The Guardsman Vol 148, Issue 5. City College of San Francisco

Sports: Field goal clinches Rams victory over Butte

News: Students, educators rally against cuts to education

Page 12

Page 8

Volume 148, Issue 5

What’s inside: NEws: Sanctuary policy passed............................... Page 4 Column: Health care public option debate........... Page 6 Sports: Men’s soccer team gain another win....... Page 10 Features: Wood’s passion is screenwriting.......... Page 13 A&E: Theater dept. hit high note with ‘Forum’..... Page 16

www.theguardsman.com

October 21, 2009

Obama welcomed by SF protestors

By Alex Emslie

opinions and editorials editor

President Barack Obama’s whirlwind San Francisco visit to raise money for the Democratic National Committee was met by droves of protesters outside the Westin St. Francis Hotel at Union Square on Oct. 15.

Air Force One landed at San Francisco International Airport just before 5 p.m. The president’s motorcade then whisked him to his speaking engagement.

A crowd of several hundred, unified by their dissent, gathered at the intersection of Powell and Geary streets as the president entertained party contributors inside the hotel.

“I’ve never seen so many different groups protesting the same person,” said Lee Wolf, San Francisco State University alumnus and member of the Young Republicans.

The president’s national approval rating has dropped consistently since his inauguration, according to data compiled by pollster.com. The beginning of this year showed Obama with mid-to-high 70 percent approval rating, which has now fallen to about mid 50 percent.

By Kay Dover

contributing Writer

Robert Romano / The Guardsman

Protestors converge on Union Square to voice their criticism of Obama administration policies as the president delivers speeches to DNC benefactors inside the Westin St. Francis Hotel.

“Obama, do your job,” San Francisco resident and former City College student Cookie Arceo said. “We used our voice in voting for you, and we want change.”

Though there was a small contingency present to show support for Obama, the majority

of the crowd was there to protest the administration’s policies, but their messages differed widely.

Various activist groups including Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, Veterans for Peace, Tea Parties, Single Payer Now and Code Pink were at the event. The major issues of contention were

health care reform, the coup that ousted the democratically elected leader of Honduras and the war in Afghanistan.

“A public option would have decreased health care costs in terms of putting another option for the public in the insurance Obama: Page 12

Highest paid at City College share pain of budget crisis

By Hannah Weiner Features Editor

All City College administrators with annual salaries over $150,000 received a 6 percent pay cut as of Sept. 1.

The decision, settled through the board of trustees, was made to implement a “no step increases” policy on the salary scale.

Chancellor Dr. Don Q. Griffin said the cuts aim to save $275,000 for the current fiscal year.

“There was some unhap-

Donation drive held for victims of Tsunami

piness about the decision,” said Linda Grohe, president of administrators and associate dean of the John Adams campus.

“It was a significant change, and people felt that it shouldn’t have been done the way it was. It came as a bit of a shock because no one had any idea their pay was going to be cut.”

“These are very difficult times,” Joseph Kelleher, management assistant at the John Adams campus said. “My concern is now that they’re cutting administrative salaries,

will they cut faculty salaries next?”

According to Grohe, the board passed the amendment and then asked Chancellor Griffin to implement the cut.

“There was no vote or anything like that,” Grohe said.

In addition, she said that as of right now, she has not heard of any plans about where these saved funds will be designated.

“The board reallocated the funds, but to be honest, I’m not sure what they did with them,” Grohe said, though she added

that City College’s intention is to try and save classes and programs.

While all administrators who made over $150,000 were subject to the cuts, it was specified by the board of trustees that original wages would be restored for those administrators who opted to retire.

“As of right now the cuts are on the books until 2010,” Grohe said.

E-mail: hweiner@theguardsman.com

The City College Polynesian Club and Pilipinos for Education, Art, Culture and Empowerment are sponsoring a donation drive to benefit victims of the natural disasters, which ravaged the South Pacific and the Philippines in recent weeks.

Club members and volunteers are manning a donation station in Ram Plaza on City College’s Ocean campus every weekday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are collecting diapers, cookware, BandAids, clothes, non-perishable foods and monetary donations to send to the Samoas, Tonga and the Philippines.

“We know it’s not going to save the whole world,” said John Tuapola, vice president of the Polynesian Club. “But whatever we can do, that's good enough for us.”

The drive was a quick reaction to the magnitude 8.0 earthquake that struck halfway between the islands of Samoa and Tonga on Sept. 29 at 6:48 a.m and triggered a tsunami which devastated numerous coastal villages. It left boats marooned on highways, injured hundreds and and forced thousands to scramble to higher ground.

The total death toll was nearing 170 a week later and is expected to climb. Many members of the Polynesian Club have family on the affected islands.

“Seeing our members crying when it first hit, it just moved us,” Tuapola said.

Tsunami relief: Page 3

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News

The Guardsman

october 21, 2009

News Briefs SHAKEOUT

City College participated in a statewide earthquake drill on Oct. 15 at 10:15 a.m. The Great California ShakeOut was created educate people and help organizations protect themselves in the event of future earthquakes.

The event was introduced in memory of the Oct. 17, 1989 earthquake which occurred near Loma Prieta peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The ShakeOut is an annual drill that presents the opportunity to practice the “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” method that emergency management experts and official preparedness organizations agree is the best action to take in the event of an earthquake.

To learn more about how to participate in the drill visit http://www.shakeout.org/howtoparticipate/

HEALTH FAIR

The Student Health Center on Ocean campus will host the 2009 City College Health Fair on Oct. 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Free services available are: anemia screening, blood pressure check, body mass index check, carbon monoxide test for smokers, and blood sugar screening. Free flu shots will be available for credit City College students with a current college ID card or another form of class verification. Otherwise, the limited supply of flu shots will be $20. Vaccinations will be administered on a first come, first serve basis.

A complete cholesterol panel will be available for $10. Urine tests for chlamydia are also available to City College students who qualify.

Educational material on a wide range of health issues will also be provided.

Screenshot courtesy of City College of San Franciso

New design for City College’s new homepage. The information technology services department aims to make the City College Web site more user-friendly for students.

New City College Web site slated to be launched early November Nick palm Staff Writer

The long-awaited arrival of the new City College Web site is due to be unveiled on Nov. 2.

The introduction of the new Web site, which was originally slated for September of this year, was pushed back to allow the fall semester to run smoothly.

“We didn’t want to disrupt the add/drop period or midterms,” said Douglas Re, director of information technology at City College. “This way we will have a ‘window of quiet’ before the next semester starts.”

Most of the new site is already up and running, although it isn’t located at the City College web address. The information technology services department has put a link to the new Web site on the current homepage, so all students can take it for a test run.

“We want people to look at it,” Re said. “We even created an e-mail account for people to contact us if they found typos or other inconsistencies.”

According to EMG, City College’s current Web site has

over 20,000 pages. In order to update and redesign the Web site, most of those pages must be completely redesigned.

“As of right now, 25-30 percent of the pages aren’t yet

to look at the Web site and not be able to get any information,” he said. “It really needed to be updated.”

According to their Web site, EMG’s mission is, “To make the

“Frankly, it’s unacceptable to look at the Web site and not be able to get any information,” — Douglas Re Director of Information Technology at City College

done,” said Re. “It’s going to take months to finish all that. Until they are updated, we will be redirecting a lot of pages to the old Web site.”

The new homepage, which has clear links to all other sectors of the school’s Web site, is expected to be easier to navigate than the old one.

Tommy Lai, an 18-year-old freshman at City College, said he is frustrated with the old Web site.

“Frankly, it’s unacceptable

CCSF Web site one of the leading and most distinctive College Web sites in the United States that clearly communicates educational opportunity and collaborative learning within the diverse community of San Francisco.”

Re said that EMG recommended and implemented a content management system, which is a database of templates and word processors that allow users to create web pages.

“If you are a department chair, and want to create a Web site

for that department, you pull up ‘department template’,” said Re. There will be different templates for all levels of administration.

Instructors will still have the freedom to create their own Web pages, without having to use a City College template, although they will be available.

Other new additions to the Web site include blogging software that will be accessible to all personal Web sites and a new search engine powered by Google.

“If I type in ‘financial aid,’ it will now find the most relevant link for me, instead of some arcane website that has nothing to do with financial aid,” Re said.

Re encourages all interested students to explore the new Web site from the current link on the school’s homepage, in hopes of hearing feedback from the people who will be using it most. Any questions, comments, or typographical errors on the new Web site should be sent to weberror@ ccsf.edu.

E-mail: npalm@theguardsman.com

News

october 21, 2009

The Guardsman

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Relief effort needs clothes, food, supply donations tsunami Relief: from the front page

By nightfall on the day of the quakes, plans for the disaster relief drive were well underway.

