VOL. 157, ISSUE 4, MAR. 5 - 19, 2014
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Ride-along
Keeping the peace with campus police By Jackson Ly
@sfbreakingnews jly@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman Equipped with bulletproof vests, handcuffs, a collapsible baton and pepper spray, City College campus police officers Tiffany Green and Erica McGlaston responded quickly to a dispatch call regarding a disruptive student in class. During a ride-along on Feb. 27 at 3:20 p.m., the school’s police dispatcher informed Green and McGlaston that a math instructor on the seventh floor of Batmale Hall was having difficulty dealing with one of her students. “When we’re handling disruptive students, we usually go in doubles,” Green said. With five years of service under her belt, Green was the contact officer, while McGlaston, who has three years of experience, was the backup officer. The hardest part of her job is “having to deal with people who are not very cooperative and don’t want to listen,” Green said. ”It’s important to protect yourself.” When the officers reached the seventh floor of Batmale Hall, the uncooperative student had already left. The student was about to have a “psychotic breakdown,” and was “asking all sorts of questions that aren’t related to the subject,” said the instructor, who did not want to be identified. “You can’t come
Officer Green poses for a portrait at Ocean campus, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014 . Photo by Santiago Mejia/The Guardsman
to class if you’re disruptive.” She told the two officers that she wants the student to be removed from her class for a couple of days. “You can do that. The dean decides what happens,” Green said. “If he does come back, give us a call.” After about five minutes, Green’s radio sounded again and informed them there were students on the roof of the Arts Extension Building. “Got to go to another one,” Green said. As the two officers ran down three flights of stairs from the seventh floor, this reporter’s sprint speed wasn’t enough to keep up with them. “Wait right here,” she said to McGlaston, as she went inside the women and men’s bathrooms of the Creative Arts Building. “Excuse me. Campus police,” Green said to a male student in the men’s room. “How long have you been in here?” “Five minutes,” he responded. “Did you see someone go out the window?” Green asked. The person said he did not see anything. By the time the two officers found the classroom window that the suspected students climbed out of in Room 218, they’d already fled the scene. Calls about disruptive students like these are rare, but when they occur, they come in “a lump sum,” Green said. Ride along: page 3
Theft spree at the main campus By Alex Lamp
@sfbreakingnews alamp@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
Three separate theft-related incidents were reported on Feb. 12. Two of the incidents were thefts at the Wellness Center and at the Visual Arts building.
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The third was an armed robbery inside Science Hall. The first incident occurred between 12 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the Wellness Center’s secondfloor men’s locker room. Four students, including one student-athlete, reported their lockers being broken into and belongings missing. “I know that the Wellness Center thefts were related. We know there was one individual that did those three thefts,” City College police officer Tiffany Green said. “The good news is, we have not been having too many locker thefts like we usually do. This is something that is unusual, to have three in one day.”
