Vol. 155, Issue 3, Feb. 20- March 5, 2013
City College
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iPhone and iPad users targeted by thieves Police use decoys to catch robbers near BART station By Alex Lamp
THE GUARDSMAN / ALAMP@THEGUARDSMAN.COM / @SFBREAKINGNEWS
Theft-related crimes have decreased in the neighborhood over the past few years but the newest iPhones and iPads are proving irresistible for would-be thieves. In December, the Ingleside Police Station began a Robbery Abatement Team decoy operation, in which undercover teams of officers posed as possible theft victims but “there were no takers,” Capt.Tim Falvey said. City College’s 2012 Annual Security Report and Crime Statistics showed 15 thefts in 2011, which is down from the 28 thefts in 2009 and 18 in 2010. However, in January a group of three thieves were brought into custody after plain-clothed officers used a tracking-enabled iPad to zero in on the GPS system of a stolen iPhone.
Drivers pull up to a pedestrian, ask for directions, then grab the victim’s phone before driving off “This system has proved valuable after the spike in robberies in the last half of January,” Falvey said. Cell phone thefts have been attributed to occasions where opportunist thieves pickpocket their targets at vulnerable times. The total amount of theft related crimes in the neighborhood has fallen to 3,017 in 2012, since it peaked at 3,229 in 2010,
and include robbery, burglary, auto theft, burglary theft from vehicles and personal theft. A major hot spot for theft in the Ingleside neighborhood is Balboa Park and the BART station. This area is a major transit hub with an influx of people coming and going at all hours. “One of the reasons why we have a problem with the area around Balboa [Park] BART is that it is right next to the freeway on-ramps,” Falvey said.. “You can commit the robbery if you are in a car.” Drivers pull up to a pedestrian, ask for directions and then grab the victim’s phone before driving off down Ocean Avenue or onto Interstate 280, Falvey said. There have been fewer reports of theft at Ocean campus this semester, but it still remains the only City College campus with a steady trend of theft crimes. “There is less theft this and last year,” City College police Officer Erica McGlaston said. “2010 was definitely worse and there were constant reports then.” McGlaston said that the iPhone 5 has been a major reason, since its late September 2012 release, for the recent increase in theft in the Ingleside neighborhood and that iPads, iPhones and mobile devices are the most commonly stolen items. The iPhone’s GPS tracking technology is helping to reduce the number of stolen phone though, McGlaston said. In October of last year, a woman was choked and robbed of her cell phone on the Ocean Avenue pedestrian bridge and there have been a few other assaults on that bridge reported to police since then. If you are a victim or witness of a robbery in progress, call 911. This story was produced in collaboration with The Ingleside Light.
NEWS: Three other colleges removed from accreditation sanctions Pg. 2 NEWS: Thousands dance for global protest on Valentine’s Day Pg. 5
INSIDE:
Q&A: Exclusive interview with Interim Chancellor Thelma Scott-Skillman Pgs. 6-7 IN MEMORY OF: Ernesto “Xe” Gonzales Acosta, 1989-2013 Pg. 8
OPINION: Struggle and resistance is part of the African American Intellectual Tradition Pg. 13 SPORTS: Track and Field hits the ground running Pg. 15
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| Feb. 20- March 5, 2013
news College Briefs Other colleges removed from sanction The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges removed three colleges from their respective sanctions this month. Cuesta College and College of the Redwoods were both on “show cause” and the commission moved them up to less severe sanctions. Cuesta is now on “warning” status and Redwoods is now on probation, according to official commission
documents. The commission also removed the College of Marin from “warning” status. All schools must continue to submit periodic follow-up reports, which is a normal requirement of the accreditation process. Comprehensive reports are made every six years. (Sara Bloomberg) Accreditation Update The Ocean campus Associ-
World Briefs Vatican City Citing a “lack of strength of mind and body,” Pope Benedict XVI announced that he will be resigning Feb. 28, becoming the first Pope to do so in over six centuries. Benedict, 85, had been showing signs of age in the months preceding his resignation. The Rev. Georg Ratzinger, Benedict’s 89-year-old brother, said that the Pope’s weakening health had led him to step down. Benedict will retire first to his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, in the hills outside Rome, and later to a monastery in Vatican City. North Korea North Korea confirmed that it had conducted its third nuclear test Feb. 12, challenging the United States and South Korea’s attempt to keep the country from
becoming a full-fledged nuclear power. It detonated underground a lighter and smaller nuclear device than previously tested. The Obama administration has threatened to penalize the country in the event of another test, possibly imposing even further sanctions on an already deeply impoverished country. Afghanistan Afghan leaders are under pressure from other world leaders to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban. With little happening in the way of negotiations, there is little promise of the Afghan government and Taliban leaders meeting before the final withdrawal of American fighting troops set for 2014. The United States, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Taliban all have different views
ated Students Council discussed the March 15 accreditation deadline at its regular meeting on Feb. 6. The council expressed its concern and hopes the accrediting commission moves the school up from “show cause” to probation. They encouraged students to communicate and keep up with information, including attending the Board of Trustees meeting on Feb.28 to speak out during public comment. The board meeting will be held in the Multi-Use Building in Room 140 at 6 p.m. A protest is being planned to coincide with the board’s meeting. (Cassandra Hendry)
Clubs get funding Several clubs were officially recognized by the Associated Students Council on Feb. 6, which was the last day to receive $200 in funding. Clubs that made the deadline included the Cheer/ Dance team, F1 Club, Green Corps, PEACE, Students Making a Change, the Veteran’s Alliance, Student Parents United, WISE club, Poetry for the People, Project Survive, Literary Magazine and the ARCS Club. The council also reimbursed the Korean Language Club $100 that they owed the club from fall semester. Feb. 20 is the last day for clubs
about a post-2014 peace agreement.
Caribbean A Carnival Cruise Lines ship stranded without power in the Gulf of Mexico for 3 days after a fire broke out in the engine room was towed back to a port in Mobile, Alabama on Feb. 13. The incident gained significant media attention after it came to light that the some 4200 passengers were forced to defecate in plastic bags. Media organizations are reporting that one lawsuit has already been filed against Carnival Cruise Lines.
Iraq Attacks in Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad killed 21 people and injured 125 Feb. 17. Four car bombs exploded in the Sadr City district and several more car bombs were set off in the market area of Husseiniya, northeast of Baghdad. More than 200 people have been killed in attacks across Iraq since January. At the time of this publishing, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Hungary Students attending statefunded universities are now required to sign a contract that requires them to stay and work in Hungary two years for every one year of study. If a graduate finds a good opportunity overseas before the allotted time, they must pay back their tuition in its entirety.
Russia A flash lit the sky in Russia on Feb. 15 as a meteor entered the Earth’s atmosphere and exploded. Around 1,200 people were injured, 200 of them children. No deaths have been reported. The meteor weighed 10 tons and measured 10 feet in diameter according to Russian Academy of Sciences experts. It was traveling towards Earth at about 10 to
N atioN a l UNi v er sit y
to be eligible to receive $100 in funding from the council. (Cassandra Hendry) New senator on council A new senator was elected on Feb.13 to the Associated Students Council at Ocean campus. Hanin Benchohra will fill a vacant seat on the council for the remainder of the semester. In her campaign speech she said that she wants to find ways to help students mingle more. The Ocean campus Associated Student Council meets every Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in the Student Union in Room 208. (Cassandra Hendry)
A METEOR STREAKS OVER THE CITY OF CHELYABINSK IN RUSSIA’S URAL MOUNTAINS ON FEB. 15, 2013. PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIA AIRIKH/ ITAR-TASS/ABACA PRESS/MCT
12 miles per hour and scientists believe it exploded upon hitting the lower atmosphere. Though a meteor moving through the atmosphere is not an unusual event, this particular meteor was unusual because its material was so hard that it allowed small fragments to reach the Earth’s surface. (Source: New York Times)
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| Feb. 20- March 5, 2013 | 3
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YouTube video sparks backlash Footage shows excessive force and leaves out prior incident By Minter McHugh
THE GUARDSMAN / MMCHUGH@THEGUARDSMAN.COM / @SFBREAKINGNEWS
A protest rally was held Feb. 7 to demand justice for a City College student who two weeks earlier was pinned against the ground and had his face pressed into a metal water drain by two police officers at 24th and Mission streets. The incident was captured in an amateur video and uploaded to YouTube. Kevin Clark, 18, was cited and released on two counts of resisting arrest. Seven police cars and six police on motorcycles arrived to assist in his arrest. Though the video stirred up anger among viewers, it failed to show the events leading up to the arrest. “The suspect was challenging another individual to a fight, and then began to get into an altercation with that individual. The officers then attempted to detain the suspect for that incident,” the Media Relations Department at the Mission police station told The Guardsman. City College student Debray “Fly Benzo” Carpenter, who was pinned to the ground by police officers in October 2011 and later convicted of three misdemeanors, including assaulting a police officer, said he felt that the officers escalated the situation with Clark. “They created the situation,”
DEMONSTRATORS MARCH DOWN MISSION STREET TO PROTEST THE ARREST OF CITY COLLEGE STUDENT KEVIN CLARK ON FEB 7. PHOTO BY SHANE MENEZ / THE GUARDSMAN LEFT: CITY COLLEGE STUDENT, KEVIN CLARK, 18, DODGES A POLICE OFFICER WHO NEARLY RUNS HIM OVER AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF 24TH AND MISSION STREETS. SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF YOUTUBE.
RIGHT: SFPD HOLDS KEVIN CLARKS FACE AGAINST A SEWAGE DRAIN FOR RESISTING ARREST. SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF YOUTUBE.
