Summer
NEWS: The Guardsman continues over the summer
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CULtUrE: Curry and spirituality for hungry people
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SPOrtS: Rams cheerleaders bring zeal to City College
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C I T Y C O L L E G E O F S A N F R A N C I S C O ’ S N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 3 5
Volume 151, issue 8
TheGuardsman.com
may 18, 2011
EDUCatiON EMErGENCY Inside special B Section Sf fees choke college
CLARIVEL FONG / THE GUARDSMAN
City College Chancellor Don Griffin does not plan to retire this year.
City College chancellor to stay for another year By Brant Ozanich The GUardsman
Chancellor Don Griffin dismissed rumors of his retirement from City College May 16, citing the state’s budget crisis and an $18 to $20 million budget gap as the key reasons he might extend his term another year. Griffin was hired at City College as an instructor in 1969 and has since served as a department chair, dean of instruction, vice chancellor of student development and vice chancellor of academic affairs. Due to the increasing amount of cuts state community colleges are facing, as well as an accreditation process and the possibility of a parcel tax in coming years, Griffin thought he was needed for another year. “It’s all about seeing if we can get through this period as well as select a new chancellor,” he said. “The most I would be seeking is an extension on the contract, maybe an additional year. Either I would get just that one year, or I would ask for an additional year.” While his three and a half year term does not officially end until June 30, 2012, the search for a new chancellor usually takes ten to twelve months, so the decision must be made long ahead of time. When asked where a new chancellor could potentially come
GriffiN: Page 3
City College calls for San Francisco to waive $2 million in fees to get through tough year. B3
Candidates on schools
San Francisco mayoral hopefuls sound off on how they would help the city’s schools. B4
RAMSEY EL-QARE / THE GUARDSMAN
(L-R) High school juniors Jo Kasler, Christine Djan and Larle Trumbly shout at the Capitol on May 13.
Teachers and students declared Californiaʼs education system to be in a state of emergency and held several days of demonstrations in mid-May at the Capitol calling for legislators to extend temporary taxes and avoid bridging a $9.6 billion deficit with further
cuts to public education. This issue of The Guardsman contains a special pullout section on California and San Franciscoʼs public education funding crisis and a look at how City College is bracing for what could be one of the worst years the college has ever faced.
Student stabbed at Mission campus By Brian Rinker The GUardsman
A 21-year-old male City College student was stabbed multiple times during school hours on May 6, allegedly by another City College student, after an argument erupted in the halls of Mission campus. The victim called 911 and remained on the phone line until San Francisco police officers arrived, according to police. He received medical aid on the scene and was then taken to San Francisco General Hospital. The SFPD apprehended a suspect near the scene. He was positively identified as the perpetrator by the victim and by a witness, according to police reports. The suspect is a 17-yearold male from San Francisco, and campus police said he is currently a City College student. He was arrested by SFPD, booked as a juvenile at the
Mission Police Station and charged with attempted murder. His name was withheld because he is a juvenile. “It appears the incident took place inside City College,” SFPD spokesman Sgt. Mike Andraychak said. Andraychak said the stabbing was not gang related, but the reason for the attack was not entirely clear. The incident apparently began as an argument between two students and then escalated into violence. In a police report, one witness said she saw three or four men arguing in the hall on the first floor of the Mission campus before the attack. The victim called 911 at 7:21 p.m. The dispatcher relayed the call and reported a male stabbed in the back. At least five police vehicles responded to the call and arrived on the 100 block of StabbiNG: Page 3
JESSICA NORTH / THE GUARDSMAN
The Consul General of Mexico, Carlos Felix, left, speaks on May 17 of the importance of the Pan American Unity mural created by Diego Rivera for City College.
rivera mural’s cultural value to be promoted By Matthew Gomez The GUardsman
Diego Rivera’s “Pan American Unity,” a mural he painted specially for City College, might find a new home in the next few years as its current location doesn’t fulfill Rivera’s vision. The mural, completed Nov. 13, 1940, has been housed in the Diego Rivera Theatre since
the early 1960’s. The mural was intended to be placed in City College’s first library but the architect, Timothy Pfleuger, died before it could be built. Its current location is not considered optimal for viewing the mural, which stretches to almost 74 feet wide. Rivera envisioned the mural being housed in art: Page 2
2 | May 18, 2011 | The Guardsman & TheGuardsman.com
NEWS
HONOrS: Read Crystal Bungori’s article about City College student presentations at the recent Honors Research Symposium at Stanford University. TheGuardsman.com/Honors
Counselors aid in transfer process By Matthew Gomez
City College Transfer Rate to UC Berkeley and SF State
The GUardsman
1,000 900 Number of Transfer Students
The variety of options facing City College students hoping to transfer to four-year institutions can be overwhelming, which is why counselors in the transfer department work tirelessly to make the process as simple as possible. The transfer department, in Science Hall Room 132, is open to students who want information concerning transfer requirements, the application process, deadlines and other things related to the transfer process. The three full-time counselors, Larry Damato, Grace Hom and Jack Sugawara, are available throughout the week for 30-minute scheduled appointments and drop-in sessions. “They need to start planning from the first semester,” Hom said. “Definitely by the second semester.” At the same time, transferring in general is becoming a more difficult process thanks to budget
800 700 600 500
SF State UC Berkeley SF State closed enrollment Spring 2010
400 300 200 100 0
00/01
01/02
02/03
03/04
04/05
05/06
06/07
07/08
08/09
09/10
Transfer Year source: California Postsecondary Education Commission
RAMSEY EL-QARE / THE GUARDSMAN
cuts and tuition increases. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that another $1 billion cut to California State University schools next semester could cause more class cuts and another tuition increase. Damato, who is department chair and transfer director, mentioned that CSUs will be accepting applications this August for their Spring 2012 semester, something they did
not do last year. The CSUs have not committed to accepting any students, due to budget restraints and the looming cuts, but Damato said any interested students should still send in an application. All application fees will be refunded the if the CSUs decide not to admit any students. He also said schools often update and change their requirements for transferring, which can further complicate the process for
uninformed students. “A lot of students obviously come to community college to explore and find out what they want to do,” Damato said. Phil Kim, 24, was worried he wouldn’t be able to transfer next semester because he hadn’t yet taken a calculus class required of him to be accepted into his major, economics. A counselor told him he would be able to take the class after he transferred, which relieved him of a lot of stress. He’s sent in his applications to University of California schools at Davis, Berkeley and San Diego, and is keeping his fingers crossed because he expects to hear back any day now. He hopes to be a business analyst for a sports company like Nike or Adidas. Hom stressed that taking care of the basics was the first step to a successful transfer process. She said students should take math and English courses every semester until they finish those requirements. “Start off with the basics,”
Hom said. “Get off on the right foot.” Both counselors also mentioned the Transfer Admission Guarantee, offered by seven of the nine University of California colleges. A student will be accepted to the school they apply to (UC Berkeley and UCLA are the exception) so long as they fill out the TAG form and meet the requirements.The forms, which used to be mail-in and available at the transfer center, can now be filled out online. The switch has proven to be popular. Damato said the number of City College students who applied rose from 250 to 1,250 in the last year. By fall 2012, City College students could also be graduating with associate degrees to transfer, which will ensure a student meets eligibility requirements to transfer to a CSU. The first two degrees will be available in communications and psychology. “We’ll see if it really works,” Damato said. “As time goes on, more and more transfer degrees will be added.” Email: mgomez@theguardsman.com
art experts to look into moving mural art: From the front page
a building with a glass facade, so that viewers could step back and see the mural all at once, said William Maynez, a mural historian at City College. “We’re investigating the idea of moving the mural to a better site on campus,” Maynez said. “It’s kind of like if you had the Mona Lisa and you kept it in the closet.” At the same time, Mexico’s Consul General Ambassador Carlos Felix and City College Chancellor Don Griffin signed a memorandum of understanding that ensures they will work together to promote the academic and cultural qualities of the mural. The Friends of the Diego Rivera Murals, a group committed to protecting the mural, is using private donations to hire a team of art experts who will determine if the mural be can safely moved to another location on campus. The team consists of a fine arts transporter, a structural engineer and an art conservator, who will work together to find the safest way to demount, transport and reinstall the mural. The three experts will have to agree on the transportation method. An idea posed by the engineer might make sense from an engineering perspective, while the art conservator sees that it would damage the plaster of the mural. Maynez likened the process to the checks and balances system that makes up the three branches of government. Rivera painted the mural on Treasure Island at the Golden
Gate International Exposition in 1940, said Karina Lopez, who gives free tours of the mural. Lopez said that on an average day, 45 people take the tour. The mural was painted in four months. It is a fresco, which means it was painted on plaster with water-based pigments. The pigments bind with the plaster as it dries. The center of the mural is a melding of the Coatlicue – the Goddess of earth, life and death – with a stamping machine from the Detroit Motor Company. At the time, Rivera saw a need for the industrialization of the United States to merge with the cultural qualities of the Mexican people. A more controversial aspect of the mural is the depiction of Joseph Stalin holding a bloody ice axe, which alludes to Stalin’s involvement in the assassination of Leon Trotsky, a Russian revolutionary. Trotsky was killed with an ice axe Aug. 20, 1940, at the same time Rivera, a communist, was working on the mural. “He would say what he wanted to say,” Lopez said. She said many students also visit the mural during finals, when they have to write papers for classes as varied as history, English, humanities and art. She’s even heard of professors from UC Davis, Humboldt State and UCLA bringing their students to witness and learn about the mural in person. Lopez hopes to continue giving tours of the mural to willing patrons. “It is a great honor to have this on campus,” she said. Email: mgomez@theguardsman.com
GRACIE MALLEY / THE GUARDSMAN
Students and the general public wait to get into the job fair at City College Mission campus on May 11.
