Vol. 166, Issue 8 | Dec. 12 – Dec. 20, 2018 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE
Frida Kahlo Way unveiled
CCSF’s governing board violates transparency policy three times
SAN FRANCISCO PAYS TRIBUTE TO RENOWNED ARTIST, ACTIVIST, ICON
By David Mamaril Horowitz dhorowitz@theguardsman.com
Out of the five shortlisted names, Frida Kahlo Way retained the most votes. “To name the street in honor of Frida Kahlo lifts the street name from the realm of politics and into the aspiring world of art, and her art continues to resonate imagination,” City College Chancellor Dr. Mark Rocha said. The City College Board of Trustees approved the resolution on June 19 to rename Phelan Avenue. On June 27, Mayor London Breed approved the resolution. Though Phelan Avenue is named after the father of James D. Phelan, Supervisor
Three times in the past month, City College’s board of trustees has violated its own policies intended to improve transparency at special board meetings. The board violated Board Policy 1.16 twice by only having minutes recorded at its Nov. 13 and Dec. 4 study sessions, despite the policy requiring those meetings to be audio recorded. It violated the policy a third time by having its Dec. 6 special meeting posted approximately 25 hours in advance, even though the board is required to post a notice 72 hours in advance. Upon inquiry by The Guardsman, City College General Counsel Steve Bruckman confirmed the three violations. “We were in compliance with the Brown Act, but we did not meet our own board policy,” said Bruckman, who represents City College legally. “I did not know that the Sunshine policy was stricter than the Brown Act with regard to those two issues.” The board of trustees is required by law to comply with the Brown Act and California Public Records Act at minimum. But in 2009, City College created and adopted a new “Sunshine” policy, BP 1.16, which draws regulations from the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance and holds the board to a higher standard of transparency. The violation was one of policy and not of law, and the board
Frida Kahlo Way continued on page 2
Violations continued on page 3
Chancellor Mark Rocha, instructor Leslie Simon, ASCO Vice President of Administration Angelica Campos, Supervisor Norman Yee, and trustees Ivy Lee and Thea Selby react to Frida Kahlo Way’s unveiling on Dec. 7, 2018 in Diego Rivera Theater. Photo by Sarah Berjan/ The Guardsman
By Sarah Berjan
racism, Yee said. “[Kahlo] was an activist, and we acknowlsberjan@mail.ccsf.edu edge her important contributions from Following months of local outreach, the historically marginalized communities of office of District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee on people of color, in particularly woman of color, Dec. 7 held a ceremony at City College’s Diego and also the disability community. We must Rivera Theater to celebrate the renaming of know our history in order to not repeat the Phelan Avenue to Frida Kahlo Way. mistakes of our past, “Yee said. “That is why Upon learning that former mayor and today we are celebrating our new street name, senator James D. Phelan supported anti- Frida Kahlo Way. It starts with us, a city that immigration policies, Supervisor Norman Yee prides itself on values of inclusion, tolerance extensively engaged the community to rename and respect for multicultural diversity.” Phelan Avenue. It was a part of the local and Yee’s office formed a renaming committee, international movement to remove names from which included Phelan Avenue residents and public statues that honor figures who espoused stakeholders, to create a list of potential names.
SUSTAINABILITY
Classes must be cut for sustainability, chancellor says By David Mamaril Horowitz
budget reports. The core problem, Rocha said, stems from an dhorowitz@theguardsman.com unsustainable 20-year course structure: the college’s Hundreds of low-enrolled courses must be elimi- estimated 1,200 for-credit courses can be divided into nated over the next seven years to make City College three categories of 400 each, and each category brings fiscally sustainable, according to a plan created by in wildly different amounts of revenue. college administrators. The first greenlighted category of courses, with At the Dec. 4 board of trustees study session, at least 20 students each, generates 80 percent of Chancellor Mark Rocha said City College needs more City College’s main revenue. Just 20 of these courses well-enrolled courses and fewer low-enrolled courses alone — frequently, graduation requirements such as to be fiscally sustainable. City College, whose fund- English 1A and Math 80 — bring in one-fourth of ing relies largely on student attendance, has not had college revenue. a balanced budget in about a decade, according to The second category consists of 400 historically
Address a 20-Year Structural Problem CCSF Course Breadth: 1200 Credit Courses Only 14 courses are required for CSU/IGETC transfer; an additional 6 courses are required for a major (60 Units)
80% FTES 400 Courses produce 80% of CCSF FTES revenue The top 20 courses produce 25% of total FTES! E.G.: Eng 1A, Math 80, Psych 1, Bio 9, Acc 1
Cuts continued on page 2
HOWARD ZINN BOOK FAIR CULTURE - PAGE 5 A NIGHT AT THE ROXIE CULTURE - PAGE 4
400 400 Low enrolled courses Historically low-enrolled due to constraints with courses under 20 over CTE and academic majors last six years E.G.: RN, LVN, VMD 200A, Math 125
General Education “duplicates” or courses for majors with very few graduates
Information from the Dec. 4, 2018 board of trustees study session
2 | NEWS
Rocha continued from page 1
Frida Kahlo Way continued from page 1 Yee felt that association with the family was reason enough for renaming the street. Phelan supported the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and Immigration Act of 1924. “As a Chinese-American myself and as a woman of color, today’s unveiling is really significant on so many levels. To me, Frida Kahlo represents resilience because even with a broken body, her spirit was never broken, and I don’t think there is any better example of this college and this city, especially communities of color in this city that Frida Kahlo represents,” City College Trustee Ivy Lee said. San Francisco’s inclusivity and tolerance is important for welcoming all diverse ethnic groups as a community, Yee said, particularly due to the federal administration’s political rhetoric.
