The Guardsman, Vol. 157, Issue 8. City College of San Francisco

VOL. 157, ISSUE 8, MAY 7 - MAY 23, 2014

Chancellor chooses not to apply for candidacy

CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO | SINCE 1935 | THEGUARDSMAN.COM | @SFBREAKINGNEWS | FREE

Hundreds participate in 9th annual Walk Against Rape

By Elisabetta Silvestro

@ sfbreakingnews esilvestro@theguardsman.com

The Guardsman

Chancellor Arthur Tyler has rejected the April 12 proposal of applying for “candidacy” recommended by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges chair and vice chair.

In an editorial written for the San Francisco Chronicle, ACCJC chair Sherrill Amador and vice chair Steven Kinsella wrote the “solution for City College is clear: candidacy leading to re-accreditation.” That would mean the college would voluntarily give up its accreditation and begin a new accreditation process, as new colleges are required to do.

The chancellor responded two days after Amador and Kinsella’s opinion article with a letter to the college community. He wrote that City College is not considering withdrawing its accreditation.

“To do so would severely harm our current and future students as well as undermine our current enrollment efforts,” Tyler wrote.

City College was supposed to lose its accreditation July 31 after the accrediting commission ruled the school had not adequately met the standards to maintain its accreditation status.

But due to a lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court by City Attorney Dennis Herrera against the commission, a trial has been scheduled for October to determine whether the commission conducted their investigation properly.

City College is guaranteed to remain accredited at least until a trial verdict is reached.

The college also filed an appeal in February asking the accrediting commission to review its pending action. The commission will announce its decision on July 31. “(We) feel we have a very compelling case for retaining our accreditation,” Tyler wrote.

In their opinion piece, Amador and Kinsella wrote that Candidacy: page 3

`

5

Students and protesters hold signs during a Walk Against Rape march, Saturday, April 26, 2014. Participants marched for more than three miles to support victims and families of abused women. Photo by Elisa Parrino/The Guardsman

By Charles Innis

@sfbreakingnews cinnis@theguardsman.com

The Guardsman

Over 300 men and women, including students from City College’s Project Survive, proudly marched through San Francisco’s busy streets on April 26 for the 9th annual Walk Against Rape.

The Walk Against Rape is a citywide march led by San

Francisco Women Against Rape (SFWAR), an organization based in the vibrant, mural-adorned Women’s Building of the city’s Mission District.

Its aim is to lift the veil of silence in communities concerning sexual violence and to empower survivors of rape and sexual assault.

“It’s something that people don’t want to talk about,” City College student Ashley Neugeschwender said. “Just a peaceful walk like this, with all kinds of

people, ages, races. That’s what’s important, just spreading awareness.”

Walk Against Rape raised a total of $34,000 and is still receiving offline donations. Project Survive was the top fundraising team, raising $2,435, according to SFWAR Director of Development Bhavana Manchanda.

Starting at 18th and Valencia in the heart of the Mission, the 3.5-mile trek extended from the intersection of Castro and Market streets all the way to Potrero Del

Sol Park on the easternmost side of Potrero Hill.

The large, colorful gathering stretched out for an entire block, with police escorts holding the front and rear of the crowd. The Loco Bloco Performing Ensemble led the way with thunderous marching drums and a troupe of dancers.

Activists chanted and waved banners and signs reading slogans such as “My Body My Call” and “Pussy Power.”

Walk Against Rape: page 3

Fashion department shines on the catwalk

By Elisabetta Silvestro

@ sfbreakingnews esilvestro@theguardsman.com

The Guardsman

A Model poses during a Smith Hall cafeteria fashion show, Tuesday, April 29, 2014. Photo by Khaled Sayed/The Guardsman

Photo story: Students train at the airport center

9

For the past two weeks, the Ocean campus cafeteria was transformed for a few hours into a fashion catwalk where students from the fashion direction and coordination class put up informal fashion shows.

Opinion: The harm of Affirmitive action

11

Every aspect of the shows was organized by the students. From the swarm of makeup artists, hair stylists and models backstage to the music selected, every detail looked like a proper fashion show.

The collection featured clothes and shoes borrowed from Goodwill and local designers Acta Non Verba (Hector Manuel), Roenna Designs and Sam Shan. Manuel and Shan are fashion students at City College.

Fashion shows: page 6

Football: Rams hope for undefeated season

A Model poses during a Smith Hall cafeteria fashion show, Tuesday, April 29, 2014. Photo by Khaled Sayed/The Guardsman

Special Insert

Journalism department’s Fall classes

2 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAY 7 - MAY 23, 2014

news

College Briefs Editor-in-Chief Madeline Collins Managing 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

New CCSF immigration service launched The Mission Center has launched a new once-a-month free immigration legal consultation service to help students cope with immigration issues.

In collaboration with San Francisco government’s Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs, Civic Engagement’s Dream SF project, and private organization Educators for Fair Consideration, the pilot program will be housed in the Mission Single Stop Office, Room 151, every last Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m.

The service will focus on deferred action for childhood arrivals, as well as answer general questions on immigration laws that may apply.

Students are welcome to make an appointment and dropins will be available on a limited basis, with Patricia Castillo, Single Stop counselor and site coordinator.

For more information, call 415-920-6175. (CityCurrents) CCSF Bio-Link gets major grant In an effort to expand its work, City College’s Bio-Link program was recently awarded a $3,758,957 grant from the National Science Foundation.

Headquartered at City College’s Airport center, Bio-Link seeks to increase the number and diversity of well-trained technicians in the workforce, as well as meet industry needs for trained technicians.

Bio-Link originated in 1998 as a National Advanced Technological Education Center of Excellence for Biotechnology and Life Sciences with funding from the National Science Foundation.

In 2004, Bio-Link continued its work as an Advanced Technological Education National Resource Center. In 2009, BioLink received another four years of funding as a National Center of Excellence with new goals in line with changes in the industry.

(CityCurrents) LGBT community plans Lavender graduation The college’s LGBT community is hosting a Lavender Gradu-

ation & Diversity Awards Ceremony on May 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Diego Rivera Theatre.

This event, according to organizer Trey Allen, will recognize City Attorney Dennis Herrera together with his Prop 8 legal teams for their work in bringing marriage equality to California.

Donna Sachet will emcee the night and introduce keynote speaker Supervisor David Campos.

Others to be honored include MK Nobilette for her visibility as the first out lesbian to appear on “American Idol.”

Other confirmed speakers include Dr. Ardel Thomas, LGBT studies chair, and Dr. Raymond Gamba, dean of behavioral sciences, social sciences and multicultural studies.

The ceremonies will also recognize LGBT students who are graduating or transferring to other colleges.

After the graduation ceremony, City College’s Queer Alliance and Queer Resource Center will host a Diversity Prom from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

City College outperforms state City College’s overall completion rate for students seeking to earn a certificate, degree or transfer to a four-year institution outpaces the statewide rate by 8 percentage points, according to data released this week by California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

The Student Success Scorecard puts City College’s completion rate at 56 percent, compared to the 48.1 percent statewide.

It also excels in successfully educating students who need remedial instruction, according to the data.

“What is critical is the results show that while a larger share of our students arrives here less college-prepared than their peers they still outperform them in these key areas. This is extraordinary,” Arthur Tyler, Chancellor of City College, said.

He added “This is proof of what an indispensable asset this institution is to the community and highlights our unique ability to teach students from diverse urban backgrounds and empower them to succeed.”

Likewise, completion of remedial courses in math and English are higher than the state average and rates for completion of English as a Second Language are more than twice as high as the state average.

Additionally, according to the data, the rate of students persisting past the first year of their education is higher as than the state average, as is the rate of students who completed 30 units, a key momentum point for a student ultimately earning a certificate, degree or transferring.

For the full set of results go to http://scorecard.cccco.edu (CityCurrents) Private lenders mayhelp refinance student loans Some California college graduates could get help refinancing their student loan debt under a newly introduced legislative bill.

The bill, authored by State Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez, would also permit the state to provide limited debt restructuring, consolidation and interest rate buy-downs.

The Assembly’s Higher Education Committee has passed AB 2377. It is now before the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

As of 2013, California resident students have an average of just over $20,000 in student loan debt upon graduation. Of the approximately 250,000 California residents who received bachelor’s degrees both in and out of the state in 2012, 52 percent had some level of loan debt.

