ISSUE 22 FINAL

SF FOGHORN
EST. 1903
NEWS
03
Cuts announced
to PASJ music
concentration.
NIKI SEDAGHAT, INÉS VENTURA, MEGAN
ROBERTSON, PHEBE BRIDGES, CHASE DARDEN,
& SOPHIA SIEGEL
Staff Writers
USF’s “People’s University” student encampment for Gaza
has been a presence on campus for nine days, accumulating
nearly 100 tents on Welch Field, at the time of print. USF’s
campus has witnessed many demonstrations in solidarity with
Palestinians since Oct. 2023, however, this encampment marks
USF’s largest and longest student demonstration for Gaza.
Welch Field’s typically idle expanse is now filled with
tents, signs expressing solidarity with Palestinians, an “ofrenda”
(altar) for victims of the war and a long canvas bulletin of
the encampments’ demands for USF administration pinned to
the field’s largest tree.
SFFOGHORN.COM
SCENE
09
Exclusive
interview with Fizz
moderator.
@SFFOGHORN
OPINION
11
THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2024 • VOL. 121, ISSUE 22
According to the encampment’s media representative,
a third-year student who has been active in demonstrations
since Oct. 2023 and has been granted anonymity due to safety
concerns, for organizers to disband the encampment, their demands
need to be met by the administration.
What is happening at the encampment?
Organizers utilize the @usfcastudents4palestine Instagram
account to communicate with students and community
members information about their movement.
At the beginning of each day since the encampment’s establishment,
the account has posted a schedule outlining the
day’s events, often including guest speakers, political grounding
sessions, wellness and community circles and prayer sessions.
There are designated times for breakfast, lunch and
dinner, commonly prepared or donated by members of the
FOGPOD
Importance of
pro-Palestinian
student activism.
Columbia University was the first U.S. campus to establish an encampment for Gaza on Apr. 17. USF’s People’s University
follows in their example. Photo by Samantha Avila Griffin/SF Foghorn.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
SPORTS
12
USF Baketball
announces
recruiting class.
USF STUDENT ACTIVISTS ESTABLISH
A “PEOPLE’S UNIVERSITY”

02 03
THURSDAY
MAY 9
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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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Dear Readers,
It’s hard to believe we’ve come to the end of the year. Since August, here at
the Foghorn we have published a total of 223 articles throughout our 22 issues.
This year’s news section has been marked by coverage of student protest
and solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, as exemplified by the in-depth reporting
in this issue. I am immensely proud of the Foghorn’s journalists and
their commitment to truth in reporting on war and genocide. Our news section
has further investigated an anonymous petition of no confidence against
President Paul Fitzgerald, S.J., in addition to covering numerous political
events in San Francisco.
In our scene section, we’ve covered concerts, interviewing artists like
Doechii and Kamaiyah. We have attended the Chinese New Year Parade, the
reopening of Presentation Theater and the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music
festival.
Students and community members have voiced their opinions in our paper
on everything from bringing the African National Congress to USF to the
importance of reforming Greek life. Opinion Editor Chisom Okorafor brought
back polls to the Foghorn, asking students about topics such as President Joe
Biden’s TikTok Ban, Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)
and students’ religious affiliations.
We’ve developed a team of deputy sports writers and photographers committed
to sharing a myriad of campus stories. We’ve covered the cancellation
of the tennis program along with the teams’ last matches, the revitalization of
USF boxing and the Dons Basketball’s game at Chase Center.
The Foghorn has crafted special issues for Black History Month, Filipino
American History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month.
Perhaps our largest project of the year, in Dec. 2023 we released a 120th
anniversary edition of the Foghorn. Collaborating with the Gleeson Library
Archives, we spoke to nine alumni of the Foghorn, graduates from 1950 to
2022, to get a sense of what the paper and USF community were like during
their time here.
The Foghorn would not be what it is without the incredible work of 19
student staffers throughout the past two semesters. I have nothing but immense
gratitude and respect for Jordan DelFiugo, Niki Sedaghat, Phebe Bridges,
Chase Darden, Inés Ventura, Chisom Okorafor, Sophia Siegel, Anya Jordan,
Oliver River Satalich, Ava Lord, Samantha Avila Griffin, Halley Computesto,
Elina Graham, Jordan Tyler Maralit, Esha Dupuguntla and Maria Zaied.
This year has also marked an incredible crop of deputy writers and photographers,
including Kaleb Martinez, Amanda Hernandez, John Lindroos
and Veston Smith.
I’d like to thank our advisor, Professor Teresa Moore, for her decades of
dedication to the Foghorn. Her insight and advice have been vital to the paper’s
production.
The amazing Jordan Premmer will be taking on the role of editor-in-chief
in the fall semester. Jordan has been at the Foghorn since fall 2022, working
as scene editor and then as managing editor. Jordan has just finished hiring
a wonderful team of Foghorn staffers to continue this work in the fall, and I
have no doubt in my mind that they will continue the Foghorn’s legacy.
It’s not lost on me that this is a particularly important historical moment
to be producing student journalism. Just this past week, the Pulitzer
Prize committee honored student journalists at Columbia University for their
“‘extraordinary real-time reporting…under difficult and dangerous circumstances,’”
according to the New York Times. I fervently believe that student
journalists have such an important role. Being a part of the Foghorn since my
freshman year has been such a joy. It has been an honor to lead the Foghorn as
we attempt to make a contribution to San Francisco’s media landscape. Thank
you all for reading.
