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Volume 153, Issue 6 / TheGuardsman.com April 18- May 1, 2012 C I T Y C O L L E G E O F S A N F R A N C I S C O ’ S N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 3 5
Lessons from Trayvon: Jim Crow in the liberal Bay Area By Alexander Schmaus
THE GUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / ASCHMAUS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
Forty City College students participated April 11 in the “Hoodies and Hijabs” National Day of Action for Justice for Trayvon Martin and Shaima Alawadi. These two young people on opposite sides of the country were killed in senseless acts of violence nearly one month apart from each other. The students gathered outside City Cafe on Ocean campus to take a group photo while wearing hood-
ies and hijabs. “We want justice,” Ashraf Farah Suliman of the Muslim Student Association said. “We need to get together to show that we are united, we have to take action to show that we want change.” The two killings have brought the issue of racism and violence in the United States to the forefront of national debate. Alawadi, a 32-year-old Iraqi
immigrant who wore a hijab, was beaten unconscious in her living room on March 21 in El Cajon, Calif. She was found by her 17-yearold daughter, Fatima, who said there was a letter near her mother’s head that accused her of being a terrorist. Alawadi died from her wounds on three days later. Her killer remains unknown. Martin, a 17-year-old Miami high school student, was fatally shot INJUSTICE Page 5
INSIDE
Chancellor announces grave illness, early retirement Pg. 2 Tutoring center forced to suspend Saturday services
Pg. 3
High school seniors tour CCSF at FRISCO day
Pg. 7 Student loans out of control: here’s why
Pg. 12
kickin’ it at the
OLD SKOOL CAFE
Hope comes to youth in the poverty-stricken Bayview District with style, flair, and of course– delicious eats. Clockwise from top: Founder of Cora Jean’s Old Skool Cafe Teresa Goines at the Bayview youth-run supper club. Servers and bussers hear about a menu item before the restaurant opens on Apr. 13. Jerry Liu and Bethany Wang perform classical music during dinner. • BETH LABERGE / THE GUARDSMAN
By Lulu Orozco
THE GUARDSMAN / @LOALALANE / GOROZCO@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
Among the many routes offered by MUNI, the inbound T-Third metro line, which runs through the Bayview district, seems to be the least favorite. Despite the negative stereotypes of the Bayview that keep people away, it actually holds a restaurant filled with hope and promise. Cora Jean’s Old Skool Cafe, a nonprofit youth-run supper club, takes you back to a place where the dim candle lights, piano tunes and oversized booths could have been taken right out of the 1940s. It’s a cafe with a mission.
One of many programs in San Francisco for at risk youth, the Old Skool Cafe aims at mentoring and providing career opportunities to at-risk youth who may otherwise have never gotten an opportunity to explore their full potential. Founder Teresa Goines expressed her love, hope and dedication for the at-risk youth who are not often seen as capable, “Our responsibility for a young person is to get wind underneath their wings and help them soar,” she said.
Starting between the ages of 18 through 23, you’re no longer considered youth. Those are the years where many fall through the cracks, yet nobody seems to see them as youth, Goines added. Inspired by her early experience as a mentor at a youth gang prevention program in Santa Barbara, Goines’ vision of a youth-run supper club began in her house, running for nearly 5 years before finally landing a place in the Bayview district. “My first initial experience work-
ing with the gang prevention program broke my heart,” she said. At the age of 18 many young people are locked out of any support system because they are suddenly considered adults. She saw a large number of youth who needed that extra step towards motivation and transition, where a support system was necessary in a family-oriented community. If nobody shows you how to open a bank account, how to get a passport or how OLD SKOOL Page 9
2 | April 18-May 1, 2012 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com
NEWS
VIDEO - EMERGENCY DRILL TAKES CAMPUS BY SURPRISE: Watch as a student reacts — it disrupted his game of catch
youtube.com/TheGuardsmanOnline
Chancellor Don Q. Griffin announces illness, retirement By Thomas Figg-Hoblyn
THE GUARDSMAN / @JOURNALISTFIGG / TFIGGHOBLYN@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
Chancellor Don Q. Griffin speaks with English Department Chair Jessica Brown at a City College board meeting at 33 Gough St. on Apr. 12. • VALERIE SANTIBAÑEZ / THE GUARDSMAN
If you would like to share one of your favorite memories of Chancellor Griffin please send it to tfigghoblyn@theguardsman.com or @journalistFigg along with your full name and contact information. We hope to publish them next issue.
During a special Board of Trustees budget committee meeting held on Wednesday, April 4, City College Chancellor Don Q. Griffin announced to the public that he has a brain tumor and will retire from the college earlier than planned. Griffin had intended to retire in July at the end of the fiscal year and the agenda for last week’s budget meeting included discussion of an Advisory Search Committee to find a suitable replacement for him. However, because of these new circumstances, including the chancellor’s imminent need for medical intervention, an interim chancellor will need to be picked as soon as possible. He or she would serve until a suitable and permanent chancellor can be chosen. The news caught many by surprise and quickly circulated around the City College community. Griffin will undergo surgery within the next few weeks. English department instructor Carol Fregly, a long-time acquaintance of Griffin, was beside herself when she
heard the news. “Oh… my… God,” she said, “I hope he is going to be all right.” Similar reactions of shock, followed by sentiments of goodwill and hope made their way across the campus, and through the rooms, offices and corridors of City College. Griffin sent out a public statement by email to the college community on Tuesday morning, April 10. Dr. Griffin served as chair of the department of behavioral sciences from 1969 to 1996, and later served as both Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and of Student Development. When previous Chancellor Philip R. Day left City College for a new position in Washington D.C., Griffin came out of retirement in March of 2008 to act as interim chancellor. After competing in a nationwide search for a new chancellor, Griffin was appointed permanent chancellor of City College on December 18, 2008. The Guardsman staff wishes Chancellor Griffin a resolute and speedy recovery. G
Cuts force tutoring center to shutter Saturday services Evacuation drill draws slow response, some never leave building
By James Fanucchi
THE GUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / NEWS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
Faculty, students, and staff evacuated buildings on Ocean campus with mixed reactions on Thursday, April 12 when emergency alarms blared at 10:11 a.m. for City College’s yearly state-mandated evacuation exercise. “The drill took about 3 minutes total in terms of having the evacuation alarm turned off,” said André Barnes, chief of police for San Francisco Community College District. “We were able to get everyone out of the buildings in about 2-3 minutes which is crucial in the event of an emergency,” he explained. Although the evacuation was swift, Ocean campus evacuees failed to reach the proper safety zones during Thursday morning’s simulated emergency. Approximately 300 individuals who vacated Science Hall gathered on the steps outside the main entrance, when in fact the designated area of assembly, or “DAA”, was on the west-facing lawn between Science Circle and Phelan Avenue. Faculty, students and staff appeared to be unaware of the locations of the 21 DAAs on Ocean campus, each of which serves to place evacuees in a safe zone away from buildings. “If you just get out of a building, and are still close to it,
