Street Festival, Japantown Style

Thousands of people flooded Post Street between Fillmore and Gough for the opening weekend of the 40th Annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival last Sunday. The first thing any visitor to Japantown will notice about their celebration of the blooming of the cherry blossoms is how tame it is in comparison to other public parties in the city. While an event like the Bay to Breakers is a celebration of our city's special ability to integrate debauchery and running, the Cherry Blossom Festival was a celebration of Japanese culture and showcased a far more wholesome set of skills. On the main stage, children performed a few basic karate manuvers to the delight of their parents and one onlooker who clearly was just sticking around to see if the kids were really going to start brawling. They didn't. In fact, there would not be any shenanigans. The freak quotient was well below the standards I've come to expect. That said, I did manage to find a grown man dressed as what I can only assume is a Power Ranger.

The defining characteristic of the event came in the form of the event's sponsors whose white tents lined Post and forced visitors to run a blocks long gauntlet of barkers who harangued passers-by to provide them with personal information in exchange for low quality freebies. Not even cries of "I'm walkin' here!" in a heavily affected Brooklyn accent could ward them off. Their presence varied from obnoxious to creepy, with one booth promising to turn your eight-year-old into a modeling superstar.

For the kiddies who want to act their age, there was the Children's Village which provided the young ones with a "jump house." A term I managed to discover by googling "inflatable jumping around thing," which I would argue goes much further in explaining its purpose. Based on the miserable faces of the children leaving the General Mills-sponsored inflatable jumping around thing, the event was of a dud for children of all ages.

That said, and in fairness to the event's organizers, I may have been the wrong weekend to happen upon these particular goings-on. The real show takes place on April 22 at 1 pm with a parade from City Hall into the Western Addition which will feature, among other things, a sake barrel shrine float which will be carried by an estimated 100 people as the festivities make their way into Japantown. However, despite what we might expect from the other street festivals, I don't suspect they'll be cracking that barrel open once they arrive on the scene. It is the prerogative of the organizers to have a family-friendly affair, and they have exercised it. You've been warned.

Adventures in Outsider Retail

They're known by many names: flea markets, swap meets, bazaars, dirt malls. Each one conjures up thoughts of card tables with junk piled on top, beneath and all around, in short an outdoor version of Fred Sanford's house. And each one sounding unsavory enough to manage expectations and not gloss over the fact that most of this stuff was, to at least one person prior, trash. Not that its a bad thing, some people embrace, even revel in that fact-- I do.

In operation since 1996 and located in Bernal Heights beneath the junction of 101 and 280, the Alemany Flea Market is no different. According to Gary Gentry, who oversees the administrative operations of the flea market, 8,000 to 10,000 people visit the market's 150 to 250 vendors every Sunday between 5 am and 5 pm.

As diverse as the array of antiques, clothes, food and old-fashioned flea market junk is, the individuals who accumulate and sell the stuff are often the real attraction. "He's not here today," said Gentry, "but there's a guy who brings all kinds of weird stuff: caskets, mannequins. Actually, he'll even carve a mannequin's head to resemble your face." Uhh, alright. Actually, my reaction at the time was that I was sorry to have missed out. Upon further reflection, however, I decided having a mannequin with my face carved into it might not be the irresistible conversation piece it first seemed.

For many of the sellers, this is how they make their living. George Feldman has been at it 50 weeks a year for 23 years (taking into account the customary two weeks vacation). Today, he had spread out on his table an array of earthenware vessels, some of which were said to be 600 years old. That came as something of a shock to me as my flea market experiences in New Jersey mostly involved people selling at low, low prices things that had fallen off the backs of trucks (wink). However, his potential buyers didn't even flinch when he made a price of nearly 400 dollars for a set of two-foot tall vases. He is a regular at flea markets all over the Bay Area and for him, market day is a borderline religious experience. "The breath of life is in the market culture. There's communication; there are thousands of years of history behind this."

Not everyone out here sells Michael Delane has been a firefighter for 36 years, but likes selling as a hobby in his free time. "It gives you peace of mind," said Delane, "interacting with people. The connections you develop with other sellers, its almost like a functional dysfunctional family."

Then there's Jose Jimenez, the skittish belt salesman who, after one question, was (hilariously) asking for his lawyer. Not only that but he didn't even make an effort when providing me with a phony name. When I asked him for confirmation on the spelling, he just looked at me blankly and said, "Um." On our separation, my parting, "Take it easy, Jose," didn't register even a flicker of recognition on his face. Its always better when the performer doesn't break character.

