Foghorn Newspaper: Mar 12th

FREEDOM AND FAIRNESS

VOL. 105

TheFoghornOnline.com

ISSUE 17

MARCH 12, 2009

Career Fair Attendance High Amidst Weak Job Market HUNTER PATTERSON Staff Writer

SF District 1 Supervisor Eric Mar met with USF students to discuss traffic around campus and other safety concerns.

NEWS

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Can I please see your ID? Front desk worker Laura Plantholt writes about life behind the desk.

OPINION

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�e Foghorn’s Jonny Hechema continues his comprehensive review of the best video games of all time. �is week he takes a walk down memory lane with the Super Nintendo.

A record number of students and recent graduates turned up for USF’s 21st annual career and internship fair last Friday. �e weakening economy appears to have prompted students to start looking earlier and harder for jobs amidst a weak college recruiting season, where schools from Harvard to Notre Dame are seeing a drastic decline in on-campus recruiting and online job postings. Six hundred and eighty-�ve students attended USF’s career fair, according to a tally kept by Alex Hochman the assistant director of the Career Services Center. Hochman said he was impressed with the turnout and also with the number of companies recruiting at the event. While the absence of major �nancial services companies like Charles Schwab, which attended in past years, was noticeable, there were still 73 companies who reserved spaces at the event, down from 93 last year, but still an impressive number given the state of the economy, said Hochman. Companies not only pay up to $350 for a table at the career fair, but also spend considerable money on marketing materials and employees who work the table at the all day event. It’s a good sign that companies are still willing to spend so much money recruiting college students, it says that getting new people in the door is important to their business, even in a recession, said Hochman. Recent graduates are often far cheaper to hire than experienced employees, so in weak economic times students often have a better shot at getting in with a company than a mid-career job seeker. “Surprisingly, it can be easier to sell yourself as a 23-yearold college graduate with internship experience than a 26-year-old who has been laid off for a year,” he said. Many students at the fair were looking for whatever opportunities they could get instead of holding out for their dream job or expecting lavish perks and generous

Melissa Stihl/Foghorn Suit buttoned and tie tied snugly, a USF student steps up to hand his resume to recruiters from the Fairmont Hotels chain. Students were dressed to impress and took more initiative with recruiters than at last year s career fair, observed Career Services Center Assistant Director Alex Hochman.

time off, as Generation Y job seekers have been known to demand in more robust hiring climates. Senior Dalia Al-Mahmood, who last week told the Foghorn of her long and frustrating job search that has yet to yield an offer, was at the fair working hard to put her best foot forward. “[�e fair] was more promising than I was expecting, especially for non-pro�ts which is one area I am interested in, ” she said. “I had an interview today with one of the companies

BOBBY MARQUEZ Staff Writer

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SPORTS

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“Digital Intimacy” is USFtv’s newest offering. �e dark comedy series premieres March 16. See behind the scenes photos and links to trailers at �eFoghornOnline.com.

FOGHORN

ONLINE

SAN FRANCISCO FOGHORN

Melissa Stihl/Foghorn A student talks with a representative from Zuckerman Farms about asparagus.

Students Lighten Carbon Footprint, Meet Local Farmers, And Snack On Veggies LAURA PLANTHOLT Staff Writer Local food growers displayed fresh produce for sale and offered samples of juices and nuts to buy. Curious �ngers tentatively picked through barrels of leafy greens and herbs from a local farmer, and bagged up handfuls to take home. Plates �lled with epicurean treats like cheese-less pizza and turkey burgers topped with fresh salsa. Mouths were �owing with excited conversation about fresh, locally grown foods and the environment. Or as one student put it, “Why is the caf so weird today?” It was Low Carbon Diet Day in the Market Café at USF, and for one lunch period, students ate nothing but locally grown and earth-friendly meals. According to Holly Winslow, general manager for Bon Appetit at USF, Low Carbon Diet Day is Bon Appetit’s annual

hemorrhaging jobs and doing little if any college recruiting, even at the most elite schools. Goldman Sachs was at Stanford University’s career fair earlier this year, but only as a “courtesy;” they were not collecting resumes or conducting interviews. However, the public sector made a strong showing with recruiters from nearly a dozen government agencies including the Peace Corps, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, California Public UtiliCAREER: Continued on Page 4

Administration Offering Prizes For Participation in Recent Student Survey

SCENE

At USF heading to class counts as legitimate exercise, as Nick Mukhar �nds when he counts his steps and calories on a recent trek around campus.

I met there and they want me back for a second one.” For students looking for �nancial analyst or investment management jobs, there was not a lot at the fair. Mawar Sianipar, a graduate student in the MS Financial Analysis program said she was disappointed with the offerings. “I remember when I was an undergraduate at UVA, it seemed like anybody could get a job in investment banking ,” she said. “�eir GPAs weren’t even that good.” Today that industry is

program to bring awareness of the connection between climate change and food service. Winslow said, “We try to create unique and beautiful foods that make a lower carbon impact on the world.” A diet is “low carbon” if it makes a low impact on the environment. Some strategies for eating low carbon are eating seasonally and locally grown foods, minimizing food waste, cutting back on beef and cheese, and eating locally raised meat and �sh. Bon Appetit, an on site restaurant company that provides cafeteria food service for corporations and universities, has become one of the leading forces in the lowcarbon diet movement. �e company runs a web site called EatLowCarbon.org and sets high environmental standards for all of its kitchens. At USF, Winslow said all of the proCARBON: Continued on Page 3

2130 FULTON STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118

Many students may have checked their Donsmail recently and found an email about the University of San Francisco Student Survey. Student surveys have been ignored or relocated into the trash or junk folder of many student mailboxes in the past. However that does not seem to be the case with this particular survey. �is is due to the potentially positive effect and attractive incentives that students have to take the survey. Some of these incentives include the possibility of winning a �at screen TV, three iPod shuffles and a dorm refrigerator stocked with Red Bull. �e student survey is a national survey entitled the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership. �e survey was �rst conducted three years ago and over 80 universities participated. USF was invited in 2008 to participate and accepted the invitation. �e Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership was formulated by well-known experts in the �eld of leadership and is based on the Social Change Model of Leadership according to the Higher Education Research Institute. Several universities such as USF, UC Berkeley, and Loyola Marymount incorporate the social change model into University activities. Many USF leadership programs or communities, such as the Magis Leadership Program or the Esther Madriz Diversity Scholars, focus on the Social Change Model of Leadership. Junior Candice Caldera, who was co-president of the Esther Madriz Diversity Scholars in spring of 2008, said, “�e Social Change Model teaches that leadership is a process and not a position and promotes the value of personal empowerment, collaboration, citizenship, and service.” When asked her opinion of the survey, Caldera said, “I believe that the survey will monitor what types of students get involved and why other students choose not to be involved with campus life. Does the race of

the student play a factor? How about the workload from major to major? �ese are important questions that the survey will be able to answer. I really hope that a lot of students participate because it will allow the administration to design programs based on the needs of the students.” �e survey was initiated by Student Leadership and Engagement and supported by the Division of University Life and the USF Assessment Committee. Greg Wolcott, Director of Student Leadership and Engagement, said, “We hope the results of the survey will help voice students’ opinions about what they want to see on campus in terms of leadership, programming, and involvement opportunities. Furthermore, there are questions on the survey that will help us gauge other factors such as what is the best day and time to offer programs, students’ work load, how students rate social climate, and more.” �e survey takes about 20 minutes to complete. Wolcott said “It is our hope that every student who is invited to take the survey will take it. A strong response rate will speak loudly about what students want to see on our campus.” �e survey is broken down into six sections: perceptions before enrolling in college, experiences in college, assessing your growth, thinking about yourself, your college climate, and background information. Junior Ramsey Hanna said, “I liked the survey because it made me look back at how I was before college and how I am now. �e survey made me ponder how much I have changed since being in college.” When asked why he decided to participate in the survey, Hanna answered, “Well I wanted to help the school get an understanding of what the students think about the University. Plus, the prizes being offered are awesome.” Every student that completes the survey SURVEY: Continued on Page 3

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NEWS

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MARCH 12, 2009

San Francisco Foghorn

The Forum Continues: USF Students Take Action Against Sexual Violence ROTC cadets currently receive more sexual harassment training than other campus organizations RENAE SANTA CRUZ Staff Writer Four weeks ago, a few concerned students came together in response to a Public Safety bulletin that informed students about the rape charges against USF student Ryan Caskey. �ey ultimately decided to create a space for the USF community to come together in an open dialogue and talk about the issue of sexual violence on campus. “�e way Public Safety framed the issue of these four women who have been raped is that this was an isolated incident on campus, taking away from the very widespread culture of rape that we have on this campus, across the nation, and throughout the world,” said Maggie Mullen, senior USF student and one of the organizers of the forum. ‘Rape is Not an Isolated Incident,’ was the title given to the forum in order to address the frequency of the issue. �e intention of the forum was to allow concerned citizens to speak on whatever they wanted to and in whatever format. One of the main topics of discussion was concerning the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at USF, which has received a lot of criticism. “[Sexual assault] is an issue that arose a lot of different types of conversations, one of them being ROTC,” Mullen said. “I do think that is a legitimate conversation to have because it is connected to this case, but again, it is only one conversation among many. �e forum was not organized with an agenda already in place to

poke �ngers at people, particularly ROTC.” Mary Wardell, dean of students of university life, attended the forum and said, “�e militarism issue and everything that has to do with the military got attached to this situation. But some people feel that these are separate issues from what the focus of the forum is really about, which is violence against women.” Lieutenant Colonel Derek Reeve was also in attendance at the forum. Head of the ROTC program at USF, Lt. Col. Reeve has supported getting the issue out in the open and taking actions to deal with it. “When things like this come out of nowhere, we still have to take responsibility, take action to correct it and continue on, making sure everyone understands that we don’t condone this type of behavior,” said Lt. Col. Reeve. Since the �rst public meeting, a forum has been held every �ursday in Parina Lounge during the lunch hour. “All we originally planned for was to have a �ursday forum. We had no idea what was going to come out of that,” said Erin-Kate Escobar, another forum organizer and USF senior politics major. Student activists are now collaborating with other members of the USF community including faculty, administration and the ROTC to help create current change and future prevention of sexual violence on campus. Within the second forum, various people spoke up about what they wanted to see changed in response to what occurred, and more importantly in response to the much larger issue of sexual violence. A list resulted and people divided themselves into different student committees based on what their

interests were and what sort of projects they wanted to work on. “It turned out to be pretty effective because those groups have been working on their own in whichever way that they feel is necessary. �ere have been a lot of different people taking leadership roles,” said Mullen. �e various student groups that were formed range from implementing sexual violence awareness in the new student orientation to working with the art department toward creating an art project focusing on sexual violence. One student committee in particular is working with Lt. Col. Reeve on addressing the current sexual violence training for students in the ROTC program. In reaction to certain opinions said about ROTC, Lt. Col. Reeve is attempting to educate the community about what the program is and is not. “I think the most important thing is that the accusations were against one person in the ROTC program, but they were also made against a student at USF. Neither ROTC nor USF trained him to do that. �e actions he is accused of don’t match up to either of the value systems that these institutions have,” he said. �is student committee that developed is concerned with the type of training that ROTC cadets get in terms of sexual violence. Speci�cally, they are focusing on fostering more educational growth within the program rather than eliminating the program or relying on the army alone to educate cadets on sexual assault. Feeling that the ROTC program is

