May 2005 Archives

From the Editors: Due to an editing error, the May 19 issue of [X]press may have left the mistaken impression that there are no longer any NEXA classes. The correct information is below.

The reality of budget cuts hit SF State again this semester, when a number of the university's programs were considered for discontinuance. Some were salvaged while others were cut. Below is a list complied by [X]press, updating the status of several programs.

NEXA - Cut
The NEXA program and minor have been discontinued.

Students in the Segment III clusters "Ideas and the Making of Culture,” "Science and Human Values" and other clusters with NEXA courses will be able to take these courses to complete their GE requirements.

Classes to be offered in 2005-2006 are:
Fall 2005
NEXA 360 Visual World of Science & Art
NEXA 368 Dangerous Liaisons: The Don Juan Myth in Music and Literature
NEXA 380 Cosmologies and World Views
NEXA 389 The Darwinian Revolution
NEXA 392 Nature, Culture & Technology

Spring 2006
NEXA 330 Marxism, Feminism & Social Change
NEXA 369 The Demonic Pact: The Faust Myth in Music and Literature
NEXA 390 The Einsteinian Revolution
NEXA 392 Nature, Culture & Technology
NEXA 456 Reality & the New Physics

“While we do not agree with the university's decision to eliminate the NEXA program, it is the university's decision to make,” said NEXA Director Geoffrey Green. “At a time when interdisciplinary approaches to education are emerging throughout the country, it is indeed disheartening that fiscal and other exigencies have compelled SFSU (who pioneered such approaches in the past) to conclude that interdisciplinary education is not a high priority.”

Industrial Technology – Saved
A proposal to discontinue the bachelor’s degree in industrial technology was withdrawn so the design and industry department can downsize and revise the program.

Officials in the design and industry department said they hope to consolidate courses from the degree in industrial technology with courses from the industrial arts degree program.

Affected courses:
DAI 210 Industrial Science
DAI 430 Industrial Controls
DAI 460 Automated Manufacturing Systems
DAI 510 Industrial Quality Control

These four courses will either be eliminated, consolidated, or revised for the newly configured curriculum that will be shared with the degree in Industrial Arts, chair Ricardo Gomes, said in a letter.

Gerontology - Suspended until further notice
“There is a reorganization task force meeting and they have been charged with making recommendations regarding the future of the Gerontology Program to the provost,” said Anabel Pelham, director of the gerontology program.

California Studies - Saved
The program was saved after an agreement was made between Program Director Lee Davis and BSS Dean Joel Kassiola. Davis did not disclose the details of the agreement but did say that the California studies program budget was cut to zero. Prior to this, Cal Studies received $3,000 to $4,000 a year for supplies and student assistant help. The program office will also be reduced in size.
A curriculum revision proposal, which will reduce the number of units required for the minor from 21 to 16 units, will go before the Academic Senate in Fall 2005. If the proposal gets approved, students already taking the Segment III cluster “California Cultures and Environments” will only need one more class for the minor.

“I hope that it will be completely approved by the end of the fall,” Davis said.

Social Sciences - Cut
The bachelor of arts degree in social science was cut due to lack of faculty resources. Classes will be offered through spring 2006. Social science courses are not being cut, but will be offered with less frequency with fewer sections after spring 2006, said Dawn Terrell, acting director of social sciences and the associate dean of BSS.

The master’s degree will also be suspended, with a formal request most likely submitted in the fall, according to Terrell.

“We will make sure the current graduate students have ample time to graduate,” said Terrell.

Dance - Saved
The bachelor’s degree in dance was saved after a revision of the major required units from 57 to 45 units. According to the proposal, the revised major will "facilitate a new interdisciplinary program between dance, music, and theatre arts.”

"We took it (the possibility of discontinuance) as a opportunity to revamp the whole thing," said Susan Whipp, professor of dance.

Russian - Cut
President Corrigan cut the master’s and bachelor’s degree programs even though there was a lot of support from the community and a recommendation for continuance from the Academic Senate. Students already in the programs will be able to finish their degree. SF State will maintain the minor.

Classes to be offered in Fall 2005 are:

Russian 101 First Semester Russian
Russian 102 Second Semester Russian
Russian 103 Third Semester Russian
Russian 301 Reading and Grammar
Russian 511 Russian Literature II
Russian 611 Chekhov's Plays
Russian 811 Chekhov's Plays

The Russian program at SF State is essential not just because San Francisco has a six to seven percent Russian-speaking population but also because it is a bridge between high school and community colleges to further pursue Russian studies, according to Catherine Siskron, professor of Russian studies.

"Cutting Russian studies in San Francisco just doesn't seem appropriate," said Siskron.

Clinical Laboratory Science - Suspended until new director is found.

No director has been found yet, but according to the program’s Web site, the program will be accepting applications for the fall 2005 semester.

The big smiles on SF State graduates’ faces are not the only big thing an expected 20,000 guests will see on commencement day. SF State will celebrate this year’s commencement with a record-breaking number of graduates and two honored alumni.

The 104th commencement will feature 7,763 students, the largest graduating class in the university’s history. During the ceremony, Manny Mashouf, founder and chairman of the board of bebe Stores, Inc., will be honored as 2005's Alumnus of the Year. The invited keynote speaker will be 2003 Alumnus of the Year Ben Fong-Torres, a former editor at “Rolling Stone” magazine and a Bay area radio personality.

Student Natasha Lee Scholtz will represent undergraduates in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

Scholtz is an economics major who has maintained a 3.83 grade point average while working full time, the highest GPA of any student majoring in economics this year.

Department chair Philip King, who nominated Scholtz, said she personifies what makes SF State special.

In a memo sent to BSS Dean Joel Kassiola, King writes:

“(Scholtz) has been universally praised by faculty in economics as one of our best students with a fine, inquiring mind, not just someone who focuses on exams and grades.”

Apart from working full time, Scholtz has volunteered at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, where she gave tours to inner city children, coaches girls softball, and tutors other undergraduates.

Scholtz said she tries to help her community as much as possible but feels the time she has to offer is limited. She said the faculty and staff have been very supportive throughout her four years at SF State, and she is fortunate to have interacted with many of them.

“I am completely honored,” said Scholtz. “Everyone here works really hard, and having gone through it myself I am excited to be representing the college of BSS, the economics department and being a part of the class of 2005.”

King also wrote this was the first time students have come up to him and urged him to nominate a particular student.

The department has not received a hood award in the last 18 years.

The commencement ceremony will take place rain or shine in Cox Stadium on Saturday, May 28 at 1 p.m. and will last about three hours.

Mashouf, who will also briefly speak at the 2005 ceremony, earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1966. In 1976 he opened the first bebe boutique on Polk Street, and now has over 200 shops throughout the United States and Canada. He also serves on SF State’s College of Business advisory board.

Mashouf, when inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame in 2003, said:

“I’m very, very fortunate to have experienced my last few years of college education at this campus in the ‘60s,” Mashouf said at his 2003 induction into the SF State Alumni Hall of Fame. “Those were very special times for San Francisco, for me, and I think for America. I have so many wonderful memories that will fuel and stimulate my thought process for many years to come.”

Fong-Torres said he found it very easy to accept SF State's President Robert Corrigan’s invitation to speak at this year commencement ceremony.

“An event like this is valued,” said Fong-Torres. “I’ve always appreciated all the teachers. They were always there to offer a word of encouragement.”

Fong-Torres attended SF State from 1962 through 1966, earning a bachelor’s degree in radio, television and film. During his time at SF State he served on the student newspaper, the Daily Gator, as a junior reporter, then moved up to city editor, and later became the top editor.

“It was so rewarding to see the paper come out daily,” said Fong-Torres. “Those were tumultuous times.”

During his stay at the publication Fong-Torres said there was a constant flow of news.

“There was the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, and the third world liberation front,” said Fong-Torres. “All these things were constantly going on. It was a swirl of activity.”

In 1968 Fong-Torres began writing for Rolling Stone, where he worked with the future chair of the school’s journalism department, John Burks.

“Ben is a hell of an interviewer,” said Burks. “He always had a clear focus of what he wanted to do.
“He’s the kind of person the would dot every ‘I’ and cross every ‘t’. He was really professional.”

Temistocles Narvios, a creative writing major planning to attend the ceremony, said he will be looking forward to Fong-Torres’s speech.

“It will be inspirational to see a once-fledgling writer out there,” said Narvios.

Although the names of graduates will not be announced at the ceremony, Narvios is happy to be graduating.

“The feeling that I survived my four years here is an achievement, as opposed to the people who end up droping out,” said Narvios.

Students who still need to rent their caps and gown can do so over the phone for an extra $15 charge by calling (415) 338-BOOK now through May 26. Phone orders can be picked up from the bookstore’s Textbook Department May 26-27. A bachelor’s degree cap and gown regalia rental costs $42.95 and $55.95 for the masters’ degree regalia.

While picking up their regalia graduates will receive five guest tickets.

Students can pick up their regalia from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 19 and May 23-26, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
on May 20, and 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on May 21.

For more information on 2005 commencement, visit http://www.sfsu.edu/commencement/ .

Regardless of race, creed or religion, students have always been free to gather, rally and protest on campus, but those days may be quickly coming to an end.

On Feb. 16, California State Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-San Luis Obispo) introduced Senate Bill 337, which would punish students involved in protests by mandating universities to expel the students. In most cases, all financial aid would also be revoked.

“The purpose of this bill is to hold college students accountable for their criminal behavior off campus,” Maldonado said on his Web site.

The proposed law says students would be punished for breaking any one of several riot laws in the California Penal Code, including:

Section 243 (b) - Battery on a peace officer, firefighter, or EMT, if this offense occurs at the scene of a riot or unlawful assembly.

Section 404 - Rioting, defined as any use or threat to use force or violence, disturbing the public peace, by two or more persons acting together.

Section 404.6 - Incitement to riot.

Section 405a - Lynching (forcefully taking, by means of a riot, any person from the lawful custody of a peace officer).

Section 409 - Failing to disperse after lawful warning.

Section 416(a) - Failure to disperse after command.

The last of these two provisions are misdemeanors, which led members of the state senate to question whether penalties may sometimes be excessive.

