The Guardsman, Vol 177, Issue 3, City College of San Francisco
A Record Number of 475 CCSF Graduates Cross the Stage at Annual Commencement
City College Sophomore graduating class march onto the field at George M. Rush Stadium for the Commencement Ceremony in San Francisco on May 23, 2024. Bob Kinoshita/The Guardsman.
Under a bright sunny sky and a mild sea breeze, some 4,000 family and friends witnessed the procession of 475 City College graduates during the 2024 Commencement on May 23 at George M. Rush Stadium.
At the 11 a.m. start time, administrators and faculty led the opening procession. San Francisco Mayor London Breed who was in the stands to attend the graduation of her daughter later joined the commencement stage to greet the graduates.
Commencement continued on page 2
Student Success Center to open May 2025
By Isaac Ortiz isaacortiz117@gmail.com
City College’s $113 million Student Success Center will house 30 different student services that were previously spread across different parts of the campus.
With construction hastily moving along since August 2023, Project Director Alberto Vasquez said, “We are scheduled to be completed by May of 2025 and moving services thereafter.”
According to City College’s website, the Student Success Center would include up to 30 different services, such as academic counseling, tutoring, career center, and transfer center.
Vasquez elaborated saying, “There'll be a Korean transfer, disability services, and a welcome center.”
He added that having all the services in one building would make it easier for students to use as a “one stop shop.”
On its website, Gensler, the architecture firm in charge of the project stated that “City College of San Francisco is building a new Student Success Center designed to boost enrollment and completion.”
Without any serious remodeling of the campus since 1970 the Ocean Campus was long overdue for a makeover.
San Francisco Pro-Palestinian Rally Demands Accountability for Fallen Journalists in Gaza
By Gracia Hernandez Rovelo Ghern140@mail.ccsf.edu ghernandez-rovelo@theguardsman.com
Arecent family-friendly vigil and procession took place in front of the Ferry Building in San Francisco honoring an estimated 140 journalists and media workers who
have been killed in Palestine since October 7. The day also marked two years since PalestinianAmerican journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli military sniper.
Sunny skies and warm weather bathed the Embarcadero Boulevard as people began gathering around 3:30 p.m. They prepared their banners and signs, each bearing the
A procession was led by a coffin adorned with a press vest and helmet, representing the 141 journalists killed in Gaza on May 11, 2024. Photo by Gracia Hernandez Rovelo/The Guardsman.
Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Seamus Geoghegan
News Editor
Gracia Rovelo-Hernandez
Photo Editor
Don Collier
Sports Editor James Wavro
Illustration Editor
Eduardo Morales
Calendar Editor
Julia Chong
Writers
Ellen Yoshitsugu
Imani C Davis
Jeremy Zhu
Jenna Lacome
Elena Chiaruttini
Christa Fernandez
Willy Noumo Stephane
Kate Malch
Julia Chong
Mateo Valdez
Photographers
Bob Kinoshita
Emilio Lopez-Molina
Mateo Valdez
Elena Chiaruttini
Don Collier
Illustrators
Cindy Chan
Sarah Clayson
Jess Oledan
Eduardo Morales
Layout Editors
Cindy Chan
Linda Liu
Sebastien Thugnet
JohnTaylor Wildfeuer
Xiaoyi Yu
Tech
James Fanucchi
Advisor Juan Gonzales
Keynote speaker George Rush, former long-time Rams football coach with a record setting winning record, spoke of the long tradition of the college in building leaders and team players who demonstrate a willingness to help others.
“Football is really a good metaphor in so many ways in what follows us in life like teamwork, selflessness, understanding one’s role, work ethic, commitment, performing under pressure, loyalty, and believing in oneself.”
He added: “And, yes, let us not forget that morals, ethics, and character are not only critical, both they are also essential.”
On a personal note, Rush praised City College for all his accomplishments in life.
“City College has always been a college of second chance and opportunity. In my case, it gave me a second chance to redeem myself academically that changed my life. It also gave me the opportunity to coach.”
