The Guardsman, Vol. 153, Issue 8. City College of San Francisco

THE THEGUARDSMAN GUARDSMAN G

Volume 153, Issue 8, May 16- May 29, 2012

Why was Alice sent to “Siberia?”

Vice Chancellor demoted, blamed for mishandling cuts

City College of San Newspaper SinceSince 19351935 City College ofFrancisco’s San Francisco’s Newspaper

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“INJUSTICE!” New Placement Plus One policy draws fire from student advocacy group Students Making A Change– aka SMAC. But what’s best for City College?

By Peter Hernandez

THE GUARDSMAN / @MILESOF / PHERNANDEZ@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

Dr. Alice Murillo, dean of Evans Campus, sifts through marked-up budget reports and highlighted low-enrollment course documents in her office, saying she doesn’t know why she’s there, or why she was demoted.

Not only are students being hurt by budget cuts, but City College administrator Murillo is also feeling the backlash for what some have called the “mismanagement” of a delicate budget.

Former Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Murillo can only speculate on the causes of her demotion — and all of them seem to be the fault of individuals ALICE Page 7

Political Science instructor Sue Homer, members of SMAC and English instructors argue in the hall about placement tests after the Institutional Effectiveness Committee meeting on April 12 at 33 Gough St. SARA BLOOMBERG / THE GUARDSMAN

By Sara Bloomberg

THE GUARDSMAN / @BLOOMREPORTS / SBLOOMBERG@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

Photo of Alice Murillo courtesy of City College.

INSIDE: Pg. 2 Shared Governance not sharing public docs Pg. 3 CCSF Speech and Debate team fires up

Formed at City College in 2010 by Lena Carew, a former student at the college, Students Making a Change has been involved in advocacy campaigns this semester from placement tests to free muni passes for students.

But alongside the victories, the group has been followed by a cloud of controversy.

Members of SMAC spoke passionately at the April 26 Board of Trustees meeting, when a controversial resolution on a new placement testing policy was up for a vote — and eventually passed.

“Some of the students are being paid to speak here,” accused Student Trustee Jeffrey Fang. “I think their voice is still valuable … but we need to take that under advisement.”

Chelsea Boilard, the director of programming for Coleman Advocates for Children & Youth, a community organization in San Francisco, confirmed there are eight student leaders at City College that are paid by the organization but declined to comment on the specifics of their employment.

Veronica Garcia, a City College student and Coleman

Pg. 12 Track Star shatters running records Pg. 14 Memorial for Howth st. murder victims Pg. 15 Secret to the success of OCCUPY movement: rock-inspired posters

Carew, Coleman Advocates’ SMAC Coordinator, who wrote the grant says that future funding is uncertain.

As a group, the students in SMAC tend to speak uniformly on issues when in public — like politicians-in-training — and two members, Marjory Ruiz and Juan Segundo, are designated as media representatives.

However, the group was unusually candid at their May 9 meeting.

At a SMAC student leader meeting held in the Ocean PLACEMENT TESTS Page 8-9

A Bug in the System: Part 3

Is the college’s data truly safe?

By Joe Fitzgerald

THE GUARDSMAN / @FITZTHEREPORTER / JFITZGERALD@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

Pg. 10 Escape from City College: the final column

Advocates’ SMAC Basebuilding Club Leader, said she gets paid $10 per hour.

According to the Rappaport Family Foundation’s website, they have given SMAC a $40,000 grant, through Coleman Advocates, for “organizing and advocacy campaigns at City College of San Francisco.”

One of the many private funders behind the controversial Student Success Task Force, the Rappaport Family Foundation seeks to encourage student activism and civic engagement at community colleges in California, according to their website.

A Bug in the System is a multi-part article chronicling an alleged major virus attack on City College’s computer systems.

“Part One” ran in the Jan. 25 issue of The Guardsman. You can read the article on TheGuardsman.com.

First reported at a City College board meeting in January, the allegations of viruses and security breaches at City College have spawned countless questions and accusations within City College’s Information Technology department and the school administration.

The ultimate question being this: is your personal data at City College safe?

The answer relies on whether or not you believe a report filed by external “digital forensics” auditor USDN, inc., is accurate.

The reality painted by USDN’s report describes the entire school’s network’s infrastructure as vulnerable to attack by a host of malware and viruses, such as the high-profile “Ghostclicker,” and that there are definite steps the college needs to make to tighten its security.

Their report has come under fire from the college community as wildly inaccurate and based on methods that amount to guesswork and charlatanism. The college community alleges many things about the auditor, alleg-

ing that the $78,000 spent on the company’s consultation findings was money wasted.

GETTING PERSONAL To understand the allegations against USDN, you have to go back a ways into the technology department’s history with their relatively new Chief Technology Officer, Dr. David Hotchkiss.

As previously reported by The Guardsman, the college community has launched a witch hunt for the CTO. Many of their misgivings with him began when he started reorganizing the department, causing grievances with many employees who attested to The Guardsman that they had their

feathers ruffled. But as the Hotchkiss continued his work, it was clear that the friction between him and his staff of more than 70 was beginning to sully his reputation at the college.

The Guardsman spoke with more than ten employees who described working under Hotchkiss as an exercise in distrust and fear.

Recently one employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, revealed a detailed log of grievances, including that Hotchkiss issued disciplinary action against an employee who “embarrassed him,” and frequently took credit on his City College-hosted blog BUG

Page 5

2 | May 16-May 29, 2012 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com

NEWS

College’s Shared Governance docs not open to public

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chancellor, then finally to the Board of Trustees in order to be passed.

Examining the web archives of these two committees produces a detailed set of minutes spanning the past nine years, as well as up-to-date agendas and postings of meetings.

However, the Registration Enrollment subcommittee under the College and Advisory committee has no minutes, meetings or agendas posted at all.

According to Attila Gabor, the Shared Governance Coordinator at City College, there are multiple factors that explain why these minutes aren’t being posted and that “we can’t just focus on one factor.� For example, if a group meets up but has only half of its members or fewer in attendance then they do not meet quorum, and therefore no minutes can be recorded.

Gabor emphasized strongly, “if you [the committees/subcommittees] can’t give me the minutes, I cannot post them. You don’t give me the minutes and I don’t know what’s going on.�

He also said this applies to the agendas as well, which have been posted online as rarely as the minutes. If the agendas are not posted, then the public doesn’t know where and when they can attend these meetings.

Another factor contributing to the lack of posted minutes is the fact that it’s often hard to find someone who will record them.

The committees and subcommittees are composed of strictly volunteers only, and it is hard to find someone who has the time to record the minutes, and who can do it efficiently.

According to Gabor, “it’s not that people don’t want to do it, it’s just so hectic,� he said referring to the impacted daily schedules of the volunteers, whether they be administrator, staff, faculty or student. “That’s a multiple-layer issue and a thorny problem,� said student trustee Fang, an active member of multiple subcommittees.

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Subcommittees and committees under City College’s system of shared governance have not been strictly adhering to their own policies regarding the public’s access to agendas and minutes of their public meetings.

Adopted by the San Francisco Community College District Board of Trustees in September 1993, the shared governance system is, according to the official board resolution, the “fundamental policy of the college.�

The resolution also states in that, “all committees shall have timely published agendas and printed, available, approved minutes.�

Additionally the August 2011 Shared Governance Handbook says that, “minutes are required for both committees and subcommittees.�

However minutes and agendas have not been posted by many committees for several years, judging by a perusal of the Office of Shared Governance’s Committees and Subcomittees Index website. Some subcommittees such as Registration Enrollment have no minutes posted at all.

Within the shared governance system there are 36 committees and subcommittees. Membership is comprised of the four constituent groups: students, faculty, classified staff and administrators. The meetings of committees and subcommittees are open to the public, yet without postings of agendas, and direct links to necessary information on City College’s website, the general population is not aware of these meetings.

Student Trustee Jeffrey Fang indicates that the College Advisory Council and Planning and Budgeting committees operate under the city’s Sunshine Ordinance, enacted by the City and County of San Francisco through Chapter 67 of the administrative code. Coupled with the Sunshine Ordinance is also the city’s Sunshine Taskforce, whose members “protect the public’s interest in open government.�

Any new college policy decisions must be considered by the College Advisory Council and Planning and Budgeting committees, then passed upward to the

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News 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 Production Interns Einar Sevilla Oz Litvac Thomas Figg-Hoblyn Beth LaBerge

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 Rocio Alarcon Illustrators Emma Winkles Jessica Kwan

Multimedia Sergio Barreno Augustine Wittkower

Katie Linlsay wraps up the May 9 forensic debate discussing the topic of why the FDA should or should not ban additives and fillers in beef. VALERIE SANTIBANEZ / THE GUARDSMAN

Award-winning debate team shows off talent

By Lance Kramer

THEGUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / LKRAMER@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

The award winning City College Forensics Debate Team held an afternoon “Speech Slam” May 9 to an audience of roughly 100 students.

The speech and debate team held a parliamentary debate one room, while in a nearby room, six students gave speeches in four basic categories of impromptu, interpretation, limited preparation, a speech to entertain, as well as other speeches and prose. The audience was encouraged to vote for their favorite speakers of the afternoon.

Hosting the event was Nathan Steel, who has been with the class for two years and is now the co-director of the forensics debate team, with about 25 students enrolled this semester.

“We do really different things on the speech and debate team,” Steel said.

“If I try to simplify and talk about how it’s all connected, I would say it’s like argument, in

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debate, argument is obvious.”

“In limited preparation, you have a thesis statement where you’re making an argument, and then you’re supporting that,” Steel explains. “In impromptu you are doing it with whatever information is in your head.

“In interpretation, we’re taking literature, or often we have to abridge it and cut it down to ten minutes and that might mean eliminating characters, or eliminating some plot, but in that introduction we’re always making an argument for ‘here’s what the value is’, or ‘the purpose of this performance is’, and ‘here’s what we want the audience to learn from it.’”

Debate Team member Sergio Suhett recently won a bronze medal at the California State Championships this spring for impromptu speaking, an event sponsored by the California Community College Forensics Association.

Suhett has been on the speech and debate team for four semesters at City College and in that time has made great improvements to his public speaking while learning english as a second language.

“I’m from Brazil,” Suhett said. “Originally, my language is Portuguese, and that coupled with the fear of public speaking was a big, big challenge for me, but I really found that the speech and debate activities gave me an edge above a lot of other students through competition.”

City College student Kevin Dickens gave a dramatic interpretation speech and he said he performs mainly for personal enjoyment, not competition. He was inspired to join the team after last semesters big showdown at the Diego Rivera Theatre on the topic of the Student Success Task Force.

“After I saw it, I was like, this is something I can possibly do, and that inspired me to join,” Dickens said.

Cameron Burroughs, a member of the speech and debate team gave a very comedic speech to entertain the audience about “Memorial Diamonds,” which he described as a scientific process for creating diamonds from extreme high pressurization of a loved one’s ashes, creating a diamond one could wear for vanity and accessory.

“I really appreciate the incredible diversity that we have at City College and how that often pours over into our team,” Steel said.

“We’ve got students from the Second Chance Program, who are on parole. We’ve got students of all different races, ethnicities, and sexuality.”

The Forensics Debate Team will hold another “Speech Slam” on May 16, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. in Rosenberg Library.

“I think that there is something for everybody,” Steel said.

“Whether you’re totally scared of public speaking, the practice and the experience will help you get through that.”

How does the SF Chronicle view City College?