and then the building explodes or collapses, you can still be in danger, so we want to work on that,” said Chief Barnes. Radiology student Sandy Wu, 24, was in her physics lab class when the alarm abruptly sounded, allowing Wu and her classmates little time to gather their belongings. Outside of the Science Hall they waited for the alarm to end, still clutching onto the assignments they had been working on only three minutes prior. Mario Gutierrez arrived to his intermediate HTML class early and had the opportunity to observe those evacuating Cloud Hall. “Some people never left the building,” he said, but adding that those who evacuated did so in an orderly fashion. Biology Lab Manager Nicola Burrows said she was not satisfied with the organization of the evacuation. “It didn’t go smoothly at all,” she said. “We had had to tell people to get out of the building.” She added that she did not see any police officers in the area. “We were pleased, but there is always an opportunity to do better,” said Chief Barnes. “All in all we want to make sure our campus is safe.” G
Learning Assistance Center tutor, Kevin Brown [left] helps student Ronnie Robinson on Apr. 6 in the LAC, which is currently under attack from budget cuts. • DONOVAN YI / THE GUARDSMAN
By Einar Sevilla
THE GUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / NEWS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
Despite having to make cuts to their budget along with the rest of City College, the Learning Assistance Center staff and tutors are hoping to maintain their academic support program as a place where students can still get help. The LAC offers peer/staff tutoring in: business, technology, science, composition, foreign languages, social science, math and engineering, as well as computer lab services and college success courses. It serves roughly 4,000 students a semester, or approximately 45,000 hours of service, said Nadine Rosenthal, chair of the Learning Assistance department. “[The LAC] is a place that helps you improve your grades,” said second-year-student Isabel Zamarron who spends around five hours a day in the tutoring center. “You get so much help from tutors because they are people in the same position,” she added, “it’s students helping students.” Ronnie Robison, a student at City College since 2006, says,
“The LAC has helped me achieve not only my [academic] goals, but gain knowledge as well. If the LAC closed, I wouldn’t have any place to go. I wouldn’t have anybody to work with me.” The LAC has been able to maintain most tutoring and computer lab services despite the cuts made to faculty and staff, Rosenthal said. “Though we have less faculty, staff and tutors, we’re still going strong,” The LAC is now closed on Saturdays, but Math 860: Intermediate Algebra and calculus tutoring will still be offered in Bungalow 602 on Saturdays, while the writing lab is also open that day on the fifth floor of the Rosenberg Library. When Saturday tutoring was cut, the Math 860, calculus and composition branches chose to keep themselves open because those branches were heavily utilized and staff wanted to be able to serve students even though the LAC would be closed. Cuts were also made by eliminating those teachers gaining extra money for tutoring,
as well as by cutting part-time instructors, and full-time faculty on overload, and those teaching college success courses. The math, composition and chemistry tutoring are the most heavily used areas of the LAC, Rosenthal said, so students may have to wait longer to see a tutor but see one nonetheless. There is a freeze on hiring of classified staff, such as the secretary the LAC lost last semester, and there are fewer tutors throughout the academic support programs, Rosenthal said. “The cuts we’ve sustained are pretty much average,” she said, adding that she feels the LAC has made its fair share of cuts. Rosenthal says that the City College administration is has been sustaining academic support programs by keeping them alive rather than eliminating them completely. She feels it is important that, “students know people have a place to come get help.” The LAC summer session budget has yet to be approved but Rosenthal said that she is hopeful that normal summer hours will be in place. G
The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | April 18-May 1, 2012 | 3
News
Dr. Mark Robinson elected to council on black affairs
Editor-in-Chief Joe Fitzgerald
News Editor Sara Bloomberg Culture Editor Lulu Orozco
Opinion Editor Kevin Brown
Multimedia Editor Clarivel Fong Photo Editor Beth LaBerge
Copy Chief Susan Boeckmann Calendar Editor Catherine Lee
Social Media Editor Peter Hernandez Advertising Editor Peter Ho
Online Editor Augustine Wittkower
Staff Writers Peter Hernandez Catherine Lee Becca Hoekstra Lance Kramer Thomas Figg-Hoblyn Lucas Pontes de Almeida Oz Litvac Alex Schmaus David Pan Anthony J. Fusaro Tyler Brown Staff Photographers Clarivel Fong Valerie Santibanez Shane Menez Vincent Palmier Broadus Parker Donovan Yi Illustrator Jessica Kwan
Multimedia Sergio Barreno Augustine Wittkower Copy Kevin Brown
Faculty Advisor Juan Gonzales
Mail: 50 Phelan Ave Box V-67 San Francisco, CA 94112 Phone: (415) 239-3446 Email: email@theguardsman.com
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California Newspaper Publisher’s Association Journalism Association of Community Colleges
From left: Dr. Mark Robinson, interim president of the Northern California Council on Black American Affairs • COURTESY OF CCSF WEBSITE. Coordinator of the Council on Black American Affairs Torrance Bynum and Secretary of the council Michele Jaques at the City College Southeast Campus on Apr. 12. • BETH LABERGE / THE GUARDSMAN
By Emma Winkles
CONTRIBUTING WRITER / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / NEWS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
A counselor at the Southeast campus, Dr. Mark Robinson, was recently elected interim president of the newly-formed Northern California Council on Black American Affairs, a regional support network for African American community college students, faculty and administrators. The board of the Western Regional Council on Black American Affairs recently approved the Northern California chapter, according to its Spring 2012 newsletter. The council is affiliated with both the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Council on Black American Affairs. An official vote to elect seven permanent chapter officers will occur in early fall 2012, Robinson said. Membership in the northern California chapter is growing. “We just want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to play a part,” Robinson said. “Our goal is to have 100 members in the next few months.” “The council is reaching out to all northern California community colleges,” said Michele Jaques, a City College counselor
and the chapter’s interim secretary. Encouraging students to achieve higher education at community colleges is at the core of the council’s mission, Robinson said. But supporting community college employees is also a priority. “The organization is not only for students,” Jacques said, but also provides “professional development opportunities for administration, faculty and staff.” The council is planning to host a mini-conference, The Black Think Tank, at City College on September 22. The goal of the conference, Robinson said, is “to diagnose issues, provide solutions, and advocate for the state of black Americans and higher education — specifically in the community college sector.” According to Torrence Bynum, coordinator of the Southeast campus, student enrollment at that campus, as well as the number of classes offered, has increased this semester despite the $17 million budget deficit that has caused severe cuts at City College’s other campuses.
