ISSUE 15 FINAL

SF FOGHORN
EST. 1903
NEWS
04
An interview with
Interim Provost
Eileen Fung.
PHEBE BRIDGES
Staff Writer
Approximately 60 members of the USF community gathered
in Gleeson Plaza to mourn the lost lives of Palestinian
martyrs on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 15. The vigil was organized
by a group of students who run the Instagram account
“@usfcastudents4palestine.” This was the third vigil held on
campus since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023.
Attendees were instructed to take out their phones, open
Instagram, and look up three accounts: “@untoldpalestine,”
“@gazamedicvoices” and “@martyrs_gaza.” A microphone was
passed through the crowd as people read posts aloud from the
third account. Each post was a description of a martyr and
their life, written and submitted by their friends and family.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
SFFOGHORN.COM
SCENE
06
Fireworks and fun
for SF’s annual
Chinese New Year
Parade.
@SFFOGHORN
THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2024 • VOL. 121, ISSUE 15
OPINION
09
One story was of Noor Al-Fara, a 13 year-old Palestinian
who is the daughter of the owner of the “Martyrs of Gaza” Instagram
account. “It seems like she had a sense that her time
in this world was not long, yet her dreams were significant,
[so] she raced against time to achieve as much as she could,” a
student at the vigil read out.
Arz Abdelhadi, a first-year nursing major, said, “The
main point of this vigil which I think they really got across
is humanizing what would [otherwise] be statistics and bar
graphs…they invited the audience to participate in reading the
different stories of one of the countless, countless martyrs that
have lost their lives in these past couple months.”
“I’ve never been politically active, honestly. I’ve kind of
been disenfranchised with politics in general,” Abdelhadi con-
FOGPOD
USF students
divided on senate
elections.
SPORTS
12
Débora Dos Santos
channels her
Brazilian roots.
The scroll was created for the group’s Nov. 9 vigil. It reads, “Our martyrs are not numbers,” and “They are not only names.” Photo by Samantha Avila Griffin/SF Foghorn.
USF COMMUNITY GATHERS FOR
PRO-PALESTINE VIGIL

02 03
THURSDAY
FEB. 29
2024
STAFF
Editor in Chief
MEGAN ROBERTSON
mrrobertson2@dons.usfca.edu
News Editor
NIKI SEDAGHAT
nisedaghat@dons.usfca.edu
Opinion Editor
CHISOM OKORAFOR
cokorafor@dons.usfca.edu
Scene Editor
INÉS VENTURA
ipventura@dons.usfca.edu
Sports Editor
CHASE DARDEN
cbdarden@dons.usfca.edu
Photography Editor
SAMANTHA AVILA GRIFFIN
svavilagriffin@dons.usfca.edu
General Reporter
PHEBE BRIDGES
pjbridges@dons.usfca.edu
General Reporter
ELINA GRAHAM
emgraham@dons.usfca.edu
415.422.5444
sffoghorn.com
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FOGHORN
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STAFF EDITORIAL
RUN FOR ASUSF SENATE
Photo courtesy of @asusf_senate on Instagram.
Running for Associated Students
of the University of San Francisco
(ASUSF) Senate positions is a good way
for students to enact the vision they
have for the future of USF and make
their voices heard.
On Feb. 26, applications opened
for prospective ASUSF Senators. Students
can apply or nominate others for
Senate positions before the application
closes on Mar. 20. Elections will be held
Apr. 15-19.
ASUSF Senate is an elected body of
USF student representatives that serve
as liaisons between the administration
and the student body. The stated mission
of the Senate, according to their
website, is to “ensure that every voice,
concern, and suggestion to improve
USF is heard by addressing the needs of
our constituents through compromise
and cooperation.”
Senators are responsible for representing
the interests of specific populations
on campus. They can create legislation
and initiatives meant to address
the concerns of their constituency.
That legislation is then put up for implementation
by the Board of Trustees.
The representatives meet with both
students and administrators to accomplish
their jobs, and bring that perspective
to Senate meetings.
The upcoming April election for
Senate is for all positions except for
Freshman Class Representative. The
elections are open to currently enrolled
students in good disciplinary standing
with a minimum cumulative GPA of
2.5. Current members of the ASUSF
Chartered Student Organization executive
board, Get Oriented (GO) Team,
Resident Advisors, Community Assistants
and Student Leadership and Engagement
(SLE) student staff cannot
serve on the Senate. A more detailed
breakdown of the time commitments
and requirements of senators is laid out
online in their position descriptions.
In addition to representing the student
body and creating legislation, the
Senate is responsible for representing
their constituents on committees. The
current committees are the Advocacy
Committee, the Marketing and Communications
Committee, the Internal
Affairs Committee and the Finance
Committee. These committees also include
student volunteers who have an
interest in the topic. Committees play
crucial roles in shaping the initiatives
taken by the Senate, such as the Green
Initiative Fund for Tomorrow, which is
directed by the Advocacy Committee.
For students interested in learning
more about ASUSF, the spring semester
Town Hall on Mar. 6 will be an opportunity
to interact with senators. The
event is advertised on USF’s website as
a chance to give “the USF community a
better insight of what ASUSF Senate is
working on as well as hearing from the
administration about different issues
on campus.”
Kendrick LaCerda, a senior who
formerly served as the Student with
Disabilities Representative, told the
Foghorn, “It seems that many students
want change on campus. In my view, involving
yourself with [the] Senate is one
of the most impactful things you can do
to actually make change.”