College job fair draws crowds By Gracie Malley and Devon White The GUardsman
City College hosted its third annual job fair at the Mission campus on May 11, where more than 40 businesses and organizations gathered to share information about their programs, providing opportunities for students and career professionals to brush up on their interviewing and networking skills. The job fair was open to the public as well as City College students. Lines of hopeful job seekers wrapped around the Mission campus and halfway down Bartlett Street in anticipation of the event. Businesses and organizations such as State Farm, Wells Fargo, Goodwill and Verizon Wireless. The large crowd cut short the time each prospective employee got to spend with business representatives. “I planned on being able to talk to each person for a few minutes one on one, but we’re just handing out our applications and moving on to the next person,” said Adam Rogers, who worked at the Goodwill booth. Rogers added that maybe “they publicized it a little too well.” The fair was advertised on the the City College website, the City College Business Employment
Program Facebook page, One-Stop career centers and by word-of-mouth. Claire Farley, who worked at the LGBT Center booth, found the job fair to be a great way to meet future candidates for LGBT Center jobs as well as to “connect the LGBT community so it’s represented in everything that people do.” Farley’s focus at the event was jobs for the transgender community, although she said she felt badly for those who don’t qualify since there were simply not enough positions currently open. “I wish I could give them all jobs,” Farley said. Mission campus business and accounting professor Tanaka Begnazarov was at the fair, advertising the noncredit business classes that City College offers, classes where students only have to pay for books. Since the general public also attended the fair, Begnazarov thinks advertising these classes will be a great way to bump up enrollment. “I’m amazed how many people are out of work,” Begnazarov said. Email: email@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | May 18, 2011 | 3
News
Stabbing victim ‘saved’ by open campus stabbing: From the front page
Bartlett Street where they found the victim injured and bleeding. An officer said in the police report he saw what looked like four to five stab wounds. The officers administered aid until medical units arrived. The police followed a trail of blood back to the Mission campus. Inside they found more blood and reported that the stabbing occurred on the first floor. City College Police Chief Andre Barnes released a report to faculty members that stated the stabbing occurred several blocks away from campus and that “at no time was there any threat to the campus community.” The report said the suspect only came on campus to use the restroom in an attempt to clean up, but was then arrested later after leaving campus. But emails from City College faculty who were present at the time of the stabbing described the argument and the stabbing
as happening right outside their classrooms. The teachers and students were scared, according to the emails. Counseling services for students and teachers will be available if needed, according to a memo released by Vice Chancellor Jorge Bell. Bell also stated in the memo that “the fact that the Mission campus is considered a neutral zone and that the campus was open at the time of the incident may have saved the victim’s life.” City College Police Public Information Officer Rachele Hakes said she couldn’t comment because the case is an ongoing SFPD investigation. However, she did speculate on the considered neutrality of the Mission campus mentioned by Bell in his memo. “I don’t think any place in the world is considered a neutral zone,” Hakes said. Email: brinker@theguardsman.com
SFPD
Fist icons indicate the San Francisco Police Department’s record of reported assault crimes within a mile radius of City College’s Mission campus in the first two weeks of May 2011. Question mark icons represent multiple crime cases that include assault.
Griffin became a psychologist, then administrator Griffin: From the front page
from, he said he couldn’t answer for the board. “I think there’s a tendency to go outside and inside under certain circumstances. If you’re looking for a lot of change, you’re going to look for a change agent who’s outside. If you’re looking for stability and continuity, you’ll look inside,” he said. Griffin at City College Griffin’s career at City College began after he was suspended from his assistant professor position at SF State for being arrested
while participating in a rally calling for more students of color at
“I was very lucky. I was acquitted of the charges, and otherwise I would not be sitting here” — Don Griffin City College Chancellor
the school. City College offered him a
position as an instructor on the condition that he be acquitted, which he was shortly after the incident. “I was very lucky. I was acquitted of the charges, and otherwise I would not be sitting here,” Griffin said. During his time as an instructor, Griffin worked part-time as a clinical psychologist in the community as well as with Veteran Affairs, primarily helping Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, brain trauma, depression, anxiety and
DISCOVER A NEW PATH TO A CAREER IN NURSING.
bipolar disorder. His schooling involves a bachelors and a doctorate in psychology from U.C. Berkeley and an masters in psychology from S.F. State, specializing primarily in clinical psychology. “I think my orientation is primarily that of a psychologist when I look at this work, so I’m more focused on people and transactions among people,” Griffin said. “You are definitely influenced by what you’ve studied for so many years.” Griffin hasn’t always lived
in the Bay Area. He was born in Texas and raised in a segregated community in Oklahoma in the 40s before moving to Pasadena at age eight, which was a bit of a culture shock, he said. Shortly thereafter, he and his family — including 12 full siblings and six half-siblings, moved to Lemoore, Calif., a rural town in the San Joaquin Valley where he finished high school before leaving to attend U.C. Berkeley at age 17. Email: bozanich@theguardsman.com
Guardsman Online to continue this summer Follow the news at TheGuardsman.com
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By Joe Fitzgerald The GUardsman
Just because summer is here doesn’t mean the news takes a break. So now, neither do we. For the first time in its 76 year history, The Guardsman will publish over the the summer, exclusively online. The Guardsman Online is the newspaper’s awardwinning website, where you can all get of the same great news coverage with just a click of a mouse. “We really want to provide an opportunity to the next generation of City College journalists to learn this trade and carry on The Guardsman’s legacy,” current editor-inchief Alex Emslie said. With many of the state’s budget battles coming to a head during June and July, fall classes facing budget axes and decisive citywide election
campaigns brewing that could decide the economic fate of San Francisco, it’s more important than ever to have The Guardsman at your side. “Students in the City College journalism department don’t produce the Guardsman simply for a grade,” Emslie said. “We see a drastic need for City College news to be covered over the summer.” At The Guardsman Online, you’ll find our exclusive City College news coverage, San Francisco culture and news blogs, Twitter and Facebook feeds of breaking San Francisco news and exclusive news video content shot and reported by City College journalists. Make sure to bookmark TheGuardsman.com and make The Guardsman Online your first stop for in-depth news for your summer break.
Email: jfitzgerald@theguardsman.com
4 | May 18, 2011 | The Guardsman & TheGuardsman.com
News
Pelosi to speak at graduation
JOE BURBANK / MCT
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is the City College 2011 Commencement keynote speaker.