What followed was the two-hour bestowing of degrees that included a degree presentation to City College’s mascot Rocky the Ram and the public unveiling of the student who has taken on this role for some four years — Guardsman staff photographer Fran Smith. The unveiling drew a resounding reaction from the graduates.
Additionally, when six graduates walked across the stage with their child also served as a touching moment of the 2024 Commencement.
Following the ceremony, renown City College mascot Rocky the Ram was called to the stage and was surprised with a Certificate of Appreciation for years of service. At that moment, Rocky shed a few tears as the graduates cheered “Rocky, Rocky, Rocky,” followed by a thunderous applause for their beloved mascot.
As noted during the ceremonies when students were asked to stand to show what they represented, many of the were the first in their family to graduate from college and who worked while attending the college. Also, at least 100 of the graduates were immigrants. In the end, the graduates, upon command, rose from their seats then followed the tradition of moving their hood tassels from the right to left — a symbiotic gesture that now they were truly graduates of City College. This year’s commencement, according to City College officials, was one of the largest to date.
City College journalism graduates (L – R) James Anthony Fanucchi and Franchon Lee Smith aka Rocky celebrate with head of the Journalism Department, Juan Gonzales in San Francisco on May 23, 2024. Bob Kinoshita/The Guardsman.
Rocky (Franchon Smith) receives Certificate of Appreciation from Board of Trustees President Alan Wong, M.A. at the George M. Rush Stadium on May 23, 2024. The award read in part, recognition for exceptional dedication, school spirit, and outstanding performance as Rocky the Ram. Commitment to engaging with the community and spreading joy at various events, including the San Francisco Pride Parade, Welcome Back Day and Unity Day. Bob Kinoshita/The Guardsman.
The 2024 graduates of City College celebrate as they leave their seats at the George M. Rush Stadium on May 23, 2024. Bob Kinoshita/The Guardsman.
Success Center continued from page 1
Gensler’s mockup on their website of the Student Success Center depicts a glass panel building with some wood sidings to adorn the building, soft lighting inside, and an outdoor patio on the second floor with an active student body.
The disability center when asked about their move to the Student Success Center a Disability Center staffer said, “We appreciate being moved to a more accessible space for our students.”
Staff from academic counseling and student registration were approached to make a comment, but they declined to talk about their move to the Student Success Center.
The mockups also show sustainable plant
life which is in character with the plentiful plant life on the Ocean campus.
Gensler, the leading architecture firm, noted on their website that “Gensler has made a commitment to reduce the carbon emissions on our projects by 2030. A critical step in that process is setting sustainability standards for the products that we specify every day on behalf of our clients.”
XL, the construction company behind the project, also noted on their website about their commitment to staying in compliance. “Guided by CCSF’s shared governance process, planning incorporates input from the college’s varied stakeholders and is utilizing lean methodology. The facility is targeted to be all-electric, LEED Silver, and net zero ready,” it read.
The current construction projects got the greenlight beginning in 2020 following voter approval of Prop A that granted City College $845 million for constructing new buildings Aside from the Student Success Center, two other projects are in the works — the STEAM building and Diego Rivera Performing Arts Center.
City College has had three different variations of Prop A’s passed by voters throughout 2001, 2005, and 2020. What makes prop A from 2020 special is that nearly doubles the amount of money allocated in 2001 and 2005 through bond measures to make necessary facility repairs and allow the college to construct new buildings.
City College hopes to bolster enrollment with the new buildings that accommodate student needs. The college hopes to recover from the devastating drop of student enrollment during the pandemic and threat of accreditation loss in 2012. A 55% drop in headcount from 2012 to present day seems to have the
college backed up in a corner.
A rise in student enrollment was visible when other campuses were built leading up to the peak of enrolled students in the 20112012 school year. Prop A from 2005 funded the building of the Chinatown and Mission campuses.
Before the threat of accreditation loss City College was very strong in headcount with a total of 83,401 students for the 2011-2012 academic year. In 2022-2023, City College had a meager 37,870 students enrolled.
