VOL. 157, ISSUE 5, MARCH 19 - APRIL 8, 2014
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Hostile protest
Police use force as demonstrators storm the entrance of Conlan Hall
SFPD officer brandishes his baton attempting to stop City College students from entering Conlan Hall during a protest on Thursday, March 13, 2014. Over 15 students forced entry and staged an overnight sit in. Photo by Santiago Mejia/The Guardsman
By Santiago Mejia
@santiagomejia smejia@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
A protest against the new payment policy and the special trustee led to an intense struggle with campus and San Francisco police when protesters stormed the officer-guarded Conlan Hall administration building, leading to an overnight sit it. Two City College students were arrested for their involvement with the protest. The San Francisco Bay Guardian reported Otto Pippenger, 20, was “charged with two misde-
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meanors: resisting arrest and battery on emergency personnel, with bail set at $23,000. Dimitrios Philliou, 21, was “charged with misdemeanor ‘returning to school,’ which was described as trespassing by the Sheriff ’s Department.” Pippenger and Philliou both made bail and were released on the morning of March 15 an SFPD media relations representative confirmed. The incidents took place following an hour-long Ram Plaza demonstration and march of about 200 City College students, faculty and staff members. Demonstrators planned
Alumni award: Guardsman editor wins award
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to enter Conlan Hall but were blocked by police officers who were standing by at all entrances. “We locked the building to protect the people using the building for its services,” campus officer Erika McGlaston said. Protesters stormed an entrance when a set of doors were opened from the inside by a student. In a video filmed by The Guardsman’s Bridgid Skiba, Save CCSF Student Committee member Iso Murillo, 22, could be seen sitting down inside the building. “I was in (Conlan Hall) early because I wanted to make sure people got in. When people were
Women’s day: Poetry performance
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waiting outside, I ran for the door and I swung it open,” Murillo said. Over 25 students rushed the open doors clustering with officers who shoved them back, some with batons drawn. “Students tried to force through physically and pushed officers,” McGlaston said. Over 15 students forced entry into the building. Several skirmishes occurred as students continued to try to enter the building as officers pushed, shoved and attempted to intimidate demonstrators in an attempt to keep protesters out of the building. “Several officers received
Movie review: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
minor injuries,” McGlaston said. Overwhelmed by the number of protesters, officers called for reinforcement. SFPD officers arrived moments later, many brandishing their batons. “A military amount of police officers were everywhere,” student Dylan Morse, 23, said. “At the very least there were 15 cop cars and motorcycles.” Officers swarmed in and pulled students off the doors. “Some officers were hitting (students) hands with closed fists,” student protester and Army veteran Martin Madrigal, 30, who successfully entered the building
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Protest: page 3
Sports column: The future of baseball in America
2 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MARCH 19 - APRIL 8, 2014
news
United States Plea deal in Army case 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 Staff Photographers Ekevara Kitpowsong Elisa Parrino Khaled Sayed Bridgid Skiba Nathaniel Y. Downes 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
An Army brigadier general who has been on trial for various charges including sexual assault, which to serve prison time, has accepted a plea deal. Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair pleaded guilty to mistreating his former mistress, an Army captain, of disobeying a commander’s order not to contact her, of using demeaning and derogatory language about female staff officers and of misusing a credit card. The general and captain’s affair lasted three years and involved sex in “two war zones and four countries.” The officer came forward after the general “twice forced her to perform oral sex” and also claims that her family was threatened with death if she revealed details about their relationship. (Washington Post) (New York Times)
Nigeria Job applicants killed
At least 16 people were killed in a stampede that occurred as hundreds of thousands of job applicants attempted to apply for
World Briefs
approximately 4,500 jobs. Officials said that the death toll could rise as severely injured people remained hospitalized. Nigeria’s interior minister blamed the stampede on the job applicants “not conducting themselves in an orderly manner.” The Interior Ministry was accused of not providing adequate security and intentionally inviting too many job applicants. The Nigerian government collected roughly $3 million from charging job applicants around $6 each for the right to test for jobs. (Washington Post)
Mexico Cartel diversifies activity
Drug trafficking is no longer the main source of income for the Knights Templar drug cartel. The group is now relying on illegal mining, logging and extortion as their main sources of cash, said the government’s special envoy to the state of Michoacan, where the Knight’s Templar have been active for many years. The Knights Templar were originally major producers and traffickers of methamphetamine but have made iron ore “their
principle source of income,” envoy Alfredo Castillo said. The president of the National Chamber of Iron and Steel estimated the cartel made $1 billion from the sale of iron ore in 2013. Government security forces were sent to the area after vigilantes armed themselves to fight the Knights Templar cartel. (ABC News)
Venezuela Clashes continue
Anti-government university students in Caracas were met with “tear gas and riot vehicles” as clashes with security forces continue. The region has seen antigovernment demonstrations since Nicolas Maduro became president after the death of former president Hugo Chavez. Demonstrators continue to be frustrated by “violent crime, shortages of essential goods and soaring inflation.” On March 15, the new president warned that occupied spaces would be taken back. On March 16, military troops moved in to the area, fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters, as
rocks and Molotov cocktails were thrown back at them. World governments have attempted to pressure the Venezuelan government about their use of force. (Al Jazeera)(Reuters)
France Pollution leads to driving ban
Five straight days of pollution exceeding safe levels in and around Paris has forced the government to restrict driving in the city. Only vehicles with oddnumbered plates were allowed to drive on March 17 and vehicles with even-numbered would be allowed on the road the following day. Hundreds of police officers were expected to enforce the driving ban. In an effort to encourage residents not to drive, public transportation has been made free of charge. The high levels of air pollution have been blamed on “a combination of cold nights and warms days.” Current pollution levels have been compared to levels in Beijing, one of the most polluted cities in the world. (BBC)
Board of trustees
Resolution calling to reinstate elected City College board gains momentum By Charles Innis
@sfbreakingnews cinnis@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
A crowd of 60 faculty members, staff, students and activists gathered at San Francisco City Hall March 14 for a rally and public hearing to voice their support for a resolution to restore City College’s democraticallyelected Board of Trustees and remove Special Trustee Robert Agrella from power. The resolution, authored by San Francisco County Supervisors David Campos and Eric Mar, urges California Community Colleges Chancellor Brice Harris to “restore the voice of San Francisco voters and bring democratic decision-making, transparency and public accountability back to City College of San Francisco by restoring the duly elected Board of Trustees.” The attending board members unanimously voted to amend the resolution to demand Agrella’s immediate removal, rather than remove him by July 2014 as the resolution had previously stated. “This resolution is an important step. It is only one step, and we’re not going anywhere until