Even though classes at Southeast have survived the recent cuts, morale at the campus has still been affected. “There’s fear of the unknown,” Jacques said about growing concerns from faculty and staff. “There’s a lot of anger and frustration around the water cooler.” The council’s western regional president, William H. Crawford, broached those concerns in the council’s Spring 2011 newsletter. “We are accustomed to doing more with less,” Crawford said. “In fact, it is an important part of our history and is rooted in our culture.” Bynum said that belonging to the council provides a sense of community, and that their goal is to share ordeals and knowledge. “We need to unite,” Bynum said. “That’s what I want to see.” City College is one of the largest community colleges in the nation, with nearly 100,000 students. The Southeast campus predominantly serves students that live in the Bayview-Hunter’s Point community, an historically underserved, poor and largely
black community. The Southeast Community Facility which houses the Southeast campus was created specifically to address the needs of the Bayview-Hunter’s Point residents and was part of a mitigation agreement with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission connected with the construction of the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant in 1952. The PUC, which owns and operates the facility, presented a proposal at their March 27 joint meeting with the Southeast Community Facility Commission for the reconstruction of the fivestory building. The new design would accommodate the campus with more classrooms, develop an area for registration and enrollment, services which currently are located only at other campuses, and install a computer lab to be shared with the other community organizations that lease space in the building. Although having their own separate facility for classes and student services would be ideal, Robinson said, “at least [the commission is] not closing the place.” G
Kids say “bye-bye” to City College child care around San Francisco By Peter Hernandez
THE GUARDSMAN / @MILESOF / PHERNANDEZ@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
City College’s Child Development and Family Studies Center faces budget cuts that have focused on a $500,000 shortfall in department expenses. Last year the Board of Trustees meetings became a battleground over funding between department Chair Kathleen White and members of the board, leading this year to the planned closure of one of City College’s six child care centers in June, and the termination of parenting classes at a Sunset district church this coming August. The Board of Trustees have cut the programs from the college’s budget as a cost-saving measure, claiming that the college can no longer afford to pay rent
on both properties. However, White said the department’s expenses are covered by annual programgenerated revenue in the form of grants and state reimbursements and that as a whole the department generates $5 million in revenue through its 41 grants and FTES reimbursements for the nearly 6,000 students enrolled in its classes. “The last few years have been so painful,” White said. “We have to justify our presence.” The closure of Grace Child Development Center near the Southeast campus, with a staff of nine serving 40 children from low-income families in the Bayview district, has been
Children play at the Orfalea Family Center on the Ocean Campus on Apr. 13. • ROCIO ALARCON / THE GUARDSMAN
in discussion for the past two years. The closure also ends a student mentor program tied to a preschool classroom at the development center. The college plans to reassign the Grace staff to other City College child development sites. Last June a resolution approving $12,000 in annual rent for the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, used for parenting classes on weekends and the only college facility in the western part of the city, barely passed. There has
been no money allocated for the church rental in the 2012-2013 budget. Other child development sites will see a shortening of hours. White says that will complicate the schedules of working students and those who study at different campuses. “I think it’s very sad when we are arguing about children,” said White. “Even if we are throwing money out the window, we are still serving children and students.” G
4 | April 18-May 1, 2012 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com
News
Music dept. chair shows strength through the worst of times By Kevin Macias
THE GUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / NEWS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
In the face of a $149 million of courses in world music. Budget sors have less fiscal responsibilstatewide budget cut handed cuts have reduced available cours- ity, however they have children to down on community colleges in es from 100 to 85 this semester, take care of and they have parents February, City College of San and a further 6% is expected to be who are sick.” Francisco music department chair cut in future semesters according To compensate for the loss Madeline Mueller is working to Mueller. of classes, Mueller, as well as hard to defend her already slim other faculty, have begun to resources and maintain her over-enroll their classes by “We get tired, but we get more adding more student than diverse department. The City College music resolve. We will survive.” they expected. - Madeline Meuller department is one of the most The 2.75% decrease eclectic and diverse in the in the budget is the worst country according to their that Professor Mueller has Mueller said that although ever seen in her 47 years on staff mission statement. Mueller credits this to the types of classes it these cuts have not entirely devas- at City College, 35 of which she tated her department, they are the has spent as the music department offers and its stellar faculty. “We have specialists, world- worst she has seen in her tenure, chair. However, despite the harsh famous specialists,” said Mueller. and they are affecting professors’ future that may lies ahead she “We have Grammy nominees that abilities to make living wages. is not allowing this to affect her “In my department there is determination and motivation to specialize in their areas.” The department specialists lots of belt tightening. I have serve her school and her students. provide a diverse portfolio of not heard of anyone losing their “We get tired, but we get more classes ranging from the classic mortgages.” said Mueller. “It’s resolve. We will survive.” G canon to an expansive selection assumed that our older profes-
From top: Madeline Muller instructs beginning piano student Ping Kui Kweng on Apr. 11 at the Ocean Campus. As music department chair Muller is trying to defend her department against budget cuts. • SHANE MENEZ / THE GUARDSMAN
Muller teaches a beginning piano class at the Ocean Campus on Apr. 11. • SHANE MENEZ / THE GUARDSMAN
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The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | April 18-May 1, 2012 | 5
News
CCSF wins “plaques on plaques” at annual journalism conference for student reporters
Left to right: The Guardsman Etc. staff after the awards ceremony at the JACC conference on Mar. 24 in Burbank, Calif. The Guardsman reporter Sara Bloomberg interviews at the Rancho California Arabian Horse Show • BETH LABERGE and SERGIO BARENNO / THE GUARDSMAN
By Einar Sevilla
THE GUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / NEWS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
City College’s Journalism department snagged 22 awards in March at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges’ 57th annual state conference in Burbank. The JACC is an educational nonprofit run by students and faculty from across the state and organizes four conferences every year. The state convention took place from March 22-25 at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel and Convention Center and brought together over 550 students from 44 California community colleges and one from Rhode Island. More than a dozen student representatives attended the conference from City College, along with two faculty members — Tom Graham
and Juan Gonzales, faculty advisors for the student run publications Etc. Magazine and The Guardsman, respectively. Awards were submitted under three categories — mail-in: pieces published during the previous two semesters, bring-in: original pieces not previously published, and on-thespot: work produced at competitions during the convention. Etc. Magazine staff took home several mail-in awards, including first place for Magazine Photo by Alex Chousa and first place for Magazine Opinion Article by Isaiah Kramer. Owen, former editor-in-chief of Etc. Magazine, said the number of awards won speaks to the both the level of student talent and the quality
of the journalism department. “I think the department is really great for providing students a foundation in the discipline,” Owen said. “The instructors are very engaging and very dedicated, and that really rubs off on the students and inspires them.” Clarivel Fong, Guardsman multimedia editor, won first place in the bring-in photo competition for her photograph of students protesting education budget cuts at the March in March rally in Sacramento. “It’s gratifying to know that we’re among the elite best in the state when it comes to producing a campus newspaper,” journalism department chair Juan Gonzales said. Other Guardsman staff won
SFPD calm Ingleside community after sixth homicide in two weeks
Left to Right: Interpreters translate the presentation by the SFPD and DA’s office for nonEnglish speakers in the community who attended the town hall meeting on April 10, 2012. SARA BLOOMBERG / THE GUARDSMAN; City College Police Chief Andre Barnes speaks at a press conference with (from left to right) Commander Michael Biel, Chief Greg Suhr, DA Sharon Woo, Commander of the Golden Gate Division Mikail Ali, and Captain David Mahoney on Apr. 10, 2012 at the City College Ocean Campus. • BETH LABERGE / THE GUARDSMAN