Before the pandemic the college was heading in the right direction to rectify their looming accreditation loss, however through some poor financial and administrative decisions the college may face another threat in the
incoming years by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
The college is addressing some of the problems by constructing and repairing buildings to make an adequate learning environment for alumni and faculty. Many adversities have stood in the way of City College, and they have done the minimum to show their dedication to keep the college accredited.
Gensler’s design has shown what City College’s potential future looks like: vibrant, modern and sustainable. The Bay Area has always been a special pocket for innovation in the industrial and technological boom in the country; it seems that City College is trying to do the same for their students and faculty.
Great Results from Annual Participation of CCSF Journalism Students at JACC State Convention
By Elena Chiaruttini echiarut@mail.ccsf.edu
Five City College journalism students were among the winners of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) State Publication Award for Spring 2024. Every spring, the JACC hosts its annual state convention, an emblematic event for aspiring journalists. This year, the convention was held as part of the ACP Spring National College Media Conference and took place at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla, San Diego, from March 7 to 9, 2024.
Although the Department of Journalism at San Francisco City College was unable to attend the convention, its students still managed to make their mark.
Despite not being physically present, five City College students were recognized for their work through the mail-in contest, in which advisors submitted content and publications for competition ahead of the convention. Among them were both current and former journalism students.
Illustrator Sarah Clayson placed first in Editorial Cartooning and had two honorable mentions in Newspaper Illustration and Magazine Illustration. Last semester’s Opinion Editor Diana Greer placed second in the Opinion Writing category. Writer and Illustrator Tyler Lyn Sorrow placed third for Sports Feature. Staff Writer Jack Gillen placed fourth for Sports Game Story. Bob Kinoshita received an honorable mention in Sports Action Photography.
Etc. Magazine also received the Meritorious Award for Magazine General Excellence, and its staff was awarded fourth place for Design and Layout.
“Awards are always something good to get because [JACC] is a prestigious organization and it highlights the strength of our students to compete and win awards,” said Department
Chair Juan Gonzales. “Whether it’s writing, illustration, photography, or design.”
According to Gonzales, student outcomes at these kind of events not only reflect individual skill but also underscore the effectiveness of the journalism program in nurturing and building those skills.
“Every year, our students are winning awards, and that’s an indication we are doing our job,” Gonzales said. “It’s really satisfying,
I’m happy for them, for our faculty and our program.”
“It’s a nice acknowledgment,” said photographer Bob Kinoshita, who’s not a first-time winner. Kinoshita took some journalism classes and currently freelances for the Guardsman as a photographer. “I got into photography back in 2015, here at campus, I took five classes within the photography department and I learned a lot, especially with Photography 51,
that taught me a lot.”
Gonzales mentioned how these achievements are a feather in the cap of City College itself, for having a program with students who are able to achieve these good results.
Another student who’s not a first-timer of JACC awards is Sarah Clayson, who’s studying biology at City College but is also into illustration. “It’s really satisfying being recognized for my hard work,” she said.
Awards won by The Guardsman staff and journalism department students at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges state convention March 7-9 at La Jolla, CA. June 21, 2024. Photo by Franchon Smith, the Guardsman.
Construction progress on the Student Success Center at Ocean Campus on June 21, 2024.
Photo by Franchon Smith/The Guardsman.
Construction progress on the Student Success Center at Ocean Campus on June 21, 2024. Photo by Franchon Smith/ The Guardsman.
Vigil continued from page 1
names of journalists killed in the conflict.
The crowd was invited to proceed with the procession in solemn silence, mourning their dead, and building solidarity in the Bay Area.
Approximately 100 attendees participated in the procession heading to Rincon Park, under Cupid’s Span. Cars along the boulevard honked in support, and pedestrians gathered to witness the event.
The silence was broken when the names of the dead were read with acoustic music in the background. Speakers also called for accountability and an end to Israeli and U.S. impunity in the deaths of the journalists.
When asked how the role of journalists in conflict zones like Palestine can be better protected, Takruri highlighted a significant lack of solidarity among journalists worldwide, particularly in the West.
“The hardest part of reporting here in Gaza nowadays is that being a journalist means being a target” – Shrouq Aila
“When your colleagues and members of your own industry are being killed for simply daring to report the truth and do their jobs, that should prompt a call to action,” she said.