The Polynesian Club joined forces with PEACE, whose members’ families in the Philippines are also in desperate need of aid after typhoons Ketsana and Parma scourged the islands, causing extensive flooding and landslides which killed at least 500 people. Ketsana hit on Sept.

26 and was followed by Parma on Oct. 3.

Choco Vilbar, president of the campus Filipino organization The Ate Kuya Project and former president of PEACE, said with relief that the family members he has spoken to are safe. Their homes, however, are covered in mud. He said he is heartened by the alliance between the clubs.

“Hopefully as this drive progresses, we hope to unify the Poly Club and the Filipino clubs for future events,” Vilbar said.

Members of both clubs spent the early days of October plastering the campus with flyers, sending e-mail notices to faculty and texting their friends to tell them about the drive.

Generous students are also spreading the word.

“I teach a tae kwon do class, so

Robert Romano / The Guardsman

Members of the Polynesian Club and PEACE gather donations at Ram Plaza on Oct. 15.

I’ll probably make an announcement,” said Cody Aguirre, 26, who stopped to give $5 in cash when he noticed the donation table in Ram Plaza on his way to class.

Maelani Acfalle, a hospitality management major at San Francisco State University, heard about the drive when she attended

a candlelight vigil students held outside of Batmale Hall two days after the tsunamis hit.

“I’m here for moral support for everybody else whose family has been affected,” said Acfalle, who helps out at the Ram Plaza table on her days off from school at SF State.

Club leaders have made

donating convenient for Ocean campus students by reaching out to other campus organizations.

In addition to the table in Ram Plaza, items can be dropped off at the Asian Pacific American Student Success Program office in Batmale Room 222 and at the Students Supporting Students office in the Student Union Room

203 or the Queer Resource Center in Room 202.

“If it’s helping someone else out, you might as well invest what little time is involved,” said Alexis Bersonda, 18, who donated some cash at the Ram Plaza table and plans to return with a bag of clothes.

The drive was originally scheduled to end on Oct. 15, but has been extended through Oct. 30 in light of additional earthquakes in the regions and anticipated need for further aid.

Club leaders said they may even extend the drive into November, and they may try to organize drives at other City College campuses.

Clothes, food and supply donations are shipped out weekly in free shipping containers provided by local non-profit and not-forprofit organizations including the San Francisco Filipino Cultural Center and the Samoan Community Development Center.

Monetary donations will be totaled at the end of the drive and divided evenly between the Philippine National Red Cross, the Samoa Red Cross and the Tonga Red Cross. Donations are taxdeductible.

E-mail: email@theguardsman.com

Melting ice creates global warming exhibit Tania Cervantes

Contributing Writer

In the midst of global warming and green awareness, “Blue Ice,” has taken over the walls at the City College Art Gallery in the Visual Arts Building.

The exhibit is part one of a two-part project of a collaboration between artist and City College professor Elsa Marley and geologist William Glassley. With their artwork, they attempt to inspire visitors and also demonstrate the beauty of Greenland’s glaciers.

“The nature of the planet is change, except that this time change is happening faster than ever before,” Marley said, referring to the melting ice caps.

Marley’s abstract-process paintings were created using Chinese paper with mounted silk canvasses.

She used colored ice, which under the sun melted on the silk.

The process is a metaphor for glaciers melting due to global warming, Marley said.

Art professor Andrew Leone,

who was present at the opening of the exhibit, said he was inspired

by Marley’s work.

“When I walked in there I got this feeling,” he said. “There is an endless range of blues, violets and greens. She’s caught the enormity and sense of largeness.”

Fashion merchandising student Bonnie Ho paid close attention to the details and material used in the artwork.

“It is really beautiful, I was wondering how the artist managed to get all of those colors in there,” she said. “It also resembles certain Asian styles.”

“I decided to use the nature of paper and ice in order to make art.

I just let it lead me,” Marley said.

“I never saw myself as a political artist but its almost inevitable.”

Gallery assistant Cristina Flores has seen a steady flow of visitors coming to see the exhibition.

“A lot of blood and tears went on to put this art up,” she said.

E-mail: email@theguardsman.com

Tristan crane / The Guardsman

Elsa Marley’s ‘Blue Ice’ work hangs in the City College Gallery at Visual Arts Room 119 until Oct. 29.

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News

The Guardsman

october 21, 2009

Juvenile sanctuary policy moving forward

By Christie Checketts contributing writer

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Public Safety Committee approved an ordinance that will modify the city’s sanctuary policy in a 2-1 vote on Oct. 5.

As the policy currently stands, undocumented youths are reported to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement when arrested for felony crimes. The ordinance will protect youths from being reported until they have been convicted, providing them with rights to due process.

“The mayor reformed the sanctuary city policy last year in order to protect it,” said Nathan Ballard, spokesman for Mayor Gavin Newsom. “Now the board of supervisors is pouring gasoline all over it and lighting a match.”

Newsom promised to veto the ordinance regardless of the board’s veto-proof majority by alleging that the ordinance breaks federal law.

“If Newsom believes that,

he is mistaken,” said Supervisor David Campos, who introduced the ordinance as a very narrow amendment to an existing policy.

“This legislation is legally defensible and we believe it will stand any legal challenge.”

Edgar Perez, a political refugee at the time he arrived in the United States from El Salvador, attended the public meeting in support of the ordinance.

“The police were in cooperation with immigration services.

We were not safe,” he said. "Turning in victims is persecution. It destroys aspirations and breaks up families.”

Keeping families together was the message that came from the supporters crowded into the overspill room at City Hall.

Federal law prohibits the city from taking action against a city employee for reporting a juvenile to federal immigration authorities.

Contention between city and federal law has sparked controversy concerning an internal city attorney memorandum leaked

by Newsom, as discussed during the board meeting. The memo outlined a worst case scenario for federal legal challenges that could be levied as a result of the board's proposed sanctuary policy.

Supervisor Chris Daly said the memo was marked as privileged and confidential, and should only have been given to elected individuals. He added that never in his nine years in elected office has he seen an entire memo given to the press.

Supervisor John Avalos stated he was alarmed about the memo being leaked, and that he has asked the Ethics Committee to investigate whether any official misconduct has taken place.

“I think he did this because there are eight members of this board who are co-sponsors of this legislation,” Daly said. “Eight is the magic number in terms of the ability to override mayoral veto.”

The city attorney’s office is now in support of the ordinance, which is due to go before the full board on Oct. 20.

Supervisor Michela Alioto-

Ramsey El-Qare / The Guardsman

San Francisco Board of Supervisors Public Safety committee hears comments on the Immigration issues during Oct. 5.

Pier voted against the ordinance.

She is worried that pushing something forward at a citywide level, then possibly being sued and losing, would take San Francisco’s sanctuary ordinance backwards. Alioto-Pier has requested a closed meeting so supervisors could safely debate the issue of legality.

“The office would not support

the ordinance if it were illegal,” Campos said. He told the board they are at a critical junction in the history of San Francisco.

“I ask my colleagues to join me on the right side of history,” he said.

E-mail: email@theguardsman.com

Protestors re-enact bombed wedding scene “What do I have to hide from? I think the country’s in the hands of militarists. Our president is a man who just won the Nobel Peace Prize and he’s bombing Afghanistan.”

Halfway through the demonstration, Tang was approached by San Francisco Police Department officer S. Kim, who informed her

Greg Zeman Staff Writer

In response to Fleet Week and the accompanying aerial exhibition by the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels acrobatic flight squad on Oct. 10, a small but vocal group of protestors gathered at Union Square to denounce the Angels and the U.S military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The protest was organized by local members of The World Can’t Wait, a left-wing activist organization known for its theatrical demonstrations. WCW decried the Blue Angels aerial stunt show as illegal and immoral.

One non-WCW protestor, who declined to give her name, said she had been a peace protestor for 60 years and was there to support WCW’s demonstration.

She characterized the celebration of Columbus Day weekend as a militaristic celebration obscuring the genocide of American Indians that followed Columbus’ arrival.

“If you look on the Navy’s Web site, they admit they’re here to recruit,” the protestor said.

“Most San Franciscans oppose the navy-blue death squad above

Ramsey El-Qare / The Guardsman

World Can’t Wait members and suporters protest Fleet Week and the war in Afghanistan in San Francisco’s Union Square on Oct. 10.

us. The rich, white war-mongers are so powerful at City Hall, they have city workers paint the Italian flag all over poles in what is now a Chinese immigrant neighborhood.”

The event was also used as a platform for criticizing President Obama and what WCW sees as his failure to reverse the policies of the Bush administration.

“Obama just won the Nobel Peace Prize, and now he’s listening to the generals, willing to

send tens of thousands more young people to fight; to die in Afghanistan,” said WCW organizer Stephanie Tang. “This is the war you hated under Bush and Cheney, and it’s still going on under Obama.”