By Catherine Lee The GUardsman
One of the most powerful politicians in the country will be at the podium at the 2011 City College graduation ceremony May 28 when House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi delivers the keynote speech . Pelosi has represented California’s 8th Congressional District, which covers most of San Francisco, for 23 years. This year will be the first time Pelosi speaks at the college’s commencement, said Gohar Momjian, executive assistant to the chancellor. The student speaker at graduation will be David Holly, a history student at City College since spring 2009, who is transferring to UC Berkeley in the fall. Holly has been active in multiple campus programs, as a paid tutor and as a volunteer. He tutors with the Second Chance Program, which was created for formerly incarcerated students, at Extended Opportunity Program and Services. Holly is himself an alumni success story of the program. He also volunteered with the Homeless at-risk Transitional Students program. The event is limited to graduating students and their families. Students who purchased a graduation package have six tickets, which can be supplemented with four more tickets if reserved. Approximately 500 students and their families are expected to attend the event in Ram Stadium, and security will be a little tighter than usual due to Pelosi’s appearance, said Nazdira Hamden of the Office of Student Affairs. Pelosi is still working on her speech but it will likely include comments about the passage of Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which was considered the greatest federal increase to student aid in the history of the United States, said Dan Bernal, district director for Pelosi’s San Francisco office. Under Pelosi’s leadership SAFRA was attached to the landmark health care legislation passed in March 2010. The legislation includes significant increases in student aid, including Pell Grant increases, increased
funding for campus work-study programs and changes in tax credits for families paying for school. On Campus Pelosi’s impact on City College student life is well documented; she earmarked the capital funds for the Ocean campus Health Center, which opened in 2007. While Pelosi herself has a busy schedule, her office appears to be investing new energy in City College concerns. In early May Pelosi’s staff could be seen on campus for “Congress on Your Corner.” This recent outreach effort, or “office hours,” is an opportunity for students and the campus community to benefit from real-time interaction with Pelosi’s staff. Staffers from Pelosi’s office indicated that they want these “office hours” to bolster visibility of Pelosi’s availability as a resource for federal programs, benefits and issues, said constituent caseworker Alex Lazar, and Bernal, who somehow managed to get a sunburn in the Ocean campus fog. The campus outreach is unrelated to the commencement speech but part of a general effort to “bring services out to the students, making them more aware of how leader Pelosi can help,” said Bernal. “In talking with students at Ram Plaza, we’ve been really impressed with how knowledgeable they are about events at the national level. They’re really interested in veteran’s benefits, health care and the DREAM Act, which leader Pelosi supports,” Bernal said. And of course, many more students have questions and will continue to ask questions about college funding, like loans and Pell Grants, he said. Pelosi’s staff will be on campus for more student and constituent input and questions May 18 and 25 at Ram Plaza, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Summer dates at other City College campuses for “Congress on Your Corner” with Pelosi’s staff will be announced in the future. Email: clee@theguardsman.com
OPiNiONS
The Guardsman & TheGuardsman.com | May 18, 2011 | 5 City College students respond to the killing of Osama Bin Laden. TheGuardsman.com/BinLadenKilled
a question of safety; Unfair to demonize immigrants How best to arm yourself in the city By Alex Emslie The GUardsman
As I walked to the bus stop at 2 a.m. in brutally fashionable high heels, my wingman/dog, Sue, started barking at a guy lurking a block behind me. Thinking nothing of it, I called down my ferocious guard dog, and when I next looked back, he was gone. Moments later the same man, looking like a poster child for pedophiles, sauntered out from behind a near by bush, sizing me up with his snaky eyes. Already irritated from stiletto induced blisters, I dialed 911 while pointing a can of mace in the direction of my stalker. The man was hardly fazed by my threats and proceeded to drop his pants. Oh how I wish I had sprayed the little thing dangling between his legs. Instead, I had an episode. My adrenaline and rash hostility took control and I charged towards him like a mad woman. I expressed my extreme disgust for degenerates of his kind by screaming and cursing his existence, the forgotten mace flailing in the air with every dramatic hand gesture. He shot me a concerned look, as if to suggest I had gone off the deep end and then walked briskly in the other direction. It was pure luck that the pansy wasn’t an enraged rapist/murderer whose anger could have overpowered my scare tactics. Despite my good fortune, the episode got me thinking. Someone subjected to a similar altercation must have some form of selfdefense that isn’t simply a false impression of power. Since this experience, I have toyed with the idea of carrying different weaponry. A shank perhaps, but this seems to be more viable for some crack-obsessed, East Coast news editor. Although the thought of a gun terrifies me, and I believe it to be a weapon for cowards, I would more likely be capable of pulling a trigger than stabbing someone for self defense. Even if a gun was my weapon of choice, San Francisco’s firearm regulations are quite restricted, more so than other areas in California. Even after the NRA challenged these regulations as unconstitutional in Jackson v. San Francisco one year ago, the laws
The right things The wrong way By Essie Harris of possessing ammunition have only softened slightly in favor of self defense. While the motion to lift the decree was denied at the time, soon after the hearing an amendment was made to the San Francisco firearm discharge ordinance in March 2011. “The provision of section 4502 [discharge prohibition] shall not apply to or affect ‘persons in lawful possession of a hand gun who discharge said handgun in necessary and lawful defense of self or others while in a personal residence,” the amendment states. The amendment doesn’t help the plight of a defenseless commuter. But there are other options. Stun guns are legal for adults to possess with the exception of felons and addicts of the narcotic sort, which eliminates at least half of the residents in San Francisco, and probably the majority of Guardsman readers. Pepper spray, 2.5 oz or less, is another alternative. Use with caution, be mindful of wind conditions and be ready to run. Personally I wouldn’t rely on such method in life or death situations, but I do look forward to the day I get to mace the deserving pervert. When all else fails, being able to rely on your own body for protection is an empowering thing. Ladies, God gave us strong legs, so take a kick boxing class and learn how to use them. City College offers numerous selfdefense classes, including one specifically for women. The world can be a scary place. Don’t walk the streets drunk and alone or pick fights with gang members. Use your brain, and generally everything will be OK. Email: eharris@theguardsman.com
Write to us Guidelines for letters: Letters must be signed with first and last name. The Guardsman reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and content. Most letters should be less than 200 words, although longer letters are sometimes printed. All letters are available at TheGuardsman.com. Send Letters to: email@theguardsman.com or 50 Phelan Ave Box V-67 San Francisco, CA 94112 Bungalow 214, Ocean Campus
As the 2012 election season begins to roar, battle lines are appearing around one of this nation’s most misleading and entrenched third rails: immigration, and the dangerous rhetoric from the federal to the local level is becoming as frightening as it is sickening. In his May 10 address on immigration reform, President Obama announced his support for a resurrected DREAM Act, which would provide a path to legal citizenship for undocumented youth, while his administration is presiding over the greatest number of deportations since Dwight Eisenhower’s Operation Wetback in the 1950s. The politics aren’t those of a man ushering in an era of hope and change for the undocumented workers who have become the backbone of the U.S. economy, they are election season politics. Obama is attempting to prove his toughness on illegal immigration by deporting more than 800,000 undocumented immigrants under the legally dubious Secure Communities program. Meanwhile, the cost to both our undocumented-dependent economy and our humanity is becoming too much to bear. Undocumented economy A recent report by the Center for American Progress and the Immigration Policy Institute in Washington D.C. illustrates this state’s economy is highly dependent on undocumented immigrants. They make up 9 percent of California’s workforce and contribute more than $1.5 billion to the state’s gross domestic product. Undocumented labor and spending supports more than 3.5 million jobs and generates $26 billion in taxes every year. Deport all the undocumented workers, and those numbers drop to zero. Providing a path to legal citizenship for California’s estimated 2.7 million undocumented workers would create 633,000 jobs, grow the state’s economy by almost $27 billion and increase tax revenue by $5.3 billion. But there is a long-standing conservative ploy that casts undocumented families as murderous criminals or economic leaches who “take our jobs.” California Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks, introduced a bill in April modeled after Arizona’s controversial law that allows local law enforcement to racially profile suspected undocumented immigrants. Donnelly’s bill was a bad joke that died quickly in
committee, but it’s worth noting that the dangerous and dimwitted “blame immigrants” sentiment is alive and kicking in California. It’s a sentiment the San Francisco Chronicle feels no shame in printing, and the editors of token conservative columnist Debra Saunders don’t let pesky facts get in the way of her malevolent analysis. Saunders wrote in her column “Secure Communities meets with strange resistance” that the program is one “liberals should love.” Secure Communities But Secure Communities, which mandates that local law enforcement send finger prints and names of those they apprehend to the feds, violates the 10th Amendment by forcing police to enforce federal immigration laws. The program shirks due process, punishing people who have not been convicted of crimes. Furthermore, it strains local resources by requiring city jails to hold immigrants for minor violations like traffic infractions until ICE can deport them.