“There should be outrage and there should be solidarity, but, unfortunately, we are not seeing that and that’s going to only pave the way for more journalists to be killed in Palestine and elsewhere.”
an environment where people feel they can act with impunity, or worse, deliberately target journalists.
“The person who pulled the trigger or gave the order should go to jail and face consequences, just like anyone else who commits a crime,” she said. “I’m a journalist, and I don’t usually do this. But I feel it’s important to hold a vigil, not a protest, to create a space for gathering and grieving colleagues; this is something very close to my heart.”
Near the end of the vigil, the speeches were particularly moving emphasizing the ongoing fight for press freedom, supporting journalists at risk, and working towards a world where journalists can do their jobs without fear of violence and persecution.
and people in Gaza about how they are surviving and recently evacuated from Gaza also sent a message. “My dream is to see a free and independent Palestine, a free country just like other countries in the world,” she said. “It is our duty as journalists to deliver the truth of what is happening to Palestinians, to show the brutality of the Israeli army against the civilian population.”
One of the speakers highlighted the importance to raise our voices, saying, “Today we mourn our dead, but tomorrow we continue to fight for our living.”
Dena Takruri, senior presenter and producer with AJ+ Al Jazeera Media Network, said the unprecedented rate at which Israel is killing Palestinian journalists in Gaza and the West Bank highlights a growing trend of attacks on press freedom.
“More alarming than that is the impunity with which Israel is getting away, and this should be alarming to people everywhere and to journalists everywhere,” Takruri said. “The threat to press freedom in one place is a threat to press freedom everywhere.”
Isabeau Doucet, one of the organizers and a local journalist from San Francisco, described the life of Shireen Abu Akleh, an American citizen and journalist, making her case particularly significant. “As a U.S. citizen, you would think that the government of the United States would be interested in finding out what happened to one of its own citizens,” she said.
Doucet emphasized that the best way to protect journalists is to ensure accountability when they are attacked or killed. She warned that when there are no consequences, it creates
Two journalists from Gaza sent messages that were played during the vigil. The first message was from Shrouq Aila, a 29-year-old journalist and producer whose husband was killed in an Israeli air attack while trying to shield her and their one-year-old daughter.
“The hardest part of reporting here in Gaza nowadays is that being a journalist means being a target,” Aila said. “You will carry the guilt if anything happens to your family or your loved ones just because you are holding a camera or a microphone.”
Lama Jamous, a nine-year-old who has spent the past half year interviewing children
He also shared with the audience that two years after the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, her family has established a foundation to preserve her legacy, which aims to help future journalists globally through scholarships.
According to an Arab News article released on June 12, the Shireen Abu Akleh Foundation will provide 10 scholarships annually for Palestinian and international students.
“We wanted to launch a foundation first to honor Shireen’s legacy and to empower more journalists who want to continue their education in journalism,” said Lina Abu Akleh, niece of Shireen Abu Akleh and the foundation’s co-founder. “Also, for people to remember who Shireen was, to remember her story, and to remember what she stood for as a PalestinianAmerican female journalist.”
“The threat to press freedom in one place is a threat to press freedom everywhere”
– Dena Takruri
People gathered in Harry Bridges Plaza on the afternoon of May 11, 2024 holding signs and banners calling for accountability and an end to Israel and U.S. impunity for the killing of journalists in Gaza. Photo by Gracia Hernandez Rovelo/The Guardsman.
Jennifer Brass, one of the organizers of the event, takes the microphone and invites people to honor the killed journalists and their sacrifices on May 11, 2024. Photo by Gracia Hernandez Rovelo/The Guardsman.
People of all ages participated in a procession led by 141 individuals, each carrying the name of a journalist killed in Gaza on May 11, 2024. Photo by Gracia Hernandez Rovelo/ The Guardsman.
The Challenge of “Poor Things”: Feminist Triumph or Male Version of Female Oppression
By Kate Malch katrina.malch@gmail.com
“Poor Things,” a film by Yorgos Lanthimos, has garnered significant attention. Is it a feminist rebellion or a provocative exploration of male fantasies? Let’s delve into the mysterious depths of this visually striking, odd, and occasionally tense film. (Careful spoilers!)