Carpenter said. “They should have handled the situation by leaving it alone.” While the community gathered together for the rally, approximately 50 San Francisco police officers watched from the other side of the street. Community members ques-
tioned the tactics police used to enforce the law. The rally was meant “to bring awareness to the community, because people see excessive police force all the time and notice it ,but don’t say anything,” said Antoinette Marquez, a fourthgrade teacher and volunteer with
the ANSWER Coalition. The Guardsman was unable to contact Clark before going to press. The video is available on Mission Local’s website: http:// missionlocal.org/2013/02/sfpdresponds-to-allegations-of-excessive-force-rally-planned-tonight/
Board of Trustees
Non-resident tuition will increase in summer By Cecilia Ren
THE GUARDSMAN / CREN@THEGUARDSMAN.COM / @SFBREAKINGNEWS
During a windy, drizzly night, rows of out-of-state students gripped tightly onto their prepared speeches as they anxiously awaited the Board of Trustees Feb. 7 vote on increasing nonresident student fees. Despite students’ efforts to prevent the fee increase, the board unanimously approved the $16 nonresident tuition increase proposal, which will become effective this summer. Added to the $46 base fee that California residents pay, out-of-state students will begin to pay $249 per unit. “These students feel they have no voice at City College,” Joshua Bisegel, Associated Students president of cultural affairs, said. “They feel that they are paying for the highest amount of tuition rates among anyone, yet they have terrible services.”
City College’s nonresident fees are low compared to other Bay Area community colleges. The new increase will bring the fees to a moderate level. “Considering the crisis the college is currently battling, it is advised by former [Interim] Chancellor [Pamila] Fisher, and current administrative members, to raise the fees towards the midrange section,” Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Peter Goldstein said. Most international students leave home to study abroad with a limited budget for both school and living expenses that is predetermined through the student visa registration process. With this fee increase, many of these students could face financial difficulties and be forced to reconsider their overseas educational paths. “People come here to study with a fixed financial plan. This change may ultimately affect their plans of reaching their goals in the
future,” international student Koi Sirisamphancharoen said. In addition to nonresident fees, international students must also pay a mandatory $600 health insurance fee prior to class registration, a policy that was implemented at City College in spring 2012. “I already have an international insurance coverage of $700 for 12 months, and now I have to pay another $600 at the college for just one semester,” international student Mariana Guterman said. The school is required to sell international students a health insurance plan as a part of its accreditation, said International Education Programs Dean Minh Hoa Ta. City College is one of the last colleges in the area to implement such a policy. “The college does not profit from the insurance charge,” Ta said. “All the money goes directly to the insurance agency. Plus, the coverage is for the benefit of the students, accidents do happen.”
Bisegel acknowledged City College’s predicament. “All community colleges near us have been charging a health insurance fee.” Bisegel said. “City College has been breaking that policy for the longest time, and no one has called us on it until the accreditation crises hit the institute last year.” Many international students also have to take English as a second language classes, for which they pay full tuition, but can’t use as transferable credits. “Almost all of our tuition goes into paying for ESL classes, which are all non-transferable units, and the language requirements are so long.” international student Overal Bentalez said. “This just gets too expensive and doesn’t make sense.” All international students are required to take a minimum of 12 units per semester and many exceed that.
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| Feb. 20- March 5, 2013
Save CCSF Coalition
Hundreds attend meeting Speakers explain the “show cause” report and call for unity By Madeline Collins THE GUARDSMAN / MCOLLINS@THEGUARDSMAN.COM / @SFBREAKINGNEWS
More than 300 people, including students, faculty, staff and members of the City College community, turned out for the Save CCSF Coalition meeting on Feb. 6 at Mission campus in an effort to rally support for saving the school from potential closure. Coalition organizers took questions from the crowd and stressed the importance of being informed about what’s happening to the college. Associated Students Shared Governance Coordinator Inder Grewal presented an analysis of City College’s “show cause” report and asked the crowd to think critically about what the report says. “We do accept that there are deficiencies at City College.” Grewal said. “However, we do believe that the administration is imposing changes at a pace that is not healthy for our school and for the students, faculty, and staff at our school. In order to keep the school the way it is we need to take a stand now.” Alisa Messer, president of the faculty union, American Federation of Teachers Local 2121, was pleased with the sense of solidarity that the meeting offered. “We feel more confident this college is not going to close when we see all of you standing here,” Messer said to the enthusiastic crowd. “That doesn’t mean we are not going to fight, that we are not going to have to struggle.” To further involve the
community, attendees were asked to join one of several committees to discuss actions, lobbying, outreach, media and research. African American Studies Department Chair Tarik Farrar took the microphone to discuss the seven points of unity and demands that the coalition selected to represent their cause, including maintaining City College as an affordable and accessible community college, reversing cuts, taxing the rich, increasing transparency and preventing union busting. “The model they [Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges] keep talking about is the business model,” Farrar said. “It sees people not as people but as numbers.” Last July, City College was put under “show cause” status by the Accreditation Commission and given until March 15 of this year to submit a “show cause” report that demonstrates significant progress toward addressing the commission’s concerns. The Save CCSF Coalition is holding a rally Thursday, Feb. 21 at 12:30 p.m. at Ocean campus’ Ram Plaza, as well as a mass mobilization March 14 at City Hall from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Coalition will also hold biweekly meetings on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. For more information on the Save CCSF Coalition visit www. saveccsf.org
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AROUND 300 PEOPLE ATTENDED A SAVE CCSF COALITION MEETING AT MISSION CAMPUS ON FEB. 6, 2013. PHOTOS BY SARA BLOOMBERG/THE GUARDSMAN
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| Feb. 20- March 5, 2013 | 5
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Protestors bring attention to violence through spoken word, dance By Lavinia Pisani
THE GUARDSMAN / LPISANI@THEGUARDSMAN.COM / @SFBREAKINGNEWS
In lieu of passing out chocolates and roses, some people chose to use Valentine’s Day as a way to bring attention to sexual violence against women. As part of the internationally organized global campaign One Billion Rising Day, Women’s Studies Department Chair Leslie Simon organized a reading of The Vagina Monologues at Ocean campus’s Ram Plaza at noon, Valentine’s Day. This year marks the 15th anniversary of Eve Ensler’s groundbreaking play, originally performed in New York City. The monologues explore the word “vagina” and women’s thoughts and sentiments toward their bodies and sexuality. “One of the aspects that I love about The Vagina Monologues is that it celebrates women sexuality at the same time calling attention to violence against women,” Simon said. Four participants read their assigned monologues and then invited four volunteers from the audience to read on the spot. Some of the monologues’ titles were, “If your vagina got dressed, what would it wear?,” “If your vagina would talk, what would it say in two words?,” “My angry vagina,” and “My village,” which describes how one woman felt after being raped. The crowd was mostly silent and laughed during some funny moments. “It is important to express the way you feel,” Jenna Price, a City College nursing student said. “In the U.S., it is difficult to talk about vaginas publicly.” People in more than 200 countries participated in the day of action. In San Francisco, more than 1500 people gathered in front of City Hall to await the 4 p.m. demonstration. Within an hour, Mayor Ed Lee and District Attorney George Gascón joined in as the crowd waited to dance. “Violence against women and girls is everyone’s issue,” Lee said. Ensler organized the worldwide peaceful protest to bring awareness to the fact that 1 out of 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during their lifetime. “One billion women violated is an atrocity, one billion women dancing is a revolution,” accord-
BETH MARER-GARCIA AND WENDY HARRISON HOLD A SIGN THAT DEPICTS THE FACT OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE UNITED STATES IN HOPE TO WAKE UP INDIVIDUALS ACROSS AMERICA. PHOTO BY FRANCESCA ALATI/THE GUARDSMAN
AN ANONYMOUS MEMBER OF THE SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF THE ARTS DRUMMING TEAM DRUMS THE ANTHEM FOR ONE BILLION RISING. IT IS A BLEND OF SALSA AND BRAZILIAN BEATS PLAYED BY A VARIETY OF HIGH SCHOOL MEMBERS. PHOTO BY FRANCESCA ALATI/THE GUARDSMAN
ing to the event’s main website. Melissa Clark, a doctor at Oakland’s Highland Hospital, has witnessed atrocities against women all over the world, including South Sudan and Haiti. “I see so much violence against women and girls that unfortunately nothing shocks me anymore,” Clark said. Organizers of the event encouraged participants to think beyond a single, narrowly focused movement. “This is really not about a women’s movement but about the rising and reclaiming of humanity,” Magalie Bonneau Marcil, an event organizer, said.
The campaign has taken special relevance in the past couple years as Congress has delayed an extension to the Violence Against Women Act. The Senate voted this month to reauthorize the bill which was originally passed and authorized in 1994. To reach President Obama’s desk, it must also pass the House of Representatives, where it was blocked by Republicans last year who took grievance with new protections afforded to LGBT people, undocumented immigrants, and Native Americans. Guardsman “This issue should be beyond debate—the House should follow the Senate’s lead and pass the
HUNDREDS OF WOMEN GATHER AT CITY HALL ON FEB. 14 TO DANCE AND RAISE AWARENESS FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD. THE ONE BILLION RISING IS AN ANNUAL EVENT SPANNING ACROSS 21 COUNTRIES AS WELL AS SEVERAL CITIES IN THE U.S. PHOTO BY FRANCESCA ALATI/THE GUARDSMAN
Violence Against Women Act right away,” President Barack Obama said in a statement, as reported by the New York Times. “This is not a Democratic or Republican issue—it’s an issue of justice and compassion.” Crime Mapping shows that San Francisco has had around 300 sexual assaults since the beginning of 2013. City College police said they
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have not had any sexual assaults reported this year, but in 2012 there was one rape reported on Ocean campus and one other sexual assault reported at Mission campus. A free self-defense class will start Feb. 23 at Mission campus from 12-1:50 p.m. in Room 109. For more information, contact the Women’s Studies Department, 415-239-3899.