The release also states that “Existing law authorizes California Educational Facilities Authority to borrow money and issue bonds, notes and other obligations. AB 2377 authorizes the Authority to create a statefunded loan loss reserve leveraged by private lenders for the purposes of providing student loan refinancing options, including loan consolidation, interest rate buy-down, debt restructuring, establishing a loan loss reserve account and alignment with various federal student loan alternative repayment programs.”

(Assembly Release)

Bill to stabilize City College On April 24, the State Education Committee voted in favor of State Senate Bill 965, which aims to stabilize City College’s state funding for up to three years and help City College rebuild student enrollment and address its accreditation challenges.

Authored by Senator Mark Leno, the bill cleared its first hurdle in a 7 to 2 vote. Two Republican senators voted against the bill, while all the Democrats, led

by Committee Chair Carol Liu, voted in support.

SB 965 still requires approval from the Senate Appropriations Committee, the full Senate and Assembly, and ultimately the Governor. (Move City College Forward) Chong to head Santa Rosa Junior College District Former City College administrator Frank Chong is now the president and superintendent of the Santa Rosa Junior College district once held by current City College Special Trustee Robert Agrella.

Before moving on to the SRJC, Chong served as deputy assistant secretary for Community Colleges, Office of Vocational and Adult Education under Arne Duncan, the United States Secretary of Education.

At City College, Chong served as dean of student affairs from 1993-2003. Chong began a career in higher education after serving as a special assistant to California State Assembly Speaker Willie Brown from 1987 to 1991.

“Right now, I want to try and meet the needs of Sonoma County and upgrade our facilities,” Chong said, adding, “SRJC is four years away from turning 100 and some of the buildings have been in continuous use since the 1960s.”

His goal is to “work on making the JC the best it can be and to meet the needs for education and training of Sonoma County residents.” (Argus Courier)

THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAY 7 - MAY 23, 2014| 3

news

Cinema department to host film festival

By Alex Reyes

@ reyessanfrancisco areyes@theguardsman.com

The Guardsman

The City College cinema department’s 14th annual City Shorts Student Film Festival will be held May 15 at the Ocean campus Diego Rivera Theatre.

The festival is a semester-long assignment of the cinema department’s film exhibition class. The class and members of the local film community will select the movie shorts that will be shown at this year’s festival. The festival organizers expect to sell out the 200-seat theatre.

The five-member class has posted a video preview of this year’s affair on a film festival Facebook page. The class has also successfully raised over $700

in a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign to help with festival expenses.

The festival is “a big feather in the hat for City College,” Film Exhibition student and director Max Stein commented on a Facebook page video posted by the class. “The festival shows what City College is made of, what kinds of students it produces, the quality of the education that the school has.”

Film exhibition class instructor Lise Swenson has now guided students through four City Shorts and four Moving Image festivals, which occur in the fall.

Swenson said at least a dozen of the films that have been shown at recent festivals have gone on to show at other local and regional festivals, with at least 10 of the 12 also appearing elsewhere

throughout the country.

“There are tons of former City College cinema department students now working in the film industry,” Swenson said. “Over 65 students worked on my current film, ‘Sweetwater,’ which I’m now trying to sell.”

Film exhibition student Jasmine Nicholes places this year’s festival in the context of City College’s ongoing accreditation battle. “‘Exposing the negative, projecting the positive’ is the theme for this year’s festival,” Nicholes said. “The student admission rate is down and we want to blast how positive everything is in the face of adversity.

Everyone should be taking classes here. I mean, why not?

Both Nicholes and fellow Film Exhibition student Gus Curtis

appear on the festival’s Facebook page video. Curtis said that he enrolled at City College before moving to the United States.

“I’d heard and read a lot of reviews about how great it was,” he said. “I’ve been so impressed with the cinema department. … Lots of people who submit short stories are beginners. To me, it looks like they’ve been making movies for awhile.”

Curtis points to how City College film festivals such as City Shorts and each fall’s semester’s Festival of the Moving Image ties the school’s film students to the professional world.

“It’s important because it’s a really good stepping stone for putting filmmakers to actually showcase their wares in front of an audience of 200 people,” Curtis said. “ … City Shorts is a great

Walk Against Rape: from page 1 Traffic was forced to yield as the march navigated down Market Street. Many onlookers cheered, honked their horns and shouted their support from the sidelines.

In addition to raising awareness in San Francisco’s neighborhoods, other significant goals of the Walk Against Rape are to empower communities around the issue and to provide a space where survivorship can be celebrated.

“A large part of Walk Against Rape is … to really make the community feel like they have a role in solving this, that it’s not just something that individual women or individuals do to end rape, but it’s really a community that’s going to end rape,” Executive Director of SFWAR Janelle L. White, who is also a sexual assault survivor, said.

SFWAR is reaching its 40th year of activity. Every year has brought increasing support from various community organizations, youth groups and schools throughout San Francisco.

City College’s Project Survive has participated in the Walk Against Rape since the walk’s inception in 2006.

Project Survive, coordinated

by Women’s Studies instructor Leslie Simon, is a peer education program and club at City College that trains students to make presentations on sexual violence prevention and promoting healthy relationships.

Project Survive has just implemented the Male Ally Project, a new program designed to increase male participation in sexual assault awareness and education.

The program had its first meeting on Monday, April 28.

Many students enrolled in

place to network. There (are) so many people here connected to film industry professionals.”

For video director Stein, putting on the City Shorts Film Festival is all about promoting City College’s many strengths.

“The festival is important for the cinema department and the campus because it brings a lot of positive exposure to the school,” Stein said. “The festival does a lot for the students and community. … all the attendees get to have a great time, great experience. They get to see some of the best work, 12 to 15 films are curated, sometimes up to a hundred.”

A 6 p.m. reception featuring live music will kick off the festival.

Screenings begin at 7 p.m. and will be followed by a short awards ceremony. The festival’s “suggested donation” is $3.

Candidacy: from page 1

A woman holds up a sign in Spanish during a Walk Against Rape march, Saturday, April 26, 2014. Its English translation is “No More Silence.” Photo by Elisa Parrino/The Guardsman

the Ending Sexual Violence: Peer Education course at City College attended the walk.

“I think the Walk Against Rape is really important because rape remains such a silent issue a lot of the times, just because of the nature of it,” City College student Gina Li said. “I think that this allows us to give a public voice to a silent issue.”

Festivities continued at the walk’s finish line of Potrero Del Sol Park with a program of music,

spoken word and dance performances on the park’s modest amphitheater.

Hundreds of participants relaxed on the grass and watched the show.

“I think it went really well, this is my third year doing it,” Li said. “It was really fun. There were a lot of different organizations, so it was nice to see where these different people found out about the walk.”

Despite the ongoing success of the annual walk, Executive Direc-

tor White believes the primary goal of San Francisco Women Against Rape is actually to close its doors for business.

“I would say the one goal that we have, and this is going to sound strange, our primary goal is to end doing our services,” White said, “because that would mean we ended rape and we would not be needed anymore.”

applying for candidacy would give City College a “fresh start” and enough time—two to four years—to fulfill accreditation standards.

They also wrote that “a candidate college is eligible for federal financial aid and state funding; its students’ course credits are generally transferrable (sic), and their degrees or certificates are recognized, as long as the college eventually obtains accreditation … ” The Chronicle published another article on April 22 by education reporter Nanette Asimov that pointed out errors contained in Amador and Kinsella’s piece.

Paul Feist, a spokesman for California Community Colleges Chairman Brice Harris, said candidate colleges are not eligible for state funding.

In response to Asimov’s reporting, a spokesperson for accrediting commission chair Amador said that “special state legislation might be needed” if City College lost its accreditation for California funding to continue to flow to the school.

Asimov also cited unnamed U.S. Department of Education officials who said that federal regulations require a college that has lost its accreditation to wait two years to become eligible to offer federal student financial aid.

Amador and Kinsella’s claim that degrees and certificates that are issued by a candidacy school would be recognized by other schools is also incorrect, according to Asimov’s article. That would be the case only if the students graduate after the college is accredited again.

If a student was in their final semester at a college in candidacy, they would either graduate with an invalid degree or they would have to continue to attend the college in the hope of seeing it accredited again and then graduate.

Tyler wrote that over the past two years, remarkable progress has been made and almost 85 percent of the 323 items cited by the accreditors have been fixed.

4 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAY 7 - MAY 23, 2014

news

Diversity Collaborative threatened by budget cuts Faculty fears the harmful effects of downsizing ethnic and multicultural departments

By Mary Strope

@ sfbreakingnews news@theguardsman.com

The Guardsman

Following midterm cancellations of more than 100 classes, and in the wake of new proposals to reduce their numbers, department chairs in City College’s historic Diversity Collaborative underscored the importance of its rich and nuanced programs.