there is full restoration of democracy at City College,” Campos said. The supervisor’s neighborhood services and safety committee passed the resolution on to the full board. Eight out of 11 members of the Board of Supervisors already support the resolution. The resolution will be voted on by the full Board of Supervisors at the next public meeting on March 25. Although the board has no formal say on the matter, Harris can take action regarding Agrella’s position with City College. Protesters rallied on the steps of City Hall a half hour before a public hearing on the City College resolution. Banners and signs read “Agrella We Want Our College Back” and “No More One-Man Rule,” while onlookers chanted and passing cars blasted their horns. Speakers at the rally included representatives of the former City College Board of Trustees, American Federation of Teachers Local 2121, the Chinese Progressive Association and other public figures. Students who participated in the protest and overnight sit-in of Conlan Hall on March 13 were also present at the rally. Student Edian Blair Gapit
City College protesters rally in front of City Hall on Friday, March 14, 2014, demanding the immediate reinstatement of the board of trustees’ members. Photo by Bridgid Skiba/The Guardsman
spoke at the rally about his experience occupying Conlan Hall. “I just couldn’t tolerate the injustice and oppression that’s basically happening in our institution and I had to do something,” Gapit said. “I had to push my way through, sleep my night there in the cold, sleeping on the floor, singing songs and building community at the same time.” Protesters migrated into City Hall after the rally, with some attending the public hearing while others congregated in the lobby and outside the building. The hearing’s events included a short address from Supervisors Campos, Mar and Norman Yee. After introducing the resolution, 40 people spoke during a public comment period. City College students, faculty, staff and San Francisco residents spoke of their concerns about City College’s recent digression from the democratic process. “In a time of crisis for City College, it’s more important now
than ever to actually have more community input, because were at such a critical juncture,” attendee Emily Lee said. Dimitrios Phillou, a student activist that was pepper-sprayed by police during the protest at Conlan Hall March 13, also spoke at the hearing. “Yesterday a group of passionate students protested peacefully requesting dialogue with the super trustee who seems to have the power of invincibility,” Phillou said. “And I was detained by the City College police for trespassing into the same public building I walked into as a nervous freshman.” The Board of Supervisors concluded the meeting by expressing their support to reinstate the Board of Trustees. “I’m really encouraged by the young people that have taken action, occupation action, takeover action and sleepover action, to take back education for themselves,” Mar said.
THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MARCH 19 - APRIL 8, 2014|
news
Alumni spotlight
Former Guardsman editor-in-chief is honored with an award as a ‘Bay Guardian’ reporter “from 200 to 1,200 in one day,” he said.
By Jackson Ly
@lyjacks jly@theguardsman.com
Growing as a journalist
The Guardsman City College alumni Joe Fitzgerald will be honored March 20 by the Society of Professional Journalists with a James Madison Freedom of Information Award for his investigative story, “Friends in the Shadows,” about San Francisco City Hall giving financial “gifts” to city businesses. Fitzgerald gives credit to Journalism Department Chair Juan Gonzales for helping him become the journalist he is today. “Working for Juan was great because Juan throws you out there,” Fitzgerald said. “You’re like a bird in a nest. He grabs you by the neck and throws you out there.”
In the beginning
Fitzgerald entered the journalism world when he took Gonzales’ news writing class in spring 2011 and became a Guardsman writer and editor. Interested in investigative stories, Fitzgerald reported on a major virus attack on City College’s computer systems, which involved sifting through 200 pages of public documents and emails from public officials. “If people are passionate to their bones, then they’re going to do great things,” Ingleside Light editor Sara Bloomberg said about Fitzgerald. Bloomberg, who still to collaborate with Fitzgerald, said he lives, breathes and drinks journalism.
After a day’s work at the Bay Guardian, staff writer Joe Fitzgerald, 27, relaxes at the Blue Danube Coffee House on Monday, March 10, 2014. Photo by Jackson Ly/The Guardsman
“I’m not surprised that he’s going to win an award, and I think it’s about time,” Bloomberg said. Fitzgerald reached audiences around the world when he covered the 2011 Occupy Oakland protest for The Guardsman. It was his first time covering a national issue, and he was surrounded by hundreds of people and armed police officers. All was calm, until “one dude threw a water bottle into the air,” Fitzgerald said. That was when police officers hurled tear gas and flash grenades into the crowd. Eye-burning gas and bright blinding lights shrouded the streets, as officers began shooting rubber bullets at the protesters. Fitzgerald could see blood
running down the backs of protesters as he and those around him vomited from tear gas and dodged projectiles coming from every direction. Fitzgerald said he was supposed to be live-tweeting the protest, but “I couldn’t trust myself to type because I was getting shot at.” Instead, he communicated via cell phone with Guardsman Twitter correspondent Becca Hoekstra. Fitzgerald was telling Hoekstra what was happening on the ground level while she fed him Twitter updates. On that day @SFBreakingnews, The Guardsman’s Twitter account, increased its followers
While juggling two day jobs and taking classes, Fitzgerald was also the editor-in-chief for The Guardsman. He expected his staff of writers and editors to be reporting at the level of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I really pushed The Guardsman at the time to do big things,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s not saying ‘oh ... we’re just a college paper.’ It’s (about) how are we going to take care of 80,000 people.” When there was a statewide initiative to curtail the number of students in community colleges in California, Fitzgerald mobilized his staff to call all 112 community colleges in California to alert them about the issue. At least 15 of the 60 colleges that had newspapers placed the story on their front page, while others included them in their newspaper. Fitzgerald went to the state capitol and testified against the initiative. San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera quoted Fitzgerald’s Guardsman story when he filed his law against the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. When he first started reporting, Fitzgerald said the hardest part was finding good sources for his stories. After covering huge issues such as Occupy Oakland and City College’s accreditation, he was able to network with many other professionals. At the student success task force meeting, Fitzgerald was
angry that the accreditation committee did not allow him and the press to enter. There, he saw San Francisco Chronicle education reporter Nanette Asimov, who gave Fitzgerald her business card and support. “If you need anything, let me know,” he recalled her saying. “She’s been my mentor ever since.” Tim Redmond, investigative reporter and former Bay Guardian editor also mentored Fitzgerald. He learned from Redmond that “honey works better than a hammer.” Fitzgerald, whose pen name is Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, currently works for the Bay Guardian. He used that advice to gain access. The Society for Professional Journalists recognized Fitzgerald’s use of “public records, interviews and independent research to probe how developers, corporations and city contractors use indirect gifts to city agencies to buy influence” in honoring Fitzgerald. “You want to get a source to want to help you,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s no sense in smacking a source around unless you have to.” Fitzgerald said networking with freelancers and having a strong work ethic helped him to succeed as a journalist. “Sometimes I might have cared too much. I might have been a little bit too passionate,” Fitzgerald said. “I would rather be that than the opposite.”
