VOL 120, ISSUE 16 - March 9th, 2023

SF FOGHORN
EST. 1903
03
SFFOGHORN.COM
FOGPOD
NEWS
Women lead climate
activism at USF.
05
@SFFOGHORN
SCENE OPINION SPORTS
Girl Gains makes room
for women in fitness.
THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2023 • VOL. 120, ISSUE 16
09
THE DRIVER ERA
Full story on page 8
We need to normlize
periods.
11
Coaches need more
compassion
DELIVERS AT DONAROO
(Bottom left and top right) Rocky Lynch and Ross Lynch of The Driver Era; (bottom right) Rayyana Sherif, Jalyn Correla, and Jasmine Munyui pose for CAB’S
photobooth. PHOTOS COURTESY OF DYLAN DIVINE-SICHERMAN/SLE MARKETING TEAM AND JORDAN PREMMER/SF FOGHORN
Inside: Women's History Month focused issue

02
THURSDAY
MAR 9,
2023
STAFF
SUBMISSION POLICY
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SAN FRANCISCO
FOGHORN
Freedom and Fairness
Editor in Chief
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STAFF EDITORIAL
WOMEN IN JOURNALISM
DESERVE OUR RESPECT
Journalism is
one of many industries
that has
historically excluded
women,
but gender diversity
in newsrooms
across the country
is on the rise.
With increased
diversity in newsrooms
comes increased
diversity
in stories, and a
healthier news
media overall.
Newsrooms are the most gender-diverse
they’ve ever been. Neiman Lab reported
that in 1971, women made up only 22%
of daily newspaper journalists, and 11% of
television journalists. But as of 2019, according
to the News Leaders Association’s
diversity survey, 41.8% of all newsroom
workers are women.
However, non-white women continue
to be underrepresented in newsrooms. In
a study conducted by the American Society
of News Editors across 661 newsrooms,
under 3% of their journalists were Black
women. Hispanic women and Asian women
both made up about 2%, and Native
American and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
women combined accounted for less than
1%. Although white women are a minority
compared to the men who dominate the
industry, they are better represented than
women of color.
While there has been an increase in female
journalists, there has not been an
increase in respect. In a 2022 study from
UNESCO, 73% of female journalists reported
receiving online harassment, and
25% received threats of physical violence.
Journalists who were women of color, or
LGBT identifying, experienced the highest
rates and most severe of online threats.
The lack of respect for female journalists
is so deeply imbued into our culture that it
has infiltrated popular media, which refuses
to take women in journalism seriously.
The clearest image some of our generation
might have of what it means to be a
female journalist comes from the poor caricatures
that plague Hollywood. Romantic
comedies like “How to Lose a Guy in Ten
Days” (2003) and “Trainwreck” (2015)
paint female journalists as fluffy writers
with little else to do than pursue a man
— who often ends up being their article’s
subject. As said in the Atlantic, sleeping
with sources is a tired trope that has been
hashed and rehashed ten times over. This
is especially egregious when real life journalists
are falsely portrayed this way, as the
late journalist Kathy Scruggs was in Clint
Eastwood’s 2019 film “Richard Jewell.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
It’s not that fluffy stories are inherently
bad, but they’re not all that female journalists
are capable of writing. Women have a
long history of making strides in journalism,
one that deserves a reputation beyond
Hollywood tropes.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett was a prominent
journalist in the late 19th century who
covered and spoke out about the horrible
lynchings Black Americans faced from their
white counterparts. Wells, who was born
into slavery, was one of the first journalists
to push back against white supremacy in
the press, which led to threats against her
life. She was a trailblazer, not only for women
but for her entire field, and was finally
honored by a Pulitzer prize posthumously
in 2020.
In 2017, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey
of the New York Times wrote a story that
changed womens’ lives for the better. The
piece, which detailed the experiences of several
women who were sexually harassed by
(formally successful) Hollywood producer
Harvey Weinstein, sparked the #MeToo
movement.
Last year, Politico recapped tangible
changes the #MeToo movement made for
women and other vulnerable groups and
other vulnerable groups. They reported
that, “Between 2017 and 2021, states introduced
2,324 #MeToo-related bills and
passed 286,” including bills championing
anti-harassment practices and pay equity.
Increasing female representation in journalism
means that women, who make up
about half of the world’s population, can
tell their stories on their own terms. Journalists
cover stories that will eventually
be referred to in history books, and they
should reflect the nuanced identities of the
cultures they represent.
Although women still face challenges
in journalism, trailblazers like Wells, Kantor,
Twohey, and so many others have set
the precedent that female journalists can
do great things. As a primarily female-led
publication, the Foghorn will continue to
uphold the values of great female journalists
before us and continue to pave the way for
this change to occur.
WOMEN AND THE CLIMATE JUSTICE
MOVEMENT AT USF
JORDAN DELFIUGO
Staff Writer
Women, especially women of color, have historically played an instrumental
role in environmental activism. For Women’s History Month, the Foghorn is
reflecting on how women at USF are forging a better future through intersectional
environmental activism on campus and beyond.
Since the 1970s, environmental researchers have recognized a coinciding
relationship between society’s exploitation of women and its exploitation of
the environment. In the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
a 17 item plan that outlines necessary steps for a more sustainable
future, gender equality is named as a “necessary foundation for a peaceful,
prosperous, and sustainable world.”
