San Francisco Foghorn

              FREEDOM AND FAIRNESS
so? JFo
Vol. 109, Issue 7
TheFoghornOnline.com
October 27, 2011
NEWS
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Meet San Francisco's mayoral
candidates for the Nov. 8 election.
Pg-2
OPINION
Amanda Rhoades reminds her
fellow freshman to sever the
proverbial umbilical cord.
Pg-4
SCENE
Halloween costumes for the
last-minute party;
Pg-5
SPORTS
Dons volleyball team sweeps
USD and St. Mary's,
Pg-7
FOGHORN ONLINE
Go to foghorn.usfca.edu for
videos, slideshows, and more!
SAN FRANCISCO FOGHORN
As   part   of
National
C o m i n
Out Week,
University        Ministry
teamed    with     Queer
Alliance       and       the
Gender    8c    Sexuality
Center to host a forum
exploring what it means
to  be   a  queer  student
and faculty member on a
Catholic Campus.
Students and
faculty   gathered   near
the cafeteria, many of
them sporting rainbow-
colored  buttons  on  their
book bags and shirts, to participate in
a round table discussion on the state
ofthe gay community on campus.
Rev. Donal Godfrey, S.J., was
among one ofthe special invitees who
spoke about the relationship between
the gay and lesbian experience on a
Catholic campus in San Frnacisco.
Having grown up in Ireland, a
country that has been long known
for its conservative Catholic roots,
Godfrey has often reflected on the
following question: could a person
be accepted as Catholic and gay?
"I don't believe being Catholic
and being gay is an oxymoron,"
said Godfrey, associate director
of University Ministry. "There are
people on this campus who are both
[Catholic and gay] and the church
needs the experiences and voices of
the gay community. There has to be
an engagement between the Catholic
tradition and the gay experience."
Godfrey cited his experience at
USF and in the San
Francisco LGBTQ_
community as having
helped to shape his
understanding of the
relationship between
the Catholic faith and
the gay lifestyle.
The Castro, before
becoming the epicenter
of     the      gay      rights
movement in the 1970s, was home
to many Irish Catholic immigrants
who left a lasting legacy.
For Godfrey, the fusion ofthe two
cultures, while at times contentious,
has helped both communities to
reconcile their understandings of
faith and sexuality. Godfrey has since
returned several times to Northern
Ireland to help the gay and lesbian
community of both the Catholic and
Protestant Church wrestle with these
same questions.
Dr. Shirley McGuire, professor
of psychology, had some serious
reservations as to whether Catholic
universities around the country were
ready to give support to the LGBTQ_
community.
After arriving at USF from the
University of San Diego in 2001,
McGuire wondered just how
revealing she could be about her
sexuality.
QUEER, continued on pg. 1
Being
Queer
on a
Catholic
Campus
ROLAND ARGOMANIZ
StaffWriter
Roland Argomaniz/Foghorn
McKenzie Mullen, fourth from left, is the vice president of USF Queer
Alliance, which was one of the sponsors of the panel discussion Oct. 18.
Ten Thousand Dollars for Fighting Poverty
An interview with Daniel Lurie, recipient of this year's USF California Prize
Daniel Lurie, 2011 winner of USF's California Prize
gan/rognorn
AMANDA RHOADES    .
StaffWriter
Every year, the University of San
Francisco awards the California Prize
to an individual who has put forth a
serious effort to aid the underserved
and marginalized of society. This
year, the prize, which includes a
ten-thousand dollar reward and a
medal of honor, is being awarded to
Daniel Lurie, the CEO and Founder
of the organization Tipping Point
Community. The non-profit provides
both financial support and access
to other resources for thirty-two
direct service organizations, one-
third of which are in the Bay Area.
The organizations seek to deal with
problems associated with poverty.
These organizations work to develop
wellness support, housing, education,
and employment opportunities.
Tipping Point, created six years
ago, was largely inspired by Lurie's
experiences in San Francisco, where
he was born and raised. He said,
"In an area as wealthy and rich i*i
resources as the bay, the poverty level
is unacceptable. Almost one-million
people here can't even meet their
basic needs and the region needed an
organization like Tipping Point, we
needed to inspire people to give to
poverty and it's not an easy thing for
people to get their heads around, it's
often intangible."
What makes Tipping Point
different from other organizations
committed to fighting poverty is
their methodology, only funding
organizations that have been
deemed to have the greatest positive
impact on community. This requires
screening hundreds of applicants
before selection. An organization
may be turned away for not meeting
Tipping Point's standards in the
potential amount of positive impact
in the community. Tipping Point's
screening process is part of the, as
Lurie describes it, "write a check
and roll up your sleeves" philosophy,
offering legal and technical aid
to the groups they help finance
although members of Tipping
Point frequently go out into the
community and work with these
organizations first-hand. One-
hundred percent of all donations go
directly to the organizations Tipping
Point sponsors.
"It's a long-term commitment
for us and our donors" Lurie added.
2130 FULTON STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 9411'
Since its formation, Tipping Point
has donated approximately $30
million, with $12.6 million being
donated in 2011. All monetary
donations are sent out within twelve
months of their reception.
When asked what the
USF's award meant for Tipping
Point, Lurie responded "It means
we have a partner in the University.
We know that the values of USF are
similar to Tipping Point and we're
honored to be in that company; the
university's commitment to service
and action is one we can believe in."
Lurie plans to use the money from
the California Prize as funding for
the organizations the Tipping Point
sponsors.
Lurie also advocated for student
involvement in Tipping Point.
He said, enthusiastically, "We
want people to be engaged, they
can go to our website and know
the organizations there are doing
good work. We spend ninety-
three hours of due diligence before
we do anything with them, these
places have been vetted," referring
to the rigorous selection process all
applicant organizations go through.
The California Prize
Dinner, in which Lurie will be
recognized, will be held on USF's
campus on November 1, 2011
with all ticket proceeds benefitting
student programs at the University.
To get involved with or learn more
about Tipping Point Community,
explore the organization's website:
http://www.tippingpoint.org/
NEWSROOM 415.422.6122