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| Feb. 20- March 5, 2013
Exclusive:
Interim-Chancellor Thelma Scott-Skillman talks accreditation, funding and prop a
P
reface: On Feb. 7, The Guardsman met up with Interim Chancellor Thelma Scott-Skillman for an exclusive interview about the college’s accreditation crisis.
S
he replaced the previous interim chancellor, Pamila Fisher, on Nov. 1 and has a one-year contract with the college.
L
arry Kamer, the college’s spokesman, and Jennifer Aries of 25th Hour Communications—an outside marketing firm recently hired by the college to help boost enrollment and handle other marketing needs—were also present. kinds of standards, the kinds of regualtions, that are part of the community college environment that we’re in today, yeah there are The Guardsman: What are going to be some changes. change the primary issues that led is very difficult. Transformation is hard for many people. to this current crisis? So, yes, there are going to be Scott-Skillman: The real issues changes. i think they are changes surround governance, adminfor the better to be able to deliver istration and fiscal solvency the kind of quality education and matters. Those are the primary services that citizens in this area ones. Certainly when you start actually need. peeling those back, it’s layered. It’s an opportunity, quite frankly, from my point of view, with accreditation to seriously take a look at any weaknesses that are cited and any other weakness that pop up as a result of the review that’s being done and being able to address them in a very up front and clear perspective. By Sara Bloomberg
THE GUARDSMAN / SBLOOMBERG@THEGUARDSMAN.COM / @BLOOMREPORTS
Guaranteed funding from Prop 98 has never really kicked in.
TG: Will the college survive? SS: You know, I hear that alot. People ask all the time if we’re going to make it. We are accredited, ok? And until we’re not accredited, we will be working very, very hard to make sure that our deficiencies are met, all the structural issues are corrected. So, can we do it? Absolutely, absolutely it can be done. we have to work together, we have to come together and work together. It’s an opportunity to take a look at everything at this college and across the entire district to ensure that we can address those and move forward with it. i’m positive that the kind of work that I see, the different task groups performing the kinds of analyses that are going on, the data gathering that’s taking place, the very critical eye that’s being looked at just about every single thing possible, that yes we can make it.
TG: What are some of the biggest changes that you foresee taking place? SS: One of the biggest things has to do with the governance— with the authority of the administration in working with faculty and department chairs. there has been a reorganization, not just for academic affairs but also for student services. There’s going to be some changes in terms of restructuring of the various schools of education. There will be more authority provided for the instructional deans to really do the job that they should be doing as administrators in assuring that things are in place and moving forward. There has to be more definitive planning, long term planning, not short term planning, not day to day monitoring.
TG: Is the college going to look very different from what we’re used to? SS: Whenever you have an opportunity to assess and evaluate, to step away from it, to really see the nuts and bolts and then also have to align it with the
TG: The reserves are slowly getting back to where they should be, right? SS: It’s a little bit above $4 million, okay? We have nearly a $200 million budget. All throughout the state, community colleges, in terms
INTERIM-CHANCELLOR THELMA SCOTT-SKILLMAN ON FEB. 7, 2013 IN HER OFFICE ON OCEAN CAMPUS. PHOTO BY SARA BLOOMBERG/THE GUARDSMAN
of reserves, the prudency of that should be a minimum five percent. That means it should be closer to $10 million and reserves are just that—they’re reserves. Having to dip into the reserves is very, very challenging because it’s difficult to replenish those reserves. So, to get below a minimum of five percent in reserves is very, very risky for an institution of this size and an institution of this age. Look at the facilities. Walk into the restrooms. You just don’t build buildings without having clear plans for sustainability, in terms of upkeep and for maintenance. TG: Do you think that presents a problem for the performing arts center that hasn’t broken ground yet? SS: Absolutely. I have asked the board not to move forward with that for that very reason. It does not make good judgement, if you will, in terms of moving forward on a project that has no sustainability plan whatsoever, no operating plan whatsoever. And it needs to be addressed. TG: There has been a lot of negative press for the school lately and a lot of people feel that the Chronicle has been insensitive and unbalanced. Do you agree with that? SS: I’ve heard comments that the Chronicle is in the administration’s pocket. I don’t know where that comes from. Is it accurate? No. Stuff that I’ve read from the articles, not just the San Francisco Chronicle, the accuracy is not there and it’s very unfortunate that people are able to put their spins on things that they believe are true or are happening. TG: What’s missing from those stories? SS: I’m not gonna sit here and cite or pick out any one particular
reporter. I’m just not gonna get into that. The facts are not clear in a lot of the articles that i have been reading. And quite frankly I don’t pay attention to who’s writing those articles. I really don’t. TG: Are they some bright spots around the college that you can point out? SS: There are a lot of bright spots around here. There are so many bright spots around here, it gets blinding sometimes. Yesterday at the Downtown enter, the [Educated] Palate was being featured [by Channel 7]. I understand that [Pierre Coste here at Ocean campus is being featured on Channel 7, too]. I grew up on the other side of the Bay, so I’m a Raider’s fan but with that said, one of the former City College folks, Larry Grant, was playing in the 49er’s Superbowl this past weekend. I’ve been really impressed with the radiation therapy program. Unfortunately, because the entire college has had to undergo the show cause with the accreditation, what happens when that occurs is programs that also have other outside agencies that do accreditation as well, they get impacted. So the radiation therapy program has been reevaluated, reassessed. It passed with flying colors. its a very strong program. And men’s basketball. the men’s basketball team is undefeated and the women’s basketball team is in fifth place. So there are good things that are happening here and unfortunately they are under a cloud. Hopefully, eventually we’ll have a marketing department here. We don’t have one. you talk about changing organizational structure. that’s something that has to get developed. There hasn’t been one for three years. that’s a problem. TG: As far as the college’s finances go, how much can we blame the state’s
finances on our predicament here? SS: I’m not in the business of blaming anybody. It’s about alignment, okay? The state of California has money for higher education. Over the years, it has fluctuated. It has gone up and down, up and down. It’s very cyclical. It’s very unfortunate. It’s not stable. Years ago when Prop 98 was what we thought was an opportunity to be guaranteed a certain amount of money has never really kicked in on a continuous basis. So, the state of California with their pot of money and their requirements for higher education working with the State Chancellor’s office and the governing board for community colleges, we have those entities. And here we are with an institution that has a mission that goes far beyond what the resources are capable of being able to handle. At some point there has to be a true alignment of those resources and regulations and policies that supply those funds to the institution and to be able to align them in such a way where it works well. City College of San Francisco needs to respect that piece of where their resources are coming from, how much those resources are, what those regulations and policies are and find a way to come together and align them so that they provide the necessary validation to be able to deliver the services and education here.
I’m pretty confident that we can address the deficiencies.
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Watch hightlights of our interview with Interim-Chancellor Thelma Scott-Skillman online at: www.youtube.com/theguardsmanonline pensions. It didn’t talk specifically to my recollection about reserves. So, that’s where the frustration comes from Larry Kamer [college spokesman]: It didn’t talk about wages. TG: Well, it definitely talked about classes. LK: It talked about classes, but there is nothing in the language that speaks to wages. TG: Not pensions either, though. I don’t want to get stuck on this point. LK: The Prop A argument is so, um, it is getting thrown in here as if there is a division and there isn’t a division. There’s no division. The Prop A funds are going to get spent exactly as voters intend them to get spent. End of story People are getting very upset about speculation on how a decision might get made which hasn’t been made yet, but you know what we have been saying, and I’m sorry to jump in, is that Prop A will be spent entirely according to the letter and the spirit of what the voters intended. SS: I think what happens is a matter of interpretation of what “Saving City College,” the definition or interpretation of “Saving City College,” is. I do understand different constituent groups have different interpretations of that. There is absolutely nothing, in my mind or on the books, as far as I am concerned that would suggest that we would be doing anything but that, in terms of identifying areas to be able to allocate for Prop A funds. Everything we can possibly think of, as far as I’m concerned, is going to save City College. I can’t see where it wouldn’t be to save City College.
TG: There’s certainly a problem with funding for education. California has been disinvesting from public education and other colleges have been making cuts that City College hasn’t, right? SS: I wouldn’t say that they’ve been making cuts. When you say that, what you’re suggesting is colleges are here and have to come down to here. I think what has been happening is colleges have been realigning. They have been realigning over the years. They have been collaborating and working closely with the state agencies to ensure that based on the kinds of resources, based on the mission, that for community colleges that they’re doing as much as they possibly can. And so, yeah, they’re having to redefine themselves as institutions and many of them have. Things like repeatability. They put limitations on students repeating courses. The college that I came from,
the district where I came from, we had been engaged in those conversations for three or four years prior and knowing it was going to be coming down. Eventually it did. And, so we planned for that. We have to make these “cuts,” if you will, to where they are today. There are places where you can plan in advance so that it does not negatively impact students. TG: Was it known ahead of time, or at what point did you or the administration realize, that Prop A funds would be going to pensions? Because this is not how it was billed to the San Francisco voters. SS: You know, when you go back and look at the accreditation, the accreditation has identified a number of deficiencies, ok? So you have all these different deficiencies stacked up. You look at Prop A funds. Prop A funds are essentially to “Save City College.” Without accreditation, there will be no City College the way it
is today. So, you take a look at what those areas are and, yes, the reserves, the maintenance categories, technology categories, pension fund pieces. all of those things are on the table requiring funding. If those areas are not funded, where do we get the funds? We get the funds from cutback in programs. The question becomes, is that what we want to do? Cut back in programs? In course offerings? Is that what we want to do? TG: No, of course not. SS: The other side of this is technology, maintenance, the pension funds, the reserves all of those are there and can be very definitive in terms of “Saving City College.” TG: But in the language of Measure A, the language that was sent to San Francisco voters had to do with specifically saving classes and faculty wages and staff wages. It didn’t talk about
TG: Are there conversations happening with other districts and what particularly is being planned for students preparing to transfer to State or a U.C.? SS: In a closure of an institution, the commission requires the college to first and foremost develop a pathway for students who have completed 75% of their program. For the college to do what’s called a “teach out.” Students who have completed 75% of their program would be able to finish their program here at City College, under City College. Students who have not completed 75% of the program would certainly, because the institution would be accredited to a closure point, they would be able to transfer to other institutions. All of the students’ credits or units are accredited and they’re all transferable. So students will not be harmed. They won’t lose any credits should the institution close. TG: If the board offered you an extension in your current position or offered you a permanent position as chancellor, would you consider taking it?
