The Guardsman, Vol. 164, Issue 6. City College of San Francisco by The Guardsman

Vol. 164, Issue 6 | Nov. 8 – Nov. 22, 2017 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE

Community activist’s voice falls on deaf ears Official complaint lodged against handling of the Balboa Reservoir Project By Victor Tence victortence@gmail.com

As the Balboa Reservoir development enters its final stages, one concerned student and active community member escalated his attempts to make his voice heard. Alvin Ja, retiree and City College student of seven years, lodged an official complaint against City College’s Board of Trustees (BOT) on Monday Oct. 30. The 10-page document is a compilation of two years of independent research and Sunshine Ordinance requests that support Ja’s position that City College has violated the accreditation standard IV.C.4, which requires the board to protect the school from undue pressure and political influence. As Ja states in his complaint, “city agencies representing the interests of the reservoir project have had an outsized influence on SFCCD (San Francisco

Community College District).” As of Nov. 2, the BOT has referred Ja’s complaint to City College’s General Counsel Steven Bruckman. “I’ve been fighting for the Board of Trustees to defend City College for two years now, but they ignore everything,” Ja said. The complaint is only Ja’s latest attempt to raise awareness around his findings. Ja utilized the school’s policy BP 1.10, which allows members of the public to request agenda items at the board’s meetings. Over the course of two years he submitted 10 written requests, including a hand delivered and signed document, which he gave directly to Linda Shaw, assistant to the chancellor and liaison for the BOT. His requests specified that “SFCCD’s (San Francisco’s Community College District) Handling of the Balboa Reservoir Project” be placed as an agenda

item. The board only responded to Ja’s requests twice. In one instance they agreed to place “Balboa Reservoir Project,” on a future agenda, a generic title omitting most of Ja’s key concerns. The second response Ja received was directly from Chancellor Mark Rocha. The email thanked Ja, and assured him “the Board of Trustees and I (Rocha) take your input very seriously.” “He was too new in his job to ignore me,” Ja said. “But ever since then I haven’t heard anything from him either.” After years of failed attempts, Ja decided to “escalate this issue,” by submitting his concerns as a formal complaint. This forces City College to address the issue directly by first assigning a staff investigation and study of the matter. However, as Ja notes, under BP 1.29, City College’s policy manual, states “unless the

complaint or criticism is met by the administration to the complete satisfaction of the complainant, the item will be included on the next board agenda.” Described by others as “an astute community member,” Ja first became acquainted with the intricacies of the school’s by-laws and policy manuals during the 2012 accreditation crisis, during which he poured over documents and public records looking for ways to help save City College. “It just didn’t sit well with me that the school, which has good teachers and good programs, would get shut down,” Ja said. With the owners of the Balboa Reservoir, the Public Utilities Commission, holding their next meeting on Nov. 14, Ja hopes that his complaint isn’t too late. “If the board doesn’t respond, this is all over,” Ja said.

Photo by Otto Pippenger/The Guardsman

Cartoon Orchestra records By Adina J. Pernell apernell@theguardsman.com

Simon Planting on Bass Photo by Dana Jae Labrecque

Broadcast Electronic Media Department (BEMA) recording Studio B was bustling with hectic energy on Monday, Oct. 23, when composer, guitarist and City College music professor, Lennis “Lenny” Carlson stepped outside for a brief respite from the

busy musicians of Jeff Sanford’s Cartoon Orchestra Septet tuning up their instruments. The Cartoon Orchestra Septet was preparing to record an album of Carlson’s original composition and has been performing his music since 2009, in what he called “arguably the best creative relationship [he’s] ever had.” “They’re all top freelance professional musicians in the Bay Area,” Carlson said of the septet, which is composed of bandleader Jeff Sanford on reeds and wind instruments; Hal Richards on reeds and winds; Eric Wayne on trumpet, cornet and flugelhorn; Andy Ostwald on piano; Randy

Johnson on guitar and banjo; Simon Planting on the double bass and Mark Rosengarden on drums. Special guest artist and tuba virtuoso Zachariah Spellman, who according to Carlson “has been with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra since 1977,” rounds out the talented ensemble of musicians. Carlson was excited to compose for Spellman on this album because he was “able to write some very interesting and challenging things for him, both in solo capacity and as part of the group.” This ongoing collaboration with The Cartoon Orchestra Septet is something that Carlson has always treasured, because even

though he started out as a guitarist and devoted over 50 years to the instrument, he considered himself to be “naturally more of a composer than a performer.” “It’s just an unbelievable gift. It’s just something I’m really very humble in the face of. This is not a one night stand. Jeff [Sanford] has shown a lot of loyalty to me. They have enough faith in me and the product that we’re developing together,” Carlson said. “I mean I write it, but they’ll work hard enough to evolve it to performance level.” Orchestra continued on page 3

2 | NEWS

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Vol. 164, Issue 6 | Nov. 8– Nov. 22, 2017

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Water Rights, Environmental Protection & Peace in the Middle East Lecture & Discussion ◆ Thurs, Nov. 9 11 am – 12:30 pm | Ocean Campus, MUB 140 This lecture is presented by CCSF Critical Middle East / SWANA Studies and the Concert & Lecture Series. Free and open to the public.

Ocean Air Market ◆ Sun, Nov. 12 12 pm – 5 pm | Ocean Avenue Unity Plaza Community members can meet Artists and makers while shopping for locally made crafts and jewelry. This event is made possible in part by the Ocean Avenue Association, the San Francisco Arts Commission and Dahlia Community Engagement.

