Chew’s six-member squad has broken multiple personal records, including the noteworthy long jump of Hilary King, who now holds SF State’s school record. Even though Chew said it brings her joy to see her group achieve numerous records, seeing their personal growth as confident young women is the true motivation for her passion of coaching.

“I’m almost about to cry right now,” Chew said as she reflected on her squad’s progress. “It’s just so enamoring to be able to see them perform at their highest altitudes, get these performances down on paper, experience it, feel it, live it and say ‘I know I have even more than this in me and I can do more than this.’”

While juggling to balance being a coach, a single mother to two younger children and working a second job on the weekends, Chew said she has little time to herself but would not trade her hectic schedule for anything. Her ultimate goal as an assistant coach, aside from seeing her track and field members attend the NCAA Division II National Championships, is to see them continue to grow as individuals and succeed in what they set their minds to, she said.

“Coaching wise, what motivates me is seeing our young women progress, who know how to compete, take on adversity and know how to conquer all of that," Chew said. "We’re definitely a family. Me being almost the mother hen and them being the chicklings. I’m very protective of them and I love to see them grow.”

Closing pitcher saves his way to the top HANNAH MULLINS hmullins@mail.sfsu.edu

S

DAVID HENRY / XPRESS

CONCENTRATION: SF State pitcher Cory Davis poses for a portrait after

a game at Maloney Field Friday, April 24. Davis has made 21 saves in his career.

“

It was awesome. It’s a record that has been held for 20 years and I’ve only been here for two.

”

-Cory Davis

tanding at 6 feet 3 inches tall, SF State senior Cory Davis loves baseball and country music, but most recently is recognized as a record-breaking pitcher after shattering the school record for most saves.

Davis saved his 17th game during a doubleheader against Cal State Dominguez March 21, beating out previous record holder Joey Diaz, who held the school record at 16 saves. Davis now holds the school record with 21 saves during his career and is currently second in the California Collegiate Athletic Association and 21st in the nation with his saves in this season alone.

"It was awesome," Davis said.

"It's a record that has been held for 20 years and I've only been here for two years."

Davis transferred to SF State after two years at Orange Coast College in Southern California, leaving his family home in Chino Hills to

pursue his bachelor’s degree in communications and a career in baseball.

“Being able to go out there and break the record in two years was pretty cool," Davis said. "But I hope I get some more opportunities for the rest of the season and kind of just keep building it up even more.”

The Gator said he tries to keep his head in the game, avoiding popular superstitions and thinking only about his competition every time his foot hits the mound.

“Usually right before I go out to the mound before the first pitch, I wipe the rubber off with my cleats and it kind of gets me prepared for the upcoming batters,” Davis said.

He said he considers this a pregame ritual but avoids doing the same thing before every game in fear that, if he forgets, he will mess up and have something to blame.

Head coach Mike Cummins said Davis is a hard worker. Cummins has coached for more than 35 years and has had numerous players break records in his time as a coach.

"But it is special every time,” Cummins said.

He also said Beau Moorehead, the assistant baseball coach, is responsible for helping Davis succeed as a pitcher. Moorehead practices with Davis before every game to fine tune the pitcher's skills.

“As a coaching staff we set out to find and develop a pitcher who could handle the responsibility of

having the outcome of the game in his hands,” Moorehead said.

“Though he had not pitched that role before, Cory shows signs, mentally and physically, of being able to excel in that role. From there we were able to help cultivate a dominant force in the back of our bullpen.”

Moorehead said he is extremely proud of Davis and his accomplishment. When the record broke, however, he said he witnessed more of a reaction from the team than Davis himself.

“For Cory, it seemed like another day at the office,” Moorehead said.

"Cory is a good teammate, he and I joke around a lot with each other and he's a good guy to have on our team," said outfielder Nick Jackson.

"He's got a great mentality for a closer and it's always good knowing he's coming in because he's going to challenge every hitter and go at them. He's definitely done more than we expected in his last two years."

Davis said he hopes to get drafted, ideally for the Anaheim Angels or an independent ball team. Reflecting back on breaking the record, Davis said it was the one time he felt the most successful in his career.

"I had so much energy, I was pretty pumped," said Davis. "I felt like everything clicked perfectly. I was throwing pretty hard, hitting my spots and I felt like it was just the key part of the season so far."

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SPORTS 11

APRIL 29, 2015

Leading pitcher continues high performance Second -year pitcher Megan CLark ends the season with the lowest Earned run average on the team and continues to progress on the mound.

VINCE FAUSONE IV

vfausone@mail.sfsu.edu

W

hen SF State pitcher Megan Clark steps onto the raised gravel to begin her pitching performance, everything moves in sync.

The precision of her pitching mechanics trickle down to her placement of the softball as it hurdles toward the catcher’s mitt.

The evenly knotted purple bow holds back her bronze ponytail and the symmetrical eyeblack coats her cheeks.

Tattooed onto her left arm is the word “fearless,” a description that seems appropriate given her strikeouts on the mound in a season during which Gator pitchers were habitually shelled by opposing batters.

“My mindset on the mound is just to go out there and be fearless,” Clark said, acknowledging the letters on her arm. “I just want to know that I’m prepared and that I’ve done all the work.”

The Gators’ ace spun her way to a 3.54 ERA over 135 innings pitched.

Clark had the lowest ERA among the Gators’ pitching staff, who all combined for an average 5.38 ERA. Her steady presence on the mound netted the squad only four of its 12 wins but kept the team close in numerous losses, indicating that a lack of run support was a detriment to Clark’s statistically stellar year.

The sophomore’s poise allowed her team to play more consistent defense during her innings pitched, according to senior shortstop Courtney Gravel.

“I think her confident demeanor on the mound can really set the tone for the game,” Gravel said. “It’s nice having that to feed off of (while) playing defense behind her.”

Freshman left fielder Delanie Chrisman agreed with Gravel’s sentiments and added that having stability at the pitching position made it easier for her to acclimate to college ball.

“When you first come into the program, it’s nice to have

FEARLESS: SF State

softball pitcher Megan Clark, a sophomore communications major, takes a portrait at the SFSU Softball Field after a game Saturday, April 24.

MARTIN BUSTAMANTE / XPRESS

.270 BATTING AVERAGE APPEARED IN 24 GAMES

“

My mindset on the mound is just to go out there and be fearless. I just want to know that I’m prepared and that I’ve done all the work.

”

-Megan clark

someone that is already established as a pitcher,” Chrisman said. “She works hard and it sets the tone. It’s comfortable to play behind someone you know has good leadership.”

Clark’s statistics are telling of her pitching style. She accumulated 47 strikeouts over the course of the season, an average of 2.44 a game, demonstrating just how effective a practiced ground-ball pitcher can be when they force the batter to hit into defense-friendly situations.

“My curveball and my change-up are probably my two best pitches,” Clark said. “I definitely rely on my change-up a lot.”

Outside of her success on the mound, Clark contributed to the Gators’ offense with a .270 batting average in limited plate appearances. The ending of the 2015 season marks Clark’s second completed year as a Gator, leaving the sophomore with two years of eligibility. Along with the rest of the Gators’ young pitching staff, Clark said she will look to improve on her performance next year and provide support for a Gators’ offense.

ILLUSTRATION BY KATRINA ANDAYA / XPRESS

3.54 ERA

IN 135 INNINGS, THE LOWEST ON THE TEAM