By Sara Bloomberg and Emma Winkles
THE GUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / NEWS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
The San Francisco Police Department held a town hall meeting Tuesday evening at the Wellness Center to address the concerns of the Ingleside community after another homicide occurred in the neighborhood, just over a week after five people were killed in a home across from Ocean campus. A panel of seven representatives from the police department and the district attorney’s office were present to answer questions from an audience of around two dozen community members. After introducing the panel, Police Chief Greg Suhr asked everyone in the room to observe a moment of silence for the victims. Suhr said that both incidents were isolated and that the Ingleside remains a safe neighborhood. “I can assure you that what
happened on Howth Street had nothing to do with Louisburgh,” Suhr said. He was referring to a street where a homicide occurred on April 1, just a few blocks away from the home at 16 Howth St., where five people were killed on March 23. One of the five victims was “Chantel” Chia Huei Chu, 30, a City College student since 2007, and a full-time student for the Spring 2012 semester. You can read more about Ms. Chu in the April 4 issue of The Guardsman. According to Chief Suhr, the victims were killed by blunt force and edge trauma, meaning they were bludgeoned and cut. One suspect, Thai Binh Luc, 32, has been arrested in connection with the quintuple homicide so far. According to news reports,
he has pleaded not guilty to all counts. Captain Daniel Mahoney said the police department regularly patrols the Ingleside district. May Wa, an Excelsior resident, said that she feels safe. “Patrols are adequate,” Wa said. But, she added, “they can’t be everywhere at every moment.” Another woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was concerned about changes in the neighborhood over the past ten years. “People who troll the streets are not from the neighborhood,” she said. City College Police Chief Andre Barnes said that campus police regularly communicate with the SFPD about safety issues. G
INJUSTICE from front
honorable mentions for on-thespot competitions, including Susan Boeckmann for copy editing and Catherine Lee for critical review. “The awards are great recognition of what we do,” Guardsman Editorin-Chief Joe Fitzgerald said, “but the news is what’s important.” Students also attended workshops focused on topics that ranged from how to optimize internships, journalism ethics and how to become a better photographer. “I think there’s always a possibility to get better,” Guardsman Culture Editor Lulu Orozco said. “I felt like there was a lot to learn and the workshops were awesome,” Guardsman Reporter Oz Litvac said. It was “a great learning experience.”
in the chest Feb. 26 by George Zimmerman in a gated community in Sanford, Fla., where Martin was visiting his father. The 911 calls made by Zimmerman, and released by police, document how he stalked Martin, who was wearing a hoodie at the time. “This guy looks like he’s up to no good, or he’s on drugs or something,” Zimmerman, who is white and latino, said to the operator and then ignored the operator’s instruction not to follow Martin, who is black. Police investigators initially decided not to arrest Zimmerman. In San Francisco, protests began on March 21 when around 400 people from the Bay Area attended a rally at Justin Herman Plaza. Dion Smith of Stockton was a speaker at the rally. Her 16-year-old son, James Rivera Jr., was killed July 22, 2010, when San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Deputy John Nesbitt and Stockton Police Officers Eric Azarvand and Gregory Dunn allegedly fired 30 or more bullets into his minivan. “I know how it feels to never see your son graduate from school (...) We told them two years ago there would be more murder. Now we have Trayvon Martin’s murder,” Smith said. Then on March 26 around 75 people participated in a second demonstration outside the San Francisco county jail. It was only after over a month of nation-wide public outrage and protests that State Attorney Angela Corey announced that
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Zimmerman had been arrested and charged with second degree murder. After hearing that Zimmerman was finally arrested, Ocean Campus Associated Students Vice President Shanell Williams said, “People power is powerful. We can rely on our own self-activity, our voices united in outrage made this arrest happen.” Jack Bryson, however, was not ready to say if the belated arrest of Zimmerman was a step toward justice. “I do have hope, but it is going to have to be the whole system of Jim Crow and Willie Lynch that changes,” said Bryson. Bryson’s sons were friends of Oscar Grant III and witnessed his killing on the Fruitvale BART station platform early on New Years day in 2009 when BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle fatally shot him in the back. The shooting was recorded by multiple witnesses on cell phone video, and the footage was seen around the world. In July 2011, after more than two years of turbulent protests in Oakland, a jury convicted Mehserle of involuntary manslaughter--the minimum charge. But Mehserle served a total of just 365 days behind bars. “How long have we been dealing with this? All the way back to Emmett Till” said Bryson. Fourteen-year-old Emmett Till was murdered in 1955 for the “crime” of allegedly whistling at a white woman while leaving a local store in Money, Miss. G
6 | April 18-May 1, 2012 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com
Bay Area kids call it
FRISCO
News
SFUSD high school seniors check out what City College has to offer at the second annual “FRISCO Day”
Counter clockwise from top: An aerial view from the MUB building onto the booths and attendees at FRISCO Day. • BROADUS PARKER/THE GUARDSMAN. High school students learn about college workshops at FRISCO Day. • Mayor Ed Lee welcomes students to to a day of fun and learning about college. • Two students embrace at FRISCO Day, a day to revitalize student interest in college set up by school administrators, on Apr. 13. • DONOVAN YI / THE GUARDSMAN
By Ivan Huang
CONTRIBUTING WRITTER / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / NEWS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
The second annual FRISCO Day event, held on April 13 at the Multi-use building on Ocean campus, was designed to help high school seniors from San Francisco Unified School District’s 2012 graduating class acquire tools for college success. According to a 2011 study, The High School Report XII: The Placement, Performance and Persistence of New Students from SFUSD High Schools, conducted by the college’s Research and Planning office, around 35 percent of San Francisco’s 2009 graduating class went on to enroll at City College. However, results of placement tests given to these new students show a gap between the
basic skills proficiency of SFUSD graduates and what is required for a successful transition to college. Of those tested, only 8 percent demonstrated collegelevel English skills, while 30 percent placed into college-level math. Of the same group of graduates, 77 percent were evaluated to have only basic English skills and 25 percent had only basic math skills. FRISCO Day which stands for FRIday = Successful College Opportunities, is intended to help SFUSD graduates find tools to overcome these handicaps. Students attended various workshops to help demystify the City College experience. Held in the Multi-use building, some
workshops taught students how to register for classes, how to transfer to a 4-year college, or informed students on the programs offered at City College. Designed to add a bit of fun, while at the same time educating incoming freshmen, booths and exhibits were posted along the east parking lot of the Multi-use building. These booths represented many of the clubs and programs offered at City College. “We’re just here trying to promote the many clubs we have to offer here at CCSF,” said Vincent, a member of the Poetry for the People club. “These clubs give students an opportunity to enjoy participating in a hobby or express themselves outside of
taking classes here at school.” At the beginning of the event, students were each handed bags that included a student handbook and planner, a pencil, a folder including a survey and a “passport” for students. The passports were part of a raffle drawing that could potentially win students a free laptop computer. In order for the students to participate in the raffle, they were supposed to attend workshops and visit booths, each time acquiring a stamp as proof that they attended at least 3 workshops and 6 resource booths. “The purpose of this event is to really assist students from high school to college, so that they
could reach their educational goal,” said John Ho, a counselor from the Asian Pacific American Student Success program and a presenter at the “how to register for classes” workshop. Although many of the high school students chose to leave the event early after their schools had dropped them off on campus, the students who did stay gained a lot of important information. And more importantly, as one of the workshops explained, they would also receive a guarantee of priority registration which would help them more easily get into their preferred classes during their first semester at City College. G
From left: Women preform in traditional Mexican Folklorico fashion for Frisco Day attendees • BROADUS PARKER/THE GUARDSMAN • Hundreds of high school students gathered Apr. 13 in front of the MUB building to learn about colleges and attend workshops, at the Ocean Campus. • DONOVAN YI / THE GUARDSMAN.