“Our modern society holds a man’s name above our own historical and powerful female figures. It is imperative that we recognize the contributions of all those whose efforts and determination has led to such impressions in our daily lives,” City College Associated Students Council Vice President Angelica Campos said. Former ASC President Tameem Tutakhil was the first to talk about the legacy of the Phelan family during the committee’s meetings, City College interdisciplinary studies professor Leslie Simon said. “He was adamant and wanted this to happen on his watch and it did. Tutakhi said, ‘Phelan didn’t want the Chinese here then, and he wouldn’t wanted me, a Middle Easterner here, now. So, let’s get that name off the street,’”
Simon recalled. According to Simon, Tutahki described a romantic story when proposing Frida Kahlo Way, detailing the day the college’s Diego Rivera mural is installed — when the community will be able to say, “Take Frida Kahlo Way to the Diego Rivera mural.” “When the surrealist discovered her in the late 30s, they fell in love with her work. They asked her to exhibit with them in Paris,” Simon said. “Kahlo said, ‘They thought I was a surrealist, but I was not. I never painted my dreams, I only painted my own reality.’ When the new street were installed in November, I thought to myself ‘it's surreal’, then others described it as surreal. But Kahlo would remind us that it is real, and the address of City College of San Francisco is 50 Frida Kahlo Way,” Simon said.
The new Frida Kahlo Way street sign, which has replaced Phelan Avenue, is unveiled at the Diego Riviera theater at City College in front of the wall-sized mural featuring Frida Kahlo. Photo by Cliff Fernandes/ The Guardsman
District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee address the crowd at City College’s Diego Riviera theater before unveiling the new Frida Kahlo street sign. Photo by Cliff Fernandes/ The Guardsman
Staff Editor-in-Chief Peter J. Suter News Editor David Mamaril Horowitz
Vol. 166, Issue 8 | Dec. 12 – Dec. 20, 2018
Culture Editor Lisa Martin
Opinion Editor Matthew Cardoza
Photo Editor Sarah Berjan
Sport Editor Corey Holt
Copy Editors Antoinette Barton Deidre Foley
Ad. Manager Ivan Torres
low-enrolled courses that qualify as academic majors or Career and Technical Education courses, such as nursing. Some of these will be canceled. And the administrators’ plan would eliminate the third category of 400 courses, which Rocha said have been low-enrolled over the last six years. These consist of majors with very few graduates as well as general education duplicates, he said. “Anything that I say about the structural problem is not to be criticism of any individual faculty member,” Rocha said. “There is great value of teaching a course to six students. There is great value in that.” He paused. “But structuring it into your budget, we’ll go over the cliff if we keep doing it,” he said. The college this year calls for an $11 million deficit. Enrollment and attendance-based funding are measured using the metric “Full-Time Equivalent Students.” One FTES equals one year’s worth of credited attendance by full-time student — approximately 525 hours of credited class time. Rocha said that to be fiscally sustainable, the college must pick one of two routes: increasing enrollment to 32,000 FTES, bringing in an additional $51.2 million in annual funding — or dropping to 19,000 FTES. Urgency is increased by Assembly Bill 1602, which guarantees City College its 2012 – 2013 attendance-based funding, an equivalent of 33,000 FTES. If not for AB 1602, City College would receive 22,500 FTES in funding. But the bill expires in the 2022 – 2023 fiscal year. “You can get to [32,000 FTES], but you cannot get there without some pain,” Rocha said. “[19,000 FTES] is major, major meltdown pain.” The first response, by Trustee Alex Randolph, echoed a sentiment shared by other trustees. Central to the problem, Randolph said, is questioning what a community college in San Francisco should look like. Although he said he understood the importance of a balanced budget, Randolph reaffirmed his belief that lifelong learning is one of the three core tenets of a community college. “I don’t want to just dismiss some of these redzoned classes because they don’t make any more or are not enrolled,” Randolph said. Generally, having fewer than 20 students in a class results in a loss of money; 20 is also the minimum class size requirement, according to Article 18B of City College’s contract with its faculty union. Rocha said offering higher-enrolled courses can help offset the loss of revenue by keeping low-enrolled courses. He referred to universities using courses of 150 students to subsidize courses with just six. The administration is also banking on its online college City Online to pull in enrollment from outside San Francisco. Rocha said there aren’t many more city residents the college can tap into. Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Tom Boegel said that bringing courses online may also help more low-enrolled courses from the second category stay. He recalled preparing to teach a computer course a decade ago, asking 25 interested students if they could attend class in the morning, evening or Saturday. “Eight of them said daytime, eight of them said evening and eight of them said Saturday,” Boegel said. “And eight doesn’t make a course.” The administration has for the last year focused restructuring course offerings to prioritize courses that are well-enrolled. He added that the college last spring offered just six less courses than previous spring. “The difference is we shifted a few more out of the low-enrolled classes into the high-demand classes,” Rocha said. Jenny Worley, the president of City College’s faculty union, aid the union was opposed to the plan, stating that class cuts and cancellations impede students’ ability to get the education they need. “We have a duty to serve as a college for this community and offer a broad range of courses including transfer work, including CTE training and including adults’ and lifelong classes,” Worley said.