Undocumented labor and spending supports more than 3.5 million jobs and generates $26 billion in taxes every year. “Fear not,” Saunders wrote that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano assured the Chronicle. “The feds consider ‘the immigration status of the alien, the severity of the crime and the alien’s criminal history’ in deciding what action will follow,” Saunders wrote. But 68 percent of the people deported under Secure Communities were charged with only minor infractions or none at all, according to ICE’s own statistics. If Saunders was a journalist instead of a mere conservative mouthpiece, maybe she would have checked the statistics instead of just taking Napolitano on her word. “ICE is knowingly lying about how Secure Communities works,” said Angela Chan, a San Francisco police commissioner and longtime immigration attorney. By turning local law enforcement into immigration cops, local police are forced to sabotage vital connections with the communities they serve. San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessy declared that beginning June 1 he will no longer comply with ICE
holds on those booked for minor offences. “ICE is doing terrible things with lies and doublespeak,” Chan said, “and Hennessy is standing up for truth and community policing.” Despite Saunders’ irresponsible columns, there is some positive local news concerning immigrant rights. On May 10, Mayor Ed Lee reversed most of former mayor Gavin Newsom’s 2008 shredding of San Francisco’s “sanctuary city” policy. Lee’s new policy will forgo the reporting of juveniles arrested on felony charges to ICE, provided they have family ties in the Bay Area, are in school and have no criminal history. Newsom directed the Juvenile Justice Department to report all arrests to ICE following the brutal murders of Tony Bologna and his two sons in 2008. ramos straw man Edwin Ramos, the undocumented Salvadorian immigrant charged with the Bologna’s murders, is commonly held up as the immigrant bogeyman we should all fear and deport. With Ramos’ trial scheduled to begin in June, the rhetoric is sure to worsen in the coming months Ramos’ name invariably comes up when San Francisco’s sanctuary city policy is criticized, but the facts of the case rarely do. Saunders ends her recent column with a reference to Ramos which is out of context. In a 2008 column, shortly after Bologna’s killing, Saunders more accurately describes that Ramos should have been held and prosecuted for being in possession of a firearm linked to multiple murders. The decision not to prosecute, made by then District Attorney Kamala Harris, had nothing to do with sanctuary city or Secure Communities. Arguing that our public safety should rely on federal deportations is every bit as ridiculous as arguing that local cops should burden themselves with federal law enforcement. As the election season gains momentum, and the antiimmigrant rhetoric gets worse, remember who grows, transports and prepares your food. Remember who builds your house, manufactures your goods and cares for your children when you’re at work. Remember the deficit and the terrible state of California schools. Remember laid off police at departments overburdened by Secure Communities. Remember that we are a nation of immigrants, and ningún ser humano es ilegal.
Email: aemslie@theguardsman.com
6 | May 18, 2011 | The Guardsman & TheGuardsman.com
Opinions
Companies often exploit interns Editor-in-Chief Alex Emslie Managing Editors Ramsey El-Qare Atticus Morris News Editor Kwame Opoku-Duku Opinions Editor Alex Emslie Sports Editor Ryan Kuhn Photo Editor Frank Ladra Online Editor Atticus Morris Multimedia Editors Joe Fitzgerald Kay Recede Copy Chief Erin Conger Copy Editors Don Clyde Liska Koenig Atticus Morris Events Editor Estela Fuentes Advertising Manager Essie Harris Illustrator Danielle Schlamp Staff Writers Joe Fitzgerald Estela Fuentes Matthew Gomez Essie Harris Gary Jay Catherine Lee Elliot Owen Brant Ozanich Brian Rinker Staff Photographers Clarivel Fong Gracie Malley Jessica North Broadus Parker Multimedia Gary Jay Saidy Lauer Atticus Morris Brian Rinker Faculty Adviser Juan Gonzales
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By Frank Ladra The GUardsman
As the semester draws to a close, students will be actively searching for employment, not only to supplement their cost of living, but also to gain work experience within their field of study. Unfortunately, the number of unpaid internships has risen significantly in recent years, leaving students feeling conflicted: They need this work experience to better their chances of landing a real job, but they also need an income to survive. Employers posted 643 unpaid internships on the Stanford University job board this past academic year, more than triple the 174 posted just two years ago, according to a recent New York Times article. And with the fickle nature of the American economy, employers will continue to drive down operating costs, especially when willing interns are so readily available. Before students enroll in Hamburger University and change their major to French fry studies with a minor in ketchup, rest assured that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Out of concern for the mistreatment of interns, federal and state regulators began investigating employers last year who might be taking advantage of eager students. Starting at state levels in Oregon, California and New York, and later moving into the federal Labor Department, regulators are fining violating firms. By increasing accountability, they are expanding efforts to educate employers and unassuming, would-be interns who may accept positions strictly on resumebuilding potential. One major obstacle to enforcement of
federal labor law is widespread unwillingness to speak up against these violating companies. Many interns fear the possible consequences for voicing concerns – a label of insubordination in the fields they are desperately trying to enter that could put their chances of future employment at risk. Many students nationwide have anonymously reported that their internships have had little or no connection to the educational pathway that led them to that employer. The New York Times reported one law student’s recollection of making coffee and sweeping out bathrooms for a midsized law firm in New York, and another Ivy League student’s claim she spent a three-month internship at a magazine packaging and shipping apparel samples back to fashion houses. At City College, there are minimal safeguards in place to help students understand the ins and outs of internships. LERN 63: Career Counseling for Work Experience is a course developed by Dr. Kathleen Mitchell, a professor of career development, that is designed to guide students effectively through the intern process. Mitchell advises students to approach potential employers with a specific list of needs for further development. Even in an unpaid situation, there is potential for exchange. The employer will benefit from an extra set of hands, but more importantly, the intern should gain the increased knowledge and work experience toward his or her intended career. The most important thing to remember is accountability. An internship should be treated like a contract: Approach and learn the guidelines together and come up with time-specific agreements.
DANIELLE SCHLAMP / THE GUARDSMAN
Employers should create work experiences that closely follow the intern’s career development. Interns should request progress reports from employers after an agreed upon time. And if something happens that doesn’t feel right, speak up right away! Getting a cup of coffee for the boss might seem harmless, but it can lead to a tolerance of unrelated tasking. Gaining experience in the field is important, but not if it means feeling used or burned out at the beginning of a budding career. Email: fladra@theguardsman.com
U.S. Pakistan relationship turns cold By Brant Ozanich The GUardsman
The U.S. and Pakistan are friends in the same way City College students and Muni are friends – you hate getting to school with it, but you can’t get there without it. The relationship between these two countries is usually viewed as a “double game.” Both need each other to pursue their own interests but can hardly come to an agreement. The U.S. needs Pakistan’s strategic location for its fight against terrorism in the Middle East, and Pakistan needs billions of dollars in economic and military aid from the U.S. The country is unstable and dangerous but also incredibly strategic for U.S. interests in the region. If it was located anywhere else, Pakistan would have been declared a rogue nation years ago. “This relationship is too important to walk away from,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said May 9. Strained relationship Weeks ago the Obama administration authorized a unilateral raid on a compound outside of the military city of Abottobad in Northeastern Pakistan. The result: Osama bin Laden, leader of al-Qaida and the world’s most wanted man, is dead. The U.S. didn’t notify the Pakistani government of the raid beforehand, and the CIA even went as far as saying that work-
ing with them could have jeopardized the mission. The reluctance shows a lack of trust in the Pakistani government, which received more than $20 billion in U.S. economic and security aid over the past 10 years. So the U.S. openly defied Pakistani sovereignty. However, with bin Laden being hidden in a relatively safe compound just outside Pakistan’s equivalent to West Point, Pakistan undermined the U.S. counter-terrorism effort by letting bin Laden slip under the radar – either deliberately or accidentally. We may never know if the Pakistani government, military or intelligence service was hiding bin Laden, but what’s important is that these events are acting as an expressway for destroying U.S. and Pakistan relations. The relationship is summed up perfectly by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) saying, “You can’t trust them and you can’t abandon them.” Public opinion in both countries has turned against one another. Pakistanis are criticizing the unilateral action pursued by the U.S. in the raid while Americans are criticizing Pakistan’s alleged hiding of bin Laden. The U.S. named Pakistan a major non-NATO ally after September 11, 2001, and Pakistan has captured more wanted terrorists than any other country. Still, the U.S. recently increased covert CIA missions in Pakistan, highlighted by the case of Raymond Davis, a CIA
contractor accused of murdering two Pakistani civilians earlier this year. The U.S. has also performed more than 200 drone strikes in the tribal regions of Pakistan since 2004, with heavy criticism from the Pakistani government. On the other side, Pakistan has been suspected of deliberately hiding and sponsoring terrorists. They’ve helped rebuild the Taliban after it was removed from Afghanistan in 2001, and the military has been reluctant to attack Haqqani terrorists, who only attack targets in Afghanistan. Still need each other When Libya, Iraq, Sudan and Iran acted as state sponsors of terrorism in the 80s and 90s, the U.S. heavily sanctioned the countries and cut off most diplomatic relations. The fact that they don’t do this with Pakistan only highlights the severity of this “double game.” During the Cold War, the U.S. invested heavily in Pakistan with the thought of it becoming a leading ally in the Middle East. Relations between the two have been up and down ever since, as Pakistan has become increasingly militant, developed nuclear weapons, sponsored terrorism and showed increased hostility towards India – its arch nemesis and now a key U.S. ally. Pakistan has helped capture numerous terrorists, but the U.S. is increasingly skeptical of their motives. If bin Laden was mere miles from Abottobad in a complex seemingly built for his
hiding, why didn’t Pakistan do anything about it? This is the question running through U.S. foreign policymakers’ minds, and it is is undoubtedly a question they will not forget when deciding how to shape future relations with Pakistan. Pakistan spends more than $5 billion annually on its military, has a population roughly half the size of the U.S. and is one of only 14 countries with nuclear weapons. They also have a much larger population of radicalized Muslims than any other country, partially attributable to the poor economic conditions the Pakistani government allows as well as the sectarian divide they have with India’s largely Hindu population. Graham nails the necessity of this relationship when he says that the U.S. severing ties with Pakistan would be “a formula for a failed state.” The U.S. needs to act carefully in the next weeks, months and years when dealing Pakistan. We can’t rely on them too heavily for help in the War on Terror, but cutting relations with them could result in the greatest conflict this country has ever faced. Additional reporting compiled from Al Jazeera, The Economist, Financial Times and The New York Times.