Pink Slips: Decision on notices sparks hope
5
At approximately 6:15 p.m. the same day, a student was held up at gunpoint while exiting the second floor men’s restroom in Science Hall. The suspect used his handgun to pat down the victim and stole his watch, wallet and backpack. He told the victim to wait in the restroom for 30 seconds and then fled the area. Campus police said a similar robbery occurred at around the same time in the evening about a year ago outside of a restroom in Batmale Hall. City College police determined the third theft began at 10 p.m. on Feb. 12 at the Visual Arts
Photo story: Student workers on campus
Theft spree: page 2
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Forty-two works of art were stolen from the display cases shown inside the Visual Arts building, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014, at Ocean campus. Photo by Elisa Parrino/The Guardsman
Opinion: Republicans threaten democracy
7
Feature: Torres finds a family through basketball
2 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAR. 5 - 19, 2014
news
World Briefs Venezuela Protests continue
Editor-in-Chief Madeline Collins Mananging Editor Patrick Tamayo Advertising Manager Calindra Revier Photo Editor Santiago Mejia News Editor Alex Lamp News Assistant Samantha Dennis Sports Editor Ivan Huang Design and Layout Ana Carolina Quintela Marcelo Potosi Copy Chief Alex Reyes Copy Editors Tim Maguire Contributing Illustrator Anthony Mata Staff Writers Gina Scialabba Dan Harrington Tim Maguire Patrick Cochran Daniel Galloway Samantha Dennis Calindra Revier Charles Innis Jonathan Adler Elisabetta Silvestro
Thousands of protesters jammed into the streets of Caracas to state their frustration and anger with President Nicolas Maduro on the weekend of a nationwide carnival. Many of the protesters were university students. Venezuela has been dealing with mass protest for weeks since opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was arrested on Feb. 18 for allegedly trying to incite violence. (LA Times)
Faculty Advisor Juan Gonzales Mail: 50 Phelan Ave Box V-67 San Francisco, CA 94112 Phone: (415) 239-3446 Advertising: advertising@theguardsman.com Online: www.theguardsman.com Twitter: @sfbreakingnews Facebook: facebook.com/theguardsman Youtube: youtube.com/theguardsmanonline
General contact: news@theguardsman.com
California Newspaper Publisher’s Association Journalism Association of Community Colleges
On the brink of war
Ukraine mobilized for war on March 2 in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin stating Russia would protect its interests in Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula through military action if necessary. Pro-Russian troops that entered Simferopol International Airport have left the airport but are reportedly patrolling the grounds outside of it. Reuters is also reporting that Russian armed forces have
College Briefs
Democracy diminishing
Faculty, staff and students gathered to address Special Trustee Robert Agrella Feb. 27, but Agrella was nowhere to be found. Agrella was appointed as the special trustee to take the place of the democratically elected Board of Trustees that was disempowered July 8, 2013. Since Agrella has taken over public meetings are a thing of the past.
American Federation of Teachers Local 2121 President Alissa Messer and instructor Wendy Kaufmyn expressed their concern with resolutions Agrella posted on the Jan. 27 board agenda. “These resolutions are violations of the ACCJC standards,” Kaufmyn said. “There’s a standard that says all employees need to be treated equitably and this is not equitably.” Items included Resolution
surrounded different Ukrainian military bases and border outposts. (NY Times)(Reuters)
Uganda has earned widespread condemnation from across the globe after its president recently signed law that discriminates against the country’s LGBT community. Some countries have already diverted aid. Longtime Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni enacted the law Feb. 24. Legally, the country can now
throw repeat offenders of “aggravated homosexuality” into jail for life. In a Washington Post editorial, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said countries that restrict sexual rights “can hurt a country’s competitiveness by discouraging multinational companies from investing or locating their activities in those nations.” Other countries, including Russia and Nigeria have passed strict anti-LGBT laws but not nearly as severe of the Ugandan law. (Washington Post)
54 that says top administrator salaries will be “independently adjusted based on market variations” and Resolution 55 that says it would “memorialize” salaries that were previously approved. “We don’t get to have public board meetings even though public board meetings are in fact something that under the Brown Act and under community college regulations should be here,” Messer said. When the group arrived at
the administration building to give public comment, they were greeted by City College police who informed them they would not be granted entry to the building even though it is a public building. “There’s no one here to take our public comment,” Messer said. “In fact, they’ve locked us out of the building and told us we can not come into the administration building on the City College campus.”
Uganda Pressure over law
Theft Spree: from page 1
building and continued through YOUR DREAM AT MILLS COLLEGE. the night until 9 a.m. on Feb. 13. Staff Photographers Ekevara Kitpowsong Elisa Parrino Khaled Sayed Bridgid Skiba Nathaniel Y. Downes
Ukraine
The two largest display cases in the building were broken into and 42 works of art were stolen. “The visual arts theft ... is very unusual,” Green said. “I think it might be someone that is close to that department or from that class.” Campus police said the visual arts department refrained from coming forward about the incident. However, department representatives hope the works of art will be returned unharmed. “I don’t think any [of the crimes] are related to [each other], they just all seemed to happen within the same day,” Green said. As a result of the incidents, campus police are performing more security checks. Two new police officers are also being hired in March and two more will be hired during the summer. City College has installed new cameras that have better angles and clearer images in the Wellness Center to combat future thefts. From Jan. 7 to Feb. 25, 17 theft-related crimes have occurred on Ocean campus and approximately $4,500 worth of personal belongings have been stolen, according to City College Police Department crime statistics.