In late March, the bill made its way back onto the senate floor, where senators voiced serious concerns. According to minutes from the March 29 meeting, the bill had a “lack of due process,” “need for clarification,” and contained “discriminatory provisions.”

Also brought up at the meeting was the fact that the bill may violate the current state Education Code, by requiring universities to impose an automatic dismissal to offending students. That would deprive the universities of their campus discretion and due process protections guaranteed by the code.

Even more, students may be deprived of the right to assemble and protest, actions that have brought national notoriety to the SF State campus in past years.

The current wording of the bill makes no distinction between protests that occur on campus or off campus. Although the bill calls for a minimum one-year expulsion from all state schools, there is no mention of a statute of limitations - meaning students could conceivably be punished for protests that happened years ago.

SF State officials have no formal stance on the issue, but public relations spokeswoman Ellen Griffin said "the CSU system is looking at making some revisions to Title V with respect to student life, to better describe responsible student behavior."

"It's likely that an update of Title V will be submitted to the Board of Trustees in July," said Griffin.
California State University revisions would be separate from SB 337. Griffin said she didn’t expect the Legislature to pass Maldonado’s bill.

Donna Hubbard, a professor of ethnic studies and a lawyer, said she was wary of ignoring any restrictive legislation, regardless of its status.

"The fact that it hasn't left committee is a good thing for those opposed, but when legislation is at that stage is when people should organize and voice their opinion on it," she said.

Last week, the San Francisco Health Department released a report on STD, revealing San Francisco as having one of the highest incidences of chlamydia and gonorrhea in the country last year.

In 2003, San Francisco had 3,332 cases of chlamydia and 1,809 of gonorrhea – San Francisco’s rates were almost triple that of Los Angeles and California as a whole --reported to the health department while the country had 877,478 and 335,104 respectively.

Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, the head of the Department of Public Health’s STD prevention services, explained one of the reasons for the city’s high ranking is that greater efforts have been made to test for the diseases.

“San Francisco does the most comprehensive STD screening per capita in the country.”

Klausner said men who have sex with men (MSM), teenagers and young adults-- especially in the African-American community-- are among those who are at a higher risk than the overall population and added that San Francisco has the highest incidences of syphilis in the country.

Klausner went on to say most people are not well educated about STDs and must be self-motivated to learn about them on their own and should regularly see a doctor.

Although they are treatable infections, Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis do not always show symptoms. About 50 percent of men and 80 percent of women infected with Chlamydia have no symptoms, according to statistics of San Francisco Health Department.

“We don’t have good health education in our schools,” said Klausner. “We also don’t have good education by the media or parents.”

However, Klausner said the Internet has played an important role in informing the public about STDs.

Klausner pointed out the importance of people who are infected by any type of STD to go to a local clinic as well their partners to get treated since a person can be re-infected if not having protected sex.

Kamal Harb, Health Educator for Student Health Service, said most students are not well educated about STDs, but they can learn more about them by attending workshops on STDs and HIV and also by talking with counselors at the Health Center.

Harb gave one possible reason for young adults being among those who are at a higher risk to get STDs than the overall population.
“They leave home, go to school, have much more freedom and start having different partners.”

Dr. Janet Shalwitz, the City’s Adolescent Health Working Group, said budget cuts have been affecting services as well as the lack of communication between educators and teenagers and political influence toward emphasizing abstinence as negative aspects.

“There’s not good communication about sex,” Shalwitz said. “It could not be worse and it wouldn’t be surprising teenagers aren’t getting the right message.”

According to Shalwitz, the city has been doing much more to reduce STDs than it used to, but it is still not enough.

“Education is a huge issue and now it’s the worst possible time in all the years I’ve been working here.”

Shalwitz mentioned San Francisco has only one public high school -Balboa- with a health clinic where young people can be tested.

Shalwitz compared the United States with some countries in Europe saying most people in those countries talk openly about sex, which, according to her, is the reason these countries have lower incidents of STD and abortion.

“We have much to learn [about sex education].” “We aren’t moving forward, but backwards.”

Chlamydia (the most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States), gonorrhea (the second), and syphilis are bacterial infections that can be passed by from one person to another during vaginal, anal and oral sex.

One common symptom among those who experience gonorrhea infections is pain while urinating, which usually appears within 10 days after being exposed. However, women often do not have any symptoms at all and syphilis symptoms usually appear from one up to 12 weeks after being exposed to the bacteria, but one could have it and not know it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 19 million sexually transmitted diseases (STD) infections occur annually in the United States.

Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and other STDs facilitate the transmission of HIV. Those who are HIV negative and have chlamydia, for instance, have their immune cells more susceptible to HIV if their partner is carrying the virus, according to the San Francisco City Clinic Web site.

The Department of Public Health has information about all STDs and test kits to download available in their Web site www.dph.sf.ca.us/sfcityclinic.com

Changes are brewing for the 6,000 graduate students and undergraduate students who are academic student employees working as teaching associates, graduate assistants and instructional assistants in the California State University system.

After seven months of negotiations, the CSU and the union for academic student employees, the California Alliance of Academic Student Employees, have reached a tentative agreement on their first collective bargaining contract.

“Students were getting different wages working the same job at different CSUs,” said Xochitl Lopez, an organizer for the student employees union and graduate student at Sacramento State University.

“Some employees were even getting health benefits, with a contract we will no longer be controlled by the employer.”

The agreement will be voted on May 25, meaning the details on the improved work conditions will be revealed at that time. Lopez said overall, the union, which is affiliated with the United Auto Workers, was bargaining for a pay increase.

“In the end the university was very cooperative, “ Lopez said. “We have made great strides and it is empowering that we have a democratic say in our work conditions.”

In a statement released to the press, CSU Assistant Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Sam Strafaci agreed the bargaining went smoothly with the union.

“We are very pleased that we have reached an agreement for the first contract with the UAW,” Strafaci said. “Initial contract bargaining is very difficult and the agreement is an indication that the parties took their work seriously.

“Both parties were willing to be creative and make the compromise necessary to reach agreement in a constructive and professional manner. I am looking forward to working with the union leadership during the term of this contract.”

SF State graduate student Christopher Fisher works as a graduate assistant for the biology department. Earning $12 an hour, Fisher manages grades, does prep work for lectures and is a co-instructor for two biology courses. On top of his work for the biology department he has taken out student loans and works a part-time retail job to cover his rent and living costs.

“I have never been part of a union but having health insurance would be incredible,” said Fisher. “I can’t cover health insurance with the income I am making right now.”

In January 2004, the CSU students working as academic employees officially joined the union. Fisher said he feels that his work as a graduate assistant has been an amazing learning experience, but he is concerned about how his job will be affected in the future now that he is part of a union.

“I am concerned that people in leadership positions will be too greedy and ask for too much from the CSU system,” said Fisher. “I am also concerned about everyone’s need being genuinely represented by the CAASE/UAW.”

The California Alliance of Academic Student Employees and United Auto Workers represents more than 26,000 academic student employees nationally, including more than 12,000 in the University of California system.

When BECA major Ben Mullins showed up for work on May 1, he was expecting another average day as an audio visual technician in the Cesar Chavez Student Center.

He arrived at 9 a.m., set up for the second day of the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA) conference in Jack Adams Hall, and went about his business as usual.

Then he was approached by Mark Jaramilla, one of the three building managers at the student center.

Mullins said Jaramilla told him that MEChA members had insisted he not be present in Jack Adams Hall because of his affiliation with the College Republicans. Although Mullins is a member of the College Republicans, he is a registered independent.

“It made me very uncomfortable,” Mullins said. “It’s a violation of university policy to discriminate against anyone on campus, let alone a student group discriminating against an employee on campus.”

MEChA members and Mark Jaramilla did not return numerous calls for comment.

Mullins said the other reason given for his dismissal was that he was on his cell phone talking during the conference on Saturday, but said it was a conversation that lasted only a few seconds.

“They said they repeatedly approached me and asked me to get off my cell phone, which is just a blatant lie,” Mullins said. “They did not approach me at all whatsoever.

Tech Services Manager Avish Bharwani, 22, said he has never had to deal with a problem like this in the past, and was a little shocked.

To avoid conflict, he called in another technician.

“I thought it was a joke at first,” Bharwani said. “I don’t think at the time they understood the gravity of what they were saying.

MEChA is a national organization that works to end the exploitation of the Chicano community as well as stop institutional and systematic discrimination.

“They blatantly discriminate against someone who doesn’t agree with their views, and that’s wrong,” Mullins said. “It’s illegal to do that on this campus and it’s illegal to do that in a working environment.”

Derek Wray, president of the College Republicans at SF State, said the reason MEChA knew Mullins was a member of the College Republicans was because MEChA members had come to one of their past meetings.

Members of the College Republicans said this isn’t the first time they’ve felt discriminated against for their political viewpoints.

“A number of times I’ve spoken out in class, and immediately I got attacked from the students and the professor,” Chris Finarelli, vice president of the College Republicans said. “It’s a hostile environment when you’re a conservative on this campus."

“A bunch of students come to us and say they want to join (the College Republicans) but they’re afraid to.”

College Republican Chris Steinmetz, 24, said the group’s fliers are taken down constantly and male members had to escort women posting fliers on campus.

Wray said a woman once filed a harassment charge because the College Republicans asked her not to tear down their fliers.

Prosecutors dropped burglary charges for five SF State students, including a photojournalist who was evicted from the dorms for photographing the alleged burglary, after the students entered a civil compromise plea.

The plea settled the case on May 17, awarding about $2,000 in restitution to Karimah Arnold, who's Ford Mustang was burglarized on Oct. 24. A civil compromise does not mean the defendants are accepting responsibility, however, they have agreed to pay for damages in order for charges to be dropped.

Last year, [X]press editors gave Omar Vega, an SF State photojournalist student, a semester-long assignment to document life in freshmen dorms. Vega took pictures of four SF State students, Blake Street, Nicole Dion, Steven Stodola and John Macrery, after they allegedly found a set of car keys and located the Ford Mustang, broke in, and stole money and CDs.

Street was scheduled to appear but did not arrive at the hearing. Macrery, also scheduled to appear at the hearing, did not arrive due to a calendar coordination mistake.

David Simerly, Vega's attorney, said a bench warrant would not issued to the defendants who did not appear in court because a civil compromise was already in place.

Although all charges have been dropped for all five defendants, each will have to pay $355 for damages to the vehicle.

Another court date is set for May 26, when the five defendants' attorneys will make an appearance in court on their behalf to finalize all payments as well as to ensure all charges are dismissed.

Toby Vega, Omar's father, spoke on behalf of his son regarding the incident.

“Omar is not guilty,” said Toby. “He just wants this to go away so he can go on with the rest of his life.”

Vega said he is happy that the case is over.

“Now I am free to take pictures, which is what I love most,” said Vega.

Vega said he is thankful for the support of the professors in his department.

“The support within the journalism department has been great,” said Vega. “They truly supported me all the way.

“(Department chair John) Burks took the initiative to write letters to housing on my behalf," continued Vega. " And we discussed the issues step-by-step and how to get the administration to not punish me.”

Vega said because of the case, SF State dorms are making changes to some of their policies.

“(Housing) has never had anything written, but because of this case and Burks's input, they are making fundamental changes in their regulations," Vega said. "The dorms are a fundamental part of the campus and should be accessed by any journalist doing a legitimate story.”

YaVaughnie Wilkins contributed to this story.

SF State is at the forefront of educational policy, protesting controversial issues surrounding military recruitment on college campuses.

Additional reporting by Jacob Holub and Julie Richardson.

May 16 was the first day for upcoming graduates to rent their gowns and caps. The cost for graduation rentals is $42.95 for undergraduates and $55.95 for graduate students.

We asked several students if they thought the price of graduation was too high.

Click on the right to hear their answers.

According to the Romberg Tiburon Center's mission statement, The center performs basic scientific research, educates and trains the next generation of scientists. Its scientists pursue research in their laboratories at the Center, at field sites around the world, and through collaborations with colleagues at other universities and institutions. As an affiliate of SF State University, the Center provides its students with graduate and undergraduate level courses as well as practical experience gained through research conducted in the laboratories of the Center's scientists.

There are 38,000 pints of blood needed everyday in the United States. San Francisco hospitals need 500 pints a day to meet the demand, but a shortage of blood in California forces blood centers to import blood from other states.

Blood Centers of the Pacific is a non-profit organization in San Francisco that provides the link between people who donate blood and the patients who need it. Blood drives at local universities, like SF State, are one of the main ways the blood center tries to meet the needs of the 41 Bay Area hospitals it supplies.

Less than four percent of the population donates blood nationwide. A healthy person can donate blood every eight weeks. Once the blood is donated it is tested for Hepatitis B and C, HIV, Syphilis, and the West Nile Virus.

Once the blood is cleared it is sent to Bay Area hospitals within 72 hours. Blood is separated into different components like red cells, platelets, and plasma. A donor could potentially help three different people.

Five SF State students delivered over 2,000 signed petitions advocating the rights of student free speech and opposing military recruitment on campus to Provost John Gemello on March 18.

Two different sets of the signed petitions were presented by Students Against War members Katrina Yeaw, Billy Caudy, Jason Smith, Kristin Anderson, and International Socialist Organization member Mike Hoffman to Gemello. One petition demands for all disciplinary actions against three students and two student organizations be dropped for their actions during the March 9 and 10 military recruitment protests. The other opposes military recruitment on campus and the Solomon Amendment, which gives the U.S. secretary of defense the right to deny federal funding to universities for not allowing military recruitment. The petitions were signed by people across the country and various SF State students, faculty members and student organizations.

“We are holding this event to show that we are not going away,” said Hoffman.

Hoffman as well as Yeaw and Paradis Esmaeili were all removed from the Cesar Chavez Student Center on March 10 for protesting military recruiters at a job fair. According to Esmaeili and Hoffman, they may face possible disciplinary action such as expulsion. During the science and engineering career fair’s first day, SAW and ISO organized a protest, where approximately 150 students marched from Malcolm X Plaza into Jack Adams Hall. The groups assembled in front of the Air Force and Army Corps of Engineers’ booths. Jack Brewer, the director of the Career Center, filed a complaint against the groups after the Career Center had to refund over $6,000 in registration fees to employer booths.

Nearly 14 members from Students Against War and the International Socialist Organization, as well as ISO advisor and SF State librarian Chris Mays, assembled in front of the administration building to voice their concerns regarding possible disciplinary action against the organizations and three individual student members. Only five of the 14 people in attendance were allowed inside the building.

Gemello accepted the petitions after announcing that President Robert Corrigan is out of the country on business.

“When the president comes back, I will meet with him and personally hand over the petitions,” Gemello said.

The organizations have been under review by the Student Organizations Hearing Panel, and their decision on disciplinary action is expected this week.

According to International Socialist Organization member Hoffman, campus officials have sent mixed messages for the student groups.

“The intentions of the university have not been made clear to us and that’s pretty much the problem,” said Hoffman. “They’re not being up front with the information they have and what exactly they are seeking to do to in terms of disciplining us.

“Silencing us will not end the discontent on campus.”

San Francisco has been chosen as the headquarters for California’s $3 billion stem cell research program, and SF State's biology department is gearing up for new opportunities.

Dr. Michael Goldman, professor of biology, said that SF State may be able to get some of the institute’s approximately $300 million in research grants, and perhaps expand some of the university’s teaching programs.

“This has generated unprecedented excitement in the (SF State) biology community,” said Goldman. “It may encourage more students to be interested in biology and choose (biology) rather than other majors.”

San Francisco competed against 17 other California cities to be the home city for the stem cell research headquarters, officially called the Institute for Regenerative Medicine. San Francisco beat runner-up San Diego with16 of the institute’s 27 votes in the final decision on May 6.

The institute was established after Proposition 71 authorized the use of $3 billion in public funds for use in embryonic stem cell research. The proposition was approved by 59 percent of California voters last November. It will be the first institute of its kind in the United States. Stem cell research has long been a controversial field, as it requires the destruction of human embryos to collect the cells.

In order to win the bid, San Francisco offered an estimated $17 million worth of benefits, including 10 years of free rent in city office buildings, 2,600 free hotel rooms, free furniture, and free access to several conference centers, including the Moscone Convention Center.

The institute plans to build 17,000 square feet of office space in the Mission Bay area, near SBC Park, where it will appropriate the $300 million in grants to the scientific community.

Goldman said that the approximately 800 biotech companies in the Bay Area would likely engage in “fierce competition” for the institute’s grants, which will generate more research opportunities and jobs in the biotech field.

SF State graduate student in microbiology Dennis Bua said he hopes that the institute will encourage biology-related industry to move to San Francisco to be closer to the institute.

“I’m definitely pleased,” said Bua. “Stem cells are not necessarily my life’s work, but it will bring other companies that want to be around San Francisco, so when I’m done (with school) there will be jobs for me.”

The institute will bring revenue and new employment opportunities to the city, which SF State students may take advantage of, said District 6 Supervisor Sean Elsbernd.

“It’s a big win on a number of fronts,” said Elsbernd. “Having more jobs will bring in more revenue, and that will increase city services.

Elsbernd said the additional revenue could be seen in areas such as better Muni service or fixing potholes, both issues which SF Students complained about in meetings with Elsbernd.
“The specific benefit for SF State is also a benefit for everyone,” said Elsbernd. “More jobs and lowering unemployment is always a good thing for the city.”

Although the Institute will hire just 50 people, it may bring increased hiring among the Bay Area’s approximately 800 biotech companies, and encourage other science-related industry to move to the area, said Elsbernd.

SF State student Tanya Gannon, 25, said she is also “thrilled” about San Francisco being the new home of California’s stem cell pioneering.

“It’s very exciting because of what the research could lead to,” said Gannon, who is working on her masters in microbiology. “It will develop amazing advances in the fields of disease and general science.”

Gannon also said that the stem cell research headquarters would bring new educational opportunities, because of the biotech conferences that will likely be held in San Francisco.

“We are in an outstanding area for the scientific community because of Stanford, UCSF, Berkeley, and now the stem cell institution,” said Gannon. “We won’t see results overnight, but with time it will definitely enlighten us.”

SF State stands to gain up to $5 million in federal grants for financial aid if bipartisan legislation introduced before Congress is approved, a public interest research firm says.

The legislation, know as the Student Aid Reward Act (also known as the STAR Act), would steer federal student loan subsides away from banks and lending institutions and into the hands of universities that have switched or already participate in the Direct Student Loan program.

“We’re taking money we now give to banks and lenders and giving it to students,” said Merriah

Fairchild, the higher education advocate for the California Public Interest Research Group. CALPIRG is a non-profit public interest advocacy group working on behalf of consumers, the environment, and good government in California, according to its Web site.

Universities throughout the nation have their pick of two federal student loan programs: the Federal Family Education Loan program or the Direct Loan program.

Private lenders and banks support the Federal Family Education Loan program. It’s the larger of the two government-subsidized programs.

SF State participates in the Direct Loan program, which is funded through the U.S. Treasury.
Supporters of the STAR Act want the federal government to decide which student loan program is more efficient.

CALPIRG’s research estimates more than $4.4 billion would be saved next year if every school participating in the family loan program switched to the Direct Loan Program. This year’s study shows the Direct Loan program saves taxpayers $11 for every $100 loaned to students. The estimates were compiled using the estimated federal subsidy rates for 2006, which are slightly lower than this year’s rates, Fairchild said.

Barbara Hubler, SF State’s director of financial aid, said it would be wonderful if the STAR Act passes.
Hubler said she believes supporters of the STAR Act will have a difficult fight on their hands in getting their bill approved.

“The fact is that lenders make a lot of money on student loans. They’re going to try hard to make sure it doesn’t come along,” she said.

Tom Kiley, a spokesman for Congressman George Miller (D-California), a co-sponsor of the STAR Act in the House of Representatives, agreed the fight will be difficult.

The congressman’s legislation is aimed at addressing the difficulty most families are having in affording college, Kiley said. He added that he believes getting universities to switch loan programs is a way to fund financial aid increases when government funds are tight without costing the taxpayer anything.

“If federal funds are so scarce, wouldn’t it make sense to spend money on students (rather) than on profitable banks?” he said.

Fairchild said she agrees, which is why her group is so strongly advocating this bill. Pell grants, a federally funded grant to needy college students, have not kept pace with inflation, she said. Part of the predicted savings realized when universities switch from the FFEL loan program to the Direct Loan program will be returned to students in the form of financial aid increases of up to $600, Fairchild added.

