Foghorn Newspaper: Feb 19th

FREEDOM AND FAIRNESS

VOL. 105

TheFoghornOnline.com

ISSUE 14

FEBRUARY 19, 2009

USF Student Arrested, Facing acing Rape pe Charges Senior ROTC cadet Ryan Caskey incarcerated, awaiting arraignment LAURA PLANTHOLT Staff Writer

Timber! Facilities workers trim and cut down trees around campus to prevent damage caused by wet limbs.

NEWS

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Columnist Jon Coon focuses on another side of hip-hop artists.

OPINION

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Allegations of assault and rape made by four female University of San Francisco students prompted the arrest of 21-yearold USF senior Ryan Caskey last �ursday. Caskey was arrested by the San Francisco Police Department on campus in the early evening and is currently incarcerated at the SF County Jail with an arraignment to be held sometime this week. Each of the reported rape incidents took place in on-campus residence halls over the last several months according to USF Director of Public Safety Dan Lawson. All of the alleged victims were female students and acquaintances of Caskey. One of the female students came to Lawson with her testimony on Feb. 10, and from there Public Safety was able to investigate, conduct interviews with other alleged victims, and make a case to present to SFPD. SFPD was contacted Feb. 11, and after reviewing the case, they took Caskey into custody the following evening. Because of con�dentiality required by the justice system, Lawson is not able to release many speci�c details about the case to the public. Lawson could not clarify when or where the alleged rapes took place, or whether date rape drugs were said to have been used. �e San Francisco Chronicle reported

that Caskey had provided alcohol to the women, to the extent that they were unconscious when the supposed assaults took place. �e Chronicle also reported that Caskey was accused of using force, injuring at least one of the females. Lawson emphasized that the nature of the rapes were “acquaintance rapes” as opposed to “stranger rapes,” a distinction that should be less fear-inducing to the community. He said, “Many people in the community are fearful when they hear that a rape has occurred. �eir understanding is that somebody was waiting behind a bush or climbed in through a window – a complete stranger.” Lawson added, “[An acquaintance rape] is not any less severe. But it is important to remember that [Caskey] knew all of the victims, and they knew him.” According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), 73 percent of rape victims know their assailants. �e four alleged victims are currently receiving counseling for their trauma. �eir identities are being protected for their own privacy. Senior politics major Erin-Kate Escobar, who did not think she knew any of the four women, said she felt “so proud” of them for coming forward to testify about what had happened. “I feel empowered by their strength; I don’t know if I would have been as strong,” she said.

Many cases of sexual assault and rape go unreported because the victims don’t know if they were really raped, or think they might have partially been at fault. Rape and sexual assaults are among the most under reported crimes; RAINN reports that 60 percent of sexual assaults go unreported. Many students at USF have reacted with an expectable amount of outrage. A group of about 12 concerned students gathered Monday night, just days after the news had broken, to develop a list of requests for the administration to increase awareness and education about sexual assault and rape. �e requests focused on educating students about what de�nes sexual assault. Erika Carlsen, a senior politics major, attended the meeting and said that education about sexual abuse should be sustainable, an integral part of orientation to college. �ey plan to solicit feedback and concerns from more students at a meeting on �ursday in Parina Lounge at 12:15 p.m.. From there they will draft a letter to the administration that addresses these issues. �ey have also distributed �iers throughout campus stating, “�ese assaults are not isolated incidents; they are part of a larger culture of violence and power.” Maggie Mullens, a senior sociology major who also attended the meeting, was

SCENE

PAGE 7 Melissa Stihl/Foghorn USF Profs. Nikki Raeburn, Peter Novak and Dean of Students Mary Wardell discussed the controversy surrounding the performance of The Vagina Monologues in Presentation Theater. Religious colleges get lots of flack for hosting the performance.

SPORTS SPORTS

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Check out behind the scenes footage from opening night of this year’s Vagina Monologues.

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RAPE: Continued on Page 2

Vagina Monologues Panel Pinpoints Controversial Scene as Cause of Debate

Find out about the music from USF’s recent Erasmus bene�t, Festival For Freedom.

Love those short shorts: Foghorn writer Heather Spellacy �nds the scenery more interesting than the score at USF rugby match.

concerned that more students were not discussing this matter more seriously. “I’m furious that the average student isn’t more furious,” she said. She was also concerned about the University’s policy of being what she called “intentionally vague,” only releasing the most basic information to the student body, who she felt had the right to know the whole story. Mullens is not alone in her concern over this. Lawson said a group of resident advisers from Pedro Arrupe Hall had already come to him asking for more details of the case to share with their concerned residents. However, Lawson explained that he had been speci�cally asked by the SFPD to not release any more information than was absolutely necessary, and he was merely following standard procedure. Caskey was in his fourth year at USF, majoring in politics. In addition to his studies, he was also serving as a cadet in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program, where he was one of the top ranked cadets in his class. ROTC Program Assistant Maria Palmo said that ROTC had no comment about Caskey or the incident in general. He has been expelled from the ROTC program since his arrest. Caskey is also on interim suspension from USF, which stipulates that he not at-

CHELSEA STERLING News Editor With colorful paintings depicting various parts of the female body displayed on stage in the Presentation �eater, several key members from the production team of “�e Vagina Monologues” hosted a panel discussion that focused on the criticism that the provocative series of speeches prompts. Producer and alumna Julie Henderson introduced guest panel-

ists Peter Novak, associate dean for the arts and humanities and a performing arts professor, Mary J. Wardell, associate vice president and dean of students and Nikki Raeburn, a sociology professor and breast cancer survivor. Each guest brought a unique perspective- that of a gay person, a single mother and a former student at a Jesuit seminary program. Along with these members of the USF faculty, director Meg O’Connor and cast member Megan Pohl-

NICHOLAS MUKHAR Staff Writer

who came to the family’s house only to �nd that the entire family had already �ed to New York. �ey ended up in California a year later. Now Laise Popal has brought his Islamic roots to USF in hopes of creating a movement to spread awareness and clear misconceptions about the culture he was raised in and the faith he lives by. “I want to bring all Muslims and nonMuslims together,” said Popal, who is �uent in Farsi. “It doesn’t matter if you’re Muslim or not, it’s [MSA] all about just learning about the faith.” Popal’s objective is being ful�lled in the small sample of MSA members at the meeting, with three being non-Muslims. MSA member Shelley Saini, an American-born non-Muslim whose family is from India, is an example of the MSA’s effort to incorporate people of all faiths. “Indians and Muslims are not supposed to get along,” she said. Saini said that in recent years the MSA has had a bad image of be-

MSA Seeks to Enlighten Others About Islam USF junior and �nance major Laise Popal sat at the head of the table on �ursday night, joined by 10 other members of USF’s new Muslim Student Association (MSA). Popal, the new president of the MSA, led an icebreaker discussion at the �rst meeting of the year during which members told the group something about themselves that only close friends would know. He listened attentively and cracked jokes between comments, and his laid-back style permeated through the room, which gave the meeting a calm and trusting tone as they covered topics ranging from ideas for club events to Palestinians being killed in Gaza. Popal’s tranquil demeanor provided no insight to his childhood path that was drastically altered at six months old, when the Afghan native and his family �ed their country as the Russian army was invading. Popal’s grandfather was an Afghan architect and a target of the Russians,

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man, a sophomore psychology major, tackled the topic of why some groups object to the performance that Novak described as a community ritual. “�e Vagina Monologues” is a series of speeches that is based on hundreds of interviews of women conducted by feminist activist and advocate Eve Ensler in 1996. Ensler asked these women about their sexual experiences and received spirited answers to her odd questions, like “If your

vagina could talk, what would it say?” and “If your vagina could wear clothes, what would it wear?” �e monologues surround not only topics concerning female sexuality- masturbation, orgasms, and the bodybut also social concerns such as how we de�ne gender and historic sexual abuses like Japanese “comfort women” during World War II. One critique that the panel addressed is that “�e Vagina Monologues” is too exclusive. �e title itself appears to be marketed to women only. Novak, the only male panelist, said that women’s voices need to be heard, and that this takes priority over men’s feelings of exclusion. He said, “�e show becomes a worldwide phenomenon that is vital and important.” Wardell said, “Each woman has multiple narratives to be told.” She went on to say that the performance allows students to further expand the dialogue about violence against women. Raeburn was concerned about whether the performance could adequately represent all women’s views. �e performance attempts to display a wide variety of women; for example, the monologues include single, married, straight and lesbian women. It also integrates the role of women as mothers, spouses, partners and providers. Raeburn pointed out that gender is socially constructed and that modern society determines what is masculine and what is feminine. Pohlman posed a question that illustrated this idea: “What does it mean to be a strong, powerMONOLOGUES: Continued on Page 2

International Students Feel Squeezed by U.S. Recession HUNTER PATTERSON Staff Writer When it comes to equality in college �nancial aid, international students get the short end of the stick, even at USF, with its global social justice mission. International students are not eligible for federal �nancial aid or college scholarships and must document their ability to pay all four years of full-priced tuition before they are admitted to U.S. colleges. At USF this amounts to more than $180,000, before books, travel and other expenses and means that only the wealthiest foreign students can afford the luxury of a USF education. However, with the current economic downturn hitting the U.S., international students are bracing for a �nancial crisis at home and many are being told by parents to conserve cash or �nd an on-campus job. Neither Gizelle Pei Gim or Erick

Irigoyen, international student representatives of ASUSF knew of any international students who have left the university recently due to �nancial difficulty at home, however, students have contacted the university through the USFcares email address asking for �nancial assistance or �exible payment plans and USF has worked with “about two dozen international students to help them enroll for spring 2009,” according to Susan Murphy, senior dean of academic and enrollment services. USF also has an $82,900 emergency grant fund for international students facing �nancial hardship, however all of those funds have been allocated to students for the year, which is typical even in good economic times, said Murphy. Pei Gim said she knew of many international students who are worried about what the deepening U.S. recession STUDENT 2