CORRECTIONS BOX
Our Feb. 15 staff editorial was titled “Blacademia.” It should have read, “Blackademia.”
In the Feb. 15 story, “Poets Pop-Off at Lyricist Lounge,” Delayn Partlow’s name
was incorrectly spelled. This is the correct spelling.
CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
tinued. “But that’s what I’m saying about this: it falls outside of politics
because this just becomes about humanity and the devastation that’s
been going on.”
A few of the student organizers also spoke to the crowd. “Our
dead bodies [are] discussed by white people over champagne at humanitarian
fundraising dinners,” said one Syrian student organizer.
“You know that there have always been people on the other side of the
world who [only recognize us] for our resilience… like we were born
with it, made to silently withstand atrocities done by Western countries
for their self-interest,” they continued.
A 168-page scroll made by the student organizers was unfurled on
the ground, each page filled with the names and pictures of martyrs.
The scroll was made for the group’s Nov. 9, 2023 vigil and contains
6,000 names. Now, as of Feb. 22 according to the New York Times,
more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed.
“These [people] are not just names like what you see in front of
us,” said one of the student speakers.
Diana Silva-Corral, a junior politics major who attended the vigil,
said “It’s really nice to see more people joining as the semesters go on.
I always leave [the events] with a really heavy heart, but it’s really great
they’re doing this.”
“As a student said last semester, ‘it’s the least we can do,’ to remember
[the martyrs] in a positive way, and remember their names,”
said Silva-Corral.
A slip of paper with a QR code was passed out to each attendee,
linking to a Palestine Resource Document shared at other on-campus
events for Palestine. “Within that resource document we have fulllength
films, we have accounts that you can follow, we have book recommendations,”
said one of the organizers of the event.
It wasn’t just students who came together, a few professors and
other faculty members were in attendance. History professor Taymiya
Zaman said, “The vigil was a powerful reminder of how many children
are being killed each day in Gaza. Naming children and reading
the stories of families and survivors was a collective act of witness,
protest, and prayer. It offered me a way to hold what seems like an
unfathomable wave of grief in community with others.”
This vigil is one of several demonstrations held for Palestine in
San Francisco recently. On Feb. 19, during a President’s Day protest,
a group of more than 1000 blocked off access to Highway 101 for approximately
half an hour, according to KQED.
KQED also reported that approximately two dozen protestors for
Palestine halted traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge on Feb. 14. On Feb.
22, CNN reported that a group of pro-Palestine protesters marched
inside of the hotel President Joe Biden was staying in.
“There will be a time when people will ask what you were doing
when a genocide was being documented, recorded and livestreamed
by survivors risking their lives to do so. It’s never too late to educate
yourself and join the fight,” said Zaman.
The International Court of Justice, the judicial branch of the
United Nations, has preliminarily ruled that it is “plausable” that Israel
is committing a genocide in Gaza.
“Do for Palestinians what you’d want someone to do for you,”
Zaman said. “We are in this together.”
Editor-in-Chief:Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia Siegel,
Managing Editor: Jordan Premmer, News Editor: Niki Sedaghat
The names of 6,000 Palestinian martyrs were written on the scroll laid out on Gleeson Plaza. USF student Diana Silva-Corral said, “As a student said last semester, ‘it’s the
least we can do,’ to remember [the martyrs] in a positive way, and remember their names.” Photo by Samantha Avila Griffin/SF Foghorn.
NEWS

04 05
THURSDAY
FEB. 29
2024
NEWS
INTERIM PROVOST FUNG’S INFLUENCE ON THE HILLTOP
NIKI SEDAGHAT
Staff Writer
Eileen Chia-Ching Fung has been an integral part of the USF community
for more than 25 years. From assisting in the establishment of
the Honors College, to serving as associate dean of arts and humanities,
she’s worn many hats at USF. Since last fall, Fung has served as
the Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs.
After the sudden departure of former Provost Chinyere Oparah
on May 24, 2023, Fung stepped into the interim provost position. “I
was honored when Father Paul approached me to serve,” she said.
The Foghorn interviewed Fung in her office on the top floor of the
Rossi Wing, overlooking San Francisco’s skyline. Her bright office is
adorned with photos, a few stuffed animals and books on her favorite
topic, British medieval literature. Fung sat perched on her armchair
while speaking about her plans for the university.
As interim provost, she is working to make USF more affordable
to students, despite this year’s 4.9% increase in tuition. “We are budgeting
$162 million for financial aid,” she said. “Approximately 97% of
our students receive some sort of aid. It’s our priority for our fundraising
to make sure that we are able to close that gap.”
Fung is working on strengthening USF’s liberal arts education. “I
work with the academic deans in the schools and colleges to define
and implement the academic vision and curriculum, ensuring that our
Jesuit liberal arts education meets the promises we made to our students,”
Fung shared in an additional written statement to the Foghorn.
She came to USF in 1998 as a James Irvine Ethnic Minority Dissertation
Fellow. The fellowship, “[had] a highly successful record of
recruiting and retaining talented ethnic minority scholars from across
the country,” according to USF’s website.
Prior to her current role, Fung has served as chair of the English
department, director of the Asian-American Pacific Studies Program,
The fellowship that brought Interim Provost Eileen Fung to USF was renamed in 2016
to the Gerardo Marín Diversity Fellowships. Photo by Samantha Avila Griffins/SF Foghorn.
associate dean of arts and humanities, senior associate dean, and interim
dean.