Media studies professor Dorothy Kidd has been involved in this movement
for most of her life, first participating in youth activism and research
in the 1970s. “There was this idea in the 1970s that not only did we need to
be feminist to change the world, but we needed to have an understanding of
changing the environment,” said Kidd.
Kidd continues to advocate for environmental justice through her research
on extractivism, the removal of large quantities of natural materials
for export. In addition to her research, Kidd centers environmental issues and
communications in her teaching.
Adrienne Johnson, an environmental studies professor, also works to
incorporate climate justice in her classes. “I’ve designed and taught a class
on gender and the environment and I really hope students take away that
environmental issues are highly political ones,” she said. “I employ an intersectional
lens, meaning I hope students walk away understanding how
your personal identity can shape to what extent you have access to a healthy
environment or not.”
Though climate change affects everyone, women are exceedingly vulnerable
to the effects of environmental destruction. Damage to the environment
puts women at an increased susceptibility to health ailments, such as malaria
and the Zika virus, which are linked to miscarriages and anemia in women.
Women are also spatially and socially affected by climate change. The
UN estimates that 80% of people displaced as a result of environmental destruction
are women. Additionally, a 2020 study published by the British
Medical Journal found that natural disasters increase the rate of gender-based
violence for women and girls. Johnson’s current research centers around missing
and murdered Indigenous women and girls and the oil extraction industry.
On campus, female students are also actively working to promote climate
justice. Hiveminders is a woman-led and BIPOC run environmental
student group that practices beekeeping on campus. Hiveminders President
and fourth-year environmental studies major Miya Stephanoff described the
Last semester’s Nature Immersion class at Point Reyes National Seashore. PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH WHITWAM
club as a “safe space for queer BIPOC students.”
Stephanoff said that mindfulness plays a central role in the club’s operations.
“It is simply a joyous and wholesome time, which is something necessary
but not often found,” she said. “Our club focuses on making those
joyous moments happen which is its own form of climate activism.”
Current research suggests that the practice of mindfulness can serve as
a form of environmental activism. According to the American Psychological
Association, the practice can help facilitate a stronger connection to the environment
and subsequently promote more sustainable behaviors.
Another woman and non-binary led student organization on campus
is BIPOC for the Environment. The club was started at USF in 2018 after
its founder, USF class of 2020 alumna Darla Mariduena, identified a lack of
diversity in USF’s environmental departments. The club works to expand the
presence of people of color in the environmental programs on campus, as well
as in the movement as a whole.
“It’s important to be educated and involved in order to salvage our communities
and our homes,” said Beatrice Johnson-Drysdale, third-year engineering
major and the club’s director of operations. “Women have a nurturing
and empathetic gift that we need more of in environmental activism if we
want to make our earth a more sustainable place.”
Other environmental clubs at USF, like the Environmental Engineering
and Science Club, and Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability
(SEEDS), are also led by women.
Outside of campus clubs, students like Rachel Struer, a fourth-year environmental
studies major, are highly involved in environmental activism.
Struer works in the Office of Sustainability and previously worked as a teaching
assistant for nature immersion, a class that promotes deepening people’s
connection to nature through class trips in Northern California.
The class is taught by environmental studies professor Kim Carfore, who
specializes in the relationship between women and the environment. “[Carfore]
focuses a lot of her work and in our class on slowing down and pulling
ourselves out of all the little distractions and different tugs that our modern,
technological, capitalist world teases us with,” Struer said. “[We] just back
into ourselves and then out into the real, tangible, beautiful world.”
Stephanoff also expressed admiration for Carfore and the female faculty
in the environmental studies department. “Novella Carpenter and Kim
Carfore are two professors who have inspired me to live with climate justice
close to my heart,” she said. “They encouraged me to find and listen to my
intuition which has already led me to connect with so many powerful women
on campus who all care so deeply for the environment.”
The empathetic influence of women in environmental activism is something
Struer said she admires. “[Women] focus on the fact that this place is
our home and we are all connected together,” she said. “It’s empathy that will
move us forward.”
03
NEWS

04
THURSDAY
MAR 9,
2023
USF MENA COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO
TURKEY-SYRIA EARTHQUAKES
GIRL GAINS EMPOWERS
WOMEN IN FITNESS
05
NEWS
AMINA ANSHASI
Staff Writer
After a series of devastating earthquakes shook Turkey and Syria
last month, the USF community has been mobilizing relief efforts and
extending support to the affected communities.
A week after the initial earthquake, the University Ministry held
a vigil in Privett Plaza. Reverend Dr. Ronné Wingate Sims helped organize
the vigil which saw about 25 people in attendance. Sims recalled
the events of the vigil in an interview, describing the mood to be “somber
but hopeful,” explaining that “disasters like this are a time for us
to rise to the highest level of humanity possible to serve one another.”
After opening in prayer, the Ministry extended their condolences
to the lives lost in the earthquakes, and expressed their solemn hope
that more people would be found alive.
Over 50,000 people across Turkey and Syria died after the earthquakes
struck the region. As bodies are still being identified and pulled
from the rubble, the number of deaths continues to increase. The original
quake struck in the early morning hours of February 6, and clocked
in at 7.8 on the Richter scale, a quantitative measure of an earthquake’s
size. In the following hours and days, hundreds of aftershocks were
recorded, some with magnitudes as large as 6.7.
Rescue teams from across the globe flew in to save people from the
rubble and international relief efforts began collecting funds, clothing,
food, and other supplies to support the displaced and affected.
Bati Ozcan, associate director of USF Athletics and a Turkish native,
spoke at the vigil. Ozcan survived the 7.4 earthquake that struck
Turkey in 1999, making this disaster especially near to him. Ozcan’s
family in Turkey was safe after the recent earthquake.
The University Ministry distributed slips of dissolvable paper to
Ari Acheckzai and Tiffany Boudagin table with MENA to raise funds and awareness for those affected by the earthquakes. PHOTO
COURTESY OF THE USF MENA CLUB
the vigil attendees to write prayers. The prayers were collected, dissolved
in water, and poured into a plant. Reverend Sims explained how
this served to illustrate that as the water nourished life here, in San
Francisco, the prayers would hopefully nourish life in the affected areas
of Turkey and Syria.
That following Sunday, Feb. 19, USF’s liturgy team organized
prayers for a student-led mass and accepted donations for the affected
regions. However, many USF community members sought out more
ways to support the relief efforts.
USF’s Middle East/North African Club (MENA) hosted a student-led
table outside of Lo Schiavo. Both MENA’s leadership and
members of the club tabled from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every school day between
Feb. 15 and 24 to help students learn more about the catastrophe
and donate directly to relief funds.
“It was without hesitation that we knew we wanted and needed
to organize informational tables that helped to gain donations and
spread awareness about the earthquakes,” said MENA president Jared
Bisbikis, a fourth-year international studies major. Bisbikis described
wanting to reflect the fact that “USF has a diverse community which
includes Turkish and Syrian students whose families and friends and
community have been affected by this catastrophe.”
One such student is Defne Sagdic, a fourth-year psychology major.
Sagdic, a Turkish student, described feeling emotional after hearing
news of the earthquakes, but immediately wanted to jump into action
and get involved with relief efforts. Sagdic began working with various
organizations on and off campus, including MENA, UC Berkeley's
Turkish Student Association and UC Berkeley, and various Turkish
communities around the Bay Area to coordinate donation sites.
Moving forward, Sagdic encourages students to educate themselves
on the situation and consider donating or getting involved in
organizations, both on and off campus
that are aiding the affected communities.
Sarah Tinawi, a third-year
psychology major, who has relatives
and friends affected by the earthquakes
also advises USF community
members to participate in upcoming
campus events to support relief efforts
and raise awareness, including
a collaborative educational campaign
being worked on by students, faculty,
and school organizations.
This campaign is being kicked
off with a vigil that will be held today,
March 9, from 12 to 1 p.m., in Privett
Plaza to honor the lives lost. Another
event students can check out is the
baklava sale on March 27 from 10:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the University
Center undercaf, a joint fundraiser between
MENA, Arab Student Union,
Muslim Student Association, and the
Iranian Student Union. All the funds
will go directly to Turkish and Syrian
relief.
On behalf of MENA, Bisbikis
reminded the USF community that,
“The death toll continues to grow daily
and resources, particularly funds,
are continuing to be needed. If you
are able, we encourage even the smallest
donation. Additionally encouraging
organizations on and off-campus
as well as our institution to raise
awareness and make donations to the
affected communities.”
Girl Gains USFCA celebrates the second anniversary of the club with fellow chapters. PHOTO COURTESY OF GIRLGAINSUSFCA ON INSTAGRAM
SAMANTHA MARQUEZ
Staff Writer
Noticing that you are the only woman in the weight room at a gym
can be intimidating. According to Women’s Health Magazine, one in three
women feel out of place in a gym setting. Enter Girl Gains, a student organization
that promotes female weightlifting and empowerment in fitness.
Girls Gains was originally created at San Diego State University by
then-undergraduate Elizabeth Bradley in 2020 for women with a passion for
fitness. Since then, the club gained over 10,000 followers on social media and
has opened up 83 chapters across the country, including one on the Hilltop.
USF’s chapter was founded in August 2022 by Mia Dawes, who graduated
with a marketing degree last semester, and is open to women with a drive for
fitness looking for a judgment-free space.
Girl Gains USF has planned multiple events such as boxing class events,
lifting buddy group socials, meetings with professional nutritionists, and
group sessions with a personal trainer at Koret Health Center.
Lifting buddy group socials are used for new and recurring members of
Girl Gains to find a gym partner to motivate each other and lift each other
up through those tough workouts. Recently, Girl Gains USF partnered with
Rumble Boxing Group Fitness to do a social event at the studio location in
Cow Hollow.
Zuri Vera Nunez, a fourth-year psychology major and co-marketing director
of Girl Gains, said she grew up as a competitive dancer and faced
scrutiny over her body type. “The industry promotes unhealthy body size expectations
and is predominantly white. As someone who identifies as Latina
and has a curvy body type, I was never able to deeply appreciate my body,”
she said.
Her journey with weightlifting started in 2021, when she was unable
to participate in dance during the pandemic, but she still felt insecure about
herself at the gym. “I was afraid of asking anyone how to use a machine…
I was afraid of how people would perceive me,” she said. Nunez joined Girl
Gains in 2022 and immediately found her place. “I felt both empowered in
myself and hopeful about building a community of women to process the
barriers that we face collectively,” she said. “Everytime I hit a new personal
record, I felt empowered, uplifted, limitless.”