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Poleng Hosts Fundraiser For Students UNICEF to Provide Clean Water For Impoverished Countries Left Homeless After Apartment Fire DANIELA RICCI-TAM dollar donated at a restaurant, said Ramos, duty of a volunteer is simple.” can supply a single child with enough safe drinking to last for 40 days. And if enough Professors, students and groups like people and restaurants get involved with AIESEC, KUSF, ITS and University the program, these small donations can Ministry are coming together to publicize add up, dollar upon dollar, to make a sigand contribute to UNICEF’s 2009 Tap ni�cant impact on the lives of impoverProject, which is calling for USF students ished children. to sign up and volunteer with the organiTo aid this effort, Ramos said, student zation. volunteers have three duties: to recruit resAccording to a press release from UNI- taurants to the project, support them once CEF, the Tap Project is a nationwide they sign on, and promote the Tap Project grassroots initiative currently in its third among friends and have them eat at the year. �e goal of this program is to get res- restaurants involved with the cause. taurants to encourage patrons to donate $1 Members of AIESEC will be joinor more for tap water, which is normally ing forces with UNICEF, said Ivana Rofree, during World Water Week, which sas, USF junior and president of the local lasts from Mar. 22-28. �ese donations chapter of AIESEC. will fund UNICEF programs to provide “We decided to collaborate with the people in developing nations with access Tap Project because it helps raise awareto clean drinking water, a resource that is ness about water issues and how people, taken for granted in the United States but anywhere in the U.S. and basically in the the lack of which causes severe problems global North, should learn to appreciate for third-world countries. our clean water systems,” said Rosas. “As “Every day there are millions affected,” AIESEC members we like to not only dissaid Dillon Ramos, senior business admin- cuss such global issues, but if we get the istration major at USF and San Francisco opportunity to act in a positive manner regional coordinator for the Tap Project. then we won’t hesitate to do so. �at’s a Over 4,200 children die each day from very important part of being a leader, and waterborne and sanitation-related illness- that’s one of AIESEC’s goals—to develop es, such as malaria and diarrheal diseases. leadership skills and one’s potential.” Also, Ramos said, “It even goes as far as Aside from leadership skills, Ramos said affecting education in countries, when a there are several other reasons for students child must skip out on school every day like himself to participate in this program. to spend half their day fetching water in For one thing, it isn’t time-consuming or hazardous areas.” hard to do. With the Tap Project, UNICEF at“�is project is absolutely brilliant in its tempts to reduce the number of deaths simplicity,” said Ramos. “You already go to due to water-related diseases to zero. One restaurants, you already drink water. �e

Rosas agreed. “It’s easy. You can spread the word and make it a campus-wide thing.” Besides, she said, “You go out to eat and �irt with the servers anyway, and this’d be a good conversation starter.” �rough work with UNICEF, otherwise uninvolved students have the opportunity step out of their bubble of inaction and work towards social change. “�ey can actively make a difference somewhere all the way across the world,” said Rosas. �e Tap Project supplies the tools of this change: “Students are given the most current information on the world water crisis, and become knowledgeable about the global situation,” said Ramos. As for Ramos himself, he says he is one student who has found his experience at UNICEF to be de�nitely worth the effort. “I got involved with UNICEF doing what every broke college student does, searching for a job,” he said. “I thought at the time that I could at least be volunteering a little while I searched for a real job to pay the bills, but I’m still here today and don’t regret a thing.” To volunteer for the Tap Project, students must register at www.tapproject. org. Ramos encourages volunteers to attend the Tap Project’s training session if at all possible. �is event takes place at San Francisco State University on Feb. 21, and more information on the location and time of the training will be mailed to volunteers after registration.

ligious language and terms like salvation and baptism to describe an act which some churches would consider sinful. Novak said of those who criticize the show on moral grounds without having seen the performance, “�ey’re missing the point.” He spoke of the deeper message of human connection and its power to heal. USF President Fr. Stephen Privett, S.J. said, “It is USF’s responsibility as a Catholic university to engage culture on issues of substance like sexuality, human life, poverty, human solidarity, etc. To do so we must take culture as it is and not as we would like it to be.” He thinks that the show could bene�t by including more modern perspectives of women. He said, “I think the Vagina Monologues are a tired and worn out effort that should be replaced by a more contemporary presentation and discussion of women’s issues.” According to Novak, USF receives hundreds of e-mails each year saying that a Catholic university should not perform

the play. Some Jesuit universities like the University of Portland, Loyola University of New Orleans and the Wheeling Jesuit University, have banned the show. However, “�e Vagina Monologues” is performed on the USF campus every year. Samantha Schwartz, executive producer of the College Players, acknowledged that USF president Fr. Stephen Privett, S.J. responds to these critics and allows it to be performed. Novak said the administration is very supportive and “very open to the presentation.” Pro�ts from the Vagina Monologues performance will go to Ensler’s nonpro�t V-Day organization that supports women’s groups that tackle the issue of violence against women. Henderson said this year’s production raised $6,052. In recent years, Ensler has been focusing on preventing female genital mutilation with young girls in Africa. Related Article: Vagina Monologues review on page 6

Staff Writer

Enrique Zabala/Foghorn

Students came out to Poleng Lounge to support 10 of their classmates who lost nearly all their possessions in a fire at their Baker St. apartment last month. The bar donated part of the proceeds from liquor sales as well as money collected at the door to the students.

HUNTER PATTERSON Staff Writer

�e USF community came together last Friday night at Poleng Lounge for a fundraiser to support 10 students left homeless after a �re ravaged their apartment building at Baker St. and Golden Gate Ave. on Jan. 23. �e fundraiser attracted a large crowd of students and recent alumni, including many close friends of the �re victims who were popular around campus in part for the well-known parties they hosted at their Baker St. apartment. �ere was no cover charge for the Poleng event, but guests were asked to donate $5-$10, and a portion of the bar sales also went to the victims. One of the victims, Mark Wong, said that while the total amount of money raised was not yet known, he was grateful for the support shown by his classmates. One hundred and eleven guests RSVP’d to the event on Facebook and one student, Neal Rafferty, commented “Wow, this is the �rst time the USF community came

together and helped out, it makes me happy to go to USF.” Other students expressed similar gratitude for the compassion shown by the community. Junior Enrique Zabala said that while he did not know any of the �re victims personally, he had been to parties at their house before and was happy to help out. All of the Baker St. apartment residents have relocated, and eight of them are now living together in an apartment on the west side of campus. Wong said the roommates found the apartment on Craigslist and are adjusting to their new setting. However, he said that the �re destroyed nearly all of their possessions and they are without furniture or other basic conveniences. Proceeds from the Poleng fundraiser will be used to purchase couches and a table, he said. “We’re trying to get back on our feet, we have everything moved in but are trying to juggle the school life with Ikea trips,” Wong said. “We got a microwave last week, that was a big deal.”

Show Proceeds Benefit Women s Charities MONOLOGUES: Continued from page one

ful woman?” �e question of how women interpret gender is not what many conservative groups are concerned with. Novak, who once attended a Jesuit seminary program, thinks that these groups oppose the “Vagina Monologues” performance because people are affronted by the idea of the body, as it appears provocative and threatening. More speci�cally, Novak points to the monologue in which a woman who was raped experiences “salvation” after a sexual encounter with an older woman. Some Catholics and other religious groups vehemently oppose the use of re-

Suspected Rapist May Face up to Eight Years Per Incident RAPE: Continued from page one tend classes, take part in any USF-affiliated activities, reside in his apartment in Loyola Village, or enter any part of the campus because he is considered a potential threat to other students. If Caskey is found not guilty or has his charges dropped, the university may reevaluate the situation and permit him to re-enroll in his classes and on-campus housing. If he is found guilty on the charges, he could face between three and

eight years in state prison for each count of rape, according to California Penal Code Section 261. �e Department of Public Safety continues to investigate the case and is leaving the door open for any more victims to come forward, whether related to this case or any other. Lawson said he hoped the university community will look at this as a warning to exercise more caution in the future. “Use this as a learning moment,” he said. “Bad things happen sometimes, even on a very

safe campus – and this is a very safe campus… What matters is how we’re prepared to react to it and prevent it from happening in the future.” Lawson recommended simple measures to help prevent rape. “We don’t ever want to say that a victim is at fault in these situations,” Lawson said. “What we do want to say is there are ways to avoid being put in those circumstances… Keep an eye on your friend and take care of each other – that’s what we want to promote.”

Other international students who have jobs on campus have had their hours cut. Ginny Chen, a senior from Taiwan who works as an administrative assistant in the School of Nursing, said that last semester her hours were reduced to 10 a week, down from 20 the previous semester. Chen said all of her student co-workers also had their hours cut as part of wider university expense trimming. However, some departments on campus prefer to reduce hours for international students before other students because many domestic students have federal work-study, which kicks in some of the cost. Pei Gim said she had been working eight to 10 hours per week at ITS but recently was told she could work no more than �ve. She said that student employees with work-study had their hours reduced, but not by as many as students without work-study, including all international student employees. Like many international students, Pei Gim is looking for more work hours on-campus. She has been warned by her father back in Malaysia that business at his construction company has been steadily declining and that she needs to do more to support herself. Irigoyen said that while he does not believe all international students are struggling, “Most of them are making changes in their budgets and trying to save as much as they can to stay at USF.” Many international students including Pei Gim and Irigoyen expect the U.S. �nancial crisis to spread further around the world in the coming months and are concerned for themselves and fellow international students.

USF tries to work with international students who are having �nancial trouble and created an emergency fund for these students more than 20 years ago. �e International Student Grant Program is available to foreign students who have �nished at least their sophomore year and are able to prove unforeseen �nancial problems. �e grant has a budget of �ve times the yearly tuition, which currently amounts to $82,900 and typically allocates money to students who have experienced the death, disability or forced retirement of a parent or sponsor, according to Murphy. �e fund goes to undergraduates �rst and graduate students are only considered if there is money left over. �e fund has helped as few as four and as many as 12 students per year in the past few years and has helped 250 international students in total thus far, according to Murphy. Pei Gim and Irigoyen are now working with International Student and Scholar Services to identify international students who may be experiencing �nancial hardship. ISSS is planning to host an international student focus group on Friday, Feb. 20 from 1 to 2 p.m. “I am afraid it is too early to say if international students are struggling right now,” Irigoyen said. “I think we will know the real magnitude in the coming semesters.” He hopes that USF will do a better job informing international students about the support channels that are available to them. “I was surprised to learn about the existence of the [Grant] fund since it was my understanding from the �rst time I got to USF that international students cannot apply for any �nancial aid,” he said.

Trees Cut and Trimmed to Eliminate Accidents

USF Offers Emergency Funds to International Students STUDENT: Continued from page one will mean for the economies of their own countries. She said she had also spoken to many students whose parents were earning less money now than in the past few years and had warned their children at USF to rein in spending and �nd an on-campus job to earn spending money. International students who, in the past, have enjoyed downtown shopping sprees, returning to campus laden with bags from Neiman Marcus, Saks and Gucci, have become far more frugal, she said. “Be more economical,” was the advice given to �rst-year graduate student Sarinda Kasemset by her parents, both of whom work in chemical distribution in her home country of �ailand. �e economy in �ailand has been slowing along with the global recession, and has been made worse by recent political instability in the country. �e international airport in Bangkok was overrun by protesters and closed for nearly two weeks last December, an example of how rival political factions have forced the country and its economy into gridlock. Kasemset, who is studying �nancial analysis at USF has been trying to �nd an oncampus job to earn extra money. She said she applied to two jobs last week, one as an administrative assistant and the other as an audiovisual technician, helping with the setup of video recorders and classroom technology, but has yet to hear back. International students are only authorized to work on-campus and do not have the visa status to work elsewhere in the U.S.