Fung found her role as the chair of the English Department most
difficult, balancing her responsibilities as a young mother raising two
children with her professional career.
“I was worried about not only how to be effective in my new leadership
role, but also if I was able to have enough time to finish, to do
research, and do well in teaching to get tenure.”
“When I was called to the Associate Dean’s position…, it was at
a time when there had not been any female faculty of color serving
in the dean’s leadership team,” she said in the statement. “As we were
growing in students, faculty and staff from underrepresented communities,
I felt the call strongly to accept this leadership role.”
Fung was born in Taiwan, and emigrated at age 13 to a small town
in Pennsylvania. From there, she made her way to California, attending
the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Initially, she pursued a degree in microbiology but switched majors
to English literature, and a minor in Asian American studies. “It
was not a choice my family approved. They wanted me to go on to
become an accountant, engineer, and become a medical doctor,” said
Fung.
In her senior year at UCLA, she fell in love with the works of Geoffrey
Chaucer, an English author and poet of the 14th century, leading
her to pursue a PhD in British Medieval Literature at University of
California, Santa Barbara.
“My interest in studying travel narratives in British medieval literature,
especially in the context of theories of post-coloniality, races,
gender and sexualities, grew out of my own immigrant experience
that underscores the impacts of migration, immigration and displacement,”
said Fung in her written statement.
Fung remained associate dean until 2019, overseeing the creation
of the Honors College in 2018.
Later, she served as interim dean during the pandemic. “When
COVID hit, we were going through some really complicated times.
I was called to serve then…it was sort of a situation where I felt I
couldn’t say no, it was really the right call, because I really care for
this community.”
Speaking with the Foghorn, Fung responded to a number of concerns
raised by students about the administration. These concerns
initially came about during the May 2023 “Day of Refusal,” and many
are still held today.
Students claimed that the lack of need-based tuition for international
students is a burden. “Diversity is critical, especially from our
international demographics,” Fung responded. “We want as many students
to have access to USF education as possible. But through philanthropy
we are trying to raise money, and we have increased scholarships
as well.”
In the Fall of 2023, the Change The World From Here Institute
added the Community Leadership Program to their cabinet of scholarship
programs. Students within the program are given a $5,000
scholarship, made possible by an outside donation from Christopher
Leung and Priscilla Lee.
Additionally, students brought up concerns regarding limited
space for the Black Resource Center (BRC), which is currently deep
inside Gleeson Library. On Feb. 22, the Black Student Union released
a petition calling for a renovated BRC. “We are undergoing the institutional
master planning design, where we are identifying spaces for our
affinity groups for student needs. That includes the Black Resource
Center,” said Fung.
While Fung works to address the concerns of students, she carries
the lesson she’s gained through her roles with her. “I am a homegrown
person here at USF…I think what I learned through all these roles has
made me more reflective and resilient.”
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia Siegel,
Managing Editor: Jordan Premmer, News Editor: Niki Sedaghat
STARTUP SEEKS TO SAVE STUDENTS
WITH SUBLEASES
SOPHIA MCCRACKIN
Staff Writer
San Francisco is the sixth most expensive city in the United States,
according to U.S. News. In 2022, Bloomberg listed San Francisco as
the second most expensive U.S. city for renters. According to the University’s
Senior Director of Student Housing, Torry Brouillard-Bruce,
approximately half of USF’s student body is living off-campus and
participating in the rental market. USF first-years are guaranteed
housing for their first four semesters, and transfer students are only
guaranteed housing during their first year. The average USF student
living off-campus is paying $1200 a month for a room with two or
three roommates according to Andrea Rocha, Associate Director of
Off-Campus Living. Unlike most tenants however, college students
are apt to leave their apartments for months at a time for internships
or academic opportunities in other cities.
Ohana is a new company providing short-term sublease agreements.
Launching in the spring of this year, the company is using
founding teams of student ambassadors on a myriad of college campuses,
including USF’s, to connect with young people who are looking
for short-term lease agreements.
USF’s Ohana team is made up of senior business analytics major
Alex Allen, junior English major Lorenzo Jauregui, and Khushi
Katula, a junior marketing major. The team has focused on tabling
events on campus to raise awareness about Ohana and encourage USF
students to use their services. “We built our team in San Francisco
to let as many students know as possible that we can help them
save two months rent in the summer,” said Ohana co-founder Ezra
Gershanok.
The startup’s goal is to help USF students save $1 million dollars
in rent this summer, which they plan to achieve by providing
250 USF students with summer subleases. Ohana connects prospective
tenants with places open to short-term subleases. It aggregates
apartments that appear on Facebook and Craigslist with apartments
listed directly on the Ohana website. Then, the Ohana team
provides a sublease contract and an interactive subleasing timeline.
Katula wanted to get involved with the company based on her
own experience subleasing. “I wanted to sublet my apartment when
I moved out two years ago, and I found people off Facebook Marketplace
…My roommates and I were really scared to give our entire
bedroom to someone we didn’t know,” said Katula. She and her
roommates were unhappy with the subleaser’s lack of cleanliness,
and she said she feels that if they had been able to choose a vetted
student instead, the apartment would have been treated better.
Ohana sets itself apart from Craigslist and Facebook by meticulously
verifying user’s identities. The company uses Stripe’s application
programming interface (API) as an identity verification tool for
all of the listers on the site. The API cross checks a photo of the lister’s
government issued ID card against a host of databases. Tenants
can verify their identity with a school or company email address.
Gershanok and his co-founder Jacob Halbert met at a summer
camp in 2009 and have collaborated on one previous startup.
