The Guardsman, Vol. 165, Issue 4. City College of San Francisco

Vol. 165, Issue 4 | Mar. 7– Mar. 20, 2018 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE

School pledges support to Dreamers Facilities

Master Plan to be 'rebooted'

By Janeth R. Sanchez jrsanchez444@gmail.com

City College leaders and regional legislatures urged students to submit applications for the California Dream Act before the deadline at a press conference at Mission Campus on Feb. 28.

The California Dream Act allows students with AB540 status -- undocumented students who have completed three years of high school in California -- to receive California financial aid such as Cal grants and private scholarships throughout the state. It is not related to DACA or FAFSA, which are both federal programs.

The application deadline was March 2.

The meeting also reaffirmed City College's support to undocumented students.

“We are a sanctuary college where every single student, every single human being has the opportunity to pursue their education in safety and security. That is our commitment,” said Chancellor Mark Rocha.

California Assemblyman David Chiu spoke about how critical City College was for the education of the immigrant community and the future of the state.

“It is so important to all of us to hang together because this time period will end; at some point Trump will not longer be our president and I'm looking out to the next generations of our leaders,” said Chiu.

“When is enough, enough?,” asked Alex Randolph, vicepresident of the board of trustees, regarding the Trump

By Abraham Davis abrahamdfrankfurter@gmail.com

Chancellor Mark Rocha (right) urges students to apply for the California Dream Act before the deadline during a press conference at Mission Campus on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, with Trustee Tom Temprano (left), Assemblyman David Chiu and Trustee Brigitte Davila.

Photo by Janeth R. Sanchez/The Guardsman

administration policies. “There's no better way to achieve a life in this country and follow the American dream than a pathway through affordable education.”

Alejandro Jimenez, coordinator of the Voices of Immigrants Demonstrating Achievement student group, encouraged students to apply and take advantage of the resources and counseling available at City College.

“Having the California Dream Act is the difference between having to have two or three jobs and take one class at the time or

moving along in your education,” said Jimenez. “We were here before Trump, we'll be here after.”

Rocha promised that all the applications would be confidential.

He also said DACA students could receive help with their DACA renewal application at the student services office.

Undocumented City College students Reina Aguilar and Miriam Trujeque came to learn about the financial aid available to students.

“I wanted to know what security measurements will take City College to protect us

undocumented students. We want to feel secure in our school,” said Trujeque, through a Spanish interpreter.

“Now we know that we are protected; we know that they will help us and where we can get the help in case that we need it,” said Aguilar, through an interpreter.

Both students want to earn a college degree in the future and felt reassured by Rocha's words.

“I know City College is a school that provides great opportunities to get ahead in life,” Trujeque said.

NEWS PROFILE

New facilities head faces daunting challenge with aging campus

By Victor Tence victortence@gmail.com

It's not everyday you start your new job with a backlog of 4,000 trouble tickets, stepping into a role where your predecessor was missing-in-action for months. But that's exactly what Rueben Smith did in January when he joined City College to take on the daunting job of interim vice chancellor for facilities, planning, and construction.

Students and faculty at City College have grappled for years with facilities issues that range from broken water pipes, elevator maintenance and faulty heating.

With the size of Ocean Campus, eight centers and a handful of administrative and instructional sites to manage, simply assessing the magnitude of the repairs alone is a herculean task.

However, Smith steps into the role with over 15 years of experience. He has led similar programs in the Pasadena Community College District and managed a

sustainable bond program in the Los Angeles Community College District—which has now grown to $9.3 billion, making it the largest redevelopment bond of its type.

In Smith’s field of work, size does matter.

The inherited issue of accumulated deferred maintenance alone now sits at a staggering $453 million across all campuses and a backlog of 4,000 work order requests, some dating back three years.

“Not only are we looking at just deferred maintenance but the impact of total cost of ownership.

It is really weighing down on this district,” Smith said.

Smith estimates the assessment period will extend to the end of this year, taking up half of his two year contract with City College.

Despite this, Smith has already made headway by presenting an unprecedented accounting of the campus facilities and projects at the board of trustees meeting on

Jan. 25.

“You have in your hands something that did not exist, to my knowledge, until Dr. Smith showed up a couple weeks ago: a comprehensive accounting of every single facilities project in the college,” Chancellor Mark Rocha said at the meeting.

Notable in the report are buildings that have been marked as more expensive to repair than to fully tear down and rebuild. A sign, Smith said, that most of the problems we’re facing are rooted in the age of the campus.

Facilities cont. on page 3

Dr. Rueben Smith, interim vice chancellor of facilities, planning, and construction, in his office on March 5, 2018. Photo by Cameron Ehring/The Guardsman

Administration officials are moving forward with a “reboot” of the Facilities Master Plan, a 10-year roadmap for facilities projects, and is in the final selection process of recommending a firm for program management teams.

At the Feb. 22 board of trustees meeting, Rueben Smith, interim vice chancellor of facilities, said two teams had been shortlisted for a second-level interview. “We went through the first level of interviews, and now we have a couple firms we are going to take to the second level and hopefully bring a recommendation to the board next month.”

“Numerous things have been discussed numerous times, and never appeared in the plan. It was like, whose plan is this?”

— Vicki Legion

The college hired previously tBP Architecture to take on the task of creating the master plan.

