Category Archives: City

Arts & Culture, Bay & Beyond, City

Letter from the Copy Editor: Cheers to the End

As the year comes to a close, it’s the perfect time for a little reflection. As all but those who were born in it will know, this year has been one hell of a ride.

So to help deal with the aforementioned reflection, as well as the required amount of nostalgia, I think it’s only natural to recommend an adult beverage that goes hand in hand with this particular trip ‘round the sun.

For this trip, I’ve decided the Chateau de Passavant Crémant de Loire will do just fine. After all, it does drink like a mini champagne and while there’s always an occasion to drink sparkling wine – this one really gets the juices flowing, if you know what I mean.

And as a Sommelier, I will do you one better. I shall walk you through this entire experience.

 

As with all proper reflection and sips of wine, you start with where you are now. And where I am now, is finishing the last legs of my last year at school. Scrambling to get the last pieces of homework turned in, the final touches on projects, and beginning to realize this is the last time of enduring the headaches and all-nighters. It’s strange to wonder what I’ll be doing this time next year… let alone two months from now.

Let’s take a moment, enjoy a sip or two of wine just to help digest that thought – I’m finally done with that cycle.

 

Sure, I’ll probably still be at the same job that I have a serious love/hate relationship with. I’ll probably have the same roommates, the same repetitive conversations about whose dirty dishes are in the sink or who didn’t clean out the shower drain, and if I’m being honest, I probably won’t have touched a book, written a story, or started studying for the Certified Sommelier exam.

And unfortunately, Trump will probably still be our President – although hopefully on his way out.

 

Make sure you take a longer sip after that one, really savouring the stress and Tweets we have had to deal with this year. After such a bold political bouquet, feel free to polish off the glass. Really, you’ve earned it.  

 

When I began my journalism journey, I really had no idea what I wanted to do with it or where it would take me. Looking back, it feels like I’ve struggled my whole way through. The only areas I feel I excelled in are copy editing and procrastination. I still grapple to find my voice. I bargain with Premiere Pro, strive to remember which angle the camera needs to be when interviewing a subject, and I still get nervous when approaching someone just to ask them a simple question about whatever subject it is I’m trying to find the right angle for the right story just to make sure I get that A on the assignment.

And with all that being said, to even think that there isn’t a part of me that is excited and enthusiastic about graduating and having the ability pursue stories or topics that I want to write about would be false. I am.

 

Ah, time to add some more wine to that glass for another sip. This time for the uncertainty and unpredictability of the finish that life leaves on your palate.

 

I’m unsure where my place in the journalism world is, or my place in the world in general is.

All I know is the same thing I knew when I started my degree – I want to make a difference in someone’s life with what I write. I think that’s a large part of why I chose to minor in criminal justice. Understanding how to read Supreme court cases enthralled me, and breaking down what the latest ration of Tweets from POTUS really mean, or what the changes proposed by Betsy DeVos to Title IX means for college students. The ability to understand the gravity of each word, to be able to convey the complete and total meaning – and to be able to put it down on paper in a way that others can understand; it gave me a purpose.

I want you to sit back in your chair, and admire the glass in front of you. Realize that even though you have been drinking from it, it is still half full.

 

Because looking back on the past year, specifically, gives me hope. The multitude of events that have happened in the last year that break my heart – and leave me terrified for the future – from Trump being elected, Betsy DeVos revoking and replacing the Title IX guidelines, to threats of nuclear war with North Korea and building a wall on the Mexican border, and the seemingly endless wave of sexual allegations that are dominating almost every industry – not to mention how pissed off Mother Nature is at us – it’s no wonder there is this overwhelming feeling ‘what do I do now?’

Our glass is still half full – even with a few sips taken.

 

If there’s anything I’ve learned in my time in college, it’s that being vulnerable is scary, it’s not always supported as much as we think it is, and that trying to fight the continual struggle of balancing life, work, and school is a real challenge.

So as I embrace the final weeks of my college career and start a new path… life… adventure… whatever you want to call it, I am left with a fear of the future looking a lot like the past I’ve read about, but holding on to hope that change is upon us and it can and will be great. But I’ve got a strong grip, holding on to whatever I can to help me get through whatever is thrown my way.

 

With the rest of the bottle filling our glass, I hold this toast to you.

 

To the students pushing their way through the system to get that piece of paper that open doors to new opportunities. Keep doing what you have to do until you can do what you really want to do. Keep climbing the stairs, step by step until you reach your goal. I promise you it’s worth it in the end.

 

To all the #metoo’s… I hear you and I am sorry. I am sorry for every experience, every emotion, every ounce of pain, fear, anger, and doubt that you have once felt, but I am so proud to be a part of a community that is as strong as you are. Keep speaking up, keep voicing the wrongs that have been done, keep fighting for a change in behavior and in our culture.

Hold those accountable for the wrongs they have done regardless of their power, let yourself be heard.

To all the DREAMERS out there in the world. To say that I understand what you are going through would be unfair and untrue. I can only begin to imagine the fear you face on a day-to-day basis with the trigger, I mean Twitter-happy POTUS that we are so unfortunately stuck with for now. But keep fighting, keep telling your stories because America would truly not be what it is today without you, your family, and your heritage.

And lastly to all the journo’s and future journo’s… keep kicking ass and taking names. Call out the Fake News, call out the faulty, sketchy, unproven, unfounded, and ridiculous things that are said in the media and by those in power. Keep telling the stories of those untold, keep pushing for the marketplace of ideas that was so deeply ingrained in us in the early years of our degrees. Keep fighting for ethical and fair journalism and keep fighting for long, in-depth, eye-opening stories that show the true meaning of what journalism is and can be.

Bay & Beyond, City, Culture, SFSU

Students Teaching Students: Experimental College at SF State

The halls of San Francisco State University’s Humanities building boast a vibrant, multicolored bulletin nested next to Room 302—a relic of the university’s rich history. The psychedelic tones of muted blues, pinks, and yellows call back to a different time; a time of social upheaval, free thought, challenging the status quo, and experimentation. The bulletin reads, in big letters: ‘Experimental College.’

“The students in the sixties were looking to understand themselves better,” says Kathy Emery, her small frame tucked into an office chair, legs crossed, intense eyes peering out from under silver tufts of hair and half-rimmed eyeglasses.

Room 302, her office, is almost vibrating behind her with the din of heated discourse between students. Somewhere mid-conversation she snaps back in her revolving chair—“when did this become a pub?” The room goes silent for a beat—“I guess so” one student chuckles, and the din resumes. Some of these students teach their own classes at San Francisco State. Some of them are in their early twenties.

She turns back and finishes, “it’s incredible. I’ve never seen it so busy,” she says, her slight grin betraying a sense of faux irritation. She enjoys it.   

“Students were reacting to the social movement [of the sixties].” Kathy, a political science lecturer, is referring to the San Francisco State University strike of 1968.

“One of the demands was to create the ethnic studies, and that came out of their experience with ExCo.”