“We decided to create Ohana to solve this problem of college students
who pay for 12 months of housing but are only there for nine
months,” said Gershanok.
Ohana protects their clients by holding security deposits as a
third party. This means that if an apartment turns out to be a scam,
a tenant can get their security deposit back.
The Ohana team also believes in connecting with their users
on a personal level. As the company is just starting out, the founders
are introducing every tenant to their prospective roommate or
landlord via a Zoom call.
Some initial leases do not allow tenants to sublet their apartment.
The city of San Francisco, for example, allows landlords to evict tenants
who sublet without permission from their landlord. Ohana does
not investigate the lease agreements of the apartments that appear on
their site. It is the tenant’s responsibility to know the subleasing terms
in the original lease.
Ohana makes money from a 5% fee on all transactions that pass
through the company. The startup raised $1.2 million in venture
funding from big names at companies like Zillow and Groupon, and
they expect to begin turning a profit within the next year.
Allen noted that San Francisco tenants typically find and lease
apartments right before moving in, whereas in markets where the
price of rent is less volatile, many tenants secure a place to live on
paper months before moving in. Competition against potential tenants
who work full time and are more financially secure keeps the
rate of rent high across the city. “There’s just very specific places that
students can look and so you see large concentrations of students in
certain areas of the city,” said Jauregui.
Halbert said, “Ohana means family. With subleasing, it’s not just
about the place, it’s about the people you’re living with, and we want
to build a product that helps you find a great place with great people.”
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia Siegel,
Managing Editor: Jordan Premmer, News Editor: Niki Sedaghat
The Ohana team heads to Lone Mountain to spread the word about their startup with
the USF community. Screenshot courtesy of @livohana_ai on Instagram.
NEWS

06 07
THURSDAY
FEB. 29
2024
WELCOMING THE
YEAR OF THE DRAGON
According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the longest parade dragon measured 18,390 feet, dominating the streets of Hong Kong in Oct. 2012. As the legend
behind the icon goes: the longer the dragon is, the more luck it will bring in the new year. Photo by Samantha Avilia Griffin/SF Foghorn.
INÉS VENTURA
Staff Writer
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN THRIFT?
A Guide to Responsible Thrifting
“Do you wanna go thrifting this weekend?” is a question frequently
asked by and to Gen-Zers across the country, to whom thrifting is
ubiquitous to grabbing lunch or catching a movie. A 2023 resale report
by the online consignment and thrift platform “thredUP” found that
83% of Gen Z have shopped secondhand or “are open to” hitting up
thrift stores, as opposed to malls, the next time they get bit by the
shopping bug.
Thrifting has long existed as an affordable avenue for buying apparel
and homegoods, but the popularity it has gained among younger
generations has shed light on some downsides that contradict its reputation
as a sustainable practice.
“It’s not that sustainable, believe it or not. It’s not zero waste,” said
Daniela Uribe, a senior environmental studies major and environmental
science minor, who works as a sustainability specialist within the
Office of Sustainability. While donating clothes may feel like the most
sustainable option, only about 15% of donated clothes are reused, with
the remaining 85% ending up in landfills. However, being an informed
thrift shopper can establish sustainable consumption habits that may
reduce the amount of clothes that are prematurely trashed.
“Thrifting provides a good option for being less guilty about
changing your style,” said Lauren Crane, a sophomore politics major
and environmental science minor. Crane is also a sustainability specialist
in the Office of Sustainability, whose annual thrift pop-up is
happening Feb. 29 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Privett Plaza, on the day
of publication.
The Office of Sustainability hosts thrift pop-up events where they
take the clothing from the donation bins they provide in the basements
of USF’s residence halls, and lay them out on tables at Privett
Plaza for students to comb through and find secondhand goods. The
event is entirely free and students are encouraged to bring additional
donated clothing to add to the heaps of thrift items. However, Crane
and Uribe, alongside other organizers from the office, have found that
a large sum of the donated clothing is not fit for being reworn.
“A lot of it is basically trashed garments [students] don’t want to
throw away, or it’s more convenient for them to put in those bins,”
said Crane. “I think it makes thrifting a little bit difficult for people
sometimes, when so many of the items are so trashed or unwearable.
It discourages people from trying.” she said.
To keep thrifting sustainable, and to be more aware about your
own shopping habits, here are a few tips to stay thrifty without being
shifty:
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia Siegel, Managing
Editor: Jordan Premmer, Scene Editor: Ines Ventura
For more insights on other topics related to sustainable practices, check out the
Office of Sustainability’s student blog page and follow @sustainabilityusfca.
SCENE
ELINA GRAHAM
Staff Writer
The air at the corner of Kearny and Clay streets was filled with
the sweet, burnt scent of firework smoke last Saturday as thousands
watched the Year of the Dragon festivities at San Francisco’s 2024 Lunar
New Year Parade.
Whizzes and bangs could be heard for miles as vendors standing
behind rickety tables hawked explosive goods—“Supercharged Pop-
Pops” were 2 for $1, cone-shaped “Rockets” were $4. The cacophony
was supplemented by the wails of police sirens, trumpeting blasts of
noisemakers and shrieks of children, who danced around the outskirts
of the crowds with spinning red pinwheels in hand.
“It’s an exciting crowd, you can feel the energy,” said SF native
Howard Koo. “It’s my first year officially coming, because last year it
was raining like crazy. [This parade is] big time — the one to be at!”