At the board of trustees meeting on Aug. 24, 2017, Chancellor Mark Rocha said, “The reboot has nothing to do with disregarding the previous plan but to double check we had done our transparency work, and the entire campus is aware of it.”

But in a facilities committee meeting on Feb. 26, committee members raised questions about the existing plan.

“What is our Facilities Master Plan right now? No one really knows,” said committee member Shawn Yee. “What iteration it is?

What are we working from right now?”

“It's been long enough now that none of us remember when we were updated with that plan,” said committee co-chair Steven Brown.

Committee member Madeline Mueller said when tBP last presented a draft of the plan to the facilities committee, “it was done in this room, and we were told not to make any comments.”

Brown said tBP requested feedback in the form of an online Google Form, “but the form did not allow anything more than what they were looking for.” The format Reboot cont. on page 3

2 | NEWS

Vol. 165, Issue 4 | Mar. 7– Mar. 20, 2018

NEWS BRIEFS Board endorses Frida Way rename

By Bethaney Lee blee@theguardsman.com

The board of trustees voted unanimously at their Feb. 22 meeting to express their support for renaming Phelan Avenue, which runs along Ocean Campus, to Frida Kahlo Way. The avenue, named after the father of former Mayor James Phelan, has become associated with the mayor himself.

“Phelan’s son ran a very racist campaign as senator and mayor and that is why USF changed their building name and that is why we changed our building name. But right now our street is used to recognize this man,” said Student Trustee Bouthaina Belayadi. “I believe street names should be

people who have accomplished and represent social justice. Phelan does none of that.”

Yolanda Lopez, a globally renowned artist known for her feminist ideology which challenges ethnic stereotypes, was present to show her support. Together with Interdisciplinary Instructor Leslie Simo, they read a tribute Lopez had written.

“The eccentrically beautiful and talented Frida Kahlo came to San Francisco to join her then ex-husband (master artist, Diego Rivera) during the era of World War II and America’s economic depression. Frida Kahlo has been a part of San Francisco’s DNA almost 80 years,” said Simon. “Her legacy since the 1970 second wave of feminism and the San Francisco State University third world strike for ethnic studies stems from here in the Mission District and through the fabulous portrait her husband painted of her.”

Lopez said for a time Kahlo had almost been totally forgotten and suffered with polio but became renowned for her contributions. “Aside from what we are addressing here today these art entities are a gift to all of San Francisco from the Mission’s Latino community,” said Lopez while adding, “Frida Kahlo Way has a very nice ring to it.”

Settlement reached in Child Development Center lawsuit

By Kira George Special to The Guardsman

A settlement agreement in City College’s 4-year-old lawsuit against the contractor and subcontractors who built the Child Development Center was announced last month.

The announcement was made at the Feb. 22 board of trustees meeting by general counsel Steve Bruckman.

“The child development center had serious construction defects,” he said at the meeting. “After four and a half years of challenging litigation, we were able to reach a settlement agreement of $4.8 million to be paid by the general contractor and a whole collection of subcontractors.”

The board unanimously approved the settlement. They had also previously agreed to the settlement in a closed session.

In 2005, Hunt Construction Group, along with subcontractors Project Frog and architecture firm MKThink, won a City College contract to construct three new buildings at the Ocean Campus: a new Wellness Center, a new Student Health building and the Child Development Center.

The Child Development Center quickly became the focus of a lengthy dispute as the normal aftermath of new

Editor-in-Chief Bethaney Lee News Editor Michael Toren

construction—punch lists, revisions and finish work—grew into an ongoing battle over serious construction defects, including failing paint and creeping rust.

In October 2011, Vantage Point Consulting was hired to assess the physical state of the construction and determined the ongoing issue

Culture Editor Lisa Martin Opinion Editor Chelsea Crumpler Sports Editor Peter J. Suter

Photo Editor Janeth R. Sanchez Copy Editors Quip Johnson Fia Swanson

constituted negligence on the part of Hunt Construction and its subcontractors.

City College filed its lawsuit in September 2013 alleging breach of contract against all three contractors, with a special claim of negligence against MKThink in particular.

Broken boiler shuts down cafeteria

By Victor Tence

victortence@gmail.com

The Ocean Campus cafeteria in Smith Hall was unexpectedly forced to suspend all food services on Tuesday, Feb. 27 due to an equipment failure that resulted in a lack of hot water in the kitchens.

The following day they reopened with a limited menu as the facilities department

Illustration by Mindy Walters

Staff

Illustration by Mindy Walters

Design Director Mindy Walters Designers Hope Miranda Online Editor Laurie Maemura

worked to fix the boiler problem.

By Thursday of the same week, the problem had been resolved and the cafeteria was open and operating for all three services.

This marked the second time in February a boiler failure shut down or limited cafeteria service. The culinary department believes the problem is resolved and does not expect any further issues.

Advertising Manager Michelle Xu Community Calender Andres Velasquez

Staff Writers Abraham Davis Cory Holt Sarah Lapidus Rachael Nguyen Victor Tence Michelle Xu

NEWS | 3

Vol. 165, Issue 4 | Mar. 7– Mar. 20, 2018

Reboot cont. from page 1 was extremely time-consuming, taking 45 minutes to an hour to fill out a single page, he said.

“There was no way I was going to continue with it.”