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THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAR. 5 - 19, 2014| 3
news
No pink slips boosts optimism among faculty and staff By Charles Innis
@sfbreakingnews cinnis@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
Chancellor Arthur Tyler announced on Feb. 21 that no March 15 notices, also known as a “pink slip” among faculty and staff, will be sent out this year, providing strong evidence that City College will remain open next semester. A March 15 notice is required by a California Education Code to be sent to any non-contingent full-time employee if they are not to be reappointed the following year. The chancellor’s action, combined with the court-ordered injunction issued in January against the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, offers assurance that City College will remain open. “It is a major step to show that City College’s accreditation will not end this July,” faculty member Karen Saginor said. Peter Anning, director of communications and marketing at City College, said Tyler made
Instructor Tina Martin teaches her ESL class, Tuesday, March 4, 2014, at Ocean campus. Photo by Elisa Parrino/The Guardsman
the decision after reviewing the college’s finances and the progress made in addressing accreditation requirements. The decision was announced to administration and American
Federation of Teachers Local 2121 in order to remove uncertainty felt by faculty and staff about the stability of their jobs. “[Tyler’s] effort is to rebuild trust and morale, as well as to
boost confidence in CCSF’s future,” Anning said. Many faculty and staff members are happy about the news. “It’s great. It is one less insult
which means she works four days a week, nine hours a day, in addition to one eight-hour workday every other week.
As she walks upstairs to Science Hall, she said there have been times that she has seen people naked, high on drugs or
urinating on the premises. Homeless have also been found camping around campus she added. At one point, a person had put up a tent on the roof of Cloud Hall and slept there until someone in Science Hall reported the individual. Inside the officers’ SUV, Green talked about her initial interest in law enforcement as a criminal justice major back in Louisiana. As she pulled into the parking lot of Chasing Lions Café, she spoke about her old internship at a parish jail, where she counted prison inmates as an “informal” deputy sheriff. Green said it wasn’t until she returned to her hometown of Berkeley that she considered going into law enforcement. A police recruiter convinced her to join, after discussing with her
and one less anxiety City College workers will have to endure.” AFT Local 2121 President Alissa Messer said. However favorable the announcement is to many City College employees, not everyone is guaranteed safety from termination. Part-time employees and non-tenure faculty are among those whose positions may still be up in the air. “A little more than half of our faculty is part time, temporary adjunct faculty,” Messer said. “The district doesn’t need to do anything fancy in order to lay those faculty off.” The administration has not made any concrete announcements declaring that City College’s doors will remain open. “Baring something unforeseen, the expectation we are all working with is that CCSF ... is not closing,” Anning said. “We are developing summer and fall schedules and outreach/advertising campaigns. We are also working on plans for spring 2015 and beyond.”
Ride Along: from page 1 Green is on a constant lookout for unusual characters on her 3 p.m. to midnight shift. She has a “4-9” schedule,
the job duties and benefits. To become a community college police officer, one must be POST-certified by the police academy and have Continuing Professional Training (CPT) to stay updated on what they’ve learned from the academy. Green and McGlaston are among the four POST-certified sworn officers assigned to Ocean campus. There are a total of 27 sworn peace officers and 11 campus control aides dispersed across the City College locations. Sworn officers have the authority to arrest individuals. With the challenge of safeguarding one of the nation’s largest community college systems, Green and McGlaston can take comfort in knowing they are doing their part to ensure the safety of the City College community.