Melissa Stihl/Foghorn A Facilities Management worker holds a chain saw after cutting down a small tree that had grown tangled with another tree outside the UC. The tree had begun to grow sideways making it a hazard for students and staff who sit on the cement tables under the trees. Facilities Management is selectively trimming trees across campus to prevent accidents. Last year a tree on the edge of campus fell in a storm, crushing an SUV.

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Senate Selects SEXY Slogan to Revamp Image, Bolster Participation MORGAN BRIEF Staff Writer �e Associated Students of the University of San Francisco Senate will be launching a marketing campaign featuring a racy new T-shirt slogan as well as other noticeable changes. �e slogan, “Senate is SEXY,” written in gold on a black shirt, is an open-ended acronym, with axioms that will change. �is new campaign will coincide with the start of Senate Week during the �rst week of March. �e new slogan is the brain child of the ASUSF Public Relations committee, a group comprised of several Senate members and headed by Vice President of Public Relations, Casey Atud. “�e Senate’s old image basically left it without a real identity on campus,” said Kelly Tenn, ASUSF Junior class representative and member of the committee. “How are we supposed to represent everyone if people don’t even know who we are?” As part of their attempt to gauge students’ perceptions of Senate, the Public Relations committee conducted random polling of USF students. �ey found that a strong majority of the random students

polled had a neutral or negative view of the Senate. “�e school’s perception of us now is somewhere between ‘elitist’ and ‘disconnected,’” said Anthony Rivera, School of Nursing Representative and member of the PR committee. “We want people to see us in a different light.” �e goal of Senate is to include as much student participation as possible, as the senate is meant to act as a representative governing body. According to USF’s website, “[�e ASUSF Senate] seeks to improve inclusivity, engage in multicultural learning, and explore the diversity of others. As leaders we pledge to communicate students’ needs to the faculty, staff, and administration to improve the experience at the University of San Francisco.” �is mission cannot be accomplished if the majority of students are uninterested in Senate. Without active engagement between senators and the student body, the senators are unable to advocate for their constituents’ needs. Senate also aspires to increase voter turnout in their semi-annual elections to have a more democratic electoral process. �e campaign hopes to improve the

Senate’s image so that students will actually care to engage with their senators. Bobby Marquez, off-campus representative and member of the committee, said his goal was to make Senate “appear fun and approachable to the average student.” �e marketing campaign will also include greater virtual exposure with YouTube, Twitter, and BlogSpot accounts. “We want students to be able to check us out while they’re online checking Blackboard or Facebook,” Rivera said. To get a better idea of public reaction toward the new marketing campaign, the committee conducted surveys. Atud said “Of the 100 surveys [the committee] gave out to random students, [they] only got about 45 of them back. �e non-response just goes to show a lack of participation on the student’s part.” �e committee said there was a largely positive outlook on the new SEXY slogan. Greg Wolcott, director of Student Leadership and Engagement and advisor to the Senate was supportive of the slogan. He said, “When you look at the Jesuit tradition of respecting a student’s right to artistic free speech, I think you’ll �nd this sort of thing isn’t really that objectionable.”

coming to the United States was the best option for him, a tough task considering the American government’s poor image in the Middle East because of its support for Israel. “I had to convince them that San Francisco was very open-minded,” he said. “Every Saudi is born Muslim. I was born where everything in society is based on Islam. �ere are no different opinions. Here we have different opinions.” Now at USF

�e MSA is in the process of planning its �rst event, Mela, on Feb. 27, in McLaren Hall where they will try to shed light on a “carnival of injustices” taking place around the world. One of these injustices spoken of is the Palestinian-Israeli con�ict. “�ere’s been a holocaust going on for 60 years,” said Shukri. “I know it’s going to continue until there is a breakthrough and people wake up.” “I don’t know what’s going on at this school,” said Popal, on the lack of student activism on USF’s campus. “We need people to get into extra curricular activities and �nd something they care about.” Being at a Jesuit school has not presented a problem for Popal and Muslim members of the MSA, who continue to practice their faith and are trying to set up weekly carpools to mosques in the area for all USF Muslims, regardless of whether or not they are in the MSA. �ey also expressed interest in putting on an event for interfaith dialogue. “I don’t feel any con�ict with the school. I actually thought it would be more conservative,” said Shukri. �e Muslim Student Association will continue to meet �ursdays at 6 p.m. in UC 417. All students are invited to attend.

MSA Organizing Events to Address Global Injustices

MUSLIM: Continued from page one

ing very religious, self-oriented, and not open-minded. Now Saini says the group is committed to changing that reputation. USF sophomore, East African native, MSA member, and non-Muslim Seghel Yohannes said being an MSA member has been one of the best educational experiences of her life. “I originally joined to support my friends but then I realized I was part of something bigger,” said Yohannes, who does not practice religion but was raised Roman Catholic. “I want to dispel myths about the Muslim faith,” she said. Yohannes said she didn’t know anything about Islam until she became friends with USF senior Amro Shukri. Shukri’s young life is a microcosm of recent Middle Eastern politics. Shukri was born in Saudi Arabia and later earned a scholarship and studied in Lebanon in 2006, until the Israeli Army invaded Lebanon. With Lebanese airports destroyed, Shukri had to escape through Syria to get back to Saudi Arabia. When Shukri eventually returned to Lebanon he found himself trapped in a civil war. “�ere were bombings every few weeks and schools would get shut down,” he said. Shukri had to convince his family that

“

They put the error in terrorism.

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and with his family still in Saudi Arabia, Shukri is a USF senior and marketing major who wants to get his Ph.D. in architecture. He feels an obligation to spread truth about his faith. “I want to give a clear picture of what Islam is,” he said. “People still don’t have the full picture.” �e opinion of the MSA is that the American media helps portray Islam as a violent faith. “�ey put the ‘error’ in ‘terrorism,’” said Popal when asked about the role U.S. media plays in linking Islam to extremism.

Parina Lounge Welcomes New Annex

Melissa Stihl/ Foghorn USF junior Violeta Velazquez works on her laptop in the newly renovated Parina Lounge. Construction on the lounge occurred over winter break and involved removing the dividing wall between the lounge and the room that previously held the St. Ignatius Institute office. The expansion of Parina Lounge provides more chairs and couches and also a fireplace.

3 FEBRUARY 19,, 2009

Student Event Attendance Fluctuates CHELSEA STERLING News Editor Attendance at a University of San Francisco lecture or other academic event can vary greatly depending on the topic, speaker, venue and advertising efforts. With classes, exams, homework and all of the excitement that the city of San Francisco has to offer, it is difficult for event organizers to compete for student attention and time and get them to attend a discussion on campus. But overwhelming student presence at certain events suggests that student interest must be gauged to draw students away from academic responsibilities and the lure of San Francisco to participate in an academic discussion. Professor Ronald Sundstrom, philosophy professor and chair of the African American studies minor, said that most event organizers are very concerned with student interest, but he also said that a university and its academic discussions “create a forum for intellectual exchange. �e classroom shouldn’t be the only place for intellectual exchange.” Bringing together members of the public and students from USF generates interest in a topic and fosters the growth of ideas. Universities are traditionally spaces for public and community intellectual growth as well. �us, not all events on campus are geared speci�cally toward students. One organization on campus that supports intellectual exchange is the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good. �ere are approximately three to four academic talks held every week at USF. Maureen Beckman, assistant director of the McCarthy Center, said that most of the programs at the McCarthy Center are academics-based. In addition to facilitating student exchanges in the state and national capitals and providing students with internships, the Center works closely with the Politics Society, a student club that focuses on political and civic issues. Beckman said, “We’ve always held election night and election watches. For every presidential debate, we do something. We also hosted a mayoral series where we had different mayors come and speak on campus.” �e 2007 mayoral series, the subject of which was sustainable development, included current San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom. Beckman said of the talks, “People loved them. Of course, whenever our mayor shows up, the whole place gets �lled. But some of the other mayors, we were surprised they got such big turnouts.” She credited student interest in sustainable development with the popularity of the talks. She said, “�ey were interested in sustainable development, basically. I think that kind of topic is very prevalent in USF’s culture, you know, helping others and how do you help people sustain a lifestyle and sustain their level of economic status.” Laura Plantholt, a junior media studies major, attended Mayor Gavin Newsom’s talk for a journalism class. Plantholt is the managing editor of the Foghorn, the student newspaper on campus, works part-time at Gillson Hall and has an internship with �rasher magazine. Even if attendance wasn’t mandatory, Plantholt said she would have gone anyway. She said, “When things are a big enough deal, it will make me drop my other obligations or responsibilities.” �e Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social �ought is another entity on campus that holds several discussions a semester and hosts guest speakers. Its purpose is to “promote the Catholic social thought of the Catholic intellectual tradition,” said associate director Julia Dowd. �ey were in�uential in getting “�ree Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson selected as the required reading for �rst semester freshmen and they were also responsible for inviting the author and humanitarian to come to campus to speak. Dowd said, “We were involved in the very beginning, saying he was a high pro�le person that we really wanted to get here, all the way to the day of, making sure everything went smoothly and coordinating all aspects of his visit.” Mortenson received an honorary doctorate degree from the School of Nursing and spoke to a large audience comprised of members of the public and USF students. �e McLaren Complex was full to capacity as were Crossroads Café, Parina Lounge and Cowell Room 113, other areas on campus that broadcasted Mortenson’s speech. �e popularity of “�ree Cups of Tea”, which was a New York Times bestseller, and the external advertising effort contributed to an exodus of off-campus attendees. Dowd said, “We were surprised at how many members of the public came to that event and they really ended up taking most of the space before most of the students were able to get there.” �e Lane Center sponsored three other events this semester. Dowd said that they