The Alemany flea market, the one thing this wide range of strange and wonderful people have in common, is widely considered to be the premiere weekly market in the area (a monthly flea market held on an airstrip in the naval base at Alameda was described as being between four and ten times the size of Alemany). Feldman, who frequents weekly markets up down the peninsula declares this the best market in 100 miles. "A good market develops when a consensus is formed," he explained. "You need people who have quality items to sell, and you need people who appreciate it-- and have money." And with the unsavory connotations of the word embraced, this flea market delivers.

A Garden Close to Heaven

It doesn't contain fairies or even unicorns, but the garden located at Loyola House where the Jesuits reside is, according to Fr. Tom Lucas, "pretty magical." Hidden behind 6-foot-tall ivy covered walls is a secret garden where only a select few, mainly Jesuits and their guests, have stepped foot in. Only the soothing sounds of trickling water and chirping birds can be heard while walking along the outside of the walls. It seems as if the sun is always shining here, even on a dreary day. Sometimes students can be seen tiptoeing on the stairs located beside the garden to sneak a peek inside. I must confess, when I first transferred to USF, I have tried to steal a glance through a gap at the rear gate. What is this place that has garnered so much attention, even from the raccoons, hawks, and hummingbirds? What makes it so special?

Built in 1998 under the guidance of Lucas, a Jesuit and professor at USF, during the construction of Loyola House, the garden contains italian, mediterranean, and southwestern influences. Highlighted with hedges, sprinkled with bushes and trees, as well as dotted with different pots and plants, the garden provides a little paradise. This paradise is paralleled with a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge, the bay, and residential homes that line the northernmost part of San Francisco.

It is a space for the Jesuit community to relax from the hustle and bustle of life and the city, a place where they can reflect and meditate. Lucas said it was designed so that more than one person can use it. The garden has three seating areas; the first area is located on the patio overlooking the garden, the second is in the far right corner surrounded by trees and rocking chairs, and the third is on the left corner behind the chapel. An octagon shaped fountain stands inbetween the two corner seating areas, providing a hypnotic melody with each drop of water. "Gardens give you breathing room, gardens give you mental room," Lucas said.

The garden not only provides a serene space or fresh lemons and rosemary, it is also a symbol for life Lucas said. Like a garden, life also needs to be tended to and is a constant work. Gardens are also for memory, for remembering the past. He pointed out that at the seating area behind the chapel there is a statue of St. Joseph that was from Xavier Hall where the Jesuits used to live. Artwork can also be found on the wall there in a Gloria Osuna-Perez Lady of Guadalupe plaque; it is the last piece the artist made before she died. With its lush atmosphere, beautiful foliage, and breathtaking view, not to mention its mystery, it's no wonder why people and animals are so drawn to this place. But together with its symbolism and connections to history does this place become something truly special for those it was made for. On this place on the hill, the Jesuits can retire to relax, remember the past, reflect on the present, and look on to the future.

The Secret Garden

Nestled on the eastern slope of Lone Mountain, and overlooking the Presidio and San Francisco's famed Golden Gate Bridge, is a little known part of USF's campus, the Loyola House. Few students have ever been inside the building, and fewer still have walked around the gated garden housed therein. Father Tom Lucas, one of the Jesuits who lives in Loyola and a caretaker of its garden, drove home the obscurity of the garden when he admonished students, "Pull the gate closed, because we have to keep the secret garden secret."

Built between 1998 and 1999, Loyola houses 25 Jesuit priests, including Father Lucas and Father President Stephen Privett. The Jesuits used to live in Xavier Hall, now Fromm Hall, but Lucas said the building was too large for their needs. Several locations were scouted for a new home, and Lone Mountain was chosen both for the size of the available space and the spectacular view.

The garden attracts animal life from around the Bay, including 28 different kinds of birds, from hummingbirds to Red-tailed hawks, and often draws in raccoons at night. The raccoons, who have no salivary glands, are attracted to the garden's fountain because they need water to digest their food. Lucas seemed happy to host the raccoons, in spite of their tendency to knock over the papyrus plants growing in the fountain, and their penchant for eating the goldfish he occasionally places inside.

The garden attracts more than just animal life. When it first opened, the stairs going up the north side of Lone Mountain had not yet been completed, and students would sometimes stumble upon the garden when trying to scale the mountain. Lucas also related the story of a man who walked his terrier along the garden wall, and complained when Lucas asked him to stop.

When explaining the fact that the garden is closed to the public, Lucas asked students to remember that Loyola House is the priests' private home. "Think of this place like your backyard," Lucas said. "This is our backyard. Your neighbors don't just stroll into your backyard, do they?"

"Talkin' Bout my Generation" and a Garden?