CRIME ALERT - Indecent exposure A male suspect pulled down his pants and exposed himself to a student on Oct. 17, at about 5 p.m on the fifth floor of the Rosenberg Library at City College of San Francisco’s Ocean Campus. The frightened student told the aggressor she was going to call the police, and the young male, about 19-20 years old, ran away from the premises. The victim contacted the City College police, but the suspect, described as a Hispanic male, 5 feet 9 inches tall and about 175 pounds, with tattoos on the upper part of both of arms and a cleanly shaved face and acne, wasn’t found. If you have any information, please contact the San Francisco Community College Police Department at police@ccsf.edu or (415) 239-3200. —By Barbara Muniz

CCSF Bookstores engagement survey A commitment to enhancing the campus experience and to drive student success is made by the campus store team through continuous improvement. CCSF conducts a Campus Engagement Survey every two years to gain feedback from faculty, staff, administration and students of the campus stores in addition to Follett products and services. Please take a few minutes to complete the online survey at www.campusstorefeedback.com --By Sarah Berjan

African American Scholastic Programs Office See’s Candy Fundraiser The CCSF African American Scholastic Program office sells See’s Candy to raise money for their scholarship program and their Historically Black College and University event later this year. Please visit the Rosenberg Library, LAC, Room R209 to make a purchase. Cash or checks are accepted. -By Sarah Berjan

Student Technology Awards

A Womb of Their Own screening ◆ Wed, Nov. 15 6 pm – 8 pm | Ocean Campus, Rosenberg Library room 305 A Womb of Their Own screening and Q/A with the filmmaker.

T’ai Chi Chih Training ◆ Sat, Nov. 18 10 am – 3:15 pm| Chinatown Campus Room 401 CCSF Older Adults and Concert & Lecture Series present: Movements and One Pose with Sandy McAlister. Free and open to the public.

Ongoing

Handwoven Textile Arts from Mindanao Exhibit ◆ Sept. 18 – Nov. 28

Nominations for The League for Innovation are being accepted for the 2017 Terry o’Banion Student Technology Awards from the League Alliance and Board Member Colleges. Three students will be honored with the award on the basis of special talents, strong financial need, and a passion toward a career in technology. Winners will receive $2,500 each, with the support of Innovative Educators, toward education expenses and to honor their achievements. The awards will be presented at the Innovations Conference, held March 18-21, 2018, in National Harbor, Maryland.Award winners are designated as Student Technology Champion or Student Developer Champion. Student Technology Champion awards are presented to students with a career interest in a technology field. Student Developer Champion awards are presented to students with a career focus specifically in software development. Nominations will be accepted through February 9, 2018. -By Sarah Berjan

The Mills Building, 220 Montgomery Street, San Francisco The Hinabi Project (THP) 2017, The Art of Philippine Textiles, provides to the American and international community beautiful examples of Mindanao textile designs from traditional to contemporary.

CCSF Photo Club Exhibit, “Quiet” ◆ Sept. 18 – Nov. 28 Gallery Obscura (Visual Arts 160), Ocean Campus CCSF Photo Club, a student club, presents “Quiet”. This is a group exhibition of photographs, each with the photographer’s unique interpretation of what “quiet” means.

Tapestry -- Woven Art ◆ Oct. 20 – Dec 15 John Adams Center Library Come see pieces created over the past academic year by students from Deborah Corsini’s Fashion 6008 course have created vibrant works of art using tapestry weaving.

Free “Teotihuacan“ Exhibition ◆ Ends February 11 De Young Museum holds a once-in-a lifetime exhibition showcasing 200 artifacts from Teotihuacan, the most visited archaeological site in Mexico from now to February 11. The exhibition explores how artworks from the ancient city shape our understanding of Teotihuacan as an urban environment. There is free admission when you book your group in advance.

Staff

Editor-in-Chief Bethaney Lee News Editor Quip Johnson

Culture Editor Adina Pernell Opinion Editor Otto Pippenger Sports Editor Patrick Cochran

Photo Editor Julia Fuller Lead Copy Editor Victor Tence Design Director Karen Sanchez

Online Editor Laurie Maemura Staff Writers Barbara Muniz Kyle Rogue Sarah Berjan

Advertising Manager Diane Carter Social Media Editor Liliana Sanchez

Sta Bra Elen Pho Ott Sar

NEWS | 3

Vol. 164, Issue 6 | Nov. 8 – Nov. 22, 2017

San Francisco State student vigil held after months long campaign By Otto Pippenger oppipenger@gmail.com

Some 50 students, friends and family members gathered at San Francisco State University’s (SFSU) Richard Oakes Multicultural Center for the belated memorial service of SFSU student and former City College student Gabriela Sanchez, 23, of Los Palos, Ca. The memorial was on Nov. 3, 2107, more than three months after her fatal car accident in Los Baños, Ca. while driving to her job at Starbucks on July 18.