This film is based on Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel “Poor Things,” a scenario written by Tony McNamara. The main difference between the film and the book is that in the movie, the story is told by Bella Bexter (Emma Stone), while in the text, the narrator is Archibald McCandless (he is Bella’s Bexter husband).
This phantasmagoric film, drawing inspiration from the Victorian era and late 19th century, weaves a tale of oddity and curiosity with a
futuristic twist. At its heart is Bella Bexter (Emma Stone), a character who embodies adventure, immaturity, and a dark past. Her bizarre world is overseen by the peculiar yet attentive Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe).
Dr. Godwin Baxter is a wellknown, weird scientist and doctor who loves cutting people’s bodies, modifying them, or slicing them into tiny pieces. He lives in an old, big mansion in the heart of London. He lives together with his bizarre halfchicken and dog creations, Bella, a maid, and a huge lab in the depths of the house.
Although visually, Bella looks like an adult, a respectable woman, with eyes as blue as the sky and hair as dark as unknown forest paths, which falls to the bottom, but her mind and body are in conflict. The body of a grown woman and the mind of a small child give Bella the
demeanor of a petulant child who does not understand the word “stop” and has an uncertain gait that sometimes resembles a broken doll.
Bella is messy, straightforward, childishly cute, helpless and, at the same time, cruel. As soon as she meets the student Max McCandless (Rami Youssef), whom Godwin invited to his estate to help with his experiment, Bella punches him in the face for no reason at all. However, this is exactly how Bella is admired: naive and crazy at the same time.
The film is generally shot with outrageousness, where Lanthimos combines all possible elementsbright suits of the Victorian style with puffy sleeves, modernist style is traced in skirts with a high waist and mini skirts, characteristic of the prosperous 60s and 70s.
In addition, the film looks like a cartoon, thanks to the shooting. Some scenes have the effect of
developmental progress, and the narcissistic grief-lover Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo). Duncan very quickly seduces Bella (by tickling her private parts), so she breaks out of Godwin's estate and runs off on a road trip with Duncan.
There, Bella's child's brain progresses as much as possible: she gains knowledge about the harshness of the world, the division between rich and poor, pleasures and temptations, and also develops moral qualities. On her way, she meets rather strange and, at the same time, fascinating characters who push her to new searches for herself and her true desires.
Lanthimos is not interested in simple topics; he needs to beat good and evil, as well as morality and obscenity. That's why there's a part in the movie where Bella and Duncan are left on the street with no money, and then Bella meets a woman from a brothel and decides to make some quick money while enjoying sex.
Oddly enough, Bella does not suffer when engaged in prostitution, but she does not get pleasure either, even though she has a great passion for sex. She is acting like a woman who plotting her way to freedom. In general, the film does not speak directly to us, it only quietly reminds us of how much irony, absurdity and strangeness there is in the modern world, and we should not forget about it.
Throughout the film, we watch Bella's evolution: from a naive child to a mature personality. At the beginning of her journey, she never thinks twice before doing something, and towards the end, she makes informed decisions.
Personally, Bella is an example of how a woman could act without the influence and imposed expectations of society. She is the woman that every woman could be: independent, unrestrained, childishly unprotected, and who represents her path to independence from any and all norms of society. However, she has a weakness — a childlike naivety and innocence that people can easily take advantage of.
presence and immersion in the scene due to the use of fish-eye lenses, and the music emphasizes Bella's childlike behavior.
Throughout the film, the viewer may have the impression that all the elements do not fit together at all, but at certain moments, the viewer may catch himself thinking that in fact, everything is logical and in its place.
This film is a combination of childishness, absurdity, abstract symbols, wildness, and extravagance. It looks like a tailored suit, but the sleeve is sewn in the wrong place. The same can be said about Bella, who looks like a grown woman but has a child's mind, behavior, and speech. She can act thoughtlessly emotionally, like a child.