invited a Jesuit priest from Boston to speak about patriotism and religious identity, a speaker from Mexico who spoke about feminist appraisal of the solidarity movement in Chiapas, Mexico, and a panel with two USF professors on the war in Iraq. Lane Center events typically draw a crowd of about one hundred people, Dowd said however, “We get a lot of members of the public. I would say the majority are members of the public. We get students when they are required to come to class.” Most events are advertised through professors and students learn about campus events in their classes, but aside from the incentive of extra credit or mandatory attendance required by a professor, many students attend events based on their existing interests, not on what they are currently learning about in class. Ivana Rosas, a junior international studies major, French minor and president of AIESEC (Association Internationale des Étudiants en Sciences Économiques et Commerciales) prefers attending academic lectures in the humanities. She said, “Knowledge is power and the more I’m informed, the more I know a little bit about everything, the more I am going to be able to write a better paper or make better connections with things that are going on in class and things that are going on in the real world.” With the exception of students who love to learn like Rosas, Beckman said “If it’s not something they’re [students] interested in, it’s hard to get them to come.” Student clubs and organizations that put on annual or semi-annual events generally enjoy large attendances. Courtney Ball, president of the Black Student Union (BSU), said that she organized Gospel Extravaganza, the Breast Cancer Tea, Expressions and a pre-Kwanzaa event each year during her two-year presidency. Of these events, Ball said “�e most successful event is Expressions. �ere are always a lot of people that come out. We had about 75 there [this semester], but that’s because people know Expressions is happening. I would say that is the most successful because people always look forward to it and people always leave happy.” Some student organizations, like College Players, conduct their own survey of how their events went. Platt, who was also the producer for “�e Vagina Monologues” last year, said that, “After every show, they do a re�ection on how the show went, what the turnout was, what they could have improved on, what each person thought about the process, which is fantastic.” Non-student organizations like the McCarthy Center and the Lane Center do not currently have any system or process of evaluating the success of their events. Beckman said, “We really haven’t done a great job of getting the feedback after the event, that’s something we really could possibly work on to better our center.” Of the Lane Center, Dowd said, “We do table at our events, where people can come and talk to us or sign up for events. We don’t do evaluation forms at the end of all of our events, we do at some. But that’s probably the extent of it.” Another annual event that generally draws many students is the Election Watch sponsored by the McCarthy Center and the Politics Society. �e widespread interest in the 2008 presidential election may have helped pack Parina Lounge with eager students on election night this past Nov. 4. While part of the college experience is attending on campus events, a big part of a student’s experience at USF is exploring the city of San Francisco. Platt said that she is constantly struggling to motivate students about Senate and “get spirit up and apparent throughout the USF community.” She said, “It’s like the college experience to go to student stuff on campus. Because we’re in the middle of San Francisco, it makes it harder for us. It’s USF competing with the city of San Francisco.” Some student cultural clubs have a builtin advantage. While an interest or passion in a �eld or topic can drive a student to join a club, the desire to meet and socialize with members that share the same ethnic background can cement one’s allegiance to his or her respective cultural club. Ball said, “When I came to campus, I knew I had to join BSU because when you are a minority on campus, people need that support and you want to see other people that look like you. Just so you can have someone to talk to and relate to and share resources with.” Beckman said , “We have been very fortunate that students do attend our events, because we try to pick things that students want and that students are interested in, because why do it? It’s an embarrassment if you don’t get anyone there, just because you want to get someone to talk. Our main focus when we choose a speaker is will it be bene�cial to our students.”

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OPINION

San Francisco Foghorn

5

FEBRUARY 19,, 2009

Homecoming Is Opportunity Opportu For Social Change

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JON COON Columnist Nearly one year ago this week, Wyclef Jean stood in front of an enthralled student body, visiting friends and family, alumni and others. His vibrant character and robust musical talents left us all in awe. �e reduced admission of $5 for students seemed like a steal, a welcome relief for the frugal college student. Nonetheless, it is likely that Wyclef Jean was not chosen because of his musical prowess or jubilant personality but rather with close attention to his personal endeavors for his native Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Unbeknownst to many may have been that Wyclef established the Yele Haiti Foundation in 2005 to “create smallscale, manageable and replicable projects to contribute to Haiti’s long-term progress.” Similarly, the choice for our homecom-

ing concert this year can be attributed as much to a majority of students desiring a hip-hop artist as it can to Lupe Fiasco’s “acute thoughts [often] ignored [by] his peers.” In other words, Lupe, born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, is as much a popular hip-hop �gure as he is a fun-loving student of the world around him, a “dazzling lyricist” whose childhood bedroom �oors tended to be “covered in comic books and literature of all genres.” He is not a typical “rapper” but rather a “thinking man.” What’s more, Lupe has an affliction for charity and has previously raised money for “Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network.” Earlier this winter Fiasco donated $5,000 for new children’s coats in his native Chicago and sponsored a design contest bene�ting the World Hunger Year Foundation (WHY). So at this point you may be asking what all this has to do with the concert. Why should it matter to me or USF what our featured musical artist does in his or her free time and what communities they support? It is because the university’s mission and one of the reasons that I choose to attend, as I hope many of you can relate to, emphasizes “social responsibility”, “a common good that transcends [our own] interests”, the “development of each person with the belief that no individual or group may rightfully prosper at the expense of

others.” And what better way to illustrate our intentions than to have a portion of the homecoming proceeds bene�t a charity of the artist’s choice? I did some research last spring and learned of Wyclef ’s charitable activities and wondered if there was a way to raise money for his cause? To possibly present a check to Wycelf at his concert as a show of unity with his mission. Unfortunately, my idea did not pan out but the possibilities have continued to permeate my mind and body. It is easy to enjoy a great artistic demonstration and nice to pay a relative small portion out of your pocket. It should be even easier to establish a new tradition at the University of San Francisco. A dollar surcharge or two, a contractual agreement for even a 5 percent donation of the $50,000 we generally pay our homecoming artist. My hope is that this would be a unique feature that would encourage other artists who share our values to be more receptive to coming to the university. However, at the very least it would show that we are not merely “educating educating hearts and minds to change the world”; we are actively participating in the creation of a better world.

did. Furthermore, the list of the players tested along with their urine samples were supposed to be kept separate, in different labs, in different states, never to be put together, and were to be destroyed after testing as agreed upon by MLB and the MLB Players Association. �e tests were never destroyed, and when the BALCO investigation began what eventually led to the Barry Bonds indictment, the Federal Government executed a search warrant of the two labs and con�scated both the urine samples and the list of players that were supposedly destroyed. �e list and the samples were matched-up, and eventually Rodriguez’s name was leaked this month to Sports Illustrated. You would think that with all the money MLB rakes in, they would have invested in a paper-shredder. If ESPN was really in the business of sports journalism, the questions would have been for the league. Why weren’t the samples and the list destroyed? Who leaked the information? What kind of breach of contract does this constitute between MLB and its players? What was the league planning on doing with the information they had? Is Gene Orza, one of the heads of the Players Association, under investigation and/or subject to any discipline for allegedly tipping off players as to when they are going to be tested? Where is the list and the samples now? Instead, ESPN dressed Rodriguez in bright colors and put him under more �orescent lighting than Barbara Walters on “�e View,” while he continued to lie during his “confessional” through his freshlywhitened teeth by reciting rehearsed answers to soft-ball questions that he was clearly prompted on. He said he isn’t sure what he took because he was “young,” “stupid,” and “naïve.” He said he started using steroids in 2001 and stopped in 2003 because he suffered an injury during spring training in Sunrise, Florida and had a “revelation.” Do you really think anyone believes you? You get

paid a quarter of a billion dollars to play baseball (officially $275 million over ten years). You know every food and drink that has goes into your mouth, and every syringe and needle that goes into your, well, use your imagination. Moreover, anyone who is familiar with MLB’s testing policy knows that there was no policy until 2004, which is why Rodriguez stopped shooting up in 2003. But, I digress. If anyone at ESPN cared to do some real investigative reporting or cared to present real news instead of presenting their pointless and invaluable opinions as journalism, they would spend more time investigating why we know this information about Rodriguez in the �rst place and less time giving us a fake interview and analysis of that fake interview. ESPN “Baseball Expert” Steve Phillips, in his post-interview analysis, compared Rodriguez to Britney Spears as a star who is falling apart before us, much like Phillips fell apart and was canned by the New York Mets for being a lousy General Manager, which is the only reason he is on ESPN now as a “Baseball Expert.” �e truth is, ESPN is not concerned with the real story because just as Rodriguez sold his soul for better statistics and just as MLB sold the purity of its sport for pro�t and big business, ESPN has sold its journalistic integrity for higher ratings. �ey knew fans wanted to hear from ARod, so they agreed to ask him non-incriminating questions just so they could be the station with him on the air. Maybe George Boddenheimer, the CEO of ESPN, and his fake journalism cronies should come to USF and take Journalism Ethics, where we are taught to present a balanced and accurate news story and investigate facts, not feed the public fake news and irrelevant opinions and call it journalism. Nicholas Mukhar is a senior media studies major and journalism and legal studies minor.

Jon Coon is a junior �nance major and politics minor. He blogs at infoforlivin.blogspot.com

Save the Scorsese: Class Time Should Be Interactive Experience ESPN A-Rod Coverage Example of Failed Journalism Last week, the Foghorn staff took note of professors missing signi�cant class time and the negative effect that has on USF students. We emphasized the value that we place in the instruction that we have come to expect from our professors. �e 3-4 hours of instruction we have per week from each of our professors is valuable, and we need to make sure that time is used as effectively as possible so that we get the most out of our USF experience and enter the work force as well prepared as possible. �e Foghorn has learned of professors that are using the majority of class time to show videos related to subjects that are taught in their classes. Some videos shown in class are central to what professors are trying to teach. But spending the majority of class time showing videos is an invalid use of that time. Using class time to discuss course material is a much more valuable way to get the most out of our classes. If there are longer videos that are essential to the course, they should be assigned for students to watch outside of class. Professors do not assign readings for students to sit and read quietly during class time. Instead, we take them home and complete the readings for the next class so that we can spend class time discussing the material. Videos should no be any different. Class time should be used for discussing the videos and not watching them. Professors can make the video available to students by putting them on reserve at the Gleeson Library or providing links to videos that students can watch online. �ere may be limited copies, but

students can share the copies or get together outside of class to watch them. In some circumstances, videos may have to be assigned an extended due date further than the following class. �ere are many professors at USF, especially in the Politics Department, who release their syllabus as early as possible. Some professors release them as soon as their classes �ll up. �is is a great way to combat the length of time it may take for students to watch a video. If the syllabus is released months in advance with videos listed, then students can be held accountable for watching the videos in a timely manner. It gives us the chance to buy, rent, reserve, or �nd any other way to get and watch videos required for the course. It takes an extra effort from both students and professors, but it will save valuable class time for instruction and/ or discussion. Class is much more valuable and productive when it is an interactive experience. Its time is best put to use when students and professors are sharing thoughts, perspectives, and raising questions for everyone in the classroom to learn from. Another option, if it is essential that students watch the videos in class, is to show only parts of �lms that are central to the course learning requirements. Students still get to view the material without having to �nd it on their own, and there is still enough class time to be used doing other things. Conducting class in the most interactive way possible best promotes the growth of the USF community that we hear so much about.

NICHOLAS MUKHAR Opinion Editor Unless you’ve been buried under books at the Gleeson Library for the past two weeks, you’ve heard the sports gossip story of the month, if not the year. Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003 while a member of the Texas Rangers. While every media outlet in the country covered part of this story, ESPN out did them all with a week long soap-opera of the A-Roid Scandal that they disguised as real news. ESPN’s short drama series was highlighted by an on-air “confessional” interview with Rodriguez that featured an uncomfortable amount of make-up, far too much hair gel, and far too few answers. Hall of Fame sports reporter Peter Gammons dumbed himself down to questions like “Will baseball ever be as fun for you as it used to be?” and “Did you ever hear anyone call you A-Fraud in the Yankee locker room?” �e whole thing was a poorly-prepared play, directed by the “Worldwide Leader in Sports.” �e real story here is that Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003 during a drug test conducted by MLB of all of its players that was supposed to remain anonymous. MLB collected urine samples of those players and said that if more than 5 percent of those tests came back positive, they would implement a drug testing policy the following year, which they

Oh, Nostalgia! Life on the Trail Not How I Remember It SUBMISSION POLICY An All-American Publication ad maiorem dei gloriam �e San Francisco Foghorn F is the official student newspaper of the University of San Francisco and is sponsored by the Associated Students of the University of San Francisco (ASUSF). �e thoughts and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily re�ect those of the Foghorn staff, the administration, the faculty, staff or the students of the University of San Francisco. Contents of each issue are the sole responsibilities of the editors. Advertising matter printed herein is solely for informational purposes. Such printing is not to be construed as written or implied sponsorship or endorsement of such commercial enterprises or ventures by the San Francisco Foghorn. ©MMIV-MMV, San Francisco Foghorn. All rights reserved. No material printed herein may be reproduced without prior permission of the Editor in Chief. 10 papers are allowed per person. Additional copies are 25 cents each.

