Vol. 163, Issue 5 | March 22, - April 12 , 2017 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE
Photo by: Izar Decleto/The Guardsman Mult-Use Building at City College of San Francisco on Sept. 16, 2016.
MUB robbery reveals outmoded security cameras By Otto Pippenger oppipenger@theguardsman.com
City College’s annual number of robberies declined from five to six the years 2013 and 2014, to two to three in 2014 and 2015. 2016 saw none at all. But the vicious armed robbery of student Victor Tense in mid February at the Multi-Use Building (MUB) has students in 2017 wondering if the year will be a return to higher rates of violent crime. With several other serious crimes including a grand theft in the MUB and an aggravated assault the same day elsewhere on Ocean Campus, these incidents are a reminder that police can never be everywhere at once in a place as large as the Ocean Campus. Tense was robbed when two men followed him into the men’s room in the MUB. They were both Hispanic males, one 20-30 years old and the other 30-40 with a vivid purple scar on the right side of his face that “washes out all other details” according to Tense. They told Tense that they thought he had spat on one of the offender’s sister, flustering Tense long enough to corner him and pull out a semiautomatic handgun. They told Tence to “get on the
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floor if you don’t wanna be shot in the head,” and then robbed him of his phone, wallet, keys and backpack for damages totalling nearly $500. Tense waited after they left. “I was expecting to open that door and find a gun in my face,” Tense said before returning to his classroom. His classmates and teacher helped him to call the police and cancel his debit card. Campus police arrived within minutes. Since the phone could not be tracked the only remaining evidence was the security camera footage, while Ocean Campus is patrolled both on foot and by car, according to Officer Tiffany Green. “Our security officer for the campus is usually at the Wellness Center or bookstore,” Green said, “we may increase or restructure our patrols to prevent crimes like this.” The MUB is one of only three structures, including Rosenberg Library and the Wellness Center, to be equipped with security cameras on Ocean Campus. While Tense’s attackers can clearly be seen exiting MUB robbery continued on page 3
MUB war rages on
IN THIS ISSUE
Administration and students battle over two thirds of building By Lynda Brommage
lbrommage@theguardsman.com
The Multi-Use Building (MUB) has students, teachers and in an upheaval regarding Walking the line faculty the proposed idea of classroom space taken away for administraCulture page 5 tive purposes that was meant for student learning. The proposal has been put forth due to the need to relocate 85 City College employees from the 33 Gough building that is leased out to developers for the next 75 Women's day years starting July, 2017. Opinion page 7 In doing so, 20 of the 34 total classrooms meant for student instruction in the MUB would be used for administrative purposes such as human relations, City College finances and payroll - but New will also include student services astrological such as consolidating financial aid from Cloud Hall, counselforecast ing services, matriculation and Opinion page 6 creating a larger student testing lab according to Assistant Vice Chancellor Linda De Silva. “This would be a one stop first contact for student services,” said De Silva. “It would make operaMexika tional sense.” New Year The move will take up the entire third floor and half the Culture page 4 second floor displacing the Link Center which many students depend on for computer use and health services. It will also
disband the Child Development and Health Education Programs which many students attend for their certificates. “I was astounded when I reached out to my union representative Athena,” Gender Diversity Project Coordinator, Andrew Ciscel, whose office lies in the Link Center said. “I was looking for representation that would impact my job and the staff here but instead she wrote back that the student perspective seemed entitled.” The argument boils down to the fact that the MUB was created by a bond issue approved by San Francisco taxpayers to create a learning facility for students at City College to grow enrollment and serve its community. Most objections relate to twelve of the classrooms to be used solely for non-student related administrative business. In a video recording of the February 23, City College Board of Trustees meeting held in the MUB to discuss the topic many students, faculty, teachers and all those affected by the proposal voiced their strong objections to the proposal. MUB war continued on page 3
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2 | news
Vol. 163, Issue 5 | March. 22 –April, 12, 2017
Calendar Events AFT 2121 Holds Moratorium on Class Cuts
Thursday, March 23 @ 4 - 7 p.m. Ocean Campus in MUB 140
Until the end of the Fall 2017 semester The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) 2121, a non-profit organization, will hold a moratorium on any further class cuts with the new members of the CCSF Board of Trustees. Class cuts insert immediate and lasting chaos, damage and doubt into our students’ educational futures and growth. Please join for public comments on administration’s policy of cutting full-time faculty positions, step placement for new hires and negotiations on Fort Mason’s proposed closure of the art program. Contact 415-585-2121 for more information.