“Six hundred dollars won’t solve the problem," she said. "But it’s a step in the right direction.”

Kevin Bruns, the executive director of America’s Student Loan Providers, an umbrella group representing the student loan industry, said financial aid administrators believe that having a choice between the two programs has greatly improved customer service. The point was acknowledged by SF State’s director of financial aid, Barbara Hubler.

Lenders within the FFEL program can also waive loan origination fees and give students interest rate breaks for on-time payments, something the Direct Loan program cannot do, Bruns said.

Bruns challenged the forecasted savings predicted by supporters of the STAR Act, since much of the savings are based on the most favorable interest rates possible, he said.

In July, student loan interest rates are expected to rise by up to 2 percent, which would increase the interest paid by borrowers to the Direct Loan program and decrease the total costs of the Direct Loan program. But if interest rates were to fall again, any potential savings would diminish as well.

With interest rates in constant flux, it’s difficult to accurately forecast long-term savings, said Bruns.

"Frankly, we think costs are pretty close," he said.

SF State’s gym building was transformed into a gallery of creativity and scholarship on Wednesday as graduate students’ research and thesis projects filled the room.

The projects were part of the second annual Graduate Student Showcase. The exhibition was followed by a reception and awards to graduate and undergraduate students that won research competitions earlier this year.

The event’s main purpose, according to Dean of graduate studies Ann Hallum, is to recognize and bring attention to the work of graduate students.

“What we’re trying to do is to get graduate students more visible on campus,” said Hallum, who initiated the project last year when she was the acting dean of graduate studies.

Hallum said she was motivated by a lack of attention to graduate students and their work.

“There was absolutely nothing on campus that recognized the extraordinary work graduate students do,” Hallum said.

Work displayed covered a variety of topics including Asian-American male participation in African-American hip-hop, neuroscience of meditation and the psychology of parent-child interaction.

Students chose to participate for different reasons, but many said encouragement from professors played a big part.

Public health grad student Katherine Hawksworth came to show her and three other students’ research on the Medicare Modernization Act passed in 2003 and its impact on dual beneficiaries for Medicare and Medical.

“We’re always highly encouraged by our department and our advisors to promote the work that we do,” said Hawksworth.

Winners from two research competitions also participated in the exhibition. Each year, SF State undergraduate and graduate students can participate in the university’s research competition by submitting research papers, thesis studies or creative work. The Alumni Association selects and awards 10 of these works, which also participate in the annual California State University Student Research Competition. The winners of these competitions are the only undergraduates participating in the showcase.

This year’s first-prize winners at the CSU competition included social work major Shelley Volz, English master student Scott Lehman, and biochemistry master student Vinita Marathe.

Volz won for a project on collaborative learning where she studied classes at SF State that incorporated these techniques. Lehman’s project looked at how the structure of maps in the 18th century “Gentleman’s Magazine” displayed patterns of colonialism and imperialism. Marathe’s project focused on the development of methodology to identify cell-surface glycoprotein, a process than can be used to find alternative methods to treat cancer.

Marathe said the award was significant to her because she wants to conduct research on cancer therapy in the future.

“It was a nice stepping stone for me,” Marathe said.

Molly O’Rourke, a senior in kinesiology major, is going to Egypt to compete with judo players around the world in the 2005 Judo World Championships this September.

Prior to the competition, she won the 2005 Senior Judo National Championships last month in Virginia and qualified for the coming tournament. She won with ippon (throw) victory for all four matches at the competition in the 78 kilogram weight class.

Between studying, working and maintaining some sort of a social life throughout college, students often tend to ignore one very important factor - sleep.

A recent poll conducted among college students by the National Sleep Foundation suggests a link between sleep deficiencies and negative attitudes and behavior.

“Some of the problems we face as a society, from road rage to obesity, may be linked to lack of sleep or poor sleep,” said the foundation's Director Richard L. Gelula.

According to the poll, 63 percent of college students - and 60 percent of American adults in general - do not get enough sleep. Those who reported getting fewer than six hours of sleep on weeknights reported more incidents of being tired, stressed and sad than those who said they slept at least eight hours.

Overall, those who said they did not get enough sleep reported more dissatisfaction and anger, while better sleepers said they had more energy and were relaxed and happy.

Stress is often considered the number one culprit behind sleep difficulties, said Dr. Rafael Pelayo of the Stanford Medical Center Sleep Disorders Clinic.

“Some common triggers of stress are often school or job-related pressures,” Pelayo said. “This oftentimes leads to sleep deprivation in the person dealing with the stress.

“When you are faced with a continual lack of sleep, it can start to affect your attitude and personality.”

Students at SF State said they can see the link between sleep and mood in their own lives.

“It makes sense to me,” said junior political science major Cara Diaz. “When I am tired, I tend to be cranky and sometimes snap at the people around me.

“I think a lot of the people I know don’t get enough sleep. It definitely comes second to everything else that is going on in our lives right now.”

With so much to do as the semester’s end draws near, Diaz said finding time to sleep can sometimes be very difficult.

“I have classes almost all day on Mondays through Thursdays, and I work a few nights a week,” Diaz said. “Then I still have to find the time to study and write papers, which I usually do late at night, after I get off of work.”

Finding a balance between everything is often a stressful task for college students, leaving some to find needed sleep whenever and wherever they can.

“I guess we really don’t get enough sleep because I always see students sleeping in the library,” said sophomore history major Tobias Guerrero.

The library is often filled with students who set out to study, but have opted instead for a short nap.

“I think for every college student sleeping habits are irregular,” Gelula said. “It always seems to get worse as exams approach. One of the reasons students do not get enough sleep is to have extra time to study, but their study time would be more efficient if they had more sleep.”

So is there anyway to break the vicious cycle?

According to the “healthy sleep tips” from the foundation’s Web site, students need to adhere to a strict nighttime sleep schedule that does not allow for a lot of napping during the day. Even a short daytime snooze can make it difficult to sleep that night, setting up a cycle of insomnia.

Although a lot of students get through the day by downing a lot of caffeine, another tip from the Web site said that students should shy away from it, especially when it comes close to bedtime.

With all of the responsibilities that students have, the worries can build. Gelula recommends scheduling “worry time” during the day to think over issues that may be troublesome and make a plan to resolve them. Then when it comes time for bed, the day’s worries will not keep students awake.

With just a few more hours of sleep a day, students can be more productive and maybe a little less irritable.

“I know I can be hard to live with sometimes because I am always tired,” Diaz said. “Thank God my roommates love me, though.”

The term “hot spots” has a new meaning and is catching the attention of many internet users across the city.

Wireless Internet is changing the city one commercial area at a time by making the ‘net accessible anywhere - from the local coffee shop to a bus stop bench.

AnchorFree Wireless, a Sunnyvale wireless internet provider, is supplying its services free of charge.
The company has already set up free wireless access on Union Street between Fillmore and Laguna Streets, on Fillmore between Sacramento and Bush Streets, and in the Marina district on Chestnut Street ending at Scott Street. And within two weeks Castro’s commercial area will be Wi-Fi accessible as well.

The company has 80 Wi-Fi local locations, which makes the internet available through a wireless-capable computer without the use of a telephone or data line.

In the past, AnchorFree charged its customers a $4.99 monthly fee. In March 2005, the company announced free service on University Avenue, near the Stanford University campus, in response to
student comments and an article in the Stanford Daily newspaper.

The article criticized the company for providing a service for a charge, when students could access Internet service free of cost in university dorms and at other areas on campus.

“Out of all users, students use the Internet the most, and students are the toughest market,” said Denis Hiller, AnchorFree Wireless communications director. “The company’s goal now is to provide a widespread Internet service for free.”

AnchorFree’s focus is to provide access to every third building in a consumer district, concentrating on such places as cafes and restaurants.

In Palo Alto, more than 20 percent of the firm’s users are Stanford students.

Hiller also said the company did not make a significant amount of money while charging for its service and had a smaller amount of users signing up for the service compared to the number of users now.

Currently, the company makes its profits through the backing of private investors.

“Why gamble when our vision is to provide free wireless access in popular commercial areas,” said Hiller.

Chestnut Street Coffee Roastery Manager Jesse Pina said since offering Wi-Fi service, business has picked up. Since the Roastery is out of range of AnchorFree’s Wireless services, Pina uses an alternative service provider, but remains cautious of some Wi-Fi services.

“(Wi-Fi) has helped pedestrian traffic, because it provides accessibility to a variety of people, including tourists,” said Pina. “Wireless Internet users can put themselves at risk by using a non-secure line, and people who use credit cards are more vulnerable to hackers getting their information.”

Pina offers wireless service through ZRNETSERVICE, which has been providing public Internet access in the Bay Area since 2000, and said his Wi-Fi service is secure. Pina charges his customers $5 for unlimited use in a 24-hour window.

Richard Dziadur, director of operations for SF State’s department of information technology, said he also thinks security is a problem.

“Hacking is one of the issues surrounding wireless access,” said Dziadur. “At the same time, free wireless access is a great technological advantage.”

Vick Cumming's, an employee of Pete's Coffee on Chestnut Street, said although the shop should recieve AnchorFree's WiFi service the building does not pick up the internet signal, but is a service they would like to provide for customers.

SF State is Wi-Fi accessible in some areas throughout the campus. Coverage includes the Malcolm X Plaza, J. Paul Leonard Library, the outdoor area between the Humanities building and the Cesar Chavez Student Center, the area between Burk Hall and Fine arts, and the area between the Business building and the Health and Social Services building.

Students can access the service through a wireless card that supports the 802.11b wireless standard. The SF State Bookstore carries a variety of wireless cards from about $50-100.

Computer science major Nija Mushruwala has used Wi-Fi throughout the campus and mentioned its advantages and disadvantages.

“The Wi-Fi connection on campus is like a yo-yo,” said Mushruwala. “When you get a connection it’s a decent connection, but it drops a lot and can be slower. It’s harder to pick up a quality signal because of steel and concrete that surrounds the campus.”

T-Mobile provides access at some retail locations, including Borders bookstore and Starbucks Coffee, and charges its users up to $40 a month or $6 an hour.