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news SS: No. TG: What are your plans? SS: I was retired. I had just retired [before accepting this position]. I plan to really retire. TG: So, is the plan as far as the college administration goes, to finally find a permanent chancellor to replace you? SS: One of my responsibilities is to work with the board to gear up that process for having a permanent chancellor come on board [before I leave in October]. TG: The Chronicle reported that you make two additional pensions, so that bumps your total income up to nearly half a million dollars. I know that doesn’t all come from City College but that still sounds like a lot. SS: Our pevious chancellor, Don Griffin, gave back about $20,000 of his annual salary before he left. Natalie Berg also donated some money back to the school to save a couple classes. Would you be willing to take a pay cut and give some of your salary back to the college? Well, first of all, I’m not gonna discuss my pensions. I spent 42 years in our system. So that is completely off the table of conversation. With regards to my salary here, when i accepted it i took a six percent cut initially and then at christmas time like everyone else i took the 8.8% cut as well. TG: is there anything else that you’d like to add? SS: There’s so much negativity out there in terms of whether or not city college is going to make it. I’m pretty confident that we can address the deficiencies. Not correct them all by March 15, that’s for sure. I’ve stated that numerous times. We will make our report and will submit it and it will identify some deficiencies that we’re correcting and it will most definitely identify a game plan and timeline for addressing the remaining deficiencies. We have been working on all of them but it’s simply the timing element that’s associated with submitting that self evaluation report. Given the number and the types of deficiencies that we have, it’s just an impossible task to complete them all in that short time frame [of nine months]. So for us, the biggest job that we have aside from, of course, correcting all of the deficiencies, is convincing the accrediting commission that we have the appropriate pieces in place to do that Thats where i think faculty and staff have been able to really help facilitate this in terms of gathering data, providing the evidence, doing the analysis to help ensure that we are moving forward. I’m very confident of that piece. Being able to present it in such a convincing way is the most critical hurdle that we have to overcome.
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Have Your Say: Do you feel safe riding a bike around San Francisco? Michael Needham, 53
memorial: remembering STORY BY SARA BLOOMBERG PHOTOS BY LESLIE CALDERON AND SARA BLOOMBERG
Business instructor “I ride only a few times a week, but yeah it’s pretty safe. although stuff happens. I got hit a couple weeks ago. I got a car as well but prefer to ride a bike”.
Janice Suess, 19 Cinema Production Kind of. When I get around cars, sometimes they pull out in front of you. The city’s good about providing bike lanes. This is the first time in months that I’ve ridden my bike to school. A car almost hit me, so I took a break from riding.
Dimitrios Philliou, 20 Undeclared I got hit by a car while biking in 2011, ambulance had to take me, I spat out a tooth or two. It’s somewhat dangerous, but it’s also a matter on how you go about it, Like I wasn’t wearing a helmet. If i’m late to school, I ride my bike, it’s faster than the bus.
Amy Belgan, 35 Web Design Yes. The green bike lanes— there are a lot of them. I used to live in New York and I almost feel safer here. People wear helmets here. I feel like there’s a bigger bike community here.
Manon Walker, 23 Graphic Design, Art I ride my nearly every day. it’s safer than walking. as long as you respect the rules, you will be safe, I don’t consider biking as sport or exercise, I rather use it for recreational use or to commute
Gordon Wu, 18, Criminal Justice Hell no, I don’t feel safe. I got my bike robbed two months ago.
A
t the end of a winter day, than 200 f family and co nity members gather Alamo Square Park to Ernesto “Xe” Gonzalez A who was shot and killed in San Francisco near Ha Webster streets. He was 2 old. Xe was a City College s and helped organize the Mexica New Years Cele held at Mission campu 2008. Incense wafted throu
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| Feb. 20- March 5, 2013 | 9
ernesto ‘xe’ gonzalez acosta, 19 89-2013
a warm more friends, ommured at honor Acosta, Feb. 10 ayes and 23 years
student annual ebration us since
ugh the
park, as Aztec dancers twirled to the sounds of flutes, drums and conch shells. As the sun set, they all walked down to the intersection of Hayes and Webster, with hands clasped around candles as the drummers beat down on their instruments at the front of the procession. They gathered at one corner covered in flowers, then dispered themselves across all four corners at the intersection as police officers blocked traffic from flowing north and south. Xe’s father, Mazatzin, recalled
their last trip together to Mexico and their mutual reverence for the Aztec calendar. “We went to Chichen Itza [in the Yucatan] on Dec. 21, so we were able to celebrate the galactic alignment,” Mazatzin said, as his eyes glistened with tears. “What was interesting to us was that was the day 3 Serpent and my son Xe was born on the day 3 Serpent.” Xe’s family invites the public to join them for the Mexica New Year celebration at City College’s Mission campus on March 11 from 6 p.m.- 12 a.m.
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culture
Sights and Sounds:
Movie Review: Side Effects
Parklets delight on sunny Mission days By Alex Reyes
THE GUARDSMAN / AREYES@THEGUARDSMAN.COM / @SFBREAKINGNEWS
JUDE LAW, LEFT, AND CATHERINE ZETA-JONES STAR IN “SIDE EFFECTS,” DIRECTED BY STEVEN SODERBERGH, OPENED ON FEB. 8, 2013. PHOTO COURTESY BARRY WETCHER/COURTESY OPEN ROAD FILMS/MCT
Steven Soderbergh’s new film is a tough pill to swallow By Gina Scialabba
wife anxiously awaiting her husband’s (Tatum) return from a four-year prison sentence. He’s locked up for insider trading. A woman claims prescrip- She is depressed. tion drugs drives her to kill. So the story goes ... That’s the plot of Steven Enter Dr. Banks (Jude Law), Soderbergh’s latest and report- a dashing doctor in a white lab edly last film. coat and winning smile. He’s It begins with a clear treating Emily after her first vision—a noir Hithcockesque “suicide” attempt. “whodunit.” Yes, “suicide” is in quotes for This movie has all the a reason. elements of a solid, clever picture. The heavyweight cast includes Jude Law, Rooney Mara (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”), Channing Tatum, (yes, the stripper from “Magic Mike,” also a Soderbergh movie) and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Yet, what audiences think will be an intelligent critique of the pharmaceutical industry suddenly goes off into a different orbit about 30 minutes into the film. We are left with an unfocused, predictable, eye-rolling thriller bordering on preposterous. Note: Reviewing a murder mystery is a delicate balance of not giving away too much, but just enough. I’ll try to restrain myself. It begins with familiar foreshadowing. Someone has done something bad. Very bad. A murder. Blood. A weapon. Enter “Ablixa,” a fictitious All that’s missing is the antidepressant which is supposcandlestick, the lead pipe and edly the culprit of all this havoc. Colonel Mustard and Mrs. How can this small little Peacock. wonder pill be the center of all The who, what, where, how the conflict? That’s the point. It’s and why are largely unknown, ultimately not. but as the movie unfolded As Soderbergh takes audiI became optimistic, and ences deeper and deeper down intrigued by the possibility that the rabbit hole, the movie this would become a classic becomes less about Ablixa and “whodunit.” more about shock value. Enter Emily (Mara), a One in 10 Americans report THE GUARDSMAN / GSCIALABBA@THEGUARDSMAN.COM / @SFBREAKINGNEWS
Fact: Steven Soderbergh considered casting Lindsay Lohan for the role of Emily and auditioned her three times. However, producers felt her ongoing legal issues would disrupt production and eventually cast Rooney Mara for the part.
suffering from some level of depression in this country, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Many live in a “a gray fog of hopelessness,” as Emily describes her symptoms. Depression is serious business. Not every movie has to be an indictment of some social ill, but Soderbergh treating mental illness as a red herring is a ripoff. The potential to create a dialogue about the serious problems between patient care and the incentives provided to doctors by pharmaceutical companies is completely glossed over. Suddenly, the movie becomes a litany of hat tricks all stemming from greed and lust, forgetting the bigger picture. Oh, and Soderbergh certainly didn’t pass up his chance to jump on the all-too- familiar, gratuitous lesbian-kiss scene. Enter Catherine Zeta-Jones, Emily’s former therapist. While the plot as a whole borders on laughable, the performances are standout. Rooney’s monotone, brooding demeanor is luminous and completely convincing. Her portrayal of a woman’s spiraling emotional breakdown is excellent. It is hard to ever be disappointed by a Jude Law performance. He plays the British, French-speaking, fashionablydressed doctor fighting for his life and career. I wish I could say the same for Channing Tatum. His acting is consistently hollow and cardboard. Despite some standout performances, this movie ends up being a tough pill to swallow.