The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | April 18- May 1, 2012| 7
CULTURE
Eclectic sounds prove promising for posole
City College student Daniel Martinez pierces the air with his trumpet during Posole’s set on Feb. 17 at the Ramsell House in San Francisco. • VALERIE SANTIBAÑEZ / THE GUARDSMAN
Check them out online: Twitter • @PosoleSF posole.bandcamp.com/
Daniel Martinez during practice at San Francisco Studios in the Tenderloin on Apr. 12. • VALERIE SANTIBAÑEZ / THE GUARDSMAN
Upcoming shows: May 5th • Sub-mission June 2nd • Cafe Du Nord
Posole poses after practice at San Francisco Studios in the Tenderloin on Apr. 12. • VALERIE SANTIBAÑEZ / THE GUARDSMAN
By Peter Hernandez THE GUARDSMAN /@MILESOF / PHERNANDEZ@THEGUARSMAN..COM City College student Daniel Martinez compares the sound of his band’s new music to a Mexican army charging down a hill, with its triumphant trumpet solos, indignantly crooning vocals and powerful percussion. He can attribute its escalating bass scales and dramatically mood-setting drumming as one of the first recorded accomplishments of a band that still seems to be in sonic limbo. The four-piece band, Posole, evokes elements of The Strokes, The Walkmen’s Americanainfused and confessional rock music and even the easygoing quality of Sublime. Guitarist Mike Johnson joined Martinez, bassist Blaine Tabor, and drummer Blake Ritterman after they recorded a demo with former bandmate Jeff Umatsu as Smash Atoms. Posole’s song development highlights the possibilities of
Student Spotlight My name is April Martin Chartrand and I am a Psychology Major. “The Cigar Box” series invites you into a world of global slave trade perspectives. These multi-dimensional assemblage cigar boxes incorporate found objects such as keys, coins, paper money and hand painted papers.
a band that transforms Martinez’s self-recorded bedroom pop compositions into powerful rock songs. “Postcard,” for example, was recorded after Martinez began experimenting with audio recording software Ableton. Synthesizerheavy and atmospheric, the band then transformed the track into an undecidedly chaotic rock jam. Every member of Posole has a great deal of input in their songwriting and represents the wealth of possibilities at hand for the band. If they allow each instrument enough space - as they do in their song “Lion’s Den,” their tentative album will sound especially cohesive and striking. This possibility is particularly apparent when Ritterman’s percussion precedes Johnson’s guitar solos, as heard in many songs they compose. There is a breakdown that silences the bass guitar and
Martinez’s vocals, paving way for attention to focus on each musician’s contribution to the arrangement. But the other songs heard during rehearsal, like “Milk Weed,” have an easygoing introduction that slowly turns to Martinez attempting to overpower his and Patterman’s loud guitars with his vocals, singing, “I don’t care.” Owing to their eclectic musical background, the group fuses reggae guitar work with jazz bass scales and even reggaeton syncopation. What emerges is something surprisingly young and fresh-sounding. The band has an interest in breaking cultural boundaries through music. “Not having an identity, and being a product of many cultures definitely affects us,” Rittereman said. “We can interact with people of other cultures through music.”
G
My name is Kaiya Rainbolt. This piece is titled “Quadrant” and it is made out of copper and is 5”x 6” x 11.5”. This piece has its origins in a series where I use identical sheets of copper and only allowed relief cuts, folding and hammering to create different forms. This process reveals the strength, movement and lightness that is inherent in copper.