very isolated, this group of students has created in order to integrate ROTC more onto the USF campus. �ey hope to create a seminar program that addresses the stress of these issues and the reality of sexual assault. Escobar said, “We want to create a curriculum for ROTC students that integrates a diversity of subjects and faculty that is more geared toward army situations because this is a population that is going to experience a totally different reality.” “At the moment the petition is based more on ROTC students but there is also a lot of opportunity here for students to learn more about ROTC,” said Escobar. Reeve said, “�e awareness of the military is a lot lower now than it used to be. �ere are a smaller percentage of citizens in the military than in the past. So now I think it is even more important to teach people about what ROTC does. I am happy to speak with anyone who has any questions.” ROTC is a scholarship program that prepares students to be commissioned as officers in the Active Army, Army Reserve, or National Guard. Much of the curriculum is based on leadership training but there are also classes on general Army protocol and background information. Cadets receive sexual assault training biannually, which is more than anyone else gets on campus. “�ey do role-plays, watch videos, which anyone can access on the ROTC web page, and they have open discussions about it,” said Escobar. “But they are also in a totally different population of people who are de�nitely in a different position of

power and authority.” �e student group is working with Lt. Col. Reeve as well as a few ROTC students to �gure out what would be most realistic, feasible and enjoyable for all of the students going through ROTC. “We should, as a university, look at how to educate people, especially freshmen, in the dangers of not being able to make good decisions,” said Reeve. Although participation has thinned since the �rst forum, the successive forums have shown that students are taking action for prevention of sexual assault on this campus and are realizing that their concern is necessary for other members of USF community to participate as well. “I think responses should come from both students and administration,” Mullen said. “It is unfortunate that all of us waited until something horrendous happened to be able to have a movement to reform these kinds of issues and �gure out what to do. But I think that now that this has happened, we have the momentum to really do something about it.” �is student movement against sexual violence appears to be able to go one of two ways: fade away and become just another past Public Safety bulletin or sustain itself and actually create positive change here on campus. As one who has seen how these types of situations can evolve, Wardell said, “It’s so great that we are hearing from students but there are some things that the institution has to materialize. All efforts as good as they are and as passionate as they are at any given time can die if there’s not some way of institutionalizing.”

Global Women s Rights Forum RICKY ANGEL Staff Writer

Chelsea Sterling/Foghorn ASUSF President Alex Platt (left of Mar), Hannah Linkenhoker (right of Mar) and members of the USF Politics Society question District 1 Supervisor Eric Mar (center) about various safety issues around the USF campus, including cars speeding on Turk St. and failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks between Lone Mountain and main campus.

Supervisor Mar Listens to Student Traffic Safety Concerns CHELSEA M. STERLING News Editor At a mid-semester USF Politics Society meeting, newly elected District 1 (which includes the USF campus and the Richmond district) Supervisor Eric Mar spoke to Politics Society members and other students about his �rst impressions of the job. He also participated in a question-and-answer session, in which students could present their concerns directly to their supervisor. �ough Mar promised to represent USF students and the Politics Society’s main concerns- pedestrian safety on Turk Street and extension of the 5 Fulton bus service after 7 p.m.- to the board of supervisors, some students left the meeting unclear of what Mar is hoping to accomplish in District 1. Kasie Favazza, a junior politics major , said, “I think he was here to listen to us. I didn’t leave knowing his top three priorities.” Favazza has been a Politics Society member since the spring of 2008. She appreciated Mar’s accessibility and his attendance at the meeting, but mentioned that when she tried to research Mar and his campaign, his web site was outdated. Like several other Politics Society members, Favazza voiced her concern for pedestrian safety for students crossing between main campus and the Lone Mountain campus. �e primary concern was Turk St., which currently has cross-

walks, but where many drivers speed by without letting students cross. In addition, the traffic light on Turk St. and Chabot St. becomes a �ashing yellow yield light after a certain hour. Hannah Linkenhoker, Public Relations Officer of the Politics Society, said of this busy intersection, “It’s problematic every day.” In response to this, Mar said, “It’s a give and take between those who want to drive and those who want public safety.” He also mentioned that neighborhood coalition groups like Fix Masonic and Walk SF could also be an outlet and forum for addressing troubled intersections. Mar acknowledged that getting issues like pedestrian safety addressed can be challenging. He said, “It’s the people who can raise their voice the loudest” that get their issues addressed. Politics Society president and senior politics major Megan Hanley raised a second issue about safety. She asked Mar if the 5 Fulton bus service could be extended �ve or six stops after 6 p.m. �e 5 Fulton currently drops its passengers off at Market and McAllister streets after 6 p.m. �is area borders the seedy Tenderloin neighborhood. Hanley was concerned that not only were students and other passengers being dropped off in this area at night, but that younger, freshmen students may not be aware that it will drop them off before reaching Powell St. and lower Market St. Mar did not seem to be aware of this issue and said, “I will de�nitely bring this to them [Board of Supervisors.] �is is really

helpful to me.” Mar is working on the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP), which is designed to collect suggestions about improving transit and put them into action. He supports the rail systems, officially known as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), that are being built on Geary Ave. and Van Ness St. Federal and state funds are being used to build these rail lines down two of San Francisco’s busiest streets. Critics say that a BRT system for Geary Ave. will slow down the 38 Geary bus service and street traffic. Mar believes the bene�ts will out outweigh the traffic the rail may cause. He said that, personally, “I would like a rail system.” Junior business major Jon Coon asked Mar if he supported the legalization of marijuana, which was part of his campaign platform. Mar replied that he does support District 13 Supervisor Tom Ammiano’s amendment to the existing marijuana laws. Ammiano’s proposal, the Marijuana Control, Regulation and Education Act, would legalize recreational marijuana use to persons over 21 years old. Mar said, “I support the decriminalization of certain types of drug use.” In the same breath, he said that he also advocates for drug and alcohol rehabilitation services and programs, which seek to limit and prevent drug and alcohol addictions. Mar also said, “I think the decriminalization of some substances helps human rights.”

When sharing his �rst impressions of his new job, Mar said, “Being a supervisor is very difficult.” He has an eight-year-old daughter, with whom he likes to watch graphic novel movies. Balancing his back to back meetings with spending time with his daughter is one of the most challenging aspects of his new job. In addition to adjusting to his busy schedule, Mar said balancing the $6.5 billion budget is “an overwhelming responsibility.” Junior politics major Paul Tardiff said that Mar addressed the issues Tardiff cared about, but, he said, “I don’t feel like he fully clari�ed what he meant.” Tardiff, a Los Angeles native, is concerned about gang activity. “San Francisco, because it is more compact, is more dangerous than Los Angeles,” he said. “�e city has a responsibility to deal with gangs.” Tardiff was concerned that the San Francisco city government was pushing the responsibility of monitoring gang activity and addressing gang issues onto non-government organizations (NGOs). Mar said that he regularly checks in with Police Chief Heather Fong and tries to address her concerns about crime in San Francisco. At the close of the meeting, Mar thanked the Politics Society for inviting him to speak. “Your ideas should drive decision-making,” he said to the 13 Politics Society members and other students. “I hope you see as a value, community-based leadership.”

USF president Fr. Stephen Privett, S.J sat at the back of the room, his chin rested upon his left thumb as he concentrated on the forum. Most students were mesmerized by the guest speakers and the almost overwhelming information presented. �ere were a few students whose eyes wandered, but after just seconds their attention was jerked back to the guest speakers by powerful words such as “violence against women,” “violence against children” and “genital mutilation.” Moments before, Rev. Privett introduced the Global Women’s Rights Forum. He quoted �omas Jefferson by saying that all of humanity is endowed with inalienable rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Privett said, “No agency, state, church, police can take away those fundamental rights.” Despite that, many women around the world are still oppressed. �is year was the 8th annual Global Women’s Rights Forum, which aimed to address the many issues facing women, children and other minorities. �e forum was divided into three nights and one afternoon session covering Immigrant Women’s Rights, Organizing Against HIV/AIDS, Global Perspectives of Religious Fundamentalism and Women in the News. A host of guest speakers came from both the Bay Area and abroad. On Monday, Mar. 2, Lideres Campesinas, Bernadette Herrera and Elaine Villasper led the forum on Immigrant Women’s Rights in California. �e forum provided English/Spanish interpretation for its guests. Herrera and Villasper were from the Filipino Community Center in San Francisco. Sophomore Alessandro Broido said, “[Campesinas] was pretty inspiring.” He went on to sympathize with the immigrant women’s plight. “�eir situation seemed really dangerous.” �e next night, the issue of HIV/AIDS was addressed by Joya Banerjee, Shamilla Wilson and Kyle Kitson. According to Banerjee, approximately 6-7,000 people are infected a day, which is twice the amount of the September 11th terrorist attack victims. However, Banerjee was careful to make the distinction that HIV and AIDS are not necessarily a death sentence, nor RIGHTS: Continued on Page 4

NEWS

San Francisco Foghorn

3 MARCH 12, 2009

Bon Appétit Favors Local Food CARBON: Continued from page one

Melissa Stihl/Foghorn Members of the newly-founded Women in Media club gathered Monday to discuss their upcoming community service with local group About-Face, which educates young women about how to view critically the portrayals of women in the media.

New Club Targets Sexism in Media Industry DANIELA RICCI-TAM Staff Writer Alex Platt, ASUSF president and USFtv programming director, is anything but a “weak little girl.” She will tell you so herself. Despite this, the junior media studies major found herself treated differently from her male colleagues during her media internship last summer. Platt, who was the only female production assistant on the set at which she worked, began noticing subtle sexism in the way her coworkers acted towards her. “I don’t think they meant to do it,” she said, “but it was happening anyway.” For example, “All the guys would say, ‘Oh, you don’t have to lift those boxes. Take a seat and grab some water.’ But it’s like, I can lift that box of cables,” said Platt.