Columns for the Opinion section and Letters to the Editor are gladly accepted from students, faculty faculty, staff and alumni. All materials must be signed and include your printed name, address, and telephone number for veri�cation. Please include your university status (class standing or title). We reserve the right to edit materials submitted. All submissions become the property of the San Francisco Foghorn Columns of not more than 900 words should be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Wednesday before publication. Letters of 500 words or less should be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Friday before publication. Shorter rter letters which get to to the point have a greater chance of being published than long, rambling diatribes. Anonymous letters are not published. Editorials are written by the Foghorn ed editorial staff and represent a group consensus. �e San Francisco Foghorn Opinion page is a forum for the free, fair and civil exchange of ideas. Contributors’ opinions are not meant to re�ect the views of the Foghorn staff or the University of San Francisco.

HUNTER PATTERSON Columnist Pizza day aside, there were few things that excited me in elementary school as much as playing �e Oregon Trail. �e game in�ltrated schools under the guise of being educational software, meant to reinforce what students were already learning in the classroom about the harrowing 2000 mile journey from Independence, Missouri to the promised land of the Oregon coast, where our starving, infected pioneers could strike it rich in the Gold Rush or farm the fertile land. Clearly I learned something, but we �fth and sixth graders all knew the true

purpose of the game – to give the people in our wagon party dirty names so the game would insert them into announcements like “[name] was bitten by a snake, do you want to stop?” And hilariously, “[name] has died of dysentery,” at which point you could type an equally mature message on their tombstone to leave on the side of the trail. When one tired of completing the historic trans-American journey, there were always other feats to accomplish, like seeing how quickly you could kill off the members of your party. With ills including typhus, cholera, measles, drowning and starvation, there was no shortage of ways your beloved family, all named after bodily functions, could meet their demise. Hunting for animals along the trail was another fun activity, good for whiling away the hours between snack and lunch. �e game holds a special place in the hearts of early 20-somethings who spent many a classroom hour on the trail trail, and now Gameloft has updated the graphics and re-launched it for cell phones. I downloaded the game earlier this week and have to say – it’s just not the same as I remember when I was a kid. �e graphics are better and there are more features built into the story line. In the updated version players

Courtesy of Gameloft

Giddy-up! The family hits the trail in this cell phone remake of the classic game.

can �x their wagon if it breaks instead of having to buy a new one. �ere is also �shing in addition to hunting in the re-release, but I just couldn’t get into it. I guess childhood memories will have to stay that way, or maybe you’ll have better luck than I did at reliving elementary school days. I downloaded the game from Verizon’s Get It Now app. store for $6.99 unlimited use where it was a best seller. It is available for most phones on most networks. Hunter Patterson is a senior economics major major.

6

SCENE San Francisco Foghorn

FEBRUARY 19,, 2009

New Music The Foghorn Loves ADEN JORDAN Staff taff W Writer

Melissa Stihl/Foghorn The ensemble cast of the Vagina Monologues welcomes the audience as the show opens in the first of three performances on Thursday night in USF s Presentation Theater.

College Players Encourage Vagina Pride LEIGH CUEN Staff Writer

On �ursday, Feb. 12 the all-woman cast of ASUSF College Players’ Vagina Monologues opened to a full house. 100 percent of the show’s proceeds went to women’s charities, namely the San Francisco Women’s Building and the V-Day movement, which has raised over $60 million world wide towards antiviolence programs, shelters, and safe houses for women, as well as educating millions about violence against women and the efforts help. �e production’s director, USF alumna Meghan O’Connor, made the bold decision to introduce two new �nal acts addressing rape and violent con�ict to the show’s repertoire. “We were not sure how the audience would react,” said O’Connor. She hoped the pieces would make people want to get out of their comfort zones and

inspire them to help, especially in response to the second act’s �nale video addressing “femicide” and the use of violence against women as weaponry in the Democratic Republic of Congo. �e hard-hitting �lm discussed how economic and political decisions impact these con�icts. �e audience responded positively to the ensemble’s passion and risk-taking. “I thought it was really good,” said sophomore Alessandro Broido. “I thought it was intense in the end, with the video. It was impacting.” Broido wasn’t the only man to enjoy the Vagina Monologues this Valentine’s weekend. In fact, opening night of the Vagina Monologues had a surprisingly high y-chromosome ratio for a USF event. “I saw a lot of men in the audience,” said O’Connor. “And they’re all pretty responsive. �ey should feel comfortable with a dialogue…with empowered and strong women.” Strong and empowered women

was what this production was all about. �e production’s key focus was the worship, agonies, and triumphs of female genitalia. Even the concessions where womencentric, from the “I <3 Consent” T-shirts to the array of homemade baked goods, including a giant breast-cake rice treat and kissy-lip brownies. �e show itself was saucy, enthralling, and interactive, leaving neither a dry eye nor an unindulged laugh in the house. From sophomore Megan Pohlman, whose effortless and vivacious rendition of “�e Vagina Workshop” left the audience roaring with laughter, to the collective performance of “Comfort Women,” the blackand-pink attired ensemble delivered a commanding performance, a truly sublime exhibition of theater. �e audience left feeling engaged and empowered. “All I have to say, is ‘cunt’ is my new favorite word,” said sophomore Grace

Porter with a smile. O’Connor attributed the sweeping success of the production to the love and dedication of the cast. “Everyone had such a distinct personality. �ere was no competition,” said O’Connor. “Everyone was hard working, and everyone was funny...everyone was there the back each other up.” After celebrating their opening weekend in the USF Presentation �eater, these feisty feminist performers will take their performance on the road for two performances at a Bay Area women’s jail. “I’m a little nervous,” O’Connor said. “We know it’s going to be a time when we are going to be changed more than the audience.” “And that’s a good thing!” said producer and host Julie Henderson. “Yeah,” O’Connor agreed. “�at’s a good thing.”

Glinda the Good are friends and rivals in a pre-Dorothy Oz. If you’re like me and had a not-so-secret affinity for the Wicked Witch of the West growing up, you’ll love Wicked’s simple but subversive premise. �e show chronicles the creation of a pop culture icon as Elphaba transitions from a self-conscious green girl (a condition that makes her a veritable pariah even by the standards of other eccentric citizens of Oz) into a powerful force to be reckoned with. “I don’t cause commotions,” she says, “I am one.” As Elphaba, Teal Wicks absolutely nails it. With a cast recording as popular as Wicked’s it can be hard to please audiences who have very set expectations of what the music should sound like. Wicks manages to infuse Elphaba’s songs with a unique style that combines superb technique with genuine emotion. Her performance of the show’s de�ning musical number, “Defying Gravity,” is spot on but I would contend that where she is truly brilliant is in her unbridled rendition of “No Good Deed,” where she portrays Elphaba’s embrace of the Wicked Witch persona with relish. Just like a twister, her voice can bring down a house. Equally signi�cant is Glinda’s transformation from blonde bimbo to responsible ruler. Kendra Kassebaum manages to make even the early Glinda lovable. She play’s the seemingly vacant sorceress to great comedic effect (especially in the number “Popular”), in Act I and yet, by the time Act II rolls around, Kassebaum has uncovered a wonderfully surprising sense of longing and hurt in Glinda. I would be remiss not to mention the hilarious Carol Kane (who I will always think of as the grandma from the Addams Family movies) as the devious Madame Morrible, and David Garrison as the vaudevillian Wizard of Oz. Garrison is so earnest in his portrayal that even when you know the Wiz is up to no good, you just want to say “Aaaw, shucks” and forgive him anyway.

Overly saccharine at times, Wicked dares you to resist its unabashed embrace of the sentimental. A far cry from the dark tone of McGuire’s novel, the musical embraces a modern, pop sensibility that is ever present in Stephen Schwartz’s score. �ere are so many one-liners and zingers strewn throughout the script that audience members may feel all punned out by the end of Act I. But just when things seem to be getting a little too Disney-�ed, the show ventures, albeit brie�y, into darker territory. Underneath the Wizard’s convincing layer of hick-town sincerity is a ruthless scaremongering politician. Even in this new era of “Hope and Change” the parallels to the Bush years are not lost. When the story wanes, there is always a moment of colossal spectacle that is ready to dazzle: the beautiful costumes that simultaneously reference and reinvent the world of Oz, the revolving door of awe-inspiring set pieces and an endless onslaught of special effects that are too good to give away here. If the shows incredibly polished production values are the icing on the cake, then Elphaba and Glinda’s remarkable friendship is the moist and spongy center that keeps the whole thing together. It’s become standard for musicals to extol romance as the greatest expression of love, so it’s refreshing to see a story where friendship is presented as an equally important force of change and growth in people’s lives. My guess is that what will cement Wicked’s well-deserved place in popular mythology won’t necessarily be the “Oh my Oz” moments created by Universal Studios, which produced the show. I think it will have more to do with how Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship is a testament to the incredible rewards we can reap when give the people we think we loathe another chance. Wicked is now playing at the Orpheum �eater. For more information on purchasing tickets please visit www.sfhnsf.com or call 415-551-2000.

As the underrated leader of �e New Pornographers, A.C. Newman doesn’t always receive the critical high marks that are often received by his bandmates, the theatrical Dan Bejar and the coy Neko Case. On Newman’s sophomore solo album, “Get Guilty,” the singer-songwriter proves that his lyrics are just as vivid and literate as anything Bejar has written for �e New Pornographers, Destroyer or Swan Lake. Newman also shows that he can create heart-swelling vocals without the assistance of Case. After the overly sweet Pornographers album “Twin Cinema” and their even more disappointing follow-up “Challengers,” “Get Guilty” is a �ne return to form for Newman. �e best song on the album is “Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer,” a track that includes some of Newman’s most poetic analogies: “Like a fourth wall, a car chase on blue screen, all eyes roll/ Like a snowfall that blankets the city, swallowed whole.” Bittersweet songs such as “�underbolts” and “Elemental” are also stand outs, and on these tracks Newman paints small canvas vignettes with skill equal to Colin Meloy of the Decemberists. Out of the twelve songs here, only “Submarines of Stockholm” and “Young Atlantis” are worth skipping on account of rushed pacing on the former and a sluggish gait on the latter. Here’s to hoping the next New Pornographers album sounds half as good as this strong solo record.