Chris Koehler: Save Yourself
April 3 to April 26, 2017 Reception: Tuesday, April 4 @ 5:30 to 7:30
Throughout the month of April the art department at City College will showcase award winning artist and illustrator, Chris Koehler, who’s behind the comic “Legend.” His work has been featured in such magazines as “The Atlantic” and “Popular Science” as well as international ad campaigns, packag-
Do you have any City College events that you would like included in The Guardsman calendar? Send event information to info@ theguardsman.com
ing and products. His illustrations have been recognized by Communication Arts, Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, Spectrum, and 3x3. In addition to being a freelance brush for hire, he teaches the in comic programs at California College of the Arts and co-owns Sketchpad Gallery in San Francisco.
Youth Art Exchange announces The Third Annual Howth Street Block Party in collaboration with Lick-Wilmerding High School
Saturday, March 25 @ 2-5:00 p.m. Howth St. between Ocean Ave. and Geneva Ave.
A neighborhood celebration is being hosted, by the Youth Art Exchange and Lick-Wilmerding High School, the event will feature interactive arts and cultural activities for all ages according to an email from Christine Godinez. Attendees can look forward to food, performances and a Community Movie Night in the Lick-Wilmerding gym from 5 to 7 p.m. “We are thrilled to bring this event to the community once again and encourage everyone to come out and join the festivities,” Godinez said.
Chef’s Table March Closure Dates
March 17, March 24, March 31 Ocean Campus, Statler Wing, Pierre Coste Dining Room, 50 Phelan Avenue
The Chef’s Table at the Pierre Coste Room will be closed the remaining Fridays of March. It is closed on the 17 as they switch over to a new class and new menu, closed on the 24 for a special event and closed on the 31 for spring break. The Chef’s Table is a restaurant staffed by City College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management students. Normal hours are Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For reservations call (415) 239-3855 or Chris Johnson at (415) 239-3438
De-Stress by Healing from Historical and Individual Drama: Healing For Change
Saturday, April 8 @ 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Ocean Campus, Multi-Use Building, MUB 140, 50 Phelan Avenue
City College is hosting Healing For Change, a free all-day event for City College students featuring several healing workshops. The event will start at 9:00 a.m. with registration and an opening ceremony led by Dr. Trinity Ordona. Guests will attend a morning workshop of their choice: Healing Through Writing led by Marylyn Tesconi, Healing Through Meditation led by Judith Nihei, or Healing Through Movement led by Jennifer Biehn. In the afternoon there will be a group drumming workshop led by Arturo Carrillo. Dr. Trinity Ordona will finish the event with a closing ceremony. Breakfast and lunch are provided. Pre-register for the event at www.ccsf.edu/women or contact Maggie Harrison at mharriso@ccsf.edu for more information
Staff Editor-in-Chief Bethaney Lee News Editor Lynda Brommage
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News Briefs Transportation scholarship adjustment improves acceptance
A transportation scholarship will be distributed through eligible programs serving focus populations identified in the CCSF Student Equity Plan according to the Office of Student Equity whose focus is on African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander, Latinx, Filipino, DSPS, Veteran and Foster Youth. The scholarship will be provided as a Clipper card with $100 credit. Minimum requirements to obtain the scholarship include enrollment in nine or more units at City College with a 2.0 GPA or higher and a completed Educational Plan provided by a counselor. Associate Dean of Student Equity, Laura G. Lara-Brady, Ph.D. said, “As a results of moving the GPA requirement from 2.5 to 2.0, we have seen an increase of students obtaining a transportation scholarship. However, I would like to remind you that this transportation scholarship is meant to help underserved students identified in the Student Equity Plan.” -By Bethaney Lee
Fort Mason closure discussed Michael Barba with the “Examiner” reported that Interim Chancellor Susan Lamb claimed to negotiate “hard” for City College at a meeting with the Fort Mason community but “emails obtained by the Examiner show administrators did not respond to the initial rent hike proposal from the Fort Mason Center for at least two months.” The Board of Trustees will have to approve any recommendation of a Fort Mason closure by administration that Barba reported President Thea Selby having said, will not be voted on but discussed at a March 23, 2017 meeting. Fort Mason is a two story building that nearly 400 students use for sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, drawing and painting. In an email issued by AFT 2121 in regards to the March 23 meeting they said, “Loss of this campus would be detrimental to the arts programs and students. Many testified they are unable or unwilling to cross town to attend classes at the Mission or Ocean Campuses. At a moment when City College is open, and accredited and soon free, the District needs to envision enrollment growth, not further loss of facilities or students.” -By Bethaney Lee
Affordable housing proposals submitted for Balboa Reservoir