Are you a student and an artist, chef, musician, photographer or writer? Submit your sketches, photos, songs, poetry and recipes... any original pieces to entice your desired paramour. Submit your work to gorozco@theguardsman.com or drop your submissions at Bungalow 615
8 | April 18- May 1, 2012 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com
Culture
TECHNO FILES
hacking with a conscience In a world of digital warfare, Sam Bowne’s city college class draws a line in the sand Instructor of ethical hacking Sam Bowne teaches his students how to keep hackers out by using their own tricks against them. DONOVAN YI / THE GUARDSMAN
By Oz Litvac
THE GUARDSMAN / @OZLITVAC / OLITVAC@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
In the ever-advancing world of computer networks and information technology there is a thin line between right and wrong. City College instructor Sam Bowne’s class, Ethical Hacking and Network Defense, defines that line. So what makes hacking “ethical”? “It comes down to intent and results,” Bowne explains. “The only difference between us and criminals is that we have permission from the target.” During an April 7 class session, as Bowne went over several industry-standard programs, he gave examples of famous incidents when those
programs were used unethically. “This is what Anonymous used to hack PBS,” he says referring to Havij, an automated SQL injection tool. SQL stands for Structured Query Language, an international standard for database manipulation. “Taking this class helps me understand hacking attacks and coincides with a network security class I’m taking,” said Chris Rimando, a student in Bownes’ class. The class is not for everyone, students take the course for different reasons; some work in the industry while others take the class with hopes of becoming an overnight hacker. They often
don’t make it halfway through the semester. Bowne is a supporter of the idea that hackers should go through all the proper steps to become certified. If they betray their code of ethics then they would lose their credentials, in the same way doctors would lose their license for medical malpractice. Some have tried to prevent Bowne from pursuing his purpose over the years. They object to teaching students the “do’s” and “don’ts” of hacking, however ethical, in a college setting. “I’m the force of civilization coming in and cleaning up this mess,” Bowne said. “It’s gone
from being forbidden to being required.” According to Bowne, security is when you have a balanced mix of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The unfortunate part of this is that to get one you must sacrifice the others, leaving yourself in a vulnerable state. Inspired by a recent alert about a new malware, Flashback Trojan, which has infected hundreds of thousands of Mac computers in the U.S., Bowne has set up a survey on his website to take Mac users through the steps to check if their computers are infected with the malware. According to the CNet new website, Flashback Trojan is
designed to grab passwords and other information from users when they visit malicious web sites and download the virus believing it to be mainstream browser plug-ins. At that point, the malware installs code designed to gather personal information and send it back to remote servers. “Java is the most dangerous thing to run on your computer, Adobe pdf reader is next on the list and third is Adobe flash-player,” Bowne says. The survey is available on his website at www.samsclass.info under the Mac Malware Survey link. G
plants are a way of life for these green students By Lucas Pontes de Almeida THE GUARDSMAN /@LPA_SFREPORTER / LALMEIDA@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
Students in the Environmental Horticulture and Floristry program love mother nature, love to get their hands dirty and love the hands-on experience. At City College they find the resources they need to develop their craft — excellent facilities and a staff committed to student success. Thomas Wang teaches an Introduction to Environmental Horticulture class that teaches students basic lessons in nursery and greenhouse production, landscape design, installation and maintenance. According to Wang, taking the class is the first step for students who want a remarkable career in horticulture. “It can be in any number of facets,” he said. “There’s people who work for the city, there’s people who go work for big landscaping corporations. There’s people who are into growing food, people are into growing medicine.” Wang said the horticulture program has a relationship with the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, the Botanical Garden and nonprofit organiza-
Nicole Kastle makes a floral arrangement for a floristry design class at the Ocean Campus on Apr. 12. • ROCIO ALARCON/THE GUARDSMAN
tions such as Friends of the Urban Forest, where students have the opportunity to plant trees all over the city. He hopes that upon finishing the program students will be able work for one of these organizations. Student Paolo Lembo is focusing on the landscaping maintenance and construction aspect of the program. “I love nature and the environment, and I like to work with
that,” he said. “It’s been a dream, and I never had the chance. I wanted to stay close to my family and at the same time do something I’m passionate about and that could bring work opportunities.” Nicole Kastle, a flower design student, drives an hour and a half to City College twice a week from Morgan Hill to study what she loves the most: flowers. “I think it will be worth it in the end,” she said with a smile.
“I want to be able to basically put it on my portfolio, on my resume that I graduated from City College, and I don’t want to graduate with a D or a C and just get by,” Hill said. “I want to get an A and know I did get 100 percent in the class at City College and that I did excellent in it.” Kastle said that at first she wanted to one day own a flower shop, but after working at one and seeing how hard her boss struggles to manage it, Kastle said she
now just wants to be a flower designer. “I just want to go to different shops and just go and design flowers,” she said. “We have a couple designers who come once a week to our shop and feel the cooler — that’s what I would be interesting in doing. Just being inspired and going to a shop and feeling that cooler.” Floral Design instructor Holly Money-Collins said budget cuts have impacted the program deeply. “Budget cuts are a huge problem for our supplies, and next year is looking pretty grim,” she said. “It makes a difference on the quality of what we can buy. Because of San Francisco’s weather, we can’t grow everything we make — that we use in design. The budget is scheduled to be decreased, and we don’t know how we’re going to supply the materials needed.” Money-Collins says that the unique thing about the program offered in the Horticulture and Floristry department is the hands-on aspect. G
The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | April 18- May 1, 2012 | 9
Culture
CCSF Events Calendar By Catherine Lee The Guardsman / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / CLEE@THEGUARDSMAN.COM THU/APR. 19
Earth Day – 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. @ Ocean campus Ram Plaza: Join the celebration hosted by the City College Green Corps and learn some sustainable tricks to conserve energy, recycle and reuse, and build environmental awareness. Multiple organizations will host tables and a spirit of collaborative learning makes it a perfect time to share your green love for Mother Earth. FRI/APR. 20 International Day – 3 to 6 p.m @ Civic Center campus: The Civic Center campus welcomes all students and visitors for an open house and fundraiser of international flavor. Students and staff will share international food, music, dance and cultural exchange reflecting the diversity of the student body. “Wok on the Wild Side Fundraiser” - Culinary Walking Tour to Benefit City College – 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. @ Ocean campus Statler Wing: An event open to the public to benefit the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Studies student programs. Tour the teaching kitchens with a behind-thescenes look at the nosh-alicious education with students and instructors. The eating tour of the city’s neighborhoods is represented by the menu itself and includes “Nibbles from Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach and Chinatown, a Mission taco truck, farmer’s market veggies… Korean nibbles… Ocean Beach …sweets inspired by Ghirardelli Square.” A bargain at $75 per person and there will also be a silent auction. Information and reservations 415-239-3152. Advance tickets brownpapertickets.com/event/241115. Theater Department Performs “Sweet Charity” – 8 p.m. @ Diego Rivera Theatre: A musical comedy by Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields and Neil Simon. Open to the public, tickets $15 at the door, $10 for students. Repeat performances at 8 p.m. on Fri. April 27 and Sat. April 21 and 28 . Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. on April 22 and 29. Free seat reservations online at ccsf.edu/Departments/Theatre_Arts/reservations1.htm. SUN/APR. 22 Free International Dance Festival Demonstration and Teach-In at “Blossom Festival” – 1 to 3 p.m. Demonstration and instruction, 3 to 6 p.m. Open Dancing with a selection of international folk dances @ Performance Theater 301 (3rd floor) in multi-use building: Upholding a tradition of 20 years, City College dance instructors and others will teach dances from an international dance card to anyone who wants to learn, no dancing experience necessary, and solo
OLD SKOOL from front
to apply for a job, how will you ever learn, she asked. “The spirit and the love that we get from the people who come here, they are people who put an effort into our career,” Abu Bhonapha, a waiter at the OSC said. “There are volunteers who teach us how to take an order, how to approach our customers.” The restaurant skills needed to succeed are crucial and many don’t get the first hand experience if never given the opportunity to explore their full potential, “you just have to follow the rules, we all have our own stories.” he said. “You feel fancy as soon as you walk into the restaurant,” said Tammy Vaitai, a youth manager at the Old Skool Cafe and former City College student.