Keay Davidson, former science writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, voiced his frustration with what he sees as Obama’s continuation of failed Bush administration policies.

“I’m 56 years old,” he said.

that WCW had no permit for the protest. The officer asked her if she could take the protest outside of the square to the corner. Tang refused because it would make the protest less visible.

The group’s method of protest was a “wedding party/die in,” a simulated air strike on an Afghan World can’t wait: Page 5

News

october 21, 2009

The Guardsman

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‘Die-in’ held to protest war in Afghanistan World Can’t Wait: from page 4

wedding party. WCW demonstrator Maria Ahmad portrayed the bride.

“These planes flying above?

People enjoy that, but there are kids who can’t sleep because of the sound of these planes,” Ahmad said. “They’ve heard bombs fall from them. The American army has bombed weddings and funerals there.”

The group had planned to time the “death” of the wedding party with a flyover by the Blue Angels, to make a statement about the fighter jets present in other countries. But the fog had the last word when the aerial exhibition was canceled for the day due to the weather. However, the die-in continued without the planes.

As demonstrators lay motionless on the ground of Union Square, groups of tourists, including many children, listened as Tang recounted the horrors of the incidents that inspired the wedding party protest.

“If this was real, there would be forty, fifty, sixty people dead; body parts everywhere,” Tang said. “If this was real, you would be in Afghanistan asking, ‘Why do the Americans hate us so much that they drop bombs on

our villages, that they send the unmanned drones overhead?’ You would be waiting for the next airstrike and the next.”

After a few minutes, Tang told the demonstrators on the ground to “rise up.” As the protesters stood, they joined together in a shouting chant, “Rise up! Stop the War!” A UC Berkeley student, who chose not to provide his name, said he was indifferent to the protest and skeptical of WCW’s message.

“She’s just presenting a bunch of different ideas with no real solutions, kind of repeating herself,” he said of Tang. “It’s sad what’s going on, but it’s a reality.”

Annette, another onlooker, said she couldn’t stand the thought of young people dying in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“It’s bad enough that we went into Iraq illegally and immorally, and now to have an escalation and kill more innocent people when it’s never going to help the people there,” Annette said. “I’m from the Vietnam War era, did it help anybody? No, and they’re doing it all over again.”

E-mail: gzeman@theguardsman.com

Garage sale to be held in effort to save classes

By Nick Palm Staff Writer

In an effort to save classes scheduled to be cut in the spring 2010 semester, City College is hosting a flea market and garage sale on Oct. 24.

The event, which runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, will take place on the street level of the Balboa Reservoir parking lot across the street from the Science Hall on Phelan Avenue.

“There will be a lot of household items, toys, furniture and books for sale,” said Milton Marks III, president of the City

College board of trustees.

This will be the first flea market or garage sale of its kind at City College. If it turns out to be a success, it will become a reoccurring event, with funds going directly to the Associated Students.

“The idea is to raise money, but also to bring people together,” Marks said.

For more information on the event, or if you would like to volunteer visit www.ccsf.edu/ gsale-fleamarket.

E-mail: npalm@theguardsman.com

Ramsey El-Qare / The Guardsman

World Can’t Wait members and suporters protest Fleet Week and the war on Afghanistan in San Francisco’s Union Square on Oct. 10.

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Corrections

The Oct. 7 issue of The Guardsman went to print containing the following error: MAKING

A page 5 news story titled “Diego Rivera mural cleaning to begin in 2010” suggested the performing arts center as a possible place for the mural, which is not a housing candidate.

THE

WORLD

MORE

5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland admission@mills.edu www.mills.edu

City College – The Guardsman Size: 6” x 6” Insertion date: October 21, 2009 Ad #016DRE09

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Opinions&Editorials

The Guardsman

THE GUARDSMAN City College of San Francisco’s Student Newspaper

Editor in Chief Jessica Luthi

Dying for change we can believe in

News Editor Fleur Bailey

Opinions & Editorials Editor Alex Emslie

Arts & Entertainment Editor Cailie Skelton

Sports Editor Bontã Hill

Features Editor Hannah Weiner

Online Editor Alex Luthi

Photo Editor

Isaac Crummey

Chief Copy Editor Liska Koenig

Copy Editors

Don Clyde Alex Emslie Jen Houghton Alex Luthi

Production Editor Jessica Luthi

Online Staff

Michael Anderson Jessica Luthi

Staff Writers

Michael Anderson Don Clyde Dominick Delgadillo Matthew Gomez Jen Houghton Meena Jamerson Liska Koenig Nick Palm Marcus Rodriguez Aaron Turner Greg Zeman

Photographers Tristan Crane Ramsey El-Qare Dylan Novicky Robert Romano

Contributing Writers Christie Checketts Jessica Martin Michael Suarez

Illustrators

Cailie Skelton Jake Chapnick

Production Staff Alex Emslie Aaron Turner Hannah Weiner

Advertising Manager Jessica Luthi

Faculty Adviser Juan Gonzales

California Newspaper Publisher’s Association Journalism Association of Community Colleges

To advertise in our newspaper please contact our Advertising Manager Jessica Luthi at advertising@theguardsman.com

How to contact us: Mail: 50 Phelan Ave Box V-67 San Francisco, CA 94112 Phone: (415) 239-3446 Fax: (415) 239-3884 E-mail: email@theguardsman.com Online: www.theguardsman.com

october 21, 2009

The Soap Box

By Greg Zeman Imagine if the Civil Rights Act of 1964 had included an “opt out” clause.

Unless you’re a California same-sex couple looking to adopt a child, then you don’t really have to imagine that at all, do you?

Everybody else though, imagine you were denied health insurance or just couldn’t afford it. Oh wait — the democrat-controlled congress just passed a health care reform policy that includes a public health insurance option for uninsured sick people like you. Hooray!

Too bad your scum-bag, republican governor “opted out” of that insurance option.

A provision being “seriously considered”

by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and other democrats would allow such a scenario to play out: Your state could decide not to participate in the public option.

Then say you have to go to the emergency room.

If you’ve never spent eight hours being blinded by the reflection of fluorescent light bouncing off of shiny linoleum floors; if you’ve never sat in a suffocatingly crowded room full of urine-soaked transients with loud, productive whooping coughs; if you’ve never stooped to wishing that one of the moaning people bleeding to death all around you would just shut up and finish dying so you could steal their ticket number and actually, kind of, sort of, maybe receive medical attention, then you don’t really understand the reality of many Americans without health insurance.

If you have experienced this situation, you can thank both parties for it.

Forty-eight million Americans have no

health insurance. That means 48 million human beings, many of them children with absolutely no choice in the matter, have to live with decisions made by status quo-advocating, obstructionist politicians. It means those children have to go to the ER when they need basic medical attention, attention that the most powerful nation in the world should be ready and able to provide.

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont, is the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee charged with creating a health care reform bill. He has openly stated that the public option, which would control care costs in the same manner as Medicare, was just a “bargaining chip” to secure votes. The Democrats have a super majority — who exactly do they need to bargain with?

Maybe Baucus’ Chief Health Adviser Elizabeth Fowler, vice president of public policy for insurance behemoth WellPoint from 2006 to 2008, knows something about the senator’s inability to grasp the importance of a public option.

If you can’t get a hold of her, maybe Baucus’ previous chief health adviser Michelle Easton knows. You can reach her at Tarplin, Downs & Young, where she now works as a lobbyist for insurance behemoth ... uh, WellPoint.

The Republican Party may be advocating the status quo, they may even be deliberately obstructing real reform. That’s what you expect them to do. It’s tradition.

That being said, we really need better democrats. Ones who aren’t in the pocket of the industry we’re trying to reform. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., talks a good game, but he’s new, so the jury is still out on him.

Full disclosure: I’m a registered democrat who cast his first ballot for Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass, but voted for Howard Dean, a democrat and former governor of Vermont, in that primary, and I still consider myself kind of spineless for not just voting Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio.

I was an adamant Barrack Obama supporter back when people were still writing him off with comparisons to Jesse Jackson. I continued my endorsements of then Sen. Obama throughout the primaries, much to the chagrin of my largely pro-Hillary, democrat friends.

Then, we voted for change we could believe in and won. That’s how it felt, remember? We were all lighting firecrackers, dancing in the streets, hugging strangers and buying them drinks, like we’d just beat the Nazis. In a strictly emotional sense, we basically had.

President George W. Bush dictated national and domestic policy like a corrupt, despotic king. His administration passed the Orwellian nightmare known as the Patriot Act and used it to suspend habeas corpus and spy on its political opponents.

They initiated an illegal war of aggression based on falsehoods and scare tactics and gave defense contractors a gift-wrapped quagmire to milk for profits. They used brutal torture and sexual humiliation against prisoners of war, and practically bankrupted Social Security by using it as a piggy bank, just to name a few of their achievements.

Bush is gone and I’m still waiting for change. We all are.