By Tim Johnson

CONTRIBUTOR / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / NEWS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

Budget cuts and scandals dominated local news reports on City College activity over the past two years, possibly affecting the public view of our campus.

The Guardsman began sifting through City College based news articles from the last two years, on and off line, to see how it is represented. Research was done through archives of The Chronicle, SFGate.com, The Examiner, and KTVU.com.

A near 3-1 ratio of bad news to good news was found over 25 stories appearing in local news outlets.

A lack of stories with a neutral implication was apparent.

Beginning with the Saga of City College’s Porta Potti Bill, written by Stephanie Rice for The Chronicle in May of 2010, one could read about a bill from United Site Services that was ignored and unpaid by City College officials.

Within that story, an earlier scandal was referenced, regarding former chancellor Philip Day and two aids in alleged financial abuses.

Further details on the topic of Day and the ex-officials sprang up again, following the story from a guilty plea to issued probation in 2011 all reported by Rice in San Francisco’s largest circulating

news publication.

Other negative topics included evacuation after a bombthreat, the viruses transmitting City College data to Russia and China, as well as Trustees skipping board meetings while still collecting their stipends.

Amid all of the scandal, positive stories about CCSF do exist.

News of City College’s support for veterans and fight against the deportation of student Steve Li made it into the paper and online.

The Examiner’s David Liepman brought good word of the success the Rams’ had in the fall of 2011.

Alicia Avila reported to SFGate’s Mission Loc@l section about granted access to paid internships for undocumented and low-income students through an approved new budget.

However, the negative press, particularly in the Chronicle dominates the columns, and it can also be noted that the new trend is negative press addressing the budget problems the school is experiencing. Recent reports from The Chronicle detail a cafeteria in need of funding to stay afloat, and summer school enrollment being slashed.

4 | May 16-May 29, 2012 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com

News

Break-in at the bungalows foiled by news editors armed with clarinet

Bungalow 602 at the Ocean Campus on May 10 over a week after the attempted break-in. BROADUS PARKER / THE GUARDSMAN

The aftermath of an attempted break-in at The Guardsman office in the early morning hours on May 1 at the Ocean Campus. JOE FITZGERALD / THE GUARDSMAN

By Lance Kramer

THE GUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / LKRAMER@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

The Guardsman office and math lab at City College’s Ocean campus were targeted by possible burglary early in the morning of May 1, though their plans were thwarted when two of the newspapers’ editors prevented the break-in and alerted authorities.

Editors Joe Fitzgerald and Sara Bloomberg were working a late night in Bungalow 615 when a crashing sound came from two of The Guardsman windows, as well as a window to the Math Lab in Bungalow 602, all simultaneously. This led editors and police to believe there were three people involved.

“It was a late night at The Guardsman — we publish on Wednesdays, and that means our newspaper has to be done by Tuesday morning,” Fitzgerald

said. “Sara and I were working way into the night, it was three in the morning and I was kneedeep in an article about the new interim chancellor. [Sara’s] half asleep, I’m in the middle of an article, and all of the sudden, out of nowhere, crash...crash...crash.

“We didn’t know what was happening at first, so I ran out into the middle of the hallway and I yell ‘Get the F*** OUT OF HERE’ as loud as I could, and just started screaming at the top of my lungs,” he said. “I armed myself somehow...at first I grabbed my clarinet, then I thought, ‘Oh no. I don’t want to break my clarinet,’ so I grabbed some other blunt object.”

After searching the different offices located in Bungalow 615 to assess the damage, Fitzgerald

and Bloomberg called the San Francisco Police Department to investigate. The Ingleside police officers who responded said that the broken windows were probably only an act of vandalism.

“We called 911, we were freaking out, we were like, oh God, are they still outside?

Because we didn’t hear footsteps, are they still there? Are they just hiding? Are they waiting for another opportunity to get in?”

Fitzgerald said.

City College police officer Hadi arrived later that morning and conducted a search of the area. “Nothing was stolen, … (the vandals) were startled by the employees that were inside,” he said.

“When Officer Zaid Hadi came by he said, ‘Oh yeah, they hit the Math Bungalow, too. Did you notice that?’ said Fitzgerald.

Hadi surmised that there were three separate people because of the three windows being broken simultaneously.

“Well, logically it must follow that there were three people and they also got scared off at once by us being there,” Fitzgerald said.

Math Lab coordinator Charles Hutchins discovered the damage to Bungalow 602 when he arrived for work at eight that morning.

“You know, it’s funny...I walked into the Math Lab... turned on the lights, turned on the computers, doing all my regular morning routine and after I had been walking around for about five or ten minutes, I realized that a window had been broken out,” Hutchins said. “There was a pile of glass on one of the desks...and there was a hole about the size of a football I’d say, in one of the windows.”

Other than this occurrence, the Math Lab hasn’t been prey to burglary. Although, there is the occasional “opportunity theft” that occurs within the lab.

“We have PCs that are like,

ten years old and you know, they’re worthless,” Hutchins said. “We’ve had some minor thefts, one in particular that I can remember...one time one of the staff members here had their iPod stolen but they had left it on a desk in really plain sight. It was sort of a crime of opportunity... but that was maybe, three years ago.”

According to the San Francisco Community College District Police Department crime log there were a total of 19 reported incidents of theft in April, 13 incidents in March, and a whopping 24 in February. Most of the thefts occurred at the Wellness Center, with the majority of incidents involving thefts from lockers.

City College Police Sergeant Jason Wendt said theft has been a problem at City College, but would not get specific about the details because the investigations are ongoing.

The SFCCD Police Department can be reached at (415) 239-3200 and always call 911 for emergencies.

Students teaching students program gets funding– for now

By Oz Litvac

THE GUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS/ OLITVAC@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

At the Associated Students meeting on May 9 a motion to approve funding for Each One Teach One was carried and approved, for now.

A funding proposal for 20122013 was passed around and included a recent progress report, projected growth and a budget proposal.

After no motion was carried in the last AS meeting on May 2, organizers and supporters of the program worried that E1T1 would not be approved for funds.

The existence of the program depends on various factors like an optional $5 per student fee that funds student activities.

Some students opt out of paying when they enroll because they are not aware that the funds go to resource centers which create such programs as E1T1.

Although the funding is there, since E1T1 was initially funded with leftover money from other programs, the decision of whether the program will continue in semesters to come depends on the next council chosen, and is based on prior council recommendations as well.

“It was valuable for me and actually made me realize I want to teach,” said Shanell Williams, AS president-elect and E1T1 facilitator. “It opened up a door for me that I didn’t know existed.”

Associated Students VP of Finance Cuong Tang said, “We are running negatively on money right now.” He continued to clarify he does not discourage the council from voting on E1T1 but doesn’t think it’s a good idea to add new programs while borrowing to stay afloat.

Each One Teach One representative Khin Soe and Oz Litvac talk during the Associated Students meeting at the Ocean Campus on May 9. SHANE MENEZ / THE GUARDSMAN

“Once we agree, the proposal will still be flexible,” said senator Tiffany Louie, as Khin Soe pitched the E1T1 proposal.

There is no telling whether there will be sufficient numbers of student facilitators or appropri-

ate content for future workshops in order to justify a need for funding to members of the council.

Dean Samuel Santos asked everybody to “ask for support from faculty and advisors.”

However, he insists the funding

for E1T1 is not “secured”.

Now that the motion has been approved, the financial situation of E1T1 can be discussed in detail, at least until the funding is voted on again.

News

BUG from front

Is the college’s data safe?

for work that others performed.

The log cites Hotchkiss as changing meeting minutes to protect himself against actions by the Service Employees International Union, which represents his staff. Most importantly, many say the CTO speaks to few, if any employees, and is only open to people who attain a certain level of status in the administrative hierarchy.

Basically, they say, he only speaks to you if you “matter.”

Not all people in the college hold the same opinion, however. In an interview in February, Computer Science department Chair Craig Persiko said that he felt most of the friction has revolved around Hotchkiss’ focus on security, versus the aims of the college to support uninhibited academic freedom.

Benton Chan, information systems engineer assistant, chalks it up to a difference of cultures.

“He’s from a military background,” Chan said. “He was unprepared for the college’s political institution.”

And Hotchkiss agrees.

“You have to understand my background as a military guy. The colonel reports to general... it’s defined,” Hotchkiss said. “The academic senate doesn’t have any control over my career. I will always go to my boss, and my boss’s boss.”

The reason this has any bearing on the virus situation at all is this: when the security breach of City College’s network was first reported, Hotchkiss had zero credibility with his staff or the college community.

No one believed him.

WITCH HUNT When Hotchkiss first presented the reality of the security breach at the FIT committee in January, it did not go nearly the way he thought it would.

Hotchkiss said that Trustee John Rizzo called him up two days before the meeting to tell Hotchkiss that he put his report on the agenda. The CTO’s presentation turned up in an SF Chronicle news article that gave the college a media relations black eye.

Hotchkiss claims that Rizzo “threw him under the bus,” and set him up to present his arguments to the meeting in a way that would alert the Chronicle.

Rizzo denies the allegation. “That’s utter nonsense,” Rizzo said. They had settled on the agenda presentation weeks before, he said.

Who actually contacted the Chronicle may never be known.

What is known, however, is what happened next.

The data that Hotchkiss used to present at the meeting was demanded up, down, left and right for weeks. Faculty and IT staff made public comments against Hotchkiss at board meetings. The SEIU formally presented the college board a petition with over 500 signatures against the CTO. IT staff filed public records requests, demanding the CTO hand over the data proving his assertions.

Hotchkiss didn’t provide

the initial data to any IT staff, and amidst this cloud of distrust USDN went to work gathering further evidence of security breaches in City College servers.

In a packet of documents he sent to the Board of Trustees, Hotchkiss said, “my silence is standard industry practice for this type of incident. The taking of any personal information... is a serious event, a cybercrime. I do not discuss such things.”

Seeing USDN as an extension of Hotchkiss, the College Advisory Council and then-Chancellor Don Q. Griffin requested that Peter Goldstein disconnect USDN from the college’s server just as they were collecting the last of the evidence on the security breach.

This halted USDN’s ability to collect forensic data they say the FBI is waiting to see. Moreover, the device that was collecting the data was not properly disconnected, filling its “cache” or memory with loads of useless and redundant data, Tony Castillo, USDN’s CEO, said in an interview with The Guardsman.

According to the packet that

The Guardsman & theguardsman.com May 16-May 29, 2012 | 5

is very ill and very respect- Top: One of the college’s tech experts Sam Bowne admits to lack of knowledge. ed, I don’t Bottom right: An excerpt of the letter City College recieved from the FBI concerning think [Hotch- “Ghost-clicker.” Behind: This document is a “brute force attack,” an attempt to break in kiss] should be to the college’s servers by generating thousands of passwords to “guess” a login. making allegations.”

THE FINDINGS Ultimately, USDN came spit transmissions to the conclusion that the college did not have back out where tion, like social security numbers enough technology in place to they came from. or driver’s licenses.