The collaborative encompasses African American studies, Asian and Asian American studies, Latin American and Latino/a studies, Philippine studies, women’s studies, and the first Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender studies department in the country.

These departments, with histories stretching back to the civil rights era, grew out of marginalized people’s struggles, not gifts to the school from administrators, African American Studies Department Chair Tarik Farrar emphasized.

“The ethnic studies and multicultural departments are the pathways that allow these students to engage,” Latin and Latin American Studies Department Chair Edgar Torres said.

Torres also serves as chair of the entire Diversity Collaborative.

Maggie Harrison, chair of women’s studies, noted that “a lot of students are animated and motivated” by a commitment to social justice nurtured by the program.

Students discovering a passion, then graduating to a university or career within the field, was a pattern noted repeatedly.

“Our students are coming out of (UC Berkeley), Stanford, Mills and SF State with high honors and going on to graduate school,” Ardel Thomas, director of LGBT studies, said. “The majority of these students are LGBT people of color.”

Thomas regularly receives calls about the curriculum and invitations to speak from across the world.

Despite recognition from internationally renowned institutions like the University of Oxford, the program’s future remains in jeopardy.

Torres focused on students left behind as class sizes increase.

“The overall picture is that most of the students taking these courses have histories of not doing

well academically,” Torres said.

Torres said the Latino/a and African American student’s social science grades fell farther this semester.

“We know there’s a very evident achievement gap,” Torres said. “Students of color underperform across the board.”

As Torres sat in his crowded office next to a sign that head “Cut Fees Not Classes,” students stopped by to seek advice about universities to which they’d been accepted.

“We’re looking at students who are at risk, probably before they were even at school,” Torres said. “Today, because of budget cuts, we’re asked to take on more and more students, so instructors pay less attention.”

Department chairs are worried the school will become a factory focused on churning out associate degrees.

Meanwhile, budget cuts have already limited or eliminated testing and career development.

“Education is never a waste of

These departments, with histories stretching back to the civil rights era, are out of marginalized people’s struggles, not gifts from administrators. resources,” Farrar said, comparing the estimated cost spent yearly on students at City College to the $50,000 spent on a prisoner in California.

Farrar pointed to a more general point lost in the budget issue—the importance of intellectualism, and the school’s responsibility to give their students a truly multi-faceted education.

He named earth sciences, astronomy and astrophysics classes as other small departments threatened by cuts.

An array of focused, academic courses makes the school desirable not only to students, but faculty as well, helping the school “attract high-quality instructors,” Harrison said.

Women in the Middle East, a new course offered this fall, is the type of class that UC Berkeley students are likely to attend.

The Women’s Studies program also houses Project SURVIVE,

FILE - This Jan. 29, 2014, file photo, shows City College students, faculty and their supporters at Conlan Hall protesting against class cancellations. Photo by Santiago Mejia/The Guardsman

which trains students as peer educators, focusing on ending sexual violence and promoting healthy relationships.

Harrison cited Contemporary Women’s Writing as a small class threatened with cancellation that today is thriving and producing work on par with “upper level

undergrads.”

She credits Dean of the School of English and Foreign Languages Jeffrey Lamb for deciding to let the class remain, and hopes deans will be mindful not just of numbers, but of a class’s individual impact.

While students hoping to take more basic courses may find

other comparable units, classes in the diversity department may be harder to replicate.

“We need students to say, ‘This matters to me,’ and enroll in the class,” Harrison said.

THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAY 7 - MAY 23, 2014 | 5

culture

Out of the classroom and onto the runway Instructor Hoi Ko, left, gestures to the Sabreliner T-39 aircraft and lectures his students on its components.

Student Federico Vigo, 31, removes screws from the plane to unlock a panel.

(L-R) Students Aries Gerald Pangan, 21, Peter Yuthrayard, 43, and Kerols Shafik, 25, inspect the Sabreliner T-39 air conditioning bay.

City College students learn aircraft maintenance during the AIRC 108 Rigging and Electrical Systems course taught at the Airport center, Friday, April 18, 2014. Photos

by Ekevara Kitpowsong/The Guardsman Instructor Hoi Ko, right, gives a lecture of the aircraft to his students.

A variety of planes are used to train students in aviation maintenance.

6 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAY 7 - MAY 23, 2014

culture Fashion shows: from page 1

Fashion students and their friends pose for a group photo, Tuesday, April 29, 2014. Photo by Khaled Sayed/The Guardsman

Fashion Department Chair Diane Green, who is the fashion direction and coordination class instructor, teaches the students how to produce fashion shows.

“This class shows us how to do it in the real world,” student Jessy Ortiz said.

Ortiz, together with Dion Ardon, Ashtine Del Rosario, Khailey Escobedo and Clariza Martinez, organized the April 29 show, called “La Rebéllion.”

Ardon said the inspiration behind the outfits was a “Parisian, Versace, rock ‘n’ roll vibe.”

The models, who were students and friends of students, wore a palette of almost strictly black and white with a few spots of gold.

Wearing lace, sheer fabrics and bustiers, the women looked seductive and elegant. Dressy pieces were spiced up by biker jackets and studded ankle boots.

Their hair was pulled back in low ponytails or down in soft locks.

The men wore button-down shirts half-way open, slim pants and oxfords.

“Retro Unleashed” was the name of the May 1 show, a full

immersion into ‘80s style and music.

Models walked down the runway to the music of Cyndi Lauper and Blondie wearing bright-colored outfits and fluorescent accessories.

These outfits had the word fun written all over them.

Denim, velvet and shiny elastic fabrics predominated the show.

The women had voluminous hair, red or pink lips and flashy tights. The outfits included stretch skirts, short shorts and leggings paired with crop tops, hoodies and gilets. On their feet, the models had jelly sandals, canvas sneakers and wedges.

The men wore lots of colors

with more down-played outfits — besides the yellow button-down, red bow tie, orange pants and vest ensemble. The pants were either straight and folded at the bottom or bermuda cut.

These outfits had the word fun written all over them.

The clothes were borrowed from San Francisco’s Goodwill, Berkeley’s Sway and the organizers’ closets. The show was put up by students Darresha Williams, Kayla Lacy, Mark Castillo, Mashal Noory and Yuyan Qiu. “It was hard work but it paid off,” Williams said.

The students worked on their shows for three months.

“I’m very pleased,” Green said.

“They are very talented and they get better and better.”

A formal fashion show, “Midnight Metropolis,” will be held May 18 at Ruby Skye, located at 420 Mason St., where the seven best City College fashion students will showcase their creations and compete to win three $20,000 Academy of Art University scholarships.

A Model poses during a Smith Hall cafeteria fashion show, Tuesday, April 29, 2014. Photo by Khaled Sayed/The Guardsman

Journalism Department City College’s award-winning students

Students from the Journalism 25 Editorial Management class in Spring 2014 work on writing stories and editing photos in the newspaper laboratory.

Alert!

Professionals share experience with eager journalism majors

T

he journalism department at City College dates back to 1935.

For more than 75 years, hundreds of our students have pursued successful careers in the news media. Many of them got their start on our award-winning campus publications.

Our students consistently do well in statewide journalism competitions, which speaks to the quality of the education that they receive here. The campus newspaper and magazine have won numerous awards for writing, editing, photography and publication design. They have been recognized by the Journalism Association of Community Colleges’ as among the top student publications in the state.

The faculty itself is comprised of professional editors, writers, photographers and designers. They teach from first-hand experience.

News Writing and Reporting, Feature Writing, Photojournalism, and Contemporary News Media will be offered this spring, as well as editing and production courses on the campus newspaper and magazine.

In addition, two introductory courses will be taught in Spring 2014 — one on Public Relations (Jour 26) and another on Investigative Reporting (Jour 36).

page

B

3 Frequent questions 3 Department awards

For a listing of journalism courses for the fall 2014 semester go to ccsf.edu.

Questions?

See back page for full list.

Call 415-239-3446

C

page

3 About the faculty 3 Mentoring program

page

D

3 Fall courses 3 Notable graduates

Journalism Department

B

Students receive state’s top recognition for journalism W

ith approximately 545 students in attendance representing 43 community colleges, City College journalism students received 30 awards at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges state convention held at the Burbank Marriott Hotel on April 3-5, 2014.

The Guardsman and Etc. Magazine swept top honors with General Excellence for each publication, including General Excellence for The Guardsman Online.