Warm wishes,
Megan Robertson
USF PLANS TO SUSPEND PASJ MUSIC CONCENTRATION
ELINA GRAHAM
Staff Writer
Performing Arts and Social Justice (PASJ) music faculty and students
were informed via email on Apr. 19 that USF intends to suspend
the music concentration of the PASJ major in the upcoming academic
year.
In his email, PASJ Department Chair Roberto Gutiérrez Varea,
stated that the administration proposed the change following the departure
of two full-time music professors and “the university’s need to
make substantial budgetary cuts.”Varea wrote that these two factors
have left the administration to “consider additional measures such as
beginning to charge for music lessons, among other adjustments.”
Currently, all PASJ students are required to choose a concentration
in music, theater or dance. The cancellation of the music concentration
would leave students with only theater and dance as options,
and limits music to a minor.
Varea’s email states that all current music students, within the
PASJ major, will be able to graduate with their music concentration,
despite the cancellation of their program.
Jeffrey Paris, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
stated to the Foghorn, “Changes to academic programs are always difficult,
as we strive to support our existing degree programs and offer
new programs and opportunities to meet student needs.”
Nia Bossier, junior media studies major and music minor said, “So
many people are missing out because they never knew about the music
options available... I [initially] didn’t even bring my violin to USF.”
Starting in the spring of 2025, private music lessons in voice and
instrument will now require an additional fee from students — currently
and historically they have been included in the cost of tuition.
Private lessons are two unit courses. The proposed additional cost is
$375 per unit, totalling an extra $750 per semester for music students.
Historically, private lessons have been required for PASJ music students
and offered as electives for minors.
Paris stated,“All currently enrolled [PASJ] Majors with a concentration
in Music will have the opportunity to complete any required
Music Lessons courses in Fall 2024 with no fees attached to their registration…
We deferred instituting these fees for as long as we were
able,” he continued. When asked if students will be financially supported
in the extra fee, Paris did not provide comment.
Dom Brooks, senior PASJ major with a music concentration, said,
“Putting an extra financial stress on musicians is entirely antithetical
to the social justice portion of our major.” They noted that the
attention from the faculty, in these lessons, often extends beyond traditional
training. Brooks’ voice instructor at USF sought out special
voice training, in order to better teach them through their transition
process as a transmasculine singer.
“There is such a deep level of care and support I feel from every
person in PASJ,” Brooks said.
Daria D’Andrea, adjunct professor of violin and viola and director
of chamber ensembles said, “Many times I have worked with students
who… [have] never had the benefit of individual attention.”
In a PASJ town hall meeting on May 2, held in the Presentation
Theater and open to the USF community, faculty and students shared
feelings on this news. Speakers shared their concern that the administration
did not consult music students and faculty before presenting
changes, and many asked why the University is unable to promote a
current PASJ faculty to full time status so that the music concentration
can continue.
Additionally at the town hall, students and faculty discussed how
the cancellation coincided with the recent renovation of the Presentation
Theater, a project which is still awaiting completion. Renovations
were funded by a recent $15 million donation from USF alumnus and
musician Gordon Getty.
The Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation for the Arts has donated
nearly $30 million to USF, much of which was set to elevate various
arts programs at USF, according to President Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. In
an article from USF’s Office of Development Communications, published
in May 2022, he said, “This significant support of USF continues
to ensure that our students have the opportunity to engage in worldclass
arts programs. This gift ensures we will continue to evolve and
elevate the arts education in San Francisco for the next generation.”
When asked why the music concentration was being cut despite
Getty’s gifts, Paris stated, “Along with renovation of the historical
Presentation Theater… the gift will support arts facilities and operations,
create the Ann Getty Endowed Chair, and provide additional
scholarships for students.”
Brooks said, “I think the university is showing the lack of dedication
and support they have for our department when they propose
changes like this. I hope that the university will communicate with us
so we can keep working together on strategies to keep this program
alive and thriving for all who come after us.”
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia Siegel,
News Editor: Niki Sedaghat, Scene Editor: Inés Ventura
ASUSF Voices performed their music showcase at the Presentation Theater on Apr. 20, to celebrate 35 years of the ASUSF Voices choral program. Photo courtesy of Rick Roberts.
NEWS

04 05
THURSDAY
MAY 9
2024
NEWS
CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
surrounding community. The encampment hosts tables and tents
dedicated to medical services, food and information booths.
The @usfcastudents4palestine account posted a list of 11 community
guidelines and principles of unity on the second day of the
encampment, which participants recite together each day. These include
a commitment “to remain grounded in why [students] enter this
space,” a recognition of “our roles as visitors, and for many settlers, on
this land” and a commitment “to good-faith engagement.”
How did this begin?
Approximately 150 students, professors and community members
gathered for a “USF Divest From Israel” walkout on Apr. 29, which
then became the creation of the encampment.
After addressing the crowd, organizers led the protestors towards
Welch Field. As the group approached, students ran out towards the
field and began to assemble tents as other walk-out attendees locked
arms and formed a wide circle around them. Students pulled out tents,
sleeping bags and other supplies from blue bins, which are typically
used to move students in and out of dormitories.
A speaker addressed the crowd saying, “Welcome USF students,
welcome to our People’s University of Palestine! We have come together
to join the national student movement and demand USF to uphold
its own mission statement and oppose the genocide against Palestinians
in Gaza.” Students circling the encampment were invited to approach
organizers if they wished to camp.