“I’m not a weak little girl.” Also, she said, “People on set would walk up to me and accuse me of �irting with the extras, when I was just standing there being polite.” Not long after these experiences, Platt spoke to junior Nina Sassoon, also a media studies major, and found that she too had been subjected to sexism, as well as sexual harassment, while interning at the news desk of a local TV station over the summer. �e two students joined together to found the newest addition to USF’s student groups: the Women in Media club. �e club has been in the works since fall 2008, and it has �nally got off the ground this semester. Its purposes and the issues it intends to address are manifold. One key goal, said Platt, is to go out into the community and reach out to younger

girls in high school and middle school who are interested in working in the media. “We want to help empower them to feel con�dent working in media and not have to face sexism, or when faced with it, know how to respond to it,” Platt said, “because we’re not prepared for it. �ere’s no course on etiquette about what to do in awkward situations like that.” Mallory Parks, a junior media studies major, is not a member of the club, but said she would consider joining. She, too, has had similarly sexist experiences to Platt’s in her internships in the media industry. Working for a recording studio in Boston, Parks’ role was to do research and write interview questions for music artists that would enter the studio. But when the MEDIA: Continued on Page 4

duce she orders is as local as possible, ordering everything from within a 150 mile radius, except in cases where those foods are not seasonally grown here. In fact, at the Market Café, every day is relatively low carbon. �e Low Carbon Diet Day was a chance to bring in new and interesting foods and gave students the opportunity to meet some of the farmers who grow the food they regularly consume. One such farmer was Grant Brians, owner of Heirloom Organics Farms. Brians sat proudly in the middle of the cafeteria surrounded with his unusual fresh greens and root vegetables. “I’m what you call a ‘specialty vegetable grower,’” he said, pointing out his prized wild stinging nettles and watermelon radishes. “I’m trying to cultivate a purple carrot so dark it’s almost black.” Brians said that among the USF crowd, he had been selling a lot of Asian greens and a salty, mineral-rich leafy green called orach. Students got to interact with Brians, a farmer who grows some of the foods they eat regularly at the cafeteria, as he offered them samples and talked to them about his array of vegetables. Many students reacted very positively

to the event and the opportunity to try new �avors that are not always offered in a school cafeteria. Sophomore Hayley Zuercher, whose plate was loaded with beets, asparagus and a slice of cheese-less pizza topped with raisins and olives, said “�is is the best day of my life!” Zuercher said she thinks about the environment regularly when making her food choices, shopping at farmers markets and cutting back on meat consumption. �e awareness day served as an educational tool for Taylor Wood, a student who said he often thinks about food in terms of it being healthy or organic, but not in terms of being low carbon. “I think this is really cool,” sophomore Franny Sung said. “�ink about the impact this would make if more schools did this.” Sung said eating low carbon is something she thinks about but can’t always prioritize. “I try to eat locally grown, but it’s hard to think about it all the time when you have such a busy schedule,” she said. With Bon Appetit regularly dishing out locally grown foods, even busy students can lighten their carbon footprint as they dine. Winslow said, “You guys think [Low Carbon Diet Day] is special, but it’s not. It’s like this every day.”

Student Survey to Determine Needs SURVEY: Continued from page one is entered into a campus raffle to win one of the many prizes. �e prizes include a dorm room refrigerator stocked full of Red Bull, a �at screen TV, a CD/Stereo System, three iPod shuffles, one iPod, a $50 gift card to Best Buy, 5 paintball passes, and 30 USF gear packages from the bookstore. USF is also offering sports tickets to survey participants. A few students will win two tickets to the April 9 NHL game between the San Jose Sharks and Phoenix Coyotes, four tickets to see the April 13 NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, and two tickets to the April 27 MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and National League West Champions the Los Angeles Dodgers. Students will also be eligible for $5,000 in national prizes. �is includes drawings for gift cards, speci�cally two $500 cards, 10 cards at $250, and 15 cards at $100.

�e plethora of prizes being offered indicates how important the University views this survey. Wolcott said, “Based on the results, the university will shape programs and services to better meet the needs of our students. In addition, the results will provide us comparative data with other institutions, including Jesuit institutions, and therefore help us determine best practices in the �eld of leadership.” Some results from the survey will be made public in regards to the improvement of existing campus programs and services. Nonetheless, all responses will be kept con�dential. �is is the �rst year that the university has been selected to participate in the nationwide survey. Student participation in this survey will likely determine whether USF will be able to utilize the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership survey in the future. �e survey will be available in the Donsmail account of the 4,000 students selected to participate. �e deadline to submit the survey is Friday, Mar. 20.

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NEWS

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MARCH 12, 2009

San Francisco Foghorn

Media Students Challenge Depiction of Women Women Tackle Religious Fundamentalism MEDIA: Continued from page three

artist would arrive, Parks said, “My questions would be given to the male intern who would then get to do the interview. I, however, would be asked to make coffee and get whatever the artist wanted for lunch.” Parks said she eventually quit the job, because when she addressed this problem with her boss, “He said that the male intern was more quali�ed and prepared than I was, even though I did all the work for him.” �ese are the kinds of incidents that the club intends to deal with through education and meetings, in hopes of preventing sexism in the future and improving the experience of women working in media organizations. �e depiction of women in the media, particularly its effect on viewers’ body image, is another concern that Women in Media will focus on. On Tuesday, the club collaborated with the San Francisco-based organization About-Face, which, according to its website, hosts workshops and action groups for girls throughout the Bay Area and “equips women and girls with tools to understand and resist harmful media messages that affect their self-esteem and body image.” “I think that women constantly want to lose weight,” Sassoon said. “I am one of them. Everyday when I’m watching television or I’m on the internet, I see commercials portraying women and I think, I don’t look like that. I think, these women, they have fame, they have fortune, they have men…they have it all. I think most women see being thin as having it all.” Also, she said, minority women are even more poorly portrayed in the media. �ey seldom make an appearance, she said, “And when they do, they are portrayed as stereotypes.” For example, she said, African-American women are depicted as acting “ghetto,” while “Latina women are not really represented well at all.” Instead of diversity, Sassoon saw a slew of tall, skinny blonde girls prance across her TV screen—girls different from her. “It hits home…I’m a Latina,

I’ve never seen someone like myself represented on television. Growing up, I had identity issues because of that.” Women’s physical appearance is not only a problem to be dealt with on-screen, but also comes up in the workplace, where Sassoon was harassed by two of the male reporters she worked with. “�ey made comments about my breasts,” she said. “One of them even asked me out on a date.” Worse yet was the day when one of the female editors made a comment in front of the whole newsroom about how large Sassoon’s breasts were and how she dressed. “I was morti�ed,” said Sassoon. “I didn’t even want to go to work the next day.” However, she continued working at the station for a month, and “never turned back.” Because of this experience, Sassoon said she was no longer interested in working in a newsroom. “It turned me off television,” she said. Now Sassoon works for a public relations �rm, run completely by women. “I love it. �ere are no mean, hurtful comments about the way I look.” �is positive environment is one that the Women in Media club hopes to recreate, as it helps females to seek success in an industry that, Sassoon said, is predominantly male. “In the structure of places where I was working, there weren’t a lot of women in higher positions,” Platt said. �is, both suggested, needs to change. Also, if women want to get involved in the media industry, Platt added, they might be able to change the image of women that is being broadcast to audiences. �e club will attempt to effect such changes by helping its members get jobs and internships in media organizations. One of Sassoon’s possible projects for the club is to host an event for members of the club as well as other women at USF on internship possibilities. “I’d love to put on this event on campus,” she said. “It would cover how to get an internship and where, what kind of experience you need, what kind of places to go to…We would have speakers, maybe guest speakers, who could discuss the process of getting an intern-

ship, maybe bring in someone from the career center.” In the long run, Sassoon also wishes for the club members to start networking in the media studies department. “Getting internships in the media studies is really hard,” she said. “We want to start our own networking system among ourselves, where we all know each other and are all friendly with each other.” As a possible future member of the club, Parks suggests that the club should also allow members to create their own media. “I would hope the club was very activityoriented and allowed for the women in the club to participate in their own media, be it a blog, website or other types of media communication.” While the club is mainly geared towards female media students, all USF women are welcome to attend. “�is club is for anyone who wants to see women con�dent in themselves, not just the ditsy blonde that’s portrayed in movies,” said Platt. �e males, too, are not excluded. “Men are totally welcome in this club,” said Sassoon. “I think that as this club gets popular, we want to talk about issues about men in the media and how men kind of play this role of being providers, obtaining a lot of money. �ere are body issues for men, too; men in the media are extremely tall and lean and buff, qualities that are associated with men and affect men in the real world.” For now, the group has been meeting on Monday nights, but few people have attended the meetings, possibly because of schedule con�icts and lack of awareness. “We’re having difficulty getting it rolling, but that’s generally an issue with any new organization. I think we have several people interested,” said Platt, “but we haven’t had them make it to a meeting yet.” �e Women in Media club will next meet in UC 100 on Monday, Mar. 16 at 7:45 p.m. “I really want to see this club make a difference,” Platt said. “Even if it’s just going to one class before I graduate and seeing a girl say, ‘Wow, I really can do that even if people have told me I can’t,’ that would be successful.”

was busy early, but then students spent time speaking with recruiters in other areas,” he said. “[Students] are adapting to the economy, they are working many other angles.” Another bright spot for USF job-hunters is in accounting, despite the fact that none of the big �rms attended the career fair. And while the �eld has reduced the number of new graduates it is looking to hire, there are still opportunities, especially with the largest �rms - KPMG, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst &

Young - known as the “Big Four.” Michelle “My” Nguyen, a junior �nance and hospitality double major and ASUSF vice president of business administration spent the past week wining and dining with the �rms, and received offers from three of the Big Four companies for a summer internship. She said she plans to go with Deloitte. Before getting an offer, Nguyen said she was worried about �nding a good position. “I didn’t want to do another unpaid internship,” she said, referring to her job in hospitality last summer.

RIGHTS: Continued from page two

are the pills a magic cure. �e forum went on to address the conservative mindset of employing abstinence-only sex education, which does not work. Shamillah Wilson of the Sowillo Leadership Solution in South Africa tied the issue into social, economic and cultural practices. She said that a thing such as virginity testing only contributes to female susceptibility. Afterwards, Kyle Kitson began lecturing on harm reduction and passed out pamphlets, with precise details about the anatomy of a human body and harm reduction methods. �e discussion became so heated that many students participated in the open discussion. Senior Michael Sanson brought up the fact that here at USF there were still some inherent restrictions on sexual tendencies. For example, most universities distribute condoms; USF’s Health Promotion Services (HPS) does not. HPS, however, will be offering HIV testing. On Wednesday, the forum addressed Religious Fundamentalism and impact on women. “Today the world is suffering an unprecedented amount of hatred and violence in the name of religion,” said Julia Dowd. Guest Maria Suarez of Feminists International Radio Endeavor (FIRE) in Costa Rica spoke of the changing role of religion in Latin America. She said, “Politics and religion came together from the beginning to wash away the identity.” Suarez explained that Latin America went from polytheism to monotheism because of colonization. According to Suarez, separation of church and state is desperately needed so that women can have a permanent role in society. While in Costa Rica, she met a 9-year-old girl that had been raped and impregnated by her stepfather. Costa Rica at that time had not separated church and state, and the church held a �rm stance against abortion. So, Suarez and a group of others took the girl to Nicaragua, so that she might get the

abortion. Suarez said, “Fundamentalism for the feminist is the use of religion as a political tool.” She integrated the concept of being one with God and offered an understanding of its connection with fundamentalism. She explained that fundamentalism is speci�c to the control of women, and, she said, “It is critical to deal with, not only to women but to all people.” �e panel went on to discuss the many problems and bene�ts of religious fundamentalism. Religious studies professor Lois Lorentzen talked about growing up in the traditional American church family and the inherent roles she felt obligated to conform to. Teresia Hinga, guest speaker from the University of Santa Clara, spoke of the role of Christianity, monogamy and the role of women. Hinga also stressed the need for women to have equality in the eyes of the law. Karen Mendez, a sophomore international business major, attended the forum and felt that the controversies distinguished by the panel were very interesting. She said, “I really got a better understanding of fundamentalism and the focus on religious aspects through the panel. I especially enjoyed that they did not all agree. �is enabled me to see both sides.” �e �nal session was held in Cowell 113 to discuss women in the news. �e presentation was led by Maria Suarez, who has been a radio journalist with FIRE since 1991. �e Global Women’s Rights Forum celebrated the progress that has been made and reminded the USF community of the many tragedies that still exist. Broido pointed out the forum’s greatest achievement. He said, “I liked how they talked about youth empowerment and the connection of what we can do in the community.” Additional reporting by Kamilla Nosovitskaya.