Guantanamo Bay is still housing prisoners. Bombs are still falling on Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers are still dying. What gives Barrack? We’re all pulling for you, so, could you please remind us why?

Now a study published by the American Journal of Public Health found that roughly 45,000 Americans die every year because they lack health insurance. We are literally dying for change we can believe in. All I see is a party squandering it’s majority status on the pursuit of change they can get away with.

So, now I’m feeling kind of spineless for not just voting Kucinich ... again.

E-mail: gzeman@theguardsman.com

Letters to the Editor

The Guardsman encourages feedback from our readers. We will publish printable letters as soon as our publication schedule allows.

Hierarchy of ideas at City College

We offer the following guidelines to ensure letter publication:

Editor’s Note: Response to editorial in Oct. 7 issue of The Guardsman

I am completely in accord with your editorial condemnation of the Obama commemoration at City College — although I suppose the unearned Nobel prize will now be given as a kind of excuse.

“City College should never elevate one set of rational ideas above another,” you rightly say.

The same principle applies to irrational ideas, of course. Yet every year the chancellor participates in the Gay Pride Parade, elevating homosexualism above homophobia. Anyone with a sound knowledge of biology and ordinary skills in conceptual analysis can work out that homosexualism and homophobia are two sides of the same counterfeit coin. But City College elevates one irrational idea over the other.

John A. Wills Senior Programmer/Analyst City College information technology services department

Letters must be signed with at least first and last name, or they will not be published. Including City College or any other relevant group affiliation with the signature is encouraged.

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Opinions&Editorials

october 21, 2009

Awarding the Nobel for lofty rhetoric shames selection committee

By Michael Anderson Staff Writer

The Nobel Peace Prize brings to mind great historical figures such as Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Linus Pauling and Martin Luther King Jr. Shockingly, the most recent prize-winner is our own president, Barack Obama.

Obama hasn’t achieved enough in office to merit a prize which should be given for accomplishments and not what might be accomplished.

He isn’t the first sitting president to receive the prize. President Woodrow Wilson received this award in 1919 for being the primary driving force behind the League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations. Theodore Roosevelt received his Nobel prize in 1906 for his successful mediation to end the Russo-Japanese war.

The Nobel Committee stressed it made the decision based on Obama’s accomplishments in global diplomacy, and they hoped to enhance his work abroad.

The last time the prize was handed out to encourage someone’s efforts, it was given to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and two Israelis, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres following the agreement to give the Palestinians limited autonomy in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank town of Jericho. After the prize was awarded, violence quickly returned to the area and Rabin was assassinated.

Obama has always laid out lofty rhetoric, but he hasn’t had time to make significant advances in his policies. His nomination was submitted to the committee on Feb. 1, after he had been in office for only 12 days.

In answering critics of the selection, Nobel Committee Chairman Thorbjørn Jagland said that despite the risk that Obama might fail, “at least we want to embrace the message that he stands for.”

The Nobel Committee’s intentions are extremely unclear, but the award places heavy expectations on Obama, and it’s become a political liability here as he suffers criticism for what he has not accomplished.

On the day the prize was awarded, Obama met with his war council to discuss troop numbers for Afghanistan. How will this affect his decision making? Will he second-guess sending more forces to Afghanistan as he stares at the Nobel sitting on his desk?

“As we strive to seek a world in which conflicts are resolved peacefully and prosperity is widely shared, we have to confront the world as we know it today,” Obama said in his acceptance speech. “I am the commander in chief of a country that’s responsible for ending a war and working in another theater to confront a ruthless adversary that directly threatens the American people and our allies.”

It’s heartening that Obama will embrace the global community but remembers his ultimate responsibility lies with the people of the United States.

The best news coming from this announcement is the world is still looking to the “city upon a hill” for leadership despite recent policy differences. The eyes of all people are still upon the U.S. Everyone just needs to stop squabbling over who deserves the prize and use this newly re-discovered international good will to accomplish something meaningful.

E-mail: manderson@theguardsman.com

The Guardsman

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Corruption plagues Afghanistan Election fraud shows U.S. shouldn’t commit more troops

By Matthew Gomez Staff Writer

Gen. Stanley McChrystal wants as many as 60,000 more troops in Afghanistan to “change the operational culture to connect with people.” While President Obama is unsure of how to handle the situation, sending more troops to Afghanistan won’t help the people if their government continues to act as corrupt as the terrorists occupying the country.

As of Oct. 1, approximately 67,700 U.S. and international combat troops were stationed in Afghanistan, according to the International Security Assistance Force, the coalition of U.S., NATO and other countries with troops there.

U.S. forces cannot help the country if the body responsible for the people of Afghanistan — their own government — is not willing to help. The war in Afghanistan was started to oust a terrorist threat that not only attacked our country but occupied theirs.

Due to our presence, the first democratic election was held in Afghanistan in 2004. But today those elected leaders are just as big a threat to the people of Afghanistan as the Taliban and al-Qaida.

In 2004, Hamid Karzai was the first democratically elected leader of Afghanistan. After summer elections placed him as the front-runner, 1,500 polling places were determined to either be run by the Taliban or located in places “so insecure that no one from the Independent Electoral Commission, the Afghan army or the Afghan police had ever visited,” according to a Time Magazine article this month.

The Taliban threatened to cut off the fingers of anyone seen with the ink spot that signified they had voted. While tallying votes, the Electoral Complaints Commission found 1.5 million votes to be fraudulent, one-third of those being for Karzai.

While the U.S. presence in Afghanistan is still necessary to stop a re-takeover of the country by the Taliban, a troop increase will not help achieve our goals. Until the government can decide who it wants to partner with — the U.S. or the Taliban — there should be no troop increase.

Our presence is not fully appreciated, and as necessary as it is to try and help the people, that cannot happen without the support of their own government.

According to a 66-page report leaked to the Washington Post, McChrystal believes, “we must interact more closely with the population and focus on operations that bring stability, while shielding them from insurgent violence, corruption and coercion.”

In the same report, McChrystal acknowledged, “International Security Assistance Forces has not sufficiently studied Afghanistan’s peoples whose needs, identities and grievances vary from province to province and from valley to valley. This complex environment is challenging to understand, particularly for foreigners.”

ISAF still does not understand the people they are trying to interact with. Sending more troops is not going to solve that.

McChrystal is right to want to connect more with the people of Afghanistan and focus on protecting them from insurgents, but the government of Afghanistan poses his biggest problem.

An April 8 Time Magazine article noted that, according to the Obama administration, “the prin-

Afghanistan forces breakdown

The International Security Assistance Force is made up of 42 nations contributing troops to Afghanistan, including all 28 NATO member nations.

As of Oct. 1, 2009, the ISAF estimates its total number of combat troops at nearly 68,000.

Approximately 34,000 of the more than 60,000 U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan are combat, counter-insurgency forces. The rest are support elements, trainers and classified forces.

Only 11,000 to 15,000 additional U.S. troops could be available to deploy by the end of 2009.

An additional 20,000 could be deployed by summer 2010.

The Afghan National Army has nearly 100,000 troops.

Sources: International Security Assistance Force and Institute for the Study of War, a non-profit military think tank that advises civilian leaders.

Graphic courtesy of MCT campus

cipal goal now is to counter terrorism and bring a degree of stability to Afghanistan — not to turn a poor and fractious nation into a flourishing democratic state.”

The goals of this war have been lowered, and yet our presence has become so tied into Afghanistan that more troops are needed to accomplish less. The government the U.S. forces helped democratize has already stooped to corrupting their own elections.

A report issued by the Department of Defense in January concluded, “building a fully competent and independent Afghan government will be a lengthy process that will last, at a minimum, decades.”

How many generations of troops will be needed for decades of occupation? Our own country is in jeopardy. No one’s sure how long the U.S. economy will take to recover, and yet our leaders accept that attempts to build a “fully competent and independent Afghan government” will take decades?

Seeing as, eight years later, this war is not focused on preventing another terrorist attack, it cannot become the priority of our top leaders. At a time when unemployment is nearing 10 percent and the people of this country are worrying about feeding their families and keeping a roof over their heads, spending billions of dollars to democratize a corrupt nation does not seem worth the effort and countless lives.

E-mail: mgomez@theguardsman.com

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Sports

The Guardsman

october 21, 2009

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photos courtesy of Jason Halley / Chico Enterprise-Record

Above: Butte College’s Ricky Barr (7) is tackled

by City College’s Allen Chapman (6) and DeShawn Marmon (35) at Cowan Stadium Saturday, Oct. 17 in Butte Valley, Calif. Left: Rams receiver Daniel Cannon (2) scrambles against Butte College’s Chris Kordakis (87).