Email: bozanich@theguardsman.com
C I T Y C O L L E G E O F S A N F R A N C I S C O ’ S N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 3 5
seCTion b
TheGuardsman.com
Education in Crisis
may 18, 2011
Desperate students and teachers call on legislature to save public schools
By Essie Harris and Alex Emslie The GUardsman
Thousands of teachers, students and concerned citizens held protests every day during the week of May 9, calling for Republican legislators to vote for extending temporary taxes that would offset crippling projected cuts to California’s public education system next year. Gov. Jerry Brown’s revised California budget proposal, released May 16, continues to rely on the extension of
temporary taxes that would bridge the remaining $9.6 billion projected shortfall next year. He called on the legislature to pass the taxes, which requires a two-thirds majority, then allow voters to approve them in November. California Teachers Association union representatives who are lobbying republicans to pass the tax extensions said during the Sacramento rallies that they are close to convincing the four Republicans needed to break the twothirds threshold in both houses.
“If we get the four votes that we need and just pass it legislatively and get the governor to sign it, then we’ll be okay and 30,000 people won’t lose their jobs,” CTA President David Sanchez said. “Class sizes won’t be impacted, and we can then spend time talking about the real solutions to tax inequities in the state of California.” budget nuts and bolts If approved, Gov. Brown’s proposed extension of the 2009-10 personal income tax surcharge would
create $2.5 billion in tax revenue. Under Proposition 98, which sets the minimum level the state must fund public education, more than $2 billion dollars of the revenue would go toward K-12 schools and $350 million to California Community Colleges. The temporary taxes will expire if legislators don’t extend them by the beginning of the next fiscal year on July 1, and the state will have to make up approximately $10 billion by CrOWDS: Page B2
FRANK LADRA / THE GUARDSMAN
B2 | May 18, 2011 | The Guardsman & TheGuardsman.com
News
RAMSEY EL-QARE / THE GUARDSMAN
California Teacher Association David Sanchez speaks at the State of Emergency awareness rally in Sacramento on May 13.
Crowds descend on Capitol, demand education funding CrOWDS: From B1
cutting money from state departments including education. Legislators sometimes decide not to fully fund the minimum Prop 98 guarantee, which creates a debt the state owes to its education system. The debt, called a “maintenance factor,” currently stands at approximately $9 billion, according to Brown’s budget revision. Brown said passing the tax extensions would allow the state to pay down some of the debt, but if the extensions are not passed, the maintenance factor would instead increase. Brown refused to speculate on what the state would do if the taxes are not extended. “I’m not going to give the Republicans a road map to ruin,” Brown said in response to questions about a contingency plan. “I’ve given them a road map to success.”
Sacramento More than 1,000 people crowded the south steps of the Capitol in Sacramento May 13 to close the week of protests and lobbying organized by the California Teachers Association. The week of protests dubbed “State of Emergency” by the CTA included two civil disobedience actions. Police arrested 65 people for trespassing on May 9 after protesters marched inside the Capitol and refused to leave, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle. CTA members occupied the Capitol a second time on May 12, resulting in 27 arrests. “We showed as educators that we are willing even to go to jail to get what needs to take place in this state in order to provide the best possible education for all of our students,” Sanchez said, adding that California Highway Patrol officers treated him with
the “utmost respect.” Students arrested during the May 9 protest reported a less pleasant experience. Sacramento City College student Simon Hyatt and SF State student Terence Yancey said police treated them more violently when they were arrested on May 9. The students thought the CTA should have sent a stronger message and occupied the Capitol with more people. “We had heard that this week was going to be like a Wisconsinstyle occupation of the Capitol, and we’re incredibly disappointed with what we’ve seen,” Hyatt said. Ed Foglia, president of CTA’s retiree chapter, said California’s public education system was ranked among the top five in the nation when he was in school. “Now California schools rank 43rd and dropping because of this illogical way of doing business,”
RAMSEY EL-QARE / THE GUARDSMAN
Protesters display handmade signs on the south side of the Capitol building in Sacramento on May 13.
Foglia said. “I want my grandchildren to have the same opportunity for educational success that my children and I had when going to California schools.” San francisco Budget cuts to essential public services brought roughly 1,200 educators and other members of the community to Civic Center Plaza on May 13 to raise awareness and urge legislators to extend existing temporary taxes. Hundreds piled out of the Civic Center BART station chanting “We are one” at 4 p.m. on May 13, their shouts in sync with a man playing his broken violin at the bottom of the stairwell. When there were financial shortfalls in the past, teachers would settle for health benefits in
lieu of pay increases, third grade teacher Elin Hansen said. Now they are getting neither, she said. “I’m 61, I am not planning to retire for another 8 years.” Hansen said. “Now I don’t know if I will be able to afford retirement.” The drastic cuts have also affected classified staff. According to the Education Coalition, 57,500 non-faculty employees were laid off in the 2009-10 school year and the numbers continue to increase. San Francisco Unified School District nurse Julie Rosenfelt said there should be one nurse for every 750 students. The ratio currently stands at one for every 2,000. Email: eharris@theguardsman.com aemslie@theguardsman.com
FRANK LADRA / THE GUARDSMAN
Approximately 1,200 demonstrators gather in Civic Center Plaza on May 13 to protest current state budget cuts to the educational system.
The Guardsman & TheGuardsman.com | May 18, 2011 | B3
News $1.5 Million
City College asks San Francisco to waive fees
$1.4 Million
Total fee waiver request $2 Million would save about 333 city college classes
$1.3 million
$1.3 Million $1.2 Million $1.1Million $1Million $900,000 FRANK LADRA / THE GUARDSMAN
Above: The “Angry Tired Teachers Band” plays tunes in front of San Francisco’s City Hall on May 13. Below: 21-month-old Isreal Johnson sends a message to legislators in front of the State Capitol on May 13.
$800,000 $700,000 $600,000 $500,000 $400,000 $300,000
$272,000
Would save about 33 classes
Would save about 45 classes
Would save about 216 classes
$200,000 $100,000 $0
Approximately $200,000 $228,000
Power & Electricity
Department of Elections
Would save about 38 classes
Lease of the Southeast campus
Other Fees
source: City College office of Finance and Administration
RAMSEY EL-QARE / THE GUARDSMAN
fee waiver could save classes By Elliot Owen The GUardsman
RAMSEY EL-QARE / THE GUARDSMAN
FRANK LADRA / THE GUARDSMAN
United Educators of San Francisco President Dennis Kelly addresses demonstrators in front of City Hall, stating, “We will not be silent while arts and music are cut from our schools.”
In preparation for next year’s projected $26 million deficit, City College is avidly seeking new ways to combat the budgetary shortfall, the latest of which is a Jan. 27 resolution requesting that the city and county of San Francisco waive $2 million in fees that the college pays annually. “We are asking the city to waive those fees just for this one year – our worst fiscal year ever,” said Board of Trustees President John Rizzo. “It’s in San Francisco’s best interest to see City College through this financial crisis.” According to Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Peter Goldstein, City College paid a total of $2.6 million to San Francisco for 2009-10 fiscal year, and has seen slight increases in those costs this past year. The fees requesting to be waived for 2011-12 include: $1.3 million for power and electricity; $228,000 for the lease of the Southeast campus; around $200,000 to the city’s Department of Elections; and other smaller fees including parks and recreation, police department, and miscellaneous administration fees. City College isn’t asking for employee-related fees like worker’s compensation and health services, which total around $600,000, to be waived, Goldstein said. “Right now we’re asking for whatever relief we can get,” Each City College course costs $6,000 to administer. If the college were granted the $2 million dollar fee waiver, 333 more classes could be held, opening up almost 10,000 more classroom seats. Although the fee waiver would not completely compensate for the elimination of almost 2,000 classes, Rizzo said the number of classes that could be saved is significant. Rizzo argues that while the San Francisco Unified School District receives aid and support from the city, City College has functioned independently and considering its indelible value, deserves assistance as well. “There are more San Francisco residents as students than are in the school district,” Rizzo said. “City College is important for the health of San Francisco. It is one of the largest employers in the city with 3,000 employees. It’s the largest educational institution serving 100,000 students.”