Officers Erica McGlaston and Tiffany Green report to Batmale Hall after receiving a call regarding a disruptive student on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, at Ocean campus. Photo by Santiago Mejia/The Guardsman
4 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAR. 5 - 19, 2014
culture Movie Review: “Non-Stop”
Liam Neeson action film is a cliché-filled ride By Gina Scialabba
@journalist_gina gscialabba@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
Liam Neeson has become the crowned prince of over-the-top, B-movie action stardom with his new film, “Non-Stop,” a generic thriller set in an all-too-common background of suspense—the airplane. (Think “Red Eye,” “Snakes on a Plane”). Neeson plays federal air marshal Bill Marks, an alcoholswigging, bleary-eyed troubled hero with depression issues and a shaky past. He’s gruff, he’s tough, and of course, he’s here to save the 150 passengers of this doomed transatlantic flight from a textmessaging villain. Say, what? Yes, that’s right, but let’s digress for one moment. Is this the same Neeson whose resume includes such fine films as “Schindler’s List,” Woody Allen’s “Husbands and Wives,” “Kinsey,” “Michael Collins,” “Rob Roy,” “Ethan Frome,” and “Les Miserables?” Has he really sunk to the lows of two-bit one-liners and woefully predictable outcomes? If you look at his more recent list of starring roles, you might think we are talking about two different actors (Jean-Claude Van Damme, perhaps?) Starting in 1999, Neeson seemed to have caught the actionhero bug in the “Star Wars” prequel and marching forward in the “Batman” remakes and, most recently, the “Taken” trilogy, which runs on recycled fumes. The jury is still out about him and what his career will ultimately stand for. Back to the movie at hand. “Non-Stop” is undeniably fun to watch. It’s a suspenseful, whodunit with red herrings a plenty. Basically, Marks uses a secure network to communicate with TSA when he is aboard a flight. Alas, a crazed-terrorist has breached the system and sends Marks text messages that spell doom…or a hijacking. Every 20 minutes or so, Mr. Terrorist plans to kill another passenger until (insert Austin Powers laugh) he’s
Liam Neeson plays U.S. Air Marshall Bill Marks in the new film “Non-Stop.” Courtesy of Myles Aronowitz/Universal Pictures
wired $150 million dollars to some offshore account.
Despite the deep pool of acting talent, most of it is either forgettable or wasted on a sub-par plot. Neeson does engage in some well-choreographed action sequences in very confined spaces, but his laughable, “fire up the troops” monologue mid-way through overshadows most of that. Director Jaume Collet-Serra
does a decent job of keeping the audience guessing. Most of the passengers and flight attendants are suspected of being the evil-mastermind at one point or another. Could it be Colonel Mustard? Professor Plum? Or Neeson himself? No one in the film delivers a particularly compelling performance, although there are several notable actors including the always lovely Michelle Dockery, you know here as Lady Mary Crawley from “Downton Abbey” and recent media darling Lupita Nyong’o who gave a stunning performance in “12 Years a Slave.” Despite the deep pool of acting talent, most of it is either forgettable or wasted on a sub-par plot. The movie is also exploitive of the American public’s fears of “terrorists” and what they should or shouldn’t look like. Did we
Events: Mar. 5 - Mar. 19 Wed/5 Film
Showing of the film “Ida B Wells: A Passion for Justice” with Dr. Johnetta Richards. 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Ocean campus. Rosenberg Library. Room 304. 415-4525825. Free. Presentation Our Lives, Our Stories/Nuestras Vidas, Nuestras Historias.
Narratives from Latina domestic workers. 12-1 p.m. and 1-2 p.m. Ocean campus. Statler Wing. Room 14. 415-452-5825. Free.
Sat/8 Exhibit “Meant to Save” photography exhibit reception by Beatriz Escobar and Julia Sperling. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Mission center. Lobby. Exhibit runs through March 29. 415-4525825. Free.