For my multitasking, often celebrity obsessing, and over achieving generation, it is rare that any of us can find the time or the ability to appreciate the simple pleasures that a garden has to offer. For Father Tom Lucas, a professor at the University of San Francisco, he had a similar mindset as a young adult, yet something began to change as the years progressed, “when I turned 40, gardening started making sense to me,” said Father Lucas. Since then, Father Lucas has acquired quite the green thumb, as he maintains the secret garden that graces the rear grounds of the Jesuit’s Loyola House.

The garden boasts a sporadic collection of flowers, cactus plants, and trees (one lemon). “We have a lot of agaves. Were not going to make tequila out of them, there isn’t enough,” said Father Lucas. It features a large fountain that takes you out of the chaos of the city and comfortably situates you into the tranquility of this well kept secret. “The sound of the water makes all the difference,” added Father Lucas. Yet, most impressive, is the jaw-dropping view that overlooks Laurel Heights, the shallow bay waters, and just barely the Golden Gate Bridge as it peaks it's famous red arches over the hills of the Presidio. “We wanted to maximize the view potential,” said Father Lucas. By maximizing the view potential and by designing the garden to have three main areas, a patio, a meditation zone, and a seating area (where counseling sessions often take place) the Jesuits use the garden as a place for relaxation and reflection. “Gardens give you breathing room,” said Father Lucas. “Gardens give you mental room.”

And at a time and in a city where “breathing room” comes at a rare expense I found myself constantly wondering as I meandered along the shrub lined paths, “why keep it secret?” But the answer seemed nearly as clear as the sunny spring day, many students could and would appreciate the beauty of the garden yet it would only take a select few to disvalue its splendor and ruin it for everyone. So as my generation and I matures, I happily await the calming afternoons of, as Father Lucas put it, "weeding and watering."

Talkin' Talking Points Memo

Talking Points Memo, a blog operated by Joshua Micah Marshall, provides a steady stream of news items, editorials, and links which allow the reader an opportunity to follow the daily action on the national political scene. What sets this blog apart is the presence of Marshall, and other contributors, whose additions let the reader get deeper into stories. The entire blog is very efficient; the links Marshall and others provide are quality without being too many. Most items are directly quoted from journalists and are supported by Marshall's own writing which provides background information without wasting a word.

What Talking Points Memo is doing is a perfect example of bloggers contributing to national news coverage without diminishing the role of traditional journalists. More often than not his news links are to the Post and Times, and it seems, whenever possible, he'll refer his readers to the two national papers of record. He gathers news, sifts through for relevant stories and articles, and passes along the important text, a citation for where to find it, and his own contextualizing of it all. In doing so, he operates symbiotically with traditional news outlets, enhancing their ability to reach the widest possible audience while they provide him with the bulk of his content.

What's really amazing about this blog is the amount of information you get just from reading it once or twice a day. Marshall keeps tabs on a wide range of mostly domestic issues, active scandals, developing concerns, and profiles news makers, while offering his own thoughts on all of the above. Probably the only thing you could say about Marshall's site is you can't read news on his site without knowing how he feels about it. Though, at a site which is self-described as "commentary on political events from a politically left perspective," you have an idea that you can expect the contributors to be up front on how they feel. And, while its good to read a news story without getting someone's opinion on its contents beforehand, it's Marshall and company that makes the work blog so well and the good vastly outweighs the bad.

71 Million and Counting...!

Blogtastic, blogs, blogging, blogger, blah, blah, blah! Prior to my enrollment in Professor Robertson’s J1 class, I had never even considered reading blogs muchless blogging myself. To be completely honest there is a strong possibility that I did not even know what blogs were. However, during the last eight months ‘blog’ in every sense of the word has become part of my daily routine. Thanks in large part to David Silver, my enthusiastic (to say the least) Digital Journalism professor, I constantly find myself either writing, reading, or even checking USFblogtastic for comments and updates.

In March 2007, Technorati, a blog search engine, reported that there were over 70 million webblogs. As Technorati’s webpage popped up on my screen, a box in the corner that read “71 million blogs…some of them have to be good” (Matt), instantly caught my attention— as an avid blogger, I could not agree more! There seems to be a blog for (what it seems like) just about Everything. Politics, religion, fashion, food, music, education, celebrities, business, art, sports—and I promise you that does not even begin to scratch the surface (every category I listed can essentially be broken down into a copious amount of subcategories)!

However, on my quest for an ‘interesting’ blog to share with my classmates and ultimately add to our feevy, I found myself less than impressed with most of what I found. Maybe I am jumping to conclusions or being unfair to the blog society. Since technically I was searching for a blog relevant for a Digital Journalism class, the blog subjects were not exactly…exhilarating. Perhaps if the search had been for blogs about Dave Matthews Band or shopping, I would have found myself absorbed into the blog sphere much more quickly.