Protest: from page 1 in between the cluster, said. One student recounts the violence quickly escalating. “One of the kids got cornered by four or five cops,” student Jill Armour, 19, who participated in the march and rally, said. “One of (the officers) hit him on the left side of his head and his right side hit the concrete.” The student struck was Pippenger. “All hell broke loose,” Madrigal said. “Chaos continued to grow.” SFPD declined to comment on the incident, directing The Guardsman to speak with campus police. “Officers have the legal right to use force necessary to control the situation,” McGlaston said. San Francisco Board Supervisor David Campos, representing District 9, arrived to Ocean campus following the incident and spoke to the student protesters. “The payment policy goes against what City College is about. The idea that (the administration) changed policy overnight without any voice from the students
is shameful,” Campos said. “This institution belongs to us. It is not theirs.” He told students to stand their ground but to do so peacefully. “The purpose of my presence is to show my solidarity with the students,” Campos said. Into the night, about 15 students remained inside and another 20 outside. The students’ overnight sit-in ended Friday morning. City College Chancellor Arthur Tyler told KQED that “the college has an obligation to be stricter about collecting fees. We’ve instituted a payment plan to try to help students as much as we possibly can, but we’ve also got a fiscal crisis and I have a fiduciary responsibility to the state and to the taxpayers to ensure that we are collecting fees in a timely way.” Special Trustee Robert Agrella was appointed by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors in August 2012 to oversee City College’s board of trustees. Once the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges required the
Protesters struggle with police officers to gain entry into Conlan Hall on Thursday, March 13, 2014. Photo by Santiago Mejia/The Guardsman
school to show cause of why its accreditation should not be withdrawn, the board of trustees was
disassembled giving Agrella the decision-making power of the board.
The Guardsman was unable to reach Agrella for comment.
4 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MARCH 19 - APRIL 8, 2014
news Chevron rally
Student organization fights to lower student debt By Elisabetta Silvestro
@sfbreakingnews esilvestro@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
City College’s Student Labor Action Project rallied March 6 with other community organizations at City Hall to call on Wells Fargo CEO and Chevron board member John Stumpf to modify Wells Fargo student loans and withdraw Chevron’s opposition to the oil extraction tax. City College’s Student Labor Action Project (SLAP), Jobs with Justice and Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment organized the rally. Approximately 20 people gathered on the Polk Street steps in front of City Hall for the demonstration that also marked the launch of the “Higher Ed, Not Debt” political campaign. The campaign was officially launched in Washington with several events held throughout the country. Over 60 national and state-based organizations are dedicated to tackling the issue of student loan debt. Total student debt stands at $1.2 trillion and college tuitions continue to rise. “Money for public education, not for Wall Street corporations,” was one of the chants the ralliers repeated. SLAP’s goal is to improve college affordability and increase
the minimum wage on campus to $10.74. Students are currently paid $9 an hour, which is below San Francisco’s minimum wage. According to the Department of Labor and the Department of Education, full-time students can be paid a sub-minimum wage and students in the federal workstudy program can be paid no less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25. “We believe that our students should not have to go into debt to get through school,” Student Trustee Shanell Williams said. John Eller, director of San Francisco’s Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, said their goal is to get Stumpf to modify student loans to and to withdraw Chevron’s opposition to the oil severance tax, which would bring $2 billion back into higher education and health and human services per year. “He (Stumpf) is one of the major people that could actually help fix the problem in California education and student debt,” Eller said. “Wells Fargo owns some of the highest amount of student debt in the country.” California is the fourth largest oil-producing state in the nation and the only major producer that does not tax oil extraction. “We want these corporations to pay their fare share,” Williams
Smoking on campus
Policy proposes considering electronic smoking devices the same as regular cigarettes By Jon Adler
@sfbreakingnews jadler@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
As City College moves toward a smoke-free environment, unclear policy regarding acceptable use of electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, is sparking discussion, confusion and giving students and faculty a jolt. Whether or not they are cigarettes is what is being questioned. E-cigarettes are battery powered devices that heat liquid nicotine, creating a vapor for the e-smoker to inhale. The user exhales smoke that does not have a tobacco smell. “Without a policy, I would be compelled by current policy, no smoking,” Interim Dean of the Library, Christopher Kox said.
“Until I get a ruling on what (an e-cigarette) is.” The high-tech gadgets have no place at City College according to a recommended smoking policy overview prepared by City College Police Chief Andre Barnes. The proposed policy updated on Feb. 13, would include e-cigarettes in the definition of smoking. The recommended policy would designate 16 smoking areas across six City College campuses. Ocean campus would have at least nine designated smoking areas, while Chinatown/North Beach center, Downtown center and Southeast center are not equipped to support designated smoking areas and will remain smoke-free. City College Associated Student Senator Ryan Mote, who
Protesters in front of City Hall on Thursday, March 12, 2014, demanded Wells Fargo’s CEO to modify the companies student loan programs. Photo by Elisa Parrino/The Guardsman
said. “They should be supporting our students and not just making these huge profits with no respect and no concerns for their community.” At the end of the hour-long rally, the demonstrators went to protest in front of Stumpf ’s Chestnut Street residence. Participants displayed signs reading “education is a right, not a privilege” and “Wells Fargo tax oil, not students.” “Isn’t it a crying shame that
has been working with Barnes on the proposed police, said e-cigarettes should be categorized as cigarettes just to avoid confusion. This would require them to be puffed in places designated for smoking. Barnes spoke on this topic at a Participatory Governance Council meeting on Feb. 20. City College has no formal policy banning e-cigarettes yet, but smoking cigarettes is still prohibited within 20 feet of a door or window. “We need to be really consistent with our policy,” Director of Student Health Services Becky Perelli said. The University of California educational system mandated a smoke-free learning environment and a ban on pretty much all nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, that took effect on Jan. 1, according to the University of California Office of the President website. Some students said they would not let an e-cigarette ban
this financial system of ours in the United States has become so corrupt?” Ken Tray, political director of United Educators of San Francisco, said. “(When our students) go on to pursue their dreams in higher education, they are chained with insurmountable loans.” San Francisco State University professor Sheila Tully addressed the problem of the lack of fulltime positions in higher education. She said that the majority
stop them from smoking on campus. “I’m gonna hide it and I’m gonna smoke it. I’m addicted to smoking,” City College accounting student Pavlin Zanev said. Zanev said he would not smoke in class and would step outside if he needed to have a drag.