The awards ceremony was capped with The Guardsman earning the top prize of the night, the Pacesetter, that recognizes the best of the best at the convention.

The Pacesetter award was given to the top four schools based on their performance in mail-in and on-the-spot competitions.

The newspaper’s Faculty Adviser Juan Gonzales attended the conference along with 15 journalism students.

Madeline Collins, editor-in chief of The Guardsman, along with Amy Ashcroft and Jordyn Occhipinti, co-editors of Etc. Magazine, were recognized for their special work on the two publications.

Guardsman photographer Khaled Sayed took home a JACC scholarship to continue his education at City College.

“This was a tremendous accomplishment by our students,” Gonzales said. “Our students truly did the college proud. We should all bask in their success. I am so proud of them.”

To join The Guardsman, email Juan Gonzales at: accionjg@aol.com

photo byJessic Lifland

To join Etc. Magazine, email Tom Graham at: tg_journalist@comcast.net

Students from the Journalism 24 Newspaper Laboratory and Jounalism 29 Magazine Editing and Production classes in fall 2013 win awards during a state-wide conference in Sacramento.

Journalism Association of Community Colleges awards THE GUARDSMAN JACC Pacesetter Award

2014 2009

2005 1998

JACC General Excellence

2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006

2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998

THE GUARDSMAN ONLINE http://www.theguardsman.com

NorCal General Excellence

2014 2013 2012 2010 2008 2007 2006

2005 2004 2000 1998 1997 1996

ETC. MAGAZINE

JACC General Excellence

JACC General Excellence

2014 2011 2009

2005 2003 1999

NorCal General Excellence

2012 2010 2008

2004 1998 1996

2014 2013 2011 2010 2009

2008 2007 2006 2005 2001

Frequently asked questions about the journalism program What is so special about City College’s journalism program?

Our program offers a state-of-the-art computer lab, two award-winning publications, instructors who are working journalists, a coaching program for students, internship opportunities and a curriculm that keeps pace with the changing needs of today’s newsroom.

Does the journalism program offer transferable courses?

Yes. Three courses in our program are transferable to four-year institutions. The three courses are Journalism 19 (Contemporary News Media), Journalism 21 (News Writing and Reporting) and Journalism 37 (Introduction to Photojournalism).

Do any of the courses in the department fulfill general education requirements?

Yes. Journalism 19 (Contemporary News Media) meets the GE requirement in humanities.

Can I get a degree or certificate in your program?

Yes. The department offers an AA degree in journalism that takes about two years to complete and leads to transferring to a four-year college. A Certificate of Award in Journalism is also available for those students wishing to gain journalistic skills for possible employment within an 18-month period.

If I complete two years of study in your program and want to transfer to a fouryear college, is that possible?

Yes. It is possible to transfer to a four-year institution. Students in our program have enrolled at San Francisco State University, UC Berkeley, San Jose State University, Humboldt State University, and UC Santa Cruz, to name a few.

Will I encounter any problems enrolling in one of your courses?

No. Enrollment in our deparment is easy.

Class size averages about 20 students per class, which allows for plenty of opportunities to interact with teachers, advisers and fellow students.

What kinds of jobs can I qualify for once I complete your program?

The program prepares students for entrylevel positions in news writing, copy editing, photography, and newspaper design and pagination.

Does the department offer any scholarships?

Yes. The department has a $100 scholarship for continuing students. The application deadline is April 1. The department also makes avaialble information on journalism scholarships offered by local and statewide organizations.

Are internships available to students in the program?

Yes. The department has working relations with numerous neighborhood newspapers

and some alternative publications in the area. Instructors in our department also have connections with the two dailies: the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner.

Are there any other resources offered through the department?

Yes. The department sponsors a mentoring program, a student press club, a media career fair, and a “Brown Bag” lecture series.

It also has an extensive library of mediarelated books and videos.

If I need to talk to a journalism adviser is there someone I should see?

Yes. You can contact Department Chair Juan Gonzales, who has been with the program since 1985. Call (415) 239-3446.

The Guardsman campus newspaper is available online at: www.theguardsman.com Etc. campus magazine is available online at: www.etc-magazine.com

Journalism Department

Working journalists share skills, experience with students Juan Gonzales Jessica Lifland W ith a career in journalism dating back to 1970 as a reporter and publisher, City College journalism department Chair Juan Gonzales draws upon his varied professional experiences to instruct his students.

As the founder and editor of El Tecolote, a biweekly, bilingual newspaper published since 1970 in San Francisco’s Mission District, he continues to cover the issues that affect the neighborhood.

Gonzales was honored in April 2011 with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism Education by the California Journalism Education Coalition.

Currently, Gonzales is project director of Voices for Justice: The

Tom Graham

Tom Graham, instructor, magazine adviser

I

t took Tom Graham six years to walk every street in San Francisco. All 2,612 of them. He wrote about it for the San Francisco Chronicle, where he worked for 22 years as a feature copy editor.

A former City College student and editor of The Guardsman, Graham has taught journalism part-time here for 25 years.

In addition to serving as student adviser for Etc. Magazine, Graham teaches courses in Contemporary News Media (Jour. 19), Magazine Editing and Production (Jour. 29), and Public Relations (Jour. 26).

At the Chronicle, he edited, designed and paginated the daily Datebook, Pink, Style and Review sections.

He wrote numerous stories for

Juan Gonzales, instructor, department chair

Enduring Legacy of the Latino Press in the United States. The project documents 200 years of Latino journalism through film, a

the Chronicle, including a popular series called “Walking Man” that documented his walk along every street in San Francisco.

Some of his stories appeared in the Outdoor section, including first person pieces about bungee jumping, backpacking the 212-mile-long John Muir Trail, skydiving out of a plane, and rock climbing in Yosemite.

Before joining the Chronicle, Graham was editor for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Point Reyes Light newspaper in West Marin.

He also worked as managing editor for the California Farm Bureau in Sacramento.

Earlier in his career, he was editor of the Mountain Messenger newspaper in Sierra County and worked as a reporter for the Tahoe World in Tahoe City.

In addition to City College, Graham has taught journalism at College of Marin, Solano Community College, the University of San Francisco and San Francisco State University.

He received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Jose State University.

This semester, he will be teaching a course in Public Relations.

“Public Relations is a subject people love to hate,” Graham says. “Whatever your cause, it’s the method for winning friends and influencing people. We’ll be showing students how to do just that this semester.

companion book and an interactive Web site.

In 2010, El Tecolote celebrated its 40th anniversary. For those years of service, Gonzales was honored by the Society of Professional Journalists with its “Distinguished Service Award.”

Similarly, he received a “Heroes of Excellence” award from KGOTV. In 2009, Gonzales was inducted into the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Hall of Fame. He was also honored by KQED-TV as an “Unsung Hero” in the Latino community. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom also recognized Gonzales as a Latino media leader during Hispanic Heritage Month in

September.

Gonzales serves as adviser to the campus newspaper, The Guardsman.

He is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges, the San Francisco Newspaper Association and the New American Media.

Gonzales possesses an associate degree in journalism from San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, a bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Francisco State University and a master’s degree in mass communications from Stanford University.

He worked as a reporter for the San Francisco bureaus of the United Press International and the Associated Press.

Jessica Lifland, instructor

Jon Rochmis

J Need to get in touch with us? Call us at: Mission campus 415-920-6156 Ocean campus 415-239-3446

Jon Rochmis, instructor

J

on Rochmis has been teaching at City College since 2000.

Among the courses he has taught are News Writing and Reporting, Advanced Reporting, Feature Writing, Copy Editing and Internet Journalism.

In addition, he has been a lecturer at San Francisco State and at Skyline College, where he taught News Writing and Mass Communications.

With more than 25 years of experience in Bay Area journalism, Rochmis has been an editor and reporter in sports, news, business, technology and feature departments.

After graduating with a degree in journalism from UC Berkeley, Rochmis began his career at the Berkeley Gazette/Richmond Independent.

He then covered sports, news and business at the Oakland

Tribune for nine years, with six years as the beat writer for the San Francisco 49ers.

Following his 15-year stint in newspapers, Rochmis was a book/magazine editor for a small publishing house in downtown San Francisco.

In 1995, he jumped online as the first editor at SF Gate.com, where he helped conceive and administer the tone and presentation of one of the first news sites on the World Wide Web. Rochmis also helped launch BayInsider.com as senior content producer, and then worked for three years as content editor and then executive editor at Wired News.

Currently, Rochmis is a marketing writer with a marketing/ communications agency that specializes in high technology.