The draft plan presented by tBP was also produced when assumptions about the school’s future were very different than today, Mueller said. “The mantra was to ‘right-size’ the school, which was to make it smaller,” she said.

“So having a plan based on that foundation is pretty problematic.”

When the plan was presented to the board of trustees, “it was like, WTF?” said committee member Athena Steff, “because a

lot of people at the [board meeting] hadn’t seen that version at all.” tBP had presented “a plan that was going to take 40 years, and not a 10-year plan,” Brown said. “Rocha wanted us to focus on the five major things we could get done in 10 years.”

“I think you’re hearing a low-level of trust for tBP,” said committee member Vicki Legion.

“Numerous things have been discussed numerous times and never appeared in the plan. It was like, whose plan is this?”

Because of all the confusion over the existing draft plan, committee alternate Wendy Miller said, “I really felt like the reboot

was really a reset.”

Smith suggested having tBP present the current draft plan to the committee again, to explain their methodology and have an open Q&A, and the committee agreed.

“Are we bound to work with tBP on a continuous basis even though the trust is weak?” asked Legion.

“We’re the client, we can choose,” Smith said, but added that he “didn’t think we’re there yet.”

“We don’t have to be tied exactly to what is presented to you,” he added. “It isn’t gospel.”

Students at Ocean Campus walk towards the entrance to the Wellness Center on March 5, 2018. Photo by Janeth R. Sanchez/The Guardsman

Community Calendar CITY COLLEGE SPRING PLAY, LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN Presented by the Theatre department. Come support your fellow students!

Fri., March 9, 2018 - 7:30 PM Sat., March 10, 2018 - 7:30 PM Sun. March 11, 2018 - 2:00 PM @ Diego Rivera Theatre, Ocean Campus Admission: $15 general, $10 Students, seniors 11TH ANNUAL MEXIKA NEW YEAR Come celebrate the ceremony at sunrise with Danza Azteka, an indigenous dance troupe, and special guests speaker Carlos Valenzuela of Kolibri Arts, an artist of the Aztec Medallion.

Monday, March 12, 2018 - 6am @ Mission Campus

OCEAN CAMPUS FOOD SHELVES The Food Pantry Work Group is piloting On-Demand Food Shelves at six locations on Ocean Campus. If you find yourself on campus without money for a snack, drop by one of the Food Shelves locations for a free, nutritious snack. You can find more information about the Food Shelves, including the locations at http://ccsf.edu/foodshelves

729~3969 (757)

Algebra Statistics Calculus Computers

c++ More!

email, text, phone

Staff Illustrators Quip Johnson Mindy Walters Photographers Eric Nomburg Cameron Ehring

Franchon Smith Veronica Steiner Faculty Adviser Juan Gonzales

“When you have buildings and grounds of this vintage, at some point it exhausts its life of usefulness. For example, bungalows. Most of the bungalows have exhausted their life. It’s actually cheaper to replace all of the bungalows than to do all the recommended repairs,” Smith said.

Smith pointed out that no building which falls under this category is considered unsafe, with the exception of the now vacated Eddy Street Campus—built in 1910—which requires a seismic upgrade.

City College, however, will not be demolitioning facilities anytime soon, despite the fact that we have reached a point where the maintenance team cannot outpace the growing number of problems.

Smith illustrated this point

Follow us

If you would like to submit a calendar item for our March 21 issue, the deadline is March 16. Contact calendar@theguardsman.com

SUPPORT AT HOME The new pilot provides financial aid for home care to adults earning less than 100% median income, especially to those recovering from injury, surgery, or disability, to help them stay in the community. For more information, 415-750-4111, or http://ioaging.org/supportathome

Facilities cont. from page 1

Homework-Help.US

CHEF’S TABLE AT PCR WILL BE CLOSED ON THE FOLLOWING DATES: March 21 & 22: CLOSED— Private events March 26-31: CLOSED— Spring Break

theguardsman.com ccsfjournalism.com Twitter @ theguardsman

using the analogy of a car engine.

“We keep changing the oil, but we keep waiting for things to fail because we don’t have the funding to do the capital improvement on the level that we need,” he said.

The lack of funding that forced City College to defer maintenance year after year now prevents any major overhaul to the aging campus.

In response, Smith has identified the roofing; the broken elevators; and the campus heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems as three key priorities. He believes addressing these issues is realistic in his two year contract and will utilize his limited resources to make the greatest positive impact on the college.

“Funding is always going to be a challenge, but there are some things we have to commit to,” Smith said.

Contact Us

Mailing Address

50 Phelan Ave, Box V-67 San Francisco, CA 94112 Bungalow 615

Along with repairing the campus, Smith must also rebuild the facilities department itself.

Currently he is looking to fill 12 open positions, ranging from project managers, to electricians, to custodians and engineers. He hopes to have at least eight of those roles filled by June 30.

The position of buildings and grounds director remains notably vacant with no plans to hire anytime soon.

Smith is also rebuilding metaphorical bridges with the college community at large. He noted that the months his position remained vacant created a communication barrier for his department.

“People are knowledgeable and understand the challenge of facilities, although impatient sometimes because they’ve been identifying issues that haven’t been addressed and no one has

advertise@theguardsman.com info@theguardsman. com (415) 239-3446

communicated with them that we are going to follow up. Those are things that my department needs to do better,” Smith said.