In November of 1968, the Third World Liberation Front, an amalgam of various minority groups on campus (including the Black Students Union, the Latin American Students Organization, and the Filipino-American Students Union) made national news by staging a five-month long strike, marked by clashes with police and civil strife on both sides, to protest the lack of representation in the curriculum on the university campus. The battle established the campus’s College of Ethnic Studies as we know it today.

The Experimental College, or “ExCo,” in its original incarnation was created and funded by students of SF State in 1965 with one radical idea in mind: a free education designed by the students, for the students.  In what was a essentially a student-run micro-university within the university, students could design and teach other students anything they felt was lacking in the college’s curriculum. It was a platform for innovation and experimentation.

This past semester saw the revival of ExCO, a four-class pilot program designed by Kathy in tandem with SF State Sociology Professor Christopher Bettinger—who found an ad for the program put out by Kathy’s students on Craigslist—and Trevor Getz, the Chair of the History department on campus. The four classes being offered this semester included: a class on Noam Chomsky, a class analyzing the Syrian refugee crisis, a class on cybersecurity, and a class on social movements and digital technology. All classes grant an accredited unit to those who enroll, and were designed and taught by student teachers.

“What students need to learn about is not necessarily what teachers want to teach or what the academy thinks should be taught.” Kathy says.

“A lot of what’s being taught is taught in a way that’s inaccessible to the students in the class and the students can make it accessible.”

The idea is known as progressive pedagogy—that it is not what is being taught, but how it is being taught—or the idea that “student interest should drive the curriculum,” according to Kathy.

“You can use the platform for anything. You can teach funk music, math, etc. It’s a big experiment” says 32-year-old Political Science Major Raymond Larios.

Larios taught “Cybersecurity, World Affairs & Social Implications in the Digital World” this semester, a 1-unit class that he designed himself based on his research and reaction to the hacking of the 2016 American presidential election.

“The offerings here at SF State are very minimal. Since there weren’t a whole lot of offerings, I made this class [and] used the ExCo platform to offer students who were interested in [national security] studies.”

We’re sitting on wooden benches made out of tree stumps, outside of the Business building on campus, where Raymond teaches a class of five students, all minoring in international relations. Their ages range from 20 to 60 and over, according to Raymond.

Raymond explains the process of applying for your own class, from the inception of an idea, to the “on-boarding” process to prep and vet potential student professors. “I taught myself. I did my research, I read books, looked for media materials, teaching techniques…and brought this class to the platform.”

The application process begins in  Kathy Emery’s class, “The Politics of Pedagogy,” where students are required to teach other students and learn the ins and outs of teaching. After, the applicant submits a writing sample, syllabus, and a letter elaborating on the “why and how.” After a thorough vetting process, in adherence with the program’s mission statement, the class is accredited and given the green light.

“It looks like any other class and it doesn’t at the same time,” Raymond explains.

Anthony Drobnick, a 19-year-old international relations minor in Raymond’s class says it’s a different experience.

“For me the biggest change from a traditional class is that in ExCo students play a bigger role in shaping what we’re going to be learning about.”

He continues “I still feel like I can get a good education [from traditional classes] but here in ExCo I feel like I’m playing a more active role in driving the conversation and really participating in my own education in ways that I don’t get from a traditional classroom.”

Through the ExCo program Drobnick could theoretically apply for his own class next semester. “I could definitely see myself teaching in the Experimental College in the future. I really like the idea of just having those dialogues with students. I’ve done tutoring with students before and I just see this as a scaled-up version of that.”

Esvin Diaz, a 21-year-old international relations minor, is also in Raymond’s class. He shares a similar experience with Drobnick. “Both my experiences with community college and in SF State have been similar where teachers control what we’re going to be learning. In ExCo you are able to contribute more than you are in other classes.”

Other students are using the ExCo platform in different ways. Alisar Mustafa, a political science major in her early twenties, taught a class on the Syrian Refugee Crisis this semester. Mustafa lived the first fourteen years of her life in Syria and called the ExCo program the “perfect opportunity to educate people about the Syrian Refugee Crisis. She said “I believe education is the first step to combat ignorance and suggest solutions to the issue.”

Mustafa opened up about the challenges of teaching her own class. “The hardest part was that my topic was very dense and complicated. Many times I did not know the answer to very intricate questions. However, I found myself learning so much more in depth about the topic because I had to find answers to all these questions which further illustrates how ExCo serves both the learning of the educator and the students.”

She finished “ExCo destroys the imaginary wall we, as students, have between us and the education system. The wall of the ‘can’t dos,’ the ‘I’m not qualified,’ and the ‘I don’t have the credentials.’”

Kathy has made a career based on the shortcomings of the educational system and alternative methods of teaching. With a BA in History from Mt. Holyoke College, an all-female liberal arts college in Massachusetts, and a PhD in Education from UC Davis, Kathy came to SF State in 2007, inspired by the idea of the Mississippi Freedom Schools, whose goal was to “create active agents of social change”. She created a class called “The Politics of Pedagogy” based on the university’s archives of the Experimental College of the sixties and the California Labor School’s archives. Students in her class wanted to design their own freedom schools, but the program never formally gained “traction” she explains, as it “wasn’t the right time.”

Until now.

However, there are certain issues the ExCo platform may have to deal with in the future.

“I was thinking the other day, what if i wanted to teach a class on growing cannabis? It would be problematic.” Raymond says.

Schools funded through federal money would have to grapple with that, but Kathy rejected the notion, saying that it would be up to the university to decide, as with any other issue.

Raymond also explained that some professors had been “a little negative in their approach [to ExCo],” but clarified “I have no accreditation to teach, so I don’t purport to do what teachers here who got a PhD or a Masters do. On the contrary, I’m just using everything I’ve learned and facilitating it to others.”

Kathy responded “it challenges the idea of what a teacher is.” She continued “I see it as supplementary. The way teachers teach here is very different form the way students will teach. It’s not competition. It’s different. The university, by its nature doesn’t respond quickly to what’s going on in society. That’s the problem with getting a PhD: by the time you get it the world has changed.”

Kathy explained her process and the potential pitfalls of the ExCo program. “I embed students teaching other students in my class in a small way. I’m there in the classroom teaching them how to teach each other and not just throwing someone into a classroom and saying ‘teach’ without having any experience.”

She concluded “they need structural support while they teach. They’re going to have problems in their classes and they need someone experienced to talk to. it remains to be seen if I can get enough structural support set up for them next semester so that it’ll be successful.”

Raymond summed up the program by saying “here the students have come and taught themselves something but at the same time have made a change to the institution.”

Some of the ExCo classes—among the twenty-four— being offered next semester include “Antifascist History and Tactics,” “Conspiracies! Overtly Covert,” “Funk! A Revolutionary State of Mind,” “A History of Activism in Sports: From Jackie Robinson to Colin Kaepernick,” and “How to Relationship 101: Love and Intersectionality.”