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“I honestly don’t know what I would do if a student was smoking (an e-cigarette) in class,” instructor Nathaniel Feingersh-Steele said. Feingersh-Steele said he would probably ask the student to leave if even a small minority of students objected, even if the e-cigarette vapor smelled like cake.
A silhouette of an e-cig smoker on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, at the Ocean campus. Photo by Elisa Parrino/The Guardsman
Smarter is Better Grammar Guru: Power Your Message
of jobs are low-wage and temporary positions so “faculty have no hopes of paying off their student loans.” “One of the things about the debt crisis is that it’s not just about students and it’s going to really break the economy,” Tully said. “This is a collective problem. It’s a social issue.” Williams said that it is not right that the college has to accept that the money is just not there and live within its means, when
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THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MARCH 19 - APRIL 8, 2014 | 5
culture
Women’s Day
‘Climbing PoeTree’ performance engages the audience By Elisabetta Silvestro
@sfbreakingnews esilvestro@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
City College celebrated International Women’s Day with its ninth annual Intersecting Identities Conference on March 11, featuring speeches, poetry, movies and dances. This year’s theme was “Stop bullying Mother Earth, all her children, food, water, shelter, community.” The event lasted all day and saw a total of 250 participants, mostly female students. City College’s first International Women’s Day was celebrated nine years ago. Each year’s event has a different focus. The previous conferences had themes such as homelessness, gay culture and transgenderism. “It was a way to stop bullying, hate crimes and stereotypes,” Jean Ishibashi, event organizer and women’s and interdisciplinary studies professor, said. “We wanted to make it a safe campus.” International Women’s Day has been observed on different days with different names since the early 1900s. The reason has always been social change, from the right to vote to better work conditions. The main event was the performance by Climbing PoeTree, the New York-based poetry group formed by Alixa Garcia and Naima Penniman. The two poets combine performance and activism, mixing together poetry and rap, environmental issues and social change. The highlight of the event, their performance captivated the audience and overcrowded Multi Use Building 140. With enthralling rhythm and perfect coordination, Garcia and Penniman recited powerful poems about social, environ-
Naima Penniman of Climbing Poetree performs spoken word on Tuesday, March 11, 2014, during an Ocean campus Women’s Day event. Photo by Elisa Parrino/The Guardsman
mental, racial and sexual justice,
With enthralling rhythm and perfect coordination, Garcia and Penniman recited powerful poems. women’s empowerment, human transcendence, gentrification, love and violence. Garcia and Penniman’s mission is to use art as a tool for popular education, community
organizing and personal transformation for a more just and livable world. Over the last 10 years, Climbing PoeTree has performed in front of thousands of people across the U.S. and abroad. They have been working since 2010 on a year-long multimedia social justice curriculum for universities and high schools. During the rest of the day, women shared their stories of immigration, poverty, bullying and liberation. Lisette Lucas from Voices of Immigrants Demonstrating Achievement talked about her struggles as an undocumented student. She wanted to study, but the out-of-state tuition was too high and the chances of getting a job were small. Then she found out about California Assembly
Bill 540, a law that allows unprotected immigrant students to pay in-state tuition, to benefit from financial aid, and to obtain employment authorization. Lucas’ life has since changed. Her father was deported and she is living alone with her daughter, but she helps students who are in the same situation as she was. Now, Lucas said, she is “undocumented and unafraid.” Lisa “Tiny” Gray-Garcia, activist and Poor Magazine co-editor, talked about growing up homeless in San Francisco and poverty-related issues. Gray-Garcia didn’t have a conventional upbringing. Her mother was an orphan who had to struggle to have a job and a house but then was fired because of her radical thoughts. Gray-Garcia lived on the
streets with her mother for 10 years, having to hide from being “criminalized” and separated from her mother. She had to fight to survive, and today she fights for many others like her who are homeless, poor and victims of gentrification. Garcia-Gray co-founded Poor Magazine, a magazine that gives voice to those who don’t have one, and she co-launched The Homefulness Project, a co-housing, education, microbusiness and social change project for homeless families and individuals. Other women recited poems about being victimized for their race, appearance and personal hardships and their success in overcoming such an obstacle.
6 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MARCH 19 - APRIL 8, 2014
culture
Thailand: Part 11
Have Your Say: Getting familiar with the What is your opinion about the protest on campus last Thursday? Young Sung Cho, 28 Music “I think it’s a good thing. You need to do it. People who are in the strong position, they don’t understand those who are suffering. We need to stand up. It’s a good thing.”
Doug Oromski, 19 Graphic Design “To be honest, it was a little bit more hectic than planned, obviously. It pretty much backfired and didn’t go as planned.”
David Terry, 20 Criminal Justice “I believe the SFPD and the campus police handled it very badly. If they can’t handle that kind of a high stress situation then they don’t deserve to be at that scene or possibly even wear the badge themselves.”
Thai culture and protest By Calindra Revier
Culture shock is a strange feeling. It consists of realizing how very different you are from the surroundings in which you have stepped into. Thailand was a culture shock for me. I knew before I left that I did not want to follow the heavilycarved path. That kind of traveling was not in my nature. Instead, I focused my time on retreating into countrysides and places where tourism was not a factor. For most of my trip I found myself taking the road less traveled and ignored men who waited at train platforms to hustle the foreigners into all sorts of tourist traps. Taking local taxis consisted of jumping in the back of large trucks with makeshift seating. Usually, women carrying big bags of groceries, who smiled and stared directly at my tattoos shared the back of the truck with me. During times when I was fearful of my surroundings, at moments when I realized I was the only foreigner in an entire town that spoke no English, I smiled. I smiled and Thailand smiled back. Everywhere you go in Thailand, large ornate pictures of the king hang on walls and street corners. Calendars of the king and even desks where you can write to the king clearly illuminate the country’s love for him. Thailand is unlike America, where there is constant dispute
over the president and his policies. There, there is no question. The king is best. This does not come from nothing. Bhumibol Adulyadej, king of Thailand, has given the people of Thailand hope. He has brought money into the country’s schools and has been very diligent in working with charities and making sure that his country is looked after.
For most of my trip I found myself taking the road less traveled. With ongoing protests in the region, this might alarm some people and raise the question ‘what is the protest about then’? Prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra is who the people of Thailand are protesting. Shinawatra has tried to pass bills which would expunge her brother’s and ex-prime ministers’ charges and erase murder charges for other politicians. The first time I saw the Thai protest was in the Hua Lamphong Train Station in Bangkok. It also happened to be the
first time I tried to use a public bathroom in Thailand, but that’s another story. After leaving my bags with Jess, one of my travel friends, I ventured to find the bathroom and on the way suddenly noticed the entire train station was quickly filling with people. The crowd became so dense I jumped on top of a wall platform to try and see over it to find a way out. Looking over the heads of hundreds of walking and chanting demonstrators and lines of police, I realized I had happened upon the thick of the protest. Instead of worrying about my security like a rational human being, I did what any journalist would do and pulled out my camera and shot the scene that unfolded. The feeling in the air was tense and powerful but not violent. The demonstrators marched slowly past the police and chanted loudly. But no one on either side took it too far. Everyone was respectful, especially near the monks who sat in the ‘Reserved for Monks’ section of the train station. There is something beautiful and unique in the way that Thai people live their lives. Shortly before New Years, I prepared myself to enter the world of Buddhism. But nothing on this planet could prepare me for what was about to come.
Jordan Swift, 25 Business Investing “I support it. I am in support of taking out the one singular overseer of everything and turning it back into the old democratic—when they had the board members. So yeah, I am in support.”
Jillian Silva Pereira, 24 Psychology “I unfortunately don’t have that strong of an opinion on it. I got the email about it and then I saw the kid that got beat up, and that’s what made me feel really bad … It seemed like a bully situation. I’ve been to one of the protests before and the reason why I don’t keep track of them anymore is because I feel like they are futile.”
Photos by Khaled Sayed. Reporting by Charles Innis.
Hundreds of protesters at the Hua Lamphong train station rallied in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2014. Demonstrators opposed their prime minister’s political decisions. Photo by Calindra Revier/The Guardsman
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culture
Performers rehearse the opening shipwreck scene of “The Tempest” at the Diego Rivera Theatre on Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Photo by Ekevara Kitpowsong/The Guardsman
Actors breath new life into Shakespeare classic Story by Mary Strope and photos by Ekevara Kitpowsong If you’re going to get shipwrecked, it might as well happen on a mysterious island where nothing is as it seems. “The Tempest,” that ran through March 16 at City College’s Diego Rivera Theatre, is Shakespeare’s only play set in the New World, on the storm-tossed island of Bermuda. Heather Cherry leads the cast as Prospera, the rightful Duchess of Milan. Her scheming sister, Antonia (Genevieve Smith), has sequestered her to the eerie isle for the past 12 years. Prospera spent the time improving her sorcery skills. When Antonia and the King of Milan happen to sail by, the duchess conjures a storm to strand
them on the island. Then she and her minions work their magic to restore her rightful royal status. After splitting up the ship’s survivors, Prospera orchestrates a romance between her daughter, Miranda, played by Lana Rae Jarvis, and the king’s son, Ferdinand. Meanwhile, the other parties roam the island, scheming for power as they fall prey to various magical spells. Impish spirit Ariel (Catz Forsman) scampers from group to group as he does Prospera’s bidding, sending people into reveries with his sleepinducing song. Siren-like fairies appear when magic is afoot, dreamily wafting
(L-R) Lana Rae Jarvis and Heather Cherry perform on the stage during a dress rehearsal of “The Tempest” on Wednesday, March 5, 2014, at the Diego Rivera Theatre. Photo by Ekevara Kitpowsong/The Guardsman
Lukas Hoag performs on the stage during a dress rehearsal of “The Tempest” on Wednesday, March 5, 2014, at the Diego Rivera Theatre. Photo by Ekevara Kitpowsong/The Guardsman
around the bewitched souls. Both Prospera and Antonia were originally written as men, and nothing is lost in the gender switch. Part of Shakespeare’s appeal is his adaptability, and the women effortlessly fill the roles of the power-hungry royals. Prospera’s commanding performance and swashbuckling attire—gold cape, leather belt and tall boots—highlight her central role in the show. As the cause and controller of everyone’s actions, the mostly-benevolent sorceress needs a strong actor, and Cherry delivers. Other standouts include Michael Vetter, as loose-limbed jester Trinculo, and Bruce Bothwell as drunken steward Stephano. Jarvis, as 15-year-old Miranda, fits the role nicely and really seems like an angsty teenager. It would have been great to take
advantage of the switch from Prospero to Prospera, and see more mother-daughter rapport between the two. The scenery emphasizes the play’s off-kilter tone. Stars twinkle in the night sky and floating orbs light up chaotically. Stone staircases and platforms etched with ancient-looking symbols are surrounded by dead branches, clustered like altars, while dissonant music adds a sophisticated touch to the production. Shakespeare’s tragicomedy also includes plenty of fantasy and magically-induced romance. Despite some knife-wielding and lots of murderous threats, “The Tempest” is ultimately a lighthearted rendering of the classic creepy island story we still know and love today.
8 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MARCH 19 - APRIL 8, 2014
culture
Movie Review: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Wes Anderson is once again larger than life By Gina Scialabba
@sfbreakingnews gscialabba@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
Wes Anderson is more than a director and screenwriter. He is a brand, a veritable institution with a cult of loyal followers. If this is your first Wes Anderson film, you’ll want to do your homework before going to see “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Why? Because his vision of the world is highly susceptible to being misunderstood—it’s quirky, nostalgic, whimsical and eccentric. Everything looks gloriously overdone, but subdued at the same time. Anderson uses his idiosyncratic directorial and writing style to explore larger themes of family, love and death, all cloaked in over-the-top, ridiculous humor delivered with deadpan precision. Case in point: Bill Murray in Anderson’s “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” or Edward Norton in “Moonrise Kingdom.” It’s quite easy to get lost in Anderson’s genius. Dip your toe in “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Rushmore” or “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” and you’ll see what I mean. His films make you feel like you’re involved in one big, inside joke. You’re dying to be a part of it, but don’t quite understand every reference. But when you do, you feel like a member of an elite, highbrow film club. In “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Anderson tackles the decline of civilization amidst the background of a “Grand Hotel” somewhere in a small German town between World Wars I and II. It’s a mythical world that’s parallel to our own, but keenly magnified by rich colors, characters and plot. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is not, in fact, in Budapest, but that’s part of the movie’s charm. It’s told in flashbacks, as a storywithin-a-story. The story flows smoothly, thanks to Anderson’s storytelling genius. Ralph Fiennes is particularly brilliant in his role as Gustave, a Don Juan-like concierge in a stylish purple suit.