Refusing to let the inordinate amount of mind-numbing, repetitive blogs get the best of me—I set out on a blog-adventure, determined to find one worthy of our time. It had to be interesting, it had to be relevant. Basically, it had to be legit. Upon entering college, our lives became inundated with the Internet—e-mails, instant messaging, USFCA.edu, Google searches (personal guilty pleasure!), and (although, no one likes to admit it) the infamous Facebook. Former Facebook Inc. Senior Engineer Karel M. Baloun even wrote a book about the “Facebook Generation” and societies need to understand it. Baloun’s book, Inside Facebook, reported that “85% of students at U.S. universities have made Facebook and essential part of their social lives.”

Create your personal identity: how old you are, where you are from, the kind of music/books/movies that you like, relationship status, and excessive amounts of pictures. Facebook.com seemed so innocent at first. It was merely a place for social networking, a place to keep in touch with friends who are far away or even catch up with long lost friends from the past. However, recent changes in the network have opened up a can of worms! (Sorry, sometimes clichés are just really dead on—but I guess that’s the point.)

To make a long story short, Facebook just seemed so relevant, considering we are the “facebook generation” that Baloun is talking about. Justin Smith, of Social Intelligence ( A social networking watch list and analysis), is the independent author/creator of the blog: Inside Facebook- Tracking Facebook news, commentary, and analysis. It approaches issues including companies who search profiles to screen employees as well as schools attempting to force student athletes to cancel their accounts. As the 7th most popular site on the web (Facebook.com) and a service that directly affects our community (USF ie. College students), I think that dissecting a blog trying to get to the bottom of Facebook.com and social networking could be very useful for our class!

Feevy Worthy

With his bachelor’s degree from Princeton, his master’s from Harvard, his doctorate from Yale, as co-author of Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web, and as an inaugural recipient of the American Council of Learned Societies’ Digital Innovation Fellowship, maybe, just maybe, blogging professor Dan Cohen (pictured right with his favorite students) knows what he is talking about. Cohen’s blog, brilliantly titled Dan Cohen, features a plethora of useful information on blogs and digital journalism.

Cohen, who is a professor in the Department of History and Art History at George Mason University in Virginia, and who is the Director of Research Projects at the Center for History and New Media, has been posting on this blog for over a year. Throughout this time Cohen has created a user guide, “Creating a Blog from Scratch” that features eight parts that allows for even the most hopeless bloggers to get up and posting (Part 1 example). Cohen also spends time introducing new websites and podcasts like Zotero and Digital Campus. Digital Campus is a biweekly discussion of how digital media and technology are affecting learning and teaching at universities. Zotero (Cohen was a part of the start up team), a new website that was launched in October, will “enable vastly simplified citation management, note taking, and advanced scholarly research right within the Firefox browser,” said Cohen in a blog post.

With his credentials, the way his blog perfectly coincides with Digital Journalism here at USF, and the useful tips, Cohen’s blog is a great point of reference for those who are digitally savvy and for those who are just beginning to learn…definitely feevy worthy.

The Root of the Problem

When local residents set up a garden in an open space on Fulton and Stanyan opposite famed Golden Gate Park, they set off a firestorm of controversy that reverberated throughout the urban gardening community. This gardening group did not have the one thing that scores of other community gardens have, and it's not potatoes. The crucial ingredient lacking in this latest attempt at city farming was the legal right to use the land.

The small patch of land adjacent to the apartments on the corner of Fulton and Stanyan is owned by the same out-of-state landlord who also owns the apartment complex. The landlord is not interested in having a community garden on the site, never gave permission to place a garden there, and is actively attempting to have it removed. In the city of San Francisco, the landowner is well within the law to kick the gardeners off the property. Indeed, this is the only regulation on starting a community garden in San Francisco, said Jude Koski of SFGro, a major community gardening organization in the City.

"It would be one thing if it were public land and it weren't being used for anything," said Koski. "But if the owner decides they don't want them [the community gardeners] on that land, that's it."

Koski said his group has offered to broker a deal between the gardeners and the landowner, but such an agreement looks unlikely given the owner's present disposition. Koski said that SFGro is ready and willing to step in if both sides are ready to negotiate, but won't force the issue.

"The site has a lot of question marks," said Koski.

It seems those questions may be answered with a resounding, "No." If the landowner refuses to participate in negotiations, residents at the garden may have to get their vegetables at the local grocery store instead.