All, Arts & Culture, Bay & Beyond, City

The Festival of Light Brightens San Francisco for the Fifth Time

San Francisco is shining bright now until New Year’s day with 37 eco-friendly light art installations located in 17 different neighborhoods throughout the city. This is San Francisco’s fifth year hosting Illuminate SF’s, The Festival of Light, which features artists from around the globe. All 37 pieces range in variety and type, making the festival even more unique.

 

Illuminate, a non-profit founded by Ben Davis, focuses on bringing public art to the masses. They’re mission statement reads:

 

“Our highly aspirational mission of changing humanity’s future for the better via public art—some would call it impossible—is a reflection of our core beliefs. The best of our projects will always be radically accessible, free to experience and widely viewable.”

 

Davis and his team began their journey with the first Illuminate piece, The Bay Lights, back in 2013. The Bay Lights is a light sculpture made of 25,000 white LED lights that creates a magnificent light show on the north side of The Bay Bridge. The display was set to run March 2013 to March of 2015 but has now become a permanent piece in the city. For many, this has become an iconic landmark in San Francisco. Since The Bay City Lights, Davis and the rest of Illuminate have helped multiple artists bring their public art to life.

“It’s hard to choose a favorite,” says Jordan Guerrero, a former student at San Francisco State University and now an employee at SoulCycle Castro.

 

“One of my favorites has to be the “Hope Will Never Be Silent” sign that’s recently been installed outside my work.”

 

Guerrero is referring to one of six new art light installations that has been installed for this years Festival of Light. The white neon sign reads “Hope will never be silent” and rests above the doors of Soul Cycle, which is located in The Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro district. The sign is meant to pay tribute to the late Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the history of California.

 

“It makes you smile when you see it. It’s a nice little reminder of how far we’ve come. It just goes to show what type of community lives within the Castro,” says Guerrero while smiling.

 

Another favorite, the Bayview Rise by Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan, towers over the Bayview District standing at 187 feet tall. The mural located at Port Pier 92 symbolizes change but also honors the rich history of the neighborhood.

 

“We wanted to honor the neighborhood,” says Haddad while talking about the process of creating the piece.

“We decided to ask the community to come up with words to describe the district. We thought that it was a nice way to get the neighborhoods input. The words they came up with were so empowering. The one that really stood out to us was  ‘rise’.”

 

Haddad goes on to explain other inspirations for their piece, including one special lady, Essie Webb.

 

Webb, one of five women a part of “The Big Five”, a group of black women who advocated for better housing and health clinics in their neighborhood, made a quote that brought the whole piece together.

 

“All the air came out of the balloon, and it just came to the ground and it’s still there, and it’s just waiting for someone to put some more air in and blow it up.”

Webb’s quote inspired Haddad and Drugan to incorporate balloons into their piece. The balloons are the most prominent on the mural. With the use of light, Haddad and Drugan showcase different elements of their piece.

 

“At night, the art extends this visual metaphor of transformation through a dynamic interaction of light and color. The light fixtures at the base of the building cycle through different colors that each highlight a unique combination of images within the painted mural. As the light colors shift, images appear to float in and out of the scene. This striking effect of “illumination animation” results in a kinetic image abstractly representing a neighborhood in flux, or Bayview Rising.” (Laura Haddad, Inimitable Glitter)

 

The incorporation of the lights creates a story for art-goers to interpret. Without them, some elements of the mural would go unnoticed.

 

Matthew Passmore, the creator of Handsignals, located in the Mission District, explains the importance of light in his piece.

 

“It’s (the light) critical. It was a little bit of a challenge to get the Arts Commission to go along with a lit piece. The lighting is so critical to it. If the lights don’t work, ya got nothing,” says Passmore.

 

“Light is the essence of the piece. It comes to life at night.”

 

Passmore is right when saying these pieces come to life at night, some more than others. One of this year’s new most-raved about exhibits is the Photosynthesis Love for All Seasons, a vibrant imagery show that is projected on the exterior of The Conservatory of Flowers. More events occurring during The Festival of Light include Sausalito Lighted Boat Parade, Parol Light Festival, and After Hours at the Conservatory-Botanicals and Brews Beer Garden.

Illuminate SF’s website provides maps of free self-guided walking tours along with detailed information about each piece and the artist behind the work. The festival along with its events will last until New Years Day. The final celebration will go off with a bang on the Moonlight New Year’s Eve Fireworks Party Cruise.

 

Website: http://www.illuminatesf.com/home-page

 

Upcoming Festival of Light Events:

 

SF Holiday Lights Tour

When: 5:00PM or 7:30PM Friday, November 25, 2017 – December 30, 2017

Where Fisherman’s Wharf: 2899 Hyde Street

SF Neon Light Tours

When: 5:00PM – 7:00PM Friday, December 15, 2017

Where: Union Square

When: 4:30PM – 6:30PM Friday, December 29, 2017

Where: Tender Nob

Night at the Jewseum: Light, Analog Edition

When: 6:00PM – 9:00PM Thursday, December 14, 2017

Where Contemporary Jewish Museum

de Young | Light Art Docent tour/activation 

When: Saturdays, December 16, 23, 30, 2017

Where: de Young Museum

After Hours at the Conservatory – Botanicals and Brews Beer Garden

When: 6:30PM – 11:30PM Friday, December 15, 2017

Where: Golden Gate Park – Conservancy of Flowers

Moonlight New Year’s Eve Fireworks Party Cruise

When: 9:00PM – 1:00PM Sunday, December 31, 2017

Where: Pier 3 – Hornblower Landings

All, Bay & Beyond, City

Seeing Hope Through the Smoke

The air smells like a mix of chemicals and about a thousand bonfires. It feels as if there’s a cloud of sadness floating above the town and neighborhoods of Santa Rosa, California.  Thousands have lost everything.

 

“Did you hear the story about the ring?” asks Ian Derammelaere, a firefighter from San Francisco’s Fire Department.

 

“One woman was searching for a wedding ring,” adds Eli Thomas, another San Francisco firefighter, dressed head to toe in fire gear.

 

The two firefighters, exhausted and worn out, are covered in ash and dirt. Ian  and Eli, along with other members of their strike team, had been sent to Sonoma County in order to fight the North Bay Fires.

 

“There was a big slab of stucco, as long as a driveway,” says Eli, while using his arms to mimic just how large the slab was.

 

“A lady called me over to help her move it. She goes ‘hey, can you come help me lift this up? I want to look under it.”

 

He begins to smirk as he continues the story.

 

“I was like, ‘I am so flattered you think that I’m that strong!”

 

 

Eli, with the help of other firefighters, decided to break the stucco up into pieces, making it easier for them to peel back. The woman explained to the men in yellow, that she was looking for a wedding ring. The area where the slab of stucco remained used to be her bathroom. There, she had an amour full of jewelry, which held the missing wedding ring. The woman continued to look through the rubble as Eli and the rest of the crew continued through the neighborhoods, searching for hot spots.

 

“I told my cousin the story about the woman who was looking for a ring,” explains Eli.

 

“Later he called me and was like, ‘Dude! Some lady is on the news talking about how some fireman helped find her ring!’”

 

“And that was me,” the exhausted firefighter says while grinning from ear to ear.

 

“It was a trip, I’m glad she found it.”

 

Ash, toasted Hondas, and charred ceramic angel figurines are all that’s left in the eerie neighborhood of Fountain Grove in Santa Rosa. Coffey Park, along with other neighborhoods in Sonoma County, mimic similar scenery.  The county, known for its wine and natural beauty, looks like a scene from The Walking Dead.

 

The wildfires ripped through 107,407 acres of land, destroying thousands of structures, many of them being the homes. Town landmarks, like a local Applebee’s and Arby’s, are now unrecognizable piles of metal. Those who wander the damaged town of Santa Rosa wear white surgical masks in order to protect themselves from the smoke and chemicals within the air.

 

Since the start of the fires on October 8, more than 2,900 fire personnel from around the country have been called to California’s North Bay region. Those numbers don’t include the hundreds of police officers responsible for protecting the areas of destruction or the thousands of volunteers helping those affected.

 

“This is a once in career type of fire,” says SFFDs Jesse Bautista as he stares at the remains of a brick fireplace.

 

The four San Francisco firefighters, Lieutenant Jason Simmons, Jesse Bautista, Ian Derammelaere, and Eli Thomas begin to reflect on their week as they sit amongst the incredible amount of rubble.

 

“I turned on the news and they were talking about the Atlas Fire. It was just before 11 o’clock,” Lieutenant Simmons recalls as he begins to realize what was going on.

 

“As I’m watching, I pulled up one of the scanner apps. The next thing I hear is ‘second alarm on a structure fire in Santa Rosa, vegetation fire in Santa Rosa, Sonoma vegetation fire, Glen Ellen vegetation fire, Kenwood vegetation fire.”

 

He counts the numbers of fires with his fingers as he talks.

 

“It went to hell in about 20 minutes.”

 

The fires in the Sonoma county region spread, like they say, ‘like wildfire’. Up to 70 mph winds were the cause of the rapid spread. An estimated 90,000 people have been evacuated from areas surrounding the fires. Simmons, being one of them.

 

“I grabbed a computer and two leather firefighter helmets,” Lieutenant Simmons explains.

 

“My wife was like ‘why the hell did you bring the leather helmets?’,” says Simmons as the group of four laugh in agreement with his decision.

 

He explains that the two leather helmets were the first helmets he received when starting his career. They symbolize a lot more than just helmets for the San Francisco firefighter.

 

Thankfully, the Lieutenant’s home remains standing. For other Santa Rosa Natives, that is not the case.

 

“The biggest thing, the thing I keep reflecting on, is just download all your pictures,” says Eli Thomas when discussing the amount of photos families have lost in the fires.

 

“That’s huge,” adds Ian Derammelaere.

 

“Those are the things that you can’t get back. Those are frozen moments in time,” concludes Thomas.

 

Sophia Lassen, a senior at San Francisco State University was born and raised in Santa Rosa. Lassen’s family evacuated their home located in the neighborhood of Larkfield around 2 a.m.. Her family was woken by the sounds of honking horns coming from neighbors.

 

The fire absorbed Sophia’s neighborhood. With little time to grab valuables, her mom was able to grab a few photo albums before the fire destroyed parts of the home.

 

“Where I had grown up was virtually gone overnight,” recounts Sophia, as she looks down at her interlaced hands that lie on her lap.

 

Police have now begun to leading homeowners into the areas where the fires have destroyed their homes. Many have already begun rummaging through what’s left of their burnt belongings. Some homeowners, like the woman who found her ring, have found some valuables thanks to the help of fire personnel. Others, remain empty handed as their belongings have been reduced to nothing but ash.

 

What remains standing in these neighborhoods are dozens of a brick fireplaces that once warmed rooms.

 

The destroyed neighborhoods aren’t expected to make building progress anytime soon. However, PG&E, Pacific Gas and Electric, already have crews reconstructing and replacing power lines. When the time comes to rebuild, Bay Area construction companies will be busy.

 

“Eventually there will be a positive side, it’s just going to take a couple years to see,” Lieutenant Simmons explains.

 

And Lieutenant Simmons is right.

 

The Bay Area has already come together to provide incredible amounts of support for the friends and families that have lost their homes. Thousands of donations poured into Sonoma County, causing donation centers to stop accepting further donated items.

 

Thanks to the incredible amounts of fire personnel, police, volunteers, and the support of the Bay Area, Sonoma County, along with the other areas of destruction, will flourish again.

 

Like Lieutenant Simmons said, it’ll just take some time.

Arts & Culture, Bay & Beyond, City, Culture, Entertainment

We are a Culture, Not a Costume

The time has come where society once again shows us how absurd their choice in costumes can be. Sadly, it hasn’t gotten any better throughout the years. We’ve seen things from misinterpretation of the Native American culture, to blackface costumes, to your “typical” Mexican in a sombrero.

Let’s get one thing straight, none of these things are okay to ever wear. Speaking for all races and cultures, we are not a costume.

Every culture has its own unique history, and with that, a lot of it is carried on through what they wear. Fashion has been a part of our lives for centuries, and not only does it distinguish one culture from another, it also offers a cultural background for others to learn about.

When it comes to Halloween, dating back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, it used to be a day where the Celts believed this was the day the dead would return. Through time, it has become a day where people dress up in their choice of costume and collect candy. The biggest problem here though is the choices of what to dress up as.

More and more costumes continue to pop up each Halloween that ultimately bring up questions like ‘do people not think about the statements they are making?’ ‘why would this ever be put out on the market?’, and ‘what, if any, cultural research has been done?’

Where does someone draw the line between whether they are misrepresenting a culture? Does wearing a slutty version of a geisha make you culturally smarter? Does wearing an Anne Frank costume labeled as Child’s 1940s Girl Costume make it OK to represent a historic figure? According to 21-year-old Broadcasting and Electronic Communication Arts major Hannah Pack, no.

 

“I don’t understand how or why someone would want to dress up as something that symbolizes a sad part of the world’s history?” Pack questions.

 

“Maybe the thought process of this costume was to commemorate Anne Frank and those affected by the Holocaust. However a child’s Halloween costume is not the right way to do so. To me, Halloween is about dressing up as something fun that you like. The Holocaust does not match this description.”

 

This isn’t the first time companies have put out costumes aimed for children that in the end show a lack of cultural education. Among these costumes we can find such things as the popular Disney film Moana, Maui costume which sparked up a controversy among islanders. The costume was featured on Disney.com and according to the Huffington Post was removed. The costume featured a brown-skin body suit covered in traditional Polynesian tattoos.

“Let’s face it, our symbols and our emblems, who we are as a people have been used by western society for their pleasure, not for ours,” says Paul Kevin, a hula instructor from Hawaii.

 

“These companies should really ask themselves, what are we trying to do? I’m not saying don’t be funny, but you have great license to pick and choose things and deal with it. If they can’t be more creative than that, then they can’t be creative at all.”

 

[Show thumbnails]

 

With all the commotion cause by our current President, it’s no surprise that many costumes this year are showing a wide range of racism seen in our day-to-day lives — like dressing up as a border control officer.

Yes, you read that right, this year Spirit Halloween thought it would be ok to advertise this costume as “fun.”

According to Gothamist, the costume was being sold next to Donald Trump masks. However, just last month, it was officially banned. The only problem is that the “sexy” border babe female version of this costume still exists, and it has sold out online at Spirit Halloween.

Recently, the LA City Council replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, according to the LA Times  they were “siding with activists who view the explorer as a symbol of genocide for Native Peoples in North America and elsewhere.” A tremendous step forward for the Native American culture indeed.

With all these changes going on, why is it that people still choose to dress up in what they believe is Native American attire? If you look at any online Halloween store and search “indian costume” you’re guaranteed to find things that, if you’ve done your research, has nothing to do with the Native American culture.

Sherri Chiappone, 46, is Native American and originates from the tribes of Karuk, Yurok, and Shasta in California. She states that what her culture wears includes tons of necklaces, usually abalone, shells, accompanied by deerskin leather apron skirts filled with shells. What Halloween stores display as “Indian” is simply a slap in the face to their culture.

 

“I do not appreciate people not understanding cultures and thinking that it’s ok to dress and imitate what they think is another culture’s look,” Chiappone says.

 

“It hurts, as a Native American, to see that and I feel that kids and parents aren’t taking the time to understand or learn about our culture. That’s not who we are, that’s not what we look like.”

 

What is “blackface?” It refers to a non-black performer using character makeup to make themselves look black. This dates back to the seventeenth century when usually whites were entertained by those of dark skin. One famous performance in 1830 is that of Jim Crow, where a performer by the name “Thomas “Daddy” Rice, blackened his face with burnt cork and danced a jig while singing the lyrics to the song, “Jump Jim Crow.”

One recent show that targets this issue of blackface costumes is the hit Netflix series “Dear White People,” which all begins with the story of a group of white students at an Ivy League college putting together an offensive blackface party. The story then follows four black students on their journey to change these offensive acts.

Emenet Geleta, a 21-year-old student at San Francisco State University and a member of the Black Student Union feels that these companies are selling cultures in the most stereotypical ways.

“They get away with it due to the lack of cultural awareness. People get ridiculed for showing pride in their own cultures yet others want to turn around and dress up like them for a day. And that’s my problem with culture appropriation,” Geleta elaborates.

 

“Others want to wear braids and bindi’s, for example, to look “cute” or “trendy,” and those who are actually from those cultures get judged for it by going against the social norms of dress, or get stigmatized for showing their cultural pride.”

The main point is for everyone to have the decency to respect cultural appropriation on different races and cultural backgrounds, this especially includes Halloween stores. Here are some tips on how not to get yourself jumbled in the mess of offensive costumes:

  1. If it represents a certain culture, don’t wear it.
  2. Ask yourself, is this appropriate?
  3. Do your research.
All, Arts & Culture, Bay & Beyond, City

Day of the Dead

The sight of white painted faces and indigenous attire. The smell of freshly-picked marigolds and burning incense. The taste of freshly-baked pan de muerto and the favorite foods of our loved ones. The touch of the warm, melting candles and cold, paper maché calacas. The sound of the Aztec drums and modern mariachi music. These are the things that ignite the five senses of the living as they celebrate the dead on every November 2nd in the Mission District in San Francisco.

 

When a family member passes away, their loved ones usually grieve in sorrow. However, in Mexico and some parts in the United States, the death of a loved one is seen as a cause for celebration. Dia de los Muertos, commonly known as Day of the Dead, is a celebration that occurs the first and second of the month of November every year. Originating in Mexico, the tradition has spread all over the Americas, including north and central, throughout the years. It is a celebration that combines indigenous Aztec rituals with Catholicism.

“[The Aztecs] had advanced belief systems that were eventually imposed by eurocentric beliefs,” said Juan Pablo.

To the Aztecs, death was not seen as a negative part of life, but instead, death was an opportunity for the soul to be reborn. The Mesoamerican religion was divided into three parts: world making, world centering and world renewal. They believed the human body contained three different forces in three different body parts: the head, the heart and the liver. The head was filled with tonalli, a “Shadow Soul” that was associated with the heavens which provided energy for growth and development. The heart was deposited with teyolia, a soul associated with earth that gives life to people and provided emotion, memory, knowledge and a sense of identity. The liver received ihoyotl, a luminous gas that was associated with the underworld and provided humans with bravery, desire, hatred, love, and happiness.

Every year for the last 35 years, Colectivo del Rescate Cultural, also known as The Rescue Culture Collective, has hosted its annual San Francisco Day of the Dead Ritual Procession. The Colectivo, which includes the processions’ Founding Director Juan Pablo Gutierrez, has a group of organizers, artists, cooks, publicists, and more that come together as a community to create what is necessary for the procession to be successful. Juan Pablo came up with the idea of creating a procession when he was a part of the League of United Chicano Artists (LUCHA) while in Austin, Texas.

During the procession, a wide spectrum of the dead are celebrated; from their old ancestors to the victims of recent events such as natural disasters and terror attacks. The Marigold Project is a collective that organizes and creates the colorful altars that are seen during the procession. They ask the community to participate by making their own altars. They ask that the altars are made according to the direction/element that is associated with each deceased person. The directions are North, East, South, West, and the center. The North is associated with earth and the elders. The East is associated with air and children. The South with fire and young adults. The West with water and adults. Lastly, the center is associated with the ether and ancestors.

Aside from making an actual altar, people are also encouraged to take a framed photo, an article of clothing, or anything else that was previously owned by a deceased, loved one in order to carry them alongside as they walk through the Mission.

 

Though originally born in Mexico, Juan Pablo was brought to Texas when he was just eight years old. He grew up in the 60s and 70s within the Chicano environment and has embraced it ever since. After attending the University of Texas, he wrote in San Antonio, worked with Catholic Charities of San Antonio, worked with the Mexican American Cultural Center, and more. In 1982, he came to San Francisco and eventually started working with El Tecolote.

 

When Juan Pablo came to the Bay Area, there was already a procession that was organized by a different organization but he knew his would be different. Juan Pablo wanted the new procession to focus on the Aztec calendar. Every year, the theme of the procession follows the topic that is depicted on the calendar.

According to Juan Pablo, the San Francisco Day of the Dead Ritual Procession is the largest in the nation. The procession brought in a total of half a million people in total last year, according to the SFPD. However, the large crowd eventually led to people wanting to make a profit off the free event. Juan Pablo never fails to shut down offers of company’s selling beer or shops setting up a pop-up store on the side of the street. As he stated, the commercial-free zone is open to the community and it creates a “safe zone” therefore it is a “good time to come and experience the Mission.”

 

“Our dead are not for sale,” Juan Pablo said without any hesitation.

 

Along the lines of commercialism, Dia de los Muertos has also faced other problems and misrepresentations. In 2013, Disney had requested to copyright the term “Day of the Dead,” however, it wasn’t long until they received backlash. People also often refer to Dia de los Muertos as the “Mexican Halloween” (which should be noted at this very moment, that it is not).

“If you want to be respected,” said Juan Pablo, “you have to respond to these kinds of things with consistency, not aggression.” Consistency in the sense that despite what people think or say, one must stay true to one’s culture. “People have to be educated,” Juan Pablo concluded.

Dia de los Muertos is about celebrating those that have passed away by remembering the life they once lived. It’s a time to look at their photos, remember what their voice sounded like, cook their favorite foods and listen to their favorite songs, and to think about all the memories they created whether they be good or bad. As my grandfather once told me before passing away, “Death is not a ‘goodbye’ but instead a ‘see you later.’”

Arts & Culture, Bay & Beyond, City, Culture, Entertainment, News, Opinion, SFSU

Dream On.

Whether it’s reading our article about using the N-word, listening to our End-Of-The-World podcast, or reporting fashion trends on campus, and learning workout routines on Instagram; we want you to know that we’re hustling for you, our multifaceted readers. Enjoy what we have to offer this semester.

Click on the link below to view the beautiful, first Issue of this semester.

 

XPRESS Magazine, October 2017

 

Arts & Culture, City, Culture, Fashion

How To: 6 Styled Looks Any Gender Can Pull Off

Growing up my mother believed that pink dresses were going to be a staple in my baby wardrobe. Boy, was she wrong. As the years went by I came in contact with this thing called “comfort”, which then became what was going to define my style. I hated dresses, heels, or anything that society threw at me to try and define my gender.

I do identify myself as female, but my that doesn’t mean my closet has to have a gender. Feminine attire mixed with stud-like apparel makes up my closet. To make this simple, I see clothes as materials that I drape on myself that make me who I am.

Most of my shopping is done at thrift stores, if not that, you’ll find me searching through the endless online sale sections. When I look for clothes, whether it’d be male or female, I pick what I think will pair right with something else. Whenever I’m in the men’s section, I usually get asked if I’m shopping for my boyfriend and I respond with, “No I’m shopping for myself.” They usually say things along the lines of “That’s cool!” or “You have great taste in fashion.”

What would it be like if things were switched? What if I was a male and found myself in the women’s section? What kind of responses would I get? I’m more than positive that most people wouldn’t respond to me with the same kindness. So why does gender have to play such a big role in clothes? Yes, we wear it, but does it have to define us?

I took it upon myself to search through the piles of clothes that I own and decided to style two volunteers that let me do so. My point here is to show you that any gender is capable of wearing whatever they want. Someone who identifies as a man can wear a complete female inspired outfit, and vice versa, as I have done so with these looks. My male model is wearing only female clothing and my female model is wearing male inspired clothes.

Although stores are lacking a great diversity, from what I’ve seen, I want to ensure you that it is possible to create such looks. Through the looks that you’re about to see, the models are wearing clothes that belong and have been styled completely by me.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

In the first look, 22-year-old Aliguas Paningbatan is wearing an oversized jersey from Urban Outfitters. It’s paired with an oversized male inspired denim jacket from Forever 21. Accessories include a pair of black Yeezy sneakers from Adidas and a mustard yellow beanie from Forever 21. Wearing oversized shirts as dresses is a key to expanding your wardrobe.

The second look dives into a fall look with warm tone colors, such as green and brown. She’s wearing a patterned, forest-green top from Urban Outfitters. The camo-green army jacket was thrifted, and so are the jeans that I cut up myself. A nice pair of comfy black-and-white vans with a forest-green beanie from Forever 21 ties the outfit together. A tip I like to give when wearing men’s button-ups is buttoning them down halfway and then tying the other half into a knot to create a cute crop top.

My last look is serving west coast vibes to the max. She is wearing a pair of black sweatpants from ASOS, matched with a white cropped top that shows just the right amount of skin. Paired again with a black-and-white pair of vans, long white socks, and green beanie to finish the look. I love creating a laid-back look that you can also wear if leaving the house.

When 24-year-old Jonathan Marquez volunteered to let me dress him, I couldn’t have had been more excited. I had to find outfits in my closet that would tailor his body, and at the same time, make him look damn good.

In the first outfit, I styled him in a black velvet button-up that my mother passed down to me, paired with a multi-colored bomber jacket from H&M. A sleek pair of ripped black jeans, and a pair of combat boots from Charlotte Russe bring the outfit together. For accessories, I had him throw on a black boater hat from H&M and a copper-coined necklace to add a bit of flavor in the mix. All-black outfits are my favorite and they make it easy to bring to life with either bright jacket or vintage jewelry.

In his second look, I put together a pair of thrifted black chino shorts with a floral peplum collared shirt from Forever 21. A thrifted leather jacket and a black beret with tall green socks make the look edgy and inviting. A pair of high-waist shorts are my go to especially when pairing them with a bold shirt.

In his final look, I went with sizzling colors that made the look rich and perfect for the fall. A burnt orange off-the-shoulder shirt from Urban Outfitters layered with a paisley patterned jacket from Topman go hand-in-hand. Coral skinny jeans, tan slip on booties, and vintage sunglasses from Amazon make this a head-turning look that screams comfort. When choosing a color for an outfit, it’s best to start with a colored shirt and add on clothes that fall along the lines of that pigment. If you want to wear one color all over your outfit without drowning in it, it’s best to have a solid item to begin with and then add prints on top.

Arts & Culture, Bay & Beyond, City, Meet the Editors, Meet the Team, SFSU

Letter From the Editor

When I first started my journalism journey back in 2012, many wondered what the hell I was going to be doing with the path I was on.

This field made no money, print was going extinct, and it seemed to be a dying industry.

But then, good ol’ Mr. Trump came along.

And now whenever I mention I’m a journalism major, it’s followed with a, “Good! We need more people like you, now more than ever.”

The thing is though, there’s always been people like me. Well reported information has always been there for people to absorb. Unfortunately ,it took a rude wake up call for the majority of people to realize how important we are, but hey, we’re here, and there’s no point of putting the blame on anyone now.

What matters is where we go from here.

How we document the truth and how it is delivered is something I’ve been thinking heavily on since I came into this position. So when I gathered my editorial team, I made sure to make it clear to them: we need a voice that’s personable, trustworthy, and relatable.

We’re millennials and so are our readers. We poke fun at how hard it is to find affordable housing while having good paying jobs with benefits, and yet, somehow turn up for march after march, fighting to make a change for future generations. We’re being accused of killing a different failing industry at least once a week, but making everyday changes within ourselves, hoping to positively influence society.

With this in mind, I wanted this issue to be strictly online.

I want to test our readers.

I want to take social media strategies, apply them, and see exactly what we get when our main goal is to not only inform, but to engage with them.

Gathering inspiration from Teen Vogue’s Editor in Chief Elaine Welteroth and Digital Director Phillip Picardi, I’m offering our readers more, too. Our students here at San Francisco State are so diverse.

You deserve more.

Whether it’s reading our article about using the N-word, listening to our End-Of-The-World podcast, or reporting fashion trends on campus, and learning workout routines on Instagram; we want you to know that we’re hustling for you, our multifaceted readers.

 

Enjoy what we have to offer this semester.

Arts & Culture, Bay & Beyond, City, Culture, SFSU

Dreaming, Still.

“This is why I think this is bullshit,” 19-year-old Vanessa R. Cuevas exclaims. “How can they threaten to deport people when this is the only country we’ve ever known?”

After President Trump’s recent order on September 5, 2017 to end DACA within six months, hundreds of thousands of DREAMers are scrambling to see what they can do to prevent deportation.

DACA, which stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is an Obama-era program which allows undocumented, young adults – who originally came to the U.S. as kids – to receive benefits such as safety from deportation and work permits. However, the fee that these DREAMers pay is roughly five hundred dollars out of pocket for every two years when their renewal is due. With that being said, there is a large misconception that U.S. taxpayers are paying for this program, but little do people know that DACA is actually a self-sustaining program, hence the large fee that they must pay.

In order to qualify for DACA, one must have/do the following: be younger than 31-years-old, came to the United States before your sixteenth birthday, lived continuously in the U.S. from June 2007 to the present, were physically present in the U.S. on June 15, 2012 and at the time of applying, came to the U.S. without documents or their lawful status expired as of June 15, 2012, are currently studying or graduated from high school, and have not been convicted of a felony or any misdemeanors.

San Francisco State University students and sisters Vanessa R. Cuevas and Jessica D. Cuevas came to the United States from Mexico alone when they were only three- and four-years-old. Since they are originally from Michoacán, they were put on an airplane to get closer to the border. There they were picked up by two ladies that would eventually take them across the border in their car. They reunited with their dad somewhere in Los Angeles and he brought them to the Bay Area. About a week later, their mom was brought over and they were all together. They settled in a home in Menlo Park, East Palo Alto and have been there ever since. They both currently work at a Cheesecake Factory near their home.

Vanessa is a third-year student with an undeclared major but plans to declare as a Political Science major. Jessica is a fourth-year Latina/o Studies major with minors in Education and Philosophy.

It was decided that Jessica, now 21-years-old, would wait for Vanessa so they could apply for DACA together. The process took around four to five months – they needed to have various documents on hand. Luckily, their mother saved all their childhood award certificates so that they were able to prove that they have been here since they were very young. When it was time for Jessica to start applying for college, she realized her options were very limited. Since she isn’t allowed to apply for FAFSA, she could not accept going to Sonoma State University. Instead, she waited until the very last day to accept her state-issued financial aid (CA Dream Act) because she didn’t get her acceptance to San Francisco State University earlier.

The two recently noticed that the program is taking longer than usual to send them their paperwork to renew everything.

“It’s making us nervous,” Vanessa explains.

“Usually they send us the letter by now.”

They explained their frustration with not knowing what will happen in the near future.

“We don’t know if we’ll we be working for four more months or two more years,” Jessica says. “My only options would be to not work or to work illegally.”

The girl’s’ parents have told them that no matter what happens they will just have to move forward.

Jesus Peraza, 20, Psychology Student at SFSU

“I hope ICE gets us,” 20-year-old Jesus Peraza says. “I don’t like living here.”

This is what Jesus once told his parents after living in the U.S. for a short while. He was originally born in Sonora, Mexico and came to the U.S. about twelve years ago. He lived alone with his mother and aunt until he was about five-years-old, when his mother married his now stepfather. They traveled to the U.S. with a tourist visa.

Jesus was told by his mother and stepfather that they were coming to the U.S. for about three months,and would eventually return to Mexico. However, once they got there, he realized that wasn’t true because his mother enrolled him in an elementary school in Paramount, California. It was there that he was able to learn English; his teachers took extra time to help him which made it easier for him to pick it up.

“Kids would bully me and call me names,” Jesus laughed, “but I didn’t know what they meant.”

Though the name-calling didn’t phase him, he still felt like an outcast therefore he devoted himself to school. The language barrier was just one reason for Jesus’ culture shock, along with food and the way people communicated. Christmas in the U.S. wasn’t the same and even until this day, Jesus despises Christmas because in Mexico he was able to celebrate with his large family.

Jesus, now 20-years-old and a third-year psychology major at SF State University, is currently a DACA recipient. He hopes to continue school after his bachelors degree in order to receive his masters degree.

After hearing about Trump’s decision, Jesus did not go to school that day because he realized that this decision not only affects him and others just like him, but also his parents. Luckily, he just recently renewed his DACA paperwork.

Since Jesus is undocumented and is under DACA, he is prohibited from leaving the country at any time. This has prevented him from studying abroad and traveling the world.  

“Even though I have this program that somewhat protects me, I still feel restricted. I feel chained up to a system that doesn’t allow me to be completely free.”

He has friends that travel and it makes him feel stuck, or as he says “frozen.”

“I stopped picturing my life in Mexico a long time ago… so it’s scary to think that I may not have the ability to work, get married, have kids,” Jesus continues.

“It’s daunting.”

Now when walking around campus, he starts to worry if he’ll even be able to continue studying at SF State. He also describes that his immigrant and queer identities have been attacked since now President Trump began campaigning. “They might take DACA away from me, but they will never take away my education,” Jesus says confidently.

Although there are several ways to get approved for citizenship here in the U.S., marriage was not an option for 18-year-old, Maya F. Ochoa. Soon after President Trump announced the want to repeal the DACA program, Maya’s lawyer emailed her with the recommendation of getting married soon so she can apply for citizenship.

“I couldn’t believe she told me that because I’m only 18… I shouldn’t be having to think about that,” she says, still stunned.

Maya, a first-year Chinese language major at SF State University, came to the U.S. when she was only five-years-old. Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, Maya, her brother, and mother also came with a visa on an airplane. They first established themselves in Whittier, California and her family continues to live there.

She is the first in her family to go to college.

In a non-marital attempt to get her U.S. citizenship, her father’s sister and her husband have offered to adopt her. However, she refuses because she would then have to change her last name and live with her new legal guardians.

Maya F. Ochoa, 18, Chinese Language Major, SFSU

At times, Maya questions if it is worth it to stay here and she sometimes considers going back but resents the idea of having to start her life over.

“I appreciate that my parents brought us here to have a better life,” Maya says slowly.

“And I’m not going to lie, we are more financially stable here than if we were to stay in Guadalajara, but I still feel trapped.”

Maya, just like Jesus, wishes she could travel and study abroad. With pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Chinese language, one part of learning a foreign language is the ability to use it in its country of origin, but Maya cannot leave the country.

Maya explains the reasons why people from all over the world, not just Latin America, come to the U.S. to escape horrible conditions in their own countries, such as war in the Middle East, government corruption in Venezuela, gangs in El Salvador, and drug cartels in Mexico.

“The government does not understand [these situations],” she said firmly.

“But if the script was flipped, they wouldn’t like to be treated the way they are treating us.”

One idea that Vanessa, Jessica, Jesus, and Maya came up with was the idea of not continuing school. This consideration did not come to their heads because they simply do not want to continue fulfilling the “American Dream,” but because they are not sure that they will be able to. Sure, they can continue and finish school but the same questions these four ask themselves is similar to “what will I be able to do with my degree?” and “will I even be able to find a job because I am an immigrant?”

Though the future of these young dreamers is currently in the state of unknown, they continue to study with the hopes of prospering and growing in this country because the U.S. is the country they call home.

Robert Arriaga, 26, Sociology Major SFSU

City, SFSU

New Students: The Struggle to Acclimate to SF State

After a cold San Francisco summer, San Francisco State is brought back to life at the end of August. Another semester begins as the campus welcomes a new set of faces. As many students rush from one building to another, using their wonted shortcuts to get to their common classrooms, some find themselves in unfamiliar territory. These new students face a new academic standard with new peers and new surroundings. Some settle in quickly while others never gain traction in the flurry of SF State and San Francisco.

SF State eagerly welcomes its new students, but the problems a new student encounters in a new school, and city, are overlooked by the administration and the students themselves.

Alexa Uekert started her freshman year in the fall of 2014. At the ripe age of eighteen, she moved from her home in Chino Hills, a small city found in San Bernardino County, to the 14 floor of the nearly overwhelming Towers at Centennial Square. Her excitement did not radiate like the other freshmen joining her. She toured a few schools during her spring break of her senior year of high school, but quickly had an aversion to SF State once she saw it in person.

“I started crying,” shared Uekert, laughing at her reaction to her first university.

“It wasn’t what I expected, but it was the only California school I got into.”

She already had a game plan in mind for her college career: move away to a school that she loved and graduate within four years.

CollegeBoard reported that from 2008 to 2011 only twelve percent of students graduated with a bachelor’s degree within four years. For Uekert, these statistics were not helping her plan become a reality.

Graphic by Kiana Fillius, via Infogram.com

Her experience at SF State’s orientation did not help calm her nerves either, although that is one of the goals for the event.

“I went to the orientation and was stressed about getting the schedule together. My friend Jake was there and I told him ‘I can’t do this. I’m going to have a panic attack,’” Uekert remembers.

With the help of her friend and another freshman she met at orientation, she started to relax and finish the taxing event on a happier note, although the feeling of uneasiness still lingered.

During her first semester at SF State, it became harder and harder to ignore her lack of a strong mental state. Laurene Domínguez, a clinical counselor at SF State’s Counseling and Psychological Center, encounters many students that struggle with transition to college life. The biggest issues she comes across in her office is anxiety and depression. She explained that the severity of these issues depend on how prepared people are when they start their college career. Without a solid support system, students find themselves struggling to balance their personal lives and their academics.

“It is hard to separate yourself from what’s going on and it can affect your ability to study,” Domínguez explains.

While her mental state weakened, Uekert’s disdain for the school grew stronger. She went into her first semester with an undeclared major, hoping she would eventually be accepted into the impacted nursing program. Her hopes were not high because of the small acceptance rate into the program, initiating a fear that she would not graduate in four years.

In high school, she was heavily active in school events and loved to show school spirit, but once at SF State she struggled to come by that type of atmosphere. She treasured dancing, but was unable to find a dancing team on campus, which pushed her to minor in dance so she would not lose touch with the art she treasured.

Half way through her first semester she visited her boyfriend at his school, Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, and immediately felt at ease.

“It was my ideal picture of college. The people didn’t seem as warm and welcoming at SF State as they did here,” Uekert says.

During her short visit, she experienced the school spirit she sought and found a dance team that reached her expectations. She felt that Grand Canyon University was where she was supposed to be and quickly began to plan her next three and half years at GCU. As the fall semester of 2014 ended, so did Uekert’s relationship with SF State. She moved back home and never returned to the busy campus.

Even though she was relieved to leave school, she went home with her head held low.

“I went through a really hard time when I went home,” shared Uekert.

“I was disappointed in myself.”

She spent her second semester of freshman year taking online classes through GCU and taking her mother to appointments for chemotherapy.

Three months later, Teresa Hernandez entered the SF State campus to begin her freshman year for the fall 2015 semester. After moving from wine and barbecue rich Santa Maria, California, the university’s environment overwhelmed eighteen-year-old Hernandez.

“I did not know what to expect and I had trouble making friends during my freshmen year,” Hernandez says.

Unlike her, Hernandez’s roommate attended SF State with her two best friends, causing Hernandez to feel lonelier.

Majoring in business, she struggled through her freshman year, but continued to push through with help of her family.

“I probably wouldn’t be here without my family’s support,” Hernandez says, who kept in constant contact with her family during her first year at SF State.

 

Teresa Hernandez (Right), with her friend Liliana Chavez

As her sophomore year rolled around, she finally found a sense of belonging in her new sorority. Phi Gamma Chi introduced her to a group of girls that quickly became her best friends and helped her grow more comfortable with the school. While Hernandez struggled with the campus, she never had any complaints about the city. San Francisco made it easier for her to make friends and invite people to different places for a fun day or night.  

Hernandez still attends SF State, finally enjoying her life on and off campus. The third-year considers the sisters in her sorority as her second family. Looking back on her freshmen year, she wishes SF State offered a few more welcome days that were not as intimidating as the ones they hold.

Now twenty-one-years-old, Uekert is excited to graduate from GCU in the spring of next year, allowing her to stay on schedule with her four-year-plan.

“I still love the city.” shared Uekert, explaining that San Francisco itself was not a reason she left.

Like Hernandez, she wishes SF State would offer ways for students who do not live in San Francisco to get connected on campus because that was her largest problem while she was there.

San Francisco solaced Uekert and Hernandez, but it did not affect every student in that way. The city is a distraction, causing some students to lose their academic focus. Jason Jacobson, the director of undergraduate advising center, calls San Francisco a double-edged sword.

“SF is an amazing city with a lot to do. It is really exciting and can pull students from their studies,” Jacobson explains.

Although he understands the distractions of the city, he also understands that the city offers several opportunities for students to supplement their academic learning. He urges students to find the balance of fun and responsibility through the help of resources available on SF State’s campus.

A feeling of disconnect can lead to loneliness for new students, which can also lead to more serious issues. While mental health plays a large role in a student’s decision to leave, struggling with the fast pace of college can discourage students from moving forward with their academics.

If SF State students are struggling with their mental health, they can reach out to the Counseling and Psychological Services in room 208 of the Student Services Building. Students who are facing difficulties with their studies can seek help at the Undergraduate Advising Center in room 211 of the Administration building.