Castillo said that server, protect itself from the types of “The problem is the way malware that are attacking the known as Name Service 7, they’re dealing with it, the policollege. One of the school’s two was taken into account and not cies and the responses to the firewalls, called “Palo Alto,” included in the USDN report of incidents. They refuse to accept meant to guard the school against personal information leaked from these incidents are occurring. If incoming malicious attacks, is the college. you never recognize the system The problems, Castillo said, you’ll never ever, discover the currently being overstretched and overused, Castillo said. An with NS7 and other servers at the root cause,” he said. email from the college’s firewall college have international impliDenying the problem seems vendor, Dataway, confirmed this. cations. to be something the college is FBI NOTIFIES CCSF The college’s response was to intentionally planning to do. A The FBI contacted City draft letter titled “The ITS Departimmediately refute the findings of USDN’s report, the “Executive College in a letter dated Janu- ment is on Top of Security” has Report of Network Incident Find- ary 27, 2012, concerning what recently surfaced. The letter ings,” which details 81 instances Castillo said is one of the school’s acknowledges a security breach of personal information being many malicious attackers – in February 2007. However, the sent out in digital transmissions ”Ghost-clicker.” The FBI notified letter goes on to say, “There was the college that they were one of a concern that some of our servfrom the college.

Castillo wasn’t surprised by 4.2 million infected computers ers... had been compromised.... the reaction. “Breaking news worldwide.

Fortunately, it all turned out to be a false alarm.”

The letter then cites instrucTop: This map shows worldwide attacks on City College’s network. tor Sam Bowne, who says “The Bottom left: The amount of viruses shown attacking the college in the image by virus; each category CCSF-network is well-mainmay contain thousands of copies of the virus. For instance, 108 spamming hosts may actually represent tained and much cleaner than thousands of spammers. comparable networks at other organizations.”

Internal City College documents show Sam Bowne has been under investigation for cyber bullying, as well as inciting a leak of a City College instructor’s personal information.

In a Tweet, Bowne wrote, “I ran all those tests, nothing malicious found. If it’s evil, it’s smarter than me, but i’m a n00b at malware analysis.” “N00b” is internet slang for newbie, meaning an amateur.

THE BUG IN THE SYSTEM The witch hunt for Hotchkiss, no matter how warranted, may be distracting the IT department and the various technology The virus is more officially committees, such as the Informaflash! The audit target doesn’t agree known as a “DNS changer,” tion Technology Policy Commitwith the findings,” which essentially directs the tee, from carrying out any further infected computer to conduct meaningful changes in network he said.

But when it ad-hijacking and click fraud. It security policy in the school.

Hotchkiss sent the board, this was comes to the basis of his report, redirects the user to alternate Amidst all the finger pointing, a willful destruction of evidence he said that the basic assertions advertisements that are on a bad blood, shouting matches and of a crime. Hotchkiss’ claims made of the IT department’s lax webpage to generate millions of allegations of federal offenses, don’t end there. way of handling internet security dollars for the hackers. the one person who is respectThe problem, Castillo said, ed by every party involved is His packet of information is seconded in an independent also alleges that Vice Chancellor report made by Dataway three isn’t just that City College Information Systems Engineer Peter Goldstein used “unqualified years ago, as well as an inter- students are clicking to gener- Benton Chan. Chan wears many personnel to evaluate a scientific nal audit of the IT department ate money for these hackers. It’s hats and is one of the tech folks report, delayed and interfered performed by college employee that City College is almost like a most involved with security at the Ghost-clicker hornet’s nest that college. with the cyber incident investiga- Ric Jazaie. tions,” and “ordered a violation “They’ve had four audits. Not sends out copies of the virus to In Chan’s opinion, the real of statements made to the Depart- one, not two, but four,” Castillo other computers across the coun- culprit, responsible for more ment of Education and Accredita- said. The fourth audit, performed try. breaches than any amount of An FBI supplied website external attacks, are the computer tion Team.”

by Semantic, couldn’t be verified He also accuses Network by press time. Jazaie agreed with shown to The Guardsman by an users of City College.

Administrator Tim Ryan of simi- the assessment that his audit of ITS employee showed how easy Focusing on technologilar acts, as well as points a finger the IT department was in agree- it is to verify if a computer has cal processes is fruitless, Chan at Griffin, essentially saying that ment with the Dataway report, Ghost-clicker. The employee said said. It would be better to simply Griffin intentionally delayed but hadn’t seen USDN’s findings. thousands of college computers educate users on how to behave USDN’s ability to create their When long time IT employ- are now clean. better while using technology.

This reaction-based method report because he feared the ee Shirley Barger had a look at Chan raised his finger up, results would go public.

USDN’s report, she found much of solving security problems is pointed it straight ahead and part of the problem, Castillo said. said with certainty that the real Goldstein hadn’t read the to argue with.

NOTHING TO SEE HERE packet before press time but said, Barger said the report is based crux of the matter is “policy, not “The problem isnt the PII process.”

“If those are the allegations, they on incorrect assumptions, failing are completely wrong, and very to take into account the fact that in of itself, its just a symptom.

In other words, the “bug in reckless.” one of the servers sending out Everyone has PII breaches,” the system” is us.

Ryan also denied the allega- the alleged personal information Castillo said. PII stands for tions, and added, “our chancellor is a spam filter, whose job is to Personally Identifiable Informa-

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News

The Guardsman & theguardsman.com May 16-May 29, 2012 | 7

News

Did City College miscalculate class cuts?

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Alice Murillo works at her Evans Campus office on May 14.

BETH LABERGE / THE GUARDSMAN ALICE from front

beside herself. Though many members of City College faculty gossip on the matter, none can present evidence to justify her demotion.

She was removed from her position as Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs last October and sent “to Siberia” — or the desolate Evans Campus — after a $1.75 million shortfall in expenses when a robust fall 2011 semester schedule followed close on the heels of a hefty summer semester that had depleted funds for the rest of the year.

chairs had failed to report their low-enrolled classes. Murillo thinks that they had anticipated their students would return the following week, after the enrollment census deadline — but many never returned, costing the college thousands of dollars in payroll for teachers whose classes should have been cut.

Griffin made direct orders not to layoff faculty, but rather allow faculty to leave City College without a replacement.

“Our hearts were in the right place, but the numbers were so off,” said Murillo.

Former Murillo, Chancellor who considDon Griffin ers herself ordered Murilfiscally conserlo to transition vative, has her Academic butted heads Affairs projwith even the ects to other - Alice Murillo chancellor administrators over a budget and to move that has been to the Evans based for the Campus in November of 2011. past four years on assumptions, Fall courses, carried over with little certainty about future from the previous year’s sched- financial growth. ule without consideration for Further taxing City the depreciating budget, and College’s budget, is the fact that non-credit courses expanding it is one of the only community in numbers despite shrinking colleges in the state to resist student attendance are among state directives to reduce catea few factors that led to the gorical expenses, like librarshortfall. Other factors were an ians and counselors. Instead unexpected bill for $1.1 million the college, in order to stay in unemployment tax, the Board afloat financially, was forced to of Trustees’ commitments to the cut 113 classes from the spring Ocean Campus Police Acade- 2012 semester. my, and an additional $300,000 In her personal office overpromised to core courses like looking quiet Evans Avenue, English and math.

Murillo laments her demotion.

“They should have “I was working under the cut an extra 50 classes,” said instruction of the Chancellor,” Murillo, perusing a listing of she said. “I did everything he non-credit courses from the told me to do with integrity.”

Fall 2010 semester. Department

““Our hearts were in the right place, but the numbers were so off.”

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8 | May 16-May 29, 2012 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com PLACEMENT TEST from front

SMAC

Campus Multi-Cultural Resource Center, the group talked about their summer plans and future goals, including increasing membership in the fall, networking with students at Peralta Community College and finding time to have fun.

In a solemn moment, Ruiz began to tear up as she discussed her plans for transferring to a fouryear university in the fall.

She was accepted both UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz, she said, but alluded to family obligations that will prevent her from leaving San Francisco.

Carew encouraged the group

Seymor-Cambell Matriculation Act of 1986: mandates multiple measures be used for academic assessments; a single placement test can not be used to determine a student’s academic proficieny and placement test scores can not be used to deny any student admission to a community college

1986

By Thomas Figg-Holyn

says , “These are our lives!”

to celebrate their victories, even amidst a contentious climate.

“It’s easy to get lost in these emotionally-charged conversations,” Carew said, but there is still much to be proud of, including the board’s vote to adopt the new placement testing programs.

One member wasn’t so sure.

The state already mandates that community colleges use multiple measures to assess students, Ruiz said. “Why am I celebrating a policy to enforce a policy that’s already there?”

The group voiced interest in meeting with English faculty over the summer to discuss imple-

mentation of the new Placement Plus One testing program, despite hard feelings that remain between SMAC and faculty after the April 26 board meeting.

During that meeting several SMAC members spoke passionately about the harmful effects of the placement tests used by the college and demanded that the new testing programs be implemented immediately.

“We cannot allow another generation of students go by and sit complacently … (watching the faculty) say, no, we’re gonna work on this until it’s perfect,” Marjory Ruiz said, referring to English

“INJUSTICE!” faculty requests for more time.

“Guess what? The system already is not perfect. It’s not working. We need to change this as quickly as possible.”

Faculty present at the meeting objected to being told work over the summer, as their contracts don’t include summer session.

Academic Senate President Karen Saginor and English department chair Jessica Brown both agreed to an amended resolution, which called for full implementation by Spring 2013, giving faculty and matriculation officers an extra semester to prepare.

Emotions remained high,

even after the amended resolution passed.

Students from SMAC, as well as representatives from both Coleman Advocates and Bridge to Success, a program which promotes college success for underrepresented students, were visibly upset — even livid.

SMAC members, accompanied

by Pecolia Manigo, the education justice/education policy campaign organizer for Coleman Advocates, confronted Student Trustee Fang about his comment that the students were paid to attend the meeting.

Fang told The Guardsman

Back to the Future: Placement Tests an Assembly Bill 1725, signed by Governor George Deukmejian in September.

States that faculty are the experts on academic matters and have primacy on decisions regarding related policies

1988

Committee to Implement Placement Testing

April: Pre-Collegiate Accontability Report

2004

City College Student Equity Plan reportrequired by the California Board of Governor’s

2005

Student Equity Hearings: City College Board of Trustees held hearings on issues concerning the acheivement gap, covering topics including English, Math, financial aid and the student hiring process...

2009

The Faculty ask, ‘what about us?’

January: We Can Do Better: English department report examining course sequences and placement tests

SB 1143 (Carol Liu Student Success a Completion Act: S the groundwork f the Student Succe Task Force

Chancellor’s Task Force on Student Equity

Bridge to Success: partnership forme between City Colle San Francisco Unifi School District and mayor’s office to benefit SF high sch graduates

2010

THE GUARDSMAN / @JOURNALISTFIGG / TFIGGHOBLYN@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

Many City College faculty members feel like they have been verbally abused and disrespected by both Trustee Steve Ngo and the student political activist organization Students Making a Change.

Dozens of faculty are calling Ngo out for his conduct during the April 26 Board of Trustees meeting, saying that he treated them in a hostile and scathing manner that bordered upon political grandstanding.

Faculty members, fed up with Ngo’s disrespect and open contempt, have rushed to sign a petition demanding that Steve Ngo change his ways or leave the board. They are also calling for a new candidate to replace Ngo during the citywide Board of Trustees election to be held next November.

Penned by Craig Kleinman, English teacher, and posted on the website iPetitions.com, the petition requests that the City College Board of Trustees acknowledge that Ngo has engaged in divisive, bullying language and tactics toward faculty, and that Ngo is failing to fulfill his obligation to treat community members with courtesy, respect and civility as directed by the board’s code of ethics and responsibilities.

The iPetitions website allows all signers to post a comment along with their name.