By the end of the encampment’s first day on Apr. 29, 47 tents were
set up on Welch Field.
USF has joined a myriad of other schools with pro-Palestinian encampments
on-campus. Protestors at Columbia University were the
first to set up an encampment for Gaza, beginning on Apr. 17, and in
the following weeks encampments have sprung up globally, with at
least 14 college and university encampments in California.
What are protestors calling for?
The protestors have shared the following five demands for university
officials, according to their Instagram.
“1. Condemn the Israeli occupation’s genocide of Palestinians.
2. USF must immediately disclose all Israeli occupation-affiliated
endowments and investments.
3. Ensure divestment from Israeli occupation-affiliated endowments
and investments.
4. USF end all academic partnerships with the Israeli occupation.
5. USF must protect pro-Palestine students on campus.”
What do these demands mean? What is the University’s response?
USF spokesperson Kellie Samson stated that “USF administrators
are working through aspects of the demands, researching questions,
and involving others in the university’s leadership team in order to
respond fully.”
Jeffrey Paris, acting dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, stated
to the Foghorn that “the university leadership and Board of Trustees
is currently working through these, and we look forward to conversations
with our students.”
According to the encampment’s media representative, the student
organizers’ intentions with the demands are to, “Get it right. We’re
here to hold the school accountable for the actions that we may not
see, for the words that we do hear or we may not hear.”
To better understand these demands and the nuances surrounding
them, the Foghorn spoke to administration, organizers, and other
campus figures.
In addition to our frequent reporting within the encampment,
we sat down with President Paul Fitzgerald, S.J., Provost Eileen Chia-
Ching Fung, Associate Vice President of Finance and Treasury Stacy
Lewis and Vice President of Student Life Julie Orio on May 6, to hear
their responses to the student demands and their thoughts on students’
protest rights.
What does the first demand entail?
Regarding why Fitzgerald has yet to call the situation in Gaza a
genocide, despite the International Court of Justice has ruling a genocide
in Gaza “plausible,” Fitzgerald said, “My academic training is in
sociology and systematic theology… I would leave it to others who
have the expertise to make that sort of a judgment. And we would
support any professor who’s making that judgment.”
When asked on whether he had ever released a statement in collaboration
with a professor who had more expertise, Fitzgerald said,
“not to my recollection.”
What does USF’s investment process actually look like?
In regards to the second and third demands, Lewis explained that
as a private institution, USF is legally omitted from having to disclose
“The big difference [between encampments then and now is that] we’re seeing is that the pushback from the government and from university administrations and state governments
in some places has been much, much more severe,” USF professor and expert Stephen Zunes said. “I’m thankful that, thus far, both the protesters have not been
provocative, and that the administration has been pretty mellow.” Photo by Samantha Avila Griffin/SF Foghorn.
According to the Foghorn’s Apr. 11 staff editorial, keffiyehs are “headdresses that have become
representative of standing with the Palestinian people.” Photo by Samantha Avila Griffin/SF Foghorn.
any investments.
The university’s endowment is invested in a “diverse portfolio,”
which is valued at $510 million. “Most of the assets within the endowment
are pooled and invested in one managed endowment portfolio,”
according to USF’s Finance Treasury website.
Lewis said, “We don’t really have a lot of investments where we’re
directly investing in companies, because we hire a lot of outside investment
managers.”
USF’s Socially Responsible Investment Policy values “the sacredness
of life” and “human rights” in addition to the prevention of investing
in “weapons of mass destruction.” Lewis said that any outside
investment managers have to abide by this policy when they invest on
USF’s behalf.
Does USF invest in Israeli-occupation-affiliated corporations?
On Feb. 28, the Associated Students of the University of San
Francisco (ASUSF) Senate passed a resolution entitled, “Resolution to
Divest from Companies Affiliated with the Israeli Occupation.” The
senators called on USF to disclose if they hold investments in corporations
flagged by the United Nations as “aiding the ongoing apartheid
system within the state of Israel.” The resolution subsequently calls
for USF divest from any such investments.
After reviewing the resolution, Lewis wrote to Aderet Parrino,
ASUSF vice president of advocacy and author of the resolution, on
Apr. 23, communicating that the University “do[es] not invest in any
of the companies named in the ASUSF resolution.” The Foghorn obtained
this statement through Samson. However, Lewis noted, “a recent
search showed that stock that is held directly at Northern Trust
Corporation (one of our financial services companies) does include
Booking Holdings, one of the entities listed in the resolution.”
Lewis conveyed to the Foghorn that the University is “working
through” this discovery.
The media representative for the encampment has shared that,
while organizers were initially in conversation with the senate, they
ultimately “had to take it up a notch as organizers separate from
ASUSF…[and] that it can’t just be done by senate…now [we] have to
organize ourselves to respond.”
The organizers of the encampment have yet to release
a list of corporations they specifically want USF to divest
from.
Does USF have a history of divestment?
USF’s history of divestment dates back to the 1980s
during apartheid, which was the official system of racial
segregation in South Africa during the 1900s. To examine
the University’s investments in South Africa during this
time, then-University president Fr. John LoSchiavo, S.J.,
and the board of trustees formed an Investment Advisory
Committee, which still stands today. The committee’s goal
was to “[work] to determine USF’s moral responsibilities as
a Jesuit/Catholic institution, and as a leading force in our
community,” then-Chairman of the Investment Advisory
Committee Joe Sehee in an October 1985 Foghorn article.
They then tried to establish a “broad policy,” which the
University would adhere to “at the emergence of any given
moral issue in the future.” As a result of the investigation,
in December 1985, the committee voted 6-1 and recommended
the University “divest from all interest in South
Africa,” following that decision. In April 1986, the Board of
Trustees voted to “divest the University’s stock portfolio of
all holdings in companies doing business in South Africa.”
The divestment was executed over a multi-year schedule
and affected approximately $2.3 million worth of common
stock held in USF endowment funds, totaling 21 companies
representing roughly 21% of the endowment at that
time. In a March 1989 Foghorn article, then-University
controller Charlie Cross said that the University was nearing
total divestment from South Africa, with only 2.6% of
the portfolio remaining invested, summarizing the divestment
strategy as “take our profits and run.” Cross is today
USF’s Vice President of Business and Finance.
How do protestors perceive the encampment’s demands?
Rawan Abdalla, a senior media studies major, has been involved
with student demonstrations, and as previously reported in the Foghorn,
often speaks on behalf of the crisis happening in Sudan. On the
People’s University’s demands, Abdalla said that given “​the economy
in the capitalist world that we live in, I think it’s impossible for us to
even expect USF to divest completely fully. But I think one of the main
things is for them to take accountability and not have such an unbiased
stance on it, because this is genocide.”
The encampment’s media representative also spoke on their feelings
towards the demands, saying that, “I believe [the administration
is] scared that if they do call it a genocide, if they do try to sympathize
with the Palestinian people, then they have donors, funders, trustees,
every board of executive that is going to be upset that they did that.”
What is the call for the end to academic partnerships?
Referring to the fourth demand, the encampment’s media representative
said, “We are not going to stop until [USF] end[s] all partnerships
with places and institutions that continue to exploit the people.”
The Foghorn has investigated this demand through research and
conversations with organizers, and we cannot fully determine which
academic partnerships the organizers are referring to. The only academic-affiliated
program currently connected to USF in the conflict
zones is the Beyond Bridges Israel-Palestine Summer program, which
according to USF’s website, “takes university students to the Middle
East on a journey of comparative conflict analysis and conflict transformation.”
The program was offered last summer. The program will
not be offered this year, due to State Department travel restrictions.
How are student protestors being supported?
On the first day of the encampment, Senior Director of the Department
of Public Safety, Dan Lawson, spoke to the Foghorn regarding
safety of protestors, relating to the organizers fifth demand. “Public
Safety is only here to make sure they’re safe, and that they have
their First Amendment rights,” he said.
NEWS

06 07
THURSDAY
MAY 9
2024
NEWS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
Throughout most of the country, students enrolled in private institutions
are not permitted the same rights to free speech as if they
were on a public university’s campus. California is the only state that
permits protections of free speech on private college campuses, due to
the 1992 Leonard Law. However, this law does not “apply to a private
postsecondary educational institution that is controlled by a religious
organization.”
While the Foghorn can not fully confirm nor deny, due to legal
intricacies, whether USF falls under this jurisdiction, Samson stated,
“Fr. Fitzgerald and Provost Fung firmly stand by students’ First
Amendment right to peacefully protest and demonstrate on campus.”
Lawson said, “We support a peaceful demonstration like this.
And we understand the issues and how important it is for, you know,
people to express their rights… about issues that involve human tragedy
throughout the world.”
On Apr. 29, Lawson said that outside law enforcement will not
be called on students. “You won’t see a uniformed officer here at all
from public safety. And we’re in communication with [police] … and
advis[ing] them that we do not need their presence here.” He continued,
“Obviously, if there was a safety issue that involves people being
threatened here, then we would call them to help protect those who
are present.”
“The motto here is change the world from here,” Lawson said. “So
how can we, you know, go against our motto?”
Organizers have collaborated with members of the Party for Socialism
and Liberation (PSL), as their own measure of protection. PSL
members wear safety vests and circulate around the encampment
24/7. Kamila, a member of the party, spoke to the Foghorn during
her security shift. “Right now, we’re making sure that people in the
encampment feel safe, that no one from the outside tries to agitate.”
She continued, “As a PSL member, I think we all are
willing to participate in and support as long as the
students need it.”
How are other community members responding?
Protestors are not the only ones engaging with
the encampment. Many USF professors have taken
their classes to visit the encampment this past
week. Sadie Benedetto, a sophomore art history
major, was taken to the encampment with her
Mideast People and Cultures class. “I was nervous,”
Benedetto said. “At first…I felt like separated [from
the encampment] because I was like…‘I don’t know
if I can go in.’”
Being in the encampment with her class, however,
Benedetto said, “[it] was something that kind
of drew me back in and made me feel like I could
interact more with people in the encampment and
have more of a relationship.”
“
The motto here is change
the world from here…So
how can we, you know, go
against our motto?
- Dan Lawson
”
Additionally, campus organizations have interacted
with the encampment. The Office of Sustainability
hosted their “student artists’ market day” on
Gleeson Plaza, adjacent to Welch Field, on May 2, to
showcase Environmental Studies students’ capstone
projects. According to Celia Celimene, a senior environmental studies
student who led the event, “many people who are part of the encampment
are also part of the capstone class, so it just seemed like a really
good event to synergize a little bit.”