SFSU’s policy when a student dies is to write a letter of condolence, issue a university department notification, make counseling available for the aggrieved students, hold a vigil on campus and issue an honorary certificate- all of which were delayed in Sanchez’s case. Friend to Sanchez, Mia Johnson-Antonia said, “I still haven’t been offered any counseling but at least they’re going through with the process.” Her mother, four younger siblings and numerous friends wept where they sat in a dim

room predominated by an altar with her portrait. An honorary Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcasting and Electronic Arts, her urn was placed near projected pictures from the young woman’s life. Mourners sat amongst paper flowers, the classic D.C. comics that she loved and small ceramic butterflies where messages could be written. After a poetry reading, dance and moment of silence, people gathered and took turns sharing memories of an exceptional life that was cut cruelly short. Despite the time that had

An altar to the recently deceased Gabriela Sanchez, 23 at her memorial service in San Francisco State University on Nov 3, 2017. Photo by Otto Pippenger/The Guardsman

passed, many who spoke still expressed shock and disbelief as they recounted Sanchez’s life. She was recently appointed publicist of the San Francisco State Comic Book Club and was looking forward to the release of her first comic. She was also engaged in activism as a person subject to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). She had even been accepted to work as a volunteer at the Sundance Film Festival. The event was organized with help from Interim Assistant Vice President for Equity & Community Inclusion, Manuel Alejandro Pérez, with the assistance of Sanchez’s close friend, Gardenia Zuniga. As a City College journalism student, Zuniga helped initiate the campaign and published an open letter criticizing the school’s conduct in San Francisco’s Spanish language newspaper El Tecolote in August. “When I arrived there were steps that had not been taken,” Perez said. “We saw an opportunity to intervene and help. This is absolutely not the norm. It was an oversight. It was a mistake and an accident but the institution has corrected it. It brings me happiness to see the family more fully redressed with peace of mind.” Johnson-Antonia said, “Gardenia shouldn’t have had to embarrass the school for the standard process to happen.”

Zuniga addresses most of the blame for the negligence to SFSU on Dean of Students Dr. Mary Ann Beagley. Though Zuniga said she contacted the school immediately after Sanchez’s death, Beagley allegedly responded only after the open letter was published. “The next day she left me a voicemail saying ‘Hi, this is Dr. Beagley, I’m sorry about your friend. I’m no longer busy so call me back and we can get this over with’,” Zuniga said. “That lit a fire in me to make sure we did this right,” Zuniga said. “I called Gaby’s mother and contacted NORMA, the school DACA ambassador who helped me get in touch with Manuel Perez, who was very apologetic. Once he started his job on Sep. 9 he helped us get this done. He picked up Dr. Beagley’s slack.” According to Zuniga, some six other loved ones of deceased SFSU students have contacted her with complaints of similar treatment. For Zuniga and the family there is still more to be done. Zuniga is currently attempting to show Sanchez’s death certificate to Google in order to gain access to Sanchez’s account where her videos, art and poetry are stored. The family hopes to publish in the near future and Sanchez’s family is pursuing legal action against the driver who killed their daughter.

Orchestra Continued from page 1 Sanford admitted that many of Carlson’s compositions require musicians as skilled as those in The Cartoon Orchestra to execute them. “I can’t have a lot of subs [in the orchestra] because [the music’s] too hard for some musicians to play,” he said. Carlson confessed he often “draws inspiration from relationships with family and friends, [both] current and historic figures of interest ,” or that even “something very abstract” like an “image” or “mood” can affect what the “composition ends up being.” He was adamant that he didn’t want to dwell on the past, the musical influence of his classically trained parents, the time spent studying with renowned guitarist Joe Pass, or even his Grammy nomination. In 1985 Carlson received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Composition on his recording “In the Mud.” “Eventually, you have to shed the mantle of your training...and get to the point where you are expressing yourself,” Carlson said. “Or else, what’s the point?” BEMA Studio B: On October 2, the musicians of the Cartoon Orchestra Septet recorded several other compositions of Carlson’s at BEMA Studio B, with the students of Beginning Staff Illustrators Brandon Whiting Elena Stuart Photographers Otto Pippenger Sarah Berjan

Peter Wong Faculty Adviser Juan Gonzales Designers Zaruhi Avagyan Melinda Walters

and Intermediate Recording Studio 125A and 125B under the supervision of Professor Dana Jae Labrecque who has taught in the Broadcast Media Department since 2001. Carlson was very pleased with the recording session and expressed that he felt “like a kid in a candy store.” He was grateful for the opportunity “to be creative and generate [music].” On the Oct. 23 recording session, Labrecque and the broadcasting students mixed and recorded several more tracks, including songs titled “Blues for Wilber” and “Pardon Me Roy.” “Dana has been very generous letting us come in and have a chance to work with the new equipment,” said Carlson of Labrecque’s involvement in the musical project. Looking Forward: Carlson had nothing but appreciation for the process. “There are a lot of thing in [technology] that use music,” he said. “I mean this is a language, and the logic that you use to move in and out of musical situations and create things, the parts of your brain that have to work in order to be able to function musically, [is] at quite a high level, so it can be applied to lots of things in the tech world.”

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He felt being flexible about a career and continuing to pursue the craft were keys to being viable in an unpredictable market where “new careers come along every several years.” Of his City College career, Carlson said, “I expect to work another five years. Hopefully, I’ll be retiring at that point.” Carlson is happy he is a music professor here at City College because of the freedom it gives him to explore his own creativity, saying, “I can write stuff, not thinking, ‘is this gonna sell?’” Most recently, he is indulging this prerogative, and has been working on a tribute to Muhammad Ali whose passing last year affected him deeply. The tribute will be a composition in three movements. “The first movement, called ‘Louisville,’ is a very slow, very dissonant blues, just like life in the South. The second alternates between very quick actions and a little smoother interlude. I call this ‘The Warrior Saint of Black Athletes.’” The third movement, which Carlson hasn’t written yet, he plans to title “The People’s Champion.” When asked why he kept composing music, Carlson responded, “That’s a great question. I can’t think of anything else I would want to do.” Facebook /theguardsman YouTube theguardsmanonline