“The difference is (other Wi-Fi companies) provide wireless access to a single location for a charge, while we provide access to many locations for free,” said Hiller.

SF State will send 141 students to study abroad through the highly competitive California State University International Programs in the 2005-06 academic year, the most that any CSU campus has sent in the program's 42-year history.

The SF State Office of International Programs and the CSU International Programs hosted a reception honoring the students selected to study abroad Tuesday afternoon at McKenna Theater in the Creative Arts Building.

About 250 participants, including the selected students, their families, faculty, exchange students from different countries and local consuls general representing seven nations gathered for the celebration and expressed their excitement at the coming departure.

At the ceremony, student scholarship winners were announced, and all students selected to study abroad received certificates of recognition.

SF State’s delegation is the largest of the 23 CSU schools who will study abroad, according to Marisa Thigpen, an International Exchange Program advisor at SF State. The second-highest number of students, from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, was almost half that of SF State, Thigpen said, adding that 94 percent of SF State's applicants were admitted.

“It’s our privilege to announce the special accomplishment to have the highest number of students accepted for the CSU International Program,” said My Yarabinec, the coordinator of Study Abroad and International Exchange Programs at SF State. “It is highly competitive to be accepted for the program from all CSU schools.”

The International Exchange Program offer services to students hoping to win a slot to study abroad, Thigpen said.

“We help students to put together the best application possible and give tips and recommendations,” said Thigpen.

Thigpen pointed out that International Education Exchange Council, a SF State student organization, has contributed to raising the number of students accepted to the program.

The IEEC is comprised of study abroad applicants, study abroad alumna and the international exchange students coming to SF State from different countries of the globe.

Through a number of social events such as an international film festival and camping trips to Las Vegas and Yosemite, the club hopes to create an opportunity for students to get know each other, exchange information and learn about different culture from students, said Daniel Painitz, an IEEC member who studied in Australia.

Through their fundraising efforts, the IEEC also offers scholarships for the students.
Leo Van Cleve, the director of the CSU International Program, was the keynote speaker at the reception.

“San Francisco is an internationally oriented city, and the OIP worked very hard and effectively to recruit students,” Van Cleve said. “It is the role of university to teach, and this program is important to maintain economic competence (and) diplomatic skills and promote global understanding.”

The CSU International Program was founded in 1963, and has sent over 15,000 students to 17 countries around the globe. The program offers students an opportunity to spend a year in overseas, giving a choice of 17 different countries, according to Van Cleve.

The SF State Bilateral Exchange Programs have the same purpose and require the same eligibility as the CSU program – both programs are open to juniors through graduate students, though sophomores can apply for some language-learning programs While the CSU program offers only year-long study abroad opportunities, the Bilateral Exchange program offers a choice of either a semester or one-year term.

Also, the programs at SF State offer choices to students whose majors may not be eligible for the CSU program, according to Thigpen. Sixty-six students will participate in Bilateral Exchange Programs for the 2005-2006 school year.

Here at SF State, students studying business, particularly international business, well-represented in the study abroad programs. The international relations and liberal studies majors also supply many study abroad participants, according to a report compiled by the OIP. France was the most popular destination for students of both programs, followed by the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Japan, the report adds.

Frederic Desagneaux, the consul general for France in San Francisco, said after the ceremony that he was very proud to have the most number of students going to study in France.

“This program is a great investment for students’ education and a good way to promote cultural diversity,” Desagneaux said. “It helps to build bridges for the future of both countries.”
Rachel Wirth, a junior cinema major, will study in the United Kingdom under the SF State program.

“I firmly believe that a study abroad is very important for both academic and life experiences to be able to look at another culture,” Wirth said.

Jennifer Scibetta was one of two students who won $200 scholarships offered by the SF State program.

“I hope to enhance my education by having hands-on experience,” said Scibetta, a junior French major.

SF State student Claudia Ramirez won the other scholarship, which she will use while studying at London Metropolitan University.

While she pursues her education in college, she is also a mother of two school-aged children, who she said will travel with her to France. The children can speak French as they learn in school, and they are very excited to go to France, Scibetta added.

“It’s an adventure,” she said.

A university committee held a hearing May 9 to review complaints filed against two SF State student organizations for allegedly violating school policy, but has not yet decided on a course of action.

The Student Organization Hearing Panel held the two-hour meeting to investigate charges filed against the groups Students Against War and the International Socialist Organization for their involvement in a March 9 protest against military recruiters at a science and engineering career fair.

Brett Smith, the panel's chairman, said a decision will be made within the next ten days on whether to sanction the groups. Sanctions range from a letter of warning to the revocation of the group’s recognition, which results in the expulsion of a student organization from the university.

Two students from these organizations attended the hearing. Students Against War member Billy Caudy and Mike Hoffman from the International Socialist Organization sat before the five-member committee.

“We weren’t aware (the hearing) was going to happen until this morning,” said Caudy. “This was very last-minute and we were the only people able to attend.”

Caudy said the lawyer representing the organizations sent a letter to the committee stating that the groups would not attend the May 9 hearing and requested a rescheduled meeting.

“It was disappointing that they didn’t respect our right to have a lawyer present and that they were aware that we wouldn’t be prepared,” said Caudy.

According to the Office of Student Leadership and Development’s policies and procedures guide, students may have representation at these hearings, but “attorneys will not be allowed as representatives in this process.”

Newly elected Associated Students Inc. President Chris Jackson and new Vice President of Internal Affairs Maire Fowler sit on the SOHP committee. Jackson and Fowler were unable to comment regarding the closed hearing.

However, Jackson said he is personally drafting a resolution in support of student activism on campus, which will be discussed and heard at the ASI board meeting on May 11.

“We support all non-violent, peaceful activism on campus,” Jackson said. “It’s part of our history, part of our legacy.”

University police assembled at all exits and stairwells of the Student Services building in anticipation of student reaction to the hearing, which was held on the fourth floor. A security gate was lowered on the first floor, blocking access to the One Stop area, and signs were posted instructing students to enter One Stop through the back door.

University spokeswoman Ellen Griffin said the Department of Public Safety “was concerned that a large crowd was expected.”

"They wanted to be sure that emergency and evacuation routes were clear," said Griffin. “If a large crowd did show up, (the security gate blocking One Stop) was to ensure that business could continue uninterrupted.”

Jack Brewer, the director of the SF State Career Center, filed the complaint which ultimately led to the hearing. According to Brewer, a “vast majority of the employers left the (March 9) career fair nearly (two) hours early due to the noise and disruption.” Brewer also said the Career Center must now refund $6,000 in registration fees that were paid by various companies to attend the event.

Brewer testified before the committee during the first hour of the hearing. He was followed by university police officer Reggie Parson, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Kevin Bowman and Dean of Science and Engineering Sheldon Axler.

“I would like there to be an educational outcome, where people learn from this,” Brewer said after the hearing. “Hopefully students will have a better idea of what they can and cannot do when voicing their opinions.”

On the very first day of camp at Project Avary (Alternative Ventures for At-Risk Youth), two kids started fighting as soon as they stepped inside their cabin.
So counselor-mentor-musician Sanjev DeSilva suggested the first remedy that came to mind.
“I told them they should have a freestyle (rap) battle,” said DeSilva, a recent SF State graduate who has worked at Avary for four years and started Hip-Hop Word - a spoken word class for the children.
“No cursing, no sexuality, no family talk, and from there they just went at it,” he said.
The two campers spent the rest of the session together peacefully.
A hip-hop battle is not the traditional conflict resolution method, and DeSilva doesn’t appear to be your traditional teacher, especially as he steps down from the stage after a show in Jack Adams Hall, with his long, flowing dreadlocks and baggy silver jeans.
But at Project Avary, tradition is often what the staff is trying to change.
In the United States, some seven out of ten children with an incarcerated parent will eventually be incarcerated themselves. Increased violence and aggression as well as lowered self-esteem are also traits commonly identified amongst such youth.
“You gotta be hard to an extent, and you have to be spiritually and mentally tough or they’ll walk right over you,” DeSilva said of the children. “You learn as much from them as they do from you.”
The camp grew out of a discussion between Chaplain Earl Smith of San Quentin State Prison and Danny Rifkin, the former tour manager for the Grateful Dead. Rifkin, the camp’s founder and executive director, remembers Smith saying “that in all his work with inmates and their families, it was the children who most often failed to get much needed attention.”
“He told me, ‘if you want to help these men, help their kids,’” Rifkin recalled.
Starting in the summer of 1999 with a one-week session and 32 children, Project Avary has grown quickly and now works with more than 130 children and their families.
“It’s a place where you meet new people and it keeps you going - you’re never left alone there,” said 15-year-old Rakee Matlock, who has gone to camp and other Avary programs for four years.
The program now offers four summer-camp sessions, leadership retreats, monthly Adventure Days - where children are taken to museums, hiking and other educational places - and the newly created Mentoring Program.
Last fall, Project Avary also initiated its first week of Family Camp, where whole households are able to camp out together at the site.
Rifkin said that the Mentoring Program is the latest attempt to offer children year-round support.
“It’s designed to provide a deeper level of support and to further enrich children’s lives with new experiences,” Rifkin said. “Studies show that young people with mentors are far less likely to commit crimes, drop out of school or get pregnant.”
The program allows mentors to share their interests and experiences with children, while still trying to implement the values set forth by Avary. The focus areas are social skills, creative arts, environmental education, nutrition and physical fitness and life skills.
According to Rifkin, DeSilva and his methods serve as a great example of that incorporation.
“He’s really come into his own, creating an ... activity that engaged many of the campers and provided a safe and fun activity for written and performed self-expression,” Rifkin said.
DeSilva teaches the history and elements of hip-hop, and said he wanted the kids to “start seeing hip-hop as their cultural expression, instead of just radio and videos.”
His workshops have led to kids producing graffiti-themed murals and doing performances at the summer camp. He rewards them with books and CDs, including his own album, “Ras Ceylon: The Collegraduate Lessons: 1999-2004,” which he released after graduating from SF State in International Relations/Third World Development and Ethnic Studies.
Matlock participated in DeSilva’s class last summer and still keeps his lyrics stored in a journal he started at camp.
Diversity in thought, religion, ethnicity and approach are all important to the Avary staff. Rifkin said “people of color are encouraged to apply” for the mentoring positions, as many of the children involved are categorized as ethnic minorities.
DeSilva had worked with youth in the East Bay at Step Up, and also works now at East Oakland’s Sequoia Elementary School. He heard about Project Avary through a friend on campus, but according to Adam Calmenson, there are plenty of other ways to get the word on where to go and work for a good cause.
Calmenson is the administrative coordinator at SF State’s Community Involvement Center, which he says has a registry of 200-300 non-profit agencies and helps match roughly 1,000 students per semester up with an organization that suits them.
“We steer them towards general areas based on their interests and on what population they want to serve,” said Calmenson.
According to Calmenson, between 100 and 120 students per semester also utilize the service learning courses. These courses offer training for the first three weeks of every semester, then award academic units to students who perform qualifying service work.
DeSilva’s motivation has always been more personal.
“People of conscience inspired me when I was young,” said DeSilva, “and now it’s my duty to pass on lessons of spirituality, knowledge of self and hip-hop culture.”
For more information, go to http://www.projectavary.org, http://cic.sfsu.edu, or http://www.myspace.com/rasceylon/ .