By Aaron Turner staff writer

As kicker Jens Alvernik’s 39-yard field goal flew through the uprights Saturday afternoon in Oroville, the raucous Butte College supporters, more than 4,000 of whom were in attendance, fell deathly quiet. The dejected silence was immediately replaced by a euphoric cheer from the Rams’ sidelines.

That kick, which capped off a 79-yard game-winning drive, was just one of many highlights in the Rams’ hard-fought 16-14 victory over the defending national champion Butte Roadrunners. The Rams’ gutsy win will undoubtedly secure a number one NorCal ranking for 6-0 (1-0) City College, which came into the contest ranked second.

Alvernik missed extra point early in the second half that would have knotted the game at 14. However, he was completely unfazed by

the pressure placed on him.

“I didn’t really think about anything, not the crowd, or the miss before,” he said. “I didn’t even think about how bad I would hurt the team if I didn’t make it. I just went back to basics in my head and focused on one thing.”

Butte was able to score on their first possession, relying heavily on their power running game to move the ball. Running back Rick Barr lead all rushers with 183 yards and two touchdowns, while Curry Williams added 78 of his own. The Roadrunners ran the ball a total of 47 times for 288 yards. The Rams’ defense stuffed their passing game as Butte quarterback Jordan Rodgers was held to just 80 yards passing on 5-16 throwing.

“I’m really pleased with what we did, especially on defense,” Rams head coach George Rush said after the game. “[Butte] had a scoring drive to open up the game, and one to start the second half, and then that was it -

they were done.”

Penalties seemed to be an issue for his team during the entire game. They were flagged for five personal fouls alone. After going into the locker room tied at 7-7, Rams linebacker Brent McCord was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for throwing a punch at a Butte player on the second half kickoff. McCord was ejected from the game.

“We were put in bad positions in terms of penalties,” Rush said. “We certainly deserved some of them, but there were times where our guys were provoked and they didn’t get called.

It’s always the case where the second guy gets caught.”

After exchanging touchdowns once more in the third quarter, the Rams trailed 14-13 going into the fourth. They failed on a fourth down attempt deep in Butte territory and were then forced to punt on their first two possessions.

The Rams got the ball back with 1:50 remain-

ing in the game. Starting at his own 19-yard line, Darius Bell marched his team 59 yards on 14 plays and setting up the game winner by Alvernik with only 3 seconds remaining.

“You just need to have confidence,” said Bell, who finished 20-44 passing with one touchdown and an interception. He also ran for a touchdown and picked up 108 yards rushing.

“The entire game I was confident of my ability to throw the ball, as well as the ability of my receivers to get open.”

Thanks to Alvernik, a gutsy defense and clutch play by the offense, the Rams undoubtedly made the three and a half hour trek to the Butte campus a memorable one.

City College looks to keep the momentum rolling when they host Diablo Valley College (2-4) on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m.

E-mail: aturner@theguardsman.com

Ramsey el-qare / the guardsman

Omar Vizquel (center) signs autographs for excited City College baseball players Sept. 30 at Balboa Park. Vizquel plays shortstop for the Texas Rangers.

Baseball pros make surprise visit

F

By Bontã Hill sports Editor

irst-year City College baseball player Oscar Delgado grew up in Venezuela what the country goes crazy over — playing the game of baseball. Looking for a way to be around baseball without playing professionally, Delgado turned to a career in journalism.

After attaining a bachelor’s degree in journalism from one of the best private colleges in Venezuela, Catholic University Andres Bello-Guayana, Delgado came to the U.S. to improve his English. He still writes for Venezuelan newspapers Nueva Prensa de Guayana Dylan Novicky / the guardsman and Correo del Caroni, which has enabled him to meet play(L-R) Oscar Delgado talks with San ers throughout Venezuela.

Fancisco Giants third baseman Along the way, Delgado Pablo Sandoval during baseball has become close with former practice Sept. 30. Sandoval put on a show for members of the City College San Francisco Giant and current Texas Rangers shortbaseball team while hitting ball al over the field in batting practice. stop Omar Vizquel and current

Giant Pablo Sandoval, two fellow countrymen who made it into the big leagues.

“I met Omar during my working here in America two years ago. He was with the San Francisco Giants in an inter-league game against the Oakland A’s,” Delgado said.

“He said let's hangout and you will get to know me better. We went to concerts and charity events and became friends.

He’s a really nice person.”

“I first met Pablo here in San Francisco when he got called up late last season,” Delgado said. “My newspaper sent me an e-mail and said it would be nice to try to interview him.”

In two separate visits the stars came out to Balboa Park to share tips with members of the current City College baseball team. Vizquel fielded grounders and talked to the team about staying healthy, steroids and how to stay mentally prepared and focused

on the game.

With City College players and coaches in awe over the glove handling of Vizquel and the power displayed at the plate from Sandoval, the major-leaguers also showed graciousness by signing autographs and taking pictures.

“Omar came here just because he wanted to do me a favor. He wants to be around the guys and teach them a few things,” Delgado said. “I asked him once to come out here, and he said it's not a problem.

I call him once a month just to say hi, to keep in touch. Before every baseball season I do an interview with him.”

Teammate Rafael Ward has known Delgado since he was ten years old and talked about meeting Sandoval as well. He also noted how big Vizquel was in his country.

“I met Pablo when I was fifteen in a baseball academy and he was one of the best players on the team,” Ward

said. “Everybody wanted to be like Omar, everybody wanted to be a shortstop.”

Coach Vanoncini had a blast as he got to hit grounders to Vizquel and see Sandoval hit the ball all over the Balboa Park.

“Great for the kids, great for the program and it shows what type of guys they are, coming out, helping us out and sharing tips with us.”

Delgado also had the chance to interview superstar pitchers Francisco Rodriguez and Johan Santana for Nueva Prensa de Guayana. Vizquel though, was the interview he cherished as their friendship has grown closer over the last year.

While Delgado plays at City College, it is safe to say journalism has helped Delgado fulfill his dream of remaining involved in the world of baseball.

E-mail: bhill@theguardsman.com

10 |

Sports

The Guardsman

october 21, 2009

LaSpina leads thrashing of Hartnell

By Matthew Gomez staff writer

After two years of seasonending disappointments at the hands of Hartnell College, the City College men's soccer team came into this game taking it personally. Sophomore forward Allen LaSpina made sure it was Hartnell who went home disappointed.

The Rams destroyed league rival Hartnell 4-1 at Crocker Amazon Field on Oct. 16.

“We try to play very simple soccer,” City College coach Adam Lucarelli said. “Soccer’s not a hard game. Sometimes coaches try to complicate it.”

The Rams were ready from the start as they controlled the field with good passing and smart positioning. However, Hartnell did put up some pressure when they scored the first goal.

In the 23rd minute, Hartnell midfielder Andres Zamora scored a penalty kick after Rams defender Thomas Kankewics was called for illegal use of hands.

Two minutes later, the Rams bounced back as forward Allen LaSpina scored off a header from a long cross by defender Oscar Wallace. The Rams never looked back.

“The intensity of the team, it was different than the last game,” Assistant Coach Alejandro Uribe said.

LaSpina scored a second goal

By Aaron Turner staff writer

JOseph Phillips / The Guardsman

Thomas Kankewics wins an areial header over Hartnell midfielder, Andres Zamora during City College’s 4-1 win Oct. 16. The Rams moved their record to 8-2-2 with the victory over the Panthers.

in the 35th minute after nailing a bicycle kick off a throw-in by midfielder Paul Rodriguez and put City College up 2-1 at halftime.

After intermission, the Rams remained confident and aggressive. Three minutes into the second half, Aaron Jones crossed the ball to LaSpina, who scored off a header for a hat trick and a 3-1 Rams lead.

Hartnell never found their edge as the Rams continued to control play throughout the second half.

LaSpina scored his fourth goal of the match in the 64th minute on a rebound after Hartnell goalkeeper Alex Amezcua blocked a shot by Rams forward Gustavo Tavera.

“Coach just told us to take care of our own business and not worry

about the other team,”LaSpina said.

The Rams suffocated Hartnell throughout as they played their most complete soccer game of the season.

City College will return to action Oct. 23 when they take on Monterey Peninsula College at Boxer Stadium, 2 p.m.

E-mail: mgomez@theguardsman.com

Runners gain experience at SF State Invite

By Nick Palm staff writer

The Rams performed well at the San Francisco State Cross Country Invitational on Oct. 9, even though they were the only non-NCAA Division I or II school and the only community college participating.

The race was a preview of the NCAA Division II Western Regionals, which City College won’t be participating in. It gave the Rams a taste of the challenge they might face if they transfer to a four-year school.

“The idea of these meets is to get the team used to the competition they will face when they transfer, and also to not be intimidated when they face other

Rams sweep Jaguars

nick palm / The Guardsman

Sloane Cook (left) tries to squeeze his way past two runners during the San Francisco State Invitational Oct. 9.

community colleges,” head coach Marc Dyer said.