Mark Rosengarden posing with his drums. Photo by Dana Jae Labrecque

Composer, Lennis “Lenny” Carlson and Peer Mentor Jack Galt sharing a laugh. Photo by Dana Jae Labrecque

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4 | CULTURE

Photos by Adina J Pernell/ The Guardsman

Independent music stars Nightly perform at Rickshaw Shop By Adina J Pernell apernell@theguardsman.com

It was a crisp, cool San Francisco evening Sep. 2, when Nashville based, alternative pop duo Nightly agreed to an interview at the Rickshaw Shop, just before they were scheduled to perform. Crowds were already lining up outside the venue an hour before the doors opened. They were serenaded by the muffled blaring of soundcheck. On this leg of the tour Nightly shared the stage with The Night Game, a bold and slightly gritty alternative band that hails from Boston, MA. Just a year previous Nightly signed with Interscope Records and on Oct. 21, 2016 they released their EP entitled “Honest”, the namesake of one of four songs on the EP. Their breakout single “XO” catapulted them to success, garnering millions of views on platforms like Youtube and Spotify. Their other two songs on the EP entitled “No Vacancy” and “Talk To Me,” have enjoyed similar popularity.

Singer, Jonathan Capeci, and Guitarist, Joey Beretta, of Nightly walked upstairs to a bungalowlike space where you could see the stage from below, settling down on a bright red, vinyl sofa. The general sense of atmosphere between the two was open and transparent with a bit of mystery thrown in. Yet there seemed to be a freshness of attitude – a zest for life. Capeci appraised the room and commented that a transparent plastic apparatus that appeared to have records inside “looked futuristic.” Beretta laughed in agreement from where he was seated on the L-shaped sofa. When asked if they ever saw themselves being stars and playing live venues or going on tour, Capeci admitted that for him and Beretta “it didn’t become a reality until they started playing shows in their hometown.” “Through doing they got to travel a bit and were like this is amazing! I didn’t know we could do it professionally,” Capeci said. “We moved from the Philly area to Nashville seven years ago,

we kind of made a choice,” Beretta said. “We made that decision. Like this is what we’re gonna do and make it happen,” he said. They are working with a lot of natural talent given that fact that in his own words Beretta admitted, “yeah I took guitar lessons when I was like 12” and from there he “learned enough of it to start playing on his own.” Capeci admitted he didn’t have formal training but he held going to school for music in a positive light. “Oh, I think it’s really great. I think everyone’s different,” he said. “If you feel inclined to go to school for music and you think it’s really beneficial to you and you enjoy doing it, then you should do it. That doesn’t mean that the way I did it was wrong. It depends on the person. I would encourage people to try it at least, you know.” Capeci had a frank way of looking straight at you to answer questions, much like his EP’s namesake. When he was queried about the band’s musical inspirations he answered, “we both grew up listening to different things,” adding “I mean we grew up together, we’re cousins.” He mused over memories of the first live show they both attended featuring guitarist Phil Keaggy. “I was about ten or 12,” he said pausing as if to check if that were correct. “Ten or 12,” affirmed Beretta who at that point sat thoughtfully hunched forward gripping the front of his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “We like bands like U2, The Killers, Coldplay, James Taylor,” he said. The group picked their own name off of “one of the first songs wrote called ‘The Night’,” Capeci said. The duo both agreed that they want to create a full-length album at some point. The focus of their song selections seemed to be on variety and authenticity. “I think that ‘Talk To Me’ and ‘XO’ are more upbeat and ‘No Vacancy’,” Capeci said.

“I think it’s just kind of a little like speed dating, you just wanna give some highlights. Then as we release more, you’ll get to know more of who we are. But it’s sort of like,” Capeci broke off. “Little Samplers,” Beretta finished for him. “And ‘Honest’,” Capeci said of the EP title’s meaning, “is just a feeling that all the songs are kind of raw and honest --funny as that sounds. Those are why those four made it I think.” Judging from the response of their fans and fact that as a fledgling act, they have opened up for Ke$ha, K.Flay and are currently on tour with modern glam-rock sensations The Struts. The songs that marked their debut EP have hit a vein with their audiences. It’s important to Capeci and Beretta that their songs come from the heart. For “XO” a song that was an instant hit, Capeci said. “It’s kind of a personal experience. I think that’s like the best, when it’s real – when it’s connecting with emotion. Whether it’s a happy moment or a sad moment. It’s just a very real emotion expressed through that song.” Shortly after saying that Capeci confessed that when he was shooting the video for “XO” he felt an uncanny chemistry between him

Vol. 164, Issue 6 | Nov. 8 – Nov. 22, 2017

and his co-star, Nashville based model Sarah Ritter. Later that evening Nightly put on an incredible show of their own, joined by keyboardist, Stephen Cunsolo, and drummer, Nicholas Sainato, on the Rickshaw Shop’s intimate stage that was adorned all in black. The focal point, a white pearlescent drum set emblazoned with the letters X and O. Beretta picked up his white, electric Fender ready to go and Capeci, grabbed the mic. Capeci’s vocals wer clear and earnest as he launched into the first lines of an unnamed track, one of the eight that didn’t make it to the LP before he took on his title track “Honest” and the band moved on to “Talk To Me.” By the time they made it to their closing song “XO,” it was evident from the screams of the crowd that that new fans were being made. After their gig at the Richshaw Shop, Nightly’s other California tour dates included The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood on Sep. 9 and a show on Sep. 12 in San Diego where they literally rocked The Casbah. Their final gig with The Struts, was on Nov. 5 at The Vogue Theatre in Indianapolis, IN.