Amrit Kaur, a senior marketing major and member of Girl Gains, goes
to Crunch Daly City, where she self-taught her workout routine, slowly easing
into the routine until she was most comfortable. “It was definitely gym
growing pains. There were days that I didn’t even want to be in the weight
room, because I was the only girl, and I felt as if I didn’t belong, when really,
there shouldn’t be a reason to feel like that,” she said.
She said Girl Gains events, like a group weightlifting workout that focused
on proper and safe form, inspired her to join the group. “It was an
empowering experience and I liked working out with all the girls. They spoke
about their experience in the gym, and it was just nice to hear that I wasn’t
the only one feeling alone.”
The weightroom could seem very daunting if you are going about it
alone, so the members of Girl Gains are there to help and support you every
step of the way. As Nunez said, “[Girl Gains] gets it - they understand the
feelings and thoughts of being in the weight room, but I think because of
that, we don’t judge anyone, we welcome everyone to our indoor and outdoor
events, and make sure to support all your goals.”
To join or support Girl Gains and their events, follow their Instagram account
@girlgainsusfca.
SCENE

06
THURSDAY
MAR 9,
2023
A COLLEGE STUDENT’S GUIDE
TO COMFORT MEALS
07
SAMANTHA MARQUEZ
Staff Writer
SCENE
Diana Silva-Corral - Pasta with Lemon Chicken
Zoe Wang, a second-year psychology major, shared a social media hit recipe of Chinese
peanut sesame noodles. You can whip up this dish for just $8.
To make: Boil noodles according to package instructions. While boiling, mix together
soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, peanut butter, sesame paste, sugar, oyster sauce, chili
oil, garlic, and ginger. Once noodles are cooked, pour noodles and noodle water into the
sauce until desired consistency. Top with green onions, sesame seeds, or personalize it
with your favorite toppings.
Wang learned this recipe from her grandmother, or nai nai in Mandarin. “Because
I grew up mixed, I found a lot of connection to my Chinese heritage through cooking,
and I was able to feel more connected to my grandparents when they taught me their
recipes,” she said.
Wang’s father is a professional chef. Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she channeled
all her free time into cooking. She said, “I use cooking as a form of relaxation… the
satisfaction of seeing a dish come together well really provides a sense of fulfillment that
I think anyone could benefit from.”
Joshu a Esk o w - P oke B o wl
If you’re like me, you’re daunted by recipes. Strolling down the aisles of Trader
Joe’s and scanning different ingredients with no idea what to make with them makes
you anxious. Cookbooks seem too intimidating with your limited college kitchen. Especially
with midterms around the corner and essay deadlines piling up, many college
students just want a quick and easy meal. These circumstances pose the question: what
are college-friendly recipes?
Diana Silva-Corral, a second-year politics major, shared her go-to meal: gourmet
tomato pasta with lemon pepper chicken. All ingredients are available at Trader Joe’s,
totaling about $20.
To make: Cook your pasta of choice in boiling water, and prep chicken breasts with
seasonings while pasta is cooking. Put a full tablespoon of salted butter in a heated pan.
Add the well-seasoned chicken breasts into the pan and continue squeezing more lemon
juice so it doesn’t dry and so the lemon flavor stays in the chicken after cooking. Drain
pasta, add butter to the pasta pot and pour the pasta back in. Cut a handful of cherry tomatoes
in half or little squares and sprinkle some Italian seasoning. Add Gournay cheese
into buttered pasta. Add a splash of fat-free milk and the chopped cherry tomatoes into
pasta with the cheese and mix. Add chicken and parmesan.
Silva-Corral has always had a passion for cooking, which originally stemmed from
her parents and grandparents. “I’ve been blessed with a family of great cooks,” she said.
“I grew up watching them do their own recipes and helping every time in the kitchen
however I could.”
Zoe Wang - Sesame Noodles
An easy way to ensure you always have a meal on the go is to meal-prep your
favorite dish. Joshua Eskow, second-year critical diversity studies major, shared with
me his recipe for an ahi tuna pokè bowl. The ingredients cost around $40. However,
the recipe makes more than ten bowls, making each dish about $4 each, and giving
students weeks of a delicious on-the-go meal.
To make: Marinate one ahi tuna cut with some soy sauce, red chili flakes,
minced garlic, fresh ginger, teriyaki sauce, and sesame oil. Let it sit for a bit in the
fridge, or even overnight to make the next day, then sear the ahi tuna on both sides
for two minutes (the inside should be pink while the outside has a nice sear around
it). Finally, put it on top of some cooked rice and add any toppings you’d like, from
avocado to cucumber slices, or even pineapple chunks or kewpie mayo.
Eskow learned this meal from his history of saving money on food before college.
“I have always been a conserver of money as my family did grow up in the struggling
middle class, I started making meals at the age of five with my grandma.” He took over
the kitchen at home after his grandmother’s passing, trying to develop his cooking and
baking skills. Eskow has many passions, but cooking has been a sense of relaxation
for him. “I hope you try to replicate or make your own type of styled poké creation!”
Editor’s note: all recipes can be found on sffoghorn.com.