Out of 118 runners in the men’s eight-kilometer race, City College sophomore Mark Frazi-

er came in 27th with a time of 26:26.7. His brother Luke finished only four seconds behind him to capture 30th place.

“Considering the two hard

workouts we had this week, I finished at a personal record, so I feel pretty good,” Mark Frazier said.

“Everybody ran really well today. We’ve done some tough training this week, and the team isn’t that well-rested. Overall, I’m really proud of them,” Dyer said. “As a team, we beat out S.F. State at their own tournament, so that says something.”

After facing mostly NCAA Division I and II schools, the Rams will take their experience from the tournament and use it in the upcoming Coast Conference meet at Crystal Springs on Oct. 28.

E-mail: npalm@theguardsman.com

Following a tough opening conference loss to De Anza College, the Rams hosted San Jose City College on Oct. 16, hoping to get their first conference win of the season.

San Jose, who had only one sophomore on their roster, proved to be overmatched in Friday’s contest.

Rams’ freshman Siao Malepeai led the way with 6 kills, 14 assists and 10 digs. Meghan McGuire added 4 aces and 5 kills of her own as the Rams rolled over the Jaguars in three games 25-16, 25-16 and 25-10, moving their record to 17-12 (1-1).

After the match, Rams head coach Saga Vae had both praise and criticism for his team’s performance.

“Compared to De Anza, the girls played a hundred percent better,” Vae said.

Vae, however, did cite concern for the number of unforced errors by his team as the Rams committed 42 on the night.

“That is something we are going to have to work on in practice. I would have to call this a frustrating win, because of the amount of mistakes I saw them make,” Vae said. “Allowing that many points is basically like giving them almost two whole games.”

“A goal for us right now would be to break the state rankings,” Vae said. He noted the team is currently in the “best of the rest” in the NorCal ranks.

The Rams’ next conference test will be against defending conference champs Foothill College on Oct. 23 in City College’s Health and Wellness Center.

E-mail: aturner@theguardsman.com

Sports

october 21, 2009

The Guardsman

| 11

The Water Cooler

By Bontã Hill

meet the faculty

open house Join USF's School of Business and Professional Studies for an Open House to learn about our bachelor’s degree completion programs and graduate degree programs from faculty, student, and alumni perspectives.

Thurs., October 29, 6pm

USF Main Campus, Fromm Hall Corner of Golden Gate Ave. & Parker Ave. San Francisco, CA 94117 RSVP ONLINE: WWW.USFCA.EDU/BPSRSVP

Bachelor’s Degree Completion Programs Applied Economics, B.S. Information Systems, B.S. Organizational Behavior and Leadership, B.S. Health Services, B.S. Public Administration, B.P.A.

Master’s Degree Programs Full-Time MBA Part-Time MBA Intensive One-Year MBA Intensive Part-Time MBA MBA CAP MBA for Executives

Information Systems, M.S. Nonprofit Administration, M.N.A. Organization Development, M.S. Project Management, M.S. Public Administration, M.P.A.

More Information: www.cps.usfca.edu/events/open_house

For a complete list of USF's graduate programs: www.usfca.edu/graduate

Educating Minds and Hearts to Change The World SAN FRANCISCO CUPERTINO SACRAMENTO SAN RAMON SANTA ROSA

Celebrating Columbus Day has always been a little weird to me. Now, I’m not bothered about getting a day off from school to recharge my batteries, but I’ve always been curious about how America celebrates Columbus when we don’t even know for sure if he discovered America.

Hey, I’ll even celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Detroit Lions going 0-16 if it means me being able to sleep in and get a day off of school. By the way, since I’m on the subject of getting days off, when is the next one?

St. Louis Cardinals In a previous column, I predicted a World Series of Yankees versus Cardinals ... That prediction was right on point. Ha! The Cardinals were mopped up in three games, but everyone knows that series was over in game two.

Poor Matt Holliday, the right fielder, dropped a game-ending line drive in game two against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pretty much dropped his team right out of the playoffs.

Here’s a quote from Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright: “That ball got lost in 50,000 white towels shaking in front of Matt’s face. It doesn’t really seem fair that an opposing team should be able to allow their fans to shake white towels when there’s a white baseball flying through the air. How about Dodger Blue towels?”

Really? That’s a good one.

You’re a major league baseball player for a reason Mr. Holliday, and when a ball comes right to you, it’s your job to catch it. They say in football when a ball hits your hands, it’s your duty to come up with it. Then again, those little white towels are so distracting.

Miscellaneous I know boxing is all but dead in the U.S., but the Super Six Tournament coming up in the super middleweight division could spark new interest. You have six of the top super middleweights in a round robin format, and the winner will be a well-deserved champion.

The first two fights got the tournament off to a thrilling start as Arthur Abraham sent Jermain Taylor to the hospital, and Carl Froch got the controversial decision over Andre Dirrell. The Super Six Tournament could be the move that brings boxing back.

I’m going with Andre Ward from Oakland to win it all...

Imagine a welterweight tournament between Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Andre Berto, and Luis Collazo.

One word — explosive....

Idiots of the week Dré Bly and Donnie Avery.

I’m sure everybody has seen Bly’s interception against the Falcons when he started showboating, didn’t tuck the ball away and fumbled it back to the Falcons.

This is all with the 49ers down 35-10.

Avery, a receiver for the St. Louis Rams, caught a touchdown and started doing the stankey leg (a ridiculous dance move). This guy was dancing like he just won a new set of pots and pans at Wednesday night’s bingo gathering. Go figure, his team was down 31-10 to the Minnesota Vikings when he scored.

Those two things, my compadres, are what makes a player the idiot of the week...

E-mail: bhill@theguardsman.com

12 |

News

The Guardsman

october 21, 2009

Hundreds gather to challenge policies Obama: from front page

sector, but I don’t think it was the answer anyway,” said Dr. Bill Tarran, a San Francisco podiatrist and Single Payer Now member.

“We really have to start all over getting rid of the insurance companies and having a single payer. That’s not socialized medicine. That’s just having a payer that’s going to reimburse physicians and hospitals fairly and without tremendous overhead.”

A single-payer health care system would eliminate insurance companies. Private doctors and hospitals would be paid by the government on a fee-for-service basis, similar to the way Medicare is administrated now. Tarran advocated H.R. 676, a House of Representatives single-payer bill.

Very different ideas could be heard just a few feet from Tarran’s banner, which read, “Doctors Want Single Payer Health Care.”

“Obama’s health care plan would put the insurance companies out of business, which some people think is a good thing,” Fresno resident and tea-partier Jim Westfall said. “I happen to think we need insurance companies, and we have the best health care system in the world. This

is about control. It’s not about improving everybody’s health care. Most of us are happy with our health care.”

San Francisco resident and Vietnam veteran Jean Morris, a member of Veterans for Peace, stood outside the Westin St. Francis to show his concern for the overthrow of Honduran president Manuel Zelaya and the Obama administration’s lack of action to re-instate the democratically elected leader.

“Unbeknownst to, I would say, most Americans, there has been the use of chemical weapons against the people who are supporting the official president Zelaya,” Morris said. “There have been these kinds of terrible acts against the people who are trying to make their voices heard, and this can only continue because our government enables that.

Under United States law, if there’s a military coup in a nation, we are obligated to withdraw all of our support, and the Obama administration has not done that.”

Morris’ criticism of the Obama administration’s foreign policy included the “serious health issues” of Vietnam veterans due to exposure to Agent Orange,

the defoliant used in Vietnam, and a “legacy of our last war.” He said sickness caused by exposure to depleted uranium will be the legacy of the current U.S. war.

Arceo added to Morris’ criticism of the Obama administration’s foreign policy. “If he really wants to honor the fact that he got the Nobel Peace Prize, he should probably pull out all of America’s colonial fingers from all around the world — out of the pies that are Third World countries,” Arceo said.

City College alumna Dajenya Kafele advocated a full pullout of U.S. forces from Afghanistan while Obama is considering a request for more troops from General Stanley McChrystal.

“I’m here today because I’m very concerned that the peace movement appears to have gotten rather complacent and quiet since Obama got in office,” she said.

“He’s spending even more on the military than was being spent before. Where is the peace movement in all this?”

Massive loss of life and billions of dollars spent monthly on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan aren’t worth it, according to Kafele.

Robert Romano / The Guardsman

Protesters gather at Union Saquare on Oct. 15 to speak out about a variety of Obama’s policies.

“Let’s stop wasting money making more enemies through military means and spend this money at home where we need to get our economy back on track,” she said.

Obama left San Francisco on the morning of Oct. 16. Several

news sources including CNN and Fox cited an anonymous DNC source estimating the fund raiser made $3 million for the Democratic Party.