In the past month the facilities department website has been updated to provide feedback, and Smith personally wrote the campus wide email about the recent cafeteria boiler failure.

He particularly wants to be more proactive at communicating updates on campus issues that “appear to have no movement.”

Asked if he would like to remain in his new role once his two year contract is completed, Smith said, “I would be lying to say I didn’t want to stay here, but right now the goal here is to facilitate the best possible teaching environment… And right now we are nowhere close; I’m just one day at a time.”

Next Issue March 21

4 | CULTURE

Vol. 165, Issue 4 | Mar. 7– Mar. 20, 2018

THEATRE REVIEW

'Lady Windermere's Fan' will blow you away

By Abraham Davis abrahamdfrankfurter@gmail.com

CCSF Theatre Arts Department’s latest production, “Lady Windermere's Fan” by Oscar Wilde, is full of Wilde’s trademark wit, melodrama and interesting characters to keep the audience hooked from start to finish. The play is filled with laughter and cleverness, along with an interesting plot that hosts a cast of colorful characters.

The play takes place in London during the late 1800’s, a time when a woman’s status was determined by her husband, and to divorce your husband was unheard of.

When a scandalous woman comes into the life of Lord and Lady Windermere which causes the characters to question each other’s morals and status, hilarity ensues, along with the occasional heartfelt moment.

Every character represents a different view on life during this time in history, and the play does a good job of humanizing each view while still making them ridiculous.

The production comes to life with a superb set and historical costumes.

The play has appropriately come out during the beginning of Women’s History Month. It is a great way to celebrate women’s

history. This is due to how the play shows how far women have come since the 1800’s and also gives some thought for how far there still is to do.

On top of this, it also supports a cast of strong leading women.

Alixandra Todd gives an incredibly strong performance as the titular character, Lady Windermere. She gives her character strong emotions mixed into a strict moral compass and is a thrill to watch on stage.

Lisa Bettini also gives a wonderful performance as The Duchess of Berwick, using Oscar Wilde’s sense of humor and wit to make her character equally charming and horrible.

In the male cast Robert Ayala stands out as Lord Darlington, a man who is too caught up in the romance of life to take it seriously.

Ayala is hilarious and entertaining, finding a balance, much like Bettini, between being incredibly likeable and repugnant.

Most of the actors pull off the English dialect believably and never resort to caricature, despite almost all the characters in the show being caricatures of upper English society during the 1800’s.

Director John Wilk deems Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” the greatest

Violet Yung (left to right) as Lady Agatha Carlisle, Alixandra Todd as Lady Windermere, Lisa Bettini as The Duchess of Berwick and Robert Ayala as Lord Darlington during the dress rehearsal of the production Lady Windermere’s Fan directed by John Wilk at The Diego Rivera Theater in Ocean campus on Wednesday Feb. 27, 2018. Photo by Janeth R. Sanchez

comedy ever written but having already done that production in the past, wanted to give audiences Wilde’s second “masterpiece.”

“The comedy is based on sort of making fun of the society as opposed to bucking it up,” said Wilk. “In this case it’s the struggle of the main woman to see if she

will stay with her husband or not.”

Although at times the play starts to sound more like one clever remark on society after another rather than a plot-fueled narrative, it captivated me because the cast’s great performances and John Wilk’s solid direction.

Lady Windermere’s Fan will

be playing in the Diego Rivera Theatre on Friday March 9th at 7:30pm, Saturday March 10th at 7:30pm and will have the final performance on Sunday March 11th at 2pm. General admission is $15, while students, seniors and TBA members pay $10.

MOVIE REVIEW

Black Panther breaks records and sparks cultural moment

By Michelle Xu & Corey Holt mxu37@mail.ccsf.edu coreymh07@gmail.com

The release of the critically acclaimed film “Black Panther” sparked an emotional in-depth conversation throughout the African-American community.

Unlike other Marvel films made before, “Black Panther” features a predominantly AfricanAmerican cast.

The plot centers around a strong and well-respected Black protagonist known as T’Challa, whose father’s death hands him the throne of Wakanda—a fictional, technologically advanced nation in Africa.

Elements of revolution, liberation, injustice, racial tension, African cultural roots and messages conveying the power of Black women and equality embody the dialogue of the film.

Music, color and imagery feature highly in the aesthetic of “Black Panther” that includes an instrumental hip hop soundtrack, ritualistic ceremonies, traditional African inspired costumes and the use of the South African language, Xhosa, which is spoken among the Wakandan people.

Although most of the film takes place in Wakanda, the

story begins and ends in Oakland, the hometown of African-American director and co-writer, Ryan Coogler, and the birthplace of the first Black Panther Party Chapter.

Wakanda flourishes with wealth and beauty thanks to Vibranium—a native resource that built the nation’s incomparable innovation; Oakland is a gritty urban city with a history of civil rights battles, crime and poverty.

The juxtaposition created from the shifts between Wakanda and Oakland help viewers examine

one of the film’s deeper themes: the relationship between AfricanAmericans and their motherland, Africa.

In an ABC News interview on Feb. 17, Chadwick Boseman, who plays T’Challa, elaborates on the impact of the film: “They [the Black community] see power, intelligence, achievement. They see their dreams. It’s aspirational.”