Color stained Sanjeev Varma, Arni Kulkarni, and Rafiah Shariz couldn’t contain their excitement for Holi. PHOTO COURTESY OF SANJEEV VARMA
HOLI CELEBRATION BRINGS
COLOR TO THE HILLTOP
RAFIAH SHIRAZ
Contributing Writer
As a first-year student at USF, I did not know what to expect from USF’s
celebration of Holi, or, more importantly, what to wear. I knew that soon
enough, I would be covered head to toe in red, orange, green, blue, and yellow
powders.
Last week, the USF Indian Student Organization hit the Hilltop with
Holi — an annual cultural festivity that welcomes the upcoming spring and
casts away bad energy. During Holi celebrations, people toss brightly colored
powder at each other, each color symbolizing a prosperity like love or happiness.
The organizers offered attendees multiple colored powders to play with,
as well as snacks and refreshing lassi drinks. Students ran around playing tag
and chasing each other with buckets of water on the Lone Mountain East
lawn. People threw Holi snowballs — made by combining colorful powder
with water — while screaming “Happy Holi!”
Growing up, I was limited in my knowledge of Holi, but would look
forward to it anyway because it was the only time I could make a mess around
my house without getting in trouble. I grew up in New York, and since Holi
is always celebrated in March, it would be freezing. Instead of celebrating
Holi outdoors, we would have family gatherings indoors with lots of food,
drinks, and baby powder.
Celebrating Holi at USF was refreshing and fun, especially since I’m far
away from home and family in New York. Like the sneak attacks from my
cousins and siblings growing up, my peers crept up on me and covered me in
many different colors. In Hindu culture, there’s a saying that goes: “Bura na
mano, Holi hai!” Which translates to, “Do not mind, it’s Holi!” This makes
pranks, sneak attacks, and other playfulness acceptable.
Holi festivals date back to the 4th century CE. While there are many
stories behind the origins of Holi I’ll tell you one of my favorites: the story
of Krishna and Radha. In Hindu mythology, the god and goddess Krishna
and Radha inspired the celebration of Holi as a result of their love. Krishna
was poisoned as a baby and turned permanently blue and feared that Radha
would not love him because of his skin color. However, Krishna’s mother
suggested that he playfully put some colors on Radha’s face, and Radha fell
in love with him for his pranks and playfulness. Thus, the festival of colors
became tradition.
Students who had never celebrated Holi before, like first-year biology
major Peter Orsmand, said that they learned a lot and had a great time. “I
did not know Holi existed, to be honest,” Orsmand said. “There’s so much
color, I just enjoy it. It’s artistic in some way.”
Others felt excited to continue celebrating a familiar holiday. Arni
Kulkarni, a first-year psychology major said, “Holi means fun for me. It's
such a fun way to celebrate my culture and be around people who are like me,
and be safe in a fun space.” First-year performing arts and social justice major
Sanjeev Varma said having a Holi festival at USF made him feel at home. “It's
one of those holidays that I loved sharing with my friends growing up,” he
said. “It made me feel welcome and seen.”
SCENE

08
THURSDAY
MAR 9,
2023
DONAROO CONTINUED
PERIOD PRODUCTS
SHOULD NOT BE LUXURY GOODS
09
SCENE
The Driver Era give their final bow on the Hilltop. PHOTO COURTESY OF DYLAN DIVINE-SICHERMAN/SLE MARKETING TEAM
JORDAN PREMMER & TALEAH JOHNSON
Staff writers
Vocal chords were shot, bodies were left sore from dancing, and two bras
were thrown at Donaroo on Saturday.
This year the Campus Activity Board (CAB) invited alternative rock
sibling duo, The Driver Era to headline the Hilltop’s annual concert. Compton-based
rapper Buddy opened the show along with the two-time winner of
CAB’s student DJ competition, DJ Muze.
According to some Lone Mountain East residents, screaming could
be heard all the way across campus when The Driver Era stepped on stage.
Brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch emerged in red lighting along with their
backing band toting electric guitars and broad smiles. With matching bejeweled
cowboy hats — a hand crafted gift from CAB — they sailed through
their newest album, “Summer Mixtape.” Cowboy hats are recurring features
at Driver Era concerts — fans often bring them for the duo to wear on stage.
The Hilltop practically melted as a collective as students screamed “I
love you Ross,” and the room boomed with chants for Rocky, the more introverted
of the duo. Several times throughout their set, The Driver Era used
covers as bridges in their songs. High-energy “Heart of Mine” had a brief but
groovy interlude with “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” originally performed
by Drake, and “Malibu” was paired with Ginuwine’s sultry “Pony.” Every so
often, Ross would dip into the pit and hug his mom, who watched proudly
from the front row.
Though doors opened at 6:30 p.m., students were camped outside of the
entrance in their best outfits as early as 5:00 p.m. CAB sold over 1,000 tickets
for the show, nearly twice the size of last year’s Donaroo.
Wearing a cowboy hat, first-year computer science major Aria Srivasta
was among the first to arrive at the War Memorial gym with her friends.
Srivasta pointed to her friends as being the main reason for arriving so early.
“They’re huge fans. Huge fans,” she said as her friends giggled in embarrassment.
As soon as the doors opened, people ran with their friends to secure spots
close to the stage.