English department chair Jessica Brown wrote in her comment that the “bullying and the political posturing has got to stop. It is creating a hostile work

environment.”

Kleinman wrote that “Ngo has abused his position as a trustee and has abused too many faculty in the process. Claiming that one is for ‘justice’ does not give that person license to overstep bounds, intrude upon academic operations, make gross generalizations about the curriculum, and manipulate a very loud student minority in order to further his political career.”

A student, Mae White, who signed the petition wrote, “I watched the video of the board meeting for extra credit in my political science class, and Ngo and his supporters committed just about every logical fallacy we learned this semester in my philosophy class.”

Another student, who signed the petition anonymously wrote, “Ngo should quit fighting professors and fix summer school instead.”

According to the petition, in addition to belittling the faculty, Ngo has chosen to represent a select few rather than a broader cross-section of the college community.

The “select few” refers to Students Making a Change, a student organization led by an outside nonprofit, Coleman Advocates, which trains SMAC leaders in recruitment. SMAC is also financially supported by a grant from the Rappaport Family Foundation.

During the board meeting Student Trustee Jeffery Fang, brought up the point that SMAC

activists are paid, and may not necessarily represent the voice of the student body.

Chelsea Boilard of Coleman Advocates said that eight members of SMAC are paid by the organization.

The Rappaport Family Foundation financially supports SMAC and, according to their website, has provided $40,000 to support their organizing and advocacy at City College.

“Faculty have primacy in academic and professional matters.”

-AB1725 (1988)

The student club is guided by Sue Homer of the social sciences department. She is often seen teaching SMAC members on campus and is present at all meetings where they demonstrate.

According to the Coleman Advocacy website, Homer was the SMAC faculty advisor.

The Board v. Faculty The contentious April 26 Board of Trustee meeting was one of many skirmishes in a longrunning struggle between faculty and board members regarding who has authority to make chang-

es to academic curriculum, placement and testing.

The feud began in early 2010.

In response to a Feb. 25, 2010 draft resolution, “Recommendations on the Achievement Gap and Equity,” co-sponsored by Trustees Jackson, Marks, and Ngo, the Academic Senate approved a resolution at their March 23, 2010 special meeting, chiding the board for making academic recommendations out of the scope of their administrative role and for not going through shared governance.

The Academic Senate resolution cited Assembly Bill 1725, signed by Governor George Deukmejian in September of 1988, and the state education code, which states that community college faculty have primacy in academic and professional matters and that they alone have the professional qualifications, expertise, and experience to establish and implement initiatives.

Faculty requested the trustees strike all references to academic issues from the board’s achievement gap and equity resolution, including placement test changes, and instead focus on the administrative aspects of of the resolution.

The two groups have been at odds ever since.

English teacher Carol Fregly said the trustees, primarily Steve Ngo, had attacked faculty during a 2010 Board of Trustees meeting, accusing them of being racist.

“I suspect that Ngo and

Homer worked with SMAC to reintroduce and secure footing for the Board of Trustee’s plans, including placement test changes,” Fregly said.

SMAC students seem to have their hearts in the right place as they work to empower the minority student body and make education more accessible for minorities, and to improve the success of minority students.

But faculty and Academic Senate members know all too well that SMAC members can be intimidating. They boo and hiss towards faculty, and recite their rehearsed political statements loudly during public meetings, sometimes using strong words like liar and racist.

The Bigger Picture Classes have been drastically cut, funding has been cut more than any time in history, teachers are overworked and underpaid, and the SFUSD recently announced that it needs to cut teachers’ salaries and benefits by $30 million.

One may ask why Coleman Advocates, the mayor’s office and the San Francisco Unified School District, who were all present in support of SMAC at the April 26 board meeting, are spending so much effort to focus on one item — college placement testing — when the public education system as a whole is in shambles.

The Guardsman & theguardsman.com May 16-May 29, 2012 | 9

A three piece analysis investigating the battle on placement tests at City College that Manigo said to him that he “should have talked to SMAC first, instead of speaking in front of the microphone.”

And according to a press release dated April 27 on Coleman Advocates’ website, “While students were testifying at last night’s hearing, there were teachers in the audience who actually told them to ‘sit down,’ in an effort to undermine their voices and their experiences.”

However in a telephone interview with The Guardsman on May 1, SMAC’s media representatives said that they didn’t feel disrespected at that meeting.

Juan Segundo was asked to sit down after he tried to address the Board for a second time during public comment. Board President John Rizzo explained that each speaker is only one allowed one two-minute comment period.

Veronica Garcia also approached the podium after public comment was closed and Rizzo reminded her she could not address the board at that time.

Someone from the the audience said, “Sit down, it’s okay,” and Garcia returned to her seat.

Later in the meeting an outburst from a faculty member in the audience triggered angry

reactions from members of SMAC. After Trustee Ngo began to rant about his disgust with requests by English faculty to delay implementation, Paolo Sapienza, a matriculation officer, said, “Shame on you.

This is (time for) board discussion.

Don’t talk to us.”

Students responded to Sapienza with “Shame on you” and “you’re racist” but the exchange quickly ended when Rizzo called for order.

English faculty members then left the room and students applauded as Ngo waited to continue his speech.

In a seeming contradiction, on previous occasions Ngo has condemned what he describes as highly political and emotional rhetoric that hinders productive conver-

sations.

In the parking lot members of SMAC, accompanied by Hal Huntsman, a math instructor, and Sue Homer, a political science instructor and SMAC’s faculty advisor, got into a heated argument with several English faculty members about placement test policies and the process of shared governance.

Trustee Fang stood on the sidelines.

At the end of the discussion, Fang suggested that he mediate between the two sides, at a later time, to “clear up any miscommunication.”

They all half-heartedly agreed.

“We agreed, we shaked on it,” Fang said, but the meeting never happened.

As nearly everyone at the meeting that night left, SMAC members remained in the hall along with Huntsman and Homer. Eventually, they were joined by Trustee Ngo. Fang was nearby, and while he could not see the group, he told The Guardsman he was shocked by their conversation.

The group discussed the proceedings at the meeting, Fang said, making fun of anyone that they considered opposition, including calling English chair Jessica Brown a liar and mocking English instructor Jeffrey Liss for defending Brown while holding her purse.

Fang said that Homer responded to the students and said, “This is what we do at City College. We lie.”

nd Student Equity at City College, 1986-2012

u) and Set for ess

a ed ege, fied d the

hool

Students Making a Change formed at the end of Spring semester

City College Board resolution on student equity passed

Student Success Task Force meets over the course of the year to research and discuss student achievement, increasing community college completion and transfer rates.

Many of the recommendations are controversial

January: Student Success Task Force Recommendations endorsed by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors

2012

2011

April 3: Student Success and Prep Committee meeting. Resolution passed to support multiple measures and the new placement test proposals April 5: College Advisory Council, a shared governance committee, meets. New placement test programs discussed

April 12: Institutional Effectiveness Committee meeting.

Placement tests and implementation are discussed April 18: Academic Senate special meeting on placement testing. Resolution passed supporting implementing a placement test pilot in fall 2012 or spring 2013

April 26 Board of Trustees adopts resolution to implement new placement testing programs, including the English department’s Placement Plus One May 14: Hearing scheduled in the state legislature regarding SB1456, also known as the Community Colleges: Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012

Infographic by Sara Bloomberg / The Guardsman

By Joe Fitzgerald

Trustee Steve Ngo takes a stand

THE GUARDSMAN / @FITZTHEREPORTER / JFITZGERALD@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

If SMAC is the wedge pushing through the new “Placement Plus One” program at City College, then Board of Trustees member Steve Ngo is the hammer.

Ngo’s push for the program was integral to its passage. Ngo was one of a block of three trustees who often, though not always, vote in lockstep with one another: Milton Marks, Chris Jackson, and himself.

Board President John Rizzo was the wild card, and with only Natalie Berg and Anita Grier opposing, the decision was already three to two before the vote was even taken.

NATURAL ALLIES Ngo’s part in the passage of the program goes past his role in the boardroom. He often meets with members of SMAC after board meetings to debrief with them.

“SMAC and I are natural allies. I was them. My wife was them. My wife was a City College student,” he said in a recent telephone interview. He repeated the sentiment at the recent contentious board meeting where the placement test policy passed.

There is no doubt that Ngo feels strongly about student equity. But empathy may not be his only motivation in allying with SMAC. The Guardsman asked if it was improper to have a select group of students who consistently speak behalf of policies he backs at board meetings. Ngo replied that in the board split, Berg has her own allies in the Academic

Senate, and that the same group that recognized club meetings as of faculty would rebut him time open to all students, rules pointand time again. “They all have ed out to us by Dean of Student allies, on the board,” he said.

Activities Samuel Santos.

Building allies and political SMAC is also funded by allegiances is the name of the game a private non-profit advocacy in politics. But in this scenario, group, Coleman Advocates. students are being coached and Dean Santos said that there recruitare no City ed by College respected rules that profesprohibit “It’s easy to say to sionals student who they clubs from a student that trust in the receiving they can wait. It’s classroom, funds from who lead outside not your life, it’s SMAC. groups their life. The SMAC but said it stakes are just advocates is highly for many unusual; he higher for them” policies is currently -Trustee Steve Ngo investithat would benefit gating the students, ramificabut opertions of ate in a the dual shroud of funding. secrecy. They frequently rebuff Ngo sees no problem with reporters with canned phrases their dual funding. He argued that such as “we need time to process faculty and staff have ample time this information,” and “I cannot to learn how to navigate school speak for the group, you’ll have politics, allowing themselves to to ask the group.” be forceful advocates on their When Guardsman reporters, own behalf. If students are being who are students, stopped in to paid to advocate, it helps free up observe a SMAC meeting in order their time to become better at the to speak with the group, we were political game by learning the ins told to leave by the club leader and outs of the system, he said.

Lena Carew (who is no longer a It was that system that seemed City College student, but attends to agitate Steve Ngo the night of CAL), and that the meeting was the vote on Placement Plus One. private and were told to leave.

ROLE MODELS The Guardsman reporters then SMAC students gave impascited Inter-Club Council code sioned speeches during public

comment on April 26. Ngo followed suit. He ripped into English department faculty, who were requesting implementation in spring 2013 instead of fall 2012.

Ngo’s statements began kindly enough, as he responded to the multitudes of people that came up to speak during public comment. .

“The problem with our discourse is it’s very toxic, very partisan and very political. I’ll take some ownership of that,” he said.

Then he started to get personal.

“It’s easy to say to a student that they can wait. It’s not your life, it’s their life. The stakes are just higher for them, than they are for you. It’s a fact,” he said, and his voice started to raise. “You have a job, you will grade papers, you will lecture, and in the mean-

time, these students will wait another year to endure a policy you know is failing. Why are they sacrificial?”

“Shame on you,” shouted Paolo Sapienza, a matriculation officer, interrupting Ngo. “This is board discussion, don’t talk to us that way.”

Ngo stopped speaking, and SMAC students started shouting “shame on you” right back. One student shouted, “this is my life,” as the SMAC students all began to shout down Sapienza.

Trustee Ngo is currently running in the November election to retain his seat on the Board of Trustees.