Number of Recruiters Declines From 93 to 73 CAREER: Continued from page one

ties Commission, �e U.S. Border Patrol and several branches of the armed services, among others. While these recruiters received less attention from students than many of the private companies, there are plenty of students who see working for the government as an opportunity for job security. Hochman said that in past years the majority of students met with recruiters from �nancial �rms and then promptly exited the fair. However this year, “Finance

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San Francisco Foghorn

5 MARCH 12, 2009

OPINION

6

San Francisco Foghorn

San Francisco Foghorn

Confessions of a Front Desk Worker

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Possible Chronicle Closure Prompts Reflection on State of College Media Student newspapers around the country have been cutting staff and numbers of issues this year, just as professional newspapers have been doing on a much grander scale. But while the Hearst Corporation’s announcement on Feb. 24 that the San Francisco Chronicle is in jeopardy of closing within weeks if the paper cannot recover savings by cutting employees comes as no surprise to the thousands of college newspapers that have already implemented cost-cutting techniques, there have not been any signi�cant blows to college newspapers across the country. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the student newspaper of the University of California at Berkeley, the Daily Californian, cut its publication from four to �ve days in August 2008 when they reported an economic downturn. �is method has worked for the Daily Cal, and college newspapers in different parts of the country like the Daily Orange at Syracuse University, and the Daily Tar Heel at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have taken similar steps and have been successful. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, it has taken a much longer time for a decline in advertisement revenue to hit student newspapers as opposed to profession newspapers. College newspapers are one of the last places companies are cutting ad expenditures because the college student is an important demographic for consumption and college newspapers are still one of the best ways to reach this demographic. According to Logan Aimone, president of the National Scholastic Press Association, college newspapers circulate effectively around smaller schools with students living on campus. �ese schools tend to value their student newspaper, and those papers are sought after by advertisers. �e divergence in fortunes between college and professional papers has changed the way professional papers cover college campuses in their area. When a professional paper experiences economic turmoil, many of the �rst reporters to be let go are higher-education reports, according to anonymous media-relations officers who spoke with both the Chron-

icle of Higher Education and PBS. �is makes student newspapers even stronger, as they become the only source for university news. However, state budget cutbacks and a weak economy have started to take their toll on the revenue of many student newspapers this year, according to Henry Montevideo, publisher of the Red and Black at the University of Georgia. �e economic downturn for newspapers in recent years has not stopped students from pursuing journalism degrees. According to the Albany TimesUnion, the number of undergraduate students in the U.S. studying journalism increased to nearly 200,000 in 2007 and is even higher now. In 1995, there were 130,000 students studying journalism nationwide. Judy VanSlyke Turk, president of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication, told the Albany Times-Union that students do not understand how competitive the job market is right now and how grim the situation is in the �eld professionally. But the “journalism major” title can be misleading. According to the Albany Times-Union, many students are studying news as a liberal arts subject and then going to law school or taking jobs in public relations �rms after journalism graduate school. Students studying journalism to become reporters are being prepared for a professional life in news media without the newspaper. According to studyworld.com, there are 29 college newspapers online in California alone and thousands nationwide, with the majority having multimedia features like photo essays, slide shows, videos, and podcasts. Even if the 144-year-old San Francisco Chronicle restructures and stays alive, the possibility of such a paper going under proves that the future of journalism lies online. It is not only the company that will be restructured, but the way we produce news on a daily basis. Likewise, the number of journalism students in our country, regardless of what they do with their degrees, proves that our generation still values journalistic integrity while simultaneously embracing the challenge of remaking the news.

SUBMISSION POLICY An All-American Publication ad maiorem dei gloriam

�e San Francisco Foghorn 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, 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 Friday before publication. Letters of 500 words or less should be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Friday before publication. Shorter letters which get 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 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.

MARCH 12, 2009

LAURA PLANTHOLT Columnist It’s Saturday night and a gaggle of freshmen have just returned from a party. �ey tumble loudly into their residence hall lobby area. Girls hold their high heels in hand as the night of party hopping has taken a toll on their feet. Some look as if they’re becoming ill. �ey �ash their ID cards verifying they live in the building, walk up the stairs and get on with their lives. Meanwhile, I sit at the desk watching slivers of these people’s lives like some kind of unseen lurker. Noticing who is with whom, who has been drinking a bit too much this semester, who seems to be cheating on their partner (that’s not the boy you usually check in!) and who looks like they need a hug. I have seen people

eryone else sleeps soundly can be alienating, and walking home and crawling into bed as the sun begins to rise is just bizarre. Surely there are numerous annoyances of having a front desk staff to monitor the comings and goings in the hall. Having to �ash an ID card at someone just to enter your own home is tedious, and the requirement to check in guests is almost unbearably inconvenient. But how many have stopped to wonder how life looks from the other side of the desk? Personally, my least favorite encounters are with those who treat me as if I am somehow sub-human. Here is a pretty typical scenario: A group of friends will come in chatting loudly. One will thrust a stack of ID cards onto my desk and without looking at me, will say their room number. I am not an idiot, so I understand they want me to check in these guests, but the common courtesy of greeting me and asking me to check in their friends seems like the proper thing to do. But not all residents see me as a mere annoyance. With those who take the time to say hello, or ask me how my day is going, I have made some cherished friendships. Sometimes a resident will really need run up the stairs sobbing; I have seen people get in violent arguments. I have seen to talk to someone – anyone – and maybe relationships form and crumble. �ey may because I’m just sitting there with nothing better to do, he or she chooses to spill his or not notice me, but I notice quite a bit. I have worked at the Gillson Hall front her life story to me: the latest heartbreak, desk for two years now. I get paid modest- family troubles, roommate woes. I enjoy ly to do mostly simple work: maintain the these encounters most. Even if I never security of the building by verifying who talk to this person again, it is a pleasure to is entering and exiting, contacting public connect on such a deep level with another safety if an emergency situation arises, and individual, even in this somewhat unconful�lling other minor tasks like distributing ventional manner. Residence hall front desk workers see mail and packages, checking out vacuum cleaners, and answering random questions more then you might imagine. While we like how late the 31 bus line runs or what may seem like a mere annoyance in your busy day, we too are nice, quasi-normal hupizza places are open past 2:00 a.m. Certainly this is no one’s fault but my man beings. Stop by and say hello someown, but I tend to work the craziest hours. time. Or at least stop giving us dirty looks �e hours between midnight and 8 a.m. every time you walk in. With that being are prime sleeping blocks for most, but for said, can I see your ID please? my fellow desk workers and me, it’s often Laura Plantholt is junior media studies major time to go to work. Being awake while ev- and journalism minor.

Foghorn Funnies: The Traffic Sign Bandit

Cartoon by senior David Louis Cartoons by David Louis will run in the Foghorn occasionally. Would-be cartoonists are welcome to submit their work, or discuss how to become a regular cartoonist by emailing opinion@sffoghorn.info.

Letter to the Editor: ASUSF VP of Social Justice Says Join the Open Forum on Sexual Awareness Dear Fellow USF Community Member,

During weeks following the sexual assault incidents that have occurred on campus, individuals from the USF community including students, faculty, administration and additional San Francisco community members have met every �ursday at dead hour to participate in a community dialogue. �e �rst forum following the incident was a space in which people could freely voice their opinions and reactions toward what happened, as well as addressing the community response thus far. Education about sexual assault was a key element at this forum, as well as addressing the response from the administration. �e colonel of the ROTC program at USF was also in attendance, and he addressed questions and concerns by community members. �e second forum was dedicated to talking about the ways in which we can take action, and bring awareness to the community. Community members decided on an initiative group they would like to participate in. Each group focuses on a different approach to addressing sexual assault on campus. �ese groups are geared towards, but not limited to, creating a

women’s center on campus, women’s and men’s groups on campus, and a 24-hour sexual assault hotline for students to call; developing anonymous ways to report sexual assault, implementing a new student mandatory orientation on rape and sexual assault, general safety forums, “I consent” workshops, examining the USF drinking policy in relation to sexual assault, ROTC curriculum on the USF campus, raising awareness throughout Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, holding vigils on the USF campus, spurring curriculum development, cultural diversity requirement amendments for the entire student body, a more progressive sexual assault policy and art projects to serve as a visual response to sexual violence. Each speci�c group will address each individual form of community response, and take the initiative to implement the steps of action on campus. Currently, the structure for the Women’s & Men’s Support/Conversation groups have been developing. �e current mission statement for the Women’s group includes forming a “group that seeks to provide open dialogue, support, advocacy, education and accessible resources to all USF women” as well as stating that the group will “collectively work

to break down societal gender structures and roles, and foster unity and empowerment in a safe space.” �e pivotal role of this organization is to “create a community that encourages positive relationships and bonding among women,” in addition to “working in solidarity with other campus organizations... to commit to working in coalition to achieve social change.” �e entire community is invited to continue to meet and re�ect, and discuss how each committee is implementing its goals and also ways in which we can support one another. Currently, community members are seeking the avenues in which funding can be received to make the steps of action a reality. �is is not an isolated incident and it will not go unaddressed on this campus. We hope that you will join in the conversation and take action on our campus! Come any �ursday during dead hour 12:15-1:15 p.m. in Parina Lounge. �ank you. Alia M. Al-Sharif Vice President of Social Justice, ASUSF Senate

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San Francisco Foghorn

MARCH 12, 2009

Watchmen Release Makes Comics Cool Again Bono Is Still renamed Bigby Wolf ) and more have a society together. �ey once lived together in harmony, but an evil adversary forced them out of their native lands. Now all the “Fables” that can pass as people live together in New York City and the rest live on a farm in the country. Unfortunately for these fables, nothing seems to end happily ever after.

Melissa Stihl/Foghorn The release of Watchmen has greatly legitimized the comic book as a sophisticated art form. In honor of its release, the Foghorn recognizes four other comic books and graphic novels that have made the genre acceptable entertainment for adults.