Lion dancers were in abundance, including SFPD’s Lion Dance
Team. A line of brightly colored lions every so often charged their
oversized heads into the crowd, so that nearby attendees could rub
their heads and bodies to call in good luck for the new year.
Spectators gathered along the 1.3 mile parade route, starting on
Market Street and wrapping around Union Square. Some clung to
traffic lights to get a view, while others arrived hours early to snag a
front row spot.
Eye-catching floats were abundant, including supermarket chain
Lucky’s enormous red motorized shopping cart, whose revving engine
delighted the crowd, and Sky River Casino’s giant golden spade.
And of course, everywhere you looked, there were dragons, dragons,
dragons. The creature could be seen on every corner and even
projected onto the top of the Salesforce Tower — a scaly red LED dragon
chased a hopping rabbit that was symbolic of 2023’s Year of the
Rabbit, signaling out with the old and in with the new. The largest of
the parade dragons was the Golden Dragon, “Gum Lung,” a 288-footlong
dragon who required 180 carriers to maneuver it through the parade.
Each year, the parade’s finale is marked by the showing of the
Golden Dragon. Due to damage suffered by last year’s model, organizers
debuted the new “Gum Lung” this year, perfectly coinciding with
it being the Year of the Dragon.
Parade Grand Marshal and actress Awkwafina led the procession
seated in a glossy red Ford Mustang, waving and carrying a “Po” Panda
stuffed animal, a nod to her upcoming role in the “Kung Fu Panda 4”
movie. “I’m still figuring out what it means to be an Asian American
woman…getting older and I guess, the message is still the same,” she
said in an interview with KTVU. “... It’s all about now for me, like,
ushering in the next generation of, and also just being an audience
member of the next generation of Asian American kids.”
Attendee Emily Robles said, “I grew up in the Bay Area, so I would
come to these events growing up. Hearing the music, seeing the clothing
and eating the street food that comes out during this event is
amazing! I love the marching bands, especially the one woman who
kills it on xylophone. The music is my favorite part.”
Several musical acts participated, including Alameda’s Lincoln
Middle School with their yearly revival of “Chinese Dragon Dance,”
and the San Francisco Renegades Drum and Bugle Corps, led with a
snare drum brigide.
Students from The Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy showcased their
kung fu skills and performed a lion dance led by kids wearing dragon
onesies. Mae-Yan Wong, senior architecture major at USF is a drummer
for the Tat Wong Academy lion dance. “The parade holds a lot of
significance to me as it serves as a way for me to feel more connected
to my family’s and culture’s customs,” she said, noting that her dad
opened the kung fu school more than 40 years ago and has been a regular
participant in the parade.
Other performers included students of Garfield Elementary
School, who were dressed as tiles from the Chinese game of mahjong.
“I think the parade is very important to the celebration and sharing
of Chinese culture, especially to Chinese Americans who can have
a hard time feeling connected to our cultural identity,” Wong said. “I
always feel proud to represent my dad and Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy
in the parade and look forward to it every year.”
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia Siegel,
Managing Editor: Jordan Premmer, Scene Editor: Ines Ventura
1. Mend It Before You Send It
If you find a tear in a piece of clothing, consider sewing it up before shipping it off to donation. Mending a piece
of clothing takes little sewing skills and is actually a lot easier than you might think. Picking up a needle and
thread can also serve as an introduction to a new hobby and allow for some creative expression while prolonging
the life of your garment.
2. Think before you grab
If a piece of clothing catches your eye, consider how much you would actually wear it before taking it home. “A
lot of people grab everything or anything they see... and that’s not conscious consumerism,” said Crane. While
it may seem easy enough to redonate the item later, it is better to take only what you would actually wear on a
regular basis. So put down that t-shirt with the funny saying, and stick to what you would strut.
3. Mixing Frugality with Fun
Thrifting isn’t restricted to shops. Consider throwing a “thrift party” with your friends where you come together
and exchange donatable items with each other, and use it as an opportunity to have fun while refreshing your
wardrobe for the glamorous price of zero dollars. Doing so keeps the items out of donation bins, and what’s better
than shopping from the closets of your most stylish pals?
4. Don’t Haste to Make Waste
In the case you have some clothing that is torn beyond repair, or goods that are no longer usable — they are not
fit for thrift. A simple Google search or call to your neighborhood’s Recology line can make a huge impact on redirecting
your waste to the right place. If it ends up in a second-hand shop, it’s just as good as going to a landfill.
Being conscious about the state of your donated items can help mitigate the climate impact that your items may
have.
SCENE

08 09
THURSDAY
FEB. 29
2024
OPINION
THE UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP PUTS TIKTOK ON MUTE
TikTok’s trendiest songs disappear from the platform due to copyright issues
TASNEEM LUKMANJEE is a
sophomore International
Business and Marketing major.
As an avid user of TikTok, I
easily spend more hours than I
would like to admit scrolling on
the social media platform. You can
imagine my surprise when a lot of
my favorite songs disappeared from
the app this month, and worse yet,
several videos were missing their
original audio. All of the removed
sounds had one thing in common —
they were songs by musicians whose
copyright belonged to The Universal
Music Group (UMG).
UMG is the largest music
company in the world, according to
Forbes. Artists under UMG include
big names like Taylor Swift, Billie
Eilish and Justin Bieber. They even
have international pull, representing
artists like BTS and Karol G, who initially rose to fame outside of the
United States.
The company is home to some of the biggest labels and brands in
music. These include iconic names in the industry such as Republic
Records, Capitol Music Group and the Virgin Music Group.