Related Article: Vagina Monologues Panel on page one.

There s No Place Like Home for Wicked

MARO GUEVARA Staff Writer �e yellow brick road may have taken Wicked to Broadway and beyond, but the winds of good fortune have blown the hit musical back into San Francisco, where it is poised to cast its spell for as long as it can in an open engagement at the Orpheum theater. Wicked, with music by Stephen

Courtesy of Wicked

Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzmann, is officially based on Gregory McGuire’s novel Wicked: �e Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, but unofficially borrows heavily from the 1939 �lm starring Judy Garland. Unlike L. Frank Baum’s classic tale and the movie that was based upon it, Wicked’s story begins on the other side of the rainbow, where Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) and

Despite his fast-growing popularity, two desperate arguments are frequently leveled at Andrew Bird’s music. One argument is that Bird sounds too much like his contemporary, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Su�an Stevens. However Bird’s voice and his music sound warmer and more inviting than anything by Stevens. Bird has a unique voice: gentle, strong, reassuring and con�dent, all at the same time. �e second claim is that Bird’s lyrics include a vocabulary so intellectual that the singer must obviously be trying too hard. �is is also an invalid argument, and the lush new Bird album, “Noble Beast,” leaves both arguments moot. On “Noble Beast,” Bird presents an emotional range in his vocals that seems to �t with every musical note as well as his so-called “esoteric” lyrics. �e word “souverian” may seem like a big word to some unadventurous listeners, but when Bird sings the word it sounds more like “so very young” and so springs multiple meanings. Bird also skillfully makes transitions and shifts in his songs. �e song “Master Swarm” gradually moves into a salsa-�avored �amenco feel only to end in rapid computer beeps and blips. Sly distorted guitar and haunting feedback seem to come out of nowhere on “Not a Robot, But a Ghost.”Bird regularly writes songs that have to do with animals, but he also has great insight into the human condition like on the mournful song “Effigy”: “Fake conversations on a nonexistent telephone/ Like the words of a man who’s spent a little too much time alone.” “Noble Beast” may stand as an apt title: Bird comes across as an intelligent, sensitive, maybe even chivalrous gentleman, while his layered sound seems to take on a life of its own, breathing in the beautiful world Bird describes.

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Warhols Thirteen Screen Tests Delight Film Fans COLIN GIBBONS Staff W Writer

Melissa Stihl/Foghorn Santa Cruz natives A Quantum Visionary play for Erasmus supporters on Feb. 6 in Phelan Hall as part of Festival For Freedom.

Erasmus Benefit Rocks Phelan CHRIS MOORE Staff Writer

You can usually �nd sophomore Jenny Williams in front of Phelan Hall selling fair trade coffee or Krispy Kreme doughnuts for an Erasmus fundraiser into the wee hours of the night, desperately trying to get drunken students to pitch in for the cause. It was exciting to see her abandon the traditional method of fundraising ignored by students and shake everybody’s ears, hearts, and minds by bringing a �vehour rock festival to the USF campus: the Festival For Freedom. �e lineup included local favorites such as Ty Segall, Travis Hayes Busse, Ghost Town Refugees and Man/Miracle. �e real treat was to see Santa Cruz bands on the bill. �is was not all too surprising of Santa Cruz native Williams, who is a devoted fan of all the Santa Cruz bands she invited. Williams should have dropped the doughnuts and applied what she loves, music and culture, to help bene�t others a long time ago. �e Santa Cruz bands that conquered Phelan’s McLaren Conference Room were Quantum Visionary, Depth Charge Revolt, Koalacaust, Vox Jaguars and James Rabbit. �e music from both Northern California regions crafted an eclectic set. Each band sounded different from the others, bringing its own �avor, sound, attitude and style. Williams’ intention was to showcase varying modes of sound, but it was disappointing to see that most of the USF students missed out on some mesmerizing bands, mainly showing up for the latter part of the festival to see popular local acts Travis Hayes Busse and Ghost Town Refugees. �e space was �lled with Santa Cruz fans, friends and families for most of the night. Depth Charge Revolt left me in awe. Fans of the Melvins, Butthole Surfers and Swans would rejoice at their sense of sheer

brutality. Duo drummers laid down rhythmic chaos while the guitars built up walls of sinister melodies only to have breakdowns destroy them with their sledgehammers of relentless distortion. �e voice of lead singer Hector Lee Heaviside was agonizing, not only to hear but to watch as he heavily stomped around the stage, his face getting redder with every ferocious bellow. Depth Charge Revolt does not want to criticize people through fear, but help them �nd meaning in the absurdities of personal emotions and social problems that one faces daily such as sex, anxiety, and the meaning of identity. Besides the psych-metal of Quantum Visionary, the rest of the acts weren’t nearly as heavy as Depth Charge Revolt, but they all had their own unique kick. Rowdy punk folk boys Koalacaust �nally got people’s knees moving and gained a following of moshers. Instead of guitars grimed out by distortion, Koalacaust kept it clean and acoustic. Somehow within the swift riffs of the acoustic guitar, the trotting drums, the deep melodic breaths of the accordion and the gravelly but sweet vocal harmonization, Koalacaust seemed as tough as similar acts the Dropkick Murpheys or O’Death. Everybody got a chance to cool off with the crooning of Travis Hayes Busse. San Franciscans and Santa Cruzers huddled around the stage. No one was standing, all sat down before Busse. �e crowd was attentative, yet re�ective during the personal songs he sang. An intimate performance capped off with a cover of �e Smiths’ “�ere’s A Light �at Never Goes Out.” Ghost Town Refugees engraved their “psych-jazz-rock” infusion into every open mind around campus with consistent performances at Crossroads, Harney Plaza and venues around the city. For this show the band members collaborated with Kev-

in Kunze to make experimental videos that put the Ghost Town Refugees’ music into new depths. In terms of performance, this was the Refugees’ tightest and most con�dent set. When Vox Jaguars were around 17- 20 years old and have been playing music for years. �ey had off-the wall energy mixed with Elvis Costello coolness that ripped away from their garage rock sound. �ey demanded the attention of the audience and lured them even closer to feed off their energy. �eir youthful, vigorous energy and their re�ned skills will spark even greater and more matured hits, like their song “Swagger,” later in their career. It was impossible not to dance to the sensational group James Rabbit, one of the two headliners. �ey had infectious melodies, rhythms that would tear your sneakers apart, quirkiness that slaps the brain silly, and dance moves that compete with a churchgoer overcome by the Holy Ghost. �e biggest regret of my night was telling the lead singer, Taylor, that they should make it big while asking for a copy of their latest album. I realized mainstream success would ruin them and any chance of highenergy acts like theirs to stay unique and autonomous. �e crowd was wincing away by the time Ty Segall, the �nal headliner of the night, took to a dark corner of the room for his set. Everyone was exhausted from the four-and-a-half-hour music marathon. Only the committed and the true stuck around. �e lone cowboy of furious garage rock, Ty Segall, with his guitar clutched in steady hands and drum shackled to his feet, buckshot the senses right back into primeval. �e skull-snapping kick drum, the �lthiness of the guitar and the lividness of Ty’s hollering reminded us why we came to the festival in the �rst place: to listen to some awesome music.

In an interview given on Jan. 21 in San Francisco, Selick talked about his stylistic approach to visually representing Neil Gaiman’s characters. “�is is what I like to do in animated �lms and with ‘Coraline’ in particular ... I’m treading this �ne line between cartoons and live action. I want you to believe that these are �esh and blood, that Coraline could die if she’s trapped in the “other” world. But I found that if your designs get too close to live action -- if they start to resemble real people too much, I think they suffer in comparison and they feel dead so I like to exaggerate the design.” Selick’s obsession with that which is impossibly skeletal and gaunt is amongst many of the visual accents presented in “Coraline.” �e stop-motion �lm empowered its animators to showcase their acute sense of detail. Everything from Coraline’s painted blue nail polish to the sparkles on individual threads of her silvery-purple knit sweatshirt appear so well shaped, it feels as though you could reach out and touch them. While these details are so much a part of the magic that Selick and his team bring to Gaiman’s characters, Selick calls his craft, stop motion, “imperfect.” When asked why he chose this mode in particular, Selick explained, “Stop motion shakes with life. You can feel the artist’s hand. It is inherently creepy, but it’s also very warm.” It’s difficult not to draw comparisons to Selick’s 1996 �lm “�e Nightmare Before

Christmas.” Jack, the anti-hero of “Nightmare,” is determined to marry the worlds of Christmas and Halloween. Coraline is a pointed, brooding young girl interested in magic and winning the love and attention of her parents. Both �lms engage in grim parallels of the protagonists’ realities, but where “Nightmare” is unnerving and manic, “Coraline” is contemplative and mature. For instance, the score in Selick’s latest �lm takes a back seat. �e music of “Coraline” moves more like the glue of the narrative rather than the conductor of plot points. Usage of all things orchestral is quaint, but not subtle as it weaves in and out of Coraline’s adventure. �is is composer Bruno Coulais’ �rst time scoring for a narrative �lm. �e �lm begins as Coraline is exploring her new surroundings in a foggy residential plot of land. She has moved to a new house in a rainy town with her fond but busy botanist parents. She meets Wybie, a �lmic addition to Gaiman’s original story, who is a strange neighborhood boy interested in magic and adventure like Coraline. �e two quibble competitively about the mastery of operating a water rod from the moment they meet. Aggravated by her new acquaintance, she assumes that the button-faced doll that appears on her doorstep the next day is a gift from Wybie. Repelled by her preoccupied parents, Coraline �nds herself exploring her new house with her doll, a partially autonomous object that becomes lost and then found,

�e San Francisco Film Society recently offered a rare glance at some of iconic pop artist Andy Warhol’s less famous work in a performance entitled “13 Most Beautiful.” A collection of the artist’s fabled screen tests were presented in a unique context, screened in the theater space at the Palace of Fine Arts and accompanied by the shimmering melodies of Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips. Viewed in this rather surreal environment, the mysterious charm of Warhol’s slow-motion portraits proved inescapable. �e 13 screen tests were chosen from hundreds that Warhol shot of visitors to �e Factory in the mid-sixties and subsequently used for a variety of purposes, most notably as video accompaniment for acts such as the Velvet Underground in his multimedia sensation �e Exploding Plastic Inevitable. Although the tests were all shot with the same formula (four minutes, still camera and faces only), Warhol’s lighting manipulations and his subjects’ antics provide an intriguing variety of emotions. �e curator’s selections demonstrated the remarkable array of character captured in this narrow medium, with some �gures beaming full of gregarious glamour and others brooding, forlorn. Richard Reem, presented �rst, remained still, as though frozen in a photograph, a marked contrast to the closing screen test of Jan Holzer, who made a show of vigorously brushing her teeth while staring intently into the camera. �e subjects between them �lled in the spectrum, as Paul America chewed gum and laughed, a glowering Dennis Hopper refused eye contact, and Nico playfully ducked in and out of the frame. Although the manner and behavior of the subjects varied, their glowing images each demanded the same lingering attention.