MELISSA BARON Scene Editor I love comic books. With their intricate illustrations, complex storylines and highly developed characters, readers are riveted from page one on. Hollywood exposed many of the major costumed heroes: Batman, Spider Man, Super Man, Cat Woman and Hellboy and his crew. Now, with the release of “�e Watchmen” – Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s DC masterpiece commonly hailed as the best comic book of all time – it’s time for people to search beyond the common super heroes, even beyond “the Watchmen.” Without mentioning all the other great comics that have already become �lms (“Sin City,” V for Vendetta,” “300,” “League of Extraor-

dinary Gentlemen”), here are four comics not to be missed. In no particular order: 1) “�e Walking Dead,” written by Robert Kirkman with the �rst six issues illustrated by Tony Moore and issues seven and on by Charlie Adlard. �e series began in October of 2003 and is released monthly by Image Comics. It’s also sold in trade paperbacks that don’t come out nearly often enough. �ere are 10 to date. “�e Walking Dead” tells the story of America post-zombie apocalypse. It focuses around a small town police officer in the South and his family as they try to survive in a world overrun by vicious zombies. �ey meet other groups of survivors and, as a group, they all try to stay alive.

�ey must adapt, cope with loss and protect themselves. Every moment they’re in danger and every page of the series is �lled with suspense.

3) “Swamp �ing,” written by Alan Moore. �e character of the Swamp �ing can be traced back to early 1970’s DC comic books. Scientist Alec Holland is working on a special formula that could make forests grow just about anywhere. A competitor wants the formula, so he bombs the laboratory. Holland gets covered in burning chemicals so he runs into the swamp. He’s transformed into the Swamp �ing. In the mid-80’s, DC gave Alan Moore permission to make over the series and he wrote the best six trade paperbacks of the “Swamp �ing.” Moore made the pivotal decision to change the Swamp �ing to a monster, taking all the humanness out of the character. Instead of a man plastered in swamp, he’s “a plant that thought it was Alec Holland, a plant that was trying at its level best to be Alec Holland.” Moore’s story is infused with horror. You can take the man out of the swamp, but you can’t take the swamp out of the man.

2) “Fables,” written and created by Bill Willingham, penciled by Mark Buckingham, Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha and Craig Hamilton. “Fables” is a monthly series started in 2002 published by Vertigo Comics. It has 81 issues, 11 trades and has won six Eisner Awards to date. It tells the story of our favorite storybook characters in a very different world. In “Fables,” the characters we know and love like Snow White, Boy Blue, King Cole, Jack (from the Bean Stalk), Big Bad Wolf (reformed, now able to shift into human form and

4) “Batman: �e Killing Joke,” written by Alan Moore and drawn by Brian Bolland. �is is the best Batman ever written and it’s only one trade. Never released in issues, this one shot 1988 DC comic is the most sophisticated and terrifying depiction of these old familiar characters (only rivaled by Frank Miller’s Batman). �e story chronicles the Joker, recently escaped from an asylum, as he attempts to drive the police commissioner crazy (literally) and psychologically beat Batman. �e trade is �lled with �ashbacks of the Joker’s life, giving context to the man behind the supervillain. Moore gives depth and understanding to the Joker, explaining that perhaps people aren’t born evil, but life can make them evil.

come and go; they wind up tucked away in the back of the band or their transparent masquerade reveals their lack-luster abilities. Talented female artists that skillfully pave the walkway, not getting their heels stuck in the wet cement, do exist. �e best ones present themselves shyly to the spotlight or do not get the press hype they deserve. �e ears and minds behind this year’s San Francisco Noise Pop Festival recognize one of today’s talented female artists, Annie Clark (who goes by St. Vincent under the neon lights). Clark headlined at the Great American Music Hall showcasing her acclaimed album “Marry Me,” which won her Plug 2007’s Best Female Artist award. Over the years, Clark’s hands have beautifully molded textures and soundscapes through the multiple instruments that she has mastered since the age of twelve. �ese instruments include the guitar, bass, drums, synthesizers, xylophone, �ute and various types of pianos. Amongst all the big indie female acts like Feist, Cat Power, Rilo Kiley, and Jenny Lewis, who share similar styles and presence, Annie Clark is refreshingly unique. Clark manipulates all the feelings associated with love into a larger-than-life sound tapestry throughout “Marry Me.” Her compositions are on the verge of avant-garde, bridging gaps between different genres. Melodic lullabies wrap around poetic irony, Moog synthesizers twinkling along gentle slopes of piano ballads, horns deeply breathing out cinematic qualities of despair, orchestral strings that sweep you into rising and falling passions and resounding drums and guitars. All these either cry out tones of harsh bitterness or melt together in sweet harmonic syrup. �ese lush sounds elevate Clark’s compelling jazz voice to be bold as Beth Gibbons of Portishead or tender as Gallia Durant of Psapp. Although “Marry Me” may sound epic recorded, St. Vincent is a totally different experience live. Clark does not bust out all the bells and whistles. Instead, she keeps

her setup very minimal: a guitar with a couple of effect pedals, a drum machine and an electronic keyboard draped in tassels. �e simplicity of her live set only makes her more powerful, like Bob Dylan back in the day when he performed his beloved electric material on a lonely acoustic guitar. Some female artists exude sex, while St. Vincent exudes love. A full-�edged back up band behind her, despite its glorious sound, would only distract the listener from her raw manifestation of love. While watching St. Vincent in a mesmerized stupor, I felt all the emotions of falling in love, being in love, the heartache and the aftermath, all in one hour. �e minute Annie Clark stepped on stage with her black dress, frizzy black hair, red heels, red lipstick and those bright green eyes, it was hard not to be struck by her beauty. She sang about philosophy with her song “Jesus Saves, I Spend.” She’s intelligent, beautiful, has an amazing voice and can wield a guitar better than most. �en, she exposed her dark wild side with “Your Lips Are Red.” While grooving in the middle of the song, she burst into a ferocious guitar solo that was sharp, violent and impulsive, but somehow subtly erotic as she �ailed around, her head bobbing up and down. Next came the title track, “Marry Me.” Clark’s graceful touch on the piano inspired complete infatuation. �en she suddenly stopped. She took time in the middle of the song to show her gratitude to the crowd and thank San Francisco for welcoming her; she’s modest too! Everything seemed to go smoothly with a couple more ballads of affection. Heartache hit an all time high with a cover of Nico’s “�ese Days.” �e St. Vincent experience left me with an unforgettable internal body experience. I don’t know if everybody felt the exact same way in the room (some girl on the balcony had her laptop out looking incredibly bored), but it seemed as if the majority got a rush and high off the love that lingered, captivated by the mouth, hands and eyes of St. Vincent.

Falling in Love with the Beautiful St. Vincent

Chris Moore/Foghorn Charming St. Vincent, also known as Annie Clark, played a stunning concert to an eager crowd of Noise Pop attendees at the Great American Music Hall on March 1.

Review by CHRIS MOORE Staff Writer Female musicians - they’re coveted in mainstream music culture, mainly recognized for their vocal talents among other �ne assets (not just their dancing skills). However, people seem to have bigger ex-

pectations of women in the more alternative and underground music scenes. She’s got to have a sultry or powerful voice, the ability to play at least one instrument and an attitude that doesn’t conform to the usual oozing-with-sex-appeal standard. Attitude aside, her natural talents always hold the most weight. Female musicians

Bringin It

Review by ADEN JORDAN Staff Writer It’s easy to mock and question the sincerity of U2 with lead singer Bono’s globetrotting efforts to save the world, the band’s use of Christian themes and imagery running through their entire discography and their frequent title as “the biggest band in the world.” Whether U2 is worthy of their massive popularity should not be the issue. �e band’s music should speak for itself, and U2’s newest album “No Line On the Horizon” doesn’t just speak, it shouts in unique and beautiful ways. “No Line On the Horizon” is a sonically layered album with a remarkable compositional architecture. Even on the opening title track, guitars roar in the foreground while the drums can be heard in an unusual middle location. �is is more than just adjusting the volume on each recorded instrument at different moments in the song, but instead these are complex spatial relationships that envelop the listener at the same time. Albums like this one are the reason avid music fans are willing to invest in high quality headphones or speakers. One of the three co-producers on the album is Brian Eno, one of the most forward-thinking and famous producers in the history of popular music. Eno’s touch is apparent on most of the tracks here, making the album sound more like a world of pleasing and surprising sounds rather than simply four guys rocking out in a studio. Many of the songs on “No Line On the Horizon” thematically revolve around the longing for human connection that is an inherent part of the human condition. �e gorgeous guitar solos on songs like “Moment of Surrender” and “Breathe” seem to yearn for human touch and emotional links themselves. One theory as to why U2 is so popular is the hopeful optimism and advocacy of solidarity that has run through the band’s entire history, and these ideals can be heard on a song like “White As Snow” with its subtle pleas for forgiveness. �e only outright failure out of the 12 songs here is the sloppy “Get Your Boots On,” which sounds like U2 trying to do another version of their messy hit “Vertigo” while channeling Death From Above 1979. �e muddled and wildly uneven tone of “Get Your Boots On” does not �t at all on this thoughtful and complicated record. Besides that song, the new album proves that U2 may deserve their acclaim and title of “the biggest band in the world.”

MELISSA BARON Scene Editor As the sun �nally appeared this week it was a reminder that spring break is only one week away. One week until that blissful little vacation that never seems quite long enough. �is mixtape is for spring break, it’s also for keeping spirits high while enduring the seemingly endless week before spring break. You can do it! 1) “Springtime Hibernation” by Parts & Labor off of “Stay Afraid” 2) “Days” by Bears off of “Bears” 3) “Van Helsing Boombox” by Man Man off of “Six Demon Bag” 4) “Counting Down the Hours” by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists of “Shake the Sheets” 5) “Warm In Winter” by Your Heart Breaks off of “New Ocean Waves” 6) “When the Sun Drops Like an Anvil” by the Russian Futurists off of “Let’s Get Ready to Crumble” 7) “Sanddollars” by Why? off of “Elephant Eyelash” 8) “Silver Tiles” by Matt & Kim off of “Demo” 9) “Here Comes the Summer” by the Fiery Furnaces off of “EP” 10) “England” by Ghost Mice off of “Europe”