Fourth-year sociology major Destiny Camarillo was in the front row
wearing a delicate, silver tiara for her birthday. The Driver Era was her second
most listened to artist on her Apple Music Replay, and she was beaming. “The
Driver Era is literally my favorite band. I’ve been a huge Ross fan since his
Twitter brunette era in 2017.” When asked how she felt having The Driver Era
at USF, she declared, “It feels like the best birthday gift ever.”
The show’s openers heightened the already buoyant energy in the room.
Students learned the electric slide with Buddy, who opened the event.
Stumbling over each other, students slid from side to side, ad libbing “Go
Buddy, go Buddy go!” in harmony. “Thank you for the love,” Buddy said to
the crowd in between songs.
DJ Muze, also known as second-year finance major Donny Musleh, was
the winner of CAB’s student DJ competition and opened for the show for
the second year in a row. Playing a mix of contemporary songs from genres
ranging from hip hop to house, DJ Muze warmed the crowd up for a night
of fun. The crowd broke into dance when they heard songs like Lil Uzi Vert’s
“Just Wanna Rock” and Lil Jon’s “Snap Yo Fingers.”
During a phone interview the next day, Musleh said that he loved being
in a room where everybody “just wants to have a good time and share live
music.”
USF’s dance team,VarCity, gave an electric performance in between sets.
“I am thankful to CAB for getting artists that I admire to be here,” said
second-year media studies major Laura Stevenson after her first performance
with VarCity. “When Buddy walked by and said, ‘Y'all ate’ I was like ‘OMG.’
It’s really special to be recognized by a bigger talent.”
In between spells of dancing and posting Instagram stories, students
lined up to pose with friends in CAB’s sparkly photo booth.
For some, this was their very last chance to experience Donaroo before
they graduate. Emily Marcelino, a fourth-year nursing major, danced the
night away with her friends for the last time at USF. “It’s really bittersweet,”
she said. “I love just being together since we’re all seniors. It’s really sad leaving,
but I’ve had the best time here.”
After the show, fans waited outside of the gym in front of The Driver
Era’s van, cheering for them as they walked out. Their screams echoed
throughout campus, marking the end of a fun evening before the start of
midterms.
ANALICIA PARISH is a
second-year advertising
major.
After a few years, most menstruators know
the ins and outs of their flow all too well. However,
many of us still face economic and social
barriers when it comes to taking care of ourselves.
Policies like the tampon tax present the
larger issue of period poverty, and menstruators’
healthcare continues to be inadequate because
of the stigma around the topic.
The American Medical Women's Association
defines period poverty as “inadequate access
to menstrual hygiene tools and education,
including but not limited to sanitary products,
washing facilities, and waste management.” Period
poverty is partially caused by the shame
around menstruation and a lack of accessible
educational information. According to the
2021 State of the Period report commissioned
by Thinx and PERIOD, 84% of students in the
U.S. have missed class or know someone who’s
missed class because they couldn’t access menstrual
products.
In seventh grade, I got my period at my grandpa’s house where there
weren’t any pads or tampons. After making due with toilet paper for three
days, it was clear that I needed to tell my grandpa. Embarrassed, I called my
mom, and she called my grandpa. Our trip to CVS was unpleasant, but he
respected my privacy and had my back. When we got there he told me to grab
anything I needed as he distracted my brothers. I must have been radiating
discomfort, because a middle-aged woman asked if I needed help. Flustered,
I muttered, “No thanks,” grabbed the first package my hand went to and sped
toward the register.
Despite how uncomfortable the
situation was, I feel very privileged
to have gone through it with the support
of my mom, my grandpa, and
even the random lady at the store. I
didn’t want to admit it at the time,
but I was relieved about the advice,
kindness and privacy they provided.
Many aren’t able to go on awkward
CVS trips because of period
poverty. Some countries, like the
United States, tax sanitary products
as luxury goods, according to the
Alliance for Period Supplies. This is
known as the “tampon tax.” In the
United States the tax can go up to
7%, and up to 20% in some countries
in the European Union.
But menstrual products are not
a luxury — they are a necessity to
maintain basic hygiene. The 2021
State of the Period report found that
“16% [of menstruators] have chosen
to buy period products over food or
clothes” and that low-income college
students of color are “most impacted.”
Menstruation is often an uncomfortable
and painful time of
the month. According to the Mayo
Clinic, symptoms of premenstrual
syndrome (PMS) include but are
not limited to constipation, diarrhea,
joint and muscle pains, uncontrollable
mood swings, social withdrawal,
and an increase in anxious or
depressed moods. At the very least,
menstruators should be able to easily
acquire products that can make this difficult time easier to manage.
Those who struggle with painful menstruation are still expected to accomplish
their daily responsibilities, such as work and school. Period stigma
prevents open discourse on the topic, and menstruators often receive undeserved
criticism on their ability to concentrate or their quality of work. A
study conducted in India by the National Library of Medicine found that
45% of menstruators experienced concentration problems at school while on
their period, but those who used disposable pads as opposed to cloth were
39% less likely to report problems of concentration at school.
Discrimination in academia and the workplace creates a cycle that prevents
opportunities for menstruators, and globalized sexism places another
barrier on top of the tampon tax. According to the Global Citizen, women
are at a socioeconomic disadvantage due to the gender pay gap, and “earn less
than men across all regions by an average of 23%,” making it harder still to
afford period products. By eliminating the tax, we can work toward a more
equitable future for menstruators.