The Balboa Reservoir property on Phelan Avenue may see a face lift from currently servicing students as a parking lot, to affordable housing. J.K. Dineen with “SF Chronicle” reported “three development groups have been selected to submit housing proposals.” Dineen continued in the article “3 to submit proposals for housing on site near City College of SF” reporting, “On Thursday, the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development identified the three teams that were deemed to be the most competitive among the nine that responded to the request for qualifications issued in November.” Avalon Bay, Emerald Fund and Related of California have all partnered with various groups specializing in affordable housing, like Habitat for Humanity and Mercy Housing. According to Dineen’s article the homes are expected to target 18 percent low-income residents, 15 percent moderate-income families, 17 percent of a mix between the two and the remaining 50 percent left for market-rate units. Dineen quoted the Director of Development with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Ken Rich, having said: “The three development teams selected as finalists “represent a tremendous amount of experience in building affordable housing in San Francisco and a commitment to engage the surrounding community to ensure a proposal that meets the needs and cultural fabric of this neighborhood.” -By Bethaney Lee
Help Wanted: Personal Care Assistant For Stroke-Disabled Man Part-time: 80-120 hours per month Pay: $1600-$2400 per month Location: San Francisco (Hayes Valley) Call John: (415) 935-5040
Culture Editor John Ortilla
Sports Editor Robert Jalon
Lead Copy Editor Bethaney Lee
Online Editor Gardenia Zuniga
Opinion Editor Elena Stuart
Photo Editor Gabriela Reni
Design Director Karen Sanchez
Staff Writers Adina Pernell Patrick Cochran Kyle Roque
Diana Chuong Julia Fuller Laurie Maemura Otto Pippenger Advertising Manager Cara Stucker
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Vol. 163, Issue 5 | March 22 –April. 12, 2017
MUB war continued from page 1 Students complained that this was the newest of City College’s buildings, with state of the art facilities for student instruction and many of the classrooms equipped to handle technological capabilities and hold student events. Students also addressed the fact that many come from all over the Bay Area and the move displaces them and their programs, impacting them
Staff Illustrators Quip Johnson Photographers Isela Vazquez Alma Ayala
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Faculty Adviser Juan Gonzales
greatly. In the video City College student Ashley Shroder spoke to the board “the MUB is very important to us,” she said. Health Care Chair Beth Friedman also had strong words for the board at the meeting. She said, “This is a prime facility for student learning, created by a bond for instructional learning for students. This is not good PR for CCSF.” Friedman also argued that none of the department chairs or deans affected by the plan were consulted or notified. Darlene F. Alioto, Chair Social Sciences Department and President Department Chairperson Council (DCC), in an email letter to the City College Board of Trustees also expressed her objections to the proposal stating that “it is totally unacceptable in every way imaginable to take the highest quality and newest instructional space on this campus - many of the classrooms specifically designed for certain programs - in order to house administrative offices.” The situation will be ongoing with all sides considered and all possibilities taken into consideration for relocating 33 Gough Street employees. In a recent phone interview Da Silva said, “We are circling back at other options other than MUB.”
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Photo by: Izar Decleto/The Guardsman
Multi-Use Building at City College of San Francisco. Sept. 16, 2016.
MUB robbery continued from page 1 the building, with one wearing Tence’s backpack, the angle and placement of the camera over the exit failed to capture their faces directly or with a high enough resolution to make identification possible. “The video cameras around the MUB are not very good,” Officer Tiffany Green of the City College Campus Police said. “Personally, I would like improved cameras and to have them throughout the school.” Of the school’s security cameras, several of the dozens are
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inactive while others are obscured by cobwebs and other detritus. In the case of the February 13 robbery, a camera covering the parking lot could have potentially helped to identify the suspect’s vehicle, which could have helped Ingleside Police to match it with a license plate or traffic camera elsewhere. “I think they must have driven off. They disappeared,” Green said. “There are traffic cameras along Phelan.” Green speculated that “they may have staked the area out beforehand...most suspects would know we’re not there that often.” When asked about prevention of
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similar crimes in the future Green said, “I would like more cameras to be a priority which would give us more tools rather than having to defer to the SFPD, since we have more knowledge of the school and may be better equipped to solve such crimes.” A Gofundme account has been created in order to help Victor Tense recover from the robbery, and donations can be left at https://www.gofundme.com/ ccsf-student-robbed-on-campus . The crime is now being investigated by the Ingleside Police Department with no developments as of yet.