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San Francisco Foghorn

MARCH 12, 2009

Local Band Rocks Café Du Nord for Noise Pop Review by MATT YOKA Staff Writer

JONNY HECHEMA Staff Writer

While the NES’s hardware was growing obsolete and the Sega Genesis was sending shockwaves through the industry, Nintendo’s loyal fans waited anxiously for their next system. Finally released in 1991, the SNES (Super NES) ful�lled its destiny as Nintendo’s defense against Sega. And while the SNES had a slower processor compared to the Genesis, its strongest asset was its game support, both from inhouse development teams (�rst-party) or outside companies (third-party). With developers like Capcom, Konami, Rareware (now known as Rare), and Squaresoft (now known as Square-Enix) primarily backing Nintendo, the SNES was delivered a slew of amazing games that many gamers still consider to be absolute gems. 5. E.V.O.: Search for Eden Much like “Gunstar Heroes,” this is one of those games that few know of but universally love. An action RPG created by Enix, “E.V.O.: Search for Eden” is the video game equivalent to evolutionism. Skipping over a few of the more awkward and eccentric details to the story, you start out as a tiny �sh in the pre-land setting of Earth and go through the various pre-historic ages as you evolve and grow into new forms. �e RPG �air comes in through the evolution system – by killing other animals and eating the meat they leave behind, you gain evolution points, which you can ‘spend’ on modifying different parts of your body, increasing attributes like walking speed, jumping height, and attack power. With its addictive gameplay and quirky storyline, “E.V.O.: Search for Eden” is a sleeper hit that deserves more recognition. 4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time I’m just going to say it: if you haven’t played “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time,” your childhood sucked. Bar none, “Turtles in Time” is one of the most fun games you can play on the SNES with another person. After Shredder’s goons snatch the Statue of Liberty, the Ninja Turtles head down to the Techno-

drome, only to get hurled back in time. Starting in the prehistoric era and eventually ending in the future, the Ninja Turtles swing, slash and kick their way through some of the comic/show’s most memorable baddies. You’re given the ability to play as any one of the four Ninja Turtles, each with its own unique characteristics. �e combination of a great soundtrack, gameplay that never gets dull, subtle humor and references to the series makes “Turtles in Time” a satisfying experience for gamers and fans of the series alike. And for the love of God, play it with someone else. 3. Mega Man X As if “Mega Man” wasn’t hardcore enough, Capcom decided to make an allnew series with the dawn of the SNES, and so “Mega Man X” was born. Much more fast-paced and with an entirely new cast of characters, “Mega Man X” takes everything about the original “Mega Man” series and makes it so much better. �e game features a slightly more intricate story, detailing the battle between human-like robots who have gone crazy with a virus and a group of robots trying to stop them, of which X is a part. �e game still retains the standard “pick between 8 levels until you beat them all and gain access to the �nal boss” format. As for the music, well, it’s just plain awesome. For the X series, Capcom switched out the techno-y sound of the original series and made it much more metal-sounding, a welcome addition to go along with the fast-paced nature of the game. And while there were indeed two sequels on the SNES, the original keeps things simple and fun – plus the story gets way too convoluted afterwards. 2. Tetris Attack Other than being a puzzle game and its ridiculously addictive nature, “Tetris Attack” doesn’t have anything at all to do with “Tetris.” Sorry, “Tetris” fans. But if you’re still willing to give it a try, “Tetris Attack” offers countless hours of puzzling fun, either by yourself or playing against a friend. �e game is simple – you’re given a stack of multi-colored blocks, and you eliminate them by swapping adjacent pieces to make

groups of three or more. In a way, it’s like old-school “Bejeweled” with “Yoshi’s Island” characters. But the game would get old if that’s all there was to it, so Nintendo introduced a competitive aspect: by making groups of four or more or chaining groups in succession, you send unmovable blocks to your opponent’s board. �e game is simple to pick up yet hard to master, ensuring an insane amount of replayability to try and get your technique just right. 1. �e Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Oh yes! When you take the original “Legend of Zelda” and improve on it in every aspect, this is what you get: an action-packed, head-scratching, tune-humming classic. One of the lengthier if not the lengthiest of the games in the series, “�e Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” makes sure that you get the maximum bang for your buck. �e story is standard fare for a “Zelda” game: Zelda gets kidnapped by Ganon, Link must go through dungeons to collect mystical items/save magical entities, free Zelda and kill Ganon. Unlike this game, the next generation of “Zelda” actually has a good storyline, but that’s for another list. “�e Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” is �lled with new items, new techniques, a much bigger overworld, more dungeons, more collectibles, more side quests, great music and a few special secrets – what doesn’t this game have? I guess it doesn’t have multiplayer, but I’ll let that slide. �e bottom line is that “�e Legend of Zelda” is the ultimate SNES experience. If you get the chance, pop it in and see for yourself. Looking back at this list, I must admit that some tough decisions had to be made. To whittle down the SNES’s enormous list of great games into just �ve is almost disrespectful, but it had to be done. Honorable mentions include “Zombies Ate My Neighbors,” “Donkey Kong Country,” “Earthbound,” “Super Metroid,” and “Super Mario World.” Next week, we’ll leap into the 64-bit era with the PlayStation, so be prepared!

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 Review by ISHTAR SCHNEIDER Staff Writer “Harvard Beats Yale 29-29.” Could this movie be any more self-explanatory? I wasn’t expecting a “Longest Yard” or “Miracle” kind of movie, and this certainly wasn’t one. However, I enjoyed this documentary almost as much. It’s a look back at one of the most intense and gripping Ivy League football matchups. Filmmaker Kevin Rafferty highlights the nail-biting game in a play-by-play analytical style, broken up by interviews with players from both sides talking not only about their perspectives on the game itself, but Ivy life and some of the social and political themes that affected them during the ‘60s. �e cinematography was well put together, taking into consideration the material they had to work with: mostly grainy play clips and newly shot talking heads. �ere’s an intense excited curiosity one gets watching one team slaughter another, no matter if it happens on the court, rink or �eld. What’s even better for the audience is when that underdog team pulls up from behind and makes a surreal victory. Yale was the clear favorite and stronger team on the �eld that day. With Harvard down throughout the entire game, the score was 29-19 with 42 seconds on the clock. Nicknamed “God” by his team-

mates, Yale quarterback Brian Dowling was watching his winning streak slip slowly from his grasp as Harvard’s offense closed up the score to 29-27 on a pass interference call. Within three seconds the game went from a runaway victory to a tie, which people to this day still refer to as a “Harvard victory.” If you’re not an avid Monday Night Football fan, the �rst 15 or 20 minutes of this movie could be difficult to muscle through, but once you do, it’s surprising how many juicy facts there are to be had from a “football movie.” Tommy Lee Jones, famous for movies like “No Country for Old Men,” “Batman Forever,” and the “Men in Black” series, was a Harvard offensive guard in the game. Apparently Jones’ college roommate was former vice president Al Gore. Who knew? “Wow” moment number two came after Yale player Ted Livingston revealed his college sweetie was Meryl Streep and his roommate was George W. Bush. My personal favorite, however, were the shots of the all-male cheerleading squads warming up and performing on the sidelines. �is movie was well executed. I was surprised the last 42 seconds of a game could be hyped into 25 minutes on the big screen. �is is one sports movie you might actually �nd stimulating. It starts screening Mar. 13 at the Lumiere �eatre.

Courtesy of Noise Pop San Francisco band Thee Oh Sees, fronted by lead singer John Dwyer, dress up in masks while posing for press photos. They played at Noise Pop on Feb. 27.

Conference Reflects on Music Industry CHRIS CROWLEY Staff Writer

Courtesy of Frank O Brien/Kino International

To see �ee Oh Sees live is to cut open San Francisco and feast on its major rock organ. �ey’re bloody. �ey’re sticky. �ey’re pulsating. �e band’s performances have been explosive ever since they put out their contorted, psychedelic, creeper classic “�e Master’s Bedroom is Worth Spending a Night In.” Last weekend they performed for Noise Pop at Café Du Nord. �e crowd was �lled with bobbing-head scenesters, digital cameras and drunken dancers. �e band’s performance was clean, which left me wishing they had been more raw. �ee Oh Sees played a set that got the crowd dancing and screaming for more. After the band apologized for being too drunk (even though they were respectful of the crowd and their instruments, not skipping a beat), they came back on to play an encore. All in all they put on a great show as usual, but to catch �ee Oh Sees in their most visceral groove you must travel south of Market St. to the best and only gay bar I’ve ever been to, �e Eagle Tavern. �ee Oh Sees thrive off seedy rock venues where the drinks are cheap and the crowd is rambunctious. However exuberant the crowd might be, lead singer John Dwyer has even more energy. Despite the roughness of the rock �ee Oh Sees perform, the band members are kind and their lyrics are beautiful; “What for? My connection is your connection / �e sun is shining I see your face / Turning it over I see the clover / �e things that

I love dear are taking shape.” Or for example, “Hey there waterfall / Tell me how you’re rolling by yourself / Tell me that is all you know to do,” off their earlier album, “Cool Death of �e Island Raiders.” Dwyer describes that album as a “come down album with a lot of pretty songs on it.” What began for Dwyer as ventilation while he wrote and performed for his previous bands (�e Hospitals, �e Coachwhips, and Pink and Brown), turned into �ee Oh Sees. Originally named OCS, Dwyer’s basement recordings can still be found around town and online. “I just need to be writing songs,” said Dwyer, referring to the hundreds of short OCS songs he put out a few years back. �ose tracks from the early OCS recordings are the beautiful, stripped down and experimental version of what �ee Oh Sees would become. “�e bridge between the OCS stuff and �ee Oh Sees is “Cool Death,”” says Dwyer, “Normally nice studios don’t get the sound I’m looking for but something just clicked for “Cool Death” and we had it done in a week.” Today the band is comprised of lead singer and guitarist John Dwyer, tambourine and vocals Brigid Dawson, guitarist Petey Dammit and drummer Mike Shoun. During the band’s live set they will drift off into a distorted frenzy of feedback and eventually transition into a transcendent androgynous harmony created by Dwyer and Dawson. �ee Oh Sees’ new album, “Help,” will be out this month. “Our guitarist, Petey, hates the Beatles, so I think were trying to get back at him for that,” said Dwyer.

Independent music label executives, artists and fans gathered at the Swedish American Hall in the heart of the Castro for the �rst annual Industry Noise, an event at which to discuss the current issues surrounding the business and the artists in the independent music scene. Industry Noise, now part of the Noise Pop week in San Francisco, featured panels and keynote speakers throughout the day to talk about the economy’s impact on artists and label executives and how technology is changing the industry. It seems no matter where people look, the economy is affecting everyone. �e day’s �rst speaker was punk legend Fat Mike who is the cofounder and owner of Fat Wreck Chords, considered by many in the industry to be the most successful independent music label. He did not pretend to be optimistic about how the economy is affecting the industry and Fat Wreck Chords. Comparing his company’s revenue over the last two decades he lamented, “[in the] nineties [we made] $10 million in gross a year. Now we’re doing $1.5 or 2 million. We’re at about half staff than we were two years ago.” Miles Hurwitz, who owns MH Management, a small company whose clients include alternative rock band �e Matches, mirrored the sentiment: “Reduced income means laying off staff, trying to do more with limited resources.” �ough many indie labels are being forced to make cuts and layoffs, there was a sense of optimism that independent labels will be around longer than most of the major labels. Greg Werckman, who runs Ipecac Records out of his house in Marin, said that expectations for independent labels are not that of major labels, therefore they don’t necessarily take the same hit. He described how major labels throw large amounts of money into artists they think

will break, and when these artists don’t make the cut, the label takes a huge loss in an industry that is already hurting. Many of the panelists explained that the key to success is to sign artists that create good music, and hopefully people will buy the album and purchase tickets to see the band live. “It is still about �nding a good band, making a good record and touring. �at’s still our best strategy,” said Vanessa Burt of Fat Wreck Chords. �e other big theme of the day was how technology is changing the way artists distribute content, bring in fans and deal with copyright issues. Along with touring, the Internet is currently by far the most important method of promoting music and attracting new listeners. Social networking sites like Myspace, Twitter and Facebook are making it easier than ever before for fans to feel as though they are connected to the artist. �is puts pressure on the artist to constantly have new content uploaded to keep both old and new listeners interested. Artists reiterated that the pressure is hard to handle and never existed before the Internet boom. Shawn Harris from �e Matches remembered having a video and a story on the front page of the music section on Yahoo. Within a couple days it was nowhere to be found. �e overwhelming feeling from the panelists was that the Internet is revolutionizing the relationship between artists and fans, but as attention spans grow smaller it becomes harder to maintain that relationship. During the panel on the Internet, John Dieterich of the San Francisco indie band Deerhoof commented that the Internet is a useful tool in determining what listeners are thinking. �e web is also helping people discover and purchase new music more easily. Dieterich and the panelists also stressed some fears about how easy it is for people to write whatever they want on the Internet, even if it isn’t factual. He said that the