In an open letter to the public released on Jan. 30, UMG outlined
several reasons for their decision not to renew their contract with
TikTok. According to the company, despite TikTok featuring music
more than any other social media platform, TikTok streams account
for merely 1% of UMG’s total revenue. UMG claimed, “TikTok is trying
to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the
music.” In contrast with platforms like Youtube and Spotify, which pay
artists on a per-stream basis, Tiktok pays artists a reported $0.03 each
time their song is used in a video — meaning a video that gets a million
views earns artists the same as a video that gets two views.
Graphic by Zoë Carr/GRAPHICS CENTER
“TikTok’s tactics are obvious: use its platform power to hurt
vulnerable artists and try to intimidate us into conceding to a bad deal
that undervalues music and shortchanges artists and songwriters as
well as their fans,” UMG’s letter read. “We will always fight for our
artists and songwriters and stand up for the creative and commercial
value of music.”
While UMG claims to protect artists and their rights, the move
from TikTok will hurt musicians more than help them.
Tiktok’s response to UMG’s removal of music came in the form
of a public statement.“It is sad and disappointing that Universal Music
Group has put their own greed above the interests of their artists and
songwriters.”
TikTok rebutted UMG’s choice to pull their content by claiming
that TikTok’s user-base makes the platform a valuable marketing tool
for musicians. Artists often use the social media platform to promote
their music. For example, the song “Stick Season,” by Vermont musician
Noah Kahan took over the internet in the summer of 2022, and even
got him nominated for ‘Best New Artist’ at this year’s Grammys. The
success of the song is primarily due to it blowing up on Tiktok.
“TikTok has become an increasingly powerful engine for the
dissemination of culture, a new sort of pop star has emerged…Noah
Kahan is one of those artists…with striking numbers on Spotify and
TikTok, and a steady presence on the Billboard chart since the release
of “Stick Season,” his third album, in 2022”, says The New Yorker, as
the article heavily emphasizes Tiktok’s strength in helping Kahan
achieve his viral moment.
Kahan’s music was taken off TikTok in this move. He commented
to the Rolling Stone, “I won’t be able to promote my music on TikTok
anymore…I’ll land on my feet, right?”
Popular artists like Olivia Rodrigo attribute a portion of their
success to TikTok. For example, Rodrigo’s 2021 single “Driver’s
License,” has been used an estimated 1.5 million times on the app.
I can vouch for TikTok’s strength as a form of music-marketing.
Songs like Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” and Ocean Alley’s “Confidence”
made their way to my Spotify playlists after I heard them on the app.
UMG paints a picture of
themselves as a company that fights
for their clients and protects them,
but this isn’t the reality. The choice
to move artists’ music off TikTok
may not significantly affect some of
the globe’s biggest names in music
like Taylor Swift or Drake, as they
are already well-established — but
smaller artists will suffer.
It has now been almost a month
since UMG removed all their music
from TikTok. I’ve already noticed that
there are less new songs that I’ve liked
on the platform. The lack of music
circulating on the app is definitely
hurting me, and I can’t even imagine
how much more this decision hurts
upcoming artists under UMG’s belt.
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson,
Chief Copy Editor: Sophia Siegel,
Managing Editor: Jordan Premmer,
Opinion Editor: Chisom Okorafor
JAYDEN JOECKEL is a
sophomore politics major.
WHO ARE YOU VOTING FOR?
A Look at the Candidates in California’s 2024 Senate Election
Adam Schiff (D)
Photo courtesy of Adam Schiff’s
official Senate campaign
Photo courtesy of Katie Porter’s official
Senate campaign
California’s 2024 primaries
are fast approaching on Mar. 5.
Among slates of candidates for
the State Assembly, State Senate,
and U.S. House of Representatives,
Californians must also vote for
two candidates to nominate for
November’s general election for the
U.S. Senate. As the deadline gets
closer, the plurality of USF students
remain undecided.
Voters should get informed
about their choices for the Mar. 5
primary, and vote their conscience.
Unlike most other states,
California’s senatorial elections
employ a nonpartisan top-two
primary system. This means on
Mar. 5 when Californians vote in the
7%
Katie Porter (D)
9%
Steve Garvey (R) 12%
Barbara Lee (D) 14%
Undecided 26%
Adam Schiff (D)
Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank represents
the 30th congressional district. The
Massachusetts native was the lead
impeachment manager during the 2019
impeachment of Donald Trump. He is
endorsed by actress Jamie Lee Curtis, and
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, along with 34 other
current and former U.S. representatives.
Katie Porter (D)
Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine represents
the 47th congressional district. Porter,
an Iowa native, has achieved significant
publicity for her veracious questioning
of bank executives during congressional
hearings. She is endorsed by Sen.
Elizabeth Warren, Elizabeth Banks, and
California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
primary, the top two candidates across all participating parties will
move forward to the general election in November.
To get an idea of how USF students feel about the upcoming
election, the Foghorn conducted a poll on Fizz, an anonymous college
campus social media app, where users must have a “@dons.usfca.edu”
email address to become a member. The Foghorn asked, “The California
Senatorial election is on Mar. 5, and the late Senator Feinstein’s seat is
up for grabs. Who are you voting for?” The poll received 1,221 votes,
with a margin of error of +/-3%. Out of those, 32% of respondents
were either not eligible or not voting. Of the remaining responses, a
majority, 312 (26%) remain undecided. Among the candidates, Rep.