Designers Chiara Di Martino Mar Lar Thin
Online Editor Fran Smith
Staff Writers Patrick Cochran Cliff Fernandes Casey Ticsay
NEWS | 3
Vol. 166, Issue 8 | Dec. 12 – Dec. 20, 2018
Lab aide, student leader brings compassion to Ocean Campus By Peter J. Suter
“She’s one of the most dedicated students I’ve met.”
suterjpeter@gmail.com
For Angelica Campos, knowing her community comes before leading it. Concurrently working as a Queer Resource Center lab aide and a student leader, Campos strives to bridge gaps between Associated Students Council and college resource centers at Ocean Campus. Upon joining the QRC in 2016, Campos experienced firsthand how resource centers served student needs, and how they did not receive adequate funding from ASCO. When QRC faculty adviser Mark Piper observed a disconnect between ASCO and resource centers, he urged Campos to become involved in the council. “We have been grossly underfunded for years, and Angelica was one of the ones who helped get the support for more funding of the QRC,” Piper said. Campos joined ASCO last spring, with compassion for students as her driving force. Now ASCO Vice President of Administration, she particularly advocates for City College’s marginalized students. “I know what’s being put out and the resources students need, whether that be a safe space, a computer with printing, or free food to eat throughout the day,” Campos said. When On-Demand Food Shelves was established to help students who cope with food insecurity, Campos was instrumental in implementing the program at resource centers. By securing better ASCO funding for the QRC, she contributed to maintaining
— Amy Coffey, management assistant Campos knows the importance of improving policies that affect students in order to really make a difference. Spending more than 15 hours a week working for ASCO, she oversees the council’s Rules and Regulations Committee, as well as Resource Center and Programs United Committee. She also works closely with ASCO secretaries and and behind the Angelica Campos poses to have her portrait taken outside the Diego Rivera Theatre April scenes to service the college. 13, 2018. Photo by Nancy Chan/ Special to The Guardsman “The changes that I’ve seen within a safe space that is utilized by some of the attacking them, I think is a key identifier of [Campos] and the changes she’s brought college’s most vulnerable communities. a true leader,” Campos said. to the campus have been huge,” said Amy She herself was diagnosed with a learnShe works closely with Interim Dean of Coffey, management assistant of student ing disability and classified as a DSPS student. Student Activities Dr. John Cognetta, rewrit- activities. “She’s one of the most dedicated Moreover, as a lower-income at-risk high ing the bylaws intended to regulate ASCO. students I’ve met.” school youth, Campos received aid from “Angelica was a little bit timid last spring, Campos, who campaigned for newly Bridge Academy, a workshop that prepares but since then she has blossomed. She’s a elected District 4 Supervisor Gordon people for college. great ambassador for AS and has built a Mar, expressed an interest in running for For her, attending City College was sense of community here,” Cognetta said. the ASCO president or student trustee no mark of failure. It was a second chance Campos works closely with QRC position in spring 2019. Her motivation, to thrive. and DSPS students in particular and has she said, would be to continue serving Since high school, she has wanted to give learned how to control her emotions when students compassionately. back to the community. Now, she serves as a she feels that policies don’t do enough for “It’s my passion to work with students,” leader working with ASCO to aid students their communities. Cognetta said. “So when I find students who who need it most. “The Angelica I met when I first hired are passionate, our passions just click.” “The ability to be compassionate, being her, [compared] to the Angelica I have today, able to listen to someone else’s idea without are two very different people,” Piper said.