Club Meeting CCSF Lit Club hosts Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jonathan Freedman who will speak on his career and upcoming novel. 3-4:30 p.m. Ocean campus. Batmale Hall. Room 349. litclubccsf@gmail.com.
Women’s Day Conference
of this ride. No spoiler here. You’d expect his presence would be revealed, but his motivation for the hijacking is incredulous and confusing. Should you go? Save yourself from getting hijacked (pun, intended) by movie theater prices and rent “Taken,” instead. It’s basically the same movie.
If you go... Running Time: 106 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Genre: Action, Thriller
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Release Date: Feb. 28, 2014
Stars: Liam Neeson
Julianne Moore Scoot McNairy Michelle Dockery Corey Stoll Lupita Nyong’o
Want your next event in the calendar? Email the name, date, time, location and description of your event to calendar@theguardsman.com
Mon/10
Tue/11
really need the Middle Eastern doctor thrown into the mix of possible henchmen? Somewhere under all of this, “Non-Stop” is meant to stimulate a frank political discussion on airline security, but that message gets lost with Neeson catching a gun in zero gravity and firing a perfect shot at the bad guy. And about that “bad guy,” yeah, you’ll meet him by the end
”Food, Shelter, and Community with Climbing Poetree” intersecting identities conference. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Ocean campus. Multi-Use Building. Room 140. 415-452-5825. Free.
Thurs/20 Art Lecture ”Maya Women” with writer and City College instructor Rita Moran. 12:30-2 p.m. Ocean campus. Rosenberg Library. Room 305. 415-452-5825. Free.
Open House Women’s resource center open house and 20th Anniversary Celebration. 12-2 p.m. Ocean campus. Smith Hall. Room 103. 415-452-5825. Free.
THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAR. 5 - 19, 2014 | 5
culture
Office coordinator Isaak Edmond, 20, works at his desk in the Queer Resource Center at Ocean campus, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014. Photo by Ekevara Kitpowsong/The Guardsman
Employment programs provide opportunity for college students Photos and story by Ekevara Kitpowsong
Ever thought of working at City College to help pay bills or cover the cost of tuition? Based on data from fall 2013, the school’s Office of Research and Planning said 6,444 student employees participating in the federal work study or CCSF lab aide programs at City College received a total wage of $388,805.90. The programs provide various job opportunities for students that can provide extra income while still being able to attend classes. Interested candidates can search available jobs and requirements on the City College website and can also go directly to departments and offices to inquire about specific positions. For further assistance and information, visit the Career Development and Placement Department in the Multi-Use Building (MUB) Room 039 on Ocean campus, or call the department at (415) 239-3117.
Above: Student Ambassador Ericka Calloway, 20, organizes fliers inside Ocean campus’ Conlan Hall on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014. Photo by Ekevara Kitpowsong/ The Guardsman Left: Lab assistant Beatriz Escobar, 28, checks files in the photo issue room, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, at Ocean campus. Photo by Ekevara Kitpowsong/The Guardsman
Friends of the Library bookstore manager Lucas Almeida, 21, works at his desk, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, at Ocean campus. Photo by Ekevara Kitpowsong/The Guardsman Recycling assistant Emile Esselin, 19, empties a recycling bin, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, at Ocean campus. Photo by Ekevara Kitpowsong/The Guardsman
6 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAR. 5 - 19, 2014
opinion Column
Do you have an opinion or want to respond to one of our stories? Write a letter to the editor.