He is the nerve center of the “Grand Hotel.” Nothing happens or doesn’t happen without his blessing. Gustave has a knack for making guests feel right at home, usually the older, wealthier female patrons—and he certainly has the passion to “serve.” You might say he is a butler, a life coach and a prostitute, all in one. We follow along through Gustave’s misadventures—a murder mystery, a prison break (possibly the most hilarious scene in the film), a stolen painting and a raging battle for an enormous family fortune. Along the way we meet Zero (Tony Revolori), the lobby boy who becomes Gustave’s sidekick. It becomes a buddy film, Wes Anderson style. Revolori is largely an unknown actor. Yet he does a tremendous job of keeping up with all the bigname players. He’s funny, delivers his lines with precision and doesn’t get overshadowed. In usual Anderson fashion, we are greeted with a cast of brilliant performers all playing bizarre characters (Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Adrien Brody, Jude Law, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel), leaving the audience to wonder who will show up next. To give away much more wouldn’t be fair to moviegoers. You’ll have to see it for yourself to understand. There are so many one-liners and inside jokes, you’ll probably need to see the movie several times over just to catch half of it. Just try to keep an open mind when going to see this movie. If you’re an Anderson fan, you’re in for a treat. If you’re new to Anderson-esque style, it’s an experience. By the end, you might feel slightly disappointed. Not at the movie, but that this world Anderson created has ended and you have to go back to mundane rituals of real life. Should you go? Yes, but first, stop binging on “House of Cards” just for an evening. Frank Underwood can wait. Instead, queue up “Bottle Rocket,” “The Darjeeling Limited” or “The Royal Tenenbaums.” You’ll be glad you did.
Ralph Fiennes as “M. Gustave” and Tony Revolori as “Zero”. COURTESY of Fox Searchlight Pictures
If you go... Running Time: 99 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Release Date: Mar. 21, 2014
Screeplay by: Wes Anderson
Stars: Ralph Fiennes Tony Revolori Adrien Brody Willem Dafoe Jeff Goldblum Jude Law Bill Murray
THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MARCH 19 - APRIL 8, 2014 | 9
culture
Jonathan Freedman speaks on Monday, March 10, 2014, about his book “From Cradle to Grave” during his speech attempting to motivate students to experience different countries and spoke on his writing experiences. Freedman is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Photo by Khaled Sayed/The Guardman
Pulitzer Prize winner shares journalism experiences By Charles Innis
@sfbreakingnews cinnis@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Jonathan Freedman addressed a City College Literature Club event March 10 at Batmale Hall to an audience of 16 people. In his speech, titled “Crossing Borders and Boundaries,” Freedman spoke about his journey traveling through South America as a reckless young adult, his struggles crossing between fiction and nonfiction writing throughout his career and his ultimate triumph as an editorial writer for the San Diego Tribune. Freedman emphasized the importance of experiencing the open world and being willing to accept failure as a motivator for success. He said that failure is a common motif in his story. Despite his passion for fiction writing, Freedman also wrote
novels that were constantly rejected from publishing agencies. While staying in South America, he lucked upon a reporting job for the Associated Press in Brazil. A creative fiction writer with no journalistic experience, Freedman’s grasping for the structural finesse of news writing proved to be an uphill battle. “That was my rude awakening to journalism. It’s completely different,” Freedman said. “I had a pretty rough go of it.” Freedman said he left the Associated Press feeling generally unsuccessful as a journalist. Despite the setbacks, failure continuously pushed Freedman to strive for success. Years later, while raising his family in a cramped apartment in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, Freedman chanced upon an editorial position with the San Diego Tribune. Freedman told the audience he’d never written editorials before he took the job. Nonetheless, his pieces on immigration
and the perpetual conflicts at the United States-Mexico border led to winning a Pulitzer Prize, a crowning achievement for journalists and authors.
“That was my rude awakening to journalism. It’s completely different. I had a pretty rough go of it.” -Jonathan Freedman
Freedman’s award-winning series of nine editorials, written over the course of six years, are
cited by the Pulitzer Prize website as being instrumental in urging the passage of the U.S. Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, a historical amnesty bill which provided citizenship to about three million undocumented immigrants. Freedman’s use of storytelling elements in his essays made his editorials unique. They included visual descriptions, symbolism and narrative structures. “I was using my novel writing skills and my scene setting skills to connect to something that we thought was very important—to try to change the reality of the world,” Freedman said. Freedman read his first editorial, “The Hole in the Border Fence,” to the audience, who sat listening attentively on the edge of their sea. The editorial painted a panoramic scene of a day at the United States-Mexico border, describing the routine conflicts between border patrol and Mexican immigrants. He used a hole
he saw in the border’s fence as a metaphor for U.S. immigration policy. “In my series that went on year after year after year, I was telling stories about people, and that’s why my editorials, I think, had such an impact on the legalization,” Freedman said. “By telling stories using novelistic techniques, I was able to humanize this issue. And by humanizing it, I opened people’s hearts to think of aliens as people.” Freedman ended his speech by saying that after several years of attempts, he finally completed the novel he began writing while in South America. The novel, “Benjamin East,” is scheduled to be published by Bright Lights Press of Palo Alto, Calif, in the fall of 2014. City College Literature Club’s next meeting is on March 24 at Batmale Hall Room 347.