Mentoring program links students with professional journalists

T

he journalism department’s mentoring program has helped many students network with professional journalists and photographers.

“You look at these mentors and they are top-flight. They’re names in the business,” said journalism instructor and writer Jon Rochmis.

Department Chair Juan Gonzales attributes the success of the program to the support it receives from the Bay Area’s media.

The mentor program encourages students to take advantage of the

Bay Area’s large population of professional journalists. Students learn how to pitch story ideas like a pro and have an opportunity to talk one-on-one with writers, editors, photographers and designers.

Gonzales believes being mentored can improve a student’s ability to get a job.

KGO TV news anchor Cheryl Jennings knows just how hard it is to break into journalism. She was rejected by 19 of the 20 television stations she originally applied to.

“I think the program is an

C

essica Lifland is the founder and director of San Francisco Photonite, a monthly community photography group sponsored by the Bay Area Press Photographers Association and the SF Exposure Gallery.

Lifland has worked as a staff photographer for the Contra Costa Newspaper Group and the Evansville Indiana Courier and Press.

Since returning to the Bay Area in 2002, she has been involved in a variety of projects as both an editor and photographer.

She was a project organizer and photographer for the America 24/7 project.

She has edited and photographed for several book projects, including Extreme Digital Photography and We Do. As a photo journalist, Lifland has shot a variety of assignments for magazines like Newsweek, Fortune, Forbes, Stern and Le Monde.

She works on assignment for newspapers such as the New York Times, USA Today and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Lifland has a BFA in photography and a BA in art history from Cornell University.

She has a Master’s Degree from Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication.

While at Ohio she completed internships at the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo., The Denver Post and Long Island’s Newsday.

Fall 2014 Advising Hours Meet with Juan Gonzales, journalism department chair, to discuss opportunities in the field of journalism.

Ocean Campus 50 Phelan Ave. Bungalow 615

“It’s an outstanding way to learn the business from the inside.”

Monday and Wednesday 11 a.m. – noon Tuesday 1 – 2 p.m.

Journalism instructor Tom Graham mentors students. outstanding way to learn about the business from the inside,” Jennings said. “I would highly recommend it. I wish it had been

in place when I attended City College. It makes me re-evaluate what I do every time I explain the business to a student.”

Thursday 10 a.m. – noon For an appointment, call (415) 239-3446

D

Journalism Department

Fall 2014 Journalism Classes To register for courses go to www.ccsf.edu/schedule Classes start August 18, 2014.

Jour 19: Contemporary News Media 3.0 units

76160 Lec. MWF 9:10 - 10:00 a.m.

Ocean/Bngl. 713 Gonzales 76161 TR 11:00 - 12:30 pm Mission/Rm. 217 Graham Introduction to modern mass communication, with an emphasis on development of news media, analysis of the credibility of the media and its impact on daily life. CSU/UC/CAN

Jour 21: News Writing and Reporting 3.0 units

76162 Lec. MWF 10:10 - 11:00 a.m.

Ocean/Bngl. 713 Gonzales 76163 MWF 11:10 - 12:00 p.m.

Mission Campus/Rm. 217 Staff Techniques of newspaper reporting, developing and writing and a news story, training in information gathering and interviewing sources. CSU/CAN

Jour 22: Feature Writing 3.0 units

75929 Lec. TR 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.

Mission Campus/Rm. 217 Graham 72111 R 6:30 - 9:20 p.m.

Mission Campus/Rm. 218 Rochmis Fundamentals in feature writing for magazines and newspapers with special emphasis on profile and interpretive news features. Practical experience in interview and in-depth research techniques. Training in how to write a freelance story for publication. CSU

Jour 23: Electronic Copy Editing 3.0 units

72311 Lec. W 6:30 - 9:20 p.m.

Mission Campus/Rm. 218 Rochmis This course is for writers, working editors, and those considering a career in editing or copyediting. Students learn to edit newspapers, magazines and web site articles for accuracy, style and organization. The writer-editor relationship, and ways to keep it healthy, is emphasized throughout the course. CSU

Jour 25: Editorial Management 3.0 units

76164 L/L MWF 12:10 - 1:00 p.m.

Ocean/Bngl. 615 Gonzales An advanced journalism course that trains prospective print editors on all aspects of operating a publication, such as developing a publishing schedule, creating story assignments, coordinating a writing staff, designing a page, writing headlines and cutlines, sizing photographs, understanding the business side of print journalism, and working with other editors and printers. CSU

Jour 26: Fundamentals of Public Relations 3.0 units

74606 Lec. W 6:30-9:20 p.m.

Mission Campus/Rm. 217 Staff Prepares students to create an effective public relations campaign which includes writing media releases, “pitch” letters, public service announcements, managing media outlets, coordinating mailings and designing leaflets and posters, as well as setting up news conferences. Special attention given to in-house public relations duties for corporate and non-profit entities.

Jour 29: Magazine Editing & Production 3.0 units

75930 L/L T 6:30 - 8:20 p.m.

Mission Campus/Rm. 217 Graham Students will study the editorial, business, graphic, and production skills required for publishing a campus magazine. Course is appropriate for students interested in creative writing, graphic and fine arts, photography, business, and journalism. CSU

Jour 31: Internship Experience 2.0 units

72312 Exp HOURS ARR Ocean/Bngl 615 Gonzales Supervised on-campus or off-campus employment in a branch of journalism or a closely allied field to which the student shows him/her self to be best adapted. CSU

Jour 35: Internet Journalism 3.0 units

Rochmis 75931 Lec. T 6:30 - 9:20 p.m.

Mission Campus/Rm. 218 Internet Journalism focuses on three topic areas: examination of the role of the online journalist, web publishing, and using the Internet for investigative purposes. CSU

Jour 36: Advanced Reporting 3.0 units

75932 Lec. M 6:30 - 9:20 p.m.

Mission Campus/Rm. 217 Gonzales The course introduces advanced concepts of news gathering, interviewing and writing with an emphasis on investigative reporting. Extensive research, interviewing, meeting coverage and writing involved. Students will improve and expand their news-gathering and writing skills. CSU

Jour 37: Intro to Photojournalism 3.0 units

75933 Lec. TR 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.

Ocean/Bngl. 615 Lifland 72310 W 6:30 - 9:20 p.m.

Mission/Rm. 217 Lifland Emphasis on concepts of news and feature photography. Must have an SLR camera. Digital SLR preferred. Most assignments involve taking pictures of people, telling stories and conveying information. CSU

Jour 38: Intermediate Photojournalism 3.0 Units

74608 Lec. R 6:30 - 9:20 p.m.

Mission/Rm. 217 Lifland Emphasizes concepts of photojournalism at an intermediate level. Assignments will involve photographing people and visual storytelling at a professional entry-level appropriate for use in publications such as newspapers and magazines. Emphasizes integration of traditional photojournalism with new media technology reflecting current professional trends in photojournalism. Digital SLR required. CSU

Questions? Call Juan Gonzales at 415-239-3446

Where have all our graduates gone?

Jennifer Balderama Book Editor New York Times

Tim Ball

Designer Washington Post

Johnny Brannan

News Writer Honolulu Advertiser

Tim Brown

Reporter New York Times

Colleen Cummins Photographer The Appeal Democrat

Alex K. Fong

Deputy Design Director San Jose Mercury News

Mario Fortson Page Designer San Francisco Examiner

Glenn Gullmes

Publisher West Portal Monthly

Cheryl Jennings News Anchor KGO-7 News

Paul Kozakizwic

Publisher Richmond Review and Sunset Beacon

Orlando Molina

Sports Writer Contra Costa Times

Alex Mullaney

Publisher The Ingleside Light

Rob Nagle

Page Designer San Francisco Examiner

Jim Powell

Copy Editor Los Angeles Times

Lubna Takruri Copy Editor Associated Press

Dan Verel

Reporter North Bay Business Journal

THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAY 7 - MAY 23, 2014 | 7

culture Blast from the past, The Guardsman history

By Alex Lamp

@sfbreakingnews alamp@theguardsman.com

The Guardsman

The Guardsman, City College’s award-winning newspaper has evolved and transcended despite some rough times during the last 75 years.

The journalism department is currently experiencing a decrease in enrollment as a result of the college being threatened with the possible loss of its accreditation.

The publication is seeking passionate students who believe in the future of the community and want to carry on the tradition of reflecting the growth of the college, San Francisco and the nation.

“The Guardsman has come a long way since the early days.

It certainly is more focused on trying to grapple with real issues in the college,” The Guardsman faculty adviser and Journalism Department Chair Juan Gonzales said. “For the most part, it is more interesting, with a greater variety of stories.”