If you go... Running Time : 106 minutes
U.S. Release Date: February 2013
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Genre: Mystery
MPAA Rating: R
Screenplay by: Scott C. Burns
Stars: Jude Law Rooney Mara Channing Tatum Catherine ZetaJones
Dane Ohri plays an original song on his thin, “backpacker” Martin guitar. A harmonica is strapped around his neck. Alice Leroy, Kari Koller and Gigi, Koller’s Maltese poodle, listen as the lean, young, pork-pie hat-sporting Ohri sings, “A smile goes a long way/It makes the green grass grow.” Koller, in a T-shirt, is dressed simply compared to her furry beribboned and vest-wearing companion. “We like the parklets,” Koller says. “In a San Francisco winter, it’s nice.” Koller and Leroy talk with Ohri between songs, sounding as if they’re old friends. Ohri tells them he’s playing with two other singer/songwriters at the Bazaar Club on St. Valentine’s Day eve. The three are enjoying a warm early February afternoon at the parklet in front of The Crepe House, an eatery located directly across the street from City College Mission campus. The public space’s deep red café tables and chairs match the color of the wood fence and planters. There is a cluster of six parklets within walking distance of the Mission campus. Each parklet offers a different take on one of San Francisco government’s latest attempts to enhance a spirit of community upon the city’s sidewalks and street parking lanes.
Massarweh has planted ten creeping fig plants whose vines will spread onto the seating area’s open fence. “It’s been helpful for the beautification of Valencia Street,” Massarweh said. Although almost all of the city’s 42 permitted parklets are placed in front of businesses, the space in front of a bright blue Victorian at 937 Valencia Street has been created by pure whimsy. Deepistan National Parklet, according to its website, deeplet. org, is a joint project of “megafaunaphile” Amandeep Jawa, “Chief Ranger” Kimberly Conley and “instigator, architect and parklet mastermind” Jane Martin of Shift Design Studio. A model of sustainable design, Deepistan’s website informs the curious that the parklet is “constructed of recyclable and recycled aluminum planters,” “concrete pavers are made from recycled porcelain from toilets/ sinks,” and “wood benches are Forest Stewardship Council certified,” as well as several other environmentally friendly principles. Deepistan National Parklet is topped off by Trixie, a sculptured succulent dinosaur. City College Mission campus students are lucky to have such easy access to San Francisco’s burgeoning parklets program. They are a great place to eat, people watch, study, sun and, on occasion, listen to some good folk music.
A PARKLET OUTSIDE OF THE CREPE HOUSE ON VALENCIA STREET. PHOTO BY SANTIAGO MEJIA/THE GUARDSMAN
“From a business point of view, it is always recommended to have something like that [outdoor seating]. It attracts the people to your business,” Hishan Massarweh said. Massarweh and his daughter are co-owners of The Fig Shop. Massarweh worked with the mother of the owner of After Life Boutique, located next to The Blue Fig, when designing the parklet in front of 988 and 990 Valencia Street, respectively. The parklet features stoneinlaid café tables and chairs, solid wood plant cabinetry, a wire fence separating the area from Valencia Street traffic and a circular iron arch centerpiece for the elegant sitting space.
Where to find parklets near Mission campus: Valencia Street and off-Valencia Street parklets The Blue Fig (990 Valencia St) and After Life (988 Valencia St.) The Crepe House (1132 Valencia St.) Deepistan National Parklet (937 Valencia St.) Escape from N.Y. Pizza (3242 22nd St, Valencia and Mission Sts.) Fabric8 (3318 22nd St, Valencia and Guerrero Sts.) Freewheel Bike Shop (914 Valencia St.)
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culture
EVENTS CALENDAR FEB. 20 Buffalo Soldiers of the Presidio—A National Park Department presenter tells the story through word and historic photographs of the legendary Buffalo Soldiers stationed in San Francisco and assigned to Sequoia, Yosemite and the backcountry in many roles following the Civil War. Program designed as part of Black History Month. Merced Branch Library, 155 Winston Dr., 7:00 p.m. Call 415-355-2825 or visit www.sfpl. org for more information. FEB. 21 Student action—“Save CCSF” Student organizers and activists advocate immediate action to support and defend City College education, goals and standards, and look to encourage other students to join. Ram Plaza City College Ocean Campus, 12:30 p.m. For more information visit www.saveccsf.org FEB. 21 African culture presentation— S. Kwaku Daddy, internationally-renowned drummer and folklorist, shares culture, music, dance and stories of Ghana and other African countries, particularly for youth. Ingleside Branch Library, 1298 Ocean Av., 4-5 p.m. Call 415-355-2898 or visit the website at www.sfpl.org FEB. 21 China’s Terracotta Warriors – Opening night—“The First Emperor’s Legacy” includes an array of treasures and ten actual life-size sculptures of the Chinese emperor’s guards from 2,000 years ago. The new exhibit runs through May 27. Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St., 7:00 p.m. Call 415-581-3500 or visit www.terracotta-warriors.asianart.org FEB. 21 AND 22 Independent Film Festival— Short productions warm up the screens ahead of feature indie films each night as the festival concludes for 2013. Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St., 7:15 p.m. Call 415-820-3907 and check the web marquee at www.sfindie.com FEB. 21-24 Pacific Orchid Expo—61st Annual Show and Plant Sale. Fort Mason Center – Festival Pavilion, Marina Boulevard at Buchanan Street, Thur. 6:30-10 p.m. (Gala Preview), Fri. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information visit www.orchidsanfrancisco.org/poe.html FEB. 22 Worms in food - good and bad— Nader Shatara, health inspector from the San Francisco Department of Health, explores para-
sitic and non-parasitic creatures in “Helminthology in Ethnic Foods: Worms in Food that Disease You, Tease You, and Even Please You!” Pack a lunch! Science Building Room 300, City College Ocean Campus, 12-1 p.m. Call 415-239-3580 or visit the Concert and Lecture page at www.ccsf.edu FEB. 22 Queer History and Urban Archeology—Screening of the Jack Curtis Dubowsky documentary “Submerged Queer Spaces” of San Francisco through the decades, followed the next day with an associated walking tour starting at the museum. GLBT History Museum, 4127 18th St., Fri. 7:00 p.m., Sat. 12:00 p.m. Call 415-6211107 or visit www.glbthistory. org/museum FEB. 23 Yoga and the American Quest for Freedom: forum and multimedia presentation—
FEB. 26 Presentation and discussion about the Civil Grand Jury— Who are the Civil Grand Jury and what do they do as “San Francisco’s Watch Dogs?” Learn their purpose, standards, and investigative practices from former civil grand jurors. Parkside Branch Library, 1200 Taraval St., 7:30-8:30 p.m. Call 415-355-5770 or visit www.sfpl. org FEB. 28 Board of Trustees Meeting— The members of the board and college officials characterize steps in the accreditation process and financial, employment, and academic planning for the City College community. Public attendance is strongly encouraged at Board meetings. City College Ocean Campus, 6:00 p.m. Call 415-239-3303 or visit www.ccsf.edu FEB. 28
Learn about Vedantic views espoused by Swami Vivekananda, 150 years after his birth. Panels including KQED Radio host Michael Krasny explore what makes up the definition and experience of freedom in the 21st Century. Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon St., 10:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m. Call 415-922-2323 or visit https://vedanta.eventbrite. com
Pay-What-You-Wish Night— The Lisbon Traviata is the newly revised Kennedy Center version performance showing February 22 - March 24. On this night only, theatre goers can name their price of admission to the play by Terrence McNally directed by Dennis Lickteig. New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness Ave., 8:00 p.m. Call 415-861-8972 or learn more at www.nctcsf.org
FEB. 23
MARCH 1
Bayview Branch Library Grand Reopening—Mayor Edwin Lee, Supervisor Malia Cohen, and City Librarian Luis Herrera, library staff and community celebrate a revitalized branch for the San Francisco Public Library system, complete with entertainment. 5075 Third St., 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Call 415-557-4277 or visit www.sfpl. org
Opening Reception – New Works—Bay Area artists, including Jeanne Hauser, Lisa Knoop, Colin Sjostedt and Nigel Sussman show new works in City Art’s March Group.
FEB. 23
Roller Derby—The Bay Area Derby (BAD) Girls start the season with a roller bout between the San Francisco ShEvil Dead versus the Richmond Wrecking Belles.