Female characters like T’Challa’s sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), the scientific genius in charge of Wakanda’s technological advancements, Nakia (Lupita Nyong’O), T’Challa’s courageous love interest, Queen Romanda (Angela Bassett), the supportive mother, and Okoye (Danai Gurira), the loyal general of the armed forces–all give young African-American women a positive image of their potential.

T’Challa represents the uncolonized African while his villain cousin, Erik Killmonger, is an African-American who grew up in Oakland. Killmonger plans to get rid of T’Challa to secure the Wakandan throne. However, unlike other selfish villains, Killmonger’s motives can be seen as more altruistic.

In a Washington Post interview on Feb. 14, Coogler explains,

“T’Challa represents... an African that hasn’t been affected by colonization. So what we wanted to do was contrast that with a reflection of the diaspora. But the diaspora that’s the most affected by it. And what you get with that is you get African-Americans. You get the African that’s not only a product of colonization, but also a product of the worst form of colonization, which is slavery. It was about that clash.”

The connection between the film and the Black Panther movement are not blatant on screen, but there are some references of revolutionary responses to unjust systematic oppression that stem from the party’s ideology.

“Ultimately, it was a good movie,” said Michael Hudson whose father, Warren Hudson, was a member of the Black Panther Party during the 1970s chapter in the lower ninth ward of New Orleans in Louisiana.

“The system had to be fixed, and the Panthers wanted all power to the people,” Hudson said of the Black Panther Party, echoing an underlying subtext in the film.

“The Panthers wanted peace, but they were also fed up with being at the bottom of the judicial system's authority. They got angry, but who wouldn't be angry because they were being oppressed?” he added.

The anger and frustration of African-Americans whose

ancestors were victims of the Atlantic slave trade can be speculated upon through the film, especially through Killmonger, but the idea of unity and nationalism and what it means for the Black community remains the main focus of “Black Panther,” similar to the ideas the Panther Party had for their community.

The parallel is made when the effects of the Atlantic slave trade is examined through the present condition of contemporary society for urban African-American cities. The film guides us to observe how things came to be, and where Africa’s history fits in the answer.

Even though this is only Coogler’s third project, his outstanding talent continues to produce films that have outlived viewers expectations as “Black Panther” made a worldwide total of $426.6 million so far.

In just four days, Black Panther surpassed Deadpool’s $152 million opening in 2016 by swooping in $242 million, making it the fifth highest opening of all time. It’s no wonder it ranks an A-plus on CinemaScore and gained a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Black Panther gives the Black community a greater chance to shine through film and other media, and has created a pathway for African-Americans to continue being noticed for their own creativity, abilities and strengths.

CULTURE | 5

Vol. 165, Issue 4 | Mar. 7– Mar. 20, 2018

Top: Robert Ayala as Lord Darlington and Alixandra Todd as Lady Windermere, during the dress rehearsal of the production Lady Windermere’s Fan directed by John Wilk at The Diego Rivera Theater on Wednesday Feb. 27, 2018. Photo by Janeth R. Sanchez Right: Gilberto Polanco (background) as Parker the butler, Alixandra Todd (foreground) as Lady Windermere and Robert Ayala as Lord Darlington during her birthday party scene in the dress rehearsal of the production Lady Windermere’s Fan directed by John Wilk at The Diego Rivera Theater on Wednesday Feb. 27, 2018. Photo by Janeth R. Sanchez Bottom: Rachel Nip (left to right) as Mrs. Erlynne, Jake Gleason as Lord Windermere, Marc Powell as Lord Augustus Lorton and Dora Guan as Lady Plymdale during Mrs. Erlynne introduction scene in the dress rehearsal of the production Lady Windermere’s Fan directed by John Wilk at The Diego Rivera Theater on Wednesday Feb. 27, 2018. Photo by Janeth R. Sanchez/The Guardsman

CAMPUS EVENTS

Women's history events celebrate intersectional activism

By Michelle Xu mxu37@mail.ccsf.edu

The end of Black History Month only marks the beginning of Women’s History Month, during which time City College of San Francisco’s Women’s Studies Department hosts free public events that focus on the empowerment of women and their significance in this world.

Last year, the events highlighted women’s response to oppression; this year, the events inform us of the past and current processes of fighting for women’s justice, as well as what women do in order to bring political awareness and change.

“For this year’s theme, we wanted to highlight women’s role in the social justice movement and the leadership of women,” Maggie Harrison said, Chair of the Women’s Department at City College.

The event listings opened with MAJOR!–a documentary film that focuses on Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a 73-year old Black transgender women who has fought for the rights of trans women of color for over 40 years, the perfect introduction to link Black History Month and Women’s History Month.

“Every fall, our instructors gather for a yearly meeting to discuss where we are so we can

come up with the year’s theme.

A crossover event like MAJOR! was appropriate to start with,” Harrison explained.

Staff and students who are involved in scheduling the events also major in ethnic studies, social justice, or LGBT studies, whose learning curriculums correspond to the order of the events.

Because the people involved come from many different backgrounds, attendees should be able to find at least one event that they could make a personal connection to.

If one doesn’t find an event that specifically speaks to his or her life, “the opportunity to meet people who are unlike you are a part of what helps us grow; not as individuals, but as a whole community,” Harrison explained.

The list of events include knowledgeable guest speakers, healing workshops and enlightening films that can connect with you in unexpected ways, push you to make changes, and possibly inspire you to become a part of the movement.