(415) 239-3446 Mailing Address
50 Phelan Ave, Box V-67 San Francisco, CA 94112 Bungalow 615
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4 | culture
Vol. 163, Issue 5 | March 22–April 12, 2017
Photo by Isela Vazquez/ The Guardsman
Mission campus celebrates Aztec New Year in full bloom By Laurie Maemura
lmaemura@theguardsman.com
Drummers kept the beat for Aztec dancers as they chant and dance rhythmically for Aztec New Year outside Mission Campus on Mar. 11, 2017.
representatives. At sundown on Valencia Street, young and older danzantes wore feathered headdresses during a
Photo by Isela Vazquez/ The Guardsman
Over 100 people attended Mission campus on March 12, 2017 to celebrate its 10 annual Aztec Mexika New Year to honor those lost from gun violence and hate crimes. City College cultural teacher Guadalupe Casas Acosta who goes by Mazatzin Acosta has organized Mexika New Year in front of the Mission campus building since 2008 along with the student organization Toltecayotl, which refers to the Mesoamerican indigenous members in the Toltec civilization. The three to five hour celebration featured guest speakers, an open mic for solidarity statements and traditional multi-cultural music and concheros dances by the Mexika Danza (dancer)
Aztec dancers dance under the full moon welcoming the New Year at City College’s Mission Campus on Mar. 11, 2017
ceremonial dance led by Mazatzin Acosta. Through a series of songs the harmonious syncopation of traditional percussion instruments and tinkling ayoyotes on danzantes’ ankles, drew curious passersby and tourists with photo cameras in hand. Nestled between 22nd and 23rd street, a colorful 27-foot tile depiction of the Aztec calendar rested in the front of the exterior of the Mission campus building. In 2007 Mazatzin strongly participated in the placement of the Aztec agricultural calendar known as “Xiuhpohualli.” Based on the sun, the calendar dates back to ancient Mesoamerica times and describes 365 days with rituals
related to the seasons. According to the calendar, March 12 places a significant celebration on New Year 5 House Kalli. In Aztec culture “The House” represents “our home, refuge and house of thoughts; a safe place for reflection and regrouping for the comprehension of all living beings.” Six-year danza who goes by Melaztic said all the individuals united together symbolizes Mexika culture: “We open up to welcome new energies.” As curious onlookers tapped their shoes to the rhythm of the reverberation, the smoke of burning sage rose from the ground then disappeared in the lamplight lined street.
A dedicated Mexika danza, Adriana B. who was watching the event added said, “It’s a celebration transformation of a new life, a new cycle. The beginning mark of spring time. Rebirth!” Although the danzantes visited from different locations, their shared values of identity and spirituality were present in the ceremonial dances. After giving thanks to the audience for attending the event, Acosta said the value of bringing individuals of all backgrounds commemorated the new year. While they clapped and dined on made-to-order chicken,vegetable pupusas and light refreshments, the audience and Acosta left in high spirits.
spoken word as part of the “Word Wind Orchestra,” an ensemble who seamlessly blend the melodic bend of spoken word with improvisational jazz. Even when there is no live music available his poetry lends itself to musicality. In keeping with that oral tradition although there were no live musicians at the Rosenberg Library, Hand’s sing-song delivery of his poems and wry wit kept his audience simultaneously spellbound and poised on the edge of thought. “If you’ve been around in the neighborhood you might have heard something like this,” he said musing over the time he moved to San Francisco in 1969 while thumbing through the slim, white, cover of the book in his hand. Hand held a copy of his groundbreaking collection of lyrical musings “whose really blues” that crosses the territory of activism, jazz, and humor all at once. He began to read “who signify what,” a poem he described in
January 2012 reading at Sacred Grounds as “a war chant.” “I am saying something,” it repeats over and over… “something else is being said, something else is being heard, something else is being experienced.” The words seem to echo with the fact that Hand at 80 years old has lived through many wars, including the Korean and Vietnam wars. Hand worked “many, many years in the Mission in the mental health system as a counselor, his work with the homeless and his own personal brush with homelessness. In “scene less home” speaking of the homeless he said, “I saw a man without a home I saw a woman without a home I saw my selves with in and without.” Many of Hand’s poems read like reflections on humanity, protest and social injustice. “The poetry is the news,” he said “and I’m telling you like it means something!” During the Q&A portion of the event another contemporary of Kerouac, “Diamond” Dave Whitaker who is now a member
of the Associated Student Council, strolled in and took a seat. “It’s so good to see you brother,” said Dave when Hand acknowledged his presence. Whitaker went on to thank Hand who helped him during his time in social work, when he was struggling with alcoholism. “We’re of the same generation, the Beat Generation, and we have so many memories. The spirit speaks to me like the spirit speaks to you and that’s what poetry is. I might be almost 80 years old but it’s not over yet,” Whitaker said. “As long as we’re kicking, something’s happening,” Hand said. Allen Ginsberg in his iconic poem “Howl” wrote “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked.” The poetry of Q.R Hand’s mind survived the journey of revolution with a message that is still powerful and relevant as ever.