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dancers are welcome. Following the instruction hours, a selection of international folk dancing is open for all. City College instructors include Gail Barton, Marguerite Fishman and dances may include those from Greece and China and more. Parking is free and the public is welcome. Information 415-452-5525. Theater Department Performs “Sweet Charity” – 2 p.m. @ Diego Rivera Theatre: A musical comedy by Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields and Neil Simon. Open to the public, tickets $15 at the door, $10 for students. Repeat performances at at 2 p.m. April 29 and Fri. April 27 and Sat. 28 at 8 p.m. Free seat reservations online at ccsf.edu/ Departments/Theatre_Arts/reservations1.htm. TUE/APR. 24 Free Lecture and Discussion “Labor Movements and the Arab Spring” - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. @ Ocean campus, Batmale Hall, room 203: Presentation opeen to the public with an interactive workshop. Presenter Monadel Herzallah is the labor relations representative with a healthcare division of the SEIU labor organization, an educator and an activist. THU/APR. 26 Free Theatrical Performance for Rape Awareness Month – first seating 10 a.m. and second seating 11:30 a.m. @ Rosenberg Library room 304: Project Survive presents a one-hour play “Drawing the Shades” about rape situations with four sets of actors. The play tells the story of two men and two women who have been raped: one woman is straight and is raped by a straight man; one woman is lesbian and is raped with her girlfriend; one man is bisexual and is raped by a gay man; and one man is straight and is raped by a straight woman. The play will be followed by a short DVD and a discussion. There will be peer educators to help with anyone who is triggered by the strong content of the play. Reservations recommended, open to the public. Information 415-239-3899.
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SAT/APR. 28 Walk Against Rape – 10 a.m. registration; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. march @ begins at the Women’s Building (3543 18th St): Join San Francisco Women Against Rape and the City College Women’s Studies department in a public gathering to support safety and solidarity. Sign up to walk with and fundraise for CCSF’s Project SURVIVE’s team (lsimon@ccsf.edu). Information 415-239-3899. EMAIL CALENDAR ITEMS TO CLEE@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
Vaitai has been a youth apprentice since 2009, and a spoken-word performer on any given night. “Before Old Skool Cafe I’ve never seen myself in a restaurant, now with all the experience I won’t be able to go anywhere else,” she said. Beyond the serene atmosphere, expertise and fine dining tapas-style menu where the cheapest plate will cost you $10.95, it can be easily forgotten that the waiters, cooks, and servers are all under 23 years of age. Your taste buds will explode as you explore the wide selection of tasty dishes: a well-dressed spinach salad, a Red Snapper ceviche tostada and the best comfort food known as Mac N
Cheese that will have you melting into your oversized booth. The magic of the kitchen is a credit to the industry professionals who work as volunteers and give their time and knowledge to the cafe’s mission. “The heartbeat of why it works is because I try to make it feel like a family, not a program,” Goines said. Her love and passion is seen through the involvement not only in the restaurant aspect of the Cafe, but in her personal connection with the youth. “My hope is that a place like this will be in every city in America,” she said. “A place where we can transform in hope.” G
CCSF Letterpress Club Presents
CELEBRATING LETTERPRESS AT CCSF PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2012 Mission Campus 1125 Valencia Street
OPEN HOUSE Letterpress Shop, Room 207 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
ROUND TABLE Theater, Room 109 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Panel of Former & Current CCSF Instructors and Students
Light Refreshments Served
10 | April 18-May 1, 2012 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com
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The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | April 18-May 1, 2012| 11
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City College’s Veteran’s Alliance has a lack of transparency, and some officers have acted in ethically questionable ways. Concerns have been raised by some students regarding the legitimacy of inter-club elections. This is especially pertinent as elections for fall 2012 club officer positions approach in May, and the Veteran’s Alliance is City College’s largest student club. After the private ballots were collected last semester, several members of the club were approached by a candidate and questioned why they voted for his opponent. It troubles me that the simple act of voting could be held against someone simply because candidates were able to see to the ballots. No one should be bullied for their choice at the ballot box. The last elections were also held with no debates, and some candidates openly slandered their opposition prior to the election. Candidates were left without a public discussion nor the ability to defend themselves against accusations. Mudslinging aside, some officer positions were filled interestingly to say the least. Some parties ran for multiple positions and won all of them. Afterwards they resigned a position and appointed
a non-elected club member instead. But concerns extend past shaky election practices and into the suppression of free speech.. Recently I was told by an officer of the Veteran’s Alliance that I was no longer allowed in the Veterans Resource Center at City College due to criticism and concerns I raised in the last issue of the Guardsman. It is troubling that individuals who swore to defend the Constitution don’t even uphold its First Amendment - freedom of speech. They are for freedom of speech, except for when it offends them. In the end it is only about what two or three officers want. The student veterans club is meant to bring forth collaboration and to unite everyone within the veterans’ community, but many have been divided and forced out. A center that is meant to be a sanctuary for veterans has been engulfed by shameful tactics, and at least one club officer believes it is due to a leadership failure and inability to reach compromises. Other concerns raised have been the general lack of communication with student veterans. There has been poor advertisement of meetings and general
OPINIONS
outreach towards student veterans. I found it troubling when a public veteran’s panel was held, and I hardly saw any veterans in attendance. On April 12th I attended a veterans panel presentation in the Rosenberg Library with a number of speakers on the problems student veterans face in community college. The main speaker of the afternoon was Dr. Joseph Bobrow with the Coming Home Project, which offers wilderness retreats as part of a rehabilitation program specifically for student veterans. This is an amazing opportunity, and it makes me wonder how many student veterans are missing out on other opportunities simply because those trusted to inform the them, don’t. It’s not easy for veterans to reach out and connect with other veterans, so it’s crucial to have a mobilized group that can properly advertise events.
“Student Veterans encounter a lot of difficulties re-adjusting simply because after service they want to take the path of least resistance,” Casey Conklin, outreach coordinator of the Downtown San Francisco Vet Center, said. As well as having a website that is never updated, the Veterans Resource Center is nearly the only place meetings or information are advertised, which I can’t even access because I have been banned. Given all of these concerns, I believe we should watch the coming club elections closely and demand transparency of the Veteran’s Alliance. A student veteran’s club is an amazing community to have on campus and can be a tremendous resource, but we can’t settle for what we have now when we know it could be better. G
Tyler Dylan Brown, Dr. Joe Bobrow and Casey Conklin at a panel discussing military-related trauma and the possibile solutions for veteran students on Apr. 12 at the Ocean Campus. • ROCIO ALARCON/THE GUARDSMAN
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By Oz Litvac
MUSIC VIDEO STILL COURTESY OF FUCHA PRESENCE
THE GUARDSMAN / @OZLITVAC / OLITVAC@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
Writing has always been second nature to me. But it wasn’t until I published my first piece in Etc. Magazine that I realized the satisfaction of accomplishment in a way I never have before. Accomplishments, I should say, because there were several. After six months, 68 reworked drafts, disputes with editors, a nasty email, too many cooks in the editing kitchen cutting away at my words, writing on a controversial topic for a specific target-market full of bureaucracy and politics dictating censorship — it was an experience to learn from. It was my first byline, first-person feature, non-fiction story, my first time talking in such detail about an experience that took five years to come to terms with, and ignoring its lingering effects just enough to put up with the turmoil of the suppressed emotions regurgitated by writing about it.