SF State identification cards have gotten a security-minded makeover, and will make their debut at the end of May.

A new, randomly generated nine-digit student identification number will replace the partial Social Security number that is currently shown on the card’s face. The new cards feature a slightly different picture of the Golden Gate Bridge and a new color as well.

Students, faculty and staff will be able to pick up their new cards at the One Stop Student Services building beginning on May 24. The current SF State ID cards will be deactivated on the evening of May 31.

The cards are being changed to protect students’ personal information and to comply with California Assembly Bill 1306, said SF State Registrar Suzanne Dmytrenko.

The bill, passed in August of 2004, states that an individual or entity (such as SF State) is forbidden from printing Social Security numbers on “any card required for the individual to access products or services,” or “encoding or embedding a Social Security number in a card or document, including using a bar code, chip, magnetic strip, or any other technology.”

Social Security numbers are frequently used in identity theft, which is among the fastest growing crimes in the United States, according to the Social Security Administration.

Most often, criminals use a stolen Social Security number to apply for more credit in the victim’s name, and then use the credit cards without paying the bills.

Current SF State ID cards have the student’s Social Security number printed in part on the front, and encoded in the black magnetic strip on the back of the cards.

Beginning May 24 at the One Stop Student Services building, several express lines will be devoted to issuing the new cards. A valid photo ID, such as an old SF State ID or a driver’s license, is required to pick-up a new card. Any money encoded on old cards will be automatically transferred to the new IDs at the time of pick up.

“We’re doing everything possible to make the process convenient and security-minded,” said Dmytrenko.

New photographs will not be taken for the new cards. If a student wants a new photo, he or she will have to pay the ID replacement fee of $2 and wait until the fall semester to avoid complicating the replacement process, said Dmytrenko.

Dmytrenko said the entire process of picking up a new card should take no longer than 10 minutes, and she encouraged students to come and get their new IDs as soon as possible, although there is no deadline. Students who are leaving campus for the summer may get their new IDs when they return in the fall.

New cards will not be printed for students who applied for May graduation.

One Stop will remain open on a few Saturdays, Dmytrenko said, to accommodate students who can only get their IDs on the weekend.

SF State plans to convert all university computer databases to using the nine-digit numbers on the new IDs, and eliminate the use of Social Security numbers as the primary form of student identification.

Currently, students use Social Security numbers frequently for a variety of purposes, including logging on to MySFSU, paying registration fees and getting add slips for classes.

The “two-phase conversion process” will begin with the issuance of the new student identification numbers and ID cards in late May, and ultimately convert all university computer databases by mid-August, said Dmytrenko.

For the period immediately following the conversion, the university will use “dual-access” for student login purposes on services like MySFSU, where either a Social Security number or the new nine-digit number will suffice.

By November of 2005, the nine-digit student identification numbers will be used in lieu of Social Security numbers for all purposes, and Social Security numbers will no longer be used or accepted.
The university plans to set up a Web site where students can learn and re-check their new nine-digit number by entering their Social Security number and PIN.

Social Security numbers will still be retained by the university for tax purposes.

SF State sociology major Felice Gardner, 22, said eliminating the use of Social Security numbers as student identification is a good idea.

“I guess it’s necessary,” said Gardner. “It seems like a bit of a hassle to have to go pick (the cards) up, but if that’s the price we’re going to have to pay for extra security than I guess it’s worth it.”

Asthma among youth in California has spread so widely it is now an epidemic, according to ‘Yes We Can,’ an intervention program that aims to prevent and manage the sometimes fatal respiratory disease.

Community Health Works, a collaboration created by SF State and City College of San Francisco, began in 1997 and is based out of San Francisco General Hospital. The program aims to empower low-income families with asthmatic children to handle the disease at home through education, clinical referrals and insurance enrollment.

Asthma most often first strikes in childhood, but adults can also be striken. Brendan Barton is a cinema studies senior who uses no medication but relys on an inhaler that he needs only before strenuous activity such as his softball class. His biggest concern is his insurance, covered under his mother's policy, a Kaiser employee. His coverage expires this year since he is twenty-five.

"A couple of years ago I had a really bad cold that went on for two weeks," said Barton. "I was short of breath but it didn't cause the asthma but probably brought it on, according to the doctor."

Statistics from Community Health Works show 13 percent of California’s children have asthma. The rate is 25 percent among inner-city children.

Asthma can be a problem for some at SF State but it is not an epidemic.

Carol Brewer, administrative analyst at SF State's Student Health Service, said there were 9,381 patient visits to the Health Service this semester. Of those, 397 were diagnosed with respiratory problems, she said, but there were only 140 diagnosed cases of asthma.

Mary Beth Love is founder of ‘Yes We Can’ and the chair of SF State’s Health Education Department.
Love said Medi-Cal (the statewide health insurance provider for low-income families) allocates too little funding for asthma prevention.

“The U.S. health care system is geared toward acute care,” said Love. “If you break a leg or have a heart attack we do a good job.

“But we need prevention orientation for asthma management. We’ve proven we can avoid 90 percent of hospitalizations."

Most children are prescribed rescue medication - drugs that clear blocked respiratory systems to help alleviate asthma attacks, Love said. But they should instead be using preventative medication that stops asthma attacks in the first place, she added.

Low-income families need a lot of support because decrepit housing conditions can breed asthma triggers, Love said. These include mold, poor ventilation, bad plumbing or building maintenance, and toxic hazards in the neighborhood.

“We use heavy education to empower families,” said Love. “It helps their children manage asthma better.

“Our model involves community health workers who are culturally and linguistically aligned with the communities in which they work.”

Workers from neighborhood clinics make home visits and inform families of how to reduce asthma triggers, said Love. Families can reduce such triggers by using mattress covers to discourage dust mites, keeping pets out of the bedroom, and asking adults who smoke to go outdoors, she added.

“If it’s treated right, a kid can have asthma and not get sick,” said Love.
Vicki Legion, a faculty member of the Health Science Department at City College and director of

Community Health Works, said researchers don’t know what causes people to initially contract asthma, but have catalogued many different causes of asthma attacks.

Some people have genes more susceptible to an attack and inherit genetic traits that weaken their ability to cope with the disease. But the quality of health care can be a deciding factor in the severity of attacks, she added.

“Doctors in poor communities have way too great a patient case load,” said Legion. “Poor kids are
routinely prescribed the wrong medicine.

“There’s been lots of scientific progress treating asthma. But many doctors are practicing medicine from 15 years ago. And Medi-Cal is shortchanging doctors.”

According to a study by Community Health Works, Medi-Cal is now spending $1,200 per child per year for rescue care. Asthma preventative care would require another $1,950 per year for the first year, with minimal costs for sustained monitoring, the study found.

The study also showed the average cost for an asthma-related hospital stay is $9,231. But for that same amount, preventative care could keep five children healthy.
Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, D-Oakland, has focused much of her attention on patient advocacy. Her chief of staff is Rachel Richmond.

"I don't have the details (of claims that) Medi-Cal is shortchanging doctors in treating asthma," said Richmond. "We do know that Medi-Cal rates are so low that many doctors lose money providing services to Medi-Cal patients. It creates a disincentive."

May 3 was designated as World Asthma Day and commemorated at SF City Hall by honoring Natasha Madaris, a Muni bus driver who lost her 4-year-old son, Armani, to an asthma attack three years ago.

Madaris maintained that Armani didn’t need to lose his life if paraprofessionals at her son’s preschool had been trained in asthma protocols: recognizing the asthma symptoms (discoloration in the face) and alerting the proper authorities.

“Take this disease seriously,” said Madaris. “If a child has a cold, it could be symptoms of asthma.
“Take him to a doctor and get him diagnosed. Make sure school records are up to date so they can monitor him. I don’t want parents to experience what I had experienced.”
San Francisco schools are now supplied with ‘tools for schools’ charts listing asthma symptoms.

For Chris Jackson, being the student government president of a campus with over 28,000 students is a good start. One day he hopes to become the mayor of San Francisco.

“I’ve waited three years for this,” said Jackson, 22, as he addressed over 100 family, friends and colleagues who came to support him and the newly inaugurated student government board members at SF State. “This is not just a board of directors, this is a board of leaders.”

Jackson is now officially SF State's Associated Students Inc. president. Jackson, along with the other student elected members, will be in charge of the estimated $3 million budget and seven other ASI-funded programs designed to help the students of SF State.

For him, it's not so much the power of the office that attracts him to it, but the ability to pass on knowledge of that power to the people he serves.

"Giving people access to that power is better than the power itself," said Jackson. "Giving people a door to that power ... (is) the greatest thing when people realize that they have power too."

One of the first things Jackson plans to address is the disinterest many students have for ASI. Most students don't know what it is or where the student fee they pay every semester to ASI goes.

"We fail to outreach to the general population and organization," said Jackson.

Born and raised in Pinole, Calif., Jackson is the only child of a single mother. When asked about not having a male role model, he said his mother, Peggy Jackson, is the strongest person in his life.

"I don't really believe in gender roles," said Jackson. "My mom is it for me."
Peggy, originally from Arkansas, said Chris was quite easy to raise. She said the hardest thing she had to deal with was time.

“He was involved in sports,” said Peggy, 54. “By not having extended family we were together 24/7 but other than that, it was OK.”