Community Garden

Along the busy intersection of Fulton and Stanyan Street, a block from USF, lies a 4-month old garden teeming with rows of fruits and vegetables. Green onions, strawberries, mustard greens, lettuce, snap peas, and potatoes are just some of the produce one can find planted there. Amidst the bustling cars, tall buildings, and fast paced life of the city, the garden, although only taking up a small space, has become a place where city dwellers with a green thumb can use their talent, as well as eat healthier. With the carefully laid out rows and walkways, one can assume that the residents who contribute to this small “garden of eden,” treasure it. This can be seen when a male resident of the building adjacent to the garden yells out of his window to a dog walker, whose dog is lurking among the crop, “That’s there to eat!”

Gardens are minimal in a place where space is limited. Two major gardens that can be found in San Francisco are located at Yerba Buena and the Golden Gate Park, which boasts a botanical garden and a Japanese tea garden.

Art for Change

It's no longer a hurried, tunnel vision walk through the lower level of the UC building. Now, vibrant colors and images pop out at passersby to capture their attention and slow their pace. On the walls, big white sheets of paper serve as the canvas for the second level painting and drawing classes taught by Visual Arts Assistant Professors Eric Hongisto and Sharon Siskin. The major attraction seems to be the two biggest canvases that deal with politics and consumerism/greed, but the others, which have no theme, are also worth looking at. Sarina Dean, a senior fine arts minor who is painting flowers on one of the smaller pieces, said she started with one flower on the canvas and others followed suit, contributing another flower with petals falling off and writing, "I love to watch you fall apart".

It's a collaborative endeavor for these art students who are using their creativity to fashion images that evoke our spirits, whether it's the army tank running over babies or the words, "These colors don't run. But they bleed." Long has art been used as a means to garner attention to social and political issues. This can be seen in ArtPolitic, where artists have banded together to "promote thought, interest, and passion" for a variety of issues. According to their manifesto, they "seek to inform others and incite change." Another group that uses art for social and political issues is the non profit organization Wise Fools Community Arts, which uses a combination of giant puppetry, wild costumes, music, and theatre “as vehicles for community building, self-determination, social and political change.”

Senior Meiko Kikuta, a psychology and fine arts double major, said that, at first, she didn't like the concept of the project, but after seeing everything put together she has grown to like it. She has painted a gun with a gold chain surrounding it which she says symbolizes the misuse of people in power. She points out that the chain that is controlling the gun is gold which signifies money. With their red plastic cups serving as makeshift palettes and their paint brushes armed at the ready, these students are creating activated art and following in the footsteps of those that used art for change.

Provocative Painting Puts Pressure on Politicians

On Wednesday, March 21st, students from first-year Professor Eric Hongisto's second semester painting class took on the task of painting a mural in the space reserved for such artistic projects outside Crossroads Café. The artwork began with classroom brainstorming on the heady topic of political and social unrest in the United States, and what could be represented symbolically on a canvas to convey the students' sense of the current political climate. The mural now displayed on the first floor of the University Center is a first for many of the students involved, and the first time Hongisto, 33, has worked on a mural at USF.

The mural is a collaborative effort to visually arrest onlookers with striking words and images, like the bloodied head of Vice President Dick Cheney under the words, "These Colors Don't Run. But They Bleed." Other students chose to highlight the connection between war and the relentless drive of consumer capitalism represented by hamburgers and Hummers. Students on one side of the hallway painted a young child in a tank running over other children, possibly symbolizing the way young people are taught to glorify the same violence that can ultimately kill them.

One member of the artistic troupe, Fiamma Giger, found the group effort both interesting and challenging. Giger, a 21 year-old Visual Arts major, said she was looking forward to seeing what other students will do with the mural. Professor Sharon Siskin's second semester drawing class will take over the mural and do work in response to the initial painting her class has done. Giger spent her mural time painting an assembly line of t-shirts reminiscent of a sweatshop.

These forms of artistic expression provide students with a chance to exercise their first amendment rights to free speech, however provocative. It will be interesting to see in the current climate of fear and repression whether the students will come under criticism, or even legal pressure, for depicting the Vice President with a gaping, mortal head wound. With the opportunity to speak one's mind fast diminishing, protest murals like this might soon become a thing of the past, unless the idealism of student activism can be met with the full support of those in a position to end the march toward tyranny. That spark of idealistic fervor is at the heart of American culture, ingrained from the founding of a rebellious and free nation, through the abolitionist movement and the horrific war it ignited, on up to the present day, when concerned citizens throughout this nation are banding together against the installation of a police state on our own shores.

Benedetti Diamond

It fills the air every spring at USF, the distinct ping of aluminum during afternoon batting practice. It comes from a forgotten corner of campus, behind the dorms, before Masonic, on Benedetti Diamond at Ulrich Field, the home of the USF Dons Baseball team. The field was built in 1953 and named after Max Ulrich, a transplant to San Francisco neither affiliated with Jesuits nor the University of San Francisco in any capacity, but who named USF as a significant beneficiary in his will. This was due entirely to the USF Credo, a statement written by then-USF president, and noted anti-Communist Fr. Raymond Feely, SJ. The credo espoused belief in God, personal dignity, natural rights, sanctity of the home, stated an opposition to all forms of racism, and was inspirational enough to secure $358,000 from the estate of Mr. Ulrich.

The fortunes of the team in the years following the building of the field were largely in the hands of a San Francisco restauranteur named Dante Benedetti, native to the city, who coached USF baseball for 29 years for the princely sum of one dollar per year. While 29 dollars (before taxes) isn't much of a windfall, when Benedetti called it a career in 1980 he saw his name given to the baseball diamond at Ulrich Field as part of retirement ceremonies which were attended by Joe DiMaggio.


The team itself began with the 1907 season. A photograph here shows the original nine on a lot which is the current location of St. Ignatius Church. In the background, you can see the blue house which still stands at the northwest corner of Golden Gate and Parker. The program was loosely organized at the time, produced about a dozen major league players who had careers of little distinction and was interuppted by military drafts. In 1946, however, the University of San Francisco was named the best college team on the West Coast before resuming its status as a respectable team, but certainly no powerhouse.

With only a handful of highlights in the 100 years of Dons baseball, it is no surprise the team has taken a backseat to other more successful sports like basketball, soccer, and the famed 1951 football team. That said, it's no rifle team. The program is very healthy and is enjoying what is probably the best run in the school's history. Manager Nino Giarrantano is in his ninth season with the team and the 2005 and 2006 seasons saw the team set a school record for wins and secure a berth in the college world series, respectively. In addition, players from USF are being drafted by pro teams every year and recent USF alumni are on the fringes of the major leagues. Tagg Bozied, now part of the St. Louis Cardinals organization, is best known for his unusual name (Tagg Bozied) and an unusual injury (blowing out his knee celebrating a game-winning home run). Other former players worthy of mention include Jesse Foppert, recently a pitching prospect with the San Francisco Giants, Gil McDougal, the American League Rookie of the Year in 1951, and Joseph Giannini, a member of the 1911 team and son of Bank of America co-founder Amedeo Giannini.


In spite of its placement on a quiet corner of The Hilltop, Benedetti Diamond and the Dons baseball team has secured a more prominent position in the annals of USF's athletic tradition which only figures to grow.

“Some of these nuns look real cute hefting those big steins of beer…”*

Tucked away in a corner of the bottom floor of the UC Building, the bare, plain room of the Fog 'n Grog, with its yellowish walls and red variations of checkered flooring, does not give a hint of its glory days as "The Place" on campus that students, faculty, staff, Jesuits, and neighbors went to kick back, enjoy a cold beer, and mingle with one another. Opened on July 6, 1973, led by USF and then-food services ARA-Slater (now ARAMARK), it was the first on-sale beer hall on a college campus in California. The campus beer license was approved in May, ending a five year negotiation with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission. The campus bar opened its doors as a trial run during summer with the name "Fog 'n Grog”, a winner in a campus contest. It fast became popular among the students attending summer school, faculty members and conference guests- 550 Sisters and Jesuits attending a Symposium on Ignatian Spirituality.

In a San Mateo Times article dated August 7, 1973, John F. Marshall, then USF's vice president for student development said that the campus bar was a great way for students and faculty to get together and converse. "I think the Fog 'n Grog will be an incentive for them to stick around and enjoy some of the extras that go with a good education- meeting more people, getting to know them better, a chance to get in on campus activities," he said. With its dark wood panels, low lighting, and L-shaped bar, not to mention seating for at least 120 people, open hours from 7 to 11 each night, and .30 cent beers, people from the USF community, as well as those outside, greatly took advantage of the space. The university and food services struck gold; according to Fr. Michael Kotlanger, S.J., archivist at Gleeson Library, in its first week the bar had a profit of approximately $2,000. Aside from ample lounging areas, the bar also provided entertainment. It had a dart board, a television, music streaming from KUSF, and musical and dramatic productions. Kotlanger recalls, "We had a great time."

It wasn’t all fun and games; the campus bar’s beer license had strict rules to follow. Only beer could be served, no wine or hard liquor were permitted. No beverages were allowed to leave the premises. Only persons 21 years of age and older could enter the bar. An adult was to remain at the entrance each night and require two IDs from patrons, one with a photo.