Beneath the hypnotic gazes, Wareham provided texture-laden guitar work and traded haunting vocal melodies with Phillips. Wareham has been making atmospheric pop since the late ‘80s, originally with Galaxie 500, then Luna, and now with his wife (also formerly of Luna) under the name Dean & Britta. �e pair, who have previously worked on the score for �lms such as Noah Baumbach’s “�e Squid and the Whale,” proved an ideal choice for the Warhol project. Joined by Matt Sumrow playing keyboards and guitars and Anthony LaMarca on drums, their pieces (a few older originals, a couple of covers and the rest composed for the event) served not only to draw out the personalities of the faces on the screen, but also to evoke the spirit of the period from which they came. �e in�uence of Lou Reed was appropriately quite apparent throughout the performance. Reed’s own “Not a Young Man Anymore” was played during his screen test, while Dean & Britta’s “Singer Sing,” which was played for Ann Buchanan’s test, gave an emphatic nod to “Street Hassle,” Reed’s epic anthem of underground life. During Nico’s screen test, Britta sang an ethereal version of “I’ll Keep it With Mine,” a song written by Factory visitor Bob Dylan and recorded by Nico herself. �e images of those two artists, Reed and Nico, perhaps best represent the essence of the collection as whole. Reed, cool and removed behind dark glasses, suggestively sipping a bottle of Coca-Cola and Nico, gazing wistfully at the camera, turning away and glancing back again, embody a lost and impossible charm made all the more enticing by time and distance. �e striking images of “13 Most Beautiful” illustrate Warhol’s remarkable skill in exposing the extraordinary in those around him. Trans�xing and beautiful, the screen tests prove to possess an enduring appeal – they simultaneously capture the allure of a bygone time and evince the continued relevance of one of that era’s great artists. 3) “Cold Cold Water” by Mirah off of “Advisory Committee” 4) “Look Into the Air” by Explosions in the Sky off of “How Strange, Innocence”

MELISSA BARON Scene Editor �e seemingly endless rain, the days that start out sunny and always wind up cloudy and cold and the terrible weather that just won’t seem to go away inspire this week’s mixtape. It may not be the happiest mix, but hey, at least it’s just as dismal as San Francisco in February.

5) “Peacocks in the Video Rain” by John Vanderslice off of “Pixel Revolt” 6) “Funnel Cloud” by the Cairo Gang off of “S/T” 7) “�ere is a Place” by Silver Jews off of “Tanglewood Numbers” 8) “Our Weather” by Pants Yello! off of “Recent Drama”

1) “It’s Been Raining” by Kimya Dawson off of “Hidden Vagenda”

9) “Your Belgian �ings” by the Mountain Goats off of “We Shall All Be Healed”

2) “One Day’s Evening” by Waxwing off of “For Madmen Only”

10) “Only Babies Cry” by Paul Baribeau off of “Paul Baribeau”

pointing Coraline to a secret door inside the house. It is when Coraline opens the doors to this mystical canal that we experience the riveting experience of 3-D -something I had previously thought of as a failed commercial invention. Instead the surrealism of manipulation of color and motion left my body tight and wanting more. Once Coraline reaches the other end of the lateral shoot she walks into a home much like her own where everything parallels the house she left. �e things in this house have an undead quality to them, a staple for the visual condition of all Selick’s characters. Inside Coraline’s “other” room the porcelain turtle she once had is now a skeleton in motion, hopping around. Her friends from her old town in the picture on her nightstand are alive within the frame; they speak out to her. Coraline wakes up and is no longer experiencing the undead surroundings. It is also on this morning that we see Selick writing the rules of his dietetic world as we meet characters like Bobinsky -- the pot-bellied, but otherwise inhumanly thin veteran circus performer - and Miss Spink and Miss Forcible -- the lesbian couple of especially plump proportions who excel in Scottie (dog) taxidermy. Coraline’s new friends share whimsical information with her without trying to get to know her. It’s as if they already do. �e color palate of Coraline transcends pluralism with its blues, pinks, violets and oranges that combat the black and grey all within one Selick universe. Such a

warmth of colors highlighting things like the garden is often confronted by the immense overcast of setting, making for a real visual treat. Coraline travels to her parallel universe a second time. When we meet her “other” mother and father, we learn that despite their black button eyes that inspire a feeling of immense unpleasant creepy politeness, they are a part of Coraline’s ideal. However, it is Wybie’s black cat that begins to shake Coraline’s perception of comfort and understanding of her parallel parents. He warns her that things may not be as they seem. His admonishment is realized at once when terror strikes Coraline as her “other” mother asks Coraline to sew black buttons in place of her eyes in order to remain in “other” world. “I don’t know what it is about stop motion. You can show children the original King Kong; they’re fascinated by it,” Selick says. “I don’t know why, it’s just as a kid everybody goes through a phase where they believe their dolly, their toys are living things, and it doesn’t take much to imagine them moving and coming to life. It’s almost as if stop-motion is always old-fashioned. It’s not new. It’s not modern. It feels like it’s from another time.” “Coraline” has been a project between Selick and author Neil Gaiman since 2000. Now with its much-anticipated arrival, the viewing experience of “Coraline” is not from a tangible time or place but rather it is of the romantically macabre mind.

Director Henry Selick Crafts Romantically Macabre World In Coraline

Courtesy of Focus Features

SKY MADDEN Staff Writer Henry Selick is known for his direction on “�e Nightmare Before Christmas,” “James and the Giant Peach” and his seminal 1981 work “Seepage,” which showcased his distinguished taste for developing both classical and postmodern animation techniques. Starting Feb. 6, he delivers a maniacal stop-motion animation adaptation of writer Neil Gaiman’s dark novella “Coraline.” Selick’s “Coraline” is just as human as it is mythical.

8 FEBRUARY 19,, 2009

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Who Likes Short Shorts? Heather Likes Short Shorts

FEBRUARY 19,, 2009

For Foghorn editor, USF s rugby team Defenders of the Faith is love at first sight

HEATHER SPELLACY Staff Writer Rugby, a game with constant tackling, no pads and an abundance of men with accents is possibly one of the most intriguing club sports. Defenders of the Faith, USF’s club team, are making a name for themselves as a true force to be reckoned with. Feb. 12 they hosted their �rst home match of the season against Cal Maritime’s Keelhaulers. �e cold night welcomed the players in their tiny shorts and short sleeve polos, with the crowd bundled and freezing. Toughness must be the greatest prerequisite of the sport, followed only then by actual talent. As both teams made their way to the �eld, they began their pre-game traditions of yelling and grunting in unison. �is set the manly feel of the game, as did the constant cursing from the sidelines. Unlike basketball or baseball where almost anyone can follow the game, rugby was like a constant blob of uncertainty.

Without knowledge of the game, it’s nearly impossible to follow, even harder to understand. More often than not, all the players would be interlocked, one team pushing against the other, in what is called a scrum, one of the only terms possible to comprehend for the common spectator. USF played well defensively in the �rst half, keeping the score close with Maritime ahead 14-5. �e �rst half was boring thanks to a lack of injuries, little action and infrequent scoring. �e mundane half gave spectators time to evaluate the merits of each player, namely the way their shorts showcased their athletic builds. While both teams showed promise, Cal Maritime had a clear advantage: it was obvious they knew what they were doing, while USF’s team made a few amateur mistakes that resulted in lost points. �e �nal score of the game was 55-13 in favor of Cal, but USF was not at all disheartened. “We played a good game, showed a lot of improvement, but we need to work on �tness. Next year we’re going to be amazing,” said junior Jeremy Shorenstein, who plays the position of lock. �e team recently debuted a new website with videos, pictures, rosters and event times. You can check it out at www.usfrugby.com. If you’re interested in coming out for a game, here’s a listing of the remaining home games. You don’t have to go far, and afterwards there were hot dogs! Santa Clara University February 28 @ 1:00pm Humboldt State University March 14 @ 1:00pm San Francisco State April 25 @ 1:00pm

Rex Walters Edition

Heather Spellacy/ lacy Foghorn lacy/

The USF men s rugby team shows promise vs. Cal Maritime but the young team loses 55-13.

NICHOLAS MUKHAR Columnist More disheartening and annoying than USF’s inability to close the gap and upset Gonzaga on Friday night was the appearance of head coach Rex Walters and the USF coaching staff. Apparently, they never got the “Dress for Success” memo that was sent to the Gonzaga coaching staff, who arrived at the Hilltop suited and booted. Walters and the gang looked like a bunch of broken streetlights in their yellow polo shirts with thin, bright-green cross stripes. �e most unprofessional looking of them all was Walters who sported slacks and dress shoes to go along with his untucked shirt. Walters paced and ran back and forth alongside his bench the entire game, his shirt bottom messily �ailing with every hand gesture towards his players and the referees. His wardrobe malfunction can surely be held accountable for a 3-5 point swing alone just based on the sloppy vibe he was giving off. What happened to the fresh-to-death Rex from Florida Atlantic, the sharplydressed Walters at his news conference when he was given the USF job, or even the clean-cut coach who started patrolling the USF bench this season? Stick to the classic look. �e black or dark blue suit and white shirt did you just �ne. You can show school pride with a green or gold tie. We all know it’s been a tough year. At least go through the bumpy road with smooth style.

Lowhorn Would Have to Transition to the Wing to Make NBA DIOR: Continued from page ten to get past NBA defenders. One thing that Lowhorn could improve on is his quickness so that he can play the wing. Wing players have to be able to handle the basketball with skill since they do a lot of dribbling. Players like Paul Pierce have great ball-handling skills, which allow him not to turn it over, and makes it easier for him to create shots. Lowhorn doesn’t have to handle the ball at USF since he plays in the post, where he operates close to the basket. It’s hard to determine whether Lowhorn has ball-handling skills or not because it is rare for him to have the ball in his hands outside the post. But this is something that he should work on if he wants to go pro because it’s a vital skill to have. Shooting the three-pointer is another important skill to have if you play on the wing. Most small forwards can shoot the three efficiently and this helps their offenses because it allows the team to stretch

the �oor. �is is something that Lowhorn has improved this season. Last year he was shooting 25.7 percent on one attempt per game from three-point range, this year he is shooting 47.9 percent on two attempts per game. He is shooting more threes and making a much higher percentage. If he can continue to improve this skill to the point where he can make the shot consistently then that will improve his draft stock. Finally, wing players must be athletic. �ey have to have good leaping ability while also being fast. Lowhorn does not have great leaping ability and he is not the fastest person on the court. But these are skills that can be developed. Lowhorn has shown his ability to throw down impressive dunks but he needs to continue to work on his leaping ability so that he can grab rebounds against taller players. He also should improve on his speed so that he can keep up with faster players. Although Lowhorn has a lot to improve on, he does a lot of things well. We all know he can score efficiently. He also

has quick feet in the post. Lowhorn has a lot of moves in the post and he can score in a variety of ways, such as the turnaround jumper and the hook shot. He also has the size and the body type to handle a long season. But all these skills don’t translate to the NBA. �e fact that USF does not produce many professional athletes also hurts Lowhorn’s case. Actually, it’s hard to determine how good Lowhorn really is since USF plays in a conference with average competition. He is also by far the best player on the team but could he play at this level on a team like the University of North Carolina or Duke? Being a great player at USF is one thing but being great on UNC or Duke is another. Frankly those teams are on a whole other level, one that USF can only strive to be at. Lowhorn is talented there is no doubt about it but he is not talented enough for the NBA. But he has the skills to be able to play overseas. Living in Spain or Greece would be fun, right?