10 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MARCH 19 - APRIL 8, 2014
opinion
Cartoon corner
CIA conspiracies By Alex Reyes
@sfbreakingnews areyes@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
Corrections: Find a mistake? Let us know! Email: editor@theguardsman.com
Do you have an opinion or want to respond to one of our stories? Write a letter to the editor. Letters to the editor must be under 250 words and may be edited for content. Send your letters to: editor@theguardsman.com
Dianne Feinstein is a brave woman. The United States Senator from San Francisco spoke on the Senate floor on March 11 to “set the record straight” about the Senate Intelligence Committee’s four-year review of the Central Intelligence Agency’s detention and interrogation (aka kidnap and torture) program, which began in 2002. Intelligence Committee Chairman Feinstein accused the CIA of removing documents about its treatment of prisoners from computers provided to the committee by the agency, illegally searching those computers and trying to intimidate committee staff members. “I have grave concerns that the CIA’s search may well have violated the separation of powers principle embodied in the United States Constitution, including the speech and debate clause,” Feinstein said. “It may have undermined the constitutional framework essential to effective congressional oversight of intelligence activities or any other government function.” In other words, this is a very big deal. But there’s more. “Besides the constitutional implications,” Feinstein said, “the CIA search may also have violated the Fourth Amendment, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, as well as Executive Order 12333, which prohibits the CIA from conducting domestic searches or surveillance.” Ever the gracious lady, Feinstein explained that she was making her public statement only after trying to resolve the matter “in a discreet and respectful way,” and after asking the agency for an apology and “a recognition that this CIA search of computers used by its oversight committee was inappropriate. I have received neither.” Feinstein said this wasn’t the first time the CIA monkeyed around with the computers (and “secure” location) it provided to the committee in 2009. In May 2010, Intelligence Committee staffers realized that some of the documents provided by the CIA had disappeared. Feinstein said she and the committee learned the agency had removed “roughly 870 documents or pages of documents that were removed in February 2010” and “roughly another 50 that were removed in mid-May 2010.”
When committee staffers spoke to CIA officers about the matter, they denied the documents had been removed. Then they blamed the IT people. Then they blamed the White House. Feinstein said she learned about the CIA’s search of the committee computers on Jan. 15 of this year, when CIA Director John Brennan requested an emergency meeting with her and Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-GA). This search, according to Feinstein, “involved not only a search of documents provided to the committee by the CIA, but also a search of the standalone and walled-off committee network drive containing the committee’s own internal work product and communications.” Seemingly within minutes of Feinstein’s statement on the Senate floor, CIA Director Brennan responded. Interviewed by NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell before an audience at the Council on Foreign Relations, Brennan said, “As far as the allegations of CIA hacking into Senate computers, nothing could be further from the truth. We wouldn’t do that. That’s beyond the scope of reason.” Well, then. Either Dianne Feinstein is lying or John Brennan is lying. The good Senator Chambliss “reluctantly” spoke to the Senate on March 12, the day after Feinstein. “Both of these matters have been now referred to the Department of Justice,” Chambliss said. “It may take us awhile before any accurate factual findings can be reached. Eventually, we will get to the bottom of this.” Which brings us back to the bravery of Dianne Feinstein. We know that the CIA has a history of destabilizing other democratically elected governments and other democratic movements throughout the world. In my opinion there is also ample evidence to suggest the CIA also took out John F. Kennedy. We also know that the agency is a master of character assassination as well as political assassination. Will an equally courageous president, Congress and American people support the Senator from San Francisco? Time will tell.
THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MARCH 19 - APRIL 8, 2014 | 11
Women’s basketball
Baseball column
sports
Playoff hopes end in Rocklin The Rams had their 17-game winning streak snapped and their playoff hopes broken on March 5, when City College visited Sierra College and lost by a whopping 25 points 82-57. Sophomore guard Tatsiana Dashkevich lead the way for the Rams by posting a teamhigh double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Dashkevich alone was not able to carry the Rams to victory, as they were out rebounded by Sierra College, 52-34. “It is hard to forget this game because we lost by a lot and it was our last game this season,” Dashkevich said. “We wanted to be at the top in the end this season, but our opponents wanted it more.”
Although the sharp shooting Rams did nail eight three-pointers, it took them 29 attempts to do so, bringing their field goal percentage down to 31.8 percent for the game. Sierra College played an all-around game with four players in double figures, and forced a game-changing 23 turnovers. Although the Rams had a great 2014 run, posting an overall record of 25-4, that included a 17-game win streak that spanned into the playoffs, their hot shooting came to an end in Rocklin, Calif. (Ivan Huang) City College Rams baseball player walks passed helmets before a game on Saturday, March 1, 2014. Photo by Elisa Parrino/The Guardsman
Diamond sports need support at roots By Dan Harrington
@sfbreakingnews dharrington@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
In the spectrum of activities that strengthen a person and build the fabric of society, there are few that do so as well as baseball in the history of America. The same virtues also apply to the game of softball. Some of San Francisco’s brightest moments and acclaimed personas have come to us via the diamond. People of any size, shape or speed can participate, gain experience and excel in baseball and softball, and City College’s reputation for developing players and loving the game was exceptional. But it’s been a disappointing ride for the diamond sports for many years locally, especially for anyone growing up in the city parks and public schools. A tour of The City’s ballfields will help us gain perspective. We’ll start with a look at the only Division I NCAA competitor in San Francisco. The University of San Francisco has been a top-notch member of West Coast Conference baseball. Sadly, the USF athletic department does not field a softball team. Great coaches and staff, with a commitment to share the highest level of college baseball, work feverishly to make baseball a good experience for the Dons’ student-athletes and fans. They need to work feverishly, too, as their park at Golden Gate
and Masonic Avenues is a block away from one that closed down a century ago because it was so cold and foggy there. You can even shop for cold weather Dons gear on their website nowadays. Ready for any weather, dressing in layers, the mentors keep the players moving from drill to drill with planned precision. There is no idle time or chance to get cold or goof off. It’s fun because top players want to learn more, want to be the best and maybe, want to get signed. Many USF players have gone pro. At that level of college ball, the recruiters have to look for a family with money, as well as a high school player with star potential. Many Dons have played on travel teams since they were in elementary school, with family support that gets them instruction, innings and travel and lodging, too. If a family has some savings and can pay half or all of a player’s tuition, that can be the difference between good and great seasons, and maybe a trip to the College World Series in Omaha. A look at this year’s USF roster shows two San Franciscans, both freshmen, neither of whom attended a public high school. One is head coach Nino Giarratano’s son, Nico, one of the hardest working ballplayers I’ve ever met. The younger Giarratano fielded flies and grounders from his dad after every USF game while in grammar school. How do we work the public school lottery to go there? We certainly don’t take the bus.