The marketplace included a “free store” with food and other resources
curated by the students in the capstone class. The event had
been planned for that day and location, long before the encampment
was set up, but Celimene decided to not relocate or cancel it. “I feel
like with this event, my main intent would be like… don’t be afraid
[to] actually be here,” she continued. “Go talk to them, go see what’s
happening, and then also just to buy goods for them, because we have
the free store and all the food, which has been strategically placed,
like, right next to the encampment.”
As of the time of print, St. Ignatius Parish’s services have remained
uninterrupted by the encampment. Following Sunday May 5’s
5 p.m. Mass, a few parishioners told the Foghorn that they had not realized
there was an encampment, as they entered the church through
the Fulton Street and Parker Avenue entrances. Church leadership
provided student protesters with dinner on May 2.
The Foghorn received a letter on May 2 addressed to Fitzgerald
from a group of 515 USF alumni, in support of the encampment. They
are calling on University leadership to:
“1. Ensuring the safety and protection of our students’ rights to
protest and peacefully assemble without fear of police brutality and
administrative retaliation
2. A public acknowledgment of the suffering of the Palestinian
people
3. Disclose USF investments
4. Divest USF from Israeli settler colonialism and apartheid
5. Protection for all students”
According to Al Jazeera’s most recent “Israel-Gaza War Live Tracker” update, in Gaza there have been at
least 34,789 deaths, with more than 14,500 of those being children. Photo by Samantha Avila Griffin/SF Foghorn.
California universities who have established encampments include the University of California Los Angeles, the University of Southern California and
the University of California San Diego, among others. While the schools listed have had arrests and violent encounters with police, the encampment
at USF has remained peaceful and has resulted in no arrests as of May 6. Photo by Samantha Avila Griffin/SF Foghorn.
If these demands are not met, the alumni signatories threaten to
“refrain from contributing” financially to USF, omit USF in their professional
accomplishments, abstain from celebrating USF graduates
and distance themselves from Diversity, Equity and Inclusion measures
held in their name.
As for residents of the neighborhood, the Foghorn approached
resident Daniel Sokatch, as he was walking by the encampment on
the day it was established. He is the CEO of the New Israel Fund, a
nonprofit organization working towards Palestinian and Israeli peace.
“[Protesting is] something that I want college kids to do,” he said. “I
think protests about what’s happening in Gaza and, frankly, the occupation
that pre-existed Gaza are totally legitimate.”
“When I was in college, we protested… South Africa,” he said.
“Symbolically, it matters…We don’t want the money from our school
to go into [South Africa’s] regime.”
How does this encampment fit into larger political narratives
and historical contexts?
On May 1, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation
that expanded the definition of anti-semitism according to the International
Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition.
While it has not yet become law, the bill aims to limit the “targeting
of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity,” as reported by
the Associated Press.
This legislation arrived a week after the Prime Minister of Israel,
Benjamin Netanyahu, called for an end to university protests, citing
anti-semitism, in a statement he put out on Apr. 24.
Oren Kroll-Zeldin, a professor at USF and the assistant director
of the Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice (JSSJ), denied
that USF’s encampment was anti-semetic. “It’s a very vibrant, inclusive,
respectful space that is engaging with a lot of critical awareness
and critical education,” Kroll-Zeldin said. “The fact that the House
bill is trying to say that these encampments are anti semitic is… in
line with the attempts to silence pro-Palestine activism for quite some
time. It’s very clear to me that this campus protest is not about targeting
Jews in any way, shape, or form.”
Remi Brandli, a junior media studies major involved in organizing
the encampment, said, “Anti-semitism is real, period. In the context
of Israel [and] Palestine… [Jewish people] have a platform, you have a
community, and you have an entire faith that informs the perspective
of social justice repairing the world. And this… encampment is that.
Showing up and speaking out? That is aligned with Jewish faith and
Jewish values from what I’ve learned at this school.”
In a talk hosted by encampment organizers on May 2, Lisa Rofel,
a national board member of Jewish Voice for Peace, clarified the difference
between anti-Zionism and anti-semitism, saying “Let me say
loudly and clearly, opposition to the genocide of the Palestinian people
does not equal anti-Semitism. Student encampments protesting
the genocide do not equal anti-semitism. Criticism of Israel does not
equal anti-semitism. Rejection of Zionism does not equal anti-semitism.”
Stephen Zunes is a professor of politics and international studies,
as well as the founding director of USF’s Middle Eastern Studies Program.
He is also recognized as one of the country’s leading scholars
in nonviolent action and Middle Eastern policy, previously featured
on Al Jazeera and CNN. Zunes participated in these encampments
against apartheid when attending university.
He told the Foghorn, “I think [encampments] can be quite effective
in keeping an issue front and center because [they’re] quite visible.
This is a tactic that was first used on college campuses back in
the 1980s during a previous divestment campaign targeting apartheid
South Africa.”
“[The apartheid protests] took an issue that was far away and
brought it close to home, and it got people talking about it. The majority
of American colleges and universities never divested from South
Africa, but the movement gave rise to a broader movement across the
country demanding sanctions against [the apartheid],” Zunes continued.
“Eventually, after several years of these protests in college campuses,
the United States finally imposed sanctions in South Africa.”
Will there be academic repercussions for student protestors?