“Students who worked as peer educators from Project SURVIVE [City College’s sexual violence prevention and healthy relationship promotion program] would come to my classes so I got to know them over time. I saw their growth and their path of developing a meaningful connection with

others in healthy ways,” Harrison shared, “And that’s what impacted my decision to become the Chair.”

The struggle for women’s rights are not so black and white, and it is not just a fight for straight white women. LGBT women, transgender women and women of color all play an important role when it comes to driving this movement.

“We’re damaged. Our culture is damaged. We have a long time legacy of colonialism and slavery, and those echoes are coming back and are current to our political culture,” Harrison emphasized. “As a commitment, not just to ourselves but to the generations ahead, we owe it to ourselves to heal from the traumas we collectively experience and to take advantage of what is out there for us.”

The events began on Feb. 15 and will continue throughout March, ending with a film screening community workshop on May 8.

For more interactive workshops that teach different modalities about healing, African-American Studies and History professor Aliyah Dunn-Salahuddin’s “Healing Through Movement” occurs on Apr. 10, which focuses on dynamic movement. Meanwhile, “Writing as Alchemy” with Tanea Lunsford Lynx takes place on May 3.

Women’s History Month Events Women’s Resource Center Open House

Wed 3/7 • 12:00–2:00 pm Smith Hall 103–104

International Women’s Day Celebration

Thur 3/8 • 12:00–1:00 pm Student Cafeteria

Writing Sexuality in the Media: Who Has Control?

Mon 3/12 • 6:00–7:30 pm Rosenberg 305

Immigrant Women Worker Power & Organizing

Thur 3/15 • 12:45–2:45 pm Rosenberg 301

Birthright: a War Story (documentary film & discussion)

Thur 3/15 • 6:00–9:00 pm Mission Room 109

Terisa Siagatonu — Talanoa poet

TUES 3/20 • 6:00–9:00 pm MUB 140

Intersecting Identities Conference — Seeing Your Roots Grow into Branches

Wed 3/21 • 10:00–4:00 pm Upper Level Student Union Lounge and Wellness 103

Avotcja and Modúpue WED 3/21 • 6:30–8:00 pm Creative Arts 133

To see the full list of events go to: http://bit.ly/2CUW9eW

6 | OPINION

Vol. 165, Issue 4 | Mar. 7– Mar. 20, 2018

Have your say

By Chelsea Crumpler

Photos by Cameron Ehring

If you were the President, what action would you take to stop school shootings?

“There should be a limit on clip sizes and a ban on assault rifles for civilians. I understand people want something for protection, but a little .38 caliber works.”

— Fred Hatter

“I would prevent all gun sales, we don’t sell guns in my country (Mongolia). We don’t need those weapons in this century–living in communities we can solve our issues by sharing our thoughts and talking.”

— Munkhjin Erdenemumkh

“Bullying is the cause of school shootings. The schools should have more counseling and support groups to reach more at-risk students.”

— Vishal Duggal

“I heard that Trump wants to arm teachers–I think teachers having guns would put students in danger.

There should be a mental health check once a year to help find people with lots of stress.”

— Bili Kuang

“There should be stricter background checks and taking away automatic rifles.

It works in Australia, it can work here.”

— Gary Sarkaria

Me Too: Ending sexual harassment

By Klaudine Kayla Garcia Special to The Guardsman

All that glitters isn't gold. A statement that reflects all too well the current state of Hollywood.

In light of the recent sexual harassment accusations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, more and more women have come out with their own stories of abuse involving Hollywood's finest. Men with incredible power are being exposed for their heinous acts against women in the industry, and it is about damn time the spotlight targets the darkest corners of glitzy Hollywood.

Over 50 women have come out with allegations of sexual abuse or harassment against media mogul Weinstein. You might find your favorites among this tiny sample: Salma Hayek, Kate Beckinsale, Cara Delevingne, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie.

Following the accusations, actress Alyssa Milano tweeted: "Me too. Suggested by a friend: If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote 'Me too.' as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem."

Milano wasn't speaking exclusively to the women of Hollywood, but to all women in the workforce.

Famous actresses are now involved to help stop the violence in this rape culture, but this has been a pervasive issue long before the hashtag was created. The

"Me Too" movement started long before— since 2006–by human rights activist Tarana Burke. The "Me Too" movement is calling on women to stand in solidarity and to share their personal stories with the public.

It is with great hope that this movement will bring an end to this harrowing epidemic of harassment in the workforce. No longer are women expected to keep their mouth shut on issues of sexual harassment and abuse; no longer are women expected to hide the pain inflicted upon them by predatory men.

As a feminist, I believe that this movement will bring immense improvement to the treatment of women in our society. As a woman who has faced numerous accounts of harassment in the workforce, I can tell you that it is not easy to stand up to your tormentor, but you can do it.

There is a huge network of strong women out there who are ready to help you empower yourself. You simply need to believe that you are worth it. We need to learn to value each other and ourselves. Although, we may not be the same color or have the same background, we may have the encounters of sexual harassment in common.

We all must face our fears and exclaim that we are not an easy target. It's time that men learn how to talk to and treat women. As they say, the future is female.