Trustee Steve Ngo reacts to a committee’s criticism of the Board of Trustees during a meeting at the San Francisco Community College District Administration Office on Jan 24, 2011. BRYCE YUKIO ADOLPHSON / THE GUARDSMAN

10 | May 16-May 29, 2012 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com

OPINIONS

An insider’s view on College Governance

By Jeffrey Fang

THE GUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS/ NEWS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

June 1st, 2010, the day I started wearing the title of "Student Trustee" of CCSF. Now after two terms as the representative of 100,000 students to the Board of Trustees, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the chance to serve the students. It has been an absolute honor and I will always cherish the memory as well as appreciate the experience.

Coming into the job during a time of political division resulting from certain aspects of the Student Equity Hearing conducted by select members of the Board, I decided right away the central focus of my tenure should be practical solutions without divisive identity politics, as well as getting the various factions within the college to work together to weather the overall budget crisis.

I worked with Trustee Ngo to continue the Equity Hearings during my first semester as Student Trustee in a much more effective and collegial manner.

I also traveled to Sacramento to advocate for sorely needed funding for the College (including March in March).

Additionally, I have also pushed for a Parcel Tax when our Board of Trustees hesitated. To

that end, I hope I have accomplished enough for the student body and the college.

As a student, academics always comes first but the last two years of drastic and short sighted budget cuts have jolted overall student life into a constant state of uncertainty much akin to a badly designed roller coaster ride.

The frustrating reality is that when funding dissipates due to economic downturn, demands for classes to retrain the workforce skyrockets. Surprisingly, an even more difficult task is to convince the many legislators that higher education should never be a partisan issue because it serves to maintain a large middle class in the long run. At this point, it suffices to say we have faced the challenges as a college but still face an uphill battle to restore the minimum necessary to serve our community effectively.

And after pounding the pavement for two years advocating across the state, the one thing every student and community leader statewide finds surprising is the fact that City College of San Francisco is 100,000 strong, with ten campuses and nine Associated Student Councils. We are, as matter of fact, the Sleeping Giant among the 112 California

Community Colleges. Confident in my knowledge of the potential CCSF possess, here is my parting message to all of us: We, the student leaders, need to assume responsibility of effective communication to the overall student body because we have been in too long of a slumber and must wake up to do our part to protect not only our beloved school but also the fate of the California Community College System!

Lastly, one of the duties as Student Trustee is to have regular publication in the Guardsman.

Unfortunately, it has taken me till the last month of my second term to finally get it going. Yet one of the things I have always firmly believed is the continuity of leadership and I am happy to know Student Trustee-elect William Walker will now have this platform to communicate with students in the future.

Jeffry Fang will continue his term until June of 2012. The new student trustee, Will Walker, has a candidate statement you can watch on the Shared Governance website at CCSF.edu.

Is CCSF worth it?

It wasn’t supposed to get this personal: it was supposed to be a bi-weekly column discussing issues in education with a title that doesn’t quite make sense.

But it’s boiled down to a very difficult, rather important question: is college worth it? (With “it” being a rather abstract notion based in the ability to think critically and be financially successful.)

I’ve witnessed the fall of critical thinking and the rise of standardized testing. I’m aware of the cavernous pit of student debt waiting to swallow anyone who’s confident enough to sign the dotted line. I see the value of a degree and recognize that soon a bachelor’s will be required to bag groceries. I’ve been taught the definition of success is not very broad. I’m not sure if I’m too smart, or just too pessimistic, for a college education.

A very intelligent individual, Ariel Armelino, told me she wasn’t proud that she completed her undergrad. To her, it was a “waste of time hurdle” and she doesn’t “feel much smarter or much more prepared than [she] did four years ago”.

She’s continuing to pursue her

Ph.D. in psychology, and says, “I don't think that the meaningful classes make up for the waste of time, but because I am such an academic I keep pursuing them in hope that someone, somewhere will teach me something a textbook and multiple-choice exam cannot.”

Of course, there are others (notably more in the sciences, though even some from the humanities) who agree that their education was “completely worth it” — though a few admitted that a large part of their education could have been skipped, and that if classes were more focused on understanding than fact learning, they would have been much more meaningful.

Most say that only the later part of their education challenged and educated them. All agree on the fact that good teachers matter; however instructors that emphasize correlation and critical thought over memorization and regurgitation seem to be the exception, not the rule.

So is college worth it? It depends on the school, on the teachers, on the area of study, but mostly it depends on you.

The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | May 16-May 29, 2012 | 11

Opinions

Socialism : a cure for capitalistic sickness

By Alex Schmaus

THE GUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS/ EDITOR@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

A ghost is haunting global capitalism - the ghost of socialism.

The more boastful supporters of our current economic system declare capitalism guarantees freedom, democracy and opportunity, but the falseness of their claims is becoming increasingly obvious.

The global recession that began in 2007 affected a significant reduction in most people’s standard of living - even in the world’s wealthiest country.

According to a Sentier Research report, real median annual household income in the United States declined by 9.8% during the period from December 2007 to June 2011.

“We’re now living in a world of zombie economic policies - policies that should have been killed by the evidence that all of their premises are wrong, but which keep shambling

along nonetheless,” Nobel-Prize winning economist Paul Krugman said last month in the New York Times.

Krugman argues that relentless budget cuts to public education and social services in a depressed economy are “selfdefeating; by shrinking the economy and hurting long-term revenue, austerity . . . makes the debt outlook worse.”

A “global perfect storm” looms for 2013 in which the U.S. economy could fall back into recession and the euro area will begin to break up, economist Nouriel Roubini said to CNBC last week.

Roubini, who has worked for the Federal Reserve, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, was compelled in August to admit that Karl Marx had it right.

“At some point, capitalism can destroy itself,” Roubini said

to the Wall Street Journal. “You cannot keep shifting income from labor to capital without having an excess capacity and a lack of aggregate demand. That’s what has happened. We thought that markets worked. They’re not working. The individual can be rational. The firm, to survive and thrive, can push labor costs more and more down, but labor costs are someone else’s income and consumption. That’s why it’s a self-destructive process.”

But Roubini is no revolutionary, he aims to use Marx’s ideas to save the system from itself.

Marx, however, thought that an alternative to capitalism could only begin to be built through a revolution that overthrew the oppressor class and opened up space for the working class and its allies to reconstruct democracy.

Such ideas also have deep roots in the United States.

During his life Martin Luther King Jr. was received by the oppressor class with the most furious hatred and an unscrupulous campaign of lies and slander.

But after his death, attempts were made to convert King into a harmless icon, to canonize him, to hallow his name, while omitting, obscuring and distorting the revolutionary edge of his words and his revolutionary soul.

King understood that racism, war and exploitation were natural to American capitalism. In his 1967 “Where do we go from here” speech, he addresses capitalism by saying that in order to free ourselves “the whole structure must be changed . . . America must be born again!”

Changing the whole structure of a global society dominated by American capitalism is a huge undertaking, but one made urgent by eminent threats of further financial crises that will only get

worse.

Occupy Wall Street pushed the problems of inequality and class toward the center of political debate and highlighted the possibility of an alternative to society based on exploitation and oppression.

But the organized forces of the international revolutionary left are numerically insignificant and largely inexperienced in struggle, so we have to work hard at reconstructing working class movements and organizations.

If you think an alternative to capitalism is possible and want to get involved in the struggle to unite the workers of the world, please contact the International Socialist Organization: iso@ norcalsocialism.org

City College : a challenging but rewarding experience

By Thomas Figg-Hoblyn

THE GUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS/ NEWS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

City College was an extremely rewarding, albeit challenging experience. I made it in two years, earning my associates degree and transferring to San Francisco State.

I had a great counselor, Lisa Romano, who guided me the whole time, and my financial aid was smooth and painless.

And most of all, my teachers were awesome.

It has been quite a while since I was last in school, so there were

some serious holes in my education, particularly in math.

I tested in to basic math and English 96, which I was ok with, considering the last time I took an English class was when I was 15, and I basically taught myself how to write from a lifetime of reading.

I put in a tremendous number of hours and learned a tremendous amount of knowledge.

The instruction at City College was exceptional. You

An apology, and new opportunity for vets

I apologize for publishing the claims against the Veteran’s Alliance in The Guardsman.

The Guardsman is a journalistic endeavor that requires source citations which are difficult to get when dealing with veteran’s interpersonal issues. However, I feel that the issues I raised not only have merit, but also considerable weight and I will respond personally and publicly to them on the pages of my blog; www. ccsfvets.com In the last issue, Miles Foltz, the president of the City College Veteran’s Alliance, wrote a response to the issues I had raised.

These issues, brought to my attention by multiple members of the Veteran’s Alliance, included transparency of the current

administration, validity of past and upcoming elections and even concerns about student intimidation and harassment (bullying).

At Foltz’s first opportunity to address the concerns I had raised, he decided instead to attack me and my character. Furthermore, I have never and will never launch any attacks on the student veteran community. I think it is cowardly that Foltz tries to spin it as such.

From the beginning I had stated that my concerns regarded only 2 or 3 individuals.

Looking Forward In each issue of Veteran’s Corner this semester I have spread awareness of problems veterans face while attending school, so that every veteran can have an easier time. I wanted to do some-

hear all the time that it’s the teachers at City College that make the difference - and they do. You get a lot of one-on-one attention, and if you show respect and work hard, they will give you what you need.

My English teachers were incomparable, including Francine Foltz in 96, John Fielding in 1A and Erwin Barron in 1B. My journalism advisors were top-notch, and I have probably learned more about journal-

ism and reporting here at City College than what they teach at the university level.

Math instructor Can Celik was able to successfully teach me algebra, geometry and trigonometry over several semesters, and I am forever grateful to his patience and wisdom.

And Marco Mojica taught me a different perspective in Latin American Studies, particularly regarding how most of us are manipulated by the wealthy

and elite, whether we know it or not. What you think is a good cause, may be someone else’s master plan.

But my favorite teacher will always be Art History Instructor Dr. Maria Cheremeteff, for her brilliance, spirit and elegance.

My City College education is priceless, and now that I have it, along with my life’s experience, the world is my oyster.

See ya!

thing and I wanted to get more involved. I grew more concerned at the constant challenges that I and many other veterans faced.

I felt like something needed to be done to make being a student veteran as simple as possible.

We needed an organization for student veterans linking them to each other, to their community and to the considerable resources and benefits they have at their disposal. But also student veterans needed more options setting them up, not just for success, but for life. And this is how the new organization, Vets SF, began.

This idea to create an organization connecting student veterans in the San Francisco Bay Area was born out of the frustration at the lack of infrastructure. I envision a place where everyone is welcome and equal. We all have a voice, and not only do we all deserve to be heard, but I will make sure everyone will be heard. Most importantly this is an organization for student veterans by student veterans. We have

to take charge of our own future and be responsible for it; we can’t rely on others to take action on our behalf.

Vets SF is not for political gain, and anyone who wishes to contribute in any way is always free to do so. We will not take credit for your work, and credit will be given when and where credit is due. Nobody will be bullied and nobody will be shunned and pushed out. I’m not alone in my endeavor; there are many talented individuals who have come forth with me to found Vets SF, individuals who care

ing over 1,000 sailors. His life was put on the line numerous times, “So Others May Live.” He brings his talents in knowledge of financial systems and business savvy to the team. You could even say he is the Business Head of Vets SF. “Today there are unlimited organizations and individuals that ‘Support the Troops,’” says Burnette. “But how? Many Veterans benefits are unadvertised and unknown by most of the Veterans Community. I would like to pool together resources and benefits available to share with all Veterans.

This would be mutually beneficial to both Veteran and companies.

And honestly, who doesn’t want to get hooked up?