Historical Relevance

After reviewing The Guardsman’s entire archive and speaking to those who have cultivated its current incarnation, it is evident that the newspaper has almost always attempted to meet student needs.

Monday, Aug. 26, 1935, marked the birth of The Junior College of San Francisco’s first ever news publication. The paper was titled Emanon, or “no name” spelled backward, and was a bi-weekly publication.

J.O. Goodell was the first adviser for the campus newspaper, which was published by the Associated Students. The Emanon name was short-lived.

After two issues, the first issue of The Guardsman published on Sept.

13, 1935.

“During 1935 and 1936, The Guardsman office was located at Galileo High School, until the Science Hall was built,” Christopher Kox, coordinator of the library archives, said as he rummaged through aged files and catalogues, searching for tidbits about The Guardsman history.

Goodell was an advisor to the paper for nine years. He resigned in 1944 and was replaced by Joan Nourse Muscio.

The journalism department was featured in City College’s catalog for the first time in 1947, but Muscio was not hired by City College until a year later.

When Muscio took over The Guardsman, she made it a fourpage weekly newspaper until the fall of 1948.

“Back then, a lot of students working for the newspaper ended up getting jobs working at the Chronicle and the Examiner,” Gonzales said.

Tom Graham was one of those City College students. A former editor-in-chief at The Guardsman, Graham later worked at

the San Francisco Chronicle. He is now a City College instructor and is the faculty advisor of City College’s Etc. Magazine, as well as the adviser for the newspaper at College of Marin.

Other notable alumni from

black-and-white layout.

From the 1990s and into the 2000s, The Guardsman went through a stage of modernization.

“The Guardsman went under its renaissance when it first launched its website,” Joe Fitzger-

The Luthis turned over the website to Greg Zeman, who Fitzgerald said “was a half insane, totally intelligent Jewish guy with a big old beard and a big gold Star of David that he would wear around like Flava-Flav. He gave

A collage of four Guardsman newspapers dating back from 1964 to 1967. Illustration by Santiago Mejia/ The Guardsman

The Guardsman include retired, award-winning sports writer for the Oakland Tribune Nick Peters and ABC News anchor Cheryl Jennings.

Starting in September 1964, The Guardsman featured stories about the “Big Six” Student Council cabinet, an article featuring drama, music and journalism, and an article written to incoming freshmen about campus life at City College.

For the next three years, these articles were formatted in exactly the same way in select issues with the same headlines, bylines removed and different student officer profiles, excluding the up-to-date sports sections and new student officers.

“My theory is that it was Joan Nourse doing it,” Kox said. “She used something called a boilerplate. You come in at the beginning of the semester with a bunch of new students who are working for the paper, and say, ‘Here we got this news all ready to go. Paste it up and send it out there. It will get us started.’”

New leadership

Muscio resigned in 1968 and after several more faculty advisers Gonzales, a Stockton native, took over as the newspaper adviser Spring 1985.

He felt the need for a change.

The paper had to be more of interest of the community with stories covering issues related to the readers.

After keeping the traditional broadsheet for a few issues, Gonzales changed to a tabloid format. As a result, the paper became easier to hold and issues fit better on newsstands, making distribution easier.

The size of the paper was not the only major change Gonzales introduced. The use of color ink began to appear in the 1990s, breaking up the monotony of the

ald, past editor-in-chief of The Guardsman and Bay Guardian staff writer, said.

The website was launched in 2008 by designer/editors Alex and Jessica Luthi, who were husband and wife.

“They really nurtured The Guardsman,” Fitzgerald said.

The Guardsman an alternative indie feel.”

Fitzgerald said the website gave The Guardsman a new mentality.

Before the website, students were competing with each other to appear in print.

“The website gave the students

ownership. They were able to publish things on their own and the paper became a dynasty of friends,” Fitzgerald said.

The website serves a different purpose than the newspaper.

Students who attend the college more often read the paper.

People who read the website often do not attend City College, but have some connection to it. They may be family of students, friends or alumni of the college.

Now that The Guardsman is paired up with the website, there is an entirely new frontier to be explored. Both the website and the paper are equally important in the Internet age.

“I think the paper always needs to be an equal component to the website,” Fitzgerald said.

“They need to compliment each other because they serve different functions.”

The Guardsman has maintained its relevance in times of both social and technological changes.

Today’s students not only have to put out a newspaper every two weeks, but they also have to update the website, use social media and distribute the paper efficiently to its audience.

It is going to take the hard work and determination of The Guardsman and its staff to continue to provide college news by students for students.

8 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAY 7 - MAY 23, 2014

culture

Have Your Say: What are your plans for the summer vacation?

Movie Review: “Million Dollar Arm”

Feel good sports movie leaves no underdog cliché unturned

Rachel, 24 Psychology “Working a summer school program here in San Francisco.”

Steven Lockito, 19 Mechanical Engineering

Jon Hamm as J.B. Bernstein in Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm.” Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

“I’m probably going to take summer classes. Then a vacation in Indonesia to visit my parents, some family and friends, and maybe find some work.”

By Gina Scialabba

@ gina_journalist gscialabba@theguardsman.com

The Guardsman

Grace Lee, 22 Media Art “I’m visiting Korea for a vacation, including family out there and some friends.

Maybe spend about three months in Korea.”

Alexandria Shvailikova, 30 Music “This summer I will take some classes, English 96, maybe go see the Grand Canyon and go to San Diego.”

Willson Mateo, 19 Computer Sciemce “Well, I’m going back to Guatemala, and just visit family. Hang with friends, that’s pretty much it.”

“Million Dollar Arm” might better have been titled “Jerry Maguire Goes to India.” It’s based on the true story of the first major league Indian baseball pitchers and their greedy sports agent.

Picture it. A desperate sports agent, J.B. Bernstein, played by Don Draper, I mean Jon Hamm, (easy to make that mistake) goes looking for new talent and a new way to bankroll his expensive lifestyle after failing to land a contract with a high profile NFL football player. J.B. and his partner Aash (Aasif Mandvi) are about to go bankrupt.

Enter the Indian cricket players.

J.B., in true “Mad Men” fashion, pitches the idea of holding an “American Idol” baseball talent contest to his investment partner.

The investment partner is predictably one-sided, portrayed as a cold, calculating Japanese businessman driven only by the bottom line.

The contest is called “Million Dollar Arm” and will award $100,000 to an Indian finalist with the potential of a lot more if he is signed to a major league baseball team.

J.B. and his talent scouts go from Jaipur to Kolkata to Bangalore trying to find a couple of athletes talented enough to play professional baseball in the states.

After 37,000 men try out, they finally find javelin thrower Rinku (Suraj Sharma, “Life of Pi”) and laborer Dinesh (Madhur Mittal).

Show me the money!

However, along the way the

desperate sports agent realizes the error of his ways, i.e., greed is wrong, too much money is bad, and his self-absorbed soul needs cleansing.

In true Disney fashion, everyone lives happily ever after.

J.B. becomes a hero, saves his business and finds true love. The boys learn America’s pastime and get professional baseball contracts.

And Disney, well, they make a lot of money in the process.

Did I just spoil the entire movie for you? Hardly. Sports movies, particularly underdog sports movies, follow a similar trajectory.

As a surface-level sports tale, this movie follows that typical underdog formula.

But Walt Disney Studios epically fails here when it comes to their treatment of the Indian culture.

They had a chance to showcase ethnic-related problems and issues in the US from a South Asian perspective, but instead they merely perpetuate stereotypes.

Based on a true story, these talented young ballplayers grew up in extreme poverty that most of us cannot even imagine.

Rinku was one of nine children in the small village of Bhadohi. They all lived in the family’s one-room house.

Dinesh’s parents left him to be raised by his maternal grandmother because they couldn’t afford the added expense of another child.

When J.B. travels to exotic locations in India, we only see the picturesque.

Like a travel documentary, the camera pans to the Taj Mahal or young children frolicking merrily in the streets.

Director Craig Gillespie left

out a few facts in the film. The number of poor people in India, according to the country’s Eleventh National Development Plan, amounts to more than 300 million.

Mumbai, for example, is home to 22 million people, and over 70% live in slums.

Those people have limited access to electricity, clean water, food and educational opportunities.

However, Gillespie simply makes vague overtures and a tepid attempt at portraying the boy’s villages, complete with expertly cooked home-cooked meals and a welcoming parade with elephants.

“Million Dollar Arm” doesn’t show a complete picture of India or Indians. You see a mere slice.