City College also attracts $60 million in financial aid which translates into revenue for the city. San Francisco recently approved a $30 million tax break for Twitter Inc. to keep the social media company from re-locating outside the city. Rizzo hopes that City College will be a recipient of the same appreciation. “City College is more valuable than Twitter,” he said. “Twitter’s break is permanent and we are only asking for one year.” Expensive fees charged by San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department coupled with City College’s lack of playing fields, have forced the Rams baseball and softball teams to play home games 10 miles away in Pacifica. “It makes it tougher to get fans out there,” said softball head coach Jack McGuire. “The girls would be more enthused if their friends could come see them play. It’s also harder for them as far as getting out of class and then rushing to home field for games or practice.” The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is holding a hearing on May 19 to address budgetary issues for this upcoming year. Rizzo expects the $2 million fee waiver to be among the issues discussed. While a number of supervisors support the resolution, “the mayor is non-committal about it,” Rizzo said. “If they find they are in favor, the resolution will have to be integrated into the city budget.” Rizzo has actively sought support for the resolution, conducting an awareness project called Invest in City College. Project organizer Ben Johnson has been working to inform City College students about what they can do to push the $2 million fee waiver forward. “We’ve been going to City College student organizations and council meetings,” Johnson said. “We were at Frisco Day and we’ve been doing classroom presentations. We need student involvement in the political process. Contact the Board of Supervisors and the mayor’s office.” Invest in the City plans to hold a Day of Action in front of City Hall on May 19 during the Board budgetary meeting. They have also gathered over 500 petition signatures in support of the fee waiver and plan to continue campaigning. For more information visit www.investincitycollege.org.
Email: email@theguardsman.com
B4 | May 18, 2011 | The Guardsman & TheGuardsman.com
News
EZRA EKMAN / THE GUARDSMAN
(L-R) San Francisco mayoral candidates Leland Yee, Phil Ting, Joanna Rees, Dennis Herrera, Tony Hall, Bevan Dufty, David Chiu, John Avalos and Michela Alioto-Pier speak during the Forum on Service on May 5 at the University of San Francisco’s McLaren Conference Center.
San francisco mayoral candidates talk schools By Joe Fitzgerald The GUardsman
Nine major candidates in the San Francisco mayoral race lined up for questions at a town hall meeting at the University of San Francisco, their first time together since announcing their respective candidacies. Three candidates at a time were asked questions by San Francisco high school and college students. They were given three minutes to make their positions clear to the audience of students and reporters. As part of our special section on education, The Guardsman is publishing their answers and positions on education in the city of San Francisco. One of the following nine candidates will be responsible for coming to the aid of San Francisco Unified School District and the city’s public colleges as the state continues to defund schools in California at an alarming rate. Leland Yee
Current California State Senator, District 8 (San Francisco and San Mateo counties)
“I am who I am due to the graces of this particular city. I went to the public schools here. My kids went to the public schools here. I have been tremen-
dously fortunate, and that’s why I want to give back. That’s why I joined the San Francisco Board of Education. Because I care about it.” Phil ting
Current San Francisco assessorrecorder
When asked about various topics on education, Phil Ting referred those in the audience to his website “Reset San Francisco,” where the community can directly engage in a discussion with government leaders about topics affecting the city. The leading ideas from community members on his site regarding education: Increasing student awareness of government, applying more technology to engage bored students, limiting number of charter schools in a school district and further funding the SFUSD. Joanna rees
Founder/owner of venture capital firm that has operated for the past 14 years
“I came to San Francisco for the diversity of the community, its imperative that we do everything we can to maintain that culture heritage and richness. For me that starts with education and ends with economic empower-
ment.” “I spent a lot of time with African-American children in San Francisco and think they all have the potential to learn and thrive … but our current system is not working for them.” Dennis Herrera
Served as president of San Francisco’s police commission, San Francisco city attorney since 2001
“There are a lot of families that might live in Noe Valley until [their child] is six years old but then might go to Mill Valley because they want a certain predictability in the quality of their education.” Herrera pledged that if he is elected mayor, he would commit general fund money to supporting San Francisco schools. “We have to renew that commitment ... We have to put our money where our mouth is if we say that kids are important.” tony Hall
District 7 supervisor from 2000 to 2004. Served numerous politically elected and appointed positions since 1968.
Tony Hall was the only candidate not directly asked any education questions, but his official position on education from his website states: “As your mayor, I will set a tone of excellence,
and support community efforts to improve San Francisco’s education system so that parents have more choice to send their children to neighborhood schools, and have more input in the quality of their children’s education.” bevan Dufty
Current District 8 supervisor
“With the future economies of San Francisco – digital media, biotechnology, clean technology ... I think that what we really need to focus on is volunteer experience, mentoring and interning experiences which are part of our educational continuum, so that our young people can be good at these great jobs that will enable them to live in this expensive city.” David Chiu
Current Board of Supervisors president, District 3 supervisor
“City College is an incredibly important institution in our community, and at this point everybody is hurting ... We’re looking at a number of different options. We’re looking at the parcel tax for City College. I had a conversation with the chancellor and talked about ways that the city and county of San Francisco can work with City College. Everything is on the table at this point.”
Supervisor and Mayoral Candidate Daivd Chiu evasive on offering fee waivers for City College http://youtu.be/6E4cZIEyIj8
And plenty more web exclusive content at:
TheGuardsman.com
3 reasons community colleges are vital to California’s future, via budget protesters http://youtu.be/htCrAQaM4ck
John avalos
Current District 11 supervisor
“The mayor of San Francisco is a figurehead and doesn’t have direct responsibility over the schools, but can do a lot to create synergy between different levels of the school district. As mayor, I want to create an educational master plan, linking our public institutions together. Elementary, middle school, high school, City College, USF, San Francisco State, all these institutions working together and finding synergies with each other.” Michaela alioto-Pier
Served as supervisor in District 2 for seven years, part of the politically powerful Alioto family
“Galileo high school had an athletic budget that was $2,000 a year. That in and of itself was outrageous. We had coach Kane, and he got out and decided that he wanted to start his own wrestling program in Galileo. He went out and raised money. He went and saw these young men gain confidence they otherwise would not have and go to college.” Alioto-Pier also reminded the audience that she played a role in bringing funding for biotechnology curriculum for City College. Email: jfitzgerald@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman & TheGuardsman.com | May 18, 2011 | 7
CULtUrE
Graphic jokes educate By Frank Ladra The GUardsman
The Tinker Show is a live sketch comedy group that uses improv and short films to entertain audiences with an arsenal of jokes revolving around shock-inducing topics, like defecation and masturbation. The Tinker Show is written and directed by Jason Tinker and produced by Kimberly Ashland. Other cast members include Sarah Longacre, Nico Bellamy, Elaine Gavin, Jennie Cardoso and former Guardsman editor Nick Palm. The upcoming show, appropriately titled “Old School Maturity,” reflects the comedy troupe’s movement away from moral constraints, giving the members the abil-
ity to be a unique production within the Bay Area. And no joke is off limits. Yet instead of the unconstrained humor meaning to be crude and offensive, the show is intended to make the audience laugh at themselves and society. The Tinker Show is performing live July 7 and 8 at Stage Werx Theatre. Tickets are $18 to $20. For more information, visit www. thetinkershow.com.
Email: fladra@theguardsman.com
CCSf students present the ‘reel’ deal for film festival By Catherine Lee The GUardsman
Take a group of ardent filmmakers, a region drenched with cinephiles, festival-savvy faculty and an affordable film school, and you get a premium film festival packed with the unique flavor and spice of City College. “City Shorts” presents Bay Area, locally grown films on the Ocean campus May 19 and later in the year at the Roxie Theater. Films are generally ten minutes or less and were produced within the last two semesters in the City College cinema department. “It’s a unique festival because it’s seriously designed and developed as a film festival,
rather than as a courtesy event for student films,” filmmaker Charles Chadwick said. If this year is anything like last year, over 100 entries will be submitted. The entries will be distilled down to the best pieces and screened as a twohour program at the Diego Rivera Theatre. Students submit work in one of three categories – narrative, documentary and experimental. Final festival programming represents the best of the entries, taking editing, sound design, animation, special effects and original score into consideration. “I see more experimental and new ideas in the City College student work than in
many film festivals,” said cinema professor Lise Swenson , an independent filmmaker who has screened in prestigious festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival in Colorado. The winning films are not announced until a few days prior to the festival, so it’s impossible to say which films or students made the final cut. “The diversity of the classes and students at City College is amazing, and the students in the film program come from a huge range of backgrounds and talent,” Swenson said. “Students here have a sense of awe and privilege that’s not typical of all higher education students in film departments.”