Advocates for menstrual equality such as ​Chris Bobel, a professor of
gender and sexuality at the University of Massachusetts Boston, note that
the first step to ending period poverty is for the government to recognize
period products as a basic need that everyone, regardless of socioeconomic
status, should be provided with. Normalizing conversations about menstruation
will help change cultural attitudes, debunk menstruation myths, and
encourage empathy towards menstruators’ experiences. NPR reported that
after UNICEF distributed an educational comic about periods in Indonesia,
“Knowledge that menstruation is a normal process jumped from 81% to 97%
in girls and from 61% to 89% in boys.”
When cultural attitudes start to change, systemic policies like the tampon
tax have a better chance of changing. Too often, we are made to feel like
a burden while menstruating, but our bodies are not the issue — people’s
ability to talk about periods is.
GRAPHIC BY MILLY TEJEDA/GRAPHICS CENTER
OPINION

10
THURSDAY
MAR 9,
2023
AN ODE TO GIRLHOOD
SPORTS OPINION
11
OPINION
OLIVER RIVER SA-
TALICH is a first-year
environmental studies
major.
I am not a woman, but girlhood lives in me
— ribbons of femininity were woven through
me as a child and taught me who I am.
For me, girlhood is synonymous with
childhood because it is the only chapter of my
life in which I was a girl. I was raised with the
expectation that I would become a woman, and
even though I didn’t, the lessons I learned from
girlhood are still embedded into my life.
My girlhood was uninhibited, wild, and
free. I hadn’t yet internalized the world’s misogyny,
and I wasn’t bound to the expectations of
being a “proper” girl — not that I ever tried to
be proper. To me, girlhood was raising butterflies,
swinging in rhythm with your best friend,
and making “potions” out of twigs and leaves.
When I was a girl, with dirty blonde hair
and a fear of monkey bars, I was unafraid of acting
strange. I made weird jokes and read “Warrior
Cats” and pretended my friends and I had
fairy wings. We jumped off bark chip piles that seemed as tall as mountains
— we could fly. I dyed my hair for the first time at eight years old, and have
almost always had color in it since. When I was little, I never cared what
clothes or shoes I wore or what section they came from, just that they fit. The
things that made me weird brought me joy, regardless of how people looked
at me.
I know now, after a lot of trial and error, that I’m nonbinary, an identity
under the transgender umbrella — I use they/them and he/him pronouns.
For years after coming out, I dressed as masculine as possible to try and
correct the gender dysphoria I was experiencing. Every time someone used
my birth name or used she/her pronouns to refer to me, it felt like my lungs
were collapsing.
I was 12 years old when I cut my hair, bought new clothes, and left my
girlhood behind. But she followed me, dancing in my shadow, singing in my
laughter. I shunned her at first, desperate to learn who I truly was. I thought
that acknowledging my girlhood would make people think I was still a girl,
so I needed to separate myself from her in order to get to know myself better.
When I was almost 16, the world shut down for COVID-19 and I spent
my time at home, where there was no society to act out gender for. I stopped
cutting my hair, and over two years it grew to the longest it had been since I
was 12. I liked it. It reminded me not of the discomfort that I had previously
associated with my girlhood, but the freedom of expression and delicateness
of femininity. French braiding my hair for the first time since middle school
was like coming home, back to the kitchen table where my mom taught me
how to braid.
Now, at 18, I am confident enough in myself that I can look back at my
girlhood and acknowledge what she taught me. The wonder that allowed
my imagination to roam free still lingers. My passion for learning has stuck
around since the days of teaching myself cursive. I play pretend on the weekends
with my friends at our virtual Dungeons & Dragons sessions.
Girlhood is about experiencing the simple joys life has to offer and being
your unfiltered self. Although things are more complicated now, stripping life
back to the wonder and dreams of my youth remains a staple of my self-discovery
and growth.
I am exceedingly privileged in the scope of trans people’s experiences,
being that I’m white, have a supportive family, and live in a state where my
rights are protected, but I am scared of what’s to come. Conservative politics
are gaining traction across the country, and are calling for what one conservative
news host called the “preposterous ideology” of “transgenderism” to
be “eradicated.”
The girl I used to be never backed down from a challenge, and neither
will I. She taught me to fight, to be loud, to be bizarre.
I gained wonder and determination from my girlhood — what did you
learn from yours?
GRAPHIC BY MADI REYES/GRAPHICS CENTER
COMPASSION IN COACHING COUNTS
The “Zen Master,” Phil Jackson, at work. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
SOPHIA MCCRACKIN
Staff Writer
Take some Advil, keep your head down, keep playing, and most importantly,
win. For thousands of athletes, coaches preaching the gospel of
victory over all else has pushed them to compete on fractured bones, practice
through sickness, and train in the aftermath of significant trauma. For many,
losing simply isn’t an option.
“Old fashioned” coaching tactics, including blaming, belittling, and undermining
athletes have been the default mindset in sports for a long time,
but athletes have begun speaking out. The Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology
reported that such coaching tactics, while common, “may lead to negative
consequences for athletes, such as high levels of anxiety and depression.”
As athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka open the discussion
about the mental toll that sports take, the role of a coach in an athlete’s
mental health has risen to the surface. A 2021 NCAA survey found that just
53% of college athletes say their coaches take their mental health concerns
seriously. Similarly, 22% of female athletes and 15% of male athletes listed
their relationship with their coach as a major factor negatively affecting their
mental health.