The movie shows some poverty, and it shows a lot of wealth.

There is no in-between.

Instead the movie becomes a Bollywood baseball fantasy camp, complete with cultural assimilation jokes—the Indian village boys have never been in an elevator.

Really? There aren’t any elevators in India? What a knee-slapper.

The movie is also excessively sentimental and lacks the addition of anything new or creative to the sports movie genre.

However, “Million Dollar Arm” does score points for excellent cinematography.

Should you go?

It depends on what you are looking for—a feel-good movie?

Knock yourself out.

A critical look at the exploitation of ethnic minorities in the business of sports and sports management? Don’t bother.

If you go...

Photos by Khaled Sayed. Reporting by Daniel Galloway.

Running Time: 123 Minutes

Genre:

Sports Drama

Release Date: May 16, 2014

MPAA Rating: PG

Directed by: Craig Gillespie

Stars:

Jon Hamm

Suraj Sharma

Madhur Mittal

THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAY 7 - MAY 23, 2014 | 9

Affirmative action may hinder journey to equality

By Samantha Dennis @sfbreakingnews sdennis@theguardsman.com

The Guardsman

We have all been brought up with the notion that we should treat everyone equally regardless of the race or ethnicity of the person. It has been embedded in our brains that everyone deserves the same opportunities to achieve one’s goals and aspirations.

This is why many have caused an uproar when the topic of affirmative action is discussed. If we are brought up to treat everyone equally, why would we give more of a chance for a minority to be accepted into a college than someone outside of a minority?

Recently, the Supreme Court backed a Michigan constitutional amendment that put a ban on affirmative action in Michigan’s public universities. The court’s decision has received mixed reviews.

Affirmative action was first put into place as a way to bring more diversity to college campuses, which I agree is a good thing.

But, the basis of my argument is that by allowing minorities a better chance at being accepted, we are being unfair to the students who have worked hard and are part of the majority.

It’s almost as if we really can’t

win. We try to do something to help minorities, but at the same time we are not treating people of the majority equally.

Diversity on a college campus would seem to benefit the campus indefinitely, but this doesn’t allow for students to be treated unequally. Granted, a school would benefit from this, but it doesn’t mean that you can alter the admission process solely based on the appli-

We ourselves have to think and act in a way that is equal to all.

cant’s race or ethnicity.

By allowing affirmative action, race-based resentment will start to occur. People of the majority will begin to resent the minority and this will cause a larger problem than ever before.

Understanding that minorities have historically been oppressed, we can’t help the problem of equality by continuously trying to solve the problem with unequal acts.

In order for us to have a system that works equally, we ourselves have to think and act in a way that is equal to all. We have to push for more laws and regulations to push for equality. We have to stand up for our beliefs, even if our beliefs are a minority view.

A large problem with such topics is that some people feel as if their voice won’t make a difference and that in itself is a problem.

If everyone felt that their voice wouldn’t make a difference, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

Imagine if everyone took a small amount of time out of their busy lives to do little things such as vote.

Voting is a right that all Americans are given, yet there are some that choose not to take advantage of that opportunity. There are those that use the excuse of not being informed of the topics addressed, but this is a horrible excuse.

With countless ways of informing yourself, there is no excuse why you are not aware of the topics discussed in each and every proposed local and state proposition.

Take the time to logout of Facebook and read a newspaper like you are doing now. Inform yourself about world events. Our generation is a vital factor for the years to come.

REALIZE YOUR DREAM AT MILLS COLLEGE.

Mills offers talented women who want an exceptional and personal education the ability to: • Get the classes you need to graduate on time.

• Earn merit scholarships totaling up to $20,000.

• Transfer with no minimum number of credits.

• Transfer without completing your GE requirements.

VISIT PROGRAM: May 8 • 5:30–7:30 pm Learn about our programs, meet our students, and tour our campus. There’s still time to apply for fall 2014.

MAKING THE WORLD MORE . . .

Oakland, CA admission@mills.edu www.mills.edu/transfer RESERVE YOUR SPACE AT WWW.MILLS.EDU/VISITPROGRAMS.

opinion

Future of middle class looks bleak

By Alex Reyes

@reyesanfrancisco areyes@theguardsman.com

The Guardsman

April 23, 2014, should have been considered a day of infamy in the United States, but it wasn’t.

That is to our detriment.

The American people were not attacked militarily by another country on April 23, as we were in Hawaii on December 7, 1941.

But we learned in April that the late, great middle class in the United States is no longer the wealthiest on earth.

The news of our middle class’s giant step backward appeared in the form of a New York Times article titled “The American middle class is no longer the world’s richest.”

Based on an analysis of income data compiled by LIS Cross-National Data Center, an organization that houses “harmonised (sic) microdata from high- and middle-income countries around the world,” the Times reported that “While the wealthiest Americans are outpacing many of their global peers, … across the lower- and middle-income tiers, citizens of other advanced countries have received considerably larger raises over the last three decades.”

The total income of the American middle class is now behind those who live in Canada, with the middle classes in the Netherlands and Norway close behind.

The plunge in the American middle class’s fortunes occurred most dramatically since 2000, and most tellingly since the great 2007-2008 financial collapse.

Although even America’s upper crust suffered as a result of their own class’s latest greeddriven recession, they have rebounded nicely in the years since then.

The great expansion of the American middle class began after World War II, as both American business and government increased in size.

That strengthening of the American economy lasted into the 1970s, when energy crises and Big American Business’s movement of manufacturing jobs away from the United States signaled the beginning of a shift away from the seemingly everrising quality of life in America.

Our middle class has been

under attack ever since. The labor unions that brought high wages and humane working conditions to the masses have withered, along with the American “workingman’s wage” and benefits.

Although we live in a time when the gap between the haves and have-nots in our society has never been greater, the American people seem resigned to living with the economic status quo, no matter how hard they must struggle to survive.

The New York Times sent two reporters to Canada after their April 23 story to see how the Canadian middle class gets by.

They interviewed two Canadians who spoke eloquently about middle class life in 21st century North America.

“When you have a family to raise and you are middle class, you are on a treadmill,” the Times quoted Deborrah Mustachi as saying, whom they described as a 52-year-old educational assistant for the Catholic school board in Markham, a Toronto suburb. “It’s very difficult to save when you have to live for today.”

Another Torontonian named Terence posted a comment on “The New York Times goes to Canada” story that gets at why too many Americans seem unwilling to tackle the foundations of our nation’s economic inequality. “ … the United States, throughout its history, promoted the rights of the individual over collective rights,” Terence wrote.

“In Canada, we do the opposite, which is why, for example, I for one have never heard any other Canadian resent that everyone has health care. … Moreover, your political system, with its imperial presidencies, is rife with corruption. … “ Our political system is not the only American institution that “we, the people” view with disdain.

The great American social spirit has been shredded, too, by decades of attacks on any and all social programs that attempt to promote the “general Welfare.”

Such attacks have successfully shredded our social fabric and the well being of our late, great middle class.

May City College students go forth and help create a more equitable and humane American society.

10 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAY 7 - MAY 23, 2014

opinion

Donald Sterling’s punishment will not solve issues of racism

By Patrick Tamayo

@sfbreakingnews ptamayo@theguardsman.com

The Guardsman

We live in a racist world.

Sure, it would be great to be able to live in harmony among other humans, but how exactly can we accomplish this?

It will be 50 years ago this July that our beloved United States outlawed segregated water fountains.

Given that just 50 years ago, a person of color could not drink from the same water fountain as a white person, how could anyone expect the ignorance of our recent history to simply disappear?

We’ve had the recent news of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling shoved down our throats by the media over the last few weeks.

He told his 31-year-old girlfriend, a distinction her and her lawyers deny, that he did not want her bringing black people to the Clippers’ games, and questioned why she had to post pictures with them on social media. He did, however, give her his blessing in engaging in sexual relationships with them if she desired.

His comments, recorded in private by his girlfriend or platonic friend have gotten him banished

for life from the NBA and earned him a $2.5 million fine, the highest fine possible by the NBA. Sterling operates within a corporation that felt they had to act swiftly in rendering a punishment for the 80-year-old’s remarks.

Other than actually not being able to have anything to do with the basketball team that he’s owned since 1981, and paying a minimal fine—for a person with so much money—forcing him to sell his team shouldn’t really be considered punishment.

Considering Sterling paid a mere $12.5 million for the team, he would stand to make an estimated $500 million by being forced to sell the team. And that’s a low estimate.