Local beat poetry legend Q.R. Hand visits campus By Adina J. Pernell apernell@theguardsman.com
Poet Q.R. Hand Jr. author of “i speak to the poet in man,” “how sweet it is” and “whose really blues, new & selected poems,” spoke at the Rosenberg Library on Feb. 21 in an event held by the City College Creative Writing Program. Most notably his work was published in the 1968 “Black Fire: An Anthology of Afro-American Writing,” a collection of poems from the civil rights era edited by poet, scholar and civil rights activist, Amiri Baraka and Larry Neal. Both were key players in the Black Arts Movement (1965-1975) a period of artistic protest some compare to a more militant version of the Harlem Renaissance. Hand has performed at many venues all over San Francisco Bay Area, including the renowned poetry cafe Sacred Grounds and Bird & Beckett Books and Records, a local bookstore dedicated to jazz and literature named after late
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saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker and playwright Samuel Beckett. “Q.R. is a poet of all the neighborhood coffee houses,” said English Department Professor Loren Bell who hosted the event. Q.R. Hand is originally from New York and is a poet whose unique beat poetry style owes its roots to the oral tradition of Black culture. A child of the bebop era like other contemporary poets, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, he absorbed the music’s chaotic and rhythmic sound. “I don’t use a formal meter,” Hand said. He characterized his original style by saying “it’s closer to a combination of jazz rhythm and blues and just talk, one of the things I got from the Black Arts Movement.” The way his poems are printed, zig-zagging in asymmetrical patterns on the page, punctuation and capitalization absent, suggest that they be left open to interpretation. Hand however took his poetry a step further, regularly performing
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Vol. 163, Issue 5 | March 22 –April 12, 2017
Walking the line A day spent with non-binary conforming student Micaela Scofield
Photos by Karen A Sanchez/ The Guardsman
Micaela Scofield, member of the Gender Diversity Project, attends City College boxing class located in the Wellness Center on March 13, 2017.
By Bethaney Lee blee@theguardsman.com
Their name is Mica and they are not female - they are not male. Micaela Scofield or “Mica” is a City College student who goes by the ‘they, them’ pronoun and self identifies as a non-binary conforming human being who has lived a life outside of society’s norms. Assigned female at birth Mica fits most classic stereotypes of feminine beauty at first glance. Mica’s not afraid to show-off their legs in a pleated skirt or accessorize with uniquely delicate pieces which often attribute to the assumption of others that Mica is in fact a woman. But Mica is not. In a thick voice they said, “if I could snap my fingers and be a man tomorrow I would do it in a heartbeat.” In our collective 21st century society most individuals participate in the belief that we live in a binary world of male and female genders but Mica’s life is a grim testament to the counter. Knowing at a young age but unable to articulate into words what they were feeling, Mica describes the beginning of their rocky adolescence here in San Francisco home to districts like the Castro, a prominent LGBTQ community. “I am an only child, my mother has bipolar disorder and developed some really bad symptoms of PTSD,” Mica described with a tremble to their bottom lip. “When I was 2 my parents separated and I went to live with my mom in a domestic violence shelter, because she couldn’t adequately care for me I was back in the custody of my dad by 3,” continuing Mica said “I was raised by my dad, who has his own trauma and had to work all the time and wasn’t really emotionally attentive to my needs at all.” Lacking support in all areas of life and victim to a world that did not understand their needs, Mica attempted suicide at 8 years old.
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“I was a depressed kid. Long hair in my face,” Mica said. “I started to feel really suicidal in elementary school. I tried to hang myself, which is why I work at San Francisco Suicide Prevention now and am really grateful for that.” Remaining with her father wasn’t “peaches and cream” Mica explained, describing a history of trauma where they became privy to the delicate egos of men. “I definitely formulated a feminine identity for survival,” Mica’s voice faltered, “I did not have a lot of support growing up and it’s really hard to break out of that.” Ultimately Mica said the spiritual dissonance and neglect forced them into the sex industry as a child. “It’s that feeling of ‘you live your life as a performance’ and I think that I have integrated that into my identity and my lifestyle. Now I am an artist, an activist, a performer and I do drag.” Describing a future where the non-binary student could take testosterone and present differently to the outside world Mica optimistically marveled at the notion and said she would be open to it, “but for the time being I have relied on the performance of femininity for so long that it’s hard to break out of that.” Falling out of one life and into another Mica went to college and paid for it on her own fruition, attending Eugene Lang College at the New School for Liberal Arts in New York and later City College. “I didn’t move out until 17 for college. Being a good student my whole life was my coping mechanism,” they said. “I saw it as a ticket to my freedom because in this society we are taught that at 18 it means freedom.” While in New York Mica detailed an event that occurred in the male bathroom, explaining the importance surrounding the topic of access to gender neutral restrooms on campus, which have been reported locked at various times during campus hours. “He was furious with us,”
Mica recalled. After entering with friends into a male assigned restroom Mica was ridiculed for her natural inclination to go inside the male restroom versus the female one- traditionally depicted in the silhouette of a dress. “This guy verbally attacked us, saying that this is the man’s bathroom and saying that I should be in there, that he knew what I was doing,” Mica the Global Studies major student said. “So now when I go into the men’s restroom and somebody comes in I have to act like I’m not here,” and simply invisible. After leaving New York and attending City College Mica reported their experience as being largely welcoming however the campus is not without its own faults. While accompanying Mica to a City College boxing class in the Wellness Center, they were referred to as female three different times by the instructor before she broke the class into groups that were classified as “ladies and gentlemen.” “I would be exhausted if I tried to correct every single person and in certain contexts it’s necessaryin others I respect this person and understand that they see me in a very narrow context,” Mica said. Adding that another student in class also identifies out of the traditional binary system that “in those situations you find your allies and giggle because we know.” Chair of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Studies, Ardel Haefele-Thomas, Ph.D. told Interim Chancellor Susan Lamb and Interim Vice Chancellor Samuel Santos through an email that they have had enough of City College not attending to the need of a preferred name system. “I have now opened a conversation with Rafael Mandelman because I am ready to go to our board with a proposal,” HaefeleThomas said, “I am also contacting Transgender Law Center today. Our students cannot continue to wait.”