The piece, The War At Home, is about one of many brushes I had with death in my relatively short time of military service on the Gaza strip. There was a therapeutic aspect to writing, which clarified its necessity as a personal mental health tool. It was through writing that piece that I was able to put the past to rest, and clear from my naked eyes the cloudiness that was blocking my path to the future. After writing that piece, I not only realized writing is what I want to do with my life, but I also slept better at night and was able to make sense out of something I had suppressed for years. Success comes in many shapes and forms, and although my vocabulary is not the strongest (I didn’t even learn English until I was 13 yrs old), I do have an idea of how to construct a successful sentence and that is a start. G
12 | April 18-May 1, 2012 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com
Normally, I’m a very forgiving and kind-hearted person. But I hope there is a special level in Hell for those in control of student debt. The student loan industry was founded to provide average Americans with the ability to achieve a college education. It’s now a lucrative business. Albert Lord, CEO of Sallie Mae, the biggest name in student loans, has made over half a billion dollars. But really, he cares about getting you an education. Student loans have next to no consumer protections. They are the only loans to be nondischargeable in bankruptcy. Debt collectors have the ability to garnish wages, Social Security and disability checks. Taxes can be seized, professional licenses suspended, and public employment terminated. This puts student loans on the same level as criminal debt, unpaid child support and delinquent taxes. How is a doctor supposed to pay back their massive educational debt when you take away
their ability to practice? How is garnishing the disability checks of a person unable to leave their house to work, making it harder for them to EAT or PAY RENT, not a gross violation of human decency? Student loan companies WANT you to default. With the penalties, fees, collection charges and compounded interest from defaulted debt, we have students paying double or triple the original balance. There are endless reports of loans being put into default without warning. Employees of these loan companies are instructed to give callers the runaround, refuse to try and work out reasonable payment plans, and even threaten debtors and their families. U.S. citizens annually borrow around $90 billion in order to attend college. The class of 2010 graduated with an average debt of more than $25,000. People owe much more in student debt than they do on credit cards. Combine that with an 8.2% unemployment rate, and we have
Corrections It is The Guardsman’s intention to accurately represent City College faculty. Suzanne Pugh of the Metal Arts department was inaccurately portrayed through a paraphrased quote in issue five, in the story titled “Police remove student after outburst in class.” What was published as, “‘I had no idea that Garcia was touched in any way. That’s when I started to repeatedly tell him to leave,’ said Pugh,” should have been published as, “Pugh discovered that student Garcia had been touched by Vaughn and began to repeatedly tell him to leave.” The Guardsman relies on strong connections with our community and we cannot drive college news without the trust and openness that we seek from City College faculty.
To report errors, contact: editor@theguardsman.com
ourselves an economic disaster one where young, bright students with new ideas won’t have the financial means to attempt any sort of entrepreneurship or risktaking. They’ll be too preoccupied trying to pay back their loans to ever contribute to a failing economy. The best way to avoid digging yourself too far into student debt would be, obviously, to avoid taking out student loans in the first place. Instead choose an affordable school and get some financial aid. Sometimes you don’t have a choice. So, some quick advice — ALWAYS use federal (not private) loans first. They offer more flexible repayment plans, lower interest, and there are some circumstances in which those loans can be forgiven. Learn about the impact of defaulting on loans before you obtain them. By the way, a loan cannot be put in default if you make ANY size payment at least every 269 days. Know your rights under the Fair Debt Collection and Practices Act, which all collection agencies are legally bound by. They have no right to threaten you, mislead you, or abuse you. Support the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 by signing the internet petition. Students are the victims of insatiable greed, and it needs to end. G
Editor’s Notes Sometimes you’ve just got to start fresh. A new pair of shoes, a snazzy new outfit, a great new hairstyle — sometimes reinventing yourself can give a person a new view on life. And we need it. The Guardsman has been covering a rough time at City College. Budgets are leaner than they’ve been since the dot-com bust, politics in the school are contentious, and we’ve finished covering more obituaries in a single issue
Opinions
Ted Molina, a 16-year-old high school student in Texas, committed suicide after enduring years of bullying. His family told reporters that Molina had been bullied since the 5th grade mainly because of his ethnic heritage. He was part Korean American and part Hispanic American. Molina’s suicide reflects a contemporary, ongoing issue that is plaguing Asian Americans, one that is garnering more attention, more support and more demands for action from the community. Bullying affects Asian Americans like none other. A study by UCLA on bullying revealed that 54 percent of Asian American students have been victims of bullying, compared to 31.3 percent of whites, 38.4 percent of blacks and 34.3 percent of Hispanics. So what, I ask? So what if you Asian Americans youths bullied? Why should bullying affect your self-image, your cultural identity and your self-worth? As an Asian American who endured bullying, I responded to it with apathy because I had the choice to accept, to reject, or to
than in a whole semester. We needed a new outfit. More than that, we needed a fresh outlook. A new design for our newspaper is functional too — we now include Twitter handles for all of our staff. It’s not just about visuals, though. Aside from our role as a watchdog for the college, we’re trying to cover the successes of our fellow students, staff and faculty. We want to show the truth
not care about the labels that were thrown at me. I do not eat chopped up bananas with chopsticks because the bullies say I do. I eat chopped up bananas with chopsticks because I say I do. I did not pay significant attention to the bully’s taunt that attempted to stereotype Asian Americans, so I was not affected by this nonsense. I just moved on. That is how Asian American youths should respond to bullying: acknowledge it happened and move on, instead of embracing stereotypes and taunts. Not every Asian American youth is mentally tough. Some will begin wondering whether these taunts truly reflect their self-image, going so far as to care about the bully’s remarks. If you are one of these Asian Americans, contrast these labels with your self-image. There are more important tasks ahead in life, such as developing friendships and doing well in school. None of those activities revolve around bullying. Neither should you. G
of what’s out there: there is as much hope as there is struggle. We just have to seek it. If you have any suggestions or story ideas, please write to us at news@theguardsman.com, or tweet to us @SFbreakingnews. We’ve gotten some of our best news tips lately from students following us on Twitter, so keep the good ideas rolling in. Thanks for reading, we hope you like the new style. G
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