difference between 1909 and 2009 is that you don’t have to be a professional to write a story on your blog. �e inability to regulate reviews, comments or videos on the Internet can help an artist or a band, but a lot of the time it only causes damage. Copyright laws were a concerning topic that arose on many panels throughout the day. Since the Internet has made it easier for people to upload a bad performance from a concert or a lower quality advance copy of an album, artists have been trying to play damage control over content they cannot completely manage. When questioned as to what to do about copyright infringement on the internet, entertainment lawyer Owen Seitel explained that there really is nothing that you can do most of the time, other than try and get it removed which can be time-consuming. He also explained that lawsuits can take years, and once an artist adds in legal fees it becomes very expensive. Industry Noise’s inaugural conference was well received by many of the music fans that attended. “ I felt it was very good for getting my foot into the industry. I thought it was a cool conference because since it was so small you could really talk to these industry people,” said Chad Heimann, a freshman media studies major at USF. �e day was �lled with both fear and optimism for the future of artists and labels. Some expressed hope that, in the economic crisis, independents will survive over the major labels, but others wondered how long until they would be forced under. Many felt the conference was re�ective of San Francisco’s music culture. “It’s genuine, not corporate. Very indicative of what the San Francisco music scene is about,” said Rolling Stone and the Onion freelancer David Downs. Industry Noise offered powerful discussion on the state of the independent music scene and what artists and label executives are doing to promote quality music at a level below the mainstream.

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San Francisco Foghorn

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Columnist �nds that 16,724 steps later he has only burned 173 calories

again not including laughter. �e Harney Plaza Mall seemed unappealing after roughly seven seconds, and we lost interest. Before returning to the Foghorn of�ce we dashed over to the Harney Plaza Foghorn distribution box and snagged an issue before they were gone. From the Harney Plaza Mall to the Foghorn Distribution box, we took 82 steps and again burned 2 calories. Paper in my hand, we made it back to the office in 294 steps from the distribution box, including the 20 extra steps it took to stop and talk to Heather. At 2:30 p.m. I realized I had little time to move my car before my parking expired, so I hurried back to my car; same We’re buried in the hills of San Fransteps, same calories as before. As I found cisco at USF, where a walk from class to a parking spot on Golden Gate near Koclass on this deceivingly small campus can ret, I knew it was time to hike the concrete build up a steady sweat. If you’ve ever conmountain once again. I parallel parked, sidered making your daily schedule part of hopped out, and 976 steps, 22 calories, and your workout or thought about measuring nine minutes later I was entering my class your walking distance throughout the day, sweat-stain free but feeling fatigued from don’t bother. I’ve done the cardiovascumy light sprint up Lone Mountain. lar experiment for you, risking noticeable I got out of class at 5:15 p.m. and headarmpit stains in class and being known as ed over to the infamous KHall 163 for the the sweaty, smelly guy no one wants to sit third time. �e classroom that was home next to; all to bring you your own personal to my morning blunder is also where I guide: Walking USF. take a 3-hour night class. I sat in class and contemplated which of �e morning was the two situations in that Monday, Mar. 9, 2009. I room, the embarrassing was racing to school for one or the current one, I my 9:40 a.m. religious would rather be in. It was ethics class, and luckily I a draw, they both lost: found a parking spot clos976 steps, 22 calories. er than usual; Masonic and Once my class was McAllister. Since USF over, it was Foghorn time decided not give parking for the rest of the night. I permit priority to a sewalked over to my second nior who lives 45 minutes home, let out a sigh of reaway, I usually park on lief, and began to work. I Fulton St. along Golden was almost done with my Gate Park and hike up to excursions for the day, and class. �is spot today was by the time I left the Fogprime, saving me roughly horn in the early morning 1,000 steps, approximately hours and arrived at my 10 minutes, and preservcar, I was admittedly exing my good mood. I now hausted. had enough time to cruise I had taken 16,724 through the Foghorn ofsteps on campus but was �ce, drop off some cargo, angered to learn I had and slide into class just as only burned 173 caloProfessor Miller had beries. To me this could gun his lecture. not have been right. I Walking from the car had walked 5.3 miles and to the office took me 584 not even reached the 200 steps and 13 calories. I calorie mark. So walking did my thing in the office, around school isn’t that and trekked to my �rst great for you? Don’t get class: KHall 263. I walked discouraged and write off through the front enyour class schedule as betrance of KHall, sped past ing nothing more than a rest rooms and professors, Melissa Stihl/Foghorn lazy stroll just yet. �ere and swung open the last Nicholas Mukhar runs up the steps of Lone Mountain to attend an afternoon are easy ways your calodoor on the right. I saw class. He carried a pedometer with him for an entire day earlier this week. ries burned can be expoa woman giving a Powernentially higher than mine, with the same point presentation and I was bewildered; ally arrived at KHall 163 where I demonamount of steps. For one, my walk was by Professor Miller is a man and does not use strated for my walking buddy my morning all means a stroll. I was moving around Powerpoint in class. I glanced around the incident. Again, it took me 10 steps. room and didn’t recognize anyone; some On the way out, we took a detour on the campus at a pace of less than two miles per students had turned to stare at me. Awk- �rst �oor of KHall to say hi to Professor hour (trust me I did the math). �e faster ward. I realized I was in the wrong class- Moore at her office, but no one was home. you walk the more calories you will burn. room, one �oor below my actual classroom. It was an uneventful move; just a solid Also, as I walked slowly, took in the sun, I smiled, embarrassed. I turned around and 109 steps and 2 calories. I left the front irritated people in front of K Hall, stopped walked out of the class, hearing muffled KHall entrance with my walking partner to look at things and talked to people, I laughter behind me. I climbed the steps to as two gentlemen opened the door for us. was taking shorter strides. My average K Hall 263, peeked through the door, rec- I walked through and said thank you, to stride length was only two feet. �e longer ognized everyone, walked in, sat down and which one responded that he opened the strides you take, the more calories you will laughed out loud as I told a classmate what door for my female friend in front of me. burn. Finally, my calculation only encoma fool I had just made of myself. �is mis- Being my sarcastic self, I turned around, passed my steps and stride length against sion took 542 steps (ten extra due to my walked back through the doors into KHall, an average speed. It did not take into acmiscue). According to my USF pedom- and back out again as the gentlemen coneter, I burned 12 calories, not including the tinued to hold the doors and let out fake count incline, temperature, or any other laughter. I was still on time to class. laughs; my laughter was genuine. It was things you do throughout your walk (like At 11:25 a.m. I walked out of class and well worth the six extra steps, three going laughing). All of these things increase the amount of calories burnt. Clearly, my calhit the Foghorn to do some last-minute in and three back out. homework. As I left the classroom I took Looking for something to ease our dis- orie count was higher and the pedometer the extra two steps to turn and admire appointment caused by Professor Moore’s can only be used as a �oor level number for some artwork on the wall and continued disappearance, we spotted a sale on clothes the amount of calories you burn. What I on my way. I got to the Foghorn Office in Harney Plaza and decided to take an- found was this: USF being on hills gives us at 11:40 a.m. in 494 steps and burned 11 other detour. �e mission from Professor a better chance of staying in shape, but if calories. I crammed some studying in and Moore’s office to the Harney Plaza Mall getting around campus is your only form then headed to drop some mail off at the took us 265 steps (including the door in- of exercise, make sure I’m out of the way as �rst �oor of the UC Building, then back cident) and shed six calories off my body, you’re sprinting up Lone Mountain.

NICHOLAS MUKHAR Staff Writer

Melissa Stihl/Foghorn

Women s Tennis Wins 7-0

Tennis player Sarah Oudomvilay serves a backhand as USF dominates Southern Utah 7-0 last Friday in Golden Gate Park. Sophomore Jennifer Lee-Heinser played a perfect match against Ksusha Nazarova, winning 6-0,6-0 in first singles. Heinser is currently ranked 64th in the nation. The Lady Dons next travel down south for the San Diego Tournament this weekend.

WCC Season Over, Recruiting Now Focus RECRUIT: Continued from page ten guard Patty Mills is from. �e players they have signed from Australia are 6foot-1-inch point guard Jorden Page and 6-foot-3-inch shooting guard Matthew Dellavedova. Both players are ranked 74th at their positions. �ey have also signed shooting guard Tim Harris from Valley Christian High School in San Jose, who is ranked 111th at his position. Harris and Page have both received an 84 ranking and Dellavedova received an 86 ranking. �ese three solid contributions will help keep St.Mary’s near the top of the WCC. With �ve players leaving, this solid recruiting class should �ll in nicely. Look for them to sign one more big prospect. �ird place �nisher Portland has yet to sign a recruit according to ESPN. If you are interested in who they will sign, check back on ESPN in the next few months. Fourth place �nisher Santa Clara has perhaps the most solid recruiting class so far in the WCC. Niyi Harrison, who is a 6-foot-7-inch power forward out of Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose, headlines their recruiting class. Harrison is an 89th-ranked prospect who has improved signi�cantly every season at Bellarmine. I saw Harrison play as a freshman and I must say that he has developed a nice game since then. �e Broncos have also signed three more solid prospects, including two mid-major level prospects. With four recruits ranked 80 and higher, look for Santa Clara to surprise some teams next year as they compete for a top three standing in the WCC. San Diego also has a solid recruiting class. �ey have signed three mid-major level prospects so far. Including 57th ranked point guard Cameron Miles out of Skyline High School in Texas. San Diego’s solid recruiting class will help them �ght in the WCC. Expect them to �nish about the same or better than last season. USF has signed only one recruit so far. Perris Blackwell out of Etiwanda High

School in California has signed with the Dons. Last week I wrote about him signing at USF, so check out that article for details. But besides Blackwell, USF has failed to sign a recruit so far. In order to continue to rebuild the program they need at least one or two more mid-major level recruits. Hopefully the Dons will sign at least a few more solid prospects so that they continue to revitalize the program. Pepperdine has signed only one recruit so far. �ey signed Josh Lowery, a 6-foot3-inch shooting guard out of Desert Vista High School in Arizona. Lowery has received a 76 rating from ESPN. Pepperdine will need to sign some more higher ranked recruits if they hope to improve upon last season. Loyola Marymount has perhaps signed the best recruit in the WCC this season. �ey have already signed Given Kalipende, a 6-foot-3-inch shooting guard out of Episcopal High School in Virginia. Kalipende received a rating of 90 by ESPN, so far the highest out of any WCC recruit, he is also the 26th-ranked shooting guard. LMU has also signed 6-foot-10inch center Edgar Garibay from the Impact Basketball Academy in Nevada. He has received an 84 ranking. Signing two solid prospects will help LMU better upon last season. Kalipende could help this program tremendously and he will be exciting to watch. So pretty much nothing has changed in the WCC; Gonzaga continues to get a great recruiting class and everyone else tries to compete. �at said, Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount and St. Mary’s have done a great job of recruiting so far. Each program has signed a few impact players that will improve their team immediately. Hopefully USF will sign a few more solid prospects so that they can compete for a top seed in the WCC. But so far, so good for coach Walters, as he has gotten a solid prospect; keep it up and maybe we’ll be back to the glory days.