Other universities have levied suspensions or expulsions against
students protesting in encampments. According to a statement from
Samson, “Simply being associated with the encampment itself is not
necessarily cause for sanctions or penalties by the University.”
She continued, “[Students] also know that there could be sanctions
if they do not observe community standards around noise, posting
flyers or posters, disrupting campus operations, or other campus
policies.”
Fung said that academic repercussions would come from professors
if students in the encampment were to miss class. “We say follow
the code of conduct… to ensure our community [is] safe, [that] all
educational activities are not interrupted,” she said. “I want to remind
students, when they are planning to miss classes, they should talk to
the professor to ensure that your missing assignments, learning outcomes,
or objectives are met. This is a standard policy for absences for
NEWS

08 09
THURSDAY
MAY 9
2024 students.”
Samson stated, “All information regarding
protests and demonstrations is published in the
Fogcutter Student Handbook. As outlined in Section
5.3 Respect For Community, an encampment
erected on USF property without explicit permission
is prohibited. In the case of the current encampment,
the university has allowed the gathering,
with the understanding that the participants
are complying with all USF community standards.”
Paris stated that “All students are expected
to adhere to the student code of conduct, and also
have a panoply of rights under the university conduct
process.”
NEWS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
What impact is this going to have on commencement?
University commencement ceremonies for the
class of 2024 are scheduled to start next week inside
St. Ignatius Church, and with the encampment
occupying a popular post-ceremony congregation
space, questions have been raised about whether
the two parties will overlap. Many students in the
encampment, such as Abdalla, are graduating seniors.
“For me, I’m going to stay as long as it is safe
for me to stay,” Abdalla said. “ I graduate in two [or]
three weeks, I cannot risk graduation…As much as
I want to be here, I also have a commitment to my
mom and my dad. My parents are both immigrants,
I’m the first of their [children] to graduate college.
So I’m gonna stay here as long as it makes sense.”
Regarding commencement, Fung said “I do
think that we also need to keep our promises to
families, students, especially graduates who are
completing their degree, right, and learning, especially
those who are graduating. So my hope is that
we will continue our dialogue to have a very constructive discussion
with the student demands. We can offer the venues to our graduating
seniors…but we haven’t made any decision.”
Has the administration visited the encampment?
According to a statement from Samson, “Father Paul was at the
encampment on Tuesday afternoon (April 30) and spoke with several
students. He does not have any formal meetings scheduled with organizers
at this time.” Reporters from the Foghorn confirmed that he
was seen outside the parameters of the encampment.
In the Foghorn’s meeting with Fitzgerald on May 6, Fitzgerald
clarified that, although he visited it externally, he “[has] not been invited
into the encampment. So I try to go where invited. And I try not
to go where my presence might be a distraction, or might be misinterpreted.”
When asked why Fitzgerald was not invited, the encampment’s
media representative said, “He can come around the camp. We can
meet directly outside.”
Samson stated, “Members of [Fitzgerald’s] administration (including
staff from Student Life) have been in touch with students on a
regular basis since the encampment was established on Monday, April
29.” Orio said that she and her team have been at the encampment
every day since its establishment. She has since met with a student
who was “appointed as the [encampment’s] point of contact for administration,”
she said.
Student protestors gathered for Dhuhr Islamic prayer. According to USF’s values, “the University reaffirms
the right of every member of the University community to free expression, free association, and free exercise
of religion.” Photo by Samantha Avila Griffin/SF Foghorn.
What’s next?
Samson stated, “We will be communicating to student organizers
in the days ahead.”
On May 3, Orio’s staff received “an email on Friday from USF People’s
University,” she stated. Organizers sent the administration their
five demands and asked for a response by Wednesday May 8 before 5
p.m. “We did respond to the email that included the demands and we
are working on meeting the Wednesday 5pm deadline,” Orio stated.
The response deadline is after this publication has gone to print. We
will update this story online should the Foghorn receive an update.
The encampment’s media representative said, “I want to emphasize
that…we are here indefinitely until each demand is met.”
This is a breaking story. The Foghorn will continue to report on developments
to these demands in the fall semester. Should any breaking
news occur in the following weeks, we will make an update to our
Instagram @sffoghorn.
To read a student’s op-ed response to student protests and encampments
on-campus, turn to page 11.
Editor’s notes: Two members of the Foghorn’s editorial staff were
involved with the encampment at the time of our reporting on
this story, from Apr. 29 to May 6. They had no access to reporting
or editing of the story; the publication of this article on May
9 is their first time reading it.
Organizer Remi Brandli is a Foghorn deputy writer. She is
interviewed in this piece due to her intense involvement in the
encampment, and she similarly had no involvement whatsoever
in the editing or reporting of this story.
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia
Siegel, News Editor: Niki Sedaghat, Sports Editor: Chase Darden,
Scene Editor: Inés Ventura
WHAT THE
FIZZ?
For the
past year, many USF
students have been glued to
their screens, posting away on Fizz, an anonymous college
campus social media application. When users log in with a “@dons.
usfca.edu” email address, they are taken to a USF-specific Fizz page.
While many students may not be aware of Fizz, or only know of it
tangentially, approximately 2,000 people, heavily concentrated among
first and second-year students, are active weekly users.
The app has become an extension of campus life. Students express
How did you get involved
with Fizz?