Letters to the Editor Dear Editor: As a lifelong learner at CCSF since 1981, I loved the article "Back to School: Senior citizens lose out under the strict repeatability regulations"

by Sarah Lapidus that appeared in the Fall 2017 issue of Etc. Magazine.

How can we say that we are worried about increasing our enrollment figures at CCSF when, as a result of the non-repeatability rule, we have lost 1,200 students, aged 50 or older, from five years ago?

As Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, Kentucky said on PBS's Charlie Rose show (Mayor's Roundtable) on April 16, 2012: "Some of the most satisfying conversations I have are when people say, 'The world is new. I have to learn something new every day to be relevant and competitive.

It has changed. So cities that are the lifelong learning cities are the cities that are going to win.'"

— Michael Zonta Dear Editor: I’m a student at CCSF and have grave concerns over the supposed Balboa Reservoir parking lot being developed into housing.

I vehemently oppose this proposed action because it won’t serve the students and faculty.

CCSF just gained back its accreditation and we have already seen a tremendous increase in enrollment. The traffic and parking issues has worsened since then and will definitely continue to worsen should the students be stripped of the precious parking availability. We need more parking — not less.

Furthermore, developing that land won’t benefit the neighborhoods, students or faculty. Adding 300 tenants to an already extremely dense and high-traffic area will leave many in the lurch.

Has a study of the traffic issues and solutions to those issues been conducted? Where would the students/faculty/staff park should this land be taken away?

Please consider our concerns with thought, care and compassion.

— Erica Calegari

SPORTS | 7

Vol. 165, Issue 4 | Mar. 7– Mar. 20, 2018

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Rams rally to victory, beat Mission 7-2

By Andres Velasquez

andresvelasquez621@gmail.com

The City College women’s tennis team defeated conference rival Mission at home on Feb. 27 in an exciting 7-2 victory.

With this win the Rams are now 5-3 overall and 4-1 in conference matches.

In a match where the cold, windy weather tested the resolve of the Rams team, they were able to put together a great team victory.

Despite missing their No. 1 ranked doubles and singles player, sophomore Zee Aynaci, several players were able to step up.“They did a good job of handling their business on their court,” Head Coach Kelly Hickey said of her team’s effort.

After doubles, the Rams led 2-1 over Mission, with one win by default, since their opponents failed to field a full roster of six players.

Caroline Olander and Claudia Houdre defeated their opponents 8-0, while Yvonne Ng and Abigail Campos lost 8-5.

In singles, the Rams cemented their victory over Mission with a 5-1 domination, again with one of those victories coming as a win by default for the same reason as in doubles.

In singles play, Claudia Houdre, who did not experience defeat all day, won 6-0 and 6-0 in quick succession against her opponent, allowing her teammates to focus on their game strategy.

“I ran a lot, missed some points, had some really good shots…,” Claudia said when describing her victorious 6-0 performance.

At the same time of Houdre’s great performance, there were also two action-packed comebacks by Caroline Olander and Aliza Sunderberg, who did not participate in doubles play.

Olander had fallen behind in

SPORTS CALENDAR Men’s Basketball: CCCAA Elite 8 March 9, 7PM, vs. Allan Hancock @Ventura

Baseball:

March 8, 1PM vs. De Anza March 10, 1PM @Chabot March 13, 1PM vs. Chabot March 15, 2PM @Mission March 20, 1PM vs. San Mateo

Women’s Tennis:

March 9, 2PM,@Foothills March 13, 2PM, @Caada March 20, 2PM, @De Anza

Women’s Swim & Dive: March 9, Cuesta Invitationals (all day), @Cuesta College

Track & Field:

March 9, San Mateo Invitationals (all day), @CSM March 16-17, Hornet Multi (all day), @Sac State

The Rams No. 1 ranked doubles player Abigail Campos (right) returns volley while playing with partner Yvonne Ng (left) in March 2, 2018 match against Mission College. Photo by James Comfort/Special to The Guardsman.

what seemed to be an inevitable loss, until she miraculously scraped out a 7-5 victory, demonstrating her grit and perseverance. She would go on to win her second set 6-0.

Sunderberg, too, had fallen behind during her first set, but, like Olander, was able to guarantee a 7-5 victory for herself and her team in what she described as “a major comeback.”

For Sundberg’s second set, all her teammates had finished their

play and were cheering her on in support, ultimately, driving her to defeat her opponent 6-3 in the final set of the entire match.

“In the second set I felt pretty good. It was a really good match.

I feel proud of myself,” Sundberg said shortly after the match was over.

In the Rams’ other two singles matchups, Yvonne Ng was unable snatch a set from her opponent, while her teammate Abigail Campos did a very good job of

winning her sets 6-3 and 6-0.

After the match, Head Coach Kelly Hickey said, “Overall, I was pleased with it. I thought we needed to make some adjustments at number one doubles. I thought we lost focus there in the end of their pro-set, but by the time we got to the singles, I think everyone regained their focus... So, even though this is a team sport, you have to take care of what’s going on on your court, and I thought they did a beautiful job.”

For live game updates find CCSF Athletics on Facebook and @CCSFathletic on Twitter

Good luck to men’s basketball team at the CCCAA State Championship tournament!

GOOOOOOOO RAMS! The Rams freshman Caroline Olander fore-hands a strike against Mission College on March 2, 2018. Photo by James Comfort/Special to The Guardsman.