Here at USF, coaching scandals have plagued the athletics department.
In March 2022, the San Francisco Chronicle published an article on the filing
of a class action lawsuit against two USF baseball coaches, who were later
fired. That lawsuit, originally filed by three anonymous players, has grown to
include 12 current and former USF baseball players. The following summer,
another lawsuit concerning abusive coaching came to light, this time filed
against USF women’s basketball coach Molly Goodenbour. USF isn’t alone
either. In January, St. Mary’s College fired their winningest women’s basketball
coach of all time after an internal investigation.
These lawsuits and whistleblowing point to the change in coaching culture
that is needed across the country.
Coaching requires awareness of athletes as whole people, beyond athletics.
To protect athletes, player-coach relationships need to include positive reinforcement,
healthy boundaries of communication outside of practice, and
space for athletes to grow from their mistakes.
Phil Jackson, the most successful coach in NBA history, and an inductee
into the NBA Hall of Fame as a player, had a famously unique approach to
cooling the adrenaline and ego fueled culture of a professional sports team.
Jackson worked his entire coaching career to fuse mindfulness and meditation
into the routines of all his players. Jackson saw the big picture, the way that
life and basketball intertwined for his players, and he strove to make them
better in both regards. Between asking his players to read Herman Hesse’s
“Siddhartha” and teaching them to meditate, Jackson earned the nickname
the “Zen Master.” The unconventionality in Jackson’s coaching has changed
not just the world of basketball, but the world of sports. His contributions
have made Jackson widely regarded as the greatest coach of all time.
Coaches should have an ethical responsibility to care for their players
and not abuse the unique power they have over the minds and bodies of their
team. Tough love has a time and a place, and the best coaches should be able
to read their players and know when punishment is not helping them grow.
Dr. Laura Miele, an expert in sports psychology and coaching consulting
wrote in Psychology Today that “When an athlete is in an environment
where they can take risks or make an error without being reprimanded, it
helps them grow. Athletes learn by their mistakes, just as coaches learn by
their mistakes” With a conscientious approach to coaching, a 2021 study
found that “athletes who feel valued and understood by others (e.g., elements
of the team) performed better and presented higher levels of psychological
well-being, and lower levels of perceived stress.”
Sports are meant to push the limits of physical exertion and mental
toughness. However, when coaches do not respect their players' well-being,
players may make unnecessary and dangerous sacrifices to their health that
no game is worth. Coaches who value their players more than they value the
game are far too scarce. As we look to the future of sports, we ought to be
looking for coaches with compassion, as well as impressive drive and experience.
SPORTS

12
THURSDAY
MAR 9,
2023
DONS PLAYER PROFILE: RUBY SMEE
JOHN PAOLO
Staff Writer
SPORTS
Fourth-year distance runner Ruby Smee is one the most accomplished athletes
in the history of the cross country and track and field program at USF. She is the first
person to consecutively qualify for the NCAA Track and Field National Championships
in school history, holds the school record for the 3,000 meter run with a time
of 9:04.93, was named All-American in 2021 for her 34th place performance in the
NCAA cross country championship, and received the Anne Dolan Award from USF
for her 2021-2022 season, an award honoring the female student athlete of the year
at the school. Those are just a few of the many achievements she has racked up in the
two years she has been eligible to compete at USF.
Running has always been a part of Smee’s life. “Both my parents have run since
they were teenagers and they still run to this day… so I just naturally fell into it,” she
said. Although she had a lot of success running in high school, what made her fall in
love with the sport is how it builds community. “[Running] is really social. I’ve met a
lot of my friends, especially here [at USF], through it… You can be really vulnerable
with people on those [long runs], and get to know each other really well,” said Smee.
Growing up in Tasmania, Australia, Smee “took a shot in the dark” when deciding
to come to USF. “When I moved here, I’d never been to the United States
before… it was a big risk,” Smee said to the Foghorn. Thanks to the diversity of San
Francisco and its unique landscape, the move was not as much of a culture shock
as Smee expected. Her only surprise was how intense academics are in the United
States, “[School] just seems smaller scale and less intense in Australia,” she said. Smee
has been able to adjust, as she was named a member of the all-academic team by the
U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association in 2022.
Smee first came to USF in 2019, but was ineligible to compete because of the
school credit requirements the NCAA has, meaning she was forced to redshirt, forgoing
the season but saving her year of eligibility. Then with the COVID-19 pandemic
preventing any chance of her competing in 2020, Smee was already halfway through
her undergrad before she had the opportunity to race.
“When I found out that I wasn’t allowed to race at all, it was really hard, because
that’s why I came here… but looking back, I think it’s been a good thing because I
was able to mature a bit before I ended up competing,” said Smee.
Smee hopes to run professionally after her time in college. She emphasized that
as long as she is consistent and continues to push towards new PRs, she believes she
can accomplish her professional running goals and get a chance to compete in the
Olympics. Smee is graduating this semester but with two more years of collegiate
eligibility, she still has plenty of time before entering the pro scene.
Ruby Smee is one of USF’s top female athletes. PHOTOS
COURTESY OF CHRIS M. LEUNG/DONS ATHLETICS