City College’s Entrepreneur Club is all business. By Diane Carter carter@theguardsman,com

Getting started in small business ventures requires building networks of like-minded people who are able to discuss business strategies and chart individual successes and failures together. Have you ever wanted to be your own boss, or start a small business from scratch? If this is your goal, communication about what does and doesn’t work in a business startup could be the key to your success. The fifteen members of the Entrepreneurship Club share ideas about what it takes to be in business during their campus meetings every Tuesday in MUB 250 at the City College Ocean Campus from 4 to 5 p.m. I met with the members of the Entrepreneur Club on Oct. 26 at a Halloween lunchtime fundraiser they were hosting. Some members of the club dressed up in Halloween costumes to market the event. The faculty advisor for the club, Michael Needham of the business

Left to right: Ted Manahan, Ben Louis-Jean, Chase Lopez, Luis Miguel Bermudez Sr. members of the Entrepreneurship Club, on Oct. 26, 2017. Photo by Diane Carter/ The Guardsman

department, has a special interest in small business finance. Needham works with the club members who committed to the process of becoming their own boss. Under the leadership of the faculty advisor, officers of the club practice applying marketing principles - especially those used in determining product price, placement and promotion. “In a nutshell, we are treating our club like a business,” club

President Ted Manahan said. Central to a successful business is the ability of the owners and management and employees to perform what business students call a “Lessons Learned” assessment. Club members always discuss what strategies work and what strategies fail during each planned event. Club members track the progress of each task that is assigned to them by using a project management tool provided by Google called

“Asana.” One benefit of using this software is that members always know what other members of their club have completed toward the club’s common objectives. Officers: Like every recognized club at City College, the Entrepreneurship Club has a president, a treasurer, an Inter Club Council representative (ICC), and vice president. Manahan is a business major, who has had previous experience in project management and in the fields of automotive and solar industries. He enrolled in City College this semester to gain experience in forming and leading teams of individuals to create and run new small businesses, and hopes to launch a startup business that will offer tutoring in math and science to aspiring students. Vice President Chase Lopez is a former Marine aircraft mechanic and residential electrician. Lopez is currently a business major, but hopes to transfer to marketing, and attend SFSU or UC Berkeley.

“Follow your dreams and have confidence. It will take you anywhere you want in life,” Lopez said. Treasurer Miriam Rene makes sure that the finances which the club generates are well accounted for. Her main interest in the club is learning techniques that will build her personal business as a financial coach. “Being a member… has helped me build my business,” Rene said. ICC Representative Ben LouisJean is a computer science major interested in advertising that will benefit his limo company. Louis-Jean works for the student club, and was instrumental in creating the visual media poster shown with this article. Members of the club sum up the purpose of their organization as follows, “The strength of our group is in the unity of our club members who are passionate about following their dreams.”

CULTURE | 5

Vol. 164, Issue 6 | Nov. 8 – Nov. 22, 2017

Salvadoran refugee opens poetry world By Laurie Maemura maemuralaurie@gmail.com

On October 24, the SalvadoranAmerican award-winning poet and activist Javier Zamora celebrated his published book of poems entitled “Unaccompanied” at a reading on City College’s Mission Campus. The event was the second installment of the Concert and Lecture Series events and was sponsored by the creative writing program. It was curated by Steven Mayers English professor at City College. Mayers’ wife stumbled upon Zamora’s chapbook, “Nueve años inmigrantes / Nine Immigrant Years.” The small volume of poetry introduced him to the works of the poet. Mayers had always had an interest in stories about refugees and wanted to share the author’s story. Zamora’s visit to City College comes in the midst of Trump’s active opposition to the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the American immigration policy that allows individuals to enter the United States as minors often referred to as the “Dreamers.” In the diverse sanctuary city of San Francisco, Zamora’s story has hit home for many young adults who are recipients and those with friends who are affected by the possible end of DACA. When he was only nine years old, Zamora crossed the border into the United States alone. “Unaccompanied” represents in part, the pain of those years, emotional and physical suffering, traveling without family, longing for family love and unity. Zamora’s own personal journey in the years since were framed by those early struggles. When Zamora wrote “Unaccompanied,” he didn’t know how to begin or order the poems. He decided to put “Saguraros” first not only because it’s his favorite both to read and to write but it reflected the period when he lived with his grandmother from 1994 to 1999. “The book is about my grandma,” he said. “When I put that poem in front, the whole book made sense.” When the event began, Zamora read a few poems from ‘Unaccompanied.’ He didn’t follow a script or an outline. He wanted to go with the flow by following his mood. In between each poem he read, he shared stories about growing up and about his remarkable journey from Oaxaca to the Mojave Desert. It took him three tries to finally complete his passage and he crossed the border June 10, 1999. In a casual conversational tone he shared stories about everything from his passion for soccer to a DUI incident he had in college. He entered ESL programs to graduate and integrate into classrooms quickly and learned English “like a sponge,” winning the fourth grade spelling bee. The poems Zamora selected included in this order but random from his book: “Saguraros,”

Award winning poet Javier Zamora reads from his book of poems "Unaccompanied" to a group of people at an event at Mission Campus on Oct. 24, 2017. Photo by Laurie Maemura/ The Guardsman

“‘Ponele Queso Bicho’ Means Put Cheese On It Kid,” “Vows,” “Don Chepe,” “Pump Water from the Well,” and “Second Attempt Crossing.” He ended with “Let Me Try Again.” After reading the second poem, Zamora said he remembered waving from a bus in Guatemala at his grandfather who had decided to abandon him two weeks into their journey, right before they would have crossed the border to the United States together. For the first time, Zamora was completely alone and scared.

“I don’t remember the feeling. What made it to the book, [are] the things I do remember. There is something about trauma. [There are] things that we don’t remember because it’s too unbearable,”

-Award winning poet Javier Zamora

But his feelings of abandonment and sadness shaped his journey. Eventually, he talked to other individuals, strangers who were on the same journey. He cradled old photographs of his father in his hands, knowing his parents and their love were waiting for him on the other side. Although Zamora says he technically has papers, he doesn’t have papers to leave the United States and refuses to get married. His poem “Vows” relates to a story about how a woman wanted him to marry her in exchange for money, a proposition which in turn made him resolve to “never buy rings.” “When I call abuelos…They ask about you. I’m four years older than them when they got married... What I mean is I can never go

back,” he read from the poem. During his nationwide book tour, a recent and particular location that Zamora visited was Tuscon, Arizona. He had been wanting to go there but when he came face to face with the border, he recalled experiencing intense emotions. “It was a reminder that I’m still there, [very] much traumatized. [It was] everything I described in the book. I had to go back. I couldn’t sleep when I was there for five days. I must’ve slept six hours. Not because I was remembering [but] because my body remembered. Trauma is very real,” he said. Zamora finally did reunite with his family in Tucson in 1999, he recognized his mother because she looked the same but didn’t recognize his father. His expectations did not match his reality. “It took me months for me to trust them. I was back with them but it wasn’t how I had imagined,” he said. The housing was cramped which made him miss El Salvador and made navigating hard just as it is today. Zamora was inspired to be a poet when he saw Spanish and English on the same page the first time, side by side in the book called, “Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair” by Pablo Neruda. “That had an impact on me,” he recalled. “In that book Pablo Neruda describes growing up in a small coastal rural town with mountains. He was 17 when he wrote it. I must have been 17 when I was reading it,” he said. Up until he was 20 years old, Zamora was undocumented and couldn’t qualify for most things. Because Trump is trying to faze out DACA, Zamora said “now I’m f**kng freaking out again. My card expires in March. So I might turn back to my word and actually get married. Like f**k it!” as the audience laughed. When a student asked if the pressure, worry and depression is worth living here, Zamora gave a firm answer. “Yeah, what’s the other option? El Salvador is murdering more people now than war time. And that’s the thing. Stop calling immigrants immigrants. We’re refugees -- political [and] economical. We’re here not because we want to be in this country but we

had to. So it is worth it,” he said. SFSU biology student Raquel Salmeron whose best friend is a DACA student, discussed that her Salvadoran culture is very present in Mission District’s community. She found Trump’s position on immigrant laws which require DACA students to meet certain requirements to be frustrating. “The fact that he’s going to be taking DACA away, it’s like putting a foot in your face. [Young people] came here but they can’t do nothing here. People can’t even work here so it’s kind of like, ‘why are you even gonna come? what am I supposed to do?’ I can't do anything [to help],” she said. Salmeron wishes Trump could realize the personal effect he has on some individuals. “Until you put a face onto every single student, you don't get the impact of the number that it is,” she said. City College student Liv Jessop learned about Zamora’s story in a poetry class when her professor introduced his book. The art of poetry “as an expression of oneself ” caught Jessop’s attention and she became inspired by the refugee’s writing style and difficult journey. As a child of parental immig rants from Samoa and Nicaragua, she connected with Zamora’s anecdote. “It’s really important that we hear these stories so we remember that these are real people. What’s going on today...people need to get that light right now,” she said.

Jessop believes DACA recipients are “game pieces” in Donald Trump’s politics because he “lacks [the] qualities of a caring human being.” “I can't wrap my head around why one life is more or less than another. You want to take care of your people in your community. Even the littlest things like opening the door. You want to make people feel safe...that they belong. I want [Trump] to be humble,” she said. Ending his reading with “Let Me Try Again,” Zamora read what was likely a memory of an interaction with a border patrol officer who gave honest, valuable advice on how to successfully cross. “Don’t trust anyone calling themselves coyotes, bring more tortillas, sardines, Alhambra. He knew we would try again and again, like everyone does,” Zamora wrote. Zamora is a University of California, Berkeley and New York University alum, respectively holding a BA and MFA. He is currently a 2016-2018 Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. He was awarded for his work by Barnes & Nobles for the Writer for Writers Award for the Undocupoets Campaign in 2016. In addition, he currently helps bring justice to the disappeared families during El Salvador’s civil war as a member of the Our Parents’ Bones Campaign.

Award winning poet and activist Javier Zamora

6 | OPINION

Vol. 164, Issue 6 | Nov. 8 – Nov. 22, 2017

Riding driverless cars into uncharted ethics By Barbara Muniz & Quip Johnson bmuniz1@mail.ccsf.edu & itsquip@gmailcom

Driverless car manufacturers are eager to make their technology a reality. However, the release of automated cars presents both ethical and technical quandaries. The transportation business has gone through significant changes before, but the advent of driverless cars means a multitude of only partially understood ramifications. If approved, driverless trucks will displace many drivers; thus causing unemployment. There is no doubt that unemployment will affect workers, their families, and the community overall. But should technology be held back and cause economic stagnation in favor of traditional jobs?