E-mail: aemslie@theguardsman.com

City Hall protestors demand end to cuts

By Hannah Weiner features editor

City College and San Francisco State University students and teachers gathered at City Hall on Oct. 15 to protest education budget cuts. Rally participants stood on the steps holding umbrellas which spelled out “Save Public Education” while other students and organization members handed out pamphlets to encourage public involvement.

“I've been teaching for over 15 years and have seen other cutbacks, but never anything this severe,” said Brigitte Davila, San Francisco State University teacher and chair of the Political Action Committee. “The core mission of the university is threatened.”

Davila has been working toward improving the education budget since last summer. “We've been planning and we decided to launch this campaign to raise awareness,” she said. “The Rally for Public Education coordinated with a number of other groups supporting public education in California.”

There will be a Dia de los Muertos — Day of the Dead — protest in the Mission district and a “Home for the Holidays” campaign to give students information about California's higher education's fund-

joseph Phillips / The Guardsman

Supporters of Assembly Bill 656 come to City Hall to show their support.

ing crisis, according to Davila.

One proposition to fix the problem is AB 656 which would tax oil and gas extraction specifically to fund higher education.

Another proposal is to amend Proposition 13 to only cover property taxes on primary residences.

Right now, Proposition 13 caps residential property tax at one percent of the property value, but it also provides corporate tax loopholes which decrease the amount of money allocated to California

schools. Others are proposing a constitutional convention to repeal the two-thirds requirement to pass a budget.

Organizations who attended the protest included the American Federation of Teachers Local 2121 and the Revolutionary Workers Group.

“Cuts have made a huge impact on me,” said Drew Van, a San Francisco State University student and organizer for RWG. “If it weren't for the chair of my department, I wouldn't have been

able to graduate.”

Van is one of many students impacted by the cuts. Rachel Morgan, who has attended City College off-and-on for a few years, is also trying to raise education awareness.

“I'm involved with the Defend Our Education Coalition and the International Socialist Club,” Morgan said. “Budget cuts have hit students hard. I came here today so I could find other students and tell them about other rallies and events we're having.”

AFT 2121 plans to continue working for quality education in California. Gus Goldstein, president of the union, encouraged individuals to “write letters, make phone calls and show up at the rallies.”

“We are a long way from the Master Plan for Higher Education,” Davila said.

The plan was a concerted effort in the 1960s to offer a quality public education for every Californian.

“The University of California, the California State Universities and the Community College system were developed to create educational opportunities that would ultimately benefit all of California by creating an educated work force,” Davila said.

E-mail: hweiner@theguardsman.com

Features

october 21, 2009

Annika Wood Nick Palm Staff Writer

Annika Wood wrote her first play when she was just four years old. From that moment, she knew writing was going to be a big part of her life. And it was the magic of cinema that first sparked her interest.

“My grandparents had a VCR, so as a kid I watched a lot of movies,” Wood said. “They never banned me from watching anything. Sometimes I would stay up until one in the morning watching movies.”

Wood, a City College student in the cinema department, was recently awarded the inaugural Filmmaker Education Screenwriting Scholarship by the San Francisco Film Society. The scholarship was awarded through the Colleges and Universities Program, new to the SFFS. “We are thrilled to be offering our first Filmmaker Education Scholarship to an inspiring student such as Annika,” said Joanne Parsont, SFFS director of education, in a press release.

“The originality and style of her

screenplay submission clearly demonstrated the vision and skills of a talented young writer with the potential to take full advantage of our screenwriting program. We look forward to witnessing the end results of her hard work.”

Wood was awarded the scholarship after one of her screenplays, “Backwater,” was submitted by her City College screenwriting instructor Denise Bostrom. “‘Backwater’ is a crime story set in the swamps of Louisiana, deep in the bayou country,” Wood said. The story of “Backwater” came from blending two local legends told to her by her grandfather while growing up in Louisiana. “I’m not sure how true they are, but I just never forgot them,” Wood said.

The scholarship, according to the SFFS, will pay for Wood’s tuition fees in one of their advanced-level screenwriting workshops, called From Rough to Polished.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Wood is on track to receive an A.S. degree in cinema at City College next year.

However, this is not her first

The Guardsman

{winner of local screenwriting scholarship}

college experience.

Wood holds a bachelor’s degree in television production from Loyola University.

“They gave me a really great scholarship,” she said. “But they didn’t have a film major. They only had television.”

After graduating from Loyola, Wood worked in television advertising as well as writing and producing in a television news room. The whole time her heart remained in film.

“I thought I could jump right over from one to the next,” Wood said. “But they’re very different, and it’s hard to make the jump. So I decided to go back to school.”

These days, Wood is driven by the hope of someday becoming a professional screenwriter.

“It’s what I do all the time now,” Wood said. “If I’m not in class, I’m writing. I’ve finished two scripts this year.”

When working on a new screenplay, inspiration comes to Wood naturally.

“A couple of my screenplays have been sparked by dreams,” Wood said. “I don’t write them down initially, but if I have a

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dream that I’m still mulling over a month or two later, I’ll write it down. I wrote the screenplay I’m currently working on in my head while I was driving home from Tahoe.”

The writing process itself becomes a piece of fine art when Wood starts writing. “After the first draft, you’ve got the block of clay.

With the second draft, you start to make it into your sculpture.

You hack away at all the unnecesRobert Romano / The Guardsman sary things, and Annika Wood, winner of the Filmmaker Educayou bring out the tion Screenwriting Scholarship. shape,” she said. thinking that way.

The film industry, especially “If you’re willing to put in the in Hollywood, is known for its time, and willing to make sacricutthroat attitude and competi- fices in other areas of your life tive nature that often discour- — it’s no guarantee — but you’re ages young filmmakers and giving yourself the best possible screenwriters from pursuing their odds to succeed. You have to give dreams. “You have to give it 100 it a shot,” Wood explained as a percent and not look back,” Wood mantra that would be good for said. “Because everyone you’re any young artist with a dream to competing against is that way. follow.

Anyone that’s going to shake out E-mail: and rise above the rest has to be npalm@theguardsman.com

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Arts&Entertainment

The Guardsman

October 21, 2009

Movie Review

‘Zombieland’ is one funny zombie action flick

By Marcus Rodriguez staff writer

“Rules to survive Zombieland number 32: Enjoy the little things,” says Columbus, the scrawny, high-school-age protagonist played by Jesse Eisenberg.

This quote from Sony Pictures’ “Zombieland,” directed

by Ruben Fleischer, is probably the best piece of advice I can give when sitting down to watch this sweet and funny zombie action comedy.

This is a movie where lovable losers get a second chance at life, albeit in a post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested world. Think of “A Christmas Carol,” but replace the ghosts of past, present and future with a few thousands pounds of fake blood and intestines being ripped and gnarled from torsos.

Little thing number one I liked: Woody Harrelson, who plays the alcoholic action junkie known as Tallahassee. The characters don’t give their real names, so they’re named after the destinations they’re trying to get to.

Ever since I saw the movie “Kingpin,” I’ve grown to respect and admire Woody Harrelson as an actor. In “Kingpin” or in “White Men Can’t Jump” he mastered the art of the tragic loser who makes you cry one minute, then does the dumbest thing

imaginable the next.

Tallahassee is no different.

He’s a man who has managed to kill hundreds of zombies, save the lives of his friends countless times and at the same time is on a mission to find the last Twinkies on Earth before they expire. There’s something about a lazy, self-absorbed, egotistical, sloppy, dysfunctional dumbass who falls backwards into the role of the appealing action hero.

Maybe it’s because Tallahassee is so warm and likable, even when he’s drunk, playing the banjo, slaying zombies or masters all of the above at the same time.

In addition to Harrelson and Eisenberg, are excellent Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin, who play Wichita and Little Rock, a street-wise pair of sisters trying to make their way to a Disneylandlike amusement park in California where it’s rumored to be zombiefree.

Little thing number two I liked: Zombies. Honestly, it almost doesn’t even matter how good a movie is, if it has zombies, I’ll give it a shot. Although personally, and I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this, I prefer the classic, slow zombies, from movies like “Dawn of the Dead” over the speedy creatures of “Zombieland.”

Classic zombies move like customers at the DMV, slow

Photo courtesy of Sony pictures

Jesse Eisenberg stars as Columbus in Columbia Pictures’ comedy ‘Zombieland,’ which is set in a post-apocolypic zombie-infested world.

and dead inside, the way you’d expect an organism composed of rotting flesh to move. However, if anybody gets cornered with a bunch of them, the zombies turn and feast on the human like a pack of rabid dogs.

New zombies move like they should have NFL contracts. But without the slow-moving bodies inching their way closer and closer, where’s the tension? The

zombies’ faster speed, however, is addressed by Columbus’ first rule to survive Zombieland: “Cardio always be ready to run.”