Chris still goes home to see her often, in part to get a good meal and in part because he misses her, he said.

Peggy said a political career wasn’t what she envisioned for her son.

“Truth be told, I’m proud of my son and (what) he’s accomplished," said Peggy. "I feel that I raised him right.”

She said the only time he got in trouble in school was for talking too much.

“I think he will be very good at (student government),” said Peggy Jackson. “People have always told me that he’s running his mouth in school. He was either going to be a politician or a minister.”

Jackson was the sophomore representative in 2003-2004. He said he's learned a lot since he served on the board two years ago because when he wasn't re-elected, he was able to focus on the needs of
the average student by being an average student outside of ASI.

Prior to his election as ASI president, Jackson interned as a youth commissioner for San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly. Jackson was one of 17 people who served as the official voices for the San Francisco youth at City Hall.

As a commissioner, Jackson focused on working with the Young Workers United campaign to achieve better rights for young employees. He also worked with the mayor's office to produce more jobs for young people throughout the city.

Daly, with his 7-month-old baby Jack in tow, came to show his support at the inauguration of his former intern.

“I think it’s going to be great for ASI and SF State because Chris is not only involved with important issues on campus but also active in the important struggles of San Francisco,” said Daly. “Sometimes there’s a feeling of disconnect between SF State and San Francisco. Chris is the right person to help bridge that disconnect.”

Jackson, who is a double major in speech and communication studies and urban development, plans to graduate next spring. He aspires to run for office as a city college board trustee.

"Politics isn't just a job for me," said Jackson. "It's a calling."

The San Francisco Police Department has urged Sunset district residents to be on the lookout after a string of home burglaries hit the area.

According to inspector Lou Bronfeld of the department's burglary unit, over 100 incidents have occurred within the last seven months. The homes most frequently targeted are those with 1940s or 1950s style “tunnel entrances” with gates that lead to recessed patios. Burglars have found a way to quickly pry open the old gates by inserting a pry bar in the half-inch gap between the gate and the frame and “giving a good tug,” said Bronfeld.

Once beyond the gate, burglars are in the recessed interior patio that is hidden from view of the street or other neighbors. Once there, thieves have ample time to break open locked doors and enter the home. Inside the home, burglars go straight for the master bedroom and grab small items and cash, Bronfeld said.

“People have lost thousands and thousands of dollars worth of valuables and precious keepsakes,” said Bronfeld.

Police said they believe the burglars wait and watch people leave their house, then approach and ring the doorbell located outside most gates. If nobody answers, “the pry bar comes out and in a matter of seconds ... they’re in,” said Bronfeld.

The inspector also said these crimes occur during the daytime and take less than 10 minutes to commit.

SF State student and Sunset resident Katie Sharp, 24, said she does not feel particularly threatened by the rash of burglaries.

“I feel like our neighborhood is pretty safe,” said Sharp, an English literature major. “I’m not too worried. (My roommates) will just make sure that everyone locks the door.”

Danielle Roth, a fellow Sunset resident, agreed with Sharp.

“I don’t really feel threatened,” said Roth, a graduate of SF State. “People are shady and people do stupid things, but you can’t really worry about it all the time. I don’t have anything too valuable just lying out.”

However, Bronfeld said residents should be concerned and on high alert due to the high number of these incidents. He recommended residents drive a few blocks and then circle back by their house to make sure nobody is acting suspiciously near their home.

Another way to prevent these break-ins, according to Bronfeld, is to have a strip of iron welded over the gap to reinforce the gate and make it difficult to apply a pry bar. Bronfeld said this should cost about $200. Another option is to replace old gates with newer, sturdier models, which run roughly $1,000. Additional home security devices such as alarm systems are also recommended, said Bronfeld.

“These criminals are looking for the path of least resistance,” said Bronfeld. “They don’t want to spend a lot of time working on the entry.”

Police said they believe the crooks are working in pairs, due to separate sets of glove prints lifted from the crime scenes. Police also said they believe there are at least two teams performing these break-ins.

Witnesses have reported seeing a pair of young Asian males in a black compact car, or a male-female pair of white “hippy looking” individuals on more than one occasion, Bronfeld said.

Bronfeld said the police is relying heavily on vigilant neighbors to put an end to these daylight break-ins.

“We are asking for the public’s help to maintain watchfulness,” said Bronfeld. “With a well-timed phone call we can catch these guys.”

SF State’s student government inaugurated a new board of directors in a ceremony held in Jack Adams Hall on May 2.

In front of more than 100 family, friends and colleagues, the new Associated Students Inc. board members took their oath of office.

Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Penny Saffold performed the inauguration for the 2005-2006 board of directors.

“To me when you take an oath that’s sacred,” said Saffold, who has inaugurated ASI board members since 1984. “That means you are agreeing to live by the principles of this oath and therefore, to me, it’s an issue of integrity.”

The 17 elected student officials will sit on the board of directors, which decides how to utilize the estimated $3 million annually collected from student fees. The board will decide where funds should be allocated to best represent student body best interests. Every student pays a student body association fee of $42 during the fall and spring semesters and $24 for the summer session.

“You always get excited when they first come in,” said Peter Koo, executive director for ASI.
Koo has been with ASI since 1984, starting as a student assistant, and has worked his way up.

With a buffet-style dinner on purple and yellow tablecloths and flowers decorated on top of all 13 tables, family and friends sat with the new board members to help them celebrate. For newly elected Representative at Large Isidro Armenta, the ceremony marks the beginning of a new year.

“My family is in L.A.,” said Armenta, “I’m going to cherish this with my family here. I told my mom already. She’s really happy and excited.”

Mistress of Ceremonies Aimee Barnes, program development officer of the Cesar Chavez Student Center, spoke about the newly inaugurated students.

“(They) are willing to come forward to serve a cause," said Barnes. "Learning and developing skills at SF State should be respected.”

ASI President Chris Jackson spoke to his new board about being a commuter student when he first came to SF State, and how he came to love the campus. He also spoke about the lack of interest SF State’s student body has for ASI and how he plans to reach out to them.

“They’ll know they have an institution to fight for them,” said Jackson. “It’s (a) fine time when we are finally representing the students. We don’t want to be a commuter campus but a residential campus.”

Jackson ended his speech with an untitled poem and was met with a standing ovation from some audience members.

Oscar Edwards, the newly inaugurated creative arts representative, brought his grandmother, Dovie White, 67, to the ceremony. His parents live in Los Angeles and couldn’t make it.

“(It) felt good taking the oath (because it) made you feel improved and that you (could) make a difference,” said Edwards.

Edwards, a broadcast and electronic communication arts major, said he wants to work on student outreach with Jackson.

San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly also appeared with his 7-month-old son Jack. Daly came to support Jackson, who was a former intern.

Others in attendance included SF State Athletics Director Mike Simpson, Undergraduate Advising Center Director Brett Smith and former 2001-2002 ASI President Ronda Newt.

In November, for many of the more than 7,000 SF State students expected to graduate this year, the true cost of their time in college will become a reality for the first time.

In as little as six months after graduating - or falling below half-time student status – government-subsidized loans taken by more than half of all college students will start to become due in November.

And for many, this will mean monthly payments totaling hundreds of dollars.
SF State Student David Horvath, 25, is graduating this year with a degree in cinema studies. He said he thinks student loans are a good deal.

“It’s an investment in the future,” he said.

The average college student in American who takes loans to finance their education graduates with $10,000 of debt, a National Center for Education study says. The Higher Education act of 1965 offers graduating students, or students who are already repaying their student loans, the opportunity to consolidate eligible debts and take advantage of fixed interest rates, which often results in lower payments.

Horvath expects to consolidate his student loan debt and find a better interest rate after he graduates, he said.

But he better act fast.

On July 1, the interest rate and future payments on student loans are expected to rise as much as 2 percentage points for the first time in five years. The Congressional Budget Office also expects that student loan interest rates will continue to increase in the foreseeable future.

SF State offers students with financial needs the Perkins and Direct Student loans. While the student borrower is enrolled in school with more than 6 units of courses, the federal government picks up the interest payments on the Perkins loan and many interest subsidized Direct Student loans. When monthly payments start, the Perkins loan interest rate is set at 5 percent. The Direct Student loan is
currently set at 3.37 percent.

Barbara Hubler, SF State’s director of financial aid, says she thinks interest rates will rise dramatically. She suggested that all students who are eligible consolidate their student loan to lock in lower interest rates.

Perry White, vice president of university relations for the Federal Association of Financial Services, a private loan consolidator, received more than 50 SF student loan consolidation applications during the February graduation fair, he said.

His company urges students to take advantage of student loan consolidation before rates rise.
In a press release issued by his company, the association said a student with an outstanding loan balance of $25,000 could expect to pay $7,902 in interest over a 240-month term if their loan is consolidated at an interest rate of 2.875 percent.

Depending on the repayment terms and an interest rate reduction plan, some students can qualify for rates as low as 1.625 percent, decreasing the amount of total interest paid during the 240- month period to $4,030. A 2-percent interest hike will increase the total interest paid to more than $14,500.
Chano Uribe, 32, has $25,000 in student loans, he said. He’s a fine arts graduate student who consolidated his student loans after finishing his undergraduate degree.

Now that Uribe is in graduate school, his loan payments are deferred, but he said they’re stilling looming large. Uribe said he would ideally like to pay off his loans in one lump sum, but until he can do that, he’ll stretch his payments out as far as possible and pay as much extra as he can afford.

While some students fret about paying off their loans, 35-year-old, Art Flagg, a business grad student, doesn’t worry. He’s confident that his knowledge in establishing franchises will bring big bucks, he said.

“Everything I’m doing now is setting me up for the future,” he said.

On the very first day of camp at Project Avary (Alternative Ventures for At-Risk Youth), two kids started fighting as soon as they stepped inside their cabin. So counselor-mentor-musician Sanjev DeSilva suggested the first remedy that came to mind.

“I told them they should have a freestyle (rap) battle,” said DeSilva, a recent SF State graduate who has worked at Avary for four years and started Hip-Hop Word - a spoken word class for the children.

“No cursing, no sexuality, no family talk, and from there they just went at it,” he said.

The two campers spent the rest of the session together peacefully.