Both Mica and HaefeleThomas agree a preferred name system which is the means of changing your birth name on role sheets and WEB4 accounts would go a long way to making the transgender community feel more accepted on campus. Within Haefele-Thomas’s email a tragic tale of an 18 year old, Latino, Transman student was disclosed. Haefele-Thomas describes the family of the student who “had him institutionalized at the age of 15 where he suffered electro shock therapy and gender ‘de-programming.’ He made it to City College because we have queer and trans studies, etc.” Adding that: “He has been traumatized clearly, and goes to a class where the professor continues to call him out by his "dead name" i.e. girl name. Now, he has dropped his classes and ready to go somewhere else feeling beat down and suicidal.”
City College students are being violated when called by a name that they do not identify with and Haefele-Thomas said we are actively losing students because of it. “I battled my whole life with the assumptions about how I am supposed to feel and act,” Mica said. “I want for once to be able to be honest about the way I am and not feel like I’m responsible for validating the delicate egos of masculinity, or that I identify with this sisterhood of ‘dike, dom’ where we are all going to live together, buy cats and have ex’s in common.” Their name is Mica. They are not male and they are not female but they are a person who pushes the periphery of City College’s collective knowledge of the gender spectrum to which Mica said “we must unlearn old habits and tradition; we are all complex beings.”
Micaela Scofield and Gender Diversity Project Coordinator Andrew Ciscel, working in the Link Center located on the third floor of the MUB building on March 2, 2017.
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6 | opinion
Vol. 163, Issue 5 | March 22 –April 12, 2017
Zodiac Forecast By Adina Pernell
apernell@theguardsman.com
Adina Pernell is a reiki master, energy worker, crystal healer, massage therapist and student of the esoteric. Adina uses “The Druid Animal Oracle” tarot deck created by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, which features original illustrations by Bill Worthington. Working with animal energy is about tapping into the universal force of nature and all that Mother Earth creates in the animal kingdom. Chances are, you’ve used colloquialisms like “wise as an owl” or “sharp as a hawk”; using the archetypal energy of the animal world helps produce a clearer picture of possible life paths to take. Aries: Mar 21 - Apr 19 The Cow Represents: Nourishment, Motherhood, The Goddess Advice: Take a time out. You haven’t been eating or sleeping properly. It’s time for you to take a day to do absolutely nothing. Rest and regroup after your midterms. Taurus: Apr 20 - May 20 The Fire Dragon Represents: Transmutation, Mastery, Energy Advice: Midterms, shmidterms. You’re on fire! You seem to have energy for days. You sued your determination and steadfastness to ace most if not all of your exams. Furthermore, your peers probably will want to form a study group with you for finals, and your professors are impressed. Way to go! Now keep it up. Gemini: May 21 - Jun 20 The Swan (Reversed) Represents: Soul, Love, Beauty Advice: Jobs, relationships, homes, and friendships that don’t fit and anything else that no longer serves you such as any bad habits you may have developed all have to go. It sucks. But it’s for the best.