What company doesn’t want to have customers talking about how great they are and what all they offer? This is a win-win.”

As the saying goes, “You served us, now let us serve you.”

about veterans and who intimately know the challenges student veterans face in the Bay Area.

Lee Burnette, a founding member of Vets SF, served five years in the U.S. Navy before continuing his education at City College. While in the Navy, Lee was the lead search and rescue swimmer for three ships protect-

12 | May 16-May 29, 2012 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com

SPORTS

Records shattered

By Einar Sevilla

THE GUARDSMAN / @EINARSEVILLA / NEWS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

City College’s track and field team has set a goal of reaching All-American status this season.

Their athletes are performing at high levels and breaking school records on their way to the state championships.

With their performance at the NorCal finals last weekend, the Track & Field team drew one step closer to their goal by having a handful of athletes moving on to State Championships.

Collegiate athletes reach AllAmerica status when they place in the top four in a particular event at the State Championships.

Sprints coach Doug Owyang said, “to be NorCal Champion is our goal, to make it to the state meet, and to vie for All-American status... and I think we have individuals in relays that can possibly do it.”

“We’ve established that we are some of the tops in the events we are (competing) in for the NorCal Finals,” he said.

Owyang said that there are many top-level athletes on the team this season, and that Erica Williams has demonstrated that she is among the elite competitors in the state.

Williams broke a 20-year-old

City College of San Francisco record by 100 points with her performance in the heptathlon at the NorCal Community College Championships in April.

She went on to break another school record with her 38.25 foot Triple Jump at the NorCal Finals on May 11 and 12.

“I worked about ten times harder this season then I ever had my entire life and it definitely showed,” Williams said.

The track portion of the team has been more successful than the field portion because of a lack of representation in field competitions. Williams has succeeded in both as a multi-event competitor Field Coach Greg Bianci said.

“On the men’s side, we’re pretty dominant in the sprints,” Owyang said. “We had the fastest time in the NorCal trials in the 4x4 (relay).”

The 4x4 relay team, comprised of all freshmen, will also be competing in the State Championship after qualifying at the NorCal Finals with a time of 3:13.

City College’s men’s team ranked fifth at the Coast Conference Championships, while the women’s team ranked fourth.

Erica Williams trains with her coach Greg Bianchi at a track and field practice at the Ocean Campus on May 14. Williams broke a 20-year-old heptathlon record by 100 points at the Nor Cal Community College Championships in April. VINCENT PALMIER / THE GUARDSMAN

“For the first time we actually had a solid girl’s squad instead of it just being me and another girl like last season,” Williams said.

First year students Alex Foster and Jarrett Moore have proven very valuable in the team’s preliminary competitions, and have helped lead City

College on the road to the state championships.

Foster placed second in the 800 meter event, and Moore placed fifth in the 1500 meter event at NorCal Finals. Both will compete in State Championships.

“The treatment you get here coaching-wise, and academically,

is nothing compared to any other junior college,” Williams said.

Both Athletes and coaches athletes have worked hard all season to make it to State Championships which will be held May 18 and 19 at Cerritos College in Los Angeles.

Women’s swim finishes year on strong note 19-21.

The Rams’ finish was the best ever for City College at the Coast Conference Championship and an improvement from last year’s fifth-place result.

Swimmers Carrie Guilfoyle and Roselin Sretpisalsilp were two new stars who performed well both at the Coast Conference Championship and at the State Championship.

Assistant Coach Alyssa Stember and state In the qualifiers Roselin Strepisalsilp and Carrie Coast ConferGuilfoyle during a swim practice on May 8. ence, Guilfoyle SHANE MENEZ / THE GUARDSMAN finished with

By Lucas Almeida a final time of THE GUARDSMAN / @LPA_SFREPORTER / 1:00.63 in the women’s 100 LALMEIDA@THEGUARDSMAN.COM butterfly, which secured her an City College Women’s swimindividual Coast Conference ming finished their third season Championship in that event. showing improvement and knowIn the State Championship ing they reached their goals – Guilfoyle competed in three indito perform better at the Coast vidual events. Her best result was Conference Championship and in the 100 butterfly placing in 14th qualify more swimmers to the with final time of 1:01.53, 17th in State Championship held April the 50 butterfly with preliminary 26-28 at East L.A College with time of 27.70 and 18th in the 100 two swimmers making to state. medley with preliminary time of The women’s swim team 1:04.60. placed second at the Coast Guilfoyle analyzed the past Conference Championship held two seasons swimming for the at College of San Mateo April Rams as a positive one, not only

individually, but she congratulates the team effort as well.

“First of all it’s been very fun to say the least. I started swimming last year competitively for the first time in like close to 12, 13 years and I had to relearn a lot of swimming techniques,” Guilfoyle said. “It took me the whole season last year to develop myself as a swimmer and it was really this second season where I could finally move up to my potential as a swimmer and I was able to set goals for myself and I exceeded all those which was really fun.”

She added: “In terms of the team, I think having co-captains and leadership that make to state is a really good example for swimmers who are very committed for them the following years to say, ‘I can do that too.’ Because last year seeing Alyssa (Stember) go (to the state championship), I was so excited for her and I kind of followed her own line.

So this year I put my mind to it, I focused, I ate right, I did everything I could to make to state and I was able to do that... and now I can see the swimmers who swam their first year looking up to me and Roselin saying, ‘If they can do it, I can do it too.’”

Guilfoyle also shared her successful season with Alyssa Stember who was the assistant coach alongside Pham this season and the first star of the swimming program placing 7th in the State Championship last season in the 50 backstroke and also receiving All-American Honor both break-

ing school records and academically with a 3.69 GPA. Not to mention that Stember was severely injured throughout last year’s season and on many occasions had to be pulled out of the water due to Thoracic outlet syndrome in her right shoulder but still proudly writing her name on City College swim team history.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Thoracic outlet syndrome is rare condition that involves pain in the neck and shoulder, numbness and tingling of the fingers, and a weak grip.

The thoracic outlet is the area between the rib cage and collar bone.

The second star and co-captain this season, Stetpisalsilp, won multiple individual Coast Conference Championships finishing first in both the 50 backstroke and the 100 backstroke with times of 28.60 and 1:01.08, respectively.

Stetpisalsilp also competed on three individual events in the State Championship with her best result in the 50 backstroke placing in 8th with final time of 28.77, 11th in the 100 butterfly 1:01.60 and 19th in the 200 medley with preliminary time of 2:22.08.

For Stetpisalsilp, better technique and commitment were crucial for improving hers and the team’s result this season.

“We had better technique this year, we worked on a lot of drills and things to help us focus,” Stetpisalsilp said.

Assessing the season she said

everyone was close which helped everyone push each other do their best.

Now with the season over and remarkable goals achieved, Head coach Phong D Pham is accomplished with the effort and commitment the swim team showed this season.

“I saw improvement not just at their times (swimming results) but also the number of swimmers that came down for the team and the numbers of swimmers that competed and finished the season,” Pham said. “We had 24 swimmers finish the season and that’s the largest number in the last three years. They were committed to be on the team and work hard. That’s definitely great and we’re moving on the right direction.”

Pham said this year the team focused a lot on stroke techniques, kicking, starts and turns and visualization that helped time improvement and better results in the Coast conference championship and qualifying more athletes to the State Championship.

Even though the swimming program is getting better each new season, Pham said he knows he will need to work more on better recruiting to get talented student-athletes since he is losing two of his starts, Guilfoyle and Stetpisalsilp. For next season he has his eyes on few remaining swimmers with good potential, he said. Mara Allen is breaststroke swimmer and Haylei Plageman’s best event is freestyle.

The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | May 16-May 29, 2012 | 13

CULTURE

College radio app brings more music to your fingertips

By Beth LaBerge

THE GUARDSMAN / @BETHLABERGE / BLABERGE@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

There is a buzz on the internet radio waves at City College’s KCSF station as the student DJs go live through a new smart phone app.

This semester KCSF has tapped into the new outlet of app radio through a free program called TuneIn, which means that ‘your community, your radio’ can be heard anytime, anywhere.

The station continues to stream live online, while this app puts KCSF on the map with other local stations and makes independent radio more accessible.

“What college radio does especially is give freedom and access to DJs to play music or to play artists that aren’t otherwise known to the public,” Program Director and City College student Matias Godinez said.

College and independent

radio stations have long been a club for music aficionados, exposing up-and-coming bands as well as being a voice for their community. As AM and FM terrestrial mainstream radio stations empty of personality, and independent stations decline, internet, satellite and smart phones bring a world of stations to your fingertips.

“There are a few shows out there on KCSF that provide that outlet and actually bring in underground artists,” Godinez said.

The TuneIn app has taken almost all of the digital online stations including college radio, commercial (other than CBS and ClearChannel), non-commercial, and community freeform and put them together with one click.

“They’re giving college radio stations a chance to access their library and put people on the air,”

Godinez said.

While there may be a continued market for AM/FM radio, the way of expanding throughout not only the country, but the world, is through internet radio and smart phone apps.

“We have people call in [to the station], some people call from Europe,” said Dr. Cecil Hale, General Manager of the station since 1986.

Since Hale took over as General Manager, coming from a background of radio experience as a radio DJ and Capitol Records executive, he has seen many changes at the station, from records to digital and now apps.

“We’ve changed in terms of equipment. When I first came here we had very old equipment.

Some of the stuff we used years ago was newer than the stuff they had here. We finally became a digital station about 10 years ago.

KCSF DJ Frank Spencer, The Headiest Host from Coast to Coast, goes on air with an impromptu broadcast on May 9 at the Ocean Campus. His regular broadcast is a pschedelic program entitled You Enjoy My Station. BETH LABERGE / THE GUARDSMAN

And the station has been growing technologically ever since,” Hale said.

In the age of internet and app radio technology, KCSF’s 90.9 terrestrial station may seem outof-date. It can still be heard on the FM dial, but only as far as the Ocean Campus parking lot.

Inside the KCSF station The sparsely decorated, windowless and decidedly unpretentious radio station on the Ocean Campus is a broadcast of love for its students and produces entertainment that is anything but bland.

The passionate DJs take their listeners on a musical expedition filled with independent bands, mash-up mixes and hyper local news.

This band of laid back radio broadcasters produce their programs in a station roughly 6 x 8 ft, filled only with the essentials--mixing board, automation computer system, microphones, and speakers. While their sister location at the Mission Campus houses new radio broadcasting equipment that sits unused.

The delay in operation is caused by a lack of funding to buy equipment used to establish a link between the two campuses.

Once that link is in place, broadcasting can rotate between the two stations offering diversity of locales and more space for the students.

“It is my intent to make this a fully functionally adjunct of KCSF. The biggest problem has been finances. As you’ve heard over and over and over again, we are broke. We are getting there

bit by bit. I’m hoping sometime in the next year we’ll make that happen,” Hale said.

Despite the setback KSCF produces a variety of programs that change with every semester, and the inventory of music keeps growing. This semester they host Mash-Up Mondays, Working Man Wednesdays, and World Music Fridays, as well as continuing live sports coverage of football and men’s and women’s basketball home games.

KCSF runs live from 9am to 9pm, if no one misses their shift.

The system runs on automation in the downtime, and throughout the night and weekends so there is never dead air.

