Normal behavior

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Feb 17, 2005

IT isn't entirely clear what kind of conditions actually prevail in the student dormitories -- and their immediate environs -- at San Francisco State University.

But we would go so far as to state that things appear to be rather lively to say the least.

That's the only conclusion one can draw from the recent flap about a young photographer who tried to document some of the daily goings-on there.

The fellow, Omar Vega, got himself in a bit of hot water when he took pictures of a gaggle of individuals breaking into a car outside a dormitory.

Vega himself has been arrested and arraigned on burglary charges. He claims he was acting as a journalist. He is using the First Amendment as a primary defense in this matter.

Reasonable people can differ on the merits of Vega's situation. But, in the course of describing the events surrounding the incident, another newspaper, perhaps unwittingly, may have revealed something even more interesting.

The Chronicle's account of Vega's travails included material relating to some of his other work at the institution of higher learning.

Those photos, noted the publication, were mostly of what were said to be "normal scenes of campus life."

And just what might those rather routine scenes be? Well, according to the Chron, they involved "a student strumming his guitar on a stairwell, another vomiting in a toilet after a night of binge drinking and a female lying on the floor and receiving oral sex from a fellow freshman."

Hmmm. Sounds like our tax dollars are working overtime off 19th Avenue just north of the Daly City border.

What passes for "normal" at S.F. State these days certainly transcends our own mundane experiences on that campus 40-odd years ago.

In any event, the Vega case has become a minor cause-clbre in certain quarters. We will stay tuned for further developments.

JIM LUSCATOFF -- Several callers to this desk have indicated that San Mateo County's NBA alumni ought to include Jim Luscatoff, who played for many seasons with the Boston Celtics.

Luscatoff, however, attended Palo Alto High School. So, technically, he's not part of the local NBA collection that numbers just five: Bob Peterson, Charles Johnson, Charles Lowery, Rich Kelley and the late Nick Vanos.

Sorry, we have to draw the line somewhere.

GOODBYE, WELTE'S -- Another longtime county watering hole has changed hands. Welte's bar, located on Grand Avenue in downtown South San Francisco, has closed. It has morphed into the Club Marakas. Welte's, like the old Newell's on San Mateo Avenue in downtown San Bruno, was a haven for the blue collar set. We'll miss it.

THE WOOGIEMEN -- Speaking of pubs, the Prince of Wales will present something of an entertainment novelty on Feb. 25. The San Mateo establishment will feature dueling piano players, The Woogiemen, from 8:30 p.m. to midnight on that date. Can't wait.

If you have a local vignette or a hot tip that just cries out for sharing, please don't hesitate. Send it along to John Horgan via telephone at 348-4334, fax at 348-4446 or traditional snail mail at P.O. Box 5400, San Mateo 94402.