Spring break
Midterm grades
Classes resume April 3
Available on Web4
March 25 to April 2
April 6
Leo: Jul 23 - Aug 22 The Stag: Represents: Pride, Independence, Purification Advice: Has a recent incident made you feel judged or placed under a microscope? Know that you are worthy just because you exist. Hold your head up high and be proud of your ideals and opinions. They are uniquely yours. Virgo: Aug 23 - Sep 22 The Earth Dragon Represents: Power, Potential, Riches Advice: Go after your dreams. They are within your reach and you have the power to succeed! You may find that you possess talents that you were never aware you had. Libra: Sep 23 - Oct 22 The Salmon (Reversed) Represents: Wisdom, Inspiration, Rejuvenation Advice: Do you feel that no matter what you do right now nothing goes according to plan? Exploring creative solutions are where the solutions to your recent problem lies. Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21 The Adder Represents: Transformation, Healing, Life energy Advice: It might be time for a new method or approach to your current way of doing things. Now is the perfect time to reinvent yourself. Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21 The Water Dragon (Reversed) Represents: Passion, Depth, Connection Advice: Don’t allow your emotions too much sway. Keep a calm head about you even though events might happen that upset you deeply; particularly because they may push your buttons or bring up hurtful memories from your past that you haven’t fully healed from. Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19 The Seal Represents: Love, Longing, Dilemma Advice: Don’t live inside your head so much. Take a risk and follow your heart. This is not the time for strategy and countermoves. Go purely with what your gut intuition is telling you. If if feels right, then it probably is. Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18 The Owl (Reversed) Represents Detachment, Wisdom, Change Advice: You have spent so much time with your head in a book that you just might turn into one. It’s time to get out of the house and socialize. Enjoy Spring Break. Go and have some much deserved and needed fun! Who knows? You may even rekindle the flames of an old or existing romance- or start a new one! Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20 The Bear (Reversed) Represents: Primal Power, Sovereignty, Intuition married with Instinct Advice: It’s essential that you stay grounded in who you are as a person. It’s okay to care deeply about an issue or an injustice, but don’t allow yourself to be carried into prolonged states of gloom or become depressed.
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opinion | 7
Vol. 163, Issue 5 | March 22 –April 12, 2017
Day Without A Woman strike goes unnoticed
By Elena Stuart estuart@theguardsman.com
Coinciding with the International Women’s Day, the “Day Without a Woman” strike made Americans aware of the yearly celebration of women every March 8 which has been globally observed since the beginning of the last century. International Women’s Day originated in New York. Since then it has become a national holiday in 30 other countries including Russia and China. Meanwhile people in the United States were unaware of the international day honoring women’s achievements until the strike. To include as many women as possible the strike’s organizers asked protesters to either take the day off, avoid shopping in large corporate run stores or wear red in solidarity. On the day of, the strike participation was much lower than the turnout for the “Women’s March on Washington” in January. At City College only a few students and teachers seemed to be wearing red on the day of the strike. When asked some students
Illustration by Elena Stuart
admitted to wearing red on accident while many did not know about the strike or International Women’s Day. "I was completely oblivious,"
said City College student Amanda Washington. Faculty members like Behavioral Science Department Chair, Jennifer Dawgert-Carlin,
planned to participate by wearing red but still taught on March 8. “The role of an educator is to bring students awareness of gender,” Carlin-Dawgert said, "Patriarchy hurts everyone. Not just women - everyone.” City College student activist Stella Lawson wore red on March 8 and has celebrated International Women's Day for 18 years. "I had to go to work myself, just for financial reasons.” On the same day some San Francisco restaurant owners were surprised to find many Russian speaking couples in their establishments. " Ru s s i a n s celebrate International women's day like we do Valentine's Day," said local restaurant owner and general manager Yuka Ioroi. Ioroi was delighted to see the Eastern European couples smiling and chatting in low tones in the candlelight of her little restaurant on Balboa Street. "I prefer it being a celebration and appreciation of women than a strike," said Ioroi who was somewhat annoyed by the idea of another protest. "All of (these) guys showed up and I was like oh yay
this is supposed to be fun." Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova said on March 8: “The full empowerment of girls and women is one of humanity’s most powerful levers for development.” Both femininity and feminism should empower women, but in their fight for gender equality many women have forgotten to celebrate simply being a woman. Femininity and feminism do not have to be mutually exclusive. In Russia men give flowers to all the women they cherish. This is a costly affair and possibly the only way to justify higher wages for men. Yet a 2015 study by Grant Thornton, the global professional services firm, reveals that Eastern Europe leads gender equality in the workplace worldwide with Russia at the forefront. Perhaps it is time to look to the rest of the world for their examples of feminism despite our feelings about certain foreign leaders and their policies. America needs and deserves a national holiday to appreciate women of all walks of life as well as their achievements.