“Sexuality is always a big thing…The most recent thing was a poll
debating whether or not it was offensive to call queer people, ‘the gays.’ …
someone reFizzed that…They said, ‘Well, is it offensive to call black people,
‘the blacks?’ And then that really blew up and it went insane.”
“There’s always one or two people… there are just times where people
will just post a slur. And then it gets reported immediately. And people take
it down…Everyone who’s on this platform is USF students. So who is doing
this?”
So when something gets
reported on Fizz, what’s the
process for that?
“Fizz is really dope, because it goes to any campus and it makes them their
personal social media platform… and I like that. And I liked the anonymous
feature, because it lets people express who they are without feeling as much
pressure. But it also opens up that space for [trolls]… And nobody’s going
to be able to avoid that. So even despite the annoyances, I feel like… this
moderator program kind of fills in those gaps.”
Exclusive Foghorn Q&A
with a Fizz moderator
CHISOM OKORAFOR
Staff Writer
their opinions and buy and sell items on the application’s shop.
Campus organizations, including the Foghorn, use it to communicate
with students.
However, not everything posted on the application is healthy
commentary. Though the application has content guidelines, it’s up
to a handful of anonymous USF student volunteers to enforce them.
The Foghorn spoke with a sophomore advertising major who
doubles as a Fizz moderator. For their safety, the Foghorn has
granted this moderator anonymity and they will be referred to by the
pseudonym “M.”
M said they had initially been under the impression that the moderator
position would be paid, which turned out to be untrue. But that didn’t stop
them from pursuing the role, and by May 2023, they began moderating.
When asked how much time they spend on content regulation, the
moderator said the job isn’t that time-consuming. “When I see stuff that’s bad
that people are reporting, stuff that’s either incredibly offensive, or targeting
minorities…real sensitive stuff, I take a look at that.”
Can you give me some
examples of how often that
happens and what kind of
stuff you’re seeing?
“As soon as a post gets reported, it gets hidden from the community,” M
said. “No posts are just automatically taken down.” Multiple moderators vote
on whether the post should stay up.
M said, “I really like it because I mean, it gives you a chance to explain
if something might not seem offensive to somebody else, you get a chance to
show why it might be and also like, nobody has the complete power to take
down a whole post themselves.”
What do you think of the
overall Fizz community at
USF?
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia Siegel, Managing Editor: Jordan Premmer, Scene Editor: Inés Ventura
A longer version of this article can be read online.
SCENE

10 11
THURSDAY
MAY 9
2024
San Francisco Foghorn
STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH PRO-
PALESTINIAN STUDENT PROTESTORS
SCENE
2024 Yearbook
All photos by SF Foghorn Staff.
The Foghorn girls went to support our future Editor-in-Chief, Jordan in
her dazzling performance as Sydney Bruhl in College Players’ spring
production of “Deathtrap.”
Megan and Inés attended the College Media Association’s annual
conference during spring break, to meet other student journalists and
represent the Foghorn in the Big Apple.
Megan’s finger getting in Halley’s business as she creates the best
layouts the Foghorn has ever seen (No, Halley did not write this
caption!)
Megan, Chisom, our very missed ex-copy editor Oliver, and Inés
tabling at the beginning of the year. Our sales pitches have definitely
improved since then.
Phebe, Chisom, Jordan and the boy on staff (Chase) goof off in the
UC 4 hallway on the way to the undercaf market, a pillar of the many
late night editing sessions in the office.
“Stop the World for Gaza.”
If you have read the news
recently, you may have seen these
words before. Across the world,
protestors have found ways to
express dissent over the genocide and
ongoing suffering of the Palestinian
people. The International Court of
Justice issued an order to Israel this
January for preventative measures
against Palestinian genocide in the
Gaza Strip. In spite of this, the death
toll in Gaza reached more than
34,000, roughly 13,000 of whom
ELISE GREEN is a first-year were children. Officials are now
international business major. losing track of the number of dead
while atrocities like weaponized
starvation threaten civilian
populations.
It’s important to stand in solidarity with the Palestinians as they
face genocide. It is also a moral question of solidarity for us to face
as students, in light of these atrocities, as the school year comes to a
close.
Solidarity, as a proponent of liberation, has been a social tool for
decades, especially on college campuses. Famously, students protested
the Vietnam War in the 1960’s and South African apartheid in the
1980’s. Much like today, these protests weren’t easy. Anti-Vietnam War
protests at the University of Wisconsin-Madison faced extreme police
responses of violence and tear gas. Protests against South African
apartheid at Columbia University
saw escalation in a slightly
different way in 1985, as students
were threatened with expulsion for
their efforts.
Today, protests against the
genocide in Gaza are targetting
university endowments and indirect
funding of Israel’s economy.
According to the Washington Post,
the median university endowment
as of last year was around $209.1
million, with some universities’
endowments reaching the
billions. Those endowments are
allocated towards investments in
corporations, many of which fund
Israel’s economy and subsequently
the war in Gaza. Student protests
have called for universities to
disclose and divest funding towards
Israel and companies affiliated
with Israel, from the University
of California, Los Angeles to
Columbia University and even USF.
Many protests have faced
repression, such as police violence,
suspension and harassment from
counter-protesters.
This suppression of protests
for Palestine has painted a
concerning picture of today’s free
speech environment. With some campuses seeing riots and extreme
police responses, students are in an increasingly difficult position —
caught between a social movement and their own safety in peaceful
protesting, much like student activists that came before them.