“We can set an entire years worth of radio programming in a couple days and lock this door and walk away and the station would run and make it sound like there’s somebody in here being live on the air. We could do that, but we don’t. We like to be live on the air,” said third semester radio student Frank Spencer, aka “The Headiest Host from Coast to Coast” who runs a psychedelic program entitled You Enjoy My Station which runs every Mon, Wed and Fri from 9am to 10am.

They will be running all summer and will be live again next semester with new shows, sports coverage and promotional giveaways in an effort to promote TuneIn and to convince City College students of the importance of college radio.

Live stream of the station can can be found at KCSFRadio.com and the app can be downloaded at TuneIn.com, search KCSF.

A new documentary reveals the musical soul of Rastafari Bob Marley

By Emma Winkles

CONTRIBUTOR / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / NEWS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

On April 20, the Marley documentary directed by Kevin MacDonald was released, showing footage of Marley, his family, the people he grew up with in Jamaica and other musicians who helped mold his ideas and music.

In a world filled with prejudice due to the color of our skin and cultural differences, one man who felt this oppression turned that negativity around into a lyrical beat that touched the hearts of people worldwide and united them with the power of his words, known to many as Bob Marley.

The 144 minute documentary emphasized Marley’s extremely hard work ethic and competitiveness, although it took some time for people to start recognizing the beauty and reflectiveness of Marley’s lyrics, he was willing to make his message heard through the power of his music.

Marley wanted to make it known that his motives weren’t to make money, but to spread a message.

Eventually when he started to reel in the dough, a journalist in the documentary asked him about his wealth to which he responded,

“does possession make you rich? My rich is life.”

Marley may have worked hard, but he also knew how to play hard. He was well known for his every day intake of the ganja.

Kevin Brown a student who is president of the City College cannabis club called Students for Marijuana Access and Rescheduling Today (SMART) said, “There are several different strains with unique qualities and effects.”

Illustration of Bob Marley by Emma Winkles / The Guardsman Marley, for examreputation was tied in perfect- agreed and said, “just don’t ple, used it as inspiration and a ly well with his fans. During a smoke and drive.” way to relax his mind - similar to concert in Africa his fans yelled 31 years after his death, those who enjoy a beer or two at the words “ganja” in association Marley’s message of love and the end of a long day. to his name. unity reigns, and his music “It’s not unhealthy, like “It shouldn’t be a main focus continues to move the souls of the government propaganda makes cuz there’s way too much other masses. it out to be,” Brown said, yet we shit for the authorities to focus “To me personally, Bob seem to have been socialized to on,” said full time City College Marley being an icon in reggae believe otherwise. student Amani Johnson during an music, and reggae music itself, Marley was identified so interview on campus. unifies all people- it’s inclusive much with marijuana that the Jazz Howard, City College to me,” Johnson said. Her family documentary flaunted how his student and friend of Johnson attends the Sierra Nevada reggae

festival every year because of their deep love for reggae music.

The documentary also touched into Marley’s many love affairs. It wasn’t hard to believe that Marley was such a ladies man.

With the amount of passion and striking musical lyrics about life and work, it was impossible for women not to fall for him.

The richness of his life and his passion to live and learn lead him to identify himself as a Rastafarian, a religion developed in Jamaica in the 1930’s that worships God and his reincarnate self, Haile Selassie I, who was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974.

“This is my identity,” Marley said, referring to his dreadlocks which is a fundamental part of being a Rastafari.

Clips from the documentary showed Marley dancing aggressively, fearless and completely lost in the music, tossing and shaking his dreadlocks as if to release all the animosity he ever felt so that all that was left was joy.

14 | May 16-May 29, 2012 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com

Latino American experience celebrated through comics

CCSF Events Calendar

By Catherine Lee / The Guardsman / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / CLEE@THEGUARDSMAN.COM THU/MAY 17

Grasiela Rodriguez author of “Lunatic Fringe” and “Sprada” and Michael Aushenker author of the “El Gato, Crime Mangler” series speak with attendees at La Raza Comica: LatinoAmerican comic arts exhibition at the Cartoon Art Museum on May 5. Aushenker also wrote the current issue of Matt Groening’s “Bart Simpson” comic #70. Photos by SHANE MENEZ / THE GUARDSMAN

By Oz Litvac

THE GUARDSMAN / @OLITVAC / OLITVAC@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

On May 5 a panel discussion was held at the Latino Comics Expo, covering topics such as Mexico and Latin American Mythology throughout the comic world, featuring City College of San Francisco alumni Isis Rodriguez and several other artists.

“What Alfi Lopez and I have tried to do is create a comic book that represents authentic mexican conscience,” Rodriguez said during the panel discussion.

Speaking of the collaboration project, NInaji, a comic illustrated by Rodriguez and written by Alfi Lopez.

The comic is based on a Oaxacan legend about a princess who was assassinated because of a broken treaty between Mixtecs and Zapotecs tribes in the 1500’s.

Workshops and lectures were held throughout the two days of the exhibit, local and bay area artist were in attendance and were able to meet and greet their fans. Kids and adults indulged in the many aspects of the comic world and even collected the new BATICALACA posters given out by one of the co-founders of the

LCE, Javier Hernandez.

On May 4 a reception was held where people ate peanuts and drank bad wine in the words of artist Mario Hernandez.

Mario along with his two brothers Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez created the comic series LOVE & ROCKETS. The Expo also featured short sessions such as Making Zines with Locals, including Bay Area Cartoonists discussing how personal experience influence their work.

Xeric-Award winner Rafael Navarro, and Michael Aushenker creator of El Gato: Crime Mangler series were there. Navarro won the award for his series known as Sonambulo.

Attendees also included Bay Area natives, creative team Mario T. Lanao & Christian Garcia known for “Reluctant Zero”, a comic revolving around an illegal immigrant from Guatemala named Guillermo “memo” Morales who dreams of supporting his family with a t-shirt company starring his sketches.

“City Shorts” Student Film Festival – 6 to 8 p.m. @ Diego Rivera Theater, Ocean campus: The annual festival of films made at City College always offers an exciting array of fictional narrative, documentary and experimental short films.

All the films have been made at City College by students from countries all over the world.

The festival itself is the final project of a cinema class whose mission is to make and present a film festival. The festival usually receives over 100 entries which are curated into a comprehensive festival by professional filmmakers who volunteer as a jury panel. A combination of ardent film lovers, high production values, award-winning instructors and a wildly diverse student body makes this film festival one of the best in the Bay Area, and certainly the cheapest at $2. Reception at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m.

SAT/MAY 19 Memorial for Family of “Chantel” Chia Huei Chu - Tree planting 9 to 11 a.m. and ceremony at 11 a.m. @ Phelan Garden (corner Phelan and Ocean across from Ocean campus): In March a family was brutally murdered in their house across the street from the City College Ocean campus and Lick Wilmerding High School on Howth Street. Two of the victims were City College students at one time, and “Chantel” Chia Huei Chu was currently taking ESL classes and was beloved by her classmates. To bring the school community, the neighborhood, local students at Lick Wilmerding and family members together to “unite the neighborhood and start the healing process,” local community groups are holding a service for the five victims.

They will prepare and plant five trees to memorialize the family and a public service is planned from 11 a.m. onward. Everyone in the community is welcome to attend and no RSVPs are required. To donate or get involved contact Alex Mullaney at amullaney@gmail.com.

State Conference to Organize Student Activists and Supporters for California Community Colleges – time TBD; proposed 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. @ Santa Monica Community College: In a follow up to the conference hosted at City College of San Francisco on May 12, the southern California students are hosting a day of community organizing. The proposed discussions will include how to form a community college student union which will represent all 112 colleges and form a political block to support affordable and accessible adult education for Californians. Students may physically participate with carpools and homestays being coordinated from San Francisco – contact for info Associated Student Council President Shanell Williams at swilli13@mail.ccsf.edu.

All supporters are encouraged to submit proposals and ideas to create a community college student union at

castudentsunion@gmail.com and those proposals will be discussed and documented at the conference. To get involved in the new student movement to “Put the Community Back in Community Colleges” contact the CCSF Associated Student Council or Everic Dupuy at everic.turtle@gmail.com.

Swing Dance Soiree - 8pm to 11pm @ Wellness Center Room 307 at the Ocean Campus: The Swing City Dancers student club will be hosting their final event for Spring semester on Saturday, May 19th. It will be a West Coast Swing dance party DJ-ed by Steve Cismowski and Thurman Spriggs. They will be spinning their best West Coast, Lindy and East Coast tunes. The evening begins at 7 pm with a beginning West Coast Swing lesson (taught by CCSF dance faculty member, and club advisor, Steve Rockwell). Admission $5.

SUN/MAY 20 Annual Spring Fashion Show - 6:00 p.m. reception and raffle and 7:00 p.m. fashion show @ Ruby Skye Club (Mason Street): The fashion department proposes to treat fashionistas to an “Ethereal Night” to present the senior collections by student designers presented in high style at a swank downtown nightclub.

The event features four style categories which promise to showcase the diversity of the student body: ladylike, tribal, athletica, and art deco.

All eyes will be swimming with great colors and concepts as the one hour promises 30 models and 60 ensembles. All ages and the public is welcome. No host bar, non-alcholhic, small bites and mocktails will be served. Tickets at the campus bookstores (Ocean, Downtown, Mission), the Fashion Department in Batmale Hall room 210, and at the club door at 5:30 p.m. Students $10 and others $15. Information 415-239-3588 and http://www.ccsf.edu/Departments/Fashion/show2012.html.

THU/MAY 24 Free Chorus Concert – 7 p.m. @ Ocean campus Creative Arts room A133: The Labor Heritage and Rockin’ Solidarity Chorus present their semester end concert, open to the public. The joint forces of City College and Laney College swells for a rockin labor chorus concert. No reservations required.

SAT/MAY 26 Graduation Ceremonies – 10 a.m. @ Ocean campus Ram Stadium: Clap, whoot and cheer the academic wonder of your colleagues’ achievement when they graduate from City College.

Summer time is here, so the calendar will only be updated online - but keep us posted about City College organizing to support California Community Colleges & fundraisers!

Community gathers for Howth Street memorial

By Catherine Lee

THE GUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / CLEE@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

Community groups will gather on March 19 at Phelan Garden at Ocean and Phelan to plant five trees as a memorial to the family who was murdered on March 23 on Howth Street, across from City College.

As previously reported in the April 4 issue of The Guardsman, five people were murdered in their home and two of the victims had connections to City College – “Chantel” Chia Huei Chu was a current student and her husband Vincent Yuanji Lei was registered but not currently enrolled in

classes.

The tree planting will provide a public ceremony for the community to come together where all the student colleagues, family, friends and the general community can unite with the neighborhood and start the healing process, according to the newsletter of the neighborhood non-profit Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse, who are co-sponsoring the event.

“This is a wound in the neighborhood.

We’re trying to do something nice,” said

Alexander Mulaney, editor and publisher of the neighborhood newspaper Ingleside Light, another event co-sponsor.

The other murdered members of the family were husband and wife Hua Shun Lei, Wan Yi Wu and their daughter Ying Xue Lei. Vincent Lei was their son, whose wife was “Chantel.” A suspect is in custody.

In an “Ingleside Light” editorial about the difficulty of dealing with the brutality of the murders and the impact on the

community, Mulaney wrote, “The best way to cope is to come together, work together and be together.”

In association with the Friends of the Urban Forest, Lick Wilmerding High School and others, the tree planting will be held from 9 to 11 a.m., with a public ceremony at 11 a.m. The public is encouraged to donate and get involved by contacting the Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse.