A hip-hop battle is not the traditional conflict resolution method, and DeSilva doesn’t appear to be your traditional teacher, especially as he steps down from the stage after a show in Jack Adams Hall, with his long, flowing dreadlocks and baggy silver jeans. But at Project Avary, tradition is often what the staff is trying to change.

The United States has a 70 percent recidivism rate. Seven out of ten children with an incarcerated parent will eventually be incarcerated themselves. Increased violence and aggression as well as lowered self-esteem are also traits commonly identified amongst such youth.

“You gotta be hard to an extent, and you have to be spiritually and mentally tough or they’ll walk right over you,” DeSilva said of the children. “You learn as much from them as they do from you.”

The camp grew out of a discussion between Chaplain Earl Smith of San Quentin State Prison and Danny Rifkin, the former tour manager for the Grateful Dead. Rifkin, the camp’s founder and executive director, remembers Smith saying “that in all his work with inmates and their families, it was the children who most often failed to get much needed attention.”

“He told me, ‘if you want to help these men, help their kids,’” Rifkin recalled.

Starting in the summer of 1999 with a one-week session and 32 children, Project Avary has grown quickly and now works with more than 130 children and their families.

“It’s a place where you meet new people and it keeps you going - you’re never left alone there,” said 15-year-old Rakee Matlock, who has gone to camp and other Avary programs for four years.

The program now offers four summer-camp sessions, leadership retreats, monthly Adventure Days - where children are taken to museums, hiking and other educational places - and the newly created Mentoring Program.

Last fall, Project Avary also initiated its first week of Family Camp, where whole households are able to camp out together at the site.

Rifkin said that the Mentoring Program is the latest attempt to offer children year-round support.
“It’s designed to provide a deeper level of support and to further enrich children’s lives with new experiences,” Rifkin said. “Studies show that young people with mentors are far less likely to commit crimes, drop out of school or get pregnant.”

The program allows mentors to share their interests and experiences with children, while still trying to implement the values set forth by Avary. The focus areas are social skills, creative arts, environmental education, nutrition and physical fitness and life skills.

According to Rifkin, DeSilva and his methods serve as a great example of that incorporation.
“He’s really come into his own, creating an . . . activity that engaged many of the campers and provided a safe and fun activity for written and performed self-expression,” Rifkin said.

DeSilva teaches the history and elements of hip-hop and said he wanted the kids to “start seeing hip-hop as their cultural expression, instead of just radio and videos.”

His workshops have led to kids producing graffiti-themed murals and doing performances at the summer camp. He rewards them with books and CDs, including his own album “Ras Ceylon: The Collegraduate Lessons: 1999-2004,” that he released after graduating from SF State in International Relations/Third World Development and Ethnic Studies.

Matlock participated in DeSilva’s class last summer and still keeps his lyrics stored in a journal he started at camp.

Diversity in thought, religion, ethnicity and approach are all important to the Avary staff. Rifkin said “people of color are encouraged to apply” for the mentoring positions, as many of the children involved are categorized as ethnic minorities.

DeSilva had worked with youth in the East Bay at Step Up, and also works now at East Oakland’s Sequoia Elementary School. He heard about Project Avary through a friend on campus, but according to Adam Calmenson, there are plenty of other ways to get the word on where to go and work for a good cause.

Calmenson is the administrative coordinator at SF State’s Community Involvement Center, which he says has a registry of 200-300 non-profit agencies and helps match roughly 1,000 students per semester up with an organization that suits them.

“We steer them towards general areas based on their interests and on what population they want to serve,” said Calmenson.

According to Calmenson, between 100 and 120 students per semester also utilize the service learning courses, which offer training for the first three weeks of every semester, then award between three and six academic units to volunteering students.

DeSilva’s motivation has always been more personal.

“People of conscious inspired me when I was young,” said DeSilva, “and now it’s my duty to pass on lessons of spirituality, knowledge of self and hip-hop culture.”

For more information, go to http://www.projectavary.org, http://www.myspace.com/rasceylon/ or http://cic.sfsu.edu.

The Academic Senate's university-wide elections at SF State ended on Monday.

The elections were held electronically, through the organization's Web site from April 25 to May 2. An online voting system replaced paper ballots last semester in an effort to boost faculty voter participation, which was about 20 percent in past elections, said Angela Sposito, executive assistant to the senate's chair.

Sposito said even fewer faculty have participated in this semester’s elections.

"It's really important that (the faculty) does vote so they're aware of what is going on in who is representing their university," said Sposito.

The Academic Senate is a governing body composed largely of faculty members who manage and oversee administrative functions of the university. Faculty members of the Academic Senate are not paid additionally for their service.

Candidates must first be nominated by fellow faculty members, and then voted for by eligible faculty only. The length of each elected term varies from position to position, but terms are generally two to four years.

SF State students are represented by the Student Affairs Committee, and representatives from Associated Students Incorporated, SF State’s student government.

According to Sposito, members of the senate get an "intimate understanding" of how administrative policy and action works, and "really get to know the university as a whole."

"Part of the university experience is service," said Sposito.
Academic Senate members have meetings on Tuesday of every week, either with their individual committees or with the senate as a whole.

The positions currently open are: at-large academic senator, academic freedom committee, honorary degree committee, university promotions committee, university search committee for associate vice president for academic planning and educational effectiveness, and university search committee for director of academic technology.

The at-large academic senators represent the university as a whole at academic senate meetings. The academic freedom committee monitors student's rights of academic freedom to make sure they are not infringed. Members of the university promotions committee.

The honorary degree committee oversees the issuance of honorary degrees, and the university search committees are in charge of finding and appointing academic senate positions that have a direct influence on the faculty.

The results should be available by no later than May 6, said Sposito. The results will be released in the campus memo, a university newsletter published by the Office of Public Affairs.

For Charlie Elqare of SF State's General Union of Palestine Students, being called a terrorist is nothing new.

“People think that we’re all terrorists,” said Elqare. “Even on this campus. They think that because Palestine has suicide bombers that we’re going to do something violent. But we’re just a student organization out to educate the public.”

The General Union of Palestine Students, or GUPS, was founded at SF State in 1973 to spread awareness of Palestine and its people, culture and centuries-long struggle with Israel. Elqare, the organization’s co-president, joined in 2000.

The group was officially launched in 1959 in Cairo, Egypt. It sprung from the Palestinian student movement, which began in the 1920s. The Palestinian student movement was one of the first national Palestinian institutions to be formed. Shortly after its inception, there were more than 100 branches of the group worldwide, with more than 100,000 members.

According to members, the group’s message is not only about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but also about human rights, justice and peace on all corners of the globe.

Loubna Qutami is an active member of GUPS. Qutami’s grandparents moved to the United States from Palestine. She did not join the group because of her Palestinian heritage, but because she said she felt an “obligation as an American.”

“For me, it’s not even about being Palestinian,” said Qutami. “I am privileged to live here, and there are a lot of people around the world who are suffering at the expense of our privileges.”

Qutami said GUPS is not an organization strictly aimed at educating people about Palestinian issues. It also teaches awareness about any group of people who are being treated in an unjust or inhumane manner.

“We are here to educate our student body and our campus about the issues and concerns of the world that they are deprived of by American media and American government,” said Qutami.

GUPS, which is funded by Associated Students Inc. and fundraisers, holds teach-ins, panel discussions, civic involvement, rallies and protests. The organization is dedicated to political and cultural awareness.

The group meets every Monday to have educational meetings, discuss current events, watch films and documentaries, and learn about colonization, oppression and inhumanity on all fronts.

They celebrate Palestinian culture with events such as Palestine Awareness Night and Arab Awareness Week, where members embrace native dance, food and heritage of the Palestinian people.

In addition, many annual events are solemn remembrances of Palestinians who died. The Dier Hassin remembrance on April 9 marks the anniversary of systematic slaughter of more than 100 Palestinian men, women and children in a village that was slated for Israeli takeover, said Qutami.

Another regular event, the Sabra and Shatila Commemoration, honors hundreds of Palestinians killed in an Israeli-sanctioned Lebanese invasion of two refugee camps, according to Qutami and Elqare. GUPS often uses mock funerals for their events, reminding students of Palestine’s long history of death and suffering.

GUPS is governed by two co-presidents, a treasurer, a secretary, and officers of internal and external affairs. Its membership consists of roughly 103 students, 20 of whom are active members who attend most meetings and events.

Elqare said active membership has increased significantly in the last two semesters. The group also maintains an e-mail newsletter, which sends GUPS-related information to about 245 people.

Members said the GUPS acronym stands for “General Union of Palestine Students,” not “Palestinian" students, because members do not have to be Palestinian. Membership comes from the whole gamut of religions and ethnicities.

“There’s a common misconception that you have to be Palestinian or Muslim to be in GUPS, but that’s not the case,” said Elqare.

Elqare and Qutami agree GUPS experiences a different campus atmosphere than other student organizations. Qutami said she has never been to an event without a campus police officer present.

“We don’t see police officers at all the other student events,” said Qutami. “It makes us feel a sort of prejudice from campus administration.”

SF State Department of Public Safety Spokesperson Amalia Borja did not return repeated requests for comment.

Elqare remembered events where trashcans were removed from the event venue, a practice that is widely employed by law enforcement as an anti-terrorist tactic.

“Our office is constantly under attack, receiving racist and inflammatory e-mails as well as death threats,” said Elqare.

This semester, Elqare said, the group received an e-mail with an attached picture of the Sept. 12, 2001 San Francisco Examiner front page featuring the burning twin towers and the newspaper’s banner headline, “Bastards!”

Elqare and Qutami said they attribute these mistreatments to the lack of understanding of issues due to bias fueled by U.S. media and popular opinion.

According to Elqare, group members who wanted to visit their families in Palestine have encountered obstacles in doing so because Israeli customs agents would have photos of GUPS rallies at SF State and GUPS membership information.

“Collectively, these things take a toll on our members, and those who would like to be members,” said Elqare.

GUPS secretary Janan Eadeh said the group is not anti-American, anti-Israel or anti-Jewish.

“We do not advocate any feelings of hate,” said Eadeh. “Our goal is to show students the other side to the story, the side that is often hidden or twisted around to the public. We cannot change the minds of everyone, but we have been successful in telling our story to those who are open to listening.”