Chinese New Year’s Parade— Enjoy the music and sounds, floats and pageantry, people and costumes of the annual parade to welcome the Year of the Snake. Parade starts at Market and Second street; moves towards Chinatown via Union Square at 5:15-8 p.m. Call 415-982-3071 or visit www.chineseparade.com FEB. 24 Bay Area HIV/AIDS Benefit— “Boas, Bowties, and Bubbly” includes food and wine from notable Bay Area sources, plus the viewing of the 85th Annual Academy Awards, followed by entertainment and dancing. This is the 33rd annual event. Terra Gallery, 511 Harrison St., 5 :00 p.m. Call 415-995-9890 or visit www.academyoffriends.org
City Art Cooperative Gallery, 828 Valencia St., 7-10 p.m. Call 415-970-9900 or visit www.cityartgallery.org MARCH 2
Craneway Pavilion, 1414 Harbor Way South, Richmond, CA, 7:30 p.m. For more information visit www.bayareaderbygirls.com MARCH 5 Jazz Talent Search—Adults/ Teens 15 and older can enter Jazz Search West, the fourth annual Bay Area jazz talent search, at this event and three others to be held during the month at other locations. Yoshi’s San Francisco Live Music and Restaurant, 1330 Fillmore St., 7:00 p.m. Contact 415-655-5600 or visit www.yoshis.com/sanfrancisco
The Chutney Express A column about my travels through India. By Mckenna Toston I became homesick on my sixth day. I missed my city, my friends, home-cooking, and fresh air. But then I landed in Kolkata, and I was home. Previously known as Calcutta and nicknamed The City of Joy, Kolkata was the British capital from 1600-1947. The massive European mansions that lie between the shanty towns are a constant reminder of colonization. But Kolkata has since created its own charm, with no shortage of rich Indian culture and statues commemorating Indian independence heroes. The charm of West Bengal’s capital state is tempting me to call off the rest of my trip—and stay for the remainder of my time. Or forever. Fresh street-food cooking around every corner; friendly and helpful locals; the smell of fresh Chai in the air, and a diverse mixture of travelers and lifetime Kolkata dwellers have completely eradicated my desire to return to San Francisco. Everywhere I go there is a friendly face, whether they’re willing to give directions (only sometimes expecting compensation) or engage in a philosophical conversation, there is no shortage of quirky characters. I met a Hindu who wears a crucifix necklace and a Christian who wears a bindi. I held a naked baby who was born and raised on the street—I’ve never seen a happier child in my life. I made a vegetarian dinner with four people from four different religious backgrounds. I enjoyed lassi with a Brahman (highest in the caste system) and her Harijan (much lower in the caste system) husband—they ran away to get married against their parents’ will. I met a visibly happy couple from an arranged marriage, and a ‘love-marriage’ couple in the process of a messy
divorce. I’ve been ripped off by a rich man and had my wallet returned by a beggar—no cash missing. Not to mention I fell in love. Well, the kind of love that nomads fall into—it’s only temporary. His name, Sonu, means sun in Hindi, and he’s equally bright and beautiful. He is a Chai Wallah, like the main character in Slumdog Millionaire. He caught my eye from the moment I saw him working in his tea shop. His raspy voice and wide brown eyes have an irresistible charm, and his shining smile left me no choice but to order a tea, even though I’d just finished one around the corner. We’ve been inseparable ever since. I’ve spent hours sitting in his shop with my guitar, singing for customers and enjoying the good company. We roam the city together, hand in hand. He takes me to all the Kolkata gems, like a hidden lassi shop down an alley. I would have never known it was there, and the lassi is to die for. I’m enjoying every second I spend with him, but in the back of my head I know I will never see him again once I leave. He knows, too. We’ve silently decided to enjoy it while it lasts and be okay with it when it ends. But that’s not to say I won’t shed a tear when my train departs. Or come back to marry him one day. I decided to stay in Kolkata a week longer so I can celebrate my birthday with all the wonderful people I’ve met. I was expecting to spend it alone, but India is treating me well, and I already have good company to enjoy my 22nd birthday with. My next stop is the orphanage. A 35 hour train ride will bring a drastic change of scenery. I have no idea what to expect, except for complete surprise.
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opinion
Letters to the editor Letters to the editor must be under 250 words and may be edited for content. Send letters to: editor@theguardsman.com
Thank you to the Guradsman and to Jen Verzosa and Jackson Ly, in particular, for their excellent article about efforts being made to inform students about CCSF’s accreditation status. Just today we had yet another student in our counseling office who was not sure if the school was currently accredited, and if the units she is earning this semester are still “good.” We reassured her that they ar,e and that should CCSF lose accreditation, which is not very likely, that would only affect units earned beginning in the Fall semester. We counselors are being asked such questions more and more often. The concerns students are sharing with us, are in no small way being exacerbated by the
sensationalized journalism being presented by the Chronicle, and Nanette Asimov in particular. So it’s especially significant that students are getting the facts about our situation from an unbiased source. I know many students read your paper, and I just want to thank you again for providing them with truthful and accurate information about this most unsettling issue facing all of us. Know that faculty, administrators and staff are all working very diligently, and with great success to show cause and that our future looks very bright indeed. Jack Sparks, M.A. Counselor, Continuing Student Counseling Dept.
The SF Chronicle has no agenda against CCSF Journalism instructor Tom Graham complains in the Guardsman’s Feb. 5. issue that the San Francisco Chronicle’s coverage of City College’s accreditation woes amount to a “negative attack” on the college. Mr. Graham has made similar complaints in other forums, and the allegation of unfairness is tossed about freely around the school by others. As the writer of the Chronicle’s accreditation stories, I’d like to respond by inviting everyone to read them — perhaps for the first time. There are 32 so far, and all can be found at www.sfgate.com/ citycollegeofsfaccreditation. Readers will find that the stories are impartial and seek to inform the community of the facts: What’s in the accreditation reports. What the trustees voted on. What protesters are saying. Reaction to the special trustee. How much the interim chancellor is paid. How the problems got started. What the college has done to fix itself, and who opposes it. People on all sides of the issues are quoted. On campus recently, a professor took the microphone and announced that the Chronicle (meaning me) had written that “this school is a basket case.” That “the faculty have too much money.” And that despite City College’s excellent academic standing, “that’s not part of the narrative that you read in the Chronicle.” The professor, whose comments are recorded on a widely circulated video, has apparently never read my stories, for I’ve never expressed any opinion. It’s not my job to say if the school is good or bad. Scholars like this professor and Mr. Graham are, by defini-
tion, dedicated to intellectual integrity. So it makes no sense for them to commit the intellectual crime of mistaking factual reporting for personal opinion. But I’ll express this opinion: People want to know what’s going on at City College. I’ve heard no one say that they’d rather be ignorant of what the accreditation commission,
I’ve never expressed any opinion. It’s not my job to say if the school is good or bad. administration and students are doing. No one has said: “Please don’t tell us about that!” Here’s another opinion. Impartial reporting is a rare and precious commodity. Most countries don’t allow it, and they certainly don’t let reporters tell what’s going on in ways they would disapprove of. So I don’t imagine that’s the kind of thinking Mr. Graham and others at the college want to emulate. But here’s a radical idea. If you have an idea for what you’d like to read in the Chronicle, tell me what it is. Share your views with me at 415-777-7127 or asimov@ sfchronicle.com. And if you still want to complain about my stories, feel free. But please read them first. --Nanette Asimov SF Chronicle reporter
ILLUSTRATION BY ANTHONY MATA/THE GUARDSMAN
Staff Editorial
In a culture that celebrates gun violence, is anyone really safe? A City College student was shot to death in the early morning on Feb. 10 at Hayes and Webster streets. Ernesto “Xe” Yeikoatl Gonzalez Acosta was 23 years old and, as of press time, police still have not identified his killer or killers. Very few details have been reported about the shooting. Xe, (pronounced SHAY,) is survived by his sisters, his mother and his father, Mazatzin, who is also part of the City College community. Together, Mazatzin and his son were instrumental in bringing to life the brightly-painted tile Aztec calendar that now watches over Mission campus. Since 2008, they have organized an annual Mexica (me-SHEE-ka) New Year celebration at Mission campus, complete with Aztec danzantes (dancers), incense, traditional huehuetl drums and blessings in Nahuatl, the Aztec language. “This year, we gotta take an extra breath before we speak, to think about what we say,” Xe told The Guardsman at last year’s celebration. He was explaining the meaning of the flint, one of the symbols of that year, according to the Aztec calendar.
Remembering Ernesto “Xe” Gonzales Acosta
More than 200 people gathered on Feb. 16 at Alamo Square Park to honor his memory. It was an unusually warm winter day, and as the air cooled down and the sun began to set, freshly burned incense floated through the air, the danzantes began to dance, the drummers beat down on taught hides, and friends and family offered memories and blessings for their lost son and friend. Then all 200 people walked a couple blocks down to the site
of the shooting for a candlelight vigil, filled with more incense and drumming—more blessings, more memories, more hugs and more tears, too. “I believe that he fulfilled his mission,” his father told the crowd. Xe wanted to spread love and peace and his motto was, “Yo quiero vivir mi vida responsablemente,” meaning, “I want to live my life responsibly.” He was loved by so many people and Xe was taken away from them by a senseless act of violence.
It is time to address the pervasiveness with which violence is tolerated in our culture. A culture of violence
It is time to seriously address the pervasiveness with which violence is tolerated in our culture. Guns are everywhere. From childhood, they become a part of our world. Remember playing cops and robbers? Good guys shoot bad guys. What about those green plastic army men? Soldiers fire rounds at one another. Video games are the most prolific offenders. They are satu-
rated with the latest high capacity firearms. And, why not? Game makers follow the profits. Blockbusters such as “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” sell. A lot. That’s the sad truth. Turn on any television channel and you are sure to find someone shooting a gun at something. Usually a person. That’s the way we are being told to solve problems. Don’t like a person? Shoot ‘em. Not getting what you want? Blow them away. It’s as easy as pulling a trigger. Sons of Anarchy, the wildly popular biker gang show on FX network, embodies this well. The show includes shootings, stabbings and beatings…. and more shootings. Every character has a gun and isn’t afraid to use it. Same is true for the Sopranos, Dexter and the Walking Dead… just to name a few.
Guns in the U.S.
The US has the highest gun ownership rate in the world – at 89 guns for every 100 Americans. Compare that to six in Britain and 31 for Canada and Norway. And the gun-murder figures themselves are equally astounding. There were 9,960 U.S. gun homicides in 2010. Here in California there were more than 1,300 gun related homicides in 2010 according to data from the Centers for Disease Control. What are the effects of this gun-saturated world we live in? Do you think that children, or adults for that matter, who watch violence on television will mimic this violent behavior? You be the judge. We dedicate this issue of The Guardsman to Xe’s memory and send our deepest condolences to his family and friends.
Corrections: Find a mistake? Let us know! Email: editor@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman &
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| Feb. 20- March 5, 2013 | 13
opinion
What Now, Black Studies? Some Historical Observations and why it matters for CCSF African American Studies is part of what we call here at CCSF the “Diversity Collaborative.” The stories that once passed as history, the racist, sexist, class and gender biased dogma that portrayed itself has social science, what Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founder of what has become African American History Month, called “cant and propaganda,” have been challenged effectively. But considerable hostility to these “non-traditional” departments and disciplines has remained, both inside and outside of the college community.