However, she progresses very quickly after two other men appear in her life: the intelligent and serious Max McCandless, whom God invited to his home to record Bella's
Duncan symbolizes excessive unhealthy admiration for Bella and narcissism. Max represents intelligence and true devotion. While Bella is a symbol of the rebirth of a child and mother, female independence from the established norms of society. It is also a symbol of non-conformity and destruction of imposed social norms.
Bella's behavior does not correspond to men's ideas about the woman they dream of — a sex doll who is silent and does not try to gain her independence and self-reliance, while Bella is the maximum other side.
In addition, Bella shows by her example how a woman who is not bound by social norms can and wants. She posits female pleasure, which does not obey any man but only her. In my opinion, the film's vintage cinematography and design help us see the complex world of Bella and women in general.
If you imagine an ideal free woman, then Bella will be 100% her reflection.
Central character Bella Bexter (played by Emma Stone) who embodies adventure, immaturity and a dark past, stands perplexed around her bizarre world. Photo by Atsushi Nishijima.
Head Coach Mary Graber Reflects on and Recaps an Impressive 2024 Season for the Women’s Tennis Team
By Kyra Young kyrayoung@gmail.com
The City College women’s tennis team finished their 2024 season strong, with a perfect 9-0 conference record, an overall record of 12-4 for the season, and went on to play in both the Coast Conference Championships (CCC) and the California Community College Athletic Association’s (3C2A) State Championships.
“We went the furthest we have in years,” Head Coach Mary Graber said regarding the team’s success. The Rams finished the season ranked eighth in the 3C2A’s national ranking of the top 23 teams.
“In comparison to our very new team last year with many first-year players, we had some strong, returning veterans this year to make for some great leaders,” Graber said, and added that this season’s team was composed of six freshmen and four sophomores. “I think the balance made us stronger.”
Starting in February at Chabot College, the Rams continued a nine-game winning streak into March. Their impressive opening to the season placed them at the No. 4 rank by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) for Northern California, where they held that rank for nearly the entire season.
Their non-conference wins against San Diego City and Fresno came with two super tie breakers, with sophomore Christina Ling securing a 10-7 victory in the No. 2 singles against San Diego, and sophomore Ariel Xu’s 10-8 win in the No. 1 singles match.
Graber recalled the games as “two nail biters.”
Graber was quick to point out the leadership of returning sophomores Xu and Ling as a factor.
“Ariel and Christina both had truly standout seasons,” Graber said. “They made for a strong pair to lead the squad. Last year, they went on to win the CCC in doubles together, and Ariel
won in singles. We didn’t get as far this season, but they had those experiences to come in [this season] with.”
Over the past two years, both Xu and Ling have proven themselves as tenacious singles players and established themselves as a solid doubles duo.
In the recent release of the ITA’s 3C2A National Ranking for the top 75 singles players, Xu was ranked No. 8, with 13 victories and only two losses in her singles matches this 2024 season. Ling was ranked at No. 23, with a 10-3 record for her own singles matches.
As a doubles team, Xu and Ling secured five wins and suffered a single loss to Orange Coast College in the third round of the 3C2A State Championships. The duo was ranked at No. 20 in the ITA’s 3C2A Top 50 Doubles.
Graber also spared no words about Xu’s vibrant two years with the Rams. Xu finished her 2024 spring season voted as ITA’s Sophomore Player of the Year — a respectable recognition of her sportsmanship, leadership and time as a student-athlete.
“It’s a strong reflection of Ariel,” Graber said, who added that the nomination comes from the votes of coaches from both Southern and Northern California. “She’s got some schools looking at her… She’ll be practicing with us next season, but she’s aiming to transfer to a fouryear university come fall 2025.”
Graber recalls Xu’s victory in a No. 1 singles match versus No. 1-ranked Nahreen Cheam of American River College as one of her best games of the season. Her lone victory in an otherwise tough loss placed Xu at the No. 1 seed for April’s Coast Conference Championships.
“She played smart and thoughtful tennis that day,” Graber said.
Graber also gave notable recognition to returning sophomore Devon Ponce, who returned to compete after her first season playing in 2022. Ponce, alongside Xu and Ling, made for a solid trio of leaders this season – but dedