February 2004 Archives

As 19-year-old Jeanne Ann Clery slept peacefully in her Pennsylvania Lehigh University dormitory her killer awaited in the shadows. After being tortured, raped, sodomized and murdered Clery’s lifeless body lay in a darkened dorm until PLU’s campus police arrived on the scene at the break of dawn of April 5, 1986. “Our daughter died because of what she did not know, and we don’t want this to happen to other students," Jeanne Ann Clery’s parents said on their Security on Campus Inc. website.
Sadly had Clery known of the 38 crimes previously reported to PLU’s campus police that semester, and the 181 reports to the administration of propped-open doors in her dormitory she might still be alive. However, Clery’s parents Connie and Howard, made certain that their daughter’s death was not in vain. Thanks to the Clery’s extraordinary efforts Congress passed the Clery Act in 1990 which states, “…schools must disclose crime statistics for the campus in unobstructed public areas." If campuses do not follow the Clery Act they can be fined up to $25,000.
It is the Clery Act that permitted the SF State Campus Police to distribute flyers and other information to students about the recent attempted strong-arm robbery that took place in the lower level of parking garage 20 at
9:58 A.M. on Feb. 11. “I’m so glad that this type of information is made available. It is my right to know about the crimes that happen here on campus,” Christina Wong a SF State student said. “I feel a little safer knowing that this information is out there. It’s just so sad that someone had to die for the act to become law.”
The Clery Act states “…all schools in the United States have to publish an annual report every year by October 1st that contains 3 years worth of campus crime statistics and certain security policy statements including sexual assault policies which assure basic victims’ rights, the law enforcement authority of campus police and where students should go to report crimes." Additionally, the Clery Act requires universities to report statistics in seven categories including murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, vehicle theft, and arson.
Now thanks to the mandatory release of SF State's Campus Security Report, newspapers like The Golden Gate Xpress have access to all crimes committed on campus. Therefore The Xpress can accurately report assaults like Feb. 11 attempted strong-arm robbery of a graduating female. "It’s good to know that the paper is covering the robbery. But I really believe it would be beneficial for everyone on campus if there were cameras around the parking garages and also in public places,” Rick Booth administrative assistant for Student Services said. “We need to catch these people on camera so they can be brought to justice.”
In order to bring justice to light, a drawing of the suspect was completed by the victim and sketch artist Officer Joe Lynch, of the S.F.P.D., and is now posted all over campus. “If you think this kind of crime can’t happen to you, you had better think again,” Officer Lynch said. “I recommend that you should always travel in pairs, and make sure you keep your cell phone will you at all times. Have the campus police programmed into your cell phone. If a student wants to reach the SFSU Campus Police directly they need to dial 415-338-7200. If anyone on campus sees anything suspicious, they are advised to immediately report it to the Department of Public Safety at 415-338-2222.
In order to minimize the chance of another crime occurring in the parking garages, more officers will be patrolling the area. “We are increasing the patrols in the parking garages. That means that the frequency of the officers patrolling the structures will rise,” Senior Sergeant Jennifer Schwartz of SF State's Campus Police’s Operations Division said. “The officers will be either be traveling in the parking garages on foot, in cars or on bikes because we take crime very seriously.”
Numerous other campus organizations take crime just as seriously, and are willing to go to any lengths to protect and inform the more than 27,000 students enrolled at State. Nina Jo Smith the coordinator of The S.A.F.E Place (Sexual Abuse Free Environment) is concerned for the welfare of all students. "We are trying to build a culture of awareness here on campus. People need a place to go when they are hurting," Smith said. Our program focuses 90 percent on prevention education, and 10 percent on crisis counseling referrals on and off campus."
Unfortunately state budget cuts could affect The S.A.F.E Place, but not if students vote for fee increases on March 2nd. "We are encouraging students to vote for their needs, but it is hard to ask for the extra money," Smith said. "Currently we are sponsoring a free self defense class on March 18 from 7-9 p.m. in Centennial Village.
Lieutenant Amalia “Molly” Boria, who works closely with Smith, is also committed to keeping people safe. Boria of the Department of Public Safety is the S.A.R.T. (Sexual Assault Response Team) leader, and educates students about how to prevent sexual assault from occurring. In order to avoid putting yourself in a dangerous situation Boria suggests that students, “…walk with their heads up, and walk with confidence. You could even wear military-style t-shirts to keep people from bothering you. Boria also recommends, “If you are going to use pepper spray make sure you know how to use it. It would be a shame if the perpetrator got a hold of it and used it on the victim.”
Another excellent source to turn to in times of emotional need is The Counseling and Psychological Service Center in room 208 of the Student Services Building. “We see thousands of students every year, and have a waiting list by the middle of the semester,” Associate Clinic Director of the service center Willie Mullins said. “We want to help people when they first experience a trauma so we can get at the core issues."
Besides offering 10 free 45-minute sessions per academic semester, the center also puts on workshops around campus with the help of the judicial affairs office and the campus police. “We teach people how to respond properly to hostile behavior, and we will put a workshop together for anyone who asks," Mullins said.
In the event that a student needs after hours care or has an emergency, there are 11 hospitals/clinics in San Francisco County available. Of these 11 organizations four have sliding scale fees, and two offer free/donation services. Both The Women’s Community Clinic at 2166 Hayes St. and The Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic at 558 Clayton St. are free for students. Additionally C.A.R.E. (Campus Alliance for a Risk Free Environment) escorts are available free of charge at 415-338-7200.
Today the admitted alcoholic and drug addict who took Clery’s life is facing his own shadow of death in a Pennsylvania state prison, and has confessed to the crime. He said he knowingly committed murder and serves to die. Although we cannot bring back Jeanne Ann Clery, we can begin to appreciate how her life is still shaping ours. We can also let her memory live on in the name of knowledge, protection and safety.

Many students and faculty were scrambling to find an open bathroom or working water fountain in the Humanities building today after 10:30 a.m.

Mary Park Hall residents who did not hear a 10 a.m. intercom announcement may have found themselves waterless.

A water pipe at 800 Font Boulevard broke today around 10 a.m., said Mike Curran, customer service supervisor for Facilities and Service Enterprises.
The office of the dean of Humanities said no one informed them prior to bathrooms being locked without signs.

“As far as I knew, we (Humanities) did not know anything about it,” said Thomas Guynes of the dean of humanities' office.

“All the girls were rushing to shower,” said Amy Thornton, who lives in Mary Park Hall.

Thornton, 18, a psychology major, said a voice over the intercom told everyone in the building they had 20 minutes before the water was shut off.

On the second floor of the Humanities building, Nya Gill, communications student, found herself in front of a locked bathroom door with no closed sign on it.

“As a student here I should not have to leave a building to use the bathroom,” Gill said, "especially when I’m hungry and I have class in 20 minutes.” All of Gill's classes take place in the Humanities building.

Kathy Dalheim, administrative support for the Humanities mail room, said she also fielded calls and directed lost individuals.

“I called the Planning Office and they said it was a big water problem,” Dalheim said.

Mary Park Hall resident Rose Kleiner, 18, said she woke up to the intercom.

“I wish you could just smell our collective breath right now,” Kleiner said, smoking with two friends outside Mary Park Hall.

“I had to wake up to the intercom saying there was no water.
And it was definitely worse than my alarm clock,” she said.

Around 2 p.m., six construction workers from SF State Planning Office and an off-campus plumber from Ledda Plumbing drained a five-foot ditch, but did not reach the broken water pipe.

Evan Christensen of Plant Operations said broken pipes are routine. A pipe broke in the administration building last Tuesday and three weeks prior, a pipe broke in the plant operations building.

At 3:50 p.m., Alex Davidson, Mary Park Hall receptionist, said water in Mary Park Ward was shut off.

Davidson said he received about 15 phone calls in five hours regarding discolored water or no water at all.

Additional reporting by Morgan Duffin

The budget scare is on everyone’s mind, but a small team at SF State’s Office of University Development is focused more on raising money than worrying about how to survive with less.

The development office is constantly raising private dollars for SF State, and by focusing on alumni, friends of the university, corporations and foundations, they raised $14.5 million during 2002-2003.

Most of the money -- approximately 97 percent -- is distributed according to the donor’s wishes. Last year, this translated to $8.8 million, or 61 percent, being spent on the library and academic and athletic programs.

Those at the development office are not working to replace the loss of state dollars but to provide benefits that would not be possible any other way. They are ensuring the integrity of some student's education will remain intact.

“What we’re trying to do is build the strength of the institution beyond what the State can provide,” said Jim Collier, vice president of University Advancement.
Donors frequently request that their money be used to set up a scholarship in their name, or the name of a loved one, and be awarded to an outstanding student in the field where they would like to see further development, said Carole Hayashino, associate vice president of University Advancement and Development.

Contribution in kind is also a common type of donation. This is when an individual or a company gives equipment that can be of use in a particular department, such as an electron microscope in the science department, said Dean Sheldon Axler of the College of Science and Engineering.

Gifts are usually designated for a specific college, or department. The needs of each college within the university are unique. Therefore, collaboration between each college and the office of development is a key part of the fundraising process, Hayashino said.

Tomas Almaguer, dean of the College of Ethnic Studies, said they do an assessment of what is needed in terms of additional resources to move the college forward and collaborate with the development office to try and make that happen. He cited the desire to generate enough money to hire a full-time faculty member as an endowed chair, with the person’s salary and research paid for.

“It is a way of recruiting a very stellar person of national or international renown…it’s an enriching sort of thing,” Almaguer said.

Each college dean develops a method of determining needs that require outside funding. For example, Axler holds weekly meetings with a team created for this specific purpose. The team focuses on fine-tuning the needs expressed by each department chair; they figure out exactly whom they should ask for donations and where they should put the gifts once received; and they meet with past donors to cultivate their relationships.

The fundraising efforts require constant work. Fundraisers are constantly in various stages of the process. At one moment they will be working with a variety of donors, while working simultaneously at all their designated stages of fundraising, Hayashino said.

The fundraising process within the office of university development begins with research, which enables them to identify potential gift givers. At this stage, fundraisers determine the donors projected wealth and level of interest with the university, Collier said.
Fundraisers then contact the potential donor and begin cultivating the relationship by involving them in events, advisory boards, taking them to lunch. The key is to show them enough about SF State that they develop greater interest, and thus, a desire to help out.

Fundraisers then ask if they might be interested in investing with SF State and reading a proposal letter. Collier said this stage frequently goes on for quite some time.

Potential donors then meet with fundraisers to discuss the proposal; for the most part, this is when the amount of money being requested is revealed. Donors usually give their gifts during this meeting and the money is then deposited into the account of the SFSU Foundation, which distributes the money, Collier said.

The final stage of fundraising is the cultivation of the relationships with the donors. Collier said the Office of University Development lets donors know exactly how their money was used and the amount of interest it gained. They invite donors to events, and scholarship recipients write letters of appreciation for the contribution to their education.

Many factors contribute to the amount people, corporations, and foundations can donate. Hayashino said staffing levels and creativity contribute to the amount of money that is raised, but there are also factors outside of fundraisers control, such as the economy. The fact that SF State is in an urban environment with many other universities surrounding it also affects the amount of money the office of development can raise.

During the fiscal year of 2002-2003 in which SF State raised $14.5 million, San Diego State raised $60.9 million, a January 22 California State University press release revealed.

Collier said this is partly due to the fact that San Diego State has been fundraising for a long time and fundraising for SF State is relatively new. The amount of money raised depends on the amount of time spent in the business of aggressively raising money, he said.

The culture of the university and the surrounding community is another factor that determines the amount of money that can be raised. San Diego State has a football team that generates a lot of support, and they also have a public radio station. They have branched out into the community in ways that SF State has not, Hayashino said.

Nancy Smith, assistant of the vice president of San Diego State's Office of University Advancement, said San Diego State has been active in fundraising since the mid-1980s.

In 1996, when Collier first stepped onto the scene and reorganized the Office of University Development, SF State only raised $3 million, he said. Hayashino said SF State’s development office has steadily increased the amount of money raised since then.

Despite the high number of colleges in the Bay Area, not all people with close ties to other universities decide it is not worthwhile to give to SF State.

One donor, who wishes to remain anonymous and gave $1,000 or more last year, donates to the department of Judaic Studies at SF State even though she is on the Advisory Board of Judaic Studies at Stanford University.

“Stanford is doing well,” she said, “I felt the need was greater at San Francisco State.”

Monica Airo could not get into the classes she needs this semester. She's not alone. With fees consistently rising, Airo is one of many SF State students who are running out of money and running towards debt.

“They’re cutting classes all across the board, and I know of people who take six or seven years to get through a year and a half program,” said Airo, a graduate student in the Behavioral and Social Science class and is a college representative for Associated Students.

She’s frustrated that though fees have increased, the availability of course sections are fewer and fewer. Many forces seem to working against SF State students such as Airo, and, in turn, they've began to voice their concerns about the changing dynamics of overcrowded classrooms, course curriculums, and the inability to get the credits necessary for graduation.

“I understand the frustration that students must be feeling,” said John Gemello, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at SF State. He explained that the money being cut from the university’s budget by the state is proportionally much higher than the increase in fees being presented to students. This, he said, explains why the school is forced to hire fewer teachers, cut classes, and accept a substantial amount of fewer students in the following semesters.

It is also true that all college departments are subject to the strain in finances. There is a specific student-to-faculty ratio in each college that determines how much is cut from their individual budgets, Gemello said. The school gives the different colleges their budget and the dean then decides how to distribute it within the department, he said.

As for students not being able to get the classes needed to graduate on time, Gemello emphasized the importance of student and advisor relationships. He said he wants students to get an advisor earlier to map out their careers.
This is something Gemello and his staff will continue to work on this year, he said. SF State administration wants to make tentative schedules for future years more available to students.

“If courses are going to be available only once over two years, we need to let students know,” Gemello said.

Since the 2002-2003 school year, 194 class sections have been cancelled from the schedule, and the cuts will potentially continue. If passed, Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposed state budget pushes California State University schools further into their state of financial disparity, said Gemello.

On March 2, students are being urged by the administration to vote on a referendum proposing a fee increase in specific areas to maintain student services. If the referendum does not pass, an additional 575 classes could be cut. The referendum asks students to pay an additional $138 to maintain key departments -- $75 for academic instruction, $33 for athletics and recreation, $14 for the Career Center, and $16 for Student Health/Counseling and Psychological Services.

Despite the money that students may have to pay in the following semester, however, there is a guarantee that classes will continue to be cut, said Gemello.

“If the referendum passes, we thought we’d be able to offer the same number of classes, but that is subject to the state budget and that’s what is going to cause the problem,” he said.

The proposal for CSU budget cuts from the state first goes to Chancellor Charles Reed’s office and then comes to the individual campuses; but even if the referendum passes, SF State will still have over $10 million in reductions to face the following year, Gemello said. If the referendum does not pass, that reduction will be around $13 million.

“Most people are feeling that [Gov. Schwarzenegger’s] proposed budget is the best that CSU will be able to get,” said Gemello, who realizes that the balancing of the state budget expands beyond higher education.

Chris Jackson, of the Associated Students Inc., has seen the changing dynamic of the classroom since the budget cuts. “I pretty much support every referendum on the plate,” he said on his way to crash a Women’s Studies class.

Jackson, a sophomore who’s majoring in Speech and Communications, said the over-populating of his speech classes has forced professors to switch assignments from essays expressing students’ points of view to multiple choice question tests.

In the Issues of Free Speech class, Prof. Joe Tuman accepted 70 students in a class that usually holds 40, said Jackson.

“Professors are letting more students in because [students] are having a hard time getting the classes they need to graduate, but it’s a good thing. As long as you’re in the classroom and getting the information one way or another,” he said.

Although there has been a slight shift in curriculum and less intimate classroom settings, Jackson appreciates the fact that professors are accepting more students.

“It’s really crucial that we thank professors at [SF] State who are accepting more students,” he said, adding that he knows of many friends and fellow students that need to get their 12 units fulfilled in order to receive financial aid.

“In these really harsh times, I don’t want to see our services cut,” he said. “Students will pay a little bit more so the quality of education will stay the same.”

Meredith Thomas, a second semester graduate student in the special majors program, is concerned with the school’s budget cuts for reasons other than the additional money.
Thomas’ interdisciplinary degree in Environmental Business Relations is not affiliated with the university’s regular departments, and the school does not receive additional funding for special major students.

The special major’s program is offered to students who have unique academic goals that cannot be attained through the regularly offered major programs at SF State or other Bay Area campuses, according to the SF State’s University Bulletin. Further, the Bulletin also states that budget restrictions by the State of California may close off acceptance of new students in these programs at any time without prior notice.

This worries Thomas. It would be devastating if her program were closed, she said.

“In terms of the cost of this school, the big issue for me is that I’m at SF State getting a Masters because of the special major program, and my concern is that I wouldn’t have come to this university had I known the program wasn’t available,” Thomas said, “It was very alarming that it would be closed because of the budget and the way funding is designated—that’s the way [the budget cuts are] effecting me.”

Professors at SF State also understand the pressure students are facing in terms of graduating on time and getting the classes they need.

Joel Schechter, chair of the Theater Arts Department, tries to help out students in as many ways as he knows possible. For example, Schecter puts books on reserve in the library for those who can’t afford to buy them.

“One of my classes is very crowded, and I gather students have had difficulty getting other classes,” said Schechter. “As many students as we have, I wish we could fit more chairs into the room.”

He admits that the classroom environment has suffered in light of the impact on classes.

“It’s much harder to have personal contact with students in a large class,” said Schechter. “I try to have discussions with students about the plays, but it becomes more difficult to have a free-flowing discussion when class becomes too large."

Two men were rescued at Ocean Beach today after a boat capsized, but one person is still missing, officials say. The U.S. Coast Guard received an emergency call at 2:15 p.m. after a 20-foot single-sail boat capsized in the ocean spitting three people into the chilling water.

According to the SF Fire Department, the rescued men suffered from hypothermia and were transported into UC hospital but released in a good condition.

The search team was called off shortly after sunset because “it is too dark,” the fire department says, but it will resume their rescue efforts in the morning.

Monday, Feb. 9

7:31 a.m. Vandalism
The Ethnic Studies sign in front of the Psychology Building was torn off.

Tuesday, Feb. 10

12:44 p.m. Stolen vehicle
A blue Toyota pickup truck was stolen from Lot 20. The vehicle has not been recovered.

1:53 p.m. Disturbing the peace
A group of juveniles, talking loudly, threw a chair down a set of stairs in Burk Hall. They were gone when officers arrived.

3:14 p.m. Skateboarding
Two men were reported to be skating in the flower beds by the HSS Building on 19th Avenue. They were gone when officers arrived.

5:34 p.m. Vandalism/Hate incident
Racist graffiti was written inside a Burk Hall elevator. The graffiti was to be cleaned up by Plant Operations. University police are not investigating.

Wednesday, Feb. 11

9:40 a.m. Negligent burning
University Police extinguished a fully involved dumpster fire, with flames three feet tall, that began after hot glass was placed on top of garbage in a trash bin near the rear of the Fine Arts Building. Nothing outside the trash bin was damaged, authorities said.

10:02 a.m. Robbery
An unidentified man attacked a female student as she was walking out of Lot 20. He grabbed her neck and demanded she give him all of her money. She refused and got out of his hold. He then headed into the parking structure. Police were unable to locate the man.

12:38 p.m. Petty Theft
A student’s unattended purse was stolen from the Psychology Building. Loss: $223.

1:03 p.m. Suspicious circumstances
A Mary Park Hall resident reported that there was a nonresident in his room and he didn’t want the person there. The person was gone when officers arrived.

4:49 p.m. Traffic Accident
A two-car collision sent Christina Lam, 24, to the hospital for possible neck injuries, after one vehicle rear-ended the other near the intersection of Lake
Merced Boulevard and State Drive. No one was cited.

6:46 p.m. Auto burglary
A student’s vehicle was broken in to near the intersection of 19th Avenue
and Denslowe Drive. Loss: $451.

9:00 p.m. Hazard investigation
Two drops of blood were found in a Burk Hall elevator and were cleaned up by Environmental Health and Occupational Safety.

Thursday, Feb. 12

11:01 a.m. Grand theft
A backpack was stolen after a woman left it unattended in the Psychology Building. Loss: $590.

3 p.m. Informational
Two juveniles riding a motorized scooter near the Cesar Chavez Student Center were advised by University Police. Driving or parking on public grounds is illegal, according to vehicle code 21113.

6:47 p.m. Petty theft
A student’s purse was stolen after it was left unattended in the Fine Arts Building. Loss: $117.

7:35 p.m. Robbery
Yew Chan, 27, was robbed by three juvenile males as he was walking on Buckingham Way near 19th Avenue. The young men, who were walking behind him, approached him and demanded his money, authorities said. When Chan refused, one of the juveniles hit him in the back of the neck. Chan fell down, and then gave them his wallet. A witness, working with Stonestown Security, pointed out one of the juveniles to arriving SFPD officers. The two other suspects have been identified, and SFPD is working on this case. Loss: $350.

Friday, Feb. 13

10:57 p.m. Outside agency assist
University police were advised by Daly City Police to be on the lookout for a mentally ill woman, known to be schizophrenic, after she called DCPD and reported seeing a red box on the roadside of Hwy. 35 containing a bloody baby. The red box has not been found.

Saturday, Feb. 14

12:57 a.m. Public Intoxication
An intoxicated non-student loitering around Mary Ward Hall was taken to the hospital for medical assistance.

5:45 p.m. Medical assistance
A student cheerleader was taken to the hospital after getting hurt during class in the Gymnasium Building. Her status is unknown, authorities said.

8:26 p.m. Suspicious circumstances
A suspicious envelope, thought to contain marijuana, was received at the front desk in Mary Ward Hall. Officers determined that a hat was inside the package.

Slightly less than half of the freshman students who attended SF State last fall were proficient in reading and writing, while 43.3 percent needed remediation in math, California State University officials announced late last month.

The system wide proficiency for CSU remained steady, with 46.7 percent freshmen needing remediation in math and 51.8 percent were in need of remedial English.

The Board of Trustees 2004 mid-point goal called for a math proficiency of 74 percent and an English proficiency of 78 percent. While last fall’s numbers came up well short of the goal, the trustees are still pushing for the 2007 goal of a 90 percent proficiency level in both subjects.

It’s estimated that the CSU spends $10 million annually on remediation. A cost the trustees have been trying to cut by preparing students earlier for college level work.

At SF State, there are three programs designed to help Bay Area middle school and high school students get the proper preparation for their future collegiate career.

“The job was lets get them earlier, lets go help, but not be disrespectful to the teachers by saying we how do this and you don’t,” said Brett Smith, director of the Undergraduate Counseling Center.

The Pre-Collegiate Academic Development Program (PAD) and Collaborative Academic Preparation Initiative (CAPI) were funded through CSU, while the University and College Attendance Network (U-CAN) was funded by SF State. Due to the budget cuts, the latter program has been suspended indefinitely and the former two have been phased out in favor of the Early Assessment Program, which includes an augmented California Standards Test in English and math.

The test will be optional for 11th grade students, but is highly recommended for those who are planning to enroll in college, since the scores to the augmented tests results will be available each August, allowing students to know whether they are exempt from taking the CSU English Placement Test and Entry Level Mathematics Exam.

This way, students who fail the test will be able to take the appropriate classes during their senior year to prepare for the CSU placement tests.

“The intent is lets see if we can’t bridge this gap early on and make sure the students don’t actually need to remediate,” Smith said. “We were doing some early testing, but it wasn’t to the level this supposed to be."

The low proficiency percentages can be disheartening at first glance, but it's still an improvement. Over the last five years, the need to remediate students in math has dropped 16.7 percent and 2.3 percent in English.

“I think this is a very positive sign,” said Jo Volkert, SF State's associate vice president for Enrollment Planning and Management.

In addition, there was also a 3 percent increase of first-time freshmen enrolled who needed remediation and then went on to gain full proficiency before their second year. In fall of 2000, 81 percent of remediation students accomplished this, by fall of 2002 the number rose to 83 percent.

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, Professor Amy Sueyoshi asked her students: “What does it mean to be white in America?”

In an instant, half a dozen hands rose quickly. One student, who is white, said that being white is vague and unclear; another student, who is African American, said that for non-whites who have suffered at the hands of white culture, the idea of whiteness is very clear.

The class, “Making Whites: Race-making in America,” offered for the first time by the College of Ethnic Studies at SF State, examines the historical, political, and social implications of whiteness in the United States.

The study of whiteness takes a look at the racial status of being white and the privileges that it entails.

In the past 15 years, whiteness has become a significant area of study in ethnic studies departments across the nation.

“This class will look at the social construction of whiteness and the evolution of white,” said Sueyoshi. “Scholars of whiteness studies try to show how whiteness is still a form of inequality.”

Tomas Almaguer, professor and dean of the College of Ethnic Studies, brought the class to SF State, hoping that it will give students a thorough understanding of the complexity of the meaning of race in this country.

"The College of Ethinic Studies has a responsibility to look very carefully at issues of race in the United States and that means not just looking at issues of people of color, but also of white people in this country,” said Almaguer.

Sueyoshi, who is Japanese-American, points out that scholars of whiteness analyze and critique the historical treatment of non-whites, as well as the idea of white privilege that continues to exist in America. Slavery and civil rights are among the topics that will be discussed in her class.

“There are opponents and allies of whiteness studies but I think it is important to offer this type of course in such a diverse campus,” said Sueyoshi.

Almaguer points out that there is nothing accidental about the inequalities that non-whites face today.

“Scholars of whiteness try to show how the crystallization of whiteness came into being and what are the advantages and gains that have gone to people who have been classified as white,” he said.

Almaguer explains that in the late 1800’s, Mexicans in California where granted honorary white status when it came to census counts, marriage certificates, and birth certificates.

“Now we think of Latinos as people of color and are re-classified as non-whites. There is a very strange system of racial categories and boxes and that changes through time,” he said.

Throughout history, Almaguer said, Italians, Jewish, Irish, and other ethnic groups were seen historically at different moments as non-whites, even classified as black in some cases. That has changed over time.

The fluidity of race is at the core of the class, which is made up of about 35 students from various ethnic backgrounds. Sueyoshi admits that with so many opinions coming from all walks of life, trying to define what it means to be white is a challenge for the class. Its definition, she said, are constantly changing.

“The ugliness of white is something to examine,” Sueyoshi tells her class.

What Sueyoshi means is that whiteness has been a tool for social injustice. For example, the Naturalization Act of 1790 stated that only free white people could become citizens of the United States. Denying non-whites the right to vote and the lynchings of non-whites were actions done in the name of white, Sueyoshi said.

Yet, in the same breath, she tells her students that the class is a study of anti-racism.

“Most of the people who write about whiteness are not white supremists but hardcore lefties who criticize whiteness,” Sueyoshi said.

Jay Bramlett, 35, a graduate student in history, does not get offended. He realizes that the legacy of whiteness is one that needs to be discussed among the white students.

"The class is a great lesson in 20th century history. I am interested in the impact of racism and the artificial lines that racism creates," he said.

Jose Rodaz, 26, who is new to San Francisco, said that he was unaware that the SF State campus was so diverse.

“Coming from a town like Modesto where there is a heavy Mexican population, I never realized how much I was missing out on other cultures,” said Rodaz, a senior majoring in sociology. “I took this class to understand why white is such a divine given power.”

The class will examine the construction of white when immigrants first arrived to America from Europe and other parts of the world. For example, Did Irish and Italian immigrants arrive white or did they become white? Students will also get a chance to study white laborers and the higher wages of white workers from colonial times to the present.

Sara Pinsky, 20, who is majoring in history, is finding that the class might be a little different than what she expected.

"I'm finding that it is more of an ethics class and it is somewhat abstract, but I am getting a better sense of what whiteness is," she said.

Sueyoshi hopes to discuss pop culture in America and even the whiteness of male physique in muscle magazines and television.

“I want white students to learn that although they may have never realized it, there is white privilege and that oppression still exists. But this class is about hope and that is what I want my students to take with them,” she said.

“I think it’s important to understand the issues of privilege and visibility of being white,” said Nancy Vue, 24, who's getting her master’s in ethnic studies. “I want to learn how to talk about the issues of racism.”

Being white in America is not so cut and dry for Sam Kruger, a sociology student. Kruger, who is 28, said he is very aware of the white system he belongs to.

He said, “I want to study the privilege and benefits I accrue from being white and perhaps by understanding it more, I can help change the world."

Hidden on the fifth floor of the Humanities building is the Center for Modern Greek Studies, which offers a 2,000-book strong library, a bi-annual newsletter, and an onslaught of community involvement and support.

The Center for Modern Greek Studies is currently applying for the creation of an interdisciplinary minor program, having submitted a proposal that two separate committees will review.

“This is a standard process, every new program goes through the same review,” said Martha Klironomos, director of the center since 1996 and procurer of the goal to expand the center and receive program status from the university.

The first committee to review a proposal is in the college that the applying program is a part of, the College of Humanities in this case. The university also has its own general curriculum review committee, composed of Academic Senate members who will make the final decision based on university wide criteria. The criteria is set by the Academic Policies Committee.

As of now, the Center and all its endeavors, from clerical to classes, are entirely privately funded. The endowment, close to $500,000, supports the activities of the center with just the account interest alone.

Angelo Tsakopolulos established an “endowed chair” named the Nikos Kazantzakis chair, in 1981. At the time it was established, this kind of chair was the second of its kind in the country, behind a previous one created at Harvard, said Klironomos.

In the same year, a non-profit organization, the Modern Greek Studies Foundation, was established. This group helps to raise funds needed to keep the center and the curriculum going. The foundation is governed by a 36-member board of directors.

In addition, the center's connection to the community runs deeper. They sponsor and promote lectures, including some scheduled for April 2004.

Another coming event the center is excited to promote -- one that serves as a fundraiser and a community gathering -- will be a Greek film festival in San Francisco. Already an annual staple on the East Coast, the film festival has not been to San Francisco for over a decade.

Furthermore, the center is working on a project collecting the oral histories of first- to third-generation Greek Americans in the Bay Area.

“One of the major goals is to have the students keep in touch with their heritage, working to preserve the language, literature, and the history…like any ethnic studies program we share the same goals,” Klironomous said, adding that Greek nationality is the "most underrepresented heritage in the U.S."

She continued, "We want to serve the community. It is a culturally marginalized European culture. People tend to know more about French culture, British, or German culture."

If the minor program is approved, it would be one of two Greek Studies programs on the West Coast, on top of a minor program recently established at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles.

“It opened my eyes and allowed me to see how you can find a connection to culture thru language," said 23-year-old Maria Kankazis, a graduating senior who's studying speech communications major. She's a Greek American who's been active in the center's outreach. "I feel like the language would have otherwise slipped away completely."

Kankazis explains how many students are in her same position. “I have taken all the classes, so if they approve the program I would have a minor," she said.

If the submitted proposal is denied, the center will ask the review committees for suggestions to help them form another proposal.

An attempted robbery-turned-assault on an SF State student occurred Feb. 11 on the first floor near the elevator of the lot 20 parking garage. Campus police were dispatched onto the scene at 9:58 a.m.

Victim Julyette Moreno was waiting for the elevator when a tall, dark-haired male in his mid-20s standing nearby asked her what time it was. When he asked her to repeat what she said, she moved closer to him to show him her watch.

“That’s when he grabbed me by my sweater collar and slammed me up against the wall of the elevator,” Moreno said.

Moreno, 32, of Felton, felt fear for her life when the suspect pulled his black Oakland Raiders skullcap over his face and demanded that she give him money while he pinned her to the wall. As she struggled to free herself, he smacked her across the face multiple times and continued to demand her money.

“Thank God I had my purse in my backpack,” said Moreno. “I usually carry it on my shoulder; I told him that I didn’t have any money while I struggled to get out of his grip. Somehow, he finally let go of me and escaped through the parking garage."

Baffled, Moreno stood by the elevator momentarily to collect her thoughts. She then headed for the Student Services building, where both the San Francisco Police Department and Public Safety were notified of the incident.

SF State reporting officer Todd Iriyama took notes on Moreno’s attack and sent out a crime alert to the SFPD. He then escorted her to class.

“The SFPD was notified of the incident, but did not respond at the time,” said SF State Public Safety officer, Freddie Sandoval. “Security has been alerted and now heightened in the Park Merced area, as well as in the Stonestown shopping center,” he said.

According to SF State’s Campus Security Report (CSR), assaults occurring on SF State property only account for approximately 2 percent of all campus crimes.

In the past three years, burglary leads the pack with an astounding average of 74 percent of all crimes committed on campus.

Moreno wears a Pentacle, a five-pointed star around her neck for protection, but had forgotten to wear it the day of the attack.

“I never take it off,” she said. “I had taken it off last week to clean it and forgot to put it back on. That’s the last time that will happen."

Moreno, who was whiplashed from the attack, was still in shock several hours after the incident. She said that she couldn’t go anywhere without thinking that she saw him, or at least someone who looked a lot like him.

According to Moreno, the suspect was approximately 6 feet tall, with dark brown hair, dark skin and dark eyes, possibly of Latino or Filipino background. He was last seen wearing a black hooded pull over sweater, dark, baggy jeans, and a black knit Oakland Raiders skull cap.

Anyone who thinks that they have information leading to the suspect’s location is encouraged to call the SF State Department of Public Safety at 338-7200, or the anonymous tip line at 338-3030.

SF State Public Safety also urges students to take caution of suspicious activity, especially when alone, and/or in a badly lit area. Traveling in pairs is strongly encouraged. C.A.R.E (Campus Alliance for a Risk-Free Environment) escorts are available for students in need of assistance in reaching their destination either on or near campus, when conditions are potentially unsafe to walk alone. The service can also be reached by calling the SF State Department of Public Safety.

Editor's Note: campus safety is a close personal friend of Julyette Moreno, and both are Xpress staff writers.

Proposition 56, a measure that will change California’s budget process, is still unknown to many SF State students who'll be voting on March 2.

The most controversial amendments in this proposition will prohibit the Legislature and Gov. Schwarzenegger from receiving their salaries when the budget is late and will lower the number of votes required to pass budget-related bills, including tax increase measures, from two-thirds (67 percent) to 55 percent.

While supporters of Prop. 56 say the purpose of it is to make legislators pass a budget on time -- which includes the money allocated to CSUs -- detractors are saying that reducing the vote threshold is just a way to make it easier for legislators to raise taxes.

The measure, which is called by its supporters as “the budget accountability act,” was initiated by a coalition of more than 200 organizations, including the California Faculty Association, to which some SF State faculty belong.

“For 16 years the budget hasn’t been on time,” said California Faculty Association’s Political Action and Legislative Chair Eloise McQuown. “A late budget affects every single thing on campus. The professors don’t get paid on time and we have to borrow money to pay our contract vendors."

When the budget is finally passed, SF State has to pay not only for that debt but also for its interest, which means there will be less money available to be spent on the school, McQuown explained.

During the past years, the budget has usually been late an average of 10 days every year, according to statistics provided by Corey Cook, a political science professor at SF State. However, 67 days late last year. Supporters of Prop. 56 say the measure would end this problem.

But opponents of the initiative, including the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Tax Payers’ Associations, say the measure “pretends to discipline Sacramento politicians,” but it will actually just make it easier for the legislature to increase taxes without bipartisan consensus.

“This is a measure that would open the door to higher taxes,” said Nick DeLuca, communications director for the "No on 56" campaign. In this past legislative session alone, state politicians proposed more than 10 different tax and fee increases, he said. “With only 55 percent of votes needed it will be much easier to make them happen.”

“Both sides are trying to scare voters and none of them are talking about the real issue,” said Cook, after giving a lecture on Prop. 56 to his California Government and Politics class. “Prop. 56 is all about making it easier to plan the budget, allowing the majority party to make decisions without the Republican Party.”

With the Assembly consisting of 48 Democrats and 32 Republicans, if the proposition passes, Democrats could pass a bill without a single Republican vote, but Gov. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, would still have to sign it.

“If Prop. 56 can make it easier to raise taxes it can also make it easier to cut taxes,” said Cook.

Except for California, all other large states in the country have a 55 percent, if not a 50 percent, requirement of votes in the Legislature to pass bills related to budget and taxes, he said.

Rhode Island and Arkansas, are the only other two states in the country that require two-thirds majorities to pass a budget.

The California Faculty Association stated that Proposition 56 will end the political gridlock between Democrat and Republican legislators that causes California to take longer than most other states to pass a budget.

The other amendments on the proposition require the state to create a “rainy day” fund of 5 percent in years when revenues exceed the amount needed to “protect services in bad times.”

On top of that, a budget summary should be included in the state ballot pamphlet explaining how the California spends its funds with directions to an Internet Web site showing voting records of legislators.

However, the chances of this measure being approved are not very high due to people’s lack of knowledge about it. The campaigns are not reaching the mainstream media and the debates over Prop. 56 have been totally unrelated to it, Cook said.

Except for the students in Prof. Cook’s California Government and Politics class, none of the students interviewed by the Xpress had any idea what the proposition is about.

“I think Prop. 56 is good. It’s all about accountability. If legislators don’t turn in the budget on time, they shouldn’t get paid. They should approve it not only in California but extend it to Washington too,” said political science senior Vesna Sabanovic after Prof. Cook’s lecture on Prop. 56.

“I don’t think it will solve the problem because the budgetary process is difficult and it takes time,” added Todd Armstrong, a liberal studies major.

As the Valentine's Day holiday weekend comes to an end, hundreds of gay and lesbian couples continue to wait outside San Francisco City Hall for their chance to get married.

The rush to get married has been nonstop since San Francisco’s newly elected mayor, Gavin Newsom, gave city officials the green light to marry same-sex couples on Thursday, Feb. 12. With a judge denying on Tuesday a legal challenge to immediately stop the ceremonies, the steady stream of weddings can continue.

“It was a happy day just to get inside,” said Julianna Ross, 27, as she walked out of City Hall to dozens of cheers with her new wife, Stephanie Parks, 26, an SF State student.

The wait, however, doesn’t end once they get inside the doors. The lines continue as partners are directed through security and application hurdles.

Couples and their friends and family must first go through metal detectors before they are directed to another line. While they wait there, marriage license applications are passed out and need to be completed before reaching the city clerk’s office.

Upon completing the necessary documents, couples are checked and double-checked by dozens of city volunteers along the way to ensure that personal information is correct on the documents out of fear of licenses becoming null and void due to a small error, such as a misspelled name, according to Ross and Parks.

“To get this license is a huge thing. Before the clerk used to just turn people away,” Ross said.

After paying an application fee of $82 at the city clerk’s office, couples must get in another line to wait their turn to have their ceremony performed.

City Hall’s rotunda area is intimately filled with small groups. At any given time, approximately six to 10 couples exchange rings and vows, according to the deputy marriage commissioner, Sean Captain.

Volunteers keep the process moving smoothly to accommodate the influx of people. “I just got married on Saturday, and I wanted to do whatever to help,” said volunteer Andy Tong.

Since Thursday, approximately 1600 same sex couples were married. Due to high numbers of applications, the Assessor and Records Office was opened to help process the demand. According to that office, 250 marriages were counted by 1 p.m. Tuesday.

After the ceremony, newly married couples must go back in line again to obtain their marriage certificate for $13. After this last step is completed, cheering supporters, honking cars and even a mariachi band greet the couples outside City Hall.

Across the street from City Hall, Ross and Parks look back and smile. “It really was a beautiful and elegant ceremony,” Ross said.

Rained out for the second day in a row, the Get Out the Vote Drive on the SF State campus still made a viable attempt to reach its goal of registering 1,000 students but fell short, only coming up with about 150 registrations.

Today is the last day people can register in time to be eligible to vote in upcoming California primary election on March 2.

“Part of the reason we are making such a big push is because of the new polling place on campus,” said Panna Sharma, a journalism major and the Associated Students Inc. humanities representative, who braved the cold wind and rain for the good of the cause.

With an agenda chalked full of speakers, bands and events, the cancellation is what drive members blame for the low turnout.

Performers and speakers originally set to appear included California Congressional hopeful Ro Khanna, the College Republicans and Campus Greens, as well as a band, the Reggae Angels, who performed at the event in 2002, in the sun, helping to bring in 1,000 registrations in one day alone.

Live 105 was planning to do a live broadcast until the detrimental weather conditions forced them to reassess and cancel the show. Members of their “Action Team” remained despite the wind and rain, handing out stickers, movie passes and T-shirts to all those who took the time to register.

“It is important to encourage young people to vote,” said Jacob Vivet of the Live 105 Action Team. “The last Presidential election was decided by like 500,000 votes, and there are over 2 million unregistered eligible young voters. If they all voted we may have elected a different president.”

Between five and six members of Associated Students Inc. manned the registration table, trying to draw people in with shouts and hollers.

“It is time we let politicians know they have to be accountable to our interests otherwise we will vote them out. The voter registration drive is about opening up the student voice,” said Chris Jackson, 20, ASI sophomore class representative, a speech communications major, urban studies minor, and member of the Lobby Corps, a new student group formed last semester.

The Lobby Corps, an arm of the Associated Students, meets with political officials to build rapport, explain student issues and inform them about student viewpoints.

Currently there are five or six active members but anyone can join. Their meetings are Thursdays from 12:30 to 1 p.m. in the Cesar Chavez Student Center room M-103.

Its first act as a group last December was to meet with Supervisor Chris Daly, resulting in the successful lobby effort to create the on-campus polling place. The group says it takes a pro-active approach to political and social change.

“We’ve sat idle and let things affect us for too long. Things like cutting the budget and outreach programs and the drop in quality of education. Building up these relationships gets us things, gains us access,” Jackson said.

The Lobby Corps, chaired by Neeta Chowdhry, is a spin off the California State Student Association Lobby Corps. The CSSA advocates that every CSU campus have one of their own.

A newly formed political organization at SF State is helping combat the fear some students have of expressing their political views in the classroom.

Last fall, the Students for Academic Freedom (SAF) was formed with the main goal of informing students that they can officially protest professors who lecture personal and/or liberal viewpoints in non-political or historical classes.

“We want to get more of a conservative push on campus,” said Derek Wray, president of the SAF. “There is," he added, "a general liberal bias in academia."

However, members of the SAF are not the only ones attempting to help students fight the alleged liberal bias.

Last spring, SF State saw the resurrection of the College Republicans. This comeback was partly due to the deafening roar of liberal groups, such as the Campus Greens, and partly due to the lack of a viable conservative voice on campus.

Both groups, the SAF and the College Republicans, share some of the same members and tell stories of bias remarks in classes ranging from Holistic Health to Theories in Personality.

“Republicans eat too many starches -- that’s why they can’t think straight,” was one comment College Republican President Maria Trapalis heard in her segment III Holistic Health class.

“I would never complain,” Trapalis said, “but that kind of comment makes me feel less of a part of the campus community.”

Other members of the College Republicans take a more direct stance.

“My name is Carlos and I’m a Republican,” said political science junior Carlos Zepeda, in reference to his announcement during some class introductions. "Be the loud minority,” he said at a recent club meeting. "Don’t let them (professors) scare you just because they have a Ph.D.”

The fears that Zepeda fights are fears some students learn to live with.

“The notion that there is no remedy for students is not true,” said Loretta Stec, associate professor of English. “If a student has a problem with a professor’s fairness, he or she should use established procedures to lodge a complaint,” Stec wrote in an e-mail.

There are a couple of different ways to combat faculty bias, whether it is liberal or conservative, at SF State. According to the “Guidelines for Academic Freedom and Responsibility” set forth by the Academic Senate more than 30 years ago, “Academic freedom includes the right of both faculty and students to seek censure of faculty members by complaint, petition, or seeking discipline for incompetence or unprofessional behavior.”

Among the types of censure are formal written student grievances against faculty.

Although the process is long and formal, students should at all cost try to reconcile the disagreement with either the professor or an intermediary, states the report.

However, conservative-minded students, fearing academic retribution, are hesitant to stake their college career on a disagreemen, said Trapalis.

“Most professors would be shocked to find out that students are afraid to speak out,” said Chris Mays, chairman of the Academic Freedom Committee. “Students have a right to speak out and disagree with a professor’s conduct.”

Juan Valladares, a master’s student in structural technology agrees and disagrees. “Students have a right to speak out," he said, "but it doesn’t make it easy."

When he was tabling for Bush/Cheney 2000, Valladares had a run in with one of his structural technology professors. He was asked, “’Why are you tabling for that schmuck’?”

Though Valladares brushed the comment off, he felt alienated in class for the rest of the semester. He also felt that the clashing of ideologies led to the professor’s refusal to assign him an "incomplete" even though Valladares completed 75 percent of the work.

“He insisted on giving me an F thereby intentionally sabotaging my transcripts,” he said.

Valladares is still working his G.P.A. back to a 2.0 in order to be taken off academic probation in the master’s program. He did not report the incident out of concern for the department but groups like the SAF are trying to change that.
Wray explained that most students do not think about filing a grievance but that SAF will put the power of a national organization behind them if they want to file.

“It’s easier with us, because then it's not you against the world,” Wray said.

Wray also explained that although many conservative students are attracted to SAF, political ideology takes a back seat to academic freedom. “We (SAF) don’t want to be seen as conservative,” said Wray. “We just want the ability for students to hear both viewpoints.”

Wanted or not, SAF is backed by the Center for Study of Popular Culture, a nonprofit headed by David Horowitz, a key figure of the conservative political arena. Both Horowitz, a conservative pundit, and Republican Congressman Jack Kingston of Georgia’s First District, support academic freedom and the “Academic Bill of Rights."

Similar to the “Student Bill of Rights” being handed out by SAF members on campus, the “Academic Bill of Rights” calls for campuses to promote intellectual diversity.

Associate Professor Stec agrees to disagree on the language in the bill. “The bill is contradictory,” said Stec, explaining that the bill called for professors to maintain neutrality in all substantive disagreements inside or outside their field of inquiry.

“We as professors are hired to have a point of view, but only after years of experience,” she said.

Stec stated that in order for the education process to work, there must be a free flow of ideas from both sides of the political arena. “Everything cannot be a consensus,” Stec said.

Erik Peper, director for the Institute of Holistic Health, sees Stec's view a little differently, saying: "Professors are hired to do scholarship."

Peper added that as a result of that scholarship research, certain political relations could be drawn, like that of the environment as it relates to political legislation.

“Academic freedom is critical to inquiry, but only when put into the context of the subject,” he said. “Instructors should always be clear that they state all comments as their perspective.”

A significant change is in store for SF State’s Office of Public Relations.

Ligeia Polidora, public relations director for SF State, will step down from her 10-year position next week. While the decision to leave wasn’t an easy one, she felt it needed to be done.

“My identity is wrapped up in this job more than I thought,” said Polidora. “My husband and I just moved to Sonoma; I’d like to have some time to become more familiar with the area.”

Half-full moving boxes scatter her office floor. Papers are stacked high on her desk. Framed photographs of her two horses and 11-year-old golden retriever ornament her desk.

“I would definitely like to spend more time with Tess," she said of her golden retriever. “She has cancer and I would like to spend more time taking care of her.”

Polidora spent the bulk of her 10 years at SF State promoting the campus to outside media sources such as The San Francisco Chronicle. As a spokeswoman and representative for the university, she was also responsible for speaking to local media sources, should outside interests arise regarding campus activity.

“This has been a very exciting and challenging job for me,” said Polidora. “There is always something new going on, and there are always new issues coming up, so my job is not repetitive. It was varied enough to keep me engaged and interested."

As one of SF State’s main representatives, Polidora met and worked with many exciting people through the years. Polidora said one of the highlights of her career was to work with Geoff Marcy, a former SF State professor.

Marcy discovered planets outside our solar system in 1996 and was featured on BBC News, "The McNeil-Lehrer News Hour" and the NBC "Today Show." This was good publicity for both SF State and Polidora. The story made headlines. Polidora said she remembers Time magazine’s coverage of Marcy’s findings as a very big deal.

“I remember standing next to reporter Mike Leminick (of Time) when he called his editor to tell him that this story should be on the cover,” she said.

Polidora has seen a lot during her time with SF State. Some things were high points in her career, while others she’d rather forget. She said that having to deal with outside media about student tragedies, especially deaths on campus, was one of the hardest parts of her job.

“I remember hearing about a student who died right on the field during a tennis practice,” she said. “It was one of the hardest things that I ever had to deal with here.”

Through the years, Polidora had her work cut out for her to promote SF State. With world-renowned campuses such as UCSF, UC Berkeley and Stanford only miles away, it was tough to raise awareness of SF State. A proactive staff and diligence have pulled Polidora through times when publicity was scarce and the media was looking elsewhere for educational coverage.

Her dedicated often paid off.

“We’ve had reporters visit us from local newspapers (including the San Francisco Chronicle) to cover stories on our campus who were so impressed, that they wanted to take classes here,” she said.

John Burks, chair of the journalism department, described Polidora as “very professional” and “represented (SF State President Robert) Corrigan well.”

Jim Collier, vice president of university advancement and executive director of the SFSU Foundation, described Polidora as “bright, articulate and (knows) well how to make excellent use of the many tools and techniques available to practitioners in this field.”

Collier also said that Polidora was “the best he’s ever worked with in the public affairs area."

Polidora, who has a string of prior public relations positions to boast of, including a marketing position at Round Table Pizza, said that this is the first time in her life she has left a job position without something else lined up to replace it.

“It’s a bit frightening to leave and not know where I’m going,” said Polidora.

She does, however, plan to spend some time looking into volunteer work for either an animal adoption agency or the upcoming presidential campaign.

Overall, Polidora has enjoyed her time at SF State. She always felt at home working for the university, because she grew up in a teaching environment. Her father was a behavioral science professor for both the University of Wisconsin and UC Davis.

“You get the same intellectual stimulation as your students do without having to turn in any papers,” she said.

Collier said: “She has spent countless hours each year working with student journalists. She will be missed.”

Proposition 55, a $12.3 billion bond measure that affects the improvement and renovation of public education facilities throughout California, is on the ballot for March 2.

If passed, Prop. 55 will grant the California State University system $690 million to fund the construction of new buildings and classrooms, on top of improving technology resources. SF State will receive $4 million of the amount to assist in the renovation and re-design of the school's library.

Public schools and universities are in serious need for repair and construction, according to Clara Potes-Fellow, spokesperson for the CSU system. These funds will “provide facilities necessary to improve the quality of education,” she said.

Prop. 55 is the second part of a statewide bond package proposed by former Gov. Gray Davis. Proposition 47, the first part of the package, passed in November 2002 with a 59 percent voter approval, providing over $13 billion to state schools.

According to Leroy Morishita, vice president of administration and finance at SF State, Prop. 47 provided the university with $89 million to go toward library construction.

To determine how much of the bond money each of the CSU campuses will receive, the universities were asked to put together proposals detailing what they will use the funds for. CSU Chancellor Charles Reed, together with the Board of Trustees of California State Colleges, made a priority list of the proposed CSUs projects, said Morishita.

There’s always a greater list created by the CSU campuses than the actual amount of money available, so it’s a matter of getting your project higher on that list, said Morishita.

According to the CSU Web site, the schools will be held to strict accountability in determining how the money will be spent. The funds can only be used for school renovation and construction and cannot be spent on salaries or unnecessary administrative expenses.

With the bond money, SF State will be adding a new building to the J. Paul Leonard library that will provide an automated retrieval system for books. Also, the library will be completely remodeled from the inside out, according to Morishita.

If Prop. 55 does not pass “the construction of many buildings will be behind, all campuses will be behind schedule,” said to Potes-Fellow, adding that failure to renovatie buildings -- some of them over 28 years old -- is detrimental to the quality of education at state schools.

Potes-Fellow said there are no guarantees when California state schools will be able to put another bond measure on the ballot, leaving many construction projects up in the air.

Those who oppose Prop. 55, such as Sen. Rico Oller, R.-Granite Bay, point out that a large portion of the bond money favors the Los Angeles school districts, ignoring the needs of Northern California public schools and universities.

San Francisco County needs an estimated $99 million in order to repair elementary through college level campuses, according to figures provided by Jacob Roper of the "Yes on 55" campaign. Los Angeles County, the figures showed, requires an estimated $3 billion for repairs.

“There is so much more population growth in southern Californa,” said Morishita. They have the biggest part of the bond, so it does, in a way 'favor’ them because that’s where the growth is. But there is a great deal of work that needs to be done in all the schools and colleges in California."

Monday, Feb. 2

4 p.m. Petty theft
Several textbooks were stolen from a male student’s backpack, left unattended in the J. Paul Leonard Library. Loss: $100

8 p.m. Attempted robbery
A student was almost robbed at the corner of 19th and Holloway avenues when a male approached him and said, “give me your money or I’m going to bust your face in,” a Public Safety official said. When the student refused, the aggressor, wearing a blue hooded jacket, carrying an umbrella and estimated to be between 18 and 20 years old, fled the area. Officers were unable to locate him.

Tuesday, Feb. 3

11:45 a.m. Suspicious persons
Two people who were putting fliers on vehicles parked in Lot 20 were asked to leave.

11:48 a.m. Auto burglary
A vehicle parked near the intersection of Junipero Serra and Holloway Avenue was broken into by an unknown person. Loss: $1,700.

3:26 p.m. Annoying phone calls
A woman in Mary Park Hall reported she has been receiving strange phone calls for the last several weeks.

6:17 p.m. Petty theft
A two-way radio was stolen from the Cesar Chavez Student Center. Loss: $275.

7:04 p.m. Grand theft
A bag was stolen from a bus stop near the intersection of 19th and Holloway avenues. While it was stolen more than a month ago, the owner reported the crime on Feb. 3. because she didn't realize her bag was missing, officials said. Loss: $679.

Wednesday, Feb. 4

7:51 a.m. Suspicious circumstances
A suspicious package found in Burk Hall was deemed by officers to be harmless.

9:39 a.m. Verbal Dispute
A student was arguing because she did not have proper identification to use a lab in the Administration Building. The lab supervisor refused further police action.

10:23 a.m. Petty theft
A bicycle parked near the Humanities Building on Tapia Drive was stolen. Loss: $300.

11:55 a.m. Grand theft
A student’s backpack and personal belongings were stolen from Holloway. Loss: $1,500.

3:30 p.m. Petty theft
A student’s keys were stolen from the HSS Building.

Thursday, Feb. 5

12:15 a.m. Possession
SF State students Suzana Jiminez, 19, and Elissa Vaughn, 20, were cited and released on suspicion of possessing marijuana after a person reported smelling marijuana in Mary Ward Hall.

2:13 a.m. Found property
A brown leather wallet was found and booked into Public Safety.

7:11 a.m. Elevator malfunction
A malfunctioning elevator in the Humanities Building trapped a person inside. Public Safety and SF Elevator officials got the person out.

2:10 p.m. Auto burglary
An unknown person broke into a student’s vehicle parked in Lot 20. Loss: $350

2:35 p.m. Animal incident
Maya, a dog, was booked into Public Safety for safekeeping after she was found running around Park Merced without a leash. The owner was also contacted.

3:13 p.m. Vandalism
Locks on a woman’s vehicle, parked near the intersection of Tapia Drive and Pinto Avenue, were vandalized.

4:42 Annoying phone calls
A person reported receiving numerous phone calls from an unknown source.

11:28 p.m. Medical assistance - alcohol
An intoxicated person was taken to the hospital after authorities got a call that the person was sitting in the middle of the street, near the intersection of Font Boulevard. and Cambon Drive.

Friday, Feb. 6

1:59 p.m. Suspicious person
An unidentified person, reportedly walking around the Village at Centennial Square asking questions and not making sense, was gone by the time officers arrived.

5:30 p.m. Stolen vehicle
A black Toyota 4-Runner, owned by an SF State student, was stolen from Lot 20.

Saturday, Feb. 7

2:23 a.m. Suspicious persons
Three people, possibly drinking alcoholic beverages outside the Village at Centennial Square, were advised by officers.

Members of the United States Student Association took to the Malcolm X Plaza today as they hosted an open-mic event as part of its nationwide university “Week of Action.”

Despite the open-mic, organizers chose to bypass the opportunity to deliver a blanket speech and instead mingled with students on a “grass-roots” level in order to garner support for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, a federal law that supports programs such as financial aid and graduate assistance. Congress must reauthorize the HEA every five years.

To generate student support for the reauthorization, USSA representatives spoke directly with students in the lunchtime crowd and encouraged them to sign postcards supporting the reauthorization effort.

The “Week of Action” is also a means of generating momentum for the USSA’s National Grassroots Legislative Conference, which will be held in Washington D.C. March 26 through 30. The conference culminates with National Student Lobby Day on March 30, when students will rally on Capitol Hill.

“Basically, we’re giving them the cards and telling them that we’re reauthorized every five years,” said Panna Sharma, a USSA advisory council member and journalism major. “Most students know what it is because a lot of them get financial aid. We’re asking students to sign these postcards so when we go to our congressmen we can show them how much support we have.”

Among the USSA’s goals are to convince Congress to increase the maximum Pell grant by $450 to $4,500, increase federal work study funding to $1.15 billion, an increase of $152 million, and up the Perkins loan program to $260 million.

It will also lobby to increase graduate grants, specifically the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program to $50 million and the Jacob Javits Fellowship Program to $17 million.

Leila Qutami, an international business major and member of the USSA board of directors, led the event and was the only member of the USSA to actually take the microphone and address the crowd as a whole, but only to remind them what the event was about and who to talk with to find out more information.

“I feel students need to have a voice on what’s going on at the national level,” said Qutami, who also serves as the chair for people of Middle Eastern and South Asian decent. “All too often, their needs aren’t represented on the national level. USSA is doing that.”

She said the students she talked to were very supportive. “With classes overflowing and there not being enough chairs, they’re open to efforts to maintain a high level of education.”

For some students, their support wasn’t based on facts, but rather, common sense. “I didn’t have any reservations about signing it because I was impatient, and I didn’t want to read all the technical stuff about it,” said philosophy and creative writing major Diallo Grant. “I figured financial aid is a good thing because it helps people out.”

Sophomore Dam Montes had a similar opinion, but felt the school itself should do a better job getting the word out about events like the “Week of Action.” “It seemed like a good cause. Usually stuff like financial aid is important to students and it’s important to be aware of,” he said.

Sharma said the USSA will return to the Malcolm X Plaza Feb. 16 and 17 to promote voter registration as it looks to take full advantage of SF State’s recent designation as a polling place.

The life of condemned killer Kevin Cooper now dangles by one remaining legal thread.

Less than a day before Cooper’s Feb. 10 scheduled execution by lethal injection, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a temporary stay this morning that may block Cooper’s execution. The federal appeals court granted a review of the case by an 11-judge panel.

The ruling breaks a line of legal hurdles faced by Cooper in his appeal efforts. Still, Cameron Sturdevant, a volunteer organizer for the Campaign to End the Death Penalty who has worked with the Save Kevin Cooper campaign for six years, says they are cautiously optimistic.

“We’re confident it will lead to an exoneration of Kevin Cooper,” said Sturdevant. “It’s a good step forward.”

To that end, the San Leandro activist is helping coordinate a major protest of Cooper’s execution that will start at 6 p.m. tonight with a rally at Remillard Park in Larkspur, to be followed by a march to San Quentin along East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.

Members of SF State's own student body will be on hand at the rally.

“The demonstration is even more important now,” said Kirya Traber, organizer for the International Socialist Organization. “We’re not taking it for granted. We need to keep up the amount of pressure.”

On Jan. 30 anti-death penalty activists, including the SF State's International Socialist Organization, held a spoken word event to raise funds to place an ad in the New York Times and the San Jose Mercury News condemning the execution.

Traber, an SF State sophomore, plans to attend the tonight’s rally, where she expects nearly 500 attendees.

Cooper, who was convicted in 1985 for the slaying death of a San Bernardino family and friend, has maintained his innocence throughout his 19 years on death row at San Quentin State Prison.

At the time, police found Cooper in the house adjacent to the victims’ residence after escaping from the minimum-security Chino State Prison on a burglary conviction. Cooper claims police planted the DNA evidence at the scene which tied him to the crime.

Since then, Cooper’s cause has received wide recognition and support from celebrities and public figures such as actor Danny Glover and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who's expected to speak at tonight's rally.

The appelate court’s decision comes in the face of recent developments in the case.

Cooper’s lawyers claim blond hair that was found at the murder scene was not tested for DNA or presented in the original case. A witness came forward claiming that she had been in a nearby bar at the time of the murders when two white males, covered in blood, entered the bar around the same time. On Saturday, several jurors from the original case came forward asking for a stay of the execution until further, more thorough, DNA testing could be done of the hair and blood samples.

Sturdevant says he last spoke with Cooper a few days ago. “At that point he was concerned that the fact would get a full hearing,” he said.

The state’s death warrant for Cooper is valid from 12:01 Tuesday morning until 12:01 Wednesday morning. If the panel of judges hasn’t made a decision in that span of time, the warrant is void, and the state will have to re-seek another death warrant.

For the third time in less than a month, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom threw what some might consider another curveball at those who criticized him for not being liberal enough during his successful campaign for office.

Today, Newsom named Amy Hart as chief of the city and county medical examiner’s office, just weeks after naming Heather Fong as interim police chief and Joanne Hayes-White as fire chief.

The move is a promotion for Hart, who served as assistant chief medical examiner to the departing Dr. Boyd Stevens. She is a board certified forensic pathologist with specialized training in forensic neuropathology. The appointment is effective July 1.

But does appointing a woman to a high-ranking office necessarily equate progressiveness? According to Associate Professor Loretta Stec, Ph.D., of the humanities department, the answer is a resounding no.

“Just because she’s a woman it doesn’t mean she’s a progressive,” said Stec, drawing a comparison to former secretary of state Madeleine Albright, who was appointed to the position by former President Bill Clinton, but who according to Stec, didn’t pursue the most progressive of policies.

Political science Professor Suijan Guo agreed. “I don’t think it’s automatically a liberal move,” he said. “Sometimes a conservative group can deliberately pick a woman to a high-ranking position for some political purpose. In either the liberal camp or conservative camp you can find women.”

Corey Cook, an assistant professor in the political science department, said the recent appointments are perfect tools for Newsom to disarm his critics.

“Politically it’s a brilliant move,” Cook said. “But whether or not he says he’s a liberal, I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s the criteria.

“(Newsom) vowed when he was elected that he was going to appoint the best people.” Cook also believed Newsom's recent appointments are a means to separate himself from the policies of former Mayor Willie Brown.

“Willie Brown was accused of sort of working with an ‘old boys’ mentality with rewarding all of his supporters. Gavin Newsom is clearly not doing that.”

He said regardless of whether Newsom’s motivation is wanting to promote women to enhance their contributions to city politics, or whether he wants to promote women because it helps him politically, his politics are very different, as evidenced by his public strategy.

The application deadline for acceptance into SF State’s study abroad programs for Fall 2004 has been extended. The California State University cutoff is now on Feb. 10, the Bilateral Program on March 1.

With the university’s Office of International Programs stressing its “easier and more affordable than you think” approach, it’s no surprise that more students are heading off to places like Europe, Asia and Canada to study. In fact, SF State has the second highest acceptance rate in the statewide CSU program, said Kati Bell, study abroad advisor.

“It’s just like you’re taking classes at SF State, said Marisa Thigpen, advisor for International Exchange Programs (IEP), at one of the IEP’s weekly study abroad informational meetings. “The credits transfer automatically as you are given resident credit for all classes that you take overseas.”

The cost of studying abroad for a semester is about the same -- if not less -- than the cost of going to a regular CSU, depending on which country one chooses to study in. The IEP argues that the cost of living contributes to a large chunk of the savings a student will find when studying overseas.

“The average rent for an apartment in most countries is $200 to $300 per month,” said Bell. “And if you are on financial aid at SF State, that goes with you, as well.”

SF State’s IEP program comes complete with advising staff at the host universities to assist exchange students with classes and living arrangements.
Noah Kuchins, SF State student and an alumnus of the IEP program, signed up to spend a year in France in 2001 to study the French language. He enjoyed the experience so much that he chose to spend a second year in the program to study advanced European politics in Paris.

“Half of the students there couldn’t believe they were there to study,” said Kuchins. “It’s a learning experience just to be in another country, to be exposed to a different culture and perspective.”

The scenery, Kuchins added, was like no other. With the Mediterranean and French Riviera right outside his doorstep, he described himself as being “in the middle of the most beautiful place on earth” while studying abroad.

Michael Franchetti, another alumnus of the IEP, spent this past year in England at the University of East Anglica to study film.

“Everyone there was really friendly and helpful,” said Franchetti. “Classes are smaller -- about 15 students or so.”

With a semester study load consisting of his choice of either two 10-page papers or one 10-page paper and a two hour exam, there was time to visit other places in Europe.

“Students do very well academically because they’re not working for the most part and the programs are at their level,” said Thigpen.

Bell added that a lot of students return more mature and focused than ever.
While many of the study abroad programs are for upper division students, Bell stressed that the programs are open to all full-time, sophomore level or higher undergraduates. Most majors are accepted in the program. There is no application fee, and daily application meetings are held this week.

For more information, contact the Office of International Programs in Room 450 of the Administration Building, or call the office at (415) 338-6757.

As students decide on which way their votes will go on the upcoming referendums March 2, the administration is trying to guarantee high voter turnout by ensuring that all students are well-informed about the possible fee increases.

Last year, the California State University system raised fees 30 percent in order to help compensate for the ongoing budget crisis. Despite this significant increase, however, many departments still suffered major cutbacks.

In order to maintain services, the Career Center, the Health Services Department, Athletics and academic affairs are all asking students to approve the upcoming referendums so each department can continue to sustain.

However, approving the increase of fees does not mean the effects -- such as the prevention of eliminating classes and program services -- will be immediately implemented. The student fee referendums are a ‘non-binding vote,’ meaning SF State President Corrigan and CSU Chancellor Charles Reed will make the final decision in increasing any fees.

“It’s like taking a poll,” said Christina Holmes, assistant director of Public Affairs for SF State. “We’re trying to get a sense (of what the students want) and the votes serve as an indicator.”

There is no current timeline for President Corrigan and Chancellor Reed to make the final decision once the votes are in, said Holmes. The only deadline the administration had with regards to the referendums, she added, was to distribute informational materials at least 30 days before the day of the vote.
Holmes said it is of utmost importance that students know as much about the proposed referendums because, “there’s a lot at risk if the fees are not approved.”

If past campus elections are any measure of student participation in the electoral process, getting the word out will be a challenge. According to an ASI representative, 1980 of almost 30,000 SF State students voted in the last ASI election.

In an attempt to avoid low voter turnout, the administration is making a point to educate students about the important effects the referendums will have on them.

In doing so, they have made a Web page located on the SF State home page explaining the referendums, placed a full-page informative advertisement in the last issue of Xpress and are planning on distributing informational pamphlets to students.

Although there are none scheduled at this time, there is the possibility of open forums being held.

Despite these efforts, however, students still feel left in the dark about the upcoming vote.

“I’d like to know more about it and be able to vote on it with fellow students,” said Meghan Knutson, a senior who is studying business. “I haven’t heard much about it. It would be nice when we register for our classes if they said ‘you could vote in two months on this fee hike’ or if on the first day of classes they handed us something that would explain what exactly is going on.”

For those students who are aware of the upcoming referendums, the sentiments vary.

There are those who reluctantly accept the possibility of increased fees --such as Ethan Sall, a senior studying international relations. “Obviously I’m upset about it,” said Sall. “I prefer not to have to pay for more, but I understand we are having a budget crisis right now and revenue has to come from somewhere.”

While others have little or no sympathy. “I don’t think the burden should be on students,” said sophomore Zoe Leonard, a film major. “Less people can go to school.”

There are also out-of-state students who came to SF State under the impression that the low fees would remain somewhat reasonable despite the budget crisis.

“I came here because it’s a lot less expensive than where I came from,” said Billy Buzzell, a freshman from New York studying biochemistry. “This looked like a cheap school compared to other schools around the state and it’s not really turning out that way now, it’s just getting worse.”

This is the first time SF State is asking students to approve an increase in fees on a campus-wide level, whether students use the services or not.

The proposed fees would be in a category called “type one” fees. Unlike a “type three” fee -- where only those students who use the services vote -- all students vote for, and if approved, pay for the “type one” fees, said Horace Montgomery, ASI leader development coordinator.

There has been some disagreement, however, over the ballot, which has yet to be printed. In December 2003, the Student Fee Advisory Board was given a sample ballot with all the fees totaled together. If this ballot was used in the March decision, the students’ votes would either approve or deny all fees, regardless if they use any or all of them. The other possibility is to allow students to vote on each referendum separately. However, Holmes said it is not decided at this time whether the printed ballots will ask students to approve the fees as one lump sum or individually.

“I don’t think it’s fair to charge everyone if they don’t use all the services,” said Yajairia Ferreira, a sophomore studying international relations.

On the day of the vote, multiple polling sites across campus, in addition to the polling site at the Cesar Chavez Student Center, are in planning stages, Holmes said.

“We’re embarking on whole new ground,” said Montgomery. “We’re changing the way you pay for classes. It could be a dangerous precedent.”

Tuesday, Jan. 27

2:56 p.m. Drunken driver

Michael Leon, 21, was booked into county jail on suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana after being stopped at the intersection of 19th Avenue and Buckingham Way. The vehicle was also towed.

9:21 p.m. Drunken driver

Richard Kremer, 19, was booked into county jail for driving under the influence of marijuana. The vehicle was also towed.

10:03 p.m. Stolen vehicle

A janitor cart was stolen from where it was parked near the Cesar Chavez Student Center. The reporting person saw a man and a woman driving it toward the Student Services Center, but they were gone by the time officers arrived. Officers found the cart parked between the B and C buildings at the Village at Centennial Square.

Wednesday, Jan. 29

2:52 a.m. Drunken driver

Binh Luong, 50, was booked into county jail on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after an officer saw him swerving in between lanes while driving near the intersection of 19th Avenue and Wawona Street.

9:55 a.m. Suspicious persons

Persons giving away free T-shirts at the corner of 19th and Holloway avenues were asked to leave because they did not have a SF State vendor’s permit. The people were giving away free merchandise on the condition that recipients fill out a Citibank credit card application.

11:16 a.m. Found property

A wallet, believed to belong to a student, was found by the Creative Arts Building. The owner later picked it up at Public Safety.

1:38 p.m. Grand Theft

An unidentified person stole an SF State employee’s purse from an unattended teaching cart. Loss: $740

2:36 p.m. Petty theft

A newly purchased textbook was taken from a classroom in the Humanities Building after a female student left it unattended. Loss: $217.

5:57 p.m. Suspicious circumstances

An unidentified man carrying a Franciscan Bookstore bag ran from a security officer after he activated a door sensor alarm when leaving the store. Officers were unable to locate the man.

11:47 p.m. Public intoxication

Nathan Wright, 19, was booked into county jail under Penal code 647(f) on suspicion of disorderly conduct. Police said a residence adviser reported he was drunk on the 6th floor of Mary Ward Hall. Wright, wearing only his T-shirt, underwear and one sock, was attempting to open a stairwell door while being held up by two people and could not answer any of the RA’s questions, officials said. Police officers and the fire department responded, made sure he didn't need to go to the hospital and took him downtown.

Thursday, Jan. 29

8:59 a.m. Suspicious person
A person reported a suspicious person was possible following them by the Creative arts Building. After the officer arrived, the reporting person refused any further police action.

2:02 p.m. Petty theft

Grant Donnelley, 20, a student, was cited and released after bookstore security accused him of shoplifting.

3:16 p.m. Suspicious persons

Persons giving away free T-shirts at the corner of 19th and Holloway avenues were asked to leave for the second time this day because they did not have a SF State vendor’s permit. The people were giving away free merchandise on the condition that recipients fill out a Citibank credit card application.

3:49 p.m. Hit and run – no injury

A woman reported that an unknown person backed into her vehicle, which was parked in Lot 20.

8:57 p.m. Auto burglary

A woman reported that her vehicle, parked at Junipero Serra and Garfield Street, was broken in to that day. Loss: $100.

10:48 p.m. Stolen vehicle

A woman’s vehicle was stolen in the Lot 20 and South State Drive area.

Friday, Jan. 30

7:32 a.m. Vandalism

A light fixture was damaged on the exterior of Building A of the Village at Centennial Square after an unknown person threw a chair at it.

10:36 a.m. Petty theft

Two Exit signs were reported stolen from the Village at Centennial Square. Loss: $300.

12:49 p.m. Suspicious persons

Larouche campaigners were advised to leave after being on campus without authorization.

3:40 p.m. Verbal dispute

A verbal dispute was reported in Burk Hall. Officers searched the area with no results.

4:22 p.m. Missing person

A Village at Centennial Square resident was reported missing by his roommate. The missing person returned the next day.

10:26 p.m. Minor in possession of alcohol

Jacob Rainey, 20, and SF State students Earl Hartman, 19; and Julio Gonzalez, 19, were cited on suspicion of possessing alcohol after an officer saw them loitering in the Lot 20 and South State Drive areas.

11:17 p.m. Disturbing the peace

A loud party of about 50 people at the Village at Centennial Square drew officers, who stood by until the crowd dispersed.

Saturday, Jan. 31

12:51 a.m. Minor in possession

George Cummings, 20, was cited and released on suspicion of possessing alcohol at the Village at Centennial Square.

12:56 a.m. Possession

Spencer Vogel, 18, was cited and released on suspicion of possessing marijuana after officers saw him loitering near the Font Boulevard residence apartments.

2:17 a.m. DUI – Felony

Michael Chan, 40, was booked into county jail on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and with a suspended/revoked license after an officer stopped him at the intersection of Font Boulevard and Chumasero Drive. The vehicle was also towed.

11:19 a.m. Suspicious person

A tennis court became a point of contest when some people not affiliated with SF State refused to leave after the person who reserved the South State Drive tennis court asked them to. They agreed to leave after officers arrived.

3:15 p.m. Vandalism

The Carmelina La Petite kiosk near the Cesar Chavez Student Center was vandalized when an unknown person broke a window and pulled off a wooden board.

4:39 p.m. Medical assistance

Public Safety and SFFD officials responded to a call from the roommate of a Village at Centennial Square resident who, officials say, could have been drinking alcohol all night. The intoxicated woman refused further medical attention.

10:14 p.m. Open container, possession in public

Students Ray Martinez, 21, and James Fennessey, 27, were cited and released on suspicion of possessing alcohol and open containers in public after officers saw them loitering in the Village at Centennial Square.

Sunday, Feb. 1

12:09 a.m. Possession

Archie Rocillo and James Duran, both 23-years-old, were cited and released on suspicion possession of marijuana when an officer saw them suspiciously occupying a vehicle.

1:30 a.m. Suspicious circumstances

Four to five shots were heard fired in the area east of SF State campus. Officers searched but returned with negative results.

10:14 p.m. Driving on suspended license

Kevin McKee, 38, was cited and released on suspicion of driving with a suspended license after he was stopped at the intersection of Holloway and Varela avenues. The vehicle was also towed.

SF State has its share of money problems, some of which may be homegrown.

In the past year, 22 people have been charged with stealing more than $500,000 in total from the university and associated organizations. One of these, a grants and contracts administrator in SF State’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, is due to go to trial early this year. He is charged with embezzling some $350,000.

According to prosecutors, Falefasa Tagaloa used his position in the Office of Research and Programs to make away with monies that are supposed to go to faculty members for research projects. Tagaloa convinced the university’s Accounts Payable Office to write checks ranging from $1,200 to $5,500 to his wife. Both Tagaloa and his wife have been indicted; both have pled not guilty.

The kinds of checks Tagaloa were having sent to his wife are stipend checks, which go through a les rigorous checking process than paychecks.

An internal audit in 2000 put in question more than $44,000 in honorarium payments Tagaloa put through to faculty in a year’s time, but no evidence was found that Tagaloa directed any of that money to himself.

Auditors looking at the honorarium process complained of messy bookkeeping
and a general lack of monitoring of the funds.

Auditors from the California State University isolated several sets of problems in the way SF State handles its money in audits they performed in 2001 and 2002, most of which centered around insufficient documentation on what monies went out and to whom.

The 2002 audit pointed out cases in which staffers got paid back for expenses without presenting receipts to show what they should have been paid back for.

The 2001 audit also highlighted the lack of security of SF State’s Oracle-powered accounts receivable database – the system is apparently too easy to access.

SF State students will decide whether to raise campus-based fees, raking in about $240 more per academic year through five referendums this spring.

However, this campus is not alone in the California State University system in discussing whether fees should rise.

An informal Xpress survey of the other 22 CSUs shows that individual campuses are dealing with the state budget cuts in a variety of ways. Some campuses are not raising local fees, while others are still discussing the possibilities.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is proposing fee increases, but it already requires students to pay about $300 more per year than at SF State. Other campuses, such as Long Beach State whose students pay $108 less than at SF State, are refusing to pay more. Humboldt State, whose students pay $60 more, is proposing a new fee to make it energy independent.

Campus-based, or “local” fees, are fees specific to an individual campus’ students. For example, students at SF State pay a local health services fee of $83 per semester while students at Fresno State pay a local health services fee of $65 per semester. These fees are paid on top of the CSU fee that every student in the CSU system pays, which is $1,023 per semester for a full-time student.

Four referendums will appear on the March 2 and 3 ballots asking for local fee increases at SF State starting in the fall.

SF State students currently pay $432 a year in local fees, which includes the student activity, student center, health services and instructional related activities fees. Currently SF State students pay less than the average CSU student, but if every upcoming referendum is approved students will be attending one of the more expensive campuses in the system.

Health services, asking a $32 a year increase, the Career Center, asking $28 a year, athletics, asking $66 a year, and Academic Affairs, asking $150 a year, are looking for immediate hikes in student fees to maintain levels of services.
The Student Center Governing Board’s $30 increase over three years is another referendum, but it will appear on its own ballot in April.

According to the administration, if these fee increases are not put into effect, students will feel a decline in both services and classes. In some cases there may be a complete elimination of services; without the proposed fee increase the Career Center will cease to exist.

While California State University Chancellor Charles Reed can approve or deny new fees, it is improbable that he will go against the will of the students.

“If students commit to their own future,” Reed said in a teleconference on Jan. 28, “and if they understand what’s best for them, we support that and it is unlikely we would veto them.”

Long Beach State Resists

Long Beach State students will not be paying more in campus-based fees, said Danny Vivian, ASI President. Students there enjoy relatively low local fees: $308 a year, more than $100 lower than SF State.

“We are discouraging anyone from raising their fees. In this time of economic uncertainty, the last thing we need to do as students and student leaders is raise fees on ourselves,” said Vivian.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Keeps Going Up

Students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo were the first in the system to choose to pay more to keep classes for the 1999-00 school year, and now they will be deciding on adding new fees.

Currently the fees range from about $150 for three quarters, similar to a semester academic year, to about $774 for the same amount of time.

Students in agriculture, business, engineering, architecture and environmental design, and science and math pay more than students in Liberal Arts, who in turn pay more than undeclared students.

But now the San Luis Obispo campus is seeking increases for the health center, which students already pay about $94 a year, and a new fee for athletics.

“We are not taking a position but are working with those departments to make sure there is fair representation of voters and that students are educated,” said Alison Anderson, Cal Poly ASI president. “But if the president trumped the votes of the students, we’d fight it.”

Sacramento State Considers Increase for Recreation

The possibility of a new recreation center may hike up campus-based fees at Sacramento State.

There, students pay $142 a year for the university union fee compared to SF State’s students paying $104 for the Cesar Chavez Student Center. And they pay a $222 ASI fee, $138 more than at SF State.

Despite the higher fees, the campus is discussing a referendum that would require a new fee for fall 2005 to bring in a recreational center, according to Colleen Ripchick, Sacramento ASI press secretary.

Otherwise, there is no increase of local fees for the fall semester, Ripchick said. The recreational center fee and project is still in the works, and students will not see it go to a vote this spring.

Humboldt State Plans For Future

At Humboldt State, students pay about $60 more in general student fees than at SF State, but this hasn’t stopped the discussion of a new fee to support Humboldt’s energy efficiency.

“We’re currently debating whether or not to allow students to vote on the Humboldt Energy Independence Fee (HEIF) which is a semesterly fee of $10 that goes to a fund to pay for student projects that would make our campus more energy efficient (renewables and conservation) and be energy independent by 2047,” said Gretchen Kinney Newsom, Humboldt State ASI president.

San Francisco recently elected a mayor in a run-off election. The run-off was exciting. It was nasty. It bucked the trend and saw a higher voter turnout than the general election.

It almost didn’t happen.

Proposition A, passed by San Francisco voters in 2002, was to be implemented before last November’s election, mandating a new instant run-off system that does away with the need to have a separate run-off election. Though it didn’t make it in time for the 2003 election, it should be ready before the November election. Mayors, sheriffs, and city supervisors, among others, will be elected through it.

“Instant run-off voting best reflects the will of the majority," said Steven Hill, campaign manager for the Prop. A and co-founder of the Center for Voting and Democracy.

San Francisco’s version of instant run-offs will work by having voters rank three candidates in the general election. Computers will tally the results by looking at the totals for everyone’s first choice vote. If one candidate has a majority, that candidate wins and the election is over. Otherwise, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Votes from that lowest vote-getter are then checked for their second-place selection and distributed to the appropriate candidate.

These elimination rounds -- with only the lowest vote-getter eliminated in each round -- continue until one candidate has a majority of the votes. If a person’s first and second-place vote choices have already been eliminated, their third-place choice is used.

According to Hill, instant run-offs are good for San Francisco. For one thing, voters won’t have to visit the polls twice to elect a mayor, since computers handle the run-off rounds automatically. Although the last two mayoral run-offs saw a higher voter turnout for the run-off, most run-off elections see a lower turnout. Instant run-offs could avoid that problem.

Also, the mudslinging so common in current run-offs could drop considerably, says Hill. If a candidate might hope for the second or third-place votes of another candidate’s supporters, they’re far less likely to politically attack the other candidate. Instead, like-minded candidates would form coalitions and support each other, Hill says.

Finally, there’s the money. Proponents of the new voting system say that it will contribute to campaign finance reform, since candidates won’t have to go through another round of fund-raising for a separate run-off election. The city would save money as well by not paying for additional elections -- up to $2 million per election year, Hill says.

“Given the city’s financial situation, it’s important to save money,” said John Mount, a Green Party voter. “Instant run-off voting is a method for voters to negotiate their choices themselves, rather than having their choices given to them."

But not everyone thinks instant run-offs will help San Francisco.

“I hate it, I hate it, I hate it,” said Rebecca Silverberg, co-chair of No on Prop. A and a delegate to the state Democratic Party organization.

Silverberg, a self-proclaimed “pure Democrat” who has never broken party ranks, says the new voting system is meant to give third-party candidates a better chance of winning. She argues that the multiple elimination rounds give much more power to small candidates, who in the current system wouldn’t have much effect on the outcome of the race. Since votes for minor candidates would be redistributed upon their elimination, though, those candidates can help determine the winner by asking their supporters to rank another, more popular candidate second or third.

“The elimination rounds could give the election to a candidate who only placed third or fourth [in the first round]”, said Silverberg. “That’s not democratic.”

Silverberg also thinks it’s important to give voters a second, more in-depth look at the main candidates. That happens with the existing run-off system, she says. The mudslinging in the current run-off is useful, she adds, because voters should get all the information about candidates, good or bad.

The Democrats supported Prop. A during the 2002 campaign. That’s because many Democrats didn’t understand how it worked , Silverberg says, and many of them now oppose the measure. The SF Republican Party opposed Prop. A, as did the Chamber of Commerce and other local groups.

Not surprisingly, though, instant run-off voting is popular with smaller parties. For example, it’s in the party platform for both the San Francisco Libertarian and Green parties.

All voting systems have flaws, says Francis Neely, a political science professor at SF State. There are shelves and shelves of books that analyze the problems inherent in every type of election, he adds, and instant run-off voting systems are no exception.

“There is no way to aggregate preferences [as in instant run-offs] that is foolproof or error free,” Neely said.

Instant run-offs will ask for more information from the voter, says Neely, who doesn’t think the outcomes will change much. The main differences, he says, will take the form of pragmatic benefits: cost savings, greater efficiency and higher voter turnout due to a fixed, predictable campaign cycle.

The very newness of the process, and the problems with implementation that will likely follow, are the primary drawback, he says.

“People are afraid of it because in our society it’s not as common as in others,” Neely said. “But it is a more democratic system.”

Due to possible budget cuts, the California State University system will immediately begin the process of reducing enrollment by turning away an estimated 20,000 students from its campuses in the upcoming fall semester.

This five percent enrollment reduction will save the CSU system approximately $100 million; a far cry from compensating for the $771 million the CSU system will have lost over the last three years if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal gets approval from the legislature.

“The budget cuts over the next two years are so big,” said Chancellor Charles Reed in a teleconference with CSU student journalists Wednesday, Jan. 28, "we can no longer continue to serve as many students as we do now.”

Reed tried to remain optimistic about the enrollment reduction by stating that two percent of the five percent of students turned away from the CSU system will be able to attend a community college and are guaranteed future placement at a CSU campus once all transfer requirements are met.

However, Reed remained unsure about the fate of the three percent of students who would be turned away and not eligible for placement at a community college, such as graduate students. When pressed about the future of these students, Reed replied, “I can’t answer that right now.”

In addition to reducing enrollment, Schwarzenegger has proposed the elimination of funding for EOP and outreach programs, something that the chancellor vehemently opposes.

“We disagree with this change and we can prove that those students who participate in these programs have a 30 percent graduation rate,” he said.

Reed has promised to work directly with the governor’s office to ensure these programs remained unscathed.

Reed does agree however, with most of the governor's other points of the budget proposal, such as the proposed increase in student fees.

Under the governor’s proposed plan, undergraduate fees would increase by 10 percent, graduate fees by 40 percent, and non-resident fees by 20 percent.

“We agree with the governor’s proposed fee policy and feel he has created a more stable policy.”

However, Reed's endorsement included some reservations, particularly concerning the graduate fee increase. He stated that many graduate students in the CSU system are studying to become teachers, so the increase would have negative long-term effects on California’s educational system.

Since the governor’s proposed budget for the 2004-2005 fiscal year was released, Reed has been in continuous talks with a variety of CSU-related groups in an attempt to find creative ways around the possible cuts. “This is the budget picture and it is not a pretty picture,” he said.

Reed ended the teleconference by urging students to vote yes on Propositon 55, which would provide funding for K-12 and higher education facility needs, and reminding them to apply for Cal Grants by the March 2 deadline.

Brian Blank, the 20-year-old male SF State student who was hospitalized Feb. 2 after he rolled a Toyota Matrix, was treated and released from San Francisco General Hospital that same day.

Blank crashed his car as he apparently sped through the curving intersection of 19th Avenue and Junipero Serra Boulevard.

Witnesses at the scene told SF State police the Toyota had been racing and that Blank was driving over 50 mph, officals said. The speed limit on 19th Avenue is 35 mph.

"He was going too fast," said Sgt. Jennifer Schwartz, of SF State's public safety department.

No one else was hurt.

In the last year, SF State public safety has responded to six other injury accidents on 19th Avenue, Schwartz said. On. Jan. 28, two vehicles were involved in an accident on Crespi Drive and 19th Avenue.

“What you have is a lot of people in a hurry,” said San Francisco Police Department Spokesman Dewayne Tully, of the historically dangerous avenue.

In 2002 there were 11 non-fatal accidents — most of them involving pedestrians, Tully said. Statistics for 2003 are not available.

Despite traffic safety education and enforcement, the collisions still occur, Tully said.

“There are too many drivers who simply will not change their behavior on the street.”

TeacherReviews.com, a free Web site letting students post and read reviews about their professors, is temporarily shut down due to threats of a lawsuit by an upset professor.

“I'm not sure if it will be down forever or just a short amount of time until some changes are made,” says Dylan Greene, the site’s webmaster.

Greene says he received a complaint yesterday from a professor who was extremely upset after reading a review that describes him as "Bipolar Paranoid Schizophrenic.”

Greene says he deleted the review immediately after receiving a complaint, a rare case since Teacherreviews.com had a “no review is ever deleted policy.” But according to the Web site’s guidelines, reviews with ungrounded accusations such as this one are inappropriate and should not have been posted.

But the upset professor still threatens to sue and involve the teacher’s union – American Federation of Teachers.

“A lawsuit is not something I have the time or money to be involved in, no matter how confident I am that the courts would side in the favor of free speech and the site,” states Greene, who has not made any profit running the Web site.

This is not the first threat of a lawsuit against TeacherReviews.com Web site. In December 2000 with the help of the ACLU , TeacherReviews.com achieved a victory. San Francisco City College teachers voluntarily agreed to dismiss their charges.

TeacherReviews.com had about 36,000 reviews about professors from colleges nationwide, including SF State. Many students are unhappy with the news and posted their responses on Greene’s Web site.

A SF State student, posted an anonymous reaction to the news today:

“Oh no! I have scheduled my classes based on this website and it has NEVER EVER led me astray. I take all reviews with a grain of salt, but 95% of the time they are right on. Darn, please get the sight (sic) back up!”

Another SF State student posted:

“I have also found the reviews very useful. I enjoyed being able to read about professors and their classes beforehand as well as sharing my own input to help others; it has served me well thus far. Though each student has their own opinion, you can get a good sense of whether the reviewer has some merit to what they're saying based on their review (e.g., are they backing their statements with concrete evidence?) -- and that goes for negative AS well as positive reviews.”

You can read more information about possible changes to the TeacherReviews.com Web site and student responses at dylangreene.com.

An evaluation of SF State’s writing program yielded both “comprehensive and controversial” results, an SF State academic planning administrator said.

The conclusions of the evaluation include eliminating the Junior English Proficiency Essay Test and Graduate Essay Test, requiring junior- and senior-level writing courses and making it a priority to pay writing instructors a living wage and reducing their workload so they can help students more.

On Monday, the campus formally started discussing the results, which were released in January. The evaluation showed up on the Academic Senate agenda Tuesday, Feb. 3. But the action on the report will start slow, said Richard Giardina, associate vice president of academic planning and assessment.

“The report is just a report,” he said, later adding the evaluation has been a good and overwhelming experience. “We as an institution will have to decide which things we agree with and which ones we can afford to implement.”

The reason for the evaluation is that many students do not write well, Giardina said. “All the things we try don’t seem to help them improve. There’s a 40 percent failure rate 10 years ago. There is a 40 percent failure rate today.”

Giardina and Provost John Gemello invited three experts from outside the university to spend three days in November at SF State evaluating the writing program. It’s the first time a study of the writing program has occurred at this university.

Evaluators Sondra Perl, Charles Schuster and Edward White learned about SF State’s writing program, including its history, placement procedures, testing practices, administrative structure, English and ESL curricula, graduate study and tutoring services, the report said. Additionally, they spoke with faculty and staff in group and individual interviews.

SF State’s financial difficulties make implementing the report complex.

“We make these recommendations in full awareness that change is difficult in a mature institution, especially one under serious financial constraint, but with the knowledge that change is necessary for institutional renewal,” the evaluators said in the report.

Systemwide requirements for all California State Universities require that first-year students take both the English Placement Test (EPT) and the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR). The JEPET is SF State’s method of meeting GWAR requirements and measuring the writing proficiency of all SF State graduates.

“There is much to praise in the JEPET and in its accomplishments,” the report said.

Yet because studies have shown that one-question tests like SF State’s JEPET “advantages some students and disadvantages others,” the evaluators said that a single writing sample is not sufficient.

One reason cited in this report was the extreme difference between JEPET and English 414 failure rates. The JEPET failure rate is about 40 percent, while English 414 has a six percent failure rate.

This evaluation concluded that the JEPET no longer meets GWAR requirements, and should be replaced by a junior-level English course.

Students have mixed opinions about the proficiency exam.

“I thought it was really easy and pointless,” said theater major Sarah Hunter, 20, who tested out of English classes at SF State with the Advanced Placement exams in high school. “It seemed like a test I took in high school.”

Hunter is skeptical about requiring another English course to replace the exam. “I would probably have benefited from the class as much as I did from the test. I think it’s just another way to keep people in school and keep them paying more.”

Psychology major Karen Banks, 21, said she was really nervous about the exam because her English teachers hyped it up, instilling fear in her.

“Some people do need it because they can’t write proficiently,” said Banks, who passed the test.

The three evaluators, Giardina said, are well known in the world of writing and have national prominence. SF State got a deal for the evaluation, he said.

“For our meager investment (of about $8,000), we got a report that will help this institution for the next 20 years,” Giardina said.

See the other recommendations at CampusMemo.

In a speech to celebrate Black History month, former Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher called on student participation in the continuing battle for racial and economic equality in health care and comprehensive sex education.

Satcher spoke to a nearly packed Jack Adams Hall Monday at noon to reiterate issues that were close to his heart while he served as the United States’ 16th surgeon general.

Satcher, who is currently the director for the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta touched on every topic ranging from sustaining the quality of life for the great aging American population to the pressures he faced in balancing medical science with policy while he served in Washington.

But the thrust of his remarks focused around the ongoing discrepancies in access to health care for racial and ethnic minorities and low socio-economic communities, and the long-term impact.

“This is country has become increasingly diverse,” Satcher said. “If it’s going to be our strength, we’ve got to deal with it in positive ways.”

His slide presentation presented shocking numbers to illustrate current discrepancies. An African American infant is nearly two-and-a-half times more likely to die in the first year of life compared to a white infant.

Heart disease is still the leading cause of death for all Americans, yet an African American male is 30 percent more likely to die, while an African American female is 40 percent more likely to die from the disease than the majority white population.

Diabetes, the fastest growing disease in the country, is found most in African American and Latino populations. The list went on.

When it came to sexual education, it wasn’t any more encouraging. More than 50 percent of new AIDs cases are found in African American males.

Satcher’s definition of comprehensive sexual education was not merely learning the ins and outs of safe sex and contraception, which are important in their own right, but he stressed it was also a question of having a deeper knowledge and respect for oneself and others.

“Sexuality is not just about having sex,” Satcher stressed. “It’s the concept of yourself. It’s about being secure enough to make decisions, and be prepared to protect yourself and others regardless of sexual orientation.”

Still, Satcher was encouraging and highlighted that changes can be made on an individual level by getting educated and making positive lifestyle-appropriate changes to studying further to alter policy.

“It’s probably obvious that I’ve celebrated a lot of Black History months,” Satcher said. “In fact, I realized that I’m part of Black History month. Once you understand that, it encourages you to make a contribution, set goals for your life.”

Satcher’s contributions were significant during his tenure from 1998-2002. In that time, Satcher produced the first Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health, the first Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Promote Sexual Health And Responsible Sexual Behavior.

Though Satcher admitted he came up against a lot of pressure in Washington, he was still able to joke about it.

“People say there are two great lies: one, the check is in the mail, and two, I’m from the government and (am) here to help you.”

Still, Satcher stressed the role of each individual to make sure our policies are consistent with our science.

“You have the opportunity to make a difference in your own life and in the people around you,” Satcher said.

That includes getting out to vote, he later said.

Satcher said he was excited to be on a campus that he characterized as being on the forefront of the sexual education front.

The speech was sponsored by the Human Sexuality Studies Program/National Sexuality Resources Center and the Student Health Center, among many others.