Supervisor John Avalos is also scheduled to attend the ceremony.

A

group of famous Bay Area poster artists made a rocking contribution to people in the Occupy movement by designing and donating thousands of large color posters at demonstrations.

At the Nov. 2 General Strike in Oakland, the artists, printers and others gave away about 6000 “Occupy Oakland” posters in the downtown area and at the West Oakland BART station.

The poster artists made three designs for the General Strike.

They added seven more designs for the West Coast Port Shutdown in December and as of February 2012 are now up to eight posters with 13 designs. Five of the eight posters have different designs on each side and the other three posters have the same design on both sides.

Alexandra Fischer, who designed four of the posters, said, “There is a certain personality attracted to being a poster artist which makes the jump from rock poster art to Occupy art pretty easy. (Poster artists) are not necessarily anti-establishment, but they’re definitely people who are ready to express an opinion and they often have strong political views.”

Between the seven poster artists, they have designed hundreds of Fillmore and Warfield concert posters, and posters for concerts by eminent artists like the Black Keys, Bob Dylan, Public Enemy, Primus, Oasis, Jewel, the Dead Kennedys, the Grateful Dead, and Eric Clapton.

They have made posters for the Summer of Love Anniversary, the California State Fair music exhibition, and album and t-shirt art for bands like Green Day and Santana.

For many of the artists, making politically-charged prints, ‘zines, and paintings is as personally essential to their body of work as is their rock art. Chris Shaw jokes that in that political arena, “We’re professional shinkickers.”

Shaw said that he and Fischer were watching the Occupy movement unfold they realized that “there seemed to be a lack of a single defining message in the Occupy Wall Street movement.

And we realize that the ‘manymessage 99 percent’ is one of its strengths, but we still felt we needed something to mark an event and do it in a mass way.

Posters could help do this.”

After witnessing the Oct. 25 events in Oakland when the streets

Poster by Carolyn Ferris

The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | May 16-May 29, 2012 | 15

OCCUPY! ...this poster.

How the Occupy movement was moved with inspiring art.

Story by Catherine Lee Clee@theguardsman.com

Poster by Alexandra Fischer

Poster by Chuck Sperry

were filled with flying objects and teargas, Shaw knew he had to make a poster in response. He has lived and worked in Oakland for over 20 years and has been making political and rock art for just as long.

Shaw’s experience painting giant concert sets and familiarity with enormous entertainment events led him to try a new set of specs for the Occupy posters.

“Some essential design elements were… the poster had to be big enough to be seen in a sea of protesters and posters, the text had to be legible from far away, and they had to be visual enough that a photograph would carry the message,” he said.

Shaw’s instincts were right: even mediocre cell phone photography could spread the posters’ messages. The posters are easily identified in the Occupy footage taken from television broadcasts and posted on YouTube.

“We’re coming from rock posters: we know how to strip down text to an essential message,” said Fischer.

“People always give you a lot more text than is comfortable and part of our design is to compress and rework wording so it fits, but you still have a strong image so the whole message is clear.”

Occupy Poster Art According to Fischer, today’s rock and political posters are the offspring of two generations of Bay Area poster traditions: the

illustrative intensity of the 1960s psychedelic posters and the taut syntax of punk-rock handbills.

The Occupy posters have the superlative design from the rock poster tradition supercharged with instantly recognized words and images: General Strike, Our City, Bulls**t, the clenched fist of solidarity and Rosie the Riveter.

Poster by Ron Donovan

“subprime mortgages” to the real-life plight of neighbors being evicted from their homes.

The physical poster prints are an innovation: double-sided printing. Shaw realized that, “The poster needed to be printed on front and back because of the cameras who are shooting both sides of the poster, often from the back of the crowd.”

Winston Smith, who created one poster with two designs, wrote in an email, “Chris (Shaw’s) idea of printing on both sides of the protest poster doubles the chance(s) that our message will get across.”

Smith is known for his artwork done for the seminal punk rock band the Dead Kennedys. He has been making rock and political art since the 1970s.

Bay Area Poster Tradition Shaw’s lead in organizing the Occupy posters is influenced by his unique role in the printed

Poster by Ron Donovan

From the punk-rock tradition, the messages can be inflammatory with phrases like “The 1% is harvesting our future.”

The designs have evolved over time, gaining message complexity. The final poster from the January 20 “Occupy the Banks” day is a visual sound bite about bank foreclosures that moves beyond the vague concept of

Poster by Winston Smith

Poster by Chris Shaw

poster microculture.

He is the poster art director for the band Moonalice, which plays about 100 concerts a year, and whose love of gig posters is unique in the live music world.

The band is legendary among rock poster lovers because they make a unique poster for every show and give them away as freebies.

Shaw has a roster of 18 to 20 poster artists who are part of the Moonalice poster crew. In addition to supporting the poster artists, Moonalice is covering the printing cost of the Occupy posters. When activists ask if they can donate money to the poster effort, Shaw and friends are able to say thanks, but give your money to the movement.

Because of the support given to the art director and the participating artists by Moonalice, the posters are known as the Moonalice Occupy posters, although the band doesn’t have any visible impact on the posters.

Shaw’s political poster design and organizing builds on the work of another politically-active artist who taught him screenprinting and poster making at Oakland’s CCAC in the 1980s.

“We had a great teacher, Malaquias Montoya, who taught us how to keep it smart – (he) helped us make our work not so punk-rock,” said Shaw.

Poster by Winston Smith

16 | May 16-May 29, 2012 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com

On the runway, Gaultier to CCSF

By Marilyn Fernando

THE GUARDSMAN / @SFBREAKINGNEWS / CULTURE@THEGUARDSMAN.COM

There’s no doubt the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit was made for San Francisco.

Entitled ‘The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk’, the De Young hosted a collection of 140 pieces which runs until August 19.

In addition to clothing, the exhibit also features sketches, televisions looping runway shows, and few pieces of furniture and photography.

A beautiful and well-curated representation of Gaultier’s remarkable 35 year career is gracefully displayed, from the absurd, subtle, to the sophisticated.

Upon entering the exhibit, a sincere hand written note is displayed on the wall simply stating “For San Francisco with love, Jean Paul.” A mannequin with Gaultier’s projected face personally welcomes visitors with warm hospitality and gratitude. What follows is a psychedelic and awe inspiring time line of Gaultier’s creations.

Peaches Christ performs during the event Beautiful Rebels: A Celebration of the World of Gaultier, that she also hosted and curated, at the De Young Museum on Apr. 6. MARILYN FERNANDO / THE GUARDSMAN

His personal philosophy of “Equality, Diversity, and Perversity” is categorized into several themes, ranging from “The Boudoir”, which displays the actual conebra corset Madonna donned in her “Truth or Dare” movie.

Skin Deep”, was a collection inspired by his love of the human body, and “Urban Jungle”, inspired by his hometown of Paris. Other exhibits on display included “Punk Can Can”, an homage to the punk culture he encountered in London, and “Metropolis”, a collection of more recent pieces and movie costumes.

As part of the unofficial welcome wagon for the exhibit from the De Young, was a combination drag and runway show titled ‘Beautiful Rebels: A Celebration of

the World of Gaultier’. The event was held on April 6, and was hosted by San Francisco cult icon and drag favorite, Peaches Christ. The crowd was a healthy blend of the fashion obsessed to the anxious and curious.

The runway show was a cacophony of glitter, sequins, neon and lace. Showcasing some of the best and most diverse of San Francisco’s underground fashion. The designers featured included Mister David, who dazzled with sequins, Tria, who showcased glitter and lace, and Mrs. Vera, who dazzled with a distinct “Burning Man chic” aesthetic.

Cafeteria Fashion show Applying the same unique sensibility and characteristics of Gaultier, the Fashion department at City College held a cafeteria fashion show titled ‘Belle Fleur’ on May first.

Shira Peleg, Cristina Castellanos, Abigail Andrade, Angela Tse & Heather Carnes were among those who developed the fashion show. Along with their fellow group mates, the team of seven created 30 looks which were modeled on a t-shaped, slightly raised runway cutting through the front of the runway and ending in a changing space covered by a lattice fence. From the style report, they combined floral prints and color blocking as their main focuses of their runway show.

Borrowing clothes from local boutiques, thrift stores and designers, the models proudly pranced the runway.

Contributing evening gowns from her job at Altitude Showroom, Heather Carnes commented with a smile, “Honestly, if I didn’t work there, I don’t think they would have let me borrow the clothes.”

When producing these fashion shows, the students are instructed to create outfits inspired by the season’s trend report. “It’s like the fashion bible,” head of the fashion department and mentor to the students, Dianne Green said.

Housing the forth fashion show of the semester, the cafeteria was filled with a combination of onlookers enjoying their food, friends, family, and curious students.

Roughly 30 people made up the friends and family present, while the marginally filled cafeteria created the rest of the audience.

The atmosphere was very casual, as if an extension of a class. The music, much like the clothing had a sweet, approachable, girlie charm to it. Those sitting around the runway remained cemented to their seats, while those enjoying their lunch remained just as transfixed and many stayed for the duration of the show.

Translated into “pretty flower”, this fashion shows recurring theme was a combination of color blocking and floral prints. A weekly occurrence, the fashion shows are a way for students of the fashion

Performers in colors spanning the rainbow at the De Young Museum’s event Beautiful Rebels: A Celebration of the World of Gaultier on Apr. 6 hosted and curated by Peaches Christ. MARILYN FERNANDO / THE GUARDSMAN

Clockwise from top right: Model Sarah Baraka poses with a floral dress in a fashion department cafeteria fashion show called Belle Fleur where clothes were borrowed from local designers and thrift stores and styled by students, on May 1. Marta Fernandez sports a lacey minidress. David Varela works it on the runway. Tristina James beams in a halter top and skirt. VINCENT PALMIER / THE GUARDSMAN

department to display what they’ve learned.

What goes on behind the scenes is an entire circus of chaos. What people fail to recognize is how much work is actually going into creating one of these shows.

“They have to borrow clothing, create outfits, gain publicity, select the music, and get models.” Green said.

The models themselves are a collection of borrowed friends, some students, and if possible, working models. “The most important thing is that they select people who look like working models,” Green said.

“Fashion is business and all of the students show the dedication and drive,” Dorothy Dominique, fashion student and assistant to Green, said. “I’ve noticed that in the science department, people fall asleep in class, here, the students are especially dedicated and hardworking. It’s a competitive field and the students understand this.”

“Belle Fleur” was held nearly a month after the Beautiful Rebels show and with remarkable similarities, there is a feeling of self sustainability and uniqueness that makes fashion look irresistible.

“People in this city wear their emotions,” Dominique said. “They keep it real here,” she added. A mantra which is pure Gaultier.

Something that San Franciscans do better than anyone else when it comes to fashion, simply put, “We’re real with it,” Dominique said. “We’re not trying to out do each other. Fashion here is based on emotions. San Franciscans like to wear their emotions.”

Usually scheduled to run for 30 minutes, this particular fashion show ran for 45 minutes. The reaction from the crowd was sorted, the most applause being garnered by both men participating in the show.

Although there were a few stumbles and slip ups, it was nothing the models couldn’t handle. With a simple smile of acknowledgment, they were back to working their stuff on the runway.

In addition to three more scheduled cafeteria fashion shows, Ethereal night is the next big production for the Fashion Department. Held at Ruby Sky on May 20, this fashion show will display the clothing created by students in the fashion construction classes.