Space travel is just a $250,000 shot away
SCIENTISTS FIND HABITABLE PLANETS By Julia Fuller jfuller@theguardsman.com
Illustration by Elena Stuart
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Scientist Michael Gillion and his team of astronomers discovered a star system 40 light-years away with potentially habitable planets orbiting around the dwarf star Trappist-1 last February. This is a huge breakthrough for humankind. The planets may have water and greenhouse gases on the surface which are necessary conditions to support human life. While Trappist-1 is significantly smaller than our Sun it still produces enough energy to cover its closest orbiting planets. Much like our moon the planets are tidally locked, facing the star one way fully lit and with the other half perpetually dark. We have to study the planets and determine if they are livable. There may be other life forms on the surface, however speculations suggest any existing life form would be microscopic. “Although the chance of a disaster to planet Earth in a given year may be quite low, it adds up over time and becomes a near certainty in the next thousand or ten thousand years,” Stephen Hawking said, “By that time we should have spread out into space and to other stars, so a disaster on Earth would not mean the end of the human race.” At what cost will this come for us? We will have to develop the space travel to massively transport our population and leave behind a destroyed planet. Would we continue our capitalist ways when we move to other planets? In order for us to think about
space travel we must change how we support our lifestyle and sustain our resources. We are developing tools to discover these other life forms and planets and we should continue to do so. In the process we may discover a more sustainable way of life for the sake of mankind’s survival. Space travel for humans is already underway. Willing to pay $250,000 per person for the trip of a lifetime; celebrities, elites and the wealthy are purchasing round trip tickets to the moon. Set to take off in 2018 Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic Ship has been preparing for a voyage like this for many years. However after a failed attempt in 2013 many have been skeptical of the ship’s ability to continue on its scheduled journey. This development could be phenomenal for space travel. If private companies and NASA can make space travel comfortable for regular people the rest of the world will follow suit. Our ability to discover new things is exponentially expanding. The ideas, life forms and places we can go and augment in the universe are endless. We should learn to reform our lifestyles in order to incorporate and protect future generations. This is an exciting time for mankind.
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sports | 8
Vol. 163, Issue 5 | March 22 –April 12, 2017
Basketball Playoff Update By Robert Jalon
rjalon@theguardsman.com
The Women’s and Men’s City College basketball teams were defeated 24 hours apart in the 2017 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) playoffs- ending both their seasons. The Lady Rams lost to Ventura 79-66 in the Elite Eight in what is their furthest advancement in the tournament in the program’s history. They would fall short of the title game cursed by bad shooting (25-for-75) on a night when they needed to be sharp to beat a top ranked Ventura team. Conference MVP Gabrielle Vigil scored 13 points to go along with Destiny Kelly’s team high 17. City College ended the season with a 27-4 record. Their male counterparts were also beaten 79-77 and failed to defend their state championship after San Diego City College erased a 10 point halftime deficit. Sophomore Guard and Coast ConferenceNorth Player of the Year, Zach Copeland, scored 28 points for the Rams. Sophomore Guard Amari Collins came off the bench to add another 15. Besides Copeland’s player of the year honor, City College also had Eddie Stansberry named to 2016-17 California Community College Men’s Basketball Coaches Association’s (CCCMBCA) All-California First Team and Head Coach Justin Labaugh took home Coach of the year for Coast Conference-North. City College ended the season with a 29-3 record.
Yvonne Ng a sophomore begins her serve in her fourth Kelly Bennett a freshman in action during the final game of her match. March 10, 2017 in San Francisco, CA. game on March 10, 2017, in San Francisco, CA.
Causing a racket
Photos by Julia Fuller.
WOMEN'S TENNIS TEAM DREAMS OF STATE
By Bayleigh Spurrier
bspurrier@theguardsman.com
The Rams Women’s Tennis team coached by Kelly Hickey, who was named Coast Conference Coach of the Year in April of 2016 is midway through spring season. Thanks to the help of Coach Kelly Hickey, the women's tennis team qualified for the State Championship Tournament a couple of years ago in 2014. Qualifying for the State Championship Tournament is the team's dream this year as well as next.
Aliaska Holub Filistovich whacks a shot back to her opponent March 10, 2017 in San Francisco, CA.
Sports Calendar Baseball
Monterey v. San Francisco 2 p.m. @ Monterey
March 25, 2017 San Mateo v. San Francisco 1 p.m. @ San Mateo (City College plays as home team)
March 24, 2017 WEST VALLEY QUAD MEET 2pm @ West Valley (Cabrillo/Ohlone/West Valley/ CCSF)
March 28, 2017 San Mateo v. San Francisco 12 p.m. Location to be TBA
March 24-25, 2017 AR INVITE @ ARC
March 30, 2017 De Anza v. San Francisco 1 p.m. @ City College
March 31, 2017 LAS POSITAS INVITE @ Las Positas
April 1, 2017 De Anza v. San Francisco 2:30 p.m. @ Fairmont Field (City College plays as away team)
March 31- April 1, 2017 STANFORD INVITE @ Stanford
March 23, 2017 West Valley v. San Francisco 1 p.m. @ City College
April 4, 2017 Ohlone v. San Francisco 11 p.m. @ West Valley
Events
March 31- April 1, 2017 SF DISTANCE @ SF State
Women’s Tennis March 24, 2017 De Anza v. San Francisco 2 p.m. @ City College March 31, 2017
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