With all the things happening around us and around the world, this is the incident that makes rappers and actors take time out of their days to express disgust.

Even though Sterling has allegedly been expressing his feelings regardless of who was around, the fact that he was recorded saying it makes it really wrong. As opposed to just kind of wrong because, well, I don’t know why, if there is no recording there is no proof?

Sterling’s allegations are as bad as they sound, but before the recordings they weren’t repugnant enough for the NAACP, who were

set on presenting Sterling with a second lifetime achievement award, after presenting him with one in 2009, as well. Sterling was set to have received the award this month.

The award was rescinded by the group, but the president of the NAACP’s Los Angeles chapter did resign for his involvement with Sterling.

Who cares that the president originally said there would be a time for the NAACP and Sterling to “try to work out how and why he did what he did and what is he going to do in the future.”

So now most of Sterling’s money is no good and organizations have made the decision to give back donations.

Ridiculously, it was OK for them to take money even though there were lawsuits and settlements regarding Sterling refusing to rent property to African Americans, Koreans and families with kids, as well as his being accused of “discriminatory statements and housing practices.”

People can now rejoice and sleep well at night knowing that an old billionaire will no longer be able to run his sports team or even watch them, or any other NBA team, considering the ban covers all games.

Now what? We have not been

cured of racism. Ignorance is alive and well, and making Sterling sell his team will result in a billionaire being punished by the most severe of penalties because of the NBA’s swift actions, but he’ll walk away richer and will still have his point of view.

Yes, there is now one less racist running an organization that depends on a high percentage of African-Americans to generate its revenue, not to mention the countless other minorities who are required to ensure the arena and team operates to its full potential.

The man is 80, allegedly has cancer and the regret of being recorded while discussing, or fighting, depending on which

reports you read, the actions of his lady friend may be too much for him to bare.

Racism is not going to go away anytime soon. Our overpopulated prison system is the epitome of racism, the country’s forefathers owned slaves and minorities were treated as a different class of people until just recently. 50 years is not that long ago in the big scheme of things.

While Sterling may very well be deserving of the consequences of his stupidity, as optimistic as we as a society should be, we cannot expect to live in a nonracial world, considering the history of racism not just in the United States but throughout the globe.

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

Corrections: Find a mistake?

Let us know!

Email:

THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | MAY 7 - MAY 23, 2014 | 11

sports

Football training

Rams trying to get back to winning ways

By Patrick Cochran

@sfbreakingnews pcochran@theguardsman.com

The Guardsman

After finishing the 2013 football season 8-3, the City College Rams are working harder than ever to complete the 2014 season undefeated and add another state championship to head coach George Rush’s resume.

The Rams began weightlifting as team in mid-January, and by early March, the team had hit the field.

New Quarterback

There are a plethora of questions about this squad, beginning with who will replace star quarterback Turner Baty.

Baty had a great 2013 season, throwing for 3,120 yards and 30 touchdowns. He will continue his college career at UC Davis, and the Rams need somebody to step up and fill the important position.

The top two competitors for the quarterback position are sophomore Anthony Rodriguez, a tall, lean, sophomore quarterback from Stockton, and redshirt freshman Jeremiah Peralta, a local player from San Bruno.

Rodriguez has the lead right now due to his experience, and head coach George Rush was impressed by Rodriguez’s skills and intangibles.

“Anthony has great pocket presence,” Rush said. “He is a very intelligent player and is able to handle the pressure in the pocket.”

Whoever coach Rush ends up deciding to start at quarterback, he wants to make that decision

by the beginning of fall training camp so the team has time to adjust to the new starter.

Despite the competition between the two for the allimportant job, Rodriguez and Peralta are close.

“We are like dance partners,” Peralta said.

Rodriguez agrees.

“We are friends on and off the field,” he said.

During the Rams’ May 2 practice, both quarterbacks were working while the team practiced plays.

Rodriguez had one pass in particular that was very impressive.

With the defense rushing toward him, Rodriguez dropped back in the pocket and without his feet set, winged a pass 40 yards downfield to wide receiver Matt Hughson that landed right in his hands while he was in mid-stride.

The Rams will need plays like that if they want to be undefeated.

“A bowl game isn’t enough for City College,” Rodriguez said.

Rams offensive coordinator Dan Hayes, who also serves as City College’s athletic department chair, said the team is bringing in many good players.

“There are a bunch of players we are excited about,” Hayes said.

“We bring in some of the best players in the city and the Bay Area.”

Hayes doesn’t believe City College’s accreditation problems are affecting the caliber of player the program is attracting.

“When players come here, they come because they believe in our football program, and our great history,” Hayes said.

The City College football team forms at the line of scrimmage during practice, Saturday, April 19, 2014. Photo by Elisa Parrino/The Guardsman

“Even though the (accreditation) process is negative we make sure when we meet concerned student athletes and their families, (we) let them know we are confident that we will beat this and get this accreditation.”

Defense

The best returning player on the defensive side of the ball is safety Shalom Luani.

As a freshman last season, Luani made numerous big plays on the field, both in coverage and in the backfield.

He’s type of player who can

City College instructor takes 2nd in judo competition

By Ivan Huang

@sfbreakingnews ihuang@theguardsman.com

The Guardsman

From teaching students about extraterrestrial matters in a classroom to throwing his judo competitors on the mat so they can see the stars, City College’s Astronomy Department Chair Lancelot Kao covers it all.

Kao medaled in the 2014 Senior National Championships, held in Reno, Nev. on May 3-4 and took home a second place medal in the 73 kg weight class.

Competing in the Masters division which is in the 45-50 age group, Kao was trained and coached by City College Judo Instructor, Sensei Mitchell Palacio for this event.

Kao wasn’t confident that he would take home any medals coming into the tournament.

“I’m just being realistic,” Kao

City College’s Astronomy Department Chair Lancealot Kao, bottom, reacts as he’s put into an armbar during judo practice at the Ocean campus Wellness Center, Tuesday, April 29, 2014. Photo By Elisa Parrino The Guardsman

said in an interview with The Guardsman prior to the event.

“I’ve practiced for two to three years and I’m competing in the Masters category. The people in the Master’s category have been competing in judo for many years. I’m not expecting to win any medals, but I’m doing it just for the experience.”

Kao put in a great effort to take home second place, but he believes the martial art contains many different values, which is more important than the results of the event.

“As a sport itself, (judo) has a very good philosophical tradition in training, which not only includes physical activities but

record a defensive touchdown, interception and sack all in the same game, Luani will most likely end up playing Division I football.

“We are working so hard this spring. Winning the state championship is our main goal, and to do that we have been working hard to make improvements,” Luani said.

“On both offense and defense, we are adding some new stuff, others just different looks. This season we just have do it right this time.”

The Rams know a bowl game will not serve as a fitting finale for the upcoming season.

also the outlook of philosophy,” Kao said. “The basic thing about judo is learning how to fall, and it’s very practical.”

Born in Hong Kong, Kao immigrated to the United States in the 1980s. Kao attended City College and then transferred to UC Berkeley for an undergraduate degree in physics and astronomy.

He completed his doctorate in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Chicago.

He joined the City College astronomy department in 1997.

Kao discovered his interest in judo three years ago when a few of his students introduced him to City College’s judo program, which is lead by Palacio.

“I didn’t think I wanted to do judo,” Kao said. “Some of my students really dragged me.”

Kao praised the vibe and atmosphere of City’s judo program and emphasized how beginnerfriendly the program is.

“A few things I think are unique about this program is the people around the students,” Kao said. “It is different from other traditional martial arts places, where it’s like a macho type of thing. Here you really just learn the sport, not just the physical skills but you learn about the sport itself.”

A state championship and quite possibly the National Junior College Championship are the team’s only goals.

If they want to do that, they will most likely need to go undefeated during the 2014 season, and to be undefeated they need to work as hard as possible today.

“You play to win, don’t play to come in second place,” Rush said.

“Doesn’t mean you don’t have a great experience, but you play to win.”

Sports brief

Delon Wright turns down NBA draft As the deadline for entering the NBA Draft expired on April 27, former Rams basketball star Delon Wright decided to pass on entering this year’s NBA draft which is held on June 26.

Wright’s decision to stay at the University of Utah for the 2014-2015 season was made with his future career in the NBA in mind.

“I wanted to finish working on my game because I want to be ready to make an impact my first year (in the NBA),” Wright said.

Appeasing many of his critics by staying in school, Wright’s decision to stay will give him another shot at leading his team to the NCAA tournament and perhaps raise his draft stock for the 2015 draft. (Ivan Huang)