The movie wisely doesn’t spend much time trying to scientifically explain what caused the zombie outbreak. Columbus simply narrates, “You remember mad cow disease? Well … mad cow … mad person … mad zombie.”

Spoiler alert: One of the best reasons to see this movie is for the surprise cameo appearance of Bill Murray, whose deadpan style of performance finds the most literal of homes in this genre.

Overall, this was an enjoyable movie, and as long as you’re not expecting the next great zombie epic you’ll enjoy the ride.

E-mail: mrodriguez@theguardsman.com

Preview

New sounds to highlight SF Jazz Fest 2009

By Greg Zeman Staff writer

The San Francisco Jazz Festival jumped off on Oct.10 and will keep on going until Nov. 21. This year’s lineup is an eclectic collection of sounds not limited to traditional jazz.

SFJAZZ, the non-profit organization sponsoring the event, has booked performances from some incredible artists at the far ends of the jazz spectrum, including globally renowned sitar icon Ravi Shankar. Shankar is widely known in the West through his association with the Beatles. It was Shankar who taught George Harrison to play the sitar. Shankar also joined forces with John Coltrane in the 1950s, making his presence at a jazz festival quite appropriate.

The music of Shankar is transcendental to the point of being almost psychedelic.

It transports the mind to elevated realms of lucid insight with it's droning, visceral

resonance. His technique and musical philosophy is rooted in prayer and the path of devotion to God, so when Shankar is playing, he is praying. The combination of sincere tranquility and fiery belief in his ecstatic, musical prayer makes his performances unforgettable.

Those seeking to drown their woes and worries with a shot of Chicago blues will find just what their looking for pouring from the wailing harmonica of blues legend James “Superharp” Cotton. The virtuosity of Cotton helped define the electric blues sound, contributing to the songs of legends like Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters.

Appearing onstage with Cotton is Hubert Sumlin, a highly influential musician and one of Rolling Stones “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” Sumlin was a major influence on guitar luminaries like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

The malleable notes of Sumlin’s unpretentious, economical picking weave a

perfect pocket for Cotton's explosive sound.

The searing crunch of Cotton's electrified harmonica burns in your chest like whiskey fire, so if you're into that sort of thing make sure to check out James Cotton.

If you’ve never heard the astoundingly powerful voice of the impossibly talented Dee Dee Bridgewater, you should seriously consider fixing that. Bridgewater is a Tony and Grammy award winner, and with good reason. Her energetic, emotive song styling has a magnetic appeal only compounded by her huge vocal range and gargantuan stage presence. Bridgewater will be performing a musical tribute to Bille Holiday.

Those hungering for something new and innovative in jazz music will be blown away by the experimental musical journeys of Marco Benevento. Using his talent as a keyboardist in conjunction with madscientist ingenuity in the creation of new sounds, Benevento paints poignant, sometimes bizarre aural portraits of alien landscapes.

The musical devices Benevento creates with electronic toys, amplifiers and pedal effects are reminiscent of that telephone Elliot built for E.T. out of a saw blade, an umbrella and a Speak & Spell. That alone is really worth the price of admission, which in the case of Mr. Benevento is $25, making it one of the less expensive performances in the festival.

If you’re really hurting for cash, you can still check out the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars playing a tribute to Duke Ellington and the sound of the Harlem Renaissance. That will set adults back $15, unless they bring a child with them, in which case it only costs $10.

Other notable performers include jazz tap dancer Savion Glover, tabla legend Zakir Hussain, tropicalia vocalist Gal Costa and banjo icon Bella Fleck. A complete list of artists appearing as part of the festival can be found at SFJazz.org.

E-mail: gzeman@theguardsman.com

Calendar

october 21, 2009

Calendar for Oct. 21 - Nov. 3

Wed

21

Women’s Volleyball vs.

Skyline at Skyline College 6:30 p.m.

Campus Events

Thur

Fri

22

23

Biscuits & Blues Alan Iglesias: Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan 401 Mason St. San Francisco, CA 94102 $16 8:00 - 11:30 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball vs.

Foothill at Wellness Center 6:30 p.m.

Sat

sun

24

United Nations Day

Rams vs. Diablo Valley at Ram’s Women’s Soccer Stadium vs. Skyline at 1:00 p.m.

Skyline 2:00 p.m.

25

The Suzanne Farrell Ballet UC Berkeley Zellerbach Hall Bancroft Way Berkeley, CA 94704 $34 - $60 3:00 p.m.

28

Women’s Volleyball vs.

Ohlone at Wellness Center 6:30 p.m.

Cross Country at Crystal Springs

thur Creativity Explored “Science” Fiction 3245 16th Street San Francisco, CA 94103 Free for all ages 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

sat

30 Women’s Soccer vs. Canada at Boxer Stadium 12:30 p.m.

Men’s Soccer vs. Las Positas at Boxer Stadium 2:00 p.m.

Mon

26

40% off King Tut Exhibition at de Young Museum 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive San Francisco, CA $20

tues

sun

31

1

Daylight Savings begins

Halloween  Free Cab Rides Home on Halloween Night all over San Francisco 10:00 p.m.

 Turn clocks back one hour.

Rams vs. San Mateo at College of San Mateo 1:00 p.m.

Goodwill

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Mon

2

David Sedaris appears at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts 255 S. Almaden Blvd.

San Jose, CA 95113 7:30 p.m.

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Classifieds

27

Women’s Soccer at DeAnza 4:00 p.m.

Men’s Soccer at Mission 4:00 p.m.

Day Jack London Square Broadway and Water Streets Oakland, CA 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

fri

29

Community Events

Free Outdoor Ice Skating

Men’s Soccer vs. Monterrey at Boxer Stadium 2:00 p.m.

Wed

The Guardsman

tues

3

Annie’s Social Club Comedy Open Mic 917 Folsom St. San Francisco, CA 94107 21+ 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Got a classified ad? You could see that ad here. Contact our Advertising Manger for more information about rates and publication deadlines at (415) 239-3446.

Classified Ads 50 cents per word. $5 minimum for commercial advertisers. City College students, staff and faculty qualify for one free classified per semester. Multiple ads not accepted. Must show current student ID. Commercial ads not accepted from students. Acceptance of ads at the discretion of The Guardsman.

Article Submissions To submit tips on stories contact: Editor in Chief (415) 239-3446 Fax: (415) 239-3884 editor@theguardsman.com

16 |

Arts&Entertainment

The Guardsman

October 21, 2009

Theater Review

By Dominick Delgadillo staff writer

“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” Well, that's a lie, but it is the title of the most recent play performed and produced by City College students. I watched the final performance of the production on Oct. 11.

The lights were dimmed as an actor felt his way from behind the curtain to the split, and triumphantly revealed himself to the audience, ready to deliver his prologue. The opening song, “Comedy Tonight,” explained the intentions of the play and the characters' relationships. Did I mention it was a musical?

The story has all the ingredients for a great comedy. It involves quite a few kooky characters, each with his or her own agenda, all of whom collide with bouts of selfish intent, mistaken identity and unlucky timing.

In Rome, about 2000 B.C., Pseudolus, the slave of Hero and his parents Senex and Domina, dreams of being free. Hero

becomes enamored with a beautiful blond girl he sees on the balcony next door. Pseudolus warns him that the balcony belongs to the house of Marcus Lycus, a merchant in the trade of attractive women.

Despite Pseudolus’ warnings, Hero falls in love. While Hero’s parents are away, Pseudolus strikes a deal — if he can get the girl for Hero, he will be set free.

It takes all of Pseudolus’ cunning to overcome the greed of Lycus in order to get the contract to the blond virgin Philia. He also overcomes the jarring antics of the other, far more rule-abiding slave of Hero’s house, Hysterium.

While I had issues with some of the musicians and the occasional inaudible line, I had to remember this was a community college play. All things considered, the doors didn’t stick and there was no white space between lines. The dance choreography was simple and added to the performance of the songs. The sets were impeccably painted, the parts well-cast and the makeup was especially well-suited for the

Ramsey El-Qare / The Guardsman

(R-L) Dennis Chase as Senex, Christopher Blaise as Pseudolus, and Spencer Peterson as Hysterium act out a scene in the City College production “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” on Oct 10.

part of Marcus Lycus.

While the script was not an original work from anyone involved with City College, the players were still responsible for bringing the characters to life and the audience to laughs. With only five weeks for production, they certainly hit their mark.

The Oct. 11 performance was the last of this run, but I would assuredly recommend attending future productions. “The Time of Your Life,” directed by Susan Jackson will be performed Fridays and Saturdays from Oct. 23 to Oct. 31 at 8:00 p.m. in the Diego Rivera Theatre on Ocean

campus. Additional performances are scheduled for Oct. 25 and Nov.1 at 2:00 p.m.

Knowing this director, I'm sure this new play will also be a romp.

E-mail: ddelgadillo@theguardsman.com