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Tom Ellis edits his film “Sortie,’ which he entered in the 11th annual City Shorts film festival. Ellis raves about the film department at CCSF and is excited for the film festival.
a class project Cinema 40, taught by Swenson, demonstrates the creation and execution of a film festival. Essentially, the festival is the course’s final project. Students divide into three committees at the beginning of the semester – events, marketing and public relations, and selection. They can repeat the class to fulfill each area. The festival spokeswoman in the marketing group, Shannon Fischer, said the theme for the festival, “Catch the Fire,” represents the “fire in the eyes that is a filmmaker’s vision, but the theme doesn’t reflect how the films are selected.” Film submissions are initially screened and juried by all Cinema 40 students. They then forward the top 25 percent of the films to a three-judge panel that is composed of one faculty member and two industry/festival professionals from the Bay Area filmmaker community. This year’s faculty judge is San Francisco Film Commissioner and City College instructor Debbie Brubaker. Professional peer participation by someone with Brubaker’s prestige brings a lot of cachet to the festival and adds local artists’ support, Swenson said. Because the Bay Area has an exuberant film community that regularly attends the festival, it is a great launching pad for new filmmakers to be seen by local professionals, Swenson added.
real life impact The energy of the Cinema 40 class and film festival extends to all endeavors, students said. Mark Pope’s short “Gold Violin: Bow of Death” was a small project undertaken last fall in his cinema production class. Pope submitted the short film for this year’s City College festival. “The film festival class helped me prepare for what to do once I got my film into the festival,” Pope said. He recently won awards in a community college film festival hosted by Palomar Community College in San Marcos, Calif. Pope’s 8-minute documentary won in the music and variety category. In addition, it has been accepted at the Mendocino Film Festival in the short documentary category. Even students from traditional, more expensive film schools benefit from the practical and networking benefits of the film festival class. This spring, filmmaker Charles Chadwick will graduate with a masters in film from the prestigious San Francisco Art Institute. “It’s not just people taking the class to get a grade, and everyone is very professional,” Chadwick said. “There’s so much more freedom, and filmmakers get handson experience very quickly here because the prerequisites are minimal.” Email: clee@theguardsman.com
8 | May 18, 2011 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com
Culture
Students to screen short films in Mission By Tony LeTigre
Contributing Writer
Spring semester’s creative process will pay off for the students of Cinema 131, “Directing Motion Pictures,” with a screening of all 18 completed short films on May 27 at Artists’ Television Access in the Mission. “One of the great things about City College is you can have someone who has never made a film before in their life, and someone else with a background working on movies in Hollywood side by side in the same class,” City Colege cinema instructor Lise Swenson said. Amy Covell, one of Swenson’s students this semester, is a City College film major
and president of the Women’s Film Club. She came to the college two years ago with a background in theater and is currently assistant-directing a feature, “All Roads Lead to Occidental.” “I am so glad that I took this course with Lise,” Covell said. “She has been an inspiration to me. She is a great teacher, but she also treats all of her students as colleagues and collaborators.” Covell will premiere her short film “Playground Politics,” which she described as “a blast to shoot,” at the ATA screening. “It is the story of a fourth grade class that is learning about the three branches of government, and upon being assigned roles in government reenactments, they then take these lessons and use them to settle
playground problems,” she said. Sarah Haugen found the directing class, her first with Swenson, to be very challenging. “Lise asked each of us to be a producer as well as a director, so we had the responsibility for every step to get the film done,” Haugen said. “Her great strength is that she tells you what’s working and what’s not working, so you have the opportunity to correct something that wasn’t successful.” “This class slams you up against the wall,” Swenson said. “I tend to give really tough feedback, especially as we’re approaching finals and deciding what will screen at ATA. I tell my students to ‘soak it up like a sponge,’ and I give them credit for doing that.”
JUST
Covell said that the ATA screening is a great opportunity for new filmmakers to get exposure in San Francisco. “Students come from all over the world to take advantage of City College’s cinema program, and the diversity of the students is complimented by the variety of stories these students tell through their films,” she said. The ATA screening will kick off with a reception from 7 to 8 p.m. featuring a DJ, food and beverages. A suggested donation of $3 to $5 will benefit the unique volunteer-run organization. The screening itself will run from 8 to 10 p.m., with one intermission. Keep up with current ATA events at www.atasite.org. Email: email@theguardsman.com
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The Bookstore will be open for buybacks during the Summer. Visit our web site www.ccsfbookstore.com to check buyback prices and store hours.
The Guardsman & TheGuardsman.com | May 18, 2011 | 9
Culture
Curry without worry Photos and Story by Jessica North
Every Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Curry Without Worry strives to embody the meaning of the Sanskrit word “Namaste,” or “paying homage to the inner light of all living things,” by providing free food music and a leisurely learning experience. At the UN Plaza, just off Hyde Street, several volunteers serve 200 five-part meals they’ve prepared in advance, using traditional Nepalese ingredients, some of which are imported specifically from Nepal.
A mixed crowd, often including business persons, art students and homeless nomads enjoy the tasty flavors of nine bean sprouted soup, timmur and tomato chutney, deep fried puri bread, brown rice and vegetable curry while listening to Curry Without Worry founder Shrawan Nepali chant and beat on his drum. Nepali grew up in Nepal and fondly remembers the food his grandmother made. “We strive to provide healthy food for hungry souls by recreat-
ing the big healthy meals of my childhood,” he says. With a philosophy that hunger is not defined by an empty stomach, Nepali and the volunteers at Curry Without Worry have provided hot meals to hungry folks without charging a fee since December 2006. As a non-profit organization, they are self-funded, donation and grant driven. Email: jnorth@theguardsman.com
Left: Califlower, carrots, and potatos are just a few of the vegetables prepared into a dish by Curry Without Worry volunteer Charles Gresl on Tuesday April 12.
Above: The beginnings of sprouted 9 bean soup sit in open air after their 24 hour water soak in the rented kitchen just off Market Street. Below: A homeless woman enjoys a free plate of Nepalese style food provided by Curry Without Worry In UN Plaza on April 12.
A line of people forms to receive a plate of warm food from Curry Without Worry. Serving approximately 200 meals every week, the organization accepts and is supported by donations.
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Accepting applications for Fall 2011. To learn more, visit www.ndnu.edu or call (650) 508-3600. Ranjit Gurung, left, and Curry Without Worry founder Shrawan Nepali, right, play drums while curry is served to the hungry at UN Plaza on April 12.
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10 | May 18, 2011 | The Guardsman & TheGuardsman.com
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San Francisco VA Medical Center Healthy Volunteers Needed Ages 18-75 are invited to participate in a study about how the brain works. Tests will be scheduled at your convenience. $20/hour for participation in this study. Potential participants must not have used any illegal substances in the last three months and must be procient in English. Call 415-221-4810 ext. 6403 or 6155 for further information. Leave a message if no answer. UCSF CHR#H59323-31967
Calendar for May 18 - May 31
Campus Events
WED
THUR
Using Social Media to enhance your Job Search Lecture Ocean Campus Rosenberg Library Room 30 1— 2 p.m.
San Francisco Fine Art Fair Fort Mason Building A 11:30 a.m.
First Day of Final Exams. Check with your Instructors for offical dates and times.
Sixth Annual Anti-Corporate Film Festival Victoria Theater 2961 16th St 7 — 11 p.m. $5 — $10
Images from Camera Collective Opening Reception Harvey Milk Photo Center 50 Scott St 6 — 9 p.m.
Victoria Zackheim visits Books Inc 601 Van Ness Ave 7:30 p.m.
Release of San Francisco State’s Literary Journal SF Motorcycle Club 2194 Folsom St 7 p.m.
18
Launch party for Forum, City College’s literary magazine Ocean campus Visual Arts 114 Robert Harvie visits Books Inc 2251 Chestnut St 7:30 p.m. Greil Marcus visits The Booksmith 1644 Haigt St 7:30 p.m.
WED
25
19
Rodes Fishburne visits The Booksmith 1644 Haigt St 7:30 p.m.
THUR
26
Steven Jones visits The Booksmith 1644 Haight St 7:30 p.m.
Ann Packer visits The Booksmith 1644 Haight St 7:30 p.m.
Lecture: Ten years that shook the city Counter Pulse 1310 Mission St 7:30 p.m.
Contributors of the book: The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2011 visit Books Inc 2251 Chestnut St 7 p.m.
Emily Luchetti presents her book The Fearles Baker Omnivore Books 3885A Cesar Chavez St 6 — 7 p.m.