Opposition
The most ferocious opposition to ethnic studies can be witnessed in Arizona, spearheaded by the most hide-bound, reactionary bigots. In that context, recourse to open racism and ethnic bigotry has been able to operate relatively freely. Elsewhere, however, and yes, here, in California, austerity is used as a means for weakening or eviscerating ethnic and diversity studies programs. This is evident throughout the entire system of public higher education in California. Here at CCSF, we have parttime faculty that teach at both U. C. Berkeley and SF State, and they immediately recognized the threat to CCSF’s diversity studies departments as something quite familiar. I will never forget the first comment of my colleague, Dr. Johnetta Richards, a long time
SFSU professor in the Africana Studies Department, when we discussed this for the first time in a department meeting: “You know they tried that stuff at State already.” She then went on to talk about how the ethnic studies departments at SFSU organized against it.
and domination, a world to which it stood as an abomination. That world would relentlessly seek to destroy it. Its existence as a product of struggle and resistance is a most elemental feature of the Black Intellectual Tradition in this country. Another is its independence and autonomy.
To suggest that the shedding of blood was a necessary precursor to the appearance of the first Black Studies/African American Studies Departments is not hyperbole. More recently, we’ve witnessed students at U. C. Berkeley organizing against the assault on ethnic studies there in the context of austerity measures. Needless to say, CCSF does not exist in a vacuum, or on some other planet. Any notion that what is happening in the U. C. and state systems, and even at other community colleges might be something sinister, but what’s happening here is entirely different and necessary is, at best, spectacularly naive.
Struggle and resistance
The African American Intellectual Tradition was born in the context of struggle and resistance. From its inception to the present, and every step along the way, it has been characterized by a dogged, yet creative resistance to a world of exploitation, marginalization,
From the time of The Enlightenment until the mid-20th century, the academic establishment, and the main currents of Western intellectual thought, held that the Black Peoples of the earth, Africans and peoples of African descent, have no history. Historically at universities, including the “Negro colleges”— ancestors of today’s historically Black colleges and universities— no such thing as Black history existed. In this environment, Black intellectuals (African Americans in the narrow sense, and also Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin intellectuals living and working in the U. S.) in search of Black history and African and African Diasporan cultures, were on their own. Much of the research, writing and developments that would
serve as the foundation for the first African American studies departments took place outside of the academy. The period of the “Harlem Renaissance” is crucial to this development. The library and art collection of Artruro Alfonso Schomberg, an Afro-Boricua scholar from that era, formed the basis of what is now a public library in Harlem, New York, which specializes in the history and cultures of the African Diaspora. When at last, the first Black Studies departments appeared at colleges and universities in this country, it was not as the result of the outcome of some intellectual process, whereby the academic establishment recognized the error of its ways. Rather, it resulted from struggle.
Shedding of blood
The timing of the appearance of these departments is not coincidental, a point that no one, supporters or detractors of these programs, will deny. Nor is the fact that the first of these departments (and the first school of ethnic studies), that of San Francisco State University, was the product of five months of intense student and community struggle, one of the bloodiest such struggles in the history of this country. To suggest that the shedding of blood was a necessary precursor to the appearance of the first Black Studies/African American Studies Departments is not hyper-
bole. Where naivete is not a plausible explanation, duplicity certainly is.
What now?
If our department, and discipline, are to survive in the real world, and with initiative and possibilities for expansion, we will need resources. An essential element of this tradition of struggle and resistance is autonomy. Such autonomy has been guarded tenaciously by African American Studies Departments, because enough African American scholars and intellectuals have done what they demand from their students: learn from history. First and foremost this includes a departmental budget. Of fundamental importance is an autonomous departmental structure. Otherwise, African American Studies (or any other department) exists only on paper. Things that exist only on paper are easy enough to erase. One of the lessons of African American history is to resist being made invisible. So, what now? “What now?” is what has characterized the African American Intellectual Tradition for three centuries. We continue the tradition of struggle and resistance that is our genesis.
--Tarikhu Farrar African American Studies Department Chair (for the time being, at least)
Deficit fears are artificial and unfounded Politicians and pundits pontificate endlessly about the dangers posed by our yearly federal deficits. With over $16 trillion in total debt and $1 trillion deficits for the foreseeable future, we are told that a federal debt crisis is imminent, and that we must balance the budget before it’s too late. To make and believe these assertions requires total ignorance of basic economic concepts. The obsession with deficit reduction is as inane as it is destructive. First and foremost, the nation’s unemployment rate currently stands at 7.8 percent, far above what is considered “full employment” (defined as between 5 and 6 percent). The unemployment crisis should be the primary concern for the federal government, which means the government needs to spend more, not less. Normally when the economy takes a downturn, a nation’s central bank—the Federal Reserve in the U.S.’s case—cuts interest rates, effectively injecting money into the economy. The shortfall in private spending is therefore offset by an increase in the money
supply, motivating private parties to borrow, invest and ultimately spend. The private sector can sometimes be unwilling to spend, even when interest rates are at zero percent, such as when a large overhang of private debt manifests after the burst of a particularly large housing bubble. At this point, no amount of monetary policy will do anything. This phenomenon - very rare historically but relevant today - is called a liquidity trap, and it is during this time that public spending must make up for the shortfall in private spending. Otherwise a recovery will last years, not months. Unemployment skyrocketed after the recession hit in 2008. Interest rates were cut to zero, but unemployment continued to rise, unaffected. In February 2009, Obama signed the newly passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a stimulus package amounting to $831 billion. Though on the surface this seems like a lot of money, it only amounted to about half of what was needed. Economists like
Paul Krugman and Dean Baker predicted such an outcome, but conservative Democrats concerned about the deficit got in the way of a larger stimulus package.
A sufficient stimulus package, if passed today, could have the economy cured by next week. After the stimulus hit, unemployment peaked at 11 percent, and likely would have approached 20 percent had nothing been done. The 2010 midterm Republican sweep stopped any further stimulus packages from being considered, shooting down Obama’s proposed American Jobs Act in 2011. Republican obsession with austerity was rooted in a deep fear of deficits and debt. But even if jobs weren’t an issue, this argu-
ment falls flat on its own. Nominal interest rates on ten-year U.S. bonds are currently around two percent. This means that for every $100 borrowed, the federal government must pay back $102 in ten years. But this only looks at half the picture, because inflation—the gradual decrease of a currency’s purchasing power - is always occurring. “Real interest rates” take inflation into account. Using this metric, the interest rate of ten-year U.S. bonds are currently around negative one percent. This means that for every $100, the U.S. only has to pay back $99 - bondholders are literally giving the federal government free money. Self-aggrandizing outfits like Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles have been regularly testifying before Congress and giving interviews to popular outlets like Politico warning of an imminent debt crisis. That such fears have utterly failed to materialize has not deterred them in the slightest. They ignore the fact that there has never been a country that has defaulted on its debt if it holds its own currency. Indeed, such an
occurrence seems to be impossible. If for whatever reason bondholders decide to stop buying U.S. debt, at which point they’re called “bond vigilantes,” the Federal Reserve would simply print money and buy the debt itself, so the U.S. is never in danger of defaulting on its obligations, no matter how large its deficit or debt are. Bondholders know this, so they buy U.S. debt regardless. The federal government needs to focus on jobs, not the deficit. A sufficient stimulus package if passed today could have the economy cured by next week. Prosperity is as close theoretically as it is far away practically. In a deep blue district of a blue state, there is little, if anything, the presumed readership of this piece can do. Unless House Republicans and conservative-minded Democrats change their tune—and all signs point toward this never, ever happening—nothing will get done. But a droplet of truth in a sea of ignorance can’t hurt.
--Dalton Amador The Guardsman
14 | The Guardsman &
theguardsman.com
| Feb. 20- March 5, 2013
sports
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Sports Calendar
WOMEN’S SWIMMING Fri., Feb. 22 @ Las Positas College All Day at 1 p.m. Sat., Feb. 23 @ Laney College All Day at 12 p.m. Fri., Mar. 1 @ College of San Mateo at 12 p.m.
BASKETBALL MEN
WOMEN
Fri., Feb. 22 @ Los Postitas College at 7 p.m. Wed., Feb. 27 CCCAA Playoffs Round 1 TBA
Sat., Feb. 23 @ Los Postitas College at 3 p.m. Wed., Feb. 27 CCCAA Playoffs Round 1 TBA
BASEBALL Thu., Feb. 21 vs Gavilan @ Fairmont Field at 1 p.m. Sat., Feb. 23 @ Gailan at 12 p.m. Tue., Feb. 26 @ College of San Mateo at 2 p.m. Thu., Feb. 28 vs Mission College @ Fairmont Field at 1 p.m. Fri., Mar. 1 vs Skyline @ Fairmont Field at 1 p.m.
WOMEN’S TENNIS Tue., Feb. 26 @ Carbillo College at 2 p.m. Fri., Mar. 1 vs De Anza at 2 p.m. Tue., Mar. 5 @ Mission at 2 p.m.
TRACK & FIELD Fri., Feb. 22 @ San Mateo College at 12 p.m. Sat., Mar. 2 @ Stanislaus TBA
WOMEN’S BADMINTON Season begins March 22
SOFTBALL Thurs., Feb. 21 @ Mission College at 3 p.m. Sat., Feb. 23 @ Mendocino at 12 p.m. Tues., March 5 @ Chabot College at 3 p.m.