What we’ve got here is this: You must work hard. And now, unlike the San Francisco of lore, you must have the resources (i.e., money) to get the experience to let your talent take you to the highest point. There have been San Francisco public school graduates who have played well for USF. But the old school “local boys making good” stories have been rare. It’s not up to USF to fix society’s inequalities. They would love more Division I-capable local candidates from Bay Area urban schools. The question is how can we reinvigorate the local baseball and softball scenes to enable any young person who aspires to play at the highest levels a legitimate shot? Figuring out how to ensure proper practice planning, time, field conditions and an abundance of innings to create the symbiosis for multiple success stories and a base minimum of quality is the first issue. Basically, can’t it work for the locals, and can’t it work at levels beside “D-One” USF? Storied USF baseball head coach Dante Benedetti had emblazoned for all to see in his dugout at the field that would be named for him, and later at his restaurant, “The strong man works on his weaknesses.” Are we acknowledging the weaknesses to meet our basic needs in baseball and softball, or are we ignoring them? Our City tour will be continue next issue.
12 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MARCH 19 - APRIL 8, 2014
sports
Knocked out
Gladiators stun Rams, pull away in 2nd half sports calendar BADMINTON March 21, 6 p.m.
vs. De Anza College March 25, 3 p.m. vs. Skyline College
BASEBALL
March 20, 1 p.m. vs. Chabot College @ Fairmont Field
March 22, 12 p.m. @ De Anza College March 25, 1 p.m. vs. Monterey Peninsula College @ Fairmont Field
March 27, 1 p.m. vs. Mission College @ Fairmont Field
SOFTBALL
March 25, 3 p.m. vs. Hartnell College @ Fairmont Field
March 27, 1 p.m. vs. West Valley College @ Fairmont Field
SWIMMING
March 21, 2 p.m. @ Ohlone College March 28, 2 p.m. @ West Valley College March 29, all day @ Solano College
TENNIS
March 25, 2 p.m. @ Cabrillo College March 28, 2 p.m. vs. De Anza College April 1, 2 p.m. @ Mission College
TRACK & FIELD
March 29, all day @ College of San Mateo April 4-5, all day @ Stanford University
City College Rams react as the Chabot College Gladiators continue to score in the final minutes of a CCCAA basketball playoff game on Saturday, March 8, 2014. The Rams lost 101-94. Photo by Nathaniel Y. Downes/The Guardsman.
By Patrick Cochran
@sfbreakingnews pcochran@theguardsman.com
The Guardsman
City College was only one victory away from taking a trip to sunny Southern California and participating in the California Community College Athletic Association Final Four, but a heartbreaking 101-94 loss to Chabot College on March 8 upset any chance of that happening. The Rams were riding an impressive 28-game winning streak, and had made mostly easy work of their two previous opponents, San Joaquin Delta and Butte Colleges. City College finally met their match against Chabot, with the visiting team matching the Rams in both skill level and athleticism. The game was a raucous affair from the tip-off until the final buzzer. Chabot fans stomped their feet in the stands and cheered loudly. Although greatly outnumbered by Rams’ fans, they were able to make the game seem like it was being played at a neutral site instead of City College’s home court. “The crowd played a big role,” Chabot point guard Leo Smith said. “I’m the hype guy, and when I (was) on the court I could just feel it.” Rams head coach Justin Labagh was disappointed after the loss. “It just sucks. We played good at times, but we didn’t shoot well and that really hurt us,” Labagh said. “At times tonight we just weren’t in sync.” The game began very slowly for both teams and it took over a minute for either team to get points on the scoreboard. That was unusual for City College, who
often began games scoring first and taking an early lead throughout the season. Sophomore guard Dulani Robinson was able to score first for the Rams, and also led the team in scoring with 31 points. Playing in his last game for City College before he heads off to Pacific University next year to continue his college career, Robinson put on a one-man offensive clinic. His game play style reminds one of Allen Iverson, a scoring point guard that can still deliver in the assist column, and although
who caught the pass near the basket with a defender trailing him. Showing great awareness after catching the pass, Babineaux slowed down on a dime, let the defender speed past him, then made a simple layup. Although he had a great individual game, Robinson was visibly upset after the game with his team’s loss just shy of the finals. “Nothing to say,” Robinson said. “We predicted that we would win it all, and to come up short just hurts. We didn’t play up to our capabilities.” Chuks Iroegbu was the Ram’s
Rams sophomore guard Kori Babineaux (5) reacts after the Chabot College Gladiators win the CCCAA basketball playoff game on Saturday, March 8, 2014. Photo by Nathaniel Y. Downes/The Guardsman.
small like Iverson, never afraid to back down from an opponent. He was able to drive to the hoop at will and score points in transition all night. Robinson had multiple flashy plays, but his biggest highlight came 10 minutes into the first half. Robinson made a quick steal from talented Chabot point guard Smith and then instinctively threw a half-court Hail Mary pass to teammate Kori Babineaux,
second leading scorer with 21 points. Iroegbu was able to score in a plethora of ways. Typical mundane shots for Iroegbu came contested by Chabot’s high-flying defenders trying to swat the ball away. The backcourt presence of Iroegbu and Robinson was a critical factor in the game. If not for the two of them, the game would have had a more lopsided score.
Chabot’s team was led by star point guard Smith. The freshman averaged over 11 points and four assists a game this season, according to the CCCAA website. Smith acknowledged after the game everything his team had done to beat the vaunted City College program and halt their 28-game winning streak. “My team put in the work. Hard work pays off in the end,” Smith said. “All week we’ve been just working hard in the gym. We’re just a work in progress, we’re still not finished. The game plan was just to play hard. Defense wins championships, offense wins games.” Smith has excellent ballhandling skills, and utilized a killer crossover dribble multiple times that helped his team win the game. Like City College’s Robinson, Smith, although small, is able to drive into the lane and put the ball into the basket and doesn’t back away from larger players. Despite coming up short of their goal of winning the CCCAA Men’s Basketball championship, City College’s season has been a success on some level. The Ram’s finished 29-2, winning 28 straight games stretching back to the second game of the season when they lost to Yuba 81-78 on Nov. 9 of last year. The Rams are losing many of their star players, including all of their sophomores and even some freshmen, including star Sami Eleraky, who is transferring to Pacific University along with Robinson. The team might be losing a lot of talent, but with an experienced coach in Labagh and being in a major metropolitan area, City College hopes to restock and be able to challenge for a championship run next season.