The Rams freshman Aliza Sunderberg continues a volley on March 2, 2018 during home match against Mission College. Photo by James Comfort/Special to The Guardsman.

SPORTS | 8

Vol. 165, Issue 4 | Mar. 7– Mar. 20, 2018

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Rams advance to CCCAA State Finals with big win over Cabrillo

The Rams freshman guard Terrell Brown (#33) breaks free for the twohanded slam dunk during March 3, 2018 game against Cabrillo College.

Photo by James Comfort/Special to The Guardsman.

By Patrick Cochran

pcochran@theguardsman.com

The City College men’s basketball team beat Cabrillo College Saturday night, winning its semi-final playoff game 77-60.

The Rams now advance to the CCCAA State Finals in Ventura, played March 8-11.

“I was excited, I thought our guys came to play,” Head Coach Justin Labagh said. “We wanted

The Rams sophomore guard Eddie Stansberry (#11) goes up for the one-handed layup against Cabrillo College on March 3, 2018. Photo

by James Comfort/Special to the Guardsman.

to control the tempo and we did.”

The Rams applied their full court press and stifled the Cabrillo offense. The No. 9 Seahawks couldn’t find an offensive rhythm and struggled by making costly turnovers.

The No. 1 Rams physically outmatched Cabrillo. The full

court press was so effective that Cabrillo was unable to advance the ball past half court multiple times, and were called for 10 second violations.

Terrell Brown was magnificent on offense, leading the Rams in scoring with 19 points, making five threes. “We love playing up,” said Terrell Brown. “When we play up, it’s straight turnovers all game.

If we defend, we are going to win the game.”

A quick player who can blow past defenders, Brown was unguardable at times and provided the catalyst the Rams needed to win the game. Brown can drive to the hoop and drain threes, and is the heart of the Ram offense.

“He is the best player in the state,” Labagh said. “And those types of players usually show up in big games.”

The Ram’s deep bench made it impossible for Cabrillo to keep up.

Labagh constantly makes substitutions, and the second unit is nearly as talented as the starters. Backup guard Dexter Hood scored seven points while reserve forward Lewis Hayes chipped in eight points.

Despite being teammates at CCSF for just two years at the most, these Rams have great chemistry.

“With us it’s like playing AAU basketball all over again. It’s fun,” Michael Wright said.

Wright had 12 points, and a late-game two-handed dunk that provided the exclamation point on the win.

The Rams have now won 26 straight games, and have a 30-1 record with their last loss coming in November. The mostly sophomore group hopes to win it all, unlike last year when they fell in the semi-finals.

“We got all the pieces we need.

Everybody is clicking and paying attention,” Wright said.

For Labagh the win was a culmination of where they planned to be at the end of the season.

“We just wanted to put ourselves in the right position, and we’ve done that,” Labagh said.

The Rams are in it to win it, and have no plans of falling short.

“We are going to finish out the run, that has been our goal and we are going to do it,” Wright said.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Women’s team season ends after 63-58 loss to Merced College

By Patrick Cochran

pcochran@theguardsman.com

The City College women’s basketball team’s season is over in a disappointing fashion. The No. 4 Rams lost 63-58 in their third round game against No. 5 Merced College in the CCCAA women’s basketball playoffs Saturday night.

“They just outplayed us tonight,” Head Coach Derek Lau said. “They were playing faster than us, and they were ready. We missed shots that we usually don’t miss. Merced played their game well today.”

The Rams got off to a slow pace, and by the end of the first quarter they were down 24-12 and had yet to hit a 3-pointer, usually the cornerstone of their offense. In the second quarter the Rams finally connected from deep, but still trailed 34-30 at halftime.

It wasn’t just the deep shots the Rams were missing. They also struggled with scoring in the paint and making layups on drives.

“It had a huge effect,” Lau said. “When we missed layups, they were going the other way, and that’s huge since not everyone is ready after a missed layup to play defense. We couldn’t get over the hump missing layups and three throws. You don’t win playoff games doing that.”

Merced’s quick squad played an up-tempo offense that was hard to stop. In the lane, the Blue Devils Shea Glasglow-Williams, used her skill and size to score 19 points.

Caprice Taylor led the Rams in scoring with 22 points, but even that strong performance wasn’t enough to get the Rams over the hump.

Taylor said that the team made costly mistakes. “We could have eliminated our turnovers.” Also adding, “We went above what

The Rams freshman Ma'ata Makoni (#32) shoots a close range jump shot in the paint on March 3, 2018 against Merced College. Photo by James Comfort/Special to The Guardsman.

our goal was. We had like 20 total turnovers, and we were supposed to only have 12 this game. I think we fought hard the whole game though, they just came out stronger than us and wanted it more.”

Despite failing to advance to the CCCAA state finals, it was still a successful season as the Rams finished the year with a 25-4 record that included Lau’s 100th career victory. The Rams will lose star player Taylor, but will return star freshmen guard Anissah Dowery and forward Zakiya Willis.

The Rams sophomore guard Caprice Taylor (#10) dribbles up court against Merced College on March 3, 2018. Photo by James Comfort/ Special to The Guardsman.

The Rams freshman guard Anissah Dorsey (#3) drives to the basket for a contested lay-up on March 3, 2018. Photo by James Comfort/ Special to The Guardsman.