Lee came in first with 14% (176 votes). Garvey won second with 12%
(149 votes). Following were Reps. Porter (9% - 111 votes) and Schiff
(7% - 89 votes).
These results contrast with an Emerson College survey conducted
before the Feb. 20 debate that put Rep. Schiff in the lead at 28%,
followed again by Steve Garvey at 22%, next Rep. Porter at 16%, and
Rep. Lee at 9%. Only 13.4% of this poll’s respondents were in the 18 - 29
year-old age bracket. Comparatively, our poll indicates that Rep. Lee’s
support is concentrated greatly within the USF student body.
Students can register to vote on the California Voter Registration
Website, and can join USFVotes, USF’s largest election advocacy group
for a number of Super Tuesday events on Mar. 5.
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia Siegel,
Managing Editor: Jordan Premmer, Opinion Editor: Chisom Okorafor
Not Voting/
Ineligible 32%
Photo courtesy of Steve Garvey’s
official Senate campaign
Photo courtesy of Barbara Lee’s
official Senate campaign
Steve Garvey (R)
Steve Garvey is a former Major League
Baseball first baseman for the L.A.
Dodgers, who won the 1974 N.L. M.V.P
and was a World Series Champion in
1981. He is notably endorsed by Rep. Ken
Calvert of Corona.
Barbara Lee (D)
Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland represents
the 12th congressional district. Lee
is a former student volunteer for the
Black Panther Party, and she was the
only candidate to call for a ceasefire
in Gaza when questioned recently.
Lee is endorsed by S.F. Mayor London
Breed, and the California chapter of the
Democratic Socialists of America.
OPINION

10 11
THURSDAY
FEB. 29
2024
OPINION
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Foghorn Editors,
Thank you for engaging as an editorial board in USF’s critical work of redesigning USF’s core curriculum and inviting all
USF students to the table. Student input is key and the library stands with you and the entire student body as we move USF
forward. We applaud the focus on information literacy - specifically critical information literacy - as something USF students
must learn. As you point out in your February 01, 2024 Editorial:
“What skills and competencies are essential for a USF graduate to have acquired?” Though there were many options available,
the Foghorn believes that in the age of both increased access to knowledge, but also the rapid proliferation of critical
misinformation, information literacy is a critical skill that USF students must learn to be effective global citizens. Developing
this skill must be a focal point of the core curriculum.”
Gleeson Library has been and will continue to be at the forefront of information literacy skill building. At the core of our
work here in the library, we believe that information literacy empowers people to seek, evaluate, use and create information
effectively and Ethically.
Our hope is that students not only develop information literacy in their coursework, but also apply these skills after they
graduate. Our work is embedded in many of your courses already, and we have developed student learning outcomes for
these collaborations with faculty.
We are especially proud of the many partnerships we have with USF faculty to help build information literacy skills through
classes, library exhibits, workshops, and more. Gleeson Library is also very much invested in the curriculum; Librarians
serve on the Core Redesign Committee where we advocate tirelessly, like nearly all USF faculty, for the development and
support of information literacy skills in every student.
Simultaneously, we are working in partnership with many across campus to build a future-ready information literacy project
that reflects the skills and knowledge students need right now. This includes thoughtful, informed use of AI and large
language models, with the intention of equipping students with the skills they’ll need during their academic career and
after graduation.
We will ensure that Gleeson Library continues to be one of USF students’ most trusted partners in navigating the increasingly
complex information landscape and preparing students to be lifelong learners.
Sincerely,
Shawn P. Calhoun, Library Dean
Erika Johnson, Associate Dean for Collection Services
Annie Pho, Head of Instruction & Outreach
Claire Sharifi, Head of Reference & Research Services; Liaison to the School of Nursing & Health Professions
Editor’s Note: Managing Editor Jordan Premmer works at Gleeson Library.
Photo of Gleeson Library courtesy of USF’s website.
MEN’S BASKETBALL HONORS THEIR SENIORS
JORDAN MARALIT
Staff Writer
On the Hilltop last Saturday night, the Dons secured their 22nd
overall and 11th conference victory of the season with a 92-68 win
against the Pepperdine Waves after a pre-game tribute to the USF seniors.
The Senior Night ceremony highlighted guards Justin Bieker
and Jake Cioe, forwards Isaiah Hawthorne and Josh Kunen along
with center Volodymyr Markovetskyy.
Bieker played in 32 games for the Dons, played a career-high 15
minutes in the Dons first WCC game against the University of Pacific,
and won a NABC Honors Court for Academic Excellence award in the
2021-22 season.
Cioe joined as a walk-on player in 2021 and made his collegiate
debut on Nov. 13, 2022 against University of California, Merced.
Hawthorne started out as a redshirt player and has become an
integral part of the Dons’ program, playing an overall 58 games, and
hitting his career-high 20 points on six for nine shooting with five
three-pointers on Dec. 12, 2022 against the University of Hartford.
In an interview with the SF Standard, Hawthorne said, “I’ve
learned a lot since I’ve been here, on and off the court, and growing
up as a man.”
Kunen became one of the
most active members of the team,
as he made the single season record
tying eighth for playing 34
games in his junior year. He shot
a team-high and a career-high
44.8% from three-point range and
30 three-point field goals in his junior
season. He also notably made
the go-ahead three-point field goal
in double-overtime in the Dons’
2022-23 WCC quarterfinal win
against Santa Clara. In addition to
the win, Kunen ended his career at
the Hilltop on a high note becoming
the all-time leader in games
won for the program, with 99 wins.