By Alex Reyes
@sfbreakingnews jly@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman The United States’ Founding Fathers understood that a free people should be allowed to practice any and all religions or no religion at all. But they also knew from the murderous role religion has played throughout human history that church and state should be separate. The Republican Partydominated Arizona Legislature’s passage of a bill Feb. 20 allowing business owners to deny service to gay and lesbian customers on religious grounds provides living proof of how far too many Americans continue to stray from their nation’s democratic ideals. Bowing to business and even party pressure, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, vetoed Senate Bill 1062 six days later. The Arizona Legislature’s “Right to Discriminate” bill is the latest exhibit to appear inthe still active case of democratic human rights versus the anti-democratic and inhumane in America. Businesses and business interests ranging from American and Delta Airlines, Apple, Intel and Marriott Hotels voiced their opposition to the “Right to Discriminate” bill. The NFL, which has scheduled next year’s Super Bowl to take place in Phoenix, had left open the possibility of moving the game to another, more tolerant location. But American business was not alone in lending advice to Gov. Brewer. Republican Party stalwarts Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Arizona’s U.S. Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake leaned on Brewer to veto the bill. Even three Republican state senators who voted for the bill turned tail and spoke out against it after learning that it would have
Letters to the editor must be under 250 words and may be edited for content. actually allowed business people to discriminate. Is there a literacy test for Arizona legislators? Conservative America and its Republican Party’s war on nonheterosexuals is longstanding and has often served to their advantage. Those within the Republican Party and its religious right who are still rooting for this strain of tried-and-true, divideand-conquer strategy must be confused about the country in which they’re now living in. Since becoming unhinged by Barack Obama’s presidential victory in 2008, the Republican Party has become a clear and present danger to democracy in America. According to a PBS Frontline segment, on the night of Obama’s first presidential inauguration in January 2009, top Republican Party poobahs met at a Washington, D.C. steakhouse. The group agreed that the Republican Party should fight everything the new democratically-elected president would propose. The party implemented the strategy and have only “doubledowned” on their attempt to congressionally nullify the Obama presidency since he won re-election in November 2012. But the Republican war on the democratic aspirations of the American people has not stopped there. In 2013 alone, Republican Party lawmakers proposed 82 voter-restriction laws in 31 states. The party’s national campaign to deny as many traditionallyDemocratic voters of their fundamental democratic right is not just political or partisan in nature. It is anti-democratic on its face. Ditto the “Grand Old Party’s” ongoing attempt to allow Americans to discriminate under cover of their mean-spirited “faith.”
Send your letters to: editor@theguardsman.com
Corrections: Find a mistake? Let us know! Email: editor@theguardsman.com
In Issue 3 the Flex Day article said that only faculty attended the protest at in front of the Diego Rivera Theater. There were students, staff and faculty protesting.
THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAR. 5 - 19, 2014 | 7
sports
Rams beat Comets
City shoots lights out, advance in playoffs By Jackson Ly
@sfbreakingnews jly@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman In a California Community College Athletic Association North Regional playoff match March 1 that determined who would face No. 4 Sierra College in the semifinals, the No. 5 Rams defeated No. 12 Contra Costa Comets, 98-80. The bleachers at City College’s Brad Duggan Court shook as Rams fans stomped and erupted in cheer after seeing their home team make two repeated steals that earned the Rams a 14-point lead in the first half. Rams sophomore guard Franeka Hall stole the ball from a Comets player and passed it to an open Tatsiana Dashkevich for a crowd-pleasing layup that put the Rams up 29-15. Sophomore Dashkevich was the Rams’ second leading scorer with 21 points and two assists. The Rams struggled with 26 team fouls in the first half. Comets sophomore Jewel Rogers, an above-average free throw shooter, was frequently sent to the line. A 73 percent free throw shooter throughout the regular
Game builds character for Rams leader Raquel Torres By Daniel Galloway
@sfbreakingnews dgalloway@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