Adam Hochschild Visits Books Inc 1760 4th st Berkeley, Calif. 7 p.m.
FRI
20
FRI
27
Last day to remove an Incomplete received the previous semester. Film premier: Hobo With A Shot Gun Lumiere Theater 1572 California St 7 p.m. $8 — $10 Samba Dance Party The Elbo Room 647 Valencia St 10 p.m. 21+
SAT
21
SF Refresh: Bayveiw Neighborhood Clean Up Bayveiw Mural 1700Quesada Ave 8 a.m. Childeren perform 22 traditional world dances Golden Gate Park 50 South Tea Garden Drive 10 a.m. — 6 p.m. The Art of Graffiti: Sketching Lettters 1AM Gallery 1000Howard St 12:30 — 3:30 p.m.
SAT
28
SUN
22
Decadance City College’s Annual Fashion Show Ruby Skye 420 Mason St 6 p.m. $10 for students $15 General Admission Mobile Homeboys Union Square 2 — 4 p.m. Doof-a-Palooza. the Bay Area’s best food purveyors, farmers, and groups called ‘Sourcerers’ bring their magic. 2 Broadway St Oaklandf, Calif. 5 p.m.
SUN
29
City College Commencement Ceremony 2011 Ram Stadium Ocean Campus Begins at 10 a.m. Graduates should arrive by 9 a.m.
San Francisco Carnaval Grand Parade starting at Bryant and 24th street up to Mission street and down 17th street 9:30 a.m.
Chinese Jade Presentation Chinatown Branch of the San Francisco Public Library 1135 Powell st 2:30 — 4:30 p.m.
San Francisco Carnaval Festival Harrison street from 16th street to 22nd street 10 a.m. — 6p.m.
San Francisco Carnaval Festival Harrison street from 16th street to 22nd street 10 a.m. — 6p.m.
Strawberry Waffle Dash (five miles) Golden Gate Park Lindley Meadow John F. Kennedy Drive 2 p.m. register by May 27 Raceit.com $15
Community Events
MON
23
Cello Concert Bazaar Cafe 5927 California St 6 p.m. Documentary Film Festiva : Pushing the Elephant Hayward Public Library 835 C St Hayward, Calif. 6 p.m. Wall Ball: Innovative and Unique Dance Performance Sunnyside Elemenatary school yard\ 250 Foerster St 6 p.m.
MON
30
Memorial Day Commemoration Main Post of the Presidio Anza Avenue 10:30 a.m. Parade on the Main Post: led by the Pipes & Drums of the 191st Army Band. 11:00 a.m. Program at National Cemetery at the Presidio; It features music, a color guard, and remarks by military and civilian dignitaries. 12:00 p.m. Ceremony ends with 21-gun salute by the U.S. Army 5th Brigade 75th Division.
TUES
24
Wall Ball: Innovative and Unique Dance Performance Sunnyside Elemenatary school yard\ 250 Foerster St 11 a.m. Yoga on the Labyrinth Grace Cathedral 1100 California St 6:15 p.m. SF City Guide Walking Tour: Financial District leaving from Front Street and Jackson Street 2 p.m.
TUES
31
Some Summer School classes begin today others start June 13 so check your schedules Final Grades wil be available June 9 Have a Great Summer Every One!
•Online Editor Design The Guardsman’s award winning website. Manage our blog “Outside the Margin.” Develop exclusive online content. PREREQ: Journalism 24
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SPOrtS
The Guardsman & TheGuardsman.com | May 18, 2011 | 11 frOM tHE bLEaCHErS: Read Ryan Kuhn’s opinion about how the sports world not giving enough credit to professional small market teams. TheGuardsman.com/Bleachers
Cheerleaders redefine on-campus spirit By Matthew Gomez The GUardsman
City College’s cheerleaders are doing more than just cheer at football and basketball games, and they are involving themselves in more than athletics. As much as they already do around campus, they hope to do even more.
While they enjoy supporting the school’s athletes, the cheerleading squad also wants to support the students and City College itself. “We try to be as involved as we can,” said captain and president Nazdira Hamden. “We kind of do a little bit of everything on campus.” Cheerleading isn’t an official program at City College. As a club, the cheerleaders must do their own fundraising to take trips and put
PHOTOS BY JESSICA NORTH / THE GUARDSMAN
Above: (L-R) Taylor Conley, Angel Jensen, and Donna Riguero support Cyntia Salazar while practicing a stunt. Preparing for an upcoming competition, the Ram cheerleaders split their time between team responsibilities, school, and their personal lives. Right: Mark Pascual supports Cyntia Salazar as she performs a scorpion. Both Pascual and Salazar are star stunters on the squad.
on events, Hamden said. They ran a booth at FRISCO Day April 29, where some of the cheerleaders welcomed visiting high school students and hoped to recruit a few new faces. At the spring concert held last weekend at the Diego Rivera Theatre, they performed a new routine for the attendees, Hamden said. Cheerleader Angela Jensen, who was at Frisco Friday, said she was also very involved with the other cheerleaders during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. They held a raffle and donated half of the proceeds to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. “We are kind of trying to reach out to all students, not just athletics,” Hamden said. She also said that a group of cheerleaders attended the March in March rallies in Sacramento last year. From cheering for the athletic teams to being a face for City College, their efforts were noticed by the Inter Club Council, which presented them with an excellence award. “Being on the team helps you learn how to be part of a team family,” said Chelsea Chace, who began cheering this semester. Email: mgomez@theguardsman.com
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12 | May 18, 2011 | The Guardsman & TheGuardsman.com
Sports
badminton falls in state title game Rams finish 9-2 on season By Ryan Kuhn The GUardsman
The City College badminton team came up just short to Irvine Valley College at the State Championships on May 12, losing 14-7 on the home court. This was the second time the Lasers defeated City College in the state championship in the last three years. “It was tough because we had to play a lot of matches,” sophomore Mei Wong said. “The competition was hard, but we made some mistakes we shouldn’t have.” Despite the loss, the Rams finished their 2011 season with a 9-2 record. “(Our coaches) were very encouraging and said that we tried our best and we came really far,” Wong said about her coaches Coni Staff and Fred Glosser. “I think the whole team has worked really hard.”
Irvine Valley was the first school to win back-to-back championships since San Diego City College won two titles in a row in 2007 and 2008. Despite falling in the team championship, the Rams had a chance to do well in the individual championships, May 13 and 14. The state tournament was comprised of 12 different schools, ranging from San Diego to the Bay Area in a double-elimination-style tournament. If someone loses in the first round, they are placed in the consolation bracket where they can still compete. While Cindy Wong was the only player to continue to the second round, three City College players competed in singles competition. Chloe Chung and Yupar Khin played in the consolation bracket, with Chung advancing to the semifinals. In the second round, Wong lost 11-21, 9-21 to Irvine Valley’s
BROADUS PARKER / THE GUARDSMAN
Cindy Wong of City College battles Vimla Phongasavithas of Irvine Valley for a spot in semi-finals of the badminton State Championships at City College’s Wellness Center, May 13.
Wimla Phongasavithas who was ranked third in the Orange Empire Conference. Wong knew she was going to have a difficult match. “I know I am going to get a tough match because she is on the national team,” Wong said. “She gets training all the time, and we get training, but a different type of training. It’s like a pro team against an amateur team.”
Four City College teams competed in the doubles matches. Wong was successful, moving onto the quarterfinals with her teammate Khin to face the topseeded doubles team from Irvine Valley. Peggy Chung, who also competed in doubles, said badminton is as much mental as it is physical. “Its all mental toughness. You
just have to be strong and stay focused,” she said. The Rams will have freshmen Peggy Chung and Mei Wong returning for the 2012 season, as they look to bring back the badminton state championship back to San Francisco. Email: rkuhn@theguardsman.com
Sports Briefs
Track and field finish ninth at Norcal finals
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The men’s and women’s track teams competeted in the Norcal Community College Track and Field Championships May 14 and finished ninth and 15th respectively. Key performances were Mario Escobedo finishing third in the 800m run with a time of 1:56.11, Victor Huguley coming in sixth in the long jump and Taylor Thomas also coming in sixth in the triple jump. On the women’s side, Radka Kartousova finished fifth overall in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:06.23. -Ryan Kuhn
Swimming’s alyssa Stember recieves honorable mention for athlete of Month Alyssa Stember was announced as an honorable mention for athlete of the month in April by the California Community College Athletic Association after leading her team to the Conference Championships and qualifying for a spot in the State Campionships. Stember won both the 50m and 100m backstroke for her conference and finished seventh and 14th in the State respectively for those events. Both times set new City College records. -Ryan Kuhn