Ex-heroin addict says farewell to addiction
Everyone got a bronze coin for graduating drug rehab. Well, at least they did at the one I went to. All the ceremonies were the same. The coin is passed around among the…
Registration woes weigh heavy on returning students
It’s that happy time of year, where many of us watch as our peers graduate and go off into the world and their future careers. No doubt, graduating is a tremendous accomplishment. It…
Legalized industrial hemp benefits environment
There’s a certain green plant with a reputation for its psychedelic effects and was known to help Bob Marley get through his days. Marijuana gets all the fame, but lesser known is its family…
Past heroin addict tells abscess horror stories
The pain was agonizing. I told the doctor in the emergency room to slice open my thigh and drain the pus. Once he could do that, I would be on my way. There…
Pretentious posers taint San Francisco’s food scene
Giants won the second World Series in three years. Niners went to the Super Bowl. Warriors are in the playoffs. There has been a lot of smack talk about bandwagoning and Bay Area…
Finals fail to measure or aid student success
Final exams, end of semester projects and bouts of nightlong cram sessions are upon us. With all the talk of assignments, worth a quarter to a third of our grades, it could be…
Tap water remains best choice for SF
The water in San Francisco is not only some of the crispest water found on the planet, it’s safe to drink and probably safer than bottled. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,…
Rediscovering sex on the first stretches of sobriety
Soon after the dope sickness, the anger and the depression, my cravings to use drugs slowly began to disappear. Without drugs and alcohol, I faced a whole new set of challenges. I became…
Online dating secret tips revealed
Gone are the days of “boy meets girl.” These days, a more likely scenario is “boy likes girl’s profile, girl lurks through boy’s pictures, boy flirtatiously messages girl.” Who doesn’t have a friend…
Body art stereotypes misrepresent tattoo and piercing culture
It wasn’t until the artist lifted his handheld machine from my skin — as it buzzed like a dental drill — and wiped my ink and blood splattered arm clean that I realized…
Cloud storage’s negative impact outweighs the positive
Data coverage, or cloud storage, is a model of networked online pools of storage where data is saved and usually hosted by third parties. The “hosts” are companies like Google or Facebook that…
Ex-addict supports new bill to reduce risk of felony charges
I used to sit in my car listening to the public radio station while I waited for my drug dealer to arrive. Shows like the “BBC News Hour,” “This American Life” and “Wait,…
Music festivals are not the optimum concert experience
The dust and LSD has finally cleared after two smelly, hippie weekends of Brochella. We have reached that time of year between music festivals. Starting May 8-12, we will have Bottlerock in Napa…
In wake of SF State scandal, a call for justice
Just when we thought the worst had happened — years of budget cuts, decreased classes, tuition hikes and prolonged graduations — news broke last week of a University official and his accomplice being…
Irresponsible medicine disposal harms the environment
It’s no secret that the medications prescribed by doctors aren’t always healthy for us, but their disposal is even harmful for the environment. Whether it’s through the natural process of digesting these medications…
The greatest revelation that beat addiction
This is the final installment of a three-part getting sober series, which explores some of the more memorable moments that led up to my sobriety date, Dec. 19, 2008. It was early in…
SF State’s bomb threat response was simply too late
With all that has gone on in the last week in Boston, you’d think that a bomb threat at a large public university would warrant a rapid and robust public response from that university’s…
Hybrid cars may not always be so eco-friendly
SF State is a commuter campus, which means many students use public transportation or drive to campus to attend classes. Some students find themselves feeling particularly “green” while driving to school in their hybrid electric…
In wake of tragedy in Boston inspiration, hope persevere
We awoke on Tuesday to yet another tragic morning-after. As was the case Sept. 12, 2001, many of us woke up wondering how anybody — whether a lone deranged individual or some demented…
Trying sobriety in the trenches of addiction
This is part two of a three-part getting sober series, which explores some of the more memorable moments that led up to my sobriety date, Dec. 19, 2008. As a drug addict, I…
Graduation ceremonies are a student’s right
After four plus years of college, graduation is the one, albeit cheesy, but well-deserved ceremony we can all look forward to. The handshake of our department chair, the toss of our caps in…
Plastic buildup becomes environmental nightmare
It’s a nice summer day, 85 degrees and sunny. You decide to go to the beach, not only to show off your new summer bod, but to cool off for a swim in…
Understanding autism is important for social awareness
My little sister was diagnosed with a specific form of autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, at a very young age. I didn’t understand what it meant or what she had until I was nearly a…
The road to sobriety: homelessness versus rehab
This is the first part of a three-part getting sober series, which explores some of the more memorable moments that led up to my sobriety date, Dec. 19, 2008. People often ask me…
SF supervisors should pass mandatory buffer zone law for clinics
San Francisco has always been the stomping grounds of activists protesting contentious issues. Abortion is no different. No matter which side of the issue you come down on, passions run high, with opponents…
True organic food benefits environment, sustainability
Farmers’ markets and the organic food isle have become a popular destination for growing families, the healthy eater and the environmentally conscious alike. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of…
Serial Inebriate Program arouses ex-addict’s concern
When I was in jail, the hardcore drug addicts and alcoholics told me not to accept a drug treatment program in the place of jail. Treatments are a hassle. Do your time, get…
Mixed relationships offer diversity
My boyfriend is full of surprises. He’s equal parts rock star, Prince Charming and a ridiculous nerd. He treats me like a queen, even though I repeatedly insist otherwise, and makes me laugh until…
SF State’s investment in fossil fuels betrays its good causes
As the national economy continues on the slow road to recovery everyone is looking for a quick way to make a buck. Our University is no different, as it looks to make the…
Cigarette butt littering adversely affects environment
Warning: this content contains material that may not be suitable for those who have an addiction to cigarettes but those who care about the environment should keep reading. Accordingly, the author insists that no…