Violations continued on page 6 would not face any penalties or punishments, less than a week prior. Bruckman said. “If [the board] did not violate the actual “I’ve already had a conversation with language of the Brown Act, it certainly [Chancellor Mark Rocha], and the chan- violated the spirit of the Brown Act,” Zeltzer cellor directed me to be sure the our policies later told The Guardsman. are followed in the future,” Bruckman said. Trustee John Rizzo responded to Bruckman said the problem was a Zeltzer’s comment at the beginning of the conflict between board policies. Despite meeting, recalling that the board’s Sunshine the requirements of BP 1.16, BP 1.07 policy does require meetings to be recorded. states that special meetings require only 24 Chancellor Mark Rocha consulted hours’ notice. Bruckman, who said that special meetings Labor journalist Steve Zeltzer ques- only require a 24-hour notice. tioned board transparency at the Dec. 4 Board President Brigitte Davila, who meeting, concerned that the board was in said she would consult with Bruckman, violation of the Brown Act for not recording pushed forward with the meeting to keep the meeting and for posting a meeting notice on track with the agenda. The meeting
went unrecorded. Smith gave a brief presentation about City “It’s my responsibility to ensure the the College’s current Facilities Master Plan board follows its policies, and the board draft, which blueprints a 10-year plan for didn’t follow its policies, so I’m responsi- the future of City College facilities. At the ble for the mistake,” Bruckman later told same meeting, the survey results of a $450 The Guardsman. million to $800 million college facilities bond proposal were revealed. At the unrecorded Dec. 4 meeting, Rocha “The faculty, the staff, the presented the plan to cut 400 low-enrolled courses in order to create fiscal sustainability. students and the public Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Tom should be able to have Boegel gave a presentation about classroom size requirements, and Vice Chancellor of proper notice so that Finance and Administration Luther Aaberge they can participate and spoke about the college budget. “Budgetary issues and the bond measure at least have their voice for next year were discussed, and I have no heard in the governance way of finding what the board said,” music instructor Harry Bernstein said at the soundof City College of San recorded Dec. 6 meeting, referencing BPs Francisco.” 1.14 and 1.16. “That’s critical because we’re talking about a humungus bond next year.“ — Steve Zeltzer, labor journalist
City College Trustee John Rizzo attends the board of trustees special meeting on Dec. 6, which was not posted as early as board policy requires. Photo by David Mamaril Horowitz / The Guardsman Illustrators Cleo Cabanez Veronica VossMacomber
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But Zeltzer said he believed trustees themselves should know their own policies like the back of their hands. “The faculty, the staff, the students and the public should be able to have proper notice so that they can participate and at least have their voice heard in the governance of City College of San Francisco,” Zeltzer said. At the unrecorded Nov. 13 meeting, Facilities Vice Chancellor Dr. Rueben
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To read about the bond discussed on Nov. 13, read “City College prepares for immense facilities bond” in Issue 7. To watch the majority of the Dec. 4 meeting, watch Zeltzer’s recording at https://tinyurl.com/dec4bot To read The Guardsman’s coverage of the first part of the Dec. 4 meeting, read “Classes must be cut for sustainability, chancellor says” on page 1.
Mailing Address 50 Frida Kahlo Way, Box V-67 San Francisco, CA 94112 Bungalow 615
4 | CULTURE
Vol. 166, Issue 8 | Dec. 12 – Dec. 20, 2018
Horticulture and floristry department hosts holiday sale By Casey Ticsay
beautiful plants available,” said Laurie Anderson, who plans to enroll in a horticticsay@mail.ccsf.edu culture course next semester. “The prices Students and faculty of the are good and I really want to support Environmental Horticulture and Floristry City College.” department kicked off their annual holiStudents began the semester with day sale and scholarship benefit on Dec. several tasks in hand, one of which 6 with selections ranging from succulents meant nurturing over 800 poinsettia and orchids to wreaths and poinsettias. cuttings during the months leading up This year’s sale, which takes place to the department’s winter sale. Mission towards the end of each spring and fall Dolores and Saint Paul’s Catholic Church semester, showcased student projects and are a few clients who purchased hundreds attracted neighbors, friends and alumnae of the poinsettias. throughout the college community. “It’s a good event for the department “It’s wonderful to have all these because it gives an outlet for the plants
Hundreds of red poinsettias fill a greenhouse in City College’s Horticulture Center. Photo by Casey Ticsay/ The Guardsman
City College's Horticulture Center sell ferns and other season plants during holiday sale. Photo by Casey Ticsay/ The Guardsman
we grow,” Professor Malcolm Hillan said. Hillan hopes the holiday sale brings more awareness about the department whose field embodies “enjoyable and meaningful work.” “I think [the field] has the potential to have a very positive impact on how we enjoy our lives in the environment and potentially have positive effects on the environment itself,” Hillan said. “I want to see our students going into the field and keep the mindset that we should be always striving to improve our practices so that they’re sustainable and really a benefit to the environment.”