Markoveskyy made an impact
as USF’s big man. He received the
WCC All-Academic Honorable
Mention in his junior year, appeared
in 57 games as a Don, and
averaged a career-high 3.5 points
and 1.9 rebounds in 8.4 minutes
per game.
Head Coach Chris Gerlufsen
said, “Our program values the relationships
and the bonds that are
forged over many years. These guys
mean a lot to me, and to us in the
locker room. They’ve been great
representations of what college
players should be, and respecting
our class at the university level.”
“I’m really proud of our
team,” he continued. “This was a
tough game that came off a tough
loss on Tuesday in Moraga [against
the St. Mary’s Gaels] in a game that
we expected to win and did not go
our way.”
Saturday’s game showcased
a notable performance from
junior forward Ndewedo ‘Chips’
Newbury being named as the Player of the Game after finishing with
19 points, five rebounds, three assists, one block and a steal on ninefor-12
shooting.
Newbury reflected on how to improve his game, saying, “I
definitely need to develop a more consistent three-point shot and defensive
rebounding.”
He added, “I definitely become more offensive minded rather than
defensively, I think the next step for me is to have the same motor as I
have on the other side of the basketball.”
Gerlufsen straightened the focus of the team saying, “We know
that we have to be at our best to compete and give ourselves a chance
to win.” He added, “We are trying to stay extremely shortsighted and
focus on what’s next. I think that’s been good for our team all year.”
The final game in San Francisco for the men’s basketball team will
take place this Thursday vs. the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Chase Center.
Doors will open at 7 pm and the game will start at 8 pm. Tickets are on
sale on the Chase Center website.
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia Siegel,
Managing Editor:Jordan Premmer, Sports Editor: Chase Darden
The senior members of the basketball team were greeted by friends and family and honored at midcourt pregame. Pictured
from left to right: Justin Bieker, Josh Kunen, Chris Gerlufsen, Jake Cioe, Isaiah Hawthorne, Volodymyr Markovetskyy. Photo
courtesy of @usfdonsmbb/Instagarm
SPORTS

12
THURSDAY
FEB. 29
2024
SPORTS
JOHN LINDROOS
Contributing Writer
FROM RIO TO THE BAY
Débora Dos Santos Dominates the Hilltop
Despite growing up in the soccer-crazed city of Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, Débora Dos Santos’ love for the less locally popular sport of
basketball shined through. She’s now reaching new heights as a starter
for the USF Women’s Basketball Team. This season, the senior forward
leads the West Coast Conference (WCC) in rebounding and is
ranked sixth in points per game.
Santos credits her rebounding ability as the main drive of her
game. “That has always been something I believe that I focus on,” she
said. Through her first two seasons with the Dons, Santos sat out the
entire 2021-2022 season with an ACL tear, and last season suffered a
hand injury that took her off the court for nearly two months. “This
season, I can finally be back the whole year, so I’m able to actually
Debora Dos Santos is taking the Hilltop by storm. Photo courtesy of Chris M. Leung/Dons Athletics
show that I can grab more rebound(s) and play more down there,” she
said. With Santos in her first injury-free season on the Hilltop, she has
been able to showcase her talent in full effect. “She is the heart of our
offense and can completely take over a game, other teams have to base
their defense around her,” said teammate Jasmine Gayles.
Santos said she was always interested in sports, and originally
started running track and field. When she was 13, during practice, she
saw a basketball team and asked her older brother, Israel, who played
on the men’s team, if she could play basketball. “I started from there
and since then, it has just been a huge part of my life,” she said.
While playing in Brazil, Santos said that opportunities for
basketball were more limited than in the United States. “We had only
three teams in the whole state,” she said. “So, if we wanted to play
basketball with different teams, we would have to travel. The Club
wouldn’t give us that much support financially… they would give
much more attention to soccer,” she said. “You had
to come up with money for our trips.”
Upon leaving Brazil, Santos was initially
shocked at the basketball culture in the United
States. “It was a totally different reality. We had
much more teams,” she said. “[For] my AAU [Amateur
Athletic Union travel] team, we went to a
tournament that had so many courts in one single
place, and I was just so amazed because I’ve never
seen any of that.” Before heading to USF, Santos
played high school basketball at Wasatch Academy
in Utah and played her first year of college in Levelland,
Texas at South Plains College.
Santos said she takes pride in knowing that
she is representing her country each time she steps
onto the court. “Not that many players that I played
with, or against, in Brazil had the opportunity to be
here. I just thank God because I can still be here.”
Santos said her family has played a big role in
keeping her motivated, especially her mom, Flávia.
“She’s a really hard-working person. She always had
the best advice for me,” Santos said. “She has been
through some stuff in her life and has always been
open to me about it. She is definitely one of my biggest
role models.”
Santos carries out that same support her mom
gives her towards her teammates, not only as a basketball
player but as a friend. “She is an incredibly
selfless, humble, and giving teammate that has
made everyone’s experience around her better,”
said Gayles. “It is one of my biggest blessings that
basketball brought us together.”
Teammate and guard Cami Fulcher added,
“After playing with her for three years now, she’s
someone who is one of my best friends and is a
great teammate. She gives her all to the team both
on and off the court.”
With two games left in the season, Santos and
the Dons hope to finish strong. Their last game is
on Saturday, Mar. 2 at 2 p.m., where they will face
off against the San Diego Toreros.
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy
Editor: Sophia Siegel, Managing Editor: Jordan Premmer,
Sports Editor: Chase Darden