Driving is one of the most common jobs in the world, and these men and women who find themselves obsolete in their lifetimes will need to be accommodated- with new jobs, guaranteed income, or some other compensation. Benefits to the companies owning and using the new technology mean nothing if the workers are disenfranchised. But Secretary Elaine L. Chao, from the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), is positive that the government is making the right move by allowing driverless car manufacturers to continue progressing. “The future of this new technology is so full of promise. It’s a future where vehicles increasingly help drivers avoid crashes. It’s a future where the time spent commuting is dramatically

reduced, and where millions more—including the elderly and people with disabilities–gain access to the freedom of the open road. It’s a future where highway fatalities and injuries are significantly reduced.” Chao said. Although Chao’s words seem promising, scholars and researchers at the Center for Automotive Research (CARS) brought up issues involving ethics and vehicle cybersecurity. For example, what would a driverless car do if there were five individuals on the street in front of the automated vehicle in motion? The automated car has the option of killing those transients or minimizing the fatality by crashing into a wall, resulting in injury or even death to the passenger. Will sensor information be accurate enough to make the

decision just like a human driver, or be even better? Scientists say automated drivers will be safer, but dilemmas still present themselves. Self-driving cars aren’t dangerous because they might kill someone; they're dangerous because they will by necessity determine whose life’s value is of greater importance in emergencies. In 1967, Philippa Foot developed what is known as the “trolley problem,” an ethical experiment in which an unstoppable trolley is headed toward five people tied to the tracks and the subject of the experiment must decide if it is better to let the trolley go or to pull a lever diverting it to a secondary track with a single person tied to it. Today’s reincarnation of the trolley problem is the self-driving car dilemma: if collision is imminent, should the car preserve the

Illustration by Quip Johnson

life of the driver or pedestrians? The real question should not be who to save but rather who is holding the lever? If a basic computer is faced with this problem, it will pick both plausible options equally as often. Half the time it will save the driver and the other half, the pedestrians. Humans will program the artificial intelligence behind selfdriving cars, imbuing it with personal bias, and moral hazard intentionally or not. And collective personal bias is synonymous with political bias. If a corporation owns the cars, it might decide to kill the pedestrians to preserve its property from irreparable damage, or conversely, it might elect to kill the driver, who has presumably signed a form waiving their rights, to avoid a potential lawsuit with the pedestrians. Government-controlled vehicles open an even larger debate regarding what rights and protections the Constitution can still guarantee in a time when laws struggle to keep up with the rapid development of technology. Governments could potentially halt and control the movements of alleged criminals, prohibit driving to certain events such as protests or fail to map certain areas altogether, isolating that location from vehicular transport. Consider the potential of this technology to preserve the sovereignty of despots- the tracking of political minorities, the shutdown of whole cities’ autonomy in crises. With no way to completely guard against abuse of control and no set safety and privacy standards, self-driving cars would prove more harmful than helpful and, they should not be incorporated into modern society.

City College flies its flag high with Free City ad campaign By Sarah Berjan sberjan@mail.ccsf.edu

Beautifully vivid images of students are shown in the neighborhoods that are home to the five locations of City College in an advertisement campaign to promote the Free City program. This visual story telling experience mimics the objectives of the program. It expresses progressive values through a contemporary lens that is authentic to a diversity in the student’s passions and interests that captures the feel of City College. Through this

advertisement, the public receives a glimpse of the power of possibility that comes with free education. Though many San Franciscans may have seen advertisements during the fall semester within their neighborhoods, on campus and within the school website, The Joshua Cogan Photography for Underground Agent for City College was hired to shoot another ad campaign for the college highlighting the now free tuition for the spring 2018 semester. The application to participate in this advertisement campaign was distributed by City College in

order to be photographed and videotaped as a representative of the diverse community. Participants of the advertisement campaign are not required to qualify for the Free City program, as becoming a representative for City supports the movement toward accessing higher education without tuition. According to the Underground Advertising update, this accessibility is a direct reflection of core values as San Franciscans; freedom of expression, freedom of self determination. Those values combined with the renewed energy at City

College, sprung forth by its recent accreditation, powerful endorsement by City Hall and the voters of San Francisco provides a second wind to the five locations of City College. This is effectively captured by Free City, and this is at the heart of the creative strategy for the campaign for City College of San Francisco. To further the community outreach, these advertisements should also be shown within high schools in San Francisco so aspiring college students are presented with the option of enrolling at City College. Another option would be

to network through social media in order to attain a larger audience Advertising the Free City program is important as City College is an integral part of San Francisco. Its five campuses are woven throughout San Francisco and to reflect this accessibility through the advertisements is a small ladder toward success. Through this visual story telling experience, the community is given this air of inclusivity, as these advertisements depict the diverse student body in race and age, in addition to their interests.

Photos taken from the official Free City ad campaign

OPINION | 7

Vol. 164, Issue 6 | Nov. 8 – Nov. 22, 2017

Here nor there:

The opiate epidemic cannot be undone Otto Pippenger opippenger@theguardsman.com

If the opiate crisis is to be solved we must first identify what our definition of solved is. Currently both Republicans and Democrats have the same idiotic, fanciful and negligently murderous idea that we can end addiction in America. It is offensive to the public’s sense of propriety that we should have these addicts at all and worse that we should see them. They intend to bolt the barn door after the horse has left. Either with rehabs or prison, arrests or drugs like Vivitrol that prevent users from getting high with dangerous side effects and a tendency to cause overdose when users relapse. If drug use is a genetic predisposition, as users are so often told, then we must begin to accept that the desire to modify one’s state of mind is as legitimate as our desires for sex, adventure and elective surgery, insofar as personal risk and legality are reckoned. The proper goal with regards to the opiate epidemic should be to prevent deaths, while addressing the related issues of poverty and the squalor addicts are consigned to by their secrecy. Illegality leads to drugs being bought from criminals. They sell contaminated or adulterated drugs which kill, they lead to secrecy and a lack of hygiene which spreads disease along with a stigma which makes it impossible for users to ask for help. Often ending with loved ones taking addicts to the emergency room when they overdose. Narcotics should therefore be produced by the government and prescribed to addicts. As they were in America prior to Harry Anslinger’s creation of the drug war and as they were in England until the middle of the 20th century and as they have been doing in Scandinavia on an experimental basis. Needle exchanges must be grown to include safe injection sites. The disease model is as pernicious as the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) model, which is comparable to conversion therapy in its intent to pathologize natural human behavior. As the famous Rat Park experiment shows, drug use is circumstantial and most commonly develops when people are immiserated. It is insane to think that anyone who had their rights removed and years stolen by the penal system to be punished into relinquishing the chemicals that help them cope with life. The insanity of prohibition is well and alive, and it is logically inconsistent to apply a different standard to narcotics than there is to alcohol- the cognitive dissonance with which we accept the permanence of alcohol while believing we can crush drugs is a lie sustained by

Illustration by Quip Johnson

the secrecy with which addicts must live. The drug policy which radiates from the United States is a motivating force for barbarity around the world. Why do we tolerate the slaughter of drug users in the Philippines any more than we tolerate the execution of homosexuals? As well meaning as progressive lawmakers are, any group subject to legislation written by those outside of it will be subject to their folly. Drug users must come out of the closet and find their Harvey Milk and Stonewall Riot who can lead the extension of the values that prevail in every other aspect of our law, morals and logic. Otherwise, the deaths will continue unabated.

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SPORTS | 8

Vol. 164, Issue 6 | Nov. 8 – Nov. 22, 2017

Rams suffer tough loss against College of San Mateo By Patrick Cochran pcochran.media@gmail.com

The Rams lost 42-31 on October 28 against a tough San Mateo team. Leading 20-14 at halftime, The Rams were unable to stop the juggernaut San Mateo offense in the second half. Playing at home, the Rams

took an early lead in the game when quarterback Zach Masoli tore through the defense to get a 31-yard rushing touchdown midway through the first quarter. The Bulldogs would respond minutes later with their own touchdown. Quarterback Miles Kendrick threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to receiver Edmund

Ram’s defensive linemen Uhi Mikaele (#94) and Kobie Beltram (#10) bust through the San Mateo offensive line as they attempt to bring down the ball carrier. Photo by Peter Wong/The Guardsman

RAMS

Polataivao. Rams star running Isaiah Floyd dominated the second quarter. First he rushed for 16-yard touchdown and at the end of the half he caught a 9-yard touchdown reception from Masoli. San Mateo scored a touchdown in between the Floyd touchdowns so going into the half the Ram led 20-14. The Rams scored the first points of the second half when kicker Greg Thomas nailed a 32-yard field goal. Unfortunately for the Rams it would be their last points until the final minutes of the game. San Mateo’s offense dominated in the second half scoring 28 unanswered points. Quarterback Miles Kendrick threw two touchdown passes, both of them to receiver Rajae Johnson. Bulldog’s running back Cameron Taylor scored his second touchdown of the day on a 27-yard rush while their defense got in the action when linebacker Dorrzel Hicks returned a fumble

Running back Isaiah Floyd (#22) lowers his head as attempts to plow over the San Mateo defenders. Photo by Peter Wong/The Guardsman

30-yards for a touchdown. The Rams ended the game with some dignity after Masoli snuck into the endzone on a 1-yard sneak to cap off a 7 play, 64-yard drive in the final minutes of the game. Masoli threw for 294 yards, completing 23 out of 37 passes

with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Floyd had another monster game, rushing for a 177 yards on 29 attempts with 1 rushing touchdown, along with 3 catches for 18 yards and 1 receiving touchdown. The Rams are now 5-3 and play De Anza College on Saturday November 4 at 1 pm at De Anza.

Women's soccer team sees victory at De Anza By Patrick Cochran pcochran.media@gmail.com

The Ram’s women soccer team drubbed De Anza in their 3-0 victory on November 2. Dominating from the start, the Rams played an excellent on both offense and defense. Striking early, the Rams scored their first goal 5:30 into the match. Sofia Jones got the goal with Danielle Nicotera on the assist. Jones was instrumental in the Ram’s next goal, which they got 18:40 into the match when Jones found Angelica Gonzalez open for the goal to put the Rams up 2-0. Gonzalez would score the Ram’s last goal 55 minutes into the match with Ileana Mercado helping out on the assist. Head coach Jeff Wilson split time in net with both Michelle Gonzalez and Destiny Perez playing one half each. Both Gonzalez and Perez had two saves while being shot on twice. The Rams are now 12-2-2 overall and 1-1-2 in the Coast-North Conference.

Nov. 11 ..........1:00PM ........................vs. Contra Costa

Nov 10 ...........12:30PM ...............................vs. Ohlone

Midfielder Illena Mercado (#8) muscles out the opponent while going after the ball.

Photos by Julia Fuller/ The Guardsman

Nov. 10 ...........3:00PM ........................... vs Las Positas

Nov. 18 ....................................... State Championships

Nov. 8 .............6:30PM ............... @Monterey Peninsula Nov. 10 ...........6:30PM ...........................vs. West Valley Nov. 14 ...........6:30PM ................................ @ Cabrillo

Defenders Chelsea Herrera (#6) and Shannon Garcia (#10) try take away the ball from the opponent.

sports schedule week 6.indd 1

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