Unfortunately, the bar was closed down in the 80s. There was no information in archives about the closing of the bar and the people I spoke with don't recall the exact date or why it closed. Kotlanger mentioned that it was shut down because of the school’s concern about binge drinking among students and the liability issues involved if there were any mishaps. Fr. Vernon Ruland, S.J., said it had something to do with the drug culture of the time overlapping with the drinking culture. Whatever the reason, the next time you find yourself in the Fog ‘n Grog, whether it's for some club meeting or if you just happen to wander in, don’t let the drab fool you. Take a moment to reflect that at our very campus, over 30 years ago, the first campus pub in California was opened and in the very walls you are standing in, people came together to share good beer, good laughs, and good times.
*James W. Kelly Jr., Director at Office of Public Information at USF (1973) – quoted many times in numerous articles on USF’s bar

"Rock, Rock, Rock and Roll Jesuit School"

It’s funny to think of all the students at USF diligently studying the day away, while in a non-descript bottom floor room in McLaren Hall, some of the most radical noise around is being broadcasted to the world. The culprit of this rebellious activity as you may have already guessed is our very own KUSF.

KUSF is widely known for its radical and diverse programming but it came from very humble beginnings. KUSF originally started as an AM station with a very narrow broadcast spectrum. In 1977, under the guidance of current station manager Steve Runyon, KUSF moved over to 90.3 FM to expand their reach in the Bay Area. Initially KUSF focused solely on community programming and fine arts and it was broadcasted for only five hours a day in the evenings.

The station continued to grow eventually incorporating pop and rock music into its programming and extending its airtime to 24 hours a day. KUSF quickly became one of the best sources for new music. Heavily supportive of the local scene, KUSF broke San Francisco icons like Metallica and Primus before they were signed to major record deals. The station has been rewarded with numerous gold and platinum records from appreciative bands like R.E.M., The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The B-52’s. Amid all this popular success KUSF has never lost its sights on providing, “unique and distinctive programming as a service to San Francisco and the Bay Area.”

Today, along with the vast selection of independent and experimental music you can find longstanding cultural and fine arts programs from Chinese Star Radio and the Turkish Cultural Program to the Metropolitan Opera. KUSF has garnered a wide array of awards recognizing their quality programming including the 2005 SF Weekly Readers Poll, Gavin’s College Station of the Year (1988,1989,1990,1994), and in 1998, April 25th was named "KUSF 90.3 FM Stereo Day In San Francisco" by Mayor Willie Brown.

Gleeson Library - A Storied Journey

The University of San Francisco has a long history of scholarship dating back to the 1800s, but its library, traditionally thought of as the heart of the school, was only built in 1950. The first site occupied by the school that would come to be known as USF was at Market and 5th Street, now occupied by the Westfield Shopping Center. During this early period, the school had no formal library, as the entire institute centered on one school room. The school stayed for five years, after which it moved because of the tax burden imposed on schools and churches.

The new school at Hayes St and Van Ness grew from humble beginnings to become one of the premier centers of learning on the West Coast, said library archivist Father Michael Kotlanger. Kotlanger explained that the old library consisted in large part of donated books, most of which were either science related or spiritual in nature. The books were not located in one central library, but rather in many individual collections organized by subject matter and scattered around the university. At that time, the books were strictly for use at the school, and could not be checked out by students.

As with the rest of the city, 1906 marked a turning point for USF. The massive quake and fire on April 18th, 1906 gutted the school and obliterated nearly everything in it, including all the books collected over the previous half century. The few records that survive from before 1906 were housed in separate locations downtown and in Los Gatos, said Kotlanger. After the tragic events of that day, the school moved to a location near the present day southern entrance to St. Mary's hospital at Hayes and Shrader, a few blocks from its present day location. School officials tried to build up the library's collection after the devastating loss of all its books, but at that time they had to rely on the generosity of donors. The law school opened in 1912, necessitating further book acquisitions, all of which were donated by jurists and legal scholars who had an interest in helping future legal minds.

In 1927, the school moved to its current address at Fulton and Parker. The burgeoning library collection was housed on the fourth floor of Campion Hall, the original university building that served as the entire university for many years. Finally, in 1950, the collection became large enough that university officials agreed a separate library would be both necessary and good for the school. The library is named after Father Richard Gleeson, who spent 46 years in service to the university. Kotlanger said Gleeson died the day it was announced that the library would bare his name.