to my car on Masonic and McAllister to unload a few notebooks; 754 steps and 17 calories in total, including the three extra steps it took on the way to the car to turn and say hi to Spencer, who works in the politics department. My friend and I decided to ditch the studying and go for a walk when we got to my car, unwilling to waste such a sunny San Francisco afternoon. We approached the corner of the Education building, faced the long driveway leading to Lone Mountain, and decided to answer the burning question on every USF student’s mind: Is it quicker to walk up Heart Attack Hill by taking the long driveway past the Education building and ROTC, or should I tackle the beast straight up and ascend via the stairs? We walked up the long driveway, into Lone Mountain, and ended at room #365 where I had my Globalization and Resistance class later on: 673 steps and 15 calories. We turned around and headed for the exit, eventually taking the stairs down and ending at the corner of Chabot and Turk: 493 steps and 11 calories gone. If you’re ever late to class, the stairs to heaven are the way to go. We cut through Chabot, and eventu-

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SPORTS

MARCH 12, 2009

USF Basketball Teams End Season With Losses in WCC Tournament HUNTER PATTERSON Staff Writer USF’s post-season basketball hopes came to an early end last weekend when both the men and women’s teams were knocked out of the WCC tournament in the �rst round games at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. �e men entered the tournament as the seventh seed and faced off against sixth seed Pepperdine, whom the Dons had just defeated 70-62 in Malibu, in their last regular season game. �e Dons lost to the Waves in a high scoring 93-85 contest, in which USF’s star player Dior Lowhorn scored a career high 32 points. �e Lady Dons’ hopes of tournament glory ended with a 73-64 loss to San Diego. �e Lady Dons entered the tournament ranked seventh in the WCC and ended the season with a 7-22 record. Gonzaga clenched the women’s WCC title after defeating San Diego 66-55 in the �nal round. Gonzaga, currently ranked 12th nationally in both AP and ESPN polls, swept the Men’s bracket to claim their 10th WCC championship after entering the contest as the �rst seed. �ey defeated Saint Mary’s in an 83-58 blowout in the championship game, demonstrating their continuing dominance over the WCC and earning automatic entry into the NCAA tournament, although they almost certainly would have been invited had they lost the WCC. �e Dons were no favorite to win the tournament, and ended this rebuilding year with a 11-19 record. �ey were plagued by losses in games they should have won, notably against Loyola Marymount late in the season when the Lions were ranked last in the WCC. However, the season was not without moments of triumph. �e Dons hung with some of the country’s best teams, notably losing to Gonzaga by only 5 points, and showing strength against Cal and USC.

Courtesy of Lily Yuan Junior Lily Yuan is arguably the Dons biggest fan. She shares her experience at the WCC tournament in Las Vegas with the Foghorn.

In Her Eyes USF junior Lily Yuan was at the tournament to cheer on the team with a group of dedicated USF alumni including former Los Locos President and Dons a�cionado Ryan Dunlop. Yuan is arguably USF basketball’s biggest fan. She only misses games when scheduled to work - as an intern for the Golden State Warriors, her other favorite team - and was until recently the highly visible president of Los Locos, wearing sparkly gold spandex pants and donning green and gold face paint while cheering on the team from the sidelines. Yuan said she was one of only a handful of current USF students who attended the weekend event, however noted the presence of many prominent alumni, many of whom are donors to the basketball pro-

gram and active contributors to the Dons’ unofficial online messageboard, DonsCentral.com. Yuan was expecting the Dons to beat Pepperdine and advance to the second round where they would have faced Portland, and was very disappointed with the loss, placing much of the blame on the referees who were making “ridiculous calls,” she said. “At one point it looked like [Head Coach] Rex Walters was going to get a technical foul called on him because he was yelling so much at the refs,” she said. Yuan, who promised she does not usually make a point of blaming game officials when her team loses, said it was apparent to everyone in the arena that the game was not being called fairly. “When they �nally called one for us the entire USF fan base stood up and clapped,” she said. But there was revenge: “On Saturday, the day after the Dons lost, we met with a bunch of USF fans and people from DonsCentral and went to a bar and the refs from the game came through and we booed them. �at was so funny,” she said. Even though the Dons didn’t make any progress in the tournament, Yuan is still happy she went. “It was a good experience and I’m excited for next season. I hope more people come out next year,” she said. “Who wouldn’t want to go to Vegas?” She was also pleased with the reception USF fans received in Las Vegas. “�ere was a USF hospitality event in the hotel next door. It was for all USF fans. Coach Walters did a ‘chalk talk,’ explaining what to expect from the other team, how he thinks we will play and answering fans’ questions.” Yuan also had warm praise for USF’s Spirit Squad, who were on sidelines cheering for the Dons. “Our cheerleaders were so much better than [Pepperdine’s]. �eir dancing was so ugly, we on the other hand were very classy and technical. Our cheerleaders were doing splits and had nice moves,” she said.

Courtesy of Margaret Gallagher

USF Track Competes at Berkeley USF junior Byron Williams (front) and freshman Thomas Estrada (back) compete in the 1500 meter race against Fresno State, UC Berkeley, UC Davis and Stanford at the Cal Outdoor Opener in Berkeley last Saturday. Lady Dons Nicole Bowler and Michelle Born each set school records at the event, in the 1500 and 3k, respectively.

WCC Recruiting Heats Up Men’s Basketball Signs One Talented Recruit, Courting Others

USF Tennis Player Ranked 95th Nationally

FRANCESCA CRUDO Staff Writer On March 3, senior Tommy Tu entered the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division I men’s singles rankings. Out of the 125 athletes ranked, Tu is 95th. Tu becomes only the second USF player from Northern California to be ranked in the past 10 years. Being ranked nationally is a big deal in any sport, especially in an individual sport like tennis. “I’m very happy and proud of myself for this accomplishment. I couldn’t have done it without the support from my family, teammates, coaches, and friends. It was one of the goals that I’ve set for myself when I �rst came to USF as a freshman, and to �nally accomplish it during my senior year is an incredible feeling,” said Tu. �e only other USF Northern California player to earn a national ranking is current tennis Assistant Coach Pablo Pires de Almeida. In the past 10 years, USF is the only school in Northern California to have two region natives to be nationally ranked. Tu is the second Northern California native to earn a national ranking in the past �ve years. Prior to going to USF, Tu was ranked number one in Boys’ 14s, 16s and 18s and under for USTA/ Northern California. As a freshman in high school, he was the NCS Doubles Champion. Tu won the NCS Singles Title as a senior in 2005; in conjunction, he was voted the 2005 Athlete of the Year by the Alameda Journal. So far this season, Tu is 5-4 in singles matches. He is 1-3 against nationally ranked players; his sole win was over number 30 ranked Hendrik Bode of HPU (which was ranked number 7 at the time) on March 6. He is 1-4 against ranked college teams; he has lost in matches to number 17 University of Arizona, number 41 University of Nebraska, number 72 UNLV and number 22 University of Washington. In doubles, Tu is 5-2. His only doubles losses were early in the season against number 22 University of Washington and against UNLV; in both occasions, his partner was Rainer Nachbauer.

MATT STEINBACH Sports Editor

Courtesy of USF Athletic Department Senior Tommy Tu becomes the second USF tennis player in the last ten years to be ranked nationally.

Tu’s pain, time and effort have paid off at last, but he isn’t going to rest on his laurels. “I worked hard to get myself to where I am currently,” he said, “and now I will work harder to show that I deserve it.” �e Dons are now 6-3 on the season,

and will play a series of away matches before returning to San Francisco for their �nal three home matches of the season in early April. �eir next home match is against Loyola Marymount at the Cal Club in San Francisco on April 4.

�e end of the WCC tournament marks the beginning of the off-season, which, for colleges, is the time to sign recruits and adjust the roster. Although the WCC is not a major conference, there are a handful of solid to great recruits that enter the conference every season. Recruiting is how teams go from bad to good or good to great. Since there is no free agency in college sports, recruits are the only way for a team to improve. �at said, here’s a look at the key recruits that every WCC team has signed so far. Before I delve into which players each team has harvested, I will explain the rankings system that ESPN.com uses for recruits. Every recruit is assigned a number that explains how good a prospect is. If a player is assigned a 70-72, that means he is a low-major minus player. A low-major minus player is a player who could contribute to a low-major team (a team that plays in a very small conference that is not well known) for three or four years with the potential to eventually start. A player ranked 73-76 is someone who will be a solid contributor and a two or three-year starter at a low-major program. Someone ranked 77-79 is considered a player who will be a signi�cant contributor as a freshman to a low-major team and has the talent to play for a mid-major team (a team that plays in a small conference but is well known enough to compete against powerhouse conferences, like USF). A player ranked 80-82 is considered a mid-major minus prospect, which means that he could be a contributor for three or four years and may eventually start. An 8386 ranked player is a mid-major prospect, meaning he will be a solid contributor

and a two or three-year starter at a midmajor school. Someone ranked 87-89 is a mid-major plus prospect, which means he could be a three or four-year contributor at a high-major program (a prestigious program that competes in the major conferences) or have a signi�cant impact as a freshman on a mid-major program. A player ranked 90-93 is a high-major minus prospect, which means he has the potential to signi�cantly contribute to a national program as a freshman and may eventually start during his college career. A 94-97 rank means the player is a high-major prospect; someone who has the potential to signi�cantly contribute as a freshman to most national programs. �is person is also capable of starting for three or four years with all-league talent. Someone ranked 98-100 is a high-major plus prospect, meaning he possesses rare abilities, with the potential to go pro early and will have an immediate impact at any national program. Basically the higher ranked prospects are the ones that you see in the McDonald’s All-American game and the players that play for powerhouses like North Carolina and Louisville. Now that the rankings system has been explained, here are the players that the WCC has signed so far. West Coast Conference powerhouse Gonzaga has already signed two mid-major plus prospects. �eir highest ranked prospect is Samuel Dower who is a 5-foot9-inch, 210-pound center out of Osseo Senior High School in Minnesota. He is the 20th ranked center overall and received a grade of 89 by ESPN. Gonzaga has also signed Mangisto Arop, a shooting guard out of Canada. Arop went to the National Elite Development Program in Canada and he is the 54th ranked shooting guard prospect in the nation. He received a grade of 88. Although Gonzaga will lose some key players, including Jeremy Pargo, Josh Heytvelt and Micah Downs, adding these two prospects will help make up for these losses. Look for Gonzaga to add at least one more top recruit. �e St. Mary’s Gaels have been great the past two seasons and they hope to continue their success with their recruits. So far they have signed three mid-major level prospects. �ey have signed two guards from Australia, where star point RECRUIT: Continued on Page 9