Professor Malcolm Hillan walks through a greenhouse in City College’s Horticulture Center. Photo by Casey Tiscay/ The Guardsman
Jazz is alive as City College ensemble jives By Lisa Martin lisamartin.562@gmail.com
The SF City Jazz Ensemble crammed its musicians onto a small stage wedged between the bookshelves of Bird & Beckett Books and Records to perform a mix of modern jazz and old standards redone as modern arrangements to a crowd of friends and fellow musicians on Dec 6. This was the third time that City College’s jazz club had performed at this particular venue
Vocalist Helen Palma shakes a guiro as she sings "Favela" at Bird & Beckett on Dec 6, 2018. Photo by Lisa Martin/ The Guardsman
since Fall of 2017. Bird & Beckett hosts a few jazz performances every week. At this point musicians know to come to Eric Whittington, the bookshop’s owner, about using the space as a venue. It’s just a matter figuring out when to book everyone, Whittington said. According to Jazz Club president and pianist Megan Wegman each band member picked a tune that they then worked on together to fine tune the performance, figure out who would play which instruments and perfect solos. The ensemble then met weekly over the course of the semester to prepare for this final performance. This was trumpet player Freddy Lee’s first performance with the SF City Jazz Ensemble. He found out about the group in class and when they asked him to play with them he said he felt honored. “I’m just happy to be able to play with them and find people who love the music,” Lee said, adding that he appreciated the opportunity to play and grow. The group performed two sets — 17 songs and intstrumental medley’s in total — with a short intermission for snacks in between. They began with a jazz rendition of “My Favorite Things” from the classic movie soundtrack The
Sound of Music sung by vocalist Adina Pernell. They performed other classics from artists like Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk and original arrangements done by its members. Vocalists Stephanie Woodford and Helen Palma also sang and scatted their way to the instrumental accompanienment of Wegman, Elijah Pontecorvo, Freddy Lee, John Luu, Ferdinand Hartanto, Tammy Oreglia, Kiki Spalding, Raul A. Menjivar, German Murashov, Anthony Blea and Arturo Rodriguez. Before they begin a particularly upbeat rendition of “Pink Panther”, Wegman announced “Two flutes. Two violins. It’s getting crazy in here.” At different points during the program, the City Jazz Ensemble struggled to squeeze all its performers on the stage. Riffs jumped from horn to flute to saxophone to violin and the beat ebbed and flowed. It was a performance with a many solos and the audience loved it. As each of the musicians showed off their prowess with their instruments the audience would burst into appreciative, mid-song applause. “This is that old kinda jazz,” audience member Vincent joked between sets, “You get a clap for
Fred “Freddy Lee” Johnson, center, plays a trumpet solo as he’s accompanied by Elijah Pontecorvo on base, left, Megan Wegman on piano and on saxophone. Dec 6, 2018. Photo by Lisa Martin/ The Guardsman
your service.” Throughout the first set, Sherman, the shop cat, wound his way through the legs of audience members — getting pets and head scratches along the way — before falling asleep next to the complementary copies of the U.S. constitution and a pamphlet of City College’s music class offerings for Spring 2019. During breaks between the sets and aftwerwards, members of the audience urged the
performers to record their music and original arrangements. “I thought it went better than expected,” Woodford said. “Every semester, I try to do more stuff,” Wegman said, when asked about the Jazz Clubs plans for next year. Wegman hopes that they’ll be able to add more string and brass musicians to the group and that their next performance will have more original arrangements and even some original compositions.
CULTURE | 5
Vol. 166, Issue 8 | Dec. 12 – Dec. 20, 2018
By Cliff Fernandes cferna44@mail.ccsf.edu
The Roxie’s neon lights flooded the street as light rain fell during the night of City College’s eighth Annual Festival of the Moving
Image screening on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018. As “Bohemian Rhapsody” played at the Little Roxie next door, a sizable audience filled the 300 seats of the cinema’s main chamber. The two hour screening
A film reel sits on the desk of the projection room, the handwritten paper at the start of the reel reads "Lost in Translation". Photo by Cliff Fernandes/ The Guardsman
featured 36 different short films submitted by students from City College's cinema, broadcast electronic media arts and visual media design departments. This year was the VMD department's first time being involved at the Festival of Moving Image, which produced the various 2D animated shorts such as Erika Arellano’s "Solace.". The two minute short shows a young girl feeling the warmth of her mother's spirit after trying on her retro jacket from her dad’s 1980s memorabilia as they unbox The poster for City College's Broadcast Electronic Media Arts features in the attic. At the end of the night the on the side of the Roxie's ticket booth. Photo by Cliff Fernandes/ The Guardsman attendees occupied a narrow strip of pavement as they discussed Sieglitz had introduced one neighborhood bookstore after the various screenings. BEMA of her students, Yoko Kikuchi to watching Kikuchi’s short film instructor Michele Sieglitz said another student’s mother, who “Adobe Books to Prisoners." the film screening felt like a wished to contribute books to a community builder. prisoner book loan project at a
Fight for the air we breathe; Howard Zinn Book Fair By Andy Damián–Correa
Literature from thousands of authors covering many subjects were on display at the Howard Zinn Book Fair held at Mission Campus on Sunday Dec. 2, 2018. Photo by Peter J. Suter/ The Guardsman
The Howard Zinn Book fair is celebration of the books that make us rethink our roles in acorrea@theguardsman.com the world and connect people with hidden histo“Fighting for the Air We Breathe” was the ries, CCSF Mission Campus ESL Honduran theme of the 5th Annual Howard Zinn Book Fair Edgar Amaya said. held at City College Mission Campus on Dec 2. This year, the Howard Zinn Book Fair The Howard Zinn Book Fair is an annual welcomed a dynamic assortment of poets, celebration of People’s History — past, present musicians and puppeteers to the People’s Culture and future — gathering together authors, bloggers Café. As James Connolly said, “Until the moveand publishers for a day of nearly 60 readings, ment is marked by the joyous, defiant, singing panel discussions on topics like “Urban Ecology of revolutionary songs, it lacks one of the most & Gentrification in the Face of Climate Change” distinctive marks of a popular revolutionary and “Anarcho-Populism and the Struggle Against movement. It is the dogma of a few, and not the Climate Destruction,” and workshops like faith of the multitude.” “How to Fight Fascism: Dialogue with Mark Bray “We are very sad to announce that we need and George Lakey.” Together, they explored the to postpone the How We Get Free event on value of dissident histories towards building December. Several of our speakers are no longer a better future. able to participate in the event due to circumIn the spirit of the late historian Howard stances out of their control. We will reschedule Zinn, this fair recognizes the stories of the ways the event at the same venue sometime in 2019,” that everyday people have risen to propose a Noemi Lopez volunteer added. world beyond empires big and small. Over 2,000 Speakers Mickey Huff and Nolan Higden attendees came to enjoy the event and peruse a discussed the false equivalencies and outright lot of books. falsehoods in climate reporting with a full room The Party of Socialism and Liberation, of almost 60 attendees at the Media Censorship, National Writers Union, Luna’s Press Books, Corporate Propaganda, and the Making of the Love Letters to Trump Book, Refuse Fascism Current Climate Crisis workshop. and many more organizations tabled the event, selling books and sharing information.
6 | NEWS
Vol. 166, Issue 8 | Dec. 12 – Dec. 20, 2018
Thriving welding program unable to expand as college support falters By Reilly Buckenham rbuckenh@mail.ccsf.edu
Following the commencement of spring 2019 registration, qualms have arisen about the restrictions that limit City College’s thriving welding program. With an enrollment requirement of 20 students per class and two classes focused on welding, instructors this semester found themselves in a bind to make their eight TIG welding stations work for full classes. Productivity, certification and safety for welding students are all compromised when classes require more equipment than what is available. “Welding classes like many other science labs are limited simply by the services available in the work stations,” engineering technology and welding instructor Mike Kimball said. Students who cannot access welding
stations and lose out on training sometimes drop the classes; they are in such high demand that a waitlist once hit 70 people, Kimball said. He added that when the college administration rejected welding instructor Dave Vetrano’s application to become a full-time teacher, new classes listed in the early fall schedule had to be canceled. These two issues have resulted in fewer opportunities for program enrollment and certification. Another concern is that the machinery used by welding and other trade programs at Evans use are heavy and potentially dangerous for those who are not properly trained. “The larger amount of students you have, the less cautious you can be, and more accidents can occur [...]. It’s a big concern,” Evans Center student Juan Esparza said at the Oct. 18 board of trustees meeting. According to Article 18B of the bargaining agreement between City College’s faculty
union and the administration, courses that have fewer than 20 students may be cut. Exceptions, however, can be made for classes instructors consider beneficial with lower enrollment or a safety hazard with higher enrollment. A spreadsheet of such classes was published on the City College website in early December, and listed a new 15-student requirement for the welding courses. But Kimball said that when students wish to practice the same techniques, 15 students is still too much. “A cap of 10 is appropriate for this lab space,” Kimball added. “15 is really pushing it — students drop really quickly because of dissatisfaction. And there’s no way to do 20 because the space itself doesn’t allow it.” The program provides its students access to training that is otherwise hard to find. Students at the Oct. 18 meeting praised the program, and Vetrano for his instruction.
Jay Chew, a retiree from the San Francisco opera, said he was looking for a way to “fill his time and augment his retirement” when he joined the welding program. Chew said he was originally looking to join the College of San Mateo, only to find it had eliminated its welding program years ago. The only welding program in the area, he recalled, was here at City College. He said he could not explain enough how great a teacher Vetrano is. Since enrolling with Vetrano, Chew said, he has been able to complete small projects and augment his income. “[City College’s welding program] is the best as far as education goes, as far as your dollar goes,” welding student Dan Orellana said. “Everyone that lives here in the city tries to get moving ahead because it so expensive living here.”
City College student Dan Orellana does TIG welding during his Intermediate Welding Processes class on Dec. 6, 2018, at the City College Evans Center. Photo by David Mamaril Horowitz / The Guardsman
RETRACTION The brief named “SFUSD to increase City College accessibility for high school students,” published in Issue 7 of The Guardsman, included some accuracies due to the program being amended. The most up-to date document was not searchable at the time. It can be read at https://tinyurl. com/SFUSDretraction The resolution does not allow any San Francisco Unified School District high school students to participate in dual enrollment. Instead, it has SFUSD and City College together identify appropriate courses for such students, with a focus on increasing
enrollment of African-American, Latinx, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. The amended resolution does not require parental consent in place of a principal’s signature for dual enrollment. Rather, an appeals process will be established for when a principal’s signature may not be obtained. The amended resolution no longer removes the 120-credit requirement for dually enrolled students. And while the amended resolution does mention creating new language courses for dually enrolled students, Arabic, Japanese and Vietnamese are not presented as examples. David Mamaril Horowitz, News Editor
Editor’s Note The Guardsman welcomes our story ideas, tips, and calendar items! Email suterjpeter@gmail.com, or call (415) 632-0821
Illustration by Veronica Voss-Macomber
SPORT | 7
Vol. 166, Issue 8 | Dec. 12 – Dec. 20, 2018
FOOTBALL: SUN BOWL
Not worth the wait: After two week delay Rams lose 28-20 to Modesto By Patrick Cochran pcochran@theguardsman.com
It was a frustrating way for City College football to end a once promising season. Facing off against Modesto College in the Golden State bowl, a team whom they beat 49-16 earlier this season, the injury depleted Rams lost the game, which was pushed back two weeks because of the Camp Fire, 28-20 to finish the 2018 season 7-4. “We started off real, real slow and played a lot of guys who never started a college football game before because of injuries. It took awhile to find ourselves and we ran out of time there at the end,” head coach Jimmy Collins said. “We didn’t play well enough to end.” With thirteen starters either sitting out or slowed down by injury, the Rams had to play a bunch of players who usually don’t see much time. Starting running back DeShawn Collins and wide receiver Tyrese Mack missed the game, while others like linebacker Anthony Porter and defensive end Tavai Tuitasi were limited in what they could do because of their injuries. The Pirates took an early lead in the first quarter after quarterback Jack Weaver found wide receiver Jordan Porter open for a 26-yard touchdown. Weaver,
a small yet quick quarterback who excels at avoiding the pass rush and extending plays, caused headaches for the Rams defense all afternoon. In their matchup earlier this season, Modesto started Jacob Perez, who had a lackluster performance, but with Weaver behind center the Pirates looked like a completely different team. Weaver finished the game only with modest numbers, passing for 188 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but stepped up to make big plays on key third downs. “They ran a lot of misderactions, and put our defense in a tough situation,” Collins said. A bone bruise in Tuitasi’s left foot hampered his effectiveness out on the field, and without their star pass rusher the Rams were unable to bring much pressure on Weaver. “For a defensive end you need to be explosive to get to the quarterback,” Tuitasi said. “I couldn’t really do much out there with it.” Modesto running back Devan Bass would score the next two touchdowns for Modesto on runs of three and two yards to give them a 21-0 lead just barely into the second quarter. Bass ran all over the Ram defense, finishing the game with 140 rushing yards on 22 attempts with two touchdowns. The Rams would score their only points of the first half when kicker Dominic Soos nailed a
25-yard field goal midway through the second quarter. Soos was one of the team’s few bright spots, hitting both of his field goal and extra point attempts. On offense the Rams were plagued by dropped passes. Multiple times quarterback Jack Newman got excellent protection from the offensive line, enabling him to drop back and let his wide receiver run deep routes and delivered on target passes to them only to see the ball be dropped. It wasn’t just on big play opportunities either, the City College receivers also missed some short throws also. “Football is about making plays, and if you don’t make them you are going to lose,” Newman said. Down 21-3 at halftime, the Rams would play better in the second half. Neither team scored during the third quarter, but during the fourth the action picked back up. Minutes into the fourth, sophomore wide receiver Damani Ballard, filling in for an injured Tyrese Mack, caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Newman, to put the score at 21-7. Starting for the first time in his final game for City College, Ballard had a great game, finish with eight catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. Newman finished completing 23-for-43 for 297 yards with two touchdowns.
Running back Jamir Billings who ran for 68 yards on 15 attempts, stretches for extra yards after getting first down during Sun Bowl on Dec. 1, 2018. Photo by Eric Sun/ Special to The Guardsman
Freshman quarterback Jack Newman (#12) delivers pass during Sun Bowl against Modesto College on Dec. 1, 2018. Photo by Eric Sun/ Special to The Guardsman
Rams wide receiver Frank Hall (#1) make a tiptoe catch near the sideline during Sun Bowl against Modesto College on Dec.1, 2018. Photo by Eric Sun/ Special to The Guardsman
“I just wanted to go out, its my sophomore year, with the fullest of my potential,” Ballard said. “Just give it all I have, that is all I wanted to do.” Modesto would widen their lead to 28-10 after a 13-yard run by running back Darus Nelson, but the Rams would respond with their own score less then two minutes later, after Newman found freshman receiver Tyrese Johnson for a 33-yard touchdown to narrow the score to 28-17. Johnson was about as wide open on the play as possible, with the Modesto defense blowing the coverage. City College would try to hit an onside kick to get the ball back but failed. The defense was able to get the Modesto offense off the field quickly, and get the ball back for the Ram’s offense with two minutes left. The offense was able to march down the field but stalled out near the goalline, forcing them to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Soos to now put the score at 28-20.
SPORTS CALENDAR Women’s Basketball
Men’s Basketball
Dec. 14, TBA vs. TBA vs. San Bernardino Valley
Dec. 14, TBA, vs. Merced
CCSF Tournament
Dec. 15, TBA vs. TBA
Delta Tournament
Dec. 15, TBA vs. TBA Dec. 16, vs. TBA
For live game updates find
CCSF Athletics on Facebook and
@CCSFathletic on Twitter
With 27 seconds left in the game, the Rams tried another onside kick but failed once again, finishing the game. “The guys didn’t give up, so I was very happy about that,” Collins said. With the loss the Rams finished their season at 7-4. Throughout the season, they were up-and-down, with some big blow wins but also some disappointing losses to rivals like Laney College and College of San Mateo. The team will lose some key veteran talent, players like Hall, Collins, Porter, the Mack twins, and Tuitasi but since the squad was mostly freshman, many of the starters will be back next season. A key question for the team is whether Newman, who was a standout as a freshman, will return next season or will transfer at play at a higher level. With Newman back, the Rams can easily contend for coach Jimmy Collins second state championship.
OPINION | 8
Vol. 166, Issue 8 | Dec. 12 – Dec. 20, 2018
HAVE YOUR SAY BY MATTHEW CARDOZA
HOW WAS ENROLLING FOR SPRING 2019 CLASSES FOR YOU?
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“It was kind of bad. I was put on a waitlist for my math class. I got into all my other classes fine except for that one because of a bug in the system. I had to manually put in my classes at Smith Hall. It made me feel like everything was put together at the last minute.” — Desmond Simon, Computer Science “I had to get used to the new system. I had to put all my CRN numbers in 3 times before it finally worked. I felt a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to get into the classes, but I was relieved when I got in.” — Nadia Martini, Child Development
It was pretty straightforward. I registered on December 3rd online and didn’t have to wait in line to register. I do know many people who struggled to get the classes they needed.” — Glory Rubio, Spanish
Illustration by Cleo Cabanez
Education With A View By Susannah Spengler
worked any job I could find close On top of that, students must to campus and put in as many undergo the extensive college sspengle@mail.ccsf.edu hours as I could in order to make application processes all while When I was looking to enter ends meet. Eventually, the inevita- maintaining a good grade point a community college, my high ble happened. I dropped out. The average, paying the submission fee school counselor told me I should way I saw it, that was the end of and do well on the SATs and other “want to go to a real school,” education for me. final exams. All this pressure can reminding me that "only losers When I moved back to San negatively impact the mind and go to Community.” Not having Francisco, I enrolled in City body of students. proper guidance I missed out College through the Free City The end of high school is wellon the opportunity to recognize program, which nearly elimi- known for the stress it induces. other options outside of a four nates the cost of attending for Students not only prepare to year college. qualified applicants. For the first leave the high school campus, but Students oftentimes face time in my life, the pressure was must also drastically change their pressure to attend a four-year off. There was an amazing variety lifestyle by leaving the home enviinstitution solely on the basis of of classes to choose from which ronment, quickly thrusting them prestige, only to find out it is far allowed me to dabble and see into the real world. from being the right fit for them. what suits me. I had the freedom This is my story, and it is the This is what exactly happened to to decide my future. story of many people. In this me. Having done mediocrely at This is why community progressive sanctuary city, accesbest in high school, I found myself colleges are crucial. Through the sible education is offered to young with very few options. California community college and old, from every possible So I went to a California State system, students are guaranteed background and backstory, City University an hour outside of San an education and the option of College welcomes us all. Here, Francisco, the only somewhat transferring to both CSUs and there is no push to get it done affordable school that accepted UC campuses. fast, disregarding the mental and my application. I believed that this While many students are emotional toll. Here, students are was the only way to go. accepted to four year colleges allowed to grow, change, discover The pressure to finish a degree right out of high school, there new exciting paths that they didn't in four years was bad enough, are many who are left behind even know existed. This is a place but along with the ever growing for a myriad of reasons includ- for diversity, a place for equal student debt, despite receiving ing grades, financial troubles, and opportunity, a home for those financial aid, was even worse. I personal life events. who have none.
The Guardsman: A Retrospection It was all right. The new system took some getting used to, but I had no problem registering.” — Quran Lovett, Engineering
“It was pretty good. They merged Web4 with Canvas. I registered on December 3rd and my process was fine, but I know people who had earlier registration dates and they had problems.” — Ivan Lee, Biology
By Cliff Fernandes
Guardsman staff at the end students and more about contribof every meeting became a uting to a living history book. cferna44@mail.ccsf.edu familiar, comforting sound. Every article could be found by The wooden boards creaked A sound that contrasted the the general public and wasn’t and twisted on my way to steely silence at the begin- constricted to the eyes of one Bunglows 615 at the beginning ning of classroom lectures teacher under a stack of other of Fall 2018. Upon enter- from the previous two years at student assignments. ing the newsroom, a circle of City College. For instance an article about Guardsman staff sat as departThe Guardsman was work- the overworked, understaffed ment chair Juan Gonzales spoke ing on material more serious police force or an architecture in a calm demeanour. All but than I expected so as the news professor who continues to serve two seats empty, the rest filled assignments came and went, as a mentor despite the hospital with strangers. my knowledge of the campus error that left him disabled could As a street photography issues grew. At the same time be found in the paper. hobbyist, the decision to join it felt like a sizable portion of My plans moving forward the campus newspaper was a the campus was missing out include contributing to the trial run, but an apparent cross- on the content for the same newspaper, while improving over existed between capturing reason I had, a lack of mobile the online news delivery. This street-life and a deeper layer news delivery. may require working with of storytelling that comes so Working on the newspaper video, which could help tie City easily to journalists. became less about whether or not College’s Broadcast Electronic Over the weeks the rumbles the articles were making a differ- Media Arts (BEMA) department of indistinguible chatter of ence in the lives of transitional with the Journalism department.