Under the direction of Father William Monihan, the new library initially housed the relatively small collection from Campion Hall, and had administrative offices and classrooms on the upper floors. This condition was not to last, as Monihan aggressively sought out books for the new library, including many rare books now housed in the Donihue Rare Book Room. These include a fragment of the Gutenberg Bible dating from the 1450s, medieval illuminated manuscripts, the works of Sir Thomas Moore and a collection of letters from the English Catholic novelist and film-writer, Graham Greene. Kotlanger stumbled upon these letters when looking through files in the university's possession. The letters were appraised for $250,000.

As Monihan and his successors continued to build the library's collection, classroom and office space had to move to other locations on campus. In addition to its own collection, Kotlanger said the library once held the extensive personal collection of Adolph Sutro, who was mayor of San Francisco from 1895 until 1897. Space was leased in the library's basement by the Sutro estate until Gleeson library's own collection could no longer be housed solely in the upper floors. The lease was allowed to expire for a nominal rate, and Sutro's collection moved to its current location at San Francisco State University.

In 1997, the library opened the Geschke Learning Resource Center, named after Charles and Nancy Geschke, two university patrons and parents of a former student. The Geschke Center houses the circulation desk, reference stacks, and dozens of computers, both Apple and PC. The center also includes Thacher Gallery, an art exhibition room with rotating exhibits throughout the year. On the east wing of Geschke Center is the Monihan Atrium, a large study area named after the aforementioned Jesuit priest and library director.

The library's collection continues to grow at the rate of 13,000 volumes per year, according to its website, in an effort to maintain its status as a world class center for learning and scholarship. Located at the geographic heart of the university, Gleeson Library truly is at the heart of the school's dedication to learning and service.

early adventures in geomapping

In Memoriam Paula Gmelch

On March 1st, 2007, Paula Gmelch’s life was tragically cut short in an accident on Turk and Chabot at the University of San Francisco. We at USFblogtastic, have reported on and shared our stories and thoughts about this accident that has shocked and saddened our entire community.

USFblogtastic would like to provide the entire USF community, family and friends of Paula Gmelch, and anyone else who knew her with a place to reflect. Although, none of the students in our class personally knew Paula, this tragedy has opened our eyes to just how delicate life can be.

A memorial service for Paula Gmelch is being held on Friday, March 9, at 2:00 p.m. in Saint Ignatius Church, at the University of San Francisco. There will also be a reception following the service in Fromm Hall.

In light of this tragedy, donations can be made to the Paula Gmelch Scholarship Fund. So far there has been tremendous support for the fund. Checks can be made payable to the University of San Francisco, noting the Gmelch scholarship and can be mailed to the School of education. For more information please contact Jim Brennan, the School of Education director of budget and planning.

Please use this space to add your thoughts, tell your stories, and share your memories of Paula.

USF Community Left Reeling by Fatal Accident

The USF community was left reeling after last Thursday's accident which took the life of Paula Gmelch, whose husband, Walter, is the Dean of the School of Education at USF.

As is often the case at the site of a fatal accident, mourners have erected a makeshift memorial as an outlet for their grief. At the corner of Turk and Chabot where Gmelch was unfortunately standing when according to multiple sources, a Cadillac Escalade made a u-turn forcing a Nissan Pathfinder off the road into two pedestrians, the other identified here by one resourceful reporter as Yansen Setiawan.

The memorial contains a wall of messages which range from ee cummings to offerings of thoughts and prayers to a note from Gmelch's nieces. Also included are a benediction, a photo of Paula and Walter Gmelch and no less than two dozen floral arrangements. All of which reflect the profound loss endured by this community in the past week.

Students Should Learn Lesson from Tragedy

The tragic death of Paula Gmelch on March 1st has brought home the reality of the world in which we live. Pedestrians face dangers every day, and though students, faculty and the wider USF community may be focused on our classes and our social lives as we pass from one part of campus to another, the truth is our school is located directly adjacent to some of the busiest streets in San Francisco.

While it is unclear at this time the exact cause of the accident, it is clear that conditions at that intersection can make for a treacherous crossing, especially when coupled with the scarcity of parking and the distractions of modern driving. This terrible event should give us all pause when we are driving, so that we are careful to pay attention not just to our immediate goal of reaching our destination, but also to others on the road who have a right to get to their destination unharmed.


I did not know Paula Gmelch, but it is impossible not to empathize with those who did. The deep sadness and lost they feel must be hard to bear, especially for Paula's husband Walter Gmelch, who lives just a few doors down from where his wife was killed. My most heartfelt condolences go out to him and all of Paula's friends and family, some of whom have had the opportunity to express their sorrow at the memorial on Turk and Chabot.


A death so sudden and unexpected leaves us all shaken and wondering what to do next. I hope and pray that at the very least, USF students will take this as a sign to drive safely. Paula Gmelch's passing should be a cautionary tale that being late to class is not the end of the world.