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FEBRUARY 19,, 2009

Men s Basketball Loses Back-to-Back Games to Portland, Gonzaga

Team heads to bottom of WCC rankings yet holds powerhouse Bulldogs to within 5 after suspending 4 pla players ANDREA LENNOX Staff Writer �is past �ursday night, Feb. 12, the Dons faced off the Portland Pilots in an upsetting 72-67 loss in War Memorial Gym. �e Pilots lived up to their reputation as the West Coast Conference’s leading 3-point scorers as the Dons were unable to ward off their hot streak. �e Pilots �red off the close game with a surge from their offense. With a �rst quarter scoreboard reading 21-8 just eight minutes into the game, many believed this would be an easy win for the Pilots. However, the Dons turned to their top scorer, and the West Coast Conference’s top scorer, Dior Lowhorn. Dior scored 12 points for the Dons in the �rst half, lifting the crowd and team mates’ spirits. �is was only 12 of the 24 points Lowhorn scored in the entire game. �e Dons managed a 15-0 run as Portland only managed eight more points by halftime. �e score was 29-27 going into half time. Lowhorn brought the Dons into the lead with the �rst four points of the second half, with the scoreboard now reading 3327. However, Portland quickly answered back with �ve 3-pointers in four minutes, including a 23-6 run that left the Dons with an 11 point de�cit. �e scoreboard now read 50-39 with less than 12 minutes remaining in the game. Within the next seven minutes the Dons scored 10 points, and the Pilots scored 15, making the de�cit now 16 points with �ve minutes to go.

�e Dons �red back with many more points, but could not manage to �ll the �ve-point de�cit that remained for the rest of the game. Despite the Dons’ incredible offensive playing and promising outcome, it was not enough to overcome the Pilots’ 3-point weapon. A steal and two free throws by Portland freshman Angelo Caloiaro cut the lead to 69-64 with 17 seconds, but a pair of free throws by Nik Raivio won them the game. �e Dons could not get back from their �ve-point de�cit, as Portland won their seventh of their last eight games. Jared Stohl led the Pilots with 16 points, while T.J Campbell added 15 points, seven assists and �ve rebounds. Campbell was �ve for seven beyond the arc, as Stohl �nished four for �ve in his three-point shots. Robin Smeulders added 12 points and seven rebounds for the Pilots. �is was the �rst road win for the Pilots over the Dons since 2001 and the �rst season sweep of the Dons since 1995. Portland now has a season record of (16-8, 7-2 WCC) as they go on to challenge St. Mary’s this Saturday. �e Dons, now (9-16, 1-9 WCC) go on to challenge the Gonzaga Bulldogs this Saturday night at p.m. in War Memorial Gym. Gonzaga leads the West Coast Conference in wins this season. �e proud USF men’s basketball gold jerseys worn by eager players and fans were not enough to ward off the Gonzaga Bulldogs this past rainy Valentine’s Day in War Memorial Gym. Although the �nal score was close, a remarkable 78-73 �nish, the Dons could not keep the Bulldogs from

Nicholas Mukhar Mukhar/Foghorn Saturday s game against Gonzaga was pitched as a Gold Out by USF Athletics who asked ffans to wear gold clothing to the game, which was broadcast on ESPNU.

Nicholas Mukhar Mukhar/Foghorn The Don s defense attempts to slow down the Gonzaga Bulldog s offense and pull off the upset, but USF fails to hold them off and go on to lose 78-73.

their 11-0 West Coast Conference winning streak. �e Dons were at a disadvantage as they were undermanned by four key players in this weekend’s games due to a dispute with coach Rex Walters during a practice. Most notably, the Dons’ secondleading scorer, Manny Quezada, was not able to play in both the unsuccessful game against Portland or Saturday night’s game against Gonzaga. Centers James Morgan and Hyman Taylor along with Chioke Walker were also suspended. Despite the absence of these four valuable players, the Dons put up an incredible �ght as they remained neck and neck with the Bulldogs throughout the entire game. �e �rst half was one of much excitement, as both teams held a promising outlook for a West Coast Conference win. �e Bulldogs powered through with an average of 65 percent shooting. �e Dons’ offense was right up there with the Bulldogs as

Scouting Report on Dior Lowhorn: Is USF Ready to Send Another Don to the NBA?

MATT STEINBACH Sports Editor Every year at least 200 hopeful college and international basketball players enter the NBA draft. Out of those 200 plus basketball players, only 60 get drafted. Getting drafted into the NBA is arguably harder than going pro in any other sport. �e NBA draft is only two rounds compared to seven rounds, like the NFL. For most college basketball players, the dream of going to the NBA is never realized. Considering all of this information, could any current basketball player from USF turn pro? �roughout the history of USF’s basketball program, only 23 players have gone pro. So the odds stacked up against a USF basketball player are great. Considering this, the only person at USF that has the slightest possibility of going pro is Dior

Lowhorn. Lowhorn is the star of the team, leading the Dons in both points at 20.3 per game and rebounds at 6.7 per game. Lowhorn is also the leading scorer in the West Coast Conference but does he have enough skills to be a NBA player? I’m going to play the role of a NBA scout and assess whether Lowhorn has the skills to be a professional basketball player. If Lowhorn does in fact decide to enter his name into the NBA draft, he �rst must make the transition from a post player to a wing player. Lowhorn does not have the height or wingspan to play the power forward position in the NBA. Typically power forwards in the NBA are six foot ten and if they are shorter they usually have the wingspan of someone taller. �is means he would have to play small forward since he is not tall enough nor has the wingspan to play the power forward. Typically small forwards are quick, have good ball handling skills, can shoot the three and are athletic. Changing the position you play is difficult but possible. At this point in his career, Lowhorn does not possess the quickness to play the small forward position. Could you imagine Lowhorn guarding LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony? In order to guard wing players, you have to be quick on your feet and right now Lowhorn is not quick enough to guard wing players. And on offense, Lowhorn’s �rst step is not quick enough to get past faster players. Although, he does have a solid �rst step, he is not explosive enough DIOR: Continued on Page 9

Nicholas Mukhar Mukhar/Foghorn Dior Lowhorn is a standout player and leads the team in rebounds and scoring.

USF forward Dior Lowhorn scored 15 points in the �rst half of the game. �e Bulldogs met their match when they experienced 12 turnovers, and �ve three-pointers before heading into overtime with the scoreboard reading 41-37 in their favor. Lowhorn got the crowd rumbling and the scoreboard beaming when he scored a three-point shot early in the second half, bringing the game to an enticing 49-49 tie. Although the Dons managed nine more three-pointers in the second half, the Bulldogs’ Micah Downs quickly responded to Lowhorn’s efforts with another threepoint shot. Bulldog Josh Heytvelt went on to score 10 points for Gonzaga. �e Dons were unable to score enough points to beat the Bulldogs after Downs’ shot, yet the game remained a close one. By the game’s �nish, Lowhorn had scored a total of 23 points for the Dons. Lowhorn is the conference’s leading scorer, and scored eight more points against Gonzaga

than the last time the Dons played them in mid-January. USF forward Blake Wallace earned an impressive 19 points for the Dons, a true testament to his growth as a player - as he averaged 12.9 points last season. Guards Chris O’Brien, Kwame Vaughn and Dontae Bryant were among other Dons who greatly helped their total scoring of 73 points. �e Dons’ last played game against the Bulldogs on Jan. 17 was an unsuccessful 85-51 loss. It is safe to say that with all things being considered—four men down, and a previous landslide loss against the number one team in the West Coast Conference—a 78-73 loss shows much promise for our Dons. �e Dons go on to play their rivals, the Santa Clara Broncos, next Saturday in War Memorial Gym at 7:00 p.m. �e Dons stand now at (9-16, 1-9 WCC), as the Broncos stand now at (13-14, 5-5).

Let s Face it: USF Rivalries Are Not Exactly North Carolina vs. Duke FRANCESCA CRUDO Staff Writer Rivalry Week occurs near the end of the college basketball season where two rivals play one another; the most well-known college basketball rivalry is that between North Carolina and Duke. USF has two rivals – Santa Clara and St. Mary’s. However, these cannot be seen as rivalries. A rivalry is supposed to be an intense competition between athletic teams or their athletes. Rivalry games spark a passion in the athletes, coaches and fans. By de�nition, the rivalry between USF and Santa Clara is not typical since there is no passion in both the teams and the fans as there once was. �e rivalry USF has with Santa Clara and St. Mary’s is very lopsided. In the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons, the basketball programs of St. Mary’s and Santa Clara have been performing well (�nishing 42-22 and 36-26, respectfully), whereas USF’s basketball program has not been doing well (23-39 in the same time period). On the other side of the spectrum, Duke and North Carolina are two of the top college basketball programs in the country. Since Duke and North Carolina are both in the top ten in the rankings, it adds excitement in the rivalry especially since the schools play each other twice during the season. USF’s rivalries are not genuine due to the lopsidedness of the quality of the basketball programs. Fan support for the basketball program also supports the idea for a lack of a true

rivalry. Students should take advantage of the fact that they can get into games for free unlike at other schools, such as Duke and Texas A&M, where getting into games is a competitive thing. According to the Duke Athletics website, more than 1,200 students have to wait to see if they are able to get a ticket to a Duke basketball game. At Texas A&M University there is a lottery system for the games; students get a number and if your number gets picked, then you get to go to the game. Students should take advantage of our student section, Los Locos. �e Cameron Crazies (the Duke student section, which consists of undergraduate and graduate students) are very dedicated to Duke basketball. �e Cameron Crazies help the Duke basketball team, as should Los Locos do to help the USF basketball team. Since not a lot of students come out to support the USF basketball team via Los Locos, USF’s rivalry with Santa Clara and St. Mary’s cannot be seen as a true rivalry. USF’s rivalries with Santa Clara and St. Mary’s are not true rivalries. USF’s rivalries exist due to the fact that all three colleges are located in the Bay Area along with the fact that they are Catholic-af�liated colleges (USF and Santa Clara being Jesuit colleges and St. Mary’s being a Christian Brothers college). �e rivalries between Santa Clara and St. Mary’s can be improved if their basketball programs get better and if there were more student fan support. �e rivalries can be revived if USF’s basketball program gets better, which will not be happening any time soon.