Sports Briefs Softball comes back with first win
The drought is over for City College softball, and the Rams weren’t satisfied with just one win to end a skid of more than a full season of losses. In Pittsburg on Feb 2, the Rams shocked Los Medanos 5-4 when they threw out a Mustang base runner trying to tie the score on an errant pitch to end the game. It was their first win since the 2011 season, when the final record was 3-24. City scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to take the lead, and then held on. Two doubleheader sweeps of Contra Costa College have buoyed the Rams after their dramatic road victory over Los Medanos College. The Rams won both games against Contra Costa College, 20-6 and 17-3. The schedule set up another two-game day against Contra Costa, and the Rams took the Comets to task once again, winning by marks of 18-8 and 24-3. “So far there have been many great defensive plays, and they all add up,” said assistant coach Jimmy Collins. In the games versus Contra Costa, Cristina Menjivar hit three home runs, and teammate Jesyka Erredia socked two round-trippers of her own that highlighted the offense. The Rams lost at Fairmount Field in Pacifica 10-0 to Santa Rosa Junior College on Feb. 12. On Feb. 16 City was shutout twice by the College of Marin by scores of 5-0 and 6-0. With the current five wins on the season, City College already holds its best record since 2008. City seeks to push its improvement to another new level of play
before the 2013 season is complete. The Rams look to get the bats going versus Ohlone College at Fairmont Field in Pacifica on Feb. 19, then take on Mission College in Santa Clara on Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. (Dan Harrington)
Baseball doesn’t run on a clock.
Another sporting event at Fairmont Field in Pacifica had to wait, and the combined crowds enhanced the buzz of an extra inning 5-4 victory for the City College Rams. The win spoiled a Napa Valley College bid for a series sweep on Feb. 16. The Rams got off to a 4-1 lead behind the pitching of Kyle Orwig. They also hustled for five stolen bases and two sacrifices. They needed every run. After scoring only one unearned run through eight innings, Napa Valley tied it in the ninth with a two-run, pinch-hit double by freshman Randy Keen and an RBI groundout by freshman Brandon Ortega. City College sophomore Ben Ladner was left stranded at third base to end the bottom of the ninth, after having reached base on an error, being balked to second, and then stealing third. Napa Valley was left scoreless and left a runner on third base after a sterling play by Rams freshman Anthony Retamosa, who dove toward the middle, snared a grounder, and then turned and fired to first retiring the side in the top of the 10th inning. City College freshman Albert Talaroc III went 2-for-4 and scored two runs, including the game winner on freshman Scott Drinkwater’s single in the bottom of the 10th inning. (Dan Harrington)
The Guardsman &
Women’s Basketball
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| Feb. 20- March 5, 2013 | 15
sports
Lights-out shooting key to 88-49 victory Rams humiliate Trojans on their home floor By Zack Tobita
THE GUARDSMAN / ZTOBITA@THEGUARDSMAN.COM / @SFBREAKINGNEWS
City College won their fourth game in a row, winning nine out of their last 10, defeating the Skyline College Trojans 88-49 Feb. 15. City College (18-9, 9-2 CoastNorth) was not shy about pulling the trigger from beyond the arc, as they were able to hit three-pointers consistently in the game. It was an all-around team effort with five players reaching double digits in points, led by freshman guard Franeka Hall who tallied 23 points. The Rams moved the ball unselfishly and worked their way to a 20-point lead halfway through
the first half, finding the open shot time and time again. “We’ve got a lot of shooters,” City College head coach Jamie Hayes said. Everyone in a Trojans jersey struggled to get good looks besides sophomore forward Bianca Hussein, who was able to get some easy shots in a few stretches. “Everyone can shoot, so it’s hard to defend,” Hussein said. City College was able to put the Trojans offense into a stagnant pace, with help from their energetic and vocal bench. “If we can stay healthy, then we’re definitely ready. We’ve been battling injuries throughout the year, so if we get healthy it could make a big difference for us,” Hayes said. City College will play their last game of the regular season against Las Positas College in Livermore on Feb. 23 at 3 p.m.
RAM'S OLIVIA OVERTONE-MAYORGA (21) TAKES A SHOT AT THE HOOP AGAINST THE TROJANS AT SKYLINE COLLEGE ON FEB. 15. PHOTO BY CLARIVEL FONG / THE GUARDSMAN
KIAH KNOX (24) DRIBBLES PAST TROJAN'S STEPHANIE DEL BIANCO (4) ON FEB. 15 AT SKYLINE COLLEGE. PHOTO BY SANTIAGO MEJIA / THE GUARDSMAN)
Track and Field
City runners break records at coast preview By Alex Lamp
THE GUARDSMAN / ALAMP@THEGUARDSMAN.COM / @SFBREAKINGNEWS
It was a great turnout for City College on Feb. 15 at the Coast/Central Valley Conference Preview track meet at the College of San Mateo. City College showed veteran superiority, taking first place in more than half of their events, and stunned fans with victorious debut performances. “Look out for our sprinters,” sprint coach Douglas Owyang said. “Our top performing athletes are in the relay and sprinting events.” Coach Owyang couldn’t have been closer to the truth, after junior college track and field fans witnessed the Rams charge to victory in all but one sprinting event.
Coming out strong was the duo of sophomores Deondre Anderson and Alex Simmons. Simmons won the men’s 400-meter in 48.76 seconds, shortly followed by Anderson in 49.22. The duo also came out victorious in the men’s 4x100meter relay, smoking the competition with Anderson’s heroic final sprint to the finish line in 41.62 seconds, a new state record. “My performance was acceptable,” Anderson said. “I know where my standards are and what I need to do.” Anderson, a former football player from San Francisco’s Burton High School turned track star, does more than fitness training to ensure his clean sweep at City College. “At practice I do race-pace
situations, so that when I’m competing I know what pace I can perform at,” said Anderson. It helps Anderson to be familiar with a pace that he can keep throughout his race, where he does not have to worry about keeping up with the competition. He simply sets a pace that no one can keep up with, and finishes strong. As well as they did, the men
were not the only top performers of the day. City College freshman, Atiya Harvey placed first in both the women’s 100 and 200, and broke state records in her college track meet debut. “Its refreshing, I am still humble but I still have more to go,” Harvey said. “As a freshman, I think I’m coming in well paced so I’m just hoping for the best.” As much of the fan focus is on the Ram’s sprinters, long distance sensation Alex Foster eliminated the competition in the men’s 800, finishing in 1:56.99. Though he finished first place, Foster appeared like he was on a midmorning jog. His slower than usual pace stemmed from blisters on his feet from new shoes. Foster’s performance is a crowd favorite and spectacle on the track. The Ram’s track and field squad will head to the College of San Mateo for a meet on Feb. 22 at 12 p.m.
LEFT: FRESHMEN ATIYA HARVEY, LEFT, AND JESSICA BROWN, RIGHT, RACE IN THE WOMEN’S 100 METER DASH AGAINST HARTNELL COLLEGE AND THE COLLEGE OF SAN MATEO AT A MEET HOSTED BY THE LATTER ON FEB. 15. PHOTO BY LESLIE CALDERON / THE GUARDSMAN
ABOVE: SOPHOMORE, DEONDRE ANDERSON FINISHES THE MEN’S 800 METER DASH AT THE COLLEGE OF SAN MATEO ON FEB. 15. PHOTO BY LESLIE CALDERON / THE GUARDSMAN
The Guardsman &
sports
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| Feb. 20- March 5, 2013 | 16
Men’s Basketball
Rams move closer towards perfection By Zack Tobita
but all hearts on the City College bench were relieved when Aguirre got back up to sink both of his free throws. City College is one win away The game was much closer in from an undefeated season. the beginning than the final score In their second to last game of would indicate. the regular season, City College For the first 15 minutes of the (11-0, 27-0 Coast-North) defeat- game, Skyline fought a competied the Skyline Trojans (3-7, 9-14) tive battle and looked on par with 73-55 on Feb. 15 to stay unde- the favorites. feated. With 6:37 left in the first half, Groundhog Day was earlier Skyline had a 19-18 lead. this month, but this entire season “They came out ready to play,” has had a Groundhog Day feel to freshman guard Quincy Smith it. said. “Last time we beat them by Throughout the Rams 30, but they came out with a lot of onslaught during this historical intensity and fed off to the crowd streak, they have finished with and had some dunks.” single-digit victories only twice Although the Ram’s held a this season. The last time being, 35-27 halftime lead, the first half their 82-73 win over Fresno on was an uncharacteristically sloppy Nov. 18. by City College standards. With the 18 point victory at “We didn’t come to play,” head Skyline, it marks a dominant 21 coach Justin Labagh said. “There consecutive games of winning by was no attention to detail.” over 10 points. Supporting their fellow men’s In the first meeting against basketball team, the Skyline Skyline, City College ran away women’s basketball team was with a 94-55 home victory on Jan. instrumental to the intense atmo23. sphere. The Rams won the opening Even though the game was tip, and within seconds sopho- slipping away from Skyline in the more forward/center Gabriel second half, the women’s team Aguirre was fouled, grimaced in would remain animated on every pain and reached for his ankle as play and heckled the City College he was falling to the floor. players from theAMsideline. NOW OPEN_College_Sample_CCSF_10.pdf 1 2/14/2013 10:49:38 It was a scare for City College, City College’s sophomore THE GUARDSMAN / ZTOBITA@THEGUARDSMAN.COM / @SFBREAKINGNEWS
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guard, Delon Wright would respond to the women’s team by hitting a three-point shot, then staring them down on his way back down the court. “We haven’t had many close games, but this one was kinda close,” Smith said. Multiple players have gotten offers from Division I programs, and with the season being almost
QUINCY SMITH (11) DUNKS THE BALL AGAINST THE TROJANS AT SKYLINE COLLEGE ON FEB. 15. PHOTO BY SANTIAGO MEJIA / THE GUARDSMAN
over, players might be thinking about their post City College careers.
RAM’S HEAD COACH JUSTIN LABAGH STRATEGIZES DURING THE GAME AGAINST THE TROJANS AT SKYLINE COLLEGE ON FEB. 15. PHOTO BY SANTIAGO MEJIA / THE GUARDSMAN
Aguirre isn’t focused on that. “I have some offers, but right now I’m just going to worry about that after we win” Aguirre said.
City College will travel to Livermore to face Las Positas College for their last regular game of the season on Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.