With arrests happening across the country, students are risking
their own futures, and still, they continue to protest in unwavering
solidarity. Even as we face consequences, we know from the past that
our efforts on campus are necessary, and that bowing to unfounded
pressures does not change the weight of the cause that we unite for.
USF’s Associated Students of the University of San Francisco
(ASUSF) Senate passed its own divestment resolution on Feb. 28, and
is part of a larger student movement on campus protesting the war
and USF’s alleged financial involvement. Our cover story this week,
“USF Student Activists Establish a ‘People’s University,’” goes further
in reporting on these protestor’s demands and accusations.
These protests show that many USF students stand with Palestine.
The movement that has brought these protests to USF’s own lawn has
remained strong, and students should be aware of what’s happening
on campus.
A college is nothing without its students, and whether
administrations find divestment demands agreeable or feasible does
not change the moral responsibility students have to act. Having a
united voice of educated students who are aware of both circumstance
and consequence is the most effective approach for change. Every
student must be educated enough to decide where they fall in solidarity
and what that means for the end of their semester and future years at
USF. As the university often says, “Change the world from here.”
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia Siegel,
Managing Editor: Jordan Premmer, Opinion Editor: Chisom Okorafor
According to San Francisco State University’s (SFSU) Golden Gate Xpress News, their campus’ encampment had, “approximately
50 to 60 students slept in the central quad the first night of the encampment.” Both USF and SFSU’s encampments
started on Apr. 29. Photo by Samantha Avila Griffin/SF Foghorn.
OPINION

12
THURSDAY
MAY 9
2024
DONS BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES
2024-25 RECRUITING CLASS
JORDAN MARALIT
Staff Writer
The Dons men’s basketball team is gearing up to make another
run at a national championship, as they announced their recruiting
class for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
Forward James O’Donnell
Forward James O’Donnell comes from Australia’s Centre
of Excellence, known for producing several Australian NBA players
through the years such as Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova,
Joe Ingles, Aaron Baynes, Dante Exum and Cameron Bairstow.
The program also developed senior Dons forward Josh Kunen and former
Bulls center Luc Longley, who was the first Australian player to
win an NBA title.
O’Donnell was also on Australia’s U16 and U17 national
teams and received an invite to the NBA’s Global Academy, the same
academy attended by current forward Junjie “Barry” Wang. O’Donnell
finished as a top-ten scorer at the NBA Academy games in Atlanta,
Ga.
Head Coach Chris Gerlufsen said, “We expect James to be
tremendously impactful both on and off the floor. His work ethic and
skillset on both sides of the ball make him a high-level prospect.”
Guard Tyrone Riley
Guard Tyrone Riley was named the D3AA Player of the Year
while he was leading St. Pius X-Matthias to the CIF-SS Division 3AA
Boys Basketball Championship in February. He was also honored with
the prestigious Wooden Award as the CIF-SS D3 Player of the Year in
the 22-23 season. He averaged 25.6 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists
and 2.5 steals per game.
His father, Tyrone Riley Sr., also played for two years at USF. Riley
said, “[Tyrone Riley Sr.] built a legacy… in his two years of being there,
and I feel I can make the legacy bigger. Also, I feel like it would give
me a goal to aim for since there are things that he did not accomplish
[here] that I feel like I can.”
, “The program is like a true family,” Riley said in an interview
with 247 sports. “The coaches care about the players and the players
have a brotherly bond. They also fit my style of play with how they let
their guys play free and get in transition. So I feel like with that playing
style, I can really thrive,” he added.
Forward Jason Rivera-Torres
Forward Jason Rivera-Torres was a four-star recruit before
he entered the college ranks. Before his collegiate career, he played at
John Marshall High School in Richmond, Va. . He helped his team to
an undefeated 28-0 record and finished No.1 in the MaxPreps Top 25
rankings.
At Vanderbilt, the wing played in 29 games in the 23-24 season, including
two starts. He averaged 15.4 minutes per game, 6.4 points and
3.1 rebounds per game. Rivera-Torres also poured a season-high 20
points against Alabama in Vanderbilt’s SEC opener on Jan. 6th, 2024.
Off the court, Rivera-Torres starred in “Swagger,” an Apple
TV+ series with NBA veteran Kevin Durant as an executive producer.
Center Carlton Linguard Jr.
Center Carlton Linguard Jr. spent the last two seasons with
University of Texas San Antonio Roadrunners(UTSA).
He found success in his collegiate career going through Temple
Community College in Texas, where he ranked as the 12th-best junior
prospect in the nation, according to 247 Sports in 2019-20. He pushed
Temple to a 24-7 overall record, with an average of 13.3 points, 9.5
rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game. He led the team in total blocks,
blocks per game, total rebounds, and offensive rebounds. Linguard Jr.
finished in double figures in 25 of his 30 games for Temple, which included
12 double-doubles.
The -7-feet tall center had 27 starts for the Roadrunners and averaged
9.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. Linguard Jr.
dropped a career-high 31 points in UTSA’s 89-88 victory over Tulane
on Jan. 24.
Editor-in-Chief: Megan Robertson, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia Siegel,
Managing Editor: Jordan Premmer, Sports Editor: Chase Darden
SPORTS
The Dons men’s basketball team finished with an overall record of 23-11 this season. Pictured: Chris Gerlufsen. Photo courtesy of Chris M. Leung/Dons Athletics.