Rams women’s basketball team captain Raquel Torres has been captain of every team for which she’s starred on. The captain led by example on March 1, when the Rams defeated the Contra Costa Comets 98-80 in the playoffs. Torres scored a team-high 24 points with five three-pointers and had four assists. “Im not really big on going for the big stats, but I definitely want to do whatever it takes to win and fortunately, the three-point shot fell for me,” Torres said. It is now playoff basketball for the Rams. Torres believes success will depend on work ethic and realizing a common goal. Torres and her teammates practice three hours a day, two hours on the court and one in the weight room. “To prepare for the postseason, you [have to] have a tunnel vision for the team, a common goal which is a state championship,” Torres said. “You must [come to] every practice and play every game like it’s your last and never take any
season, Rogers gave the Comets momentum by shooting 12 of 16 from the free-throw line. Though Rogers scored a game high 28 points, the Comets could not find a way to stop the Rams’ offense, which included 24 points from three-point shots alone in the first half. Despite the Rams foul trouble, they went into halftime with a 54-43 lead. “That’s a lot of points they’re (the Rams) scoring in the half,” Brad Duggan, City College’s renowned former men’s basketball head coach, said. “Their perimeter shooting is real good.” During the first five minutes of the second half, Rams sophomore guard Raquel Torres showed her sharpshooting abilities by knocking down two consecutive threepointers. She was the team’s leading scorer with 24 points and four assists. “The turning point was when we used the clock to our advantage,” Torres said. “It felt like we had more control in the game.” Rams freshman guard Mariah Masoli ran the clock down by dazing a Comets defender with three crossover dribbles and then threw a no-look pass to an open player for an easy two points, moment for granted.” Torres, a Vallejo native who plays point guard at City College, said that her oldest brother Raymond introduced her to basketball when she was in the second grade. Wearing the number 10 on her jersey, a number that is not worn by many other popular professional basketball players, Torres
“Im not really big on going for the big stats, but I definitely want to do whatever it takes to win.” -Raquel Torres believes it gives her an identity by not following other famous athletes. “[Number three] has always been my number because of (Allen) Iverson, but when I got to high school an older girl had it, so I only had a few to choose from,” Torres said. “I thought [number 10] was the best out of my choices. But now it’s cool, I made it my number not really following a particular player.” Torres says basketball affects her everyday life by helping her to stay motivated and work hard. “I’ve experienced many pressure situations and a lot of adversity on the court,” Torres said. “It
Rams sophomore guard Franeka Hall (20) lays up a shot against Contra Costa College during a CCCAA women’s playoff basketball game on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, at Ocean campus. Photo by Khaled Sayed/The Guardsman
putting the Rams up 73-52. Masoli finished with 16 point and three assists. With 5:57 remaining and the game clock winding down, the Comets tried to come back with
helps me handle similar situations in life, just because through basketball I’ve learned to keep my composure.” Basketball has built Torres’ character on and off the court. “The main thing [basketball] built was my leadership,” Torres said. Torres proves she is a leader on and off the court. Even in school, she is not afraid to take charge when it comes to school projects while interacting with other classmates. “Basically it contributed to my leadership and work ethic,” Torres said. “It personally came through basketball.” Torres is generating some recruiting interest, but Rams coaches don’t often tell their players which schools are looking at them because they want them to stay focused and not get ahead of themselves. “As of right now, I don’t know who’s looking at me,” Torres said. “All I know is I’m grateful to play.” This season, the Rams have three freshmen and six sophomore players, but overall only eight of them are getting significant playing time. With some familiar faces back this season, Torres feels very confident in her team for the 2014 postseason. “Honestly I feel great about our team. I have confidence this year based off our experience together,” Torres said. “Our coach always says ‘the better we play together, the better it highlights us individually.’” Torres and her teammates go
some three-point shots of their own, but still trailed by 15 points. “It was a very physical game,” Comets head coach Paul Debolt said. “They’re a tough team to defend because they have a lot of
three-point shooters.” The Rams will face Sierra College on March 5 at 7 p.m. in Rocklin, Calif.
Rams sophomore guard Raquel Torres (10) handles the ball during a CCCAA women’s basketball game on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, at Ocean campus. Photo by Santiago Mejia/The Guardsman
to study hall two to three times a week for two hours after practice. “It’s mandatory for every single member,” Torres said. Torres takes the bus from Vallejo to El Cerrito, then takes BART to City College, where she is finishing prerequisites for her nursing major. “I commute [to City College] every day,” Torres said. “Being
here with my family is worth it.” Torres’ bond with this season’s Rams may lead to something special, whether or not the Rams win a state championship. “We’re a family,” Torres said. “Nothing we face or go up against can break our bond. We just go out and fight together until the end.”
8 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAR. 5 - 19, 2014
sports
Playoff advancement
sports calendar BADMINTON March 8, 12 p.m. @Skyline College March 13, 3 p.m. @ Mission College March 18, 3 p.m. @ Fresno City College
BASEBALL
March 11, 1 p.m. vs. Ohlone College @Fairmont Field
March 13, 2:30 p.m. @Chabot College March 18, 1 p.m. vs. Gavilan College @Fairmont Field
SOFTBALL
March 8, 12 p.m. @ College of San Mateo March 11, 3 p.m. @ Cabrillo College March 13, 3 p.m. @ San Jose City College
SWIMMING
March 7, 2:30 p.m. vs. Solano College March 14, 12 p.m. vs. Deanza College
TENNIS
March 7, 2 p.m. vs. Mission College March 11, 2 p.m. vs. Monterey Peninsula March 14, 2 p.m. @ Chabot College March 18, 2 p.m. vs. Foothill College
Rams sophomore guard Chuks Iroegbu (4) fades away during a CCCAA men’s playoff basketball game against San Joaquin Delta College on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, at Ocean campus. Photo by Khaled Sayed/The Guardsman
No. 1 ranked Rams win 27th straight game By Patrick Cochran
@sfbreakingnews pcochran@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
Overcoming a rougher first half than the team anticipated, City College was able to win their opening California Community College Athletic Association regional playoff game at home March 1 against San Joaquin Delta College by a comfortable 74-46 margin. No. 1 City College men’s basketball team knocked off No. 16 San Joaquin, the lowest-ranked team in the playoffs. Though the final score indicated an easy victory, the Rams had to deal with a tenacious and physical Mustangs team that made every basket scored hardfought. San Joaquin preferred to foul and force a player to the line than to give up two easy points. “We played way too hard in the first half to only be up by ten at half,” Rams head coach Justin Labagh said. “They were hitting some lucky shots that was keeping the game close.” Though they lacked size and ability, San Joaquin kept the game close trailing 29-18 at halftime.
The Rams showed their dominance in the second half. Five minutes in, the Rams went on a roll that made it clear they were going to be victorious.
momentum going, with both players draining some big threes. Rams backup point guard Vincent Golson had the play of the game during this stretch. Driving to the basket on a fast break, Golson, not the tallest of players but with a very high vertical leap, went up for a layup against a Mustang player. With San Joaquin’s “no easy baskets” philosophy lasting all game, the defender fouled Golson hard in midair. Golson was still able to release a circus layup, which went in. The referees called an intenRams sophomore guard Travante Williams tional flagrant (23) drives to the hoop against San foul, so instead of Joaquin Delta College on Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, at Ocean campus. Photo by Khaled shooting just one Sayed/The Guardsman foul shot, Golson got to shoot two free Rams sophomore point guard throws. Dulani Robinson and freshGolson made one of two and man swingman Gabe Bealer City College kept possession of were instrumental in getting the the ball.
The play gave City College a 50-28 lead with about 13 minutes left and was the proverbial nail in the coffin for San Joaquin. “It definitely was big for our team,” Golson said. “Before that we were hitting threes and then I had the play. I will always take a hard foul to help us win.” City College went with a smaller lineup than usual, with four guards often on the court against their smaller, scrappier opponent. The Rams’ guards seized the opportunity with the team getting stellar play out of sophomores Chuks Iroegbu and Travante Williams. Williams, who slashed his way to the hoop all game, led the team with 18 points. “Travante had one of our best games offensively,” Labagh said. “He was just really confident out there and played well.” Iroegbu, whose athleticism was instrumental on both ends of the court, chipped in 10 points. “I played alright,” Iroegbu said. “I think as a team we did really well on defense and [defense] wins championships.” The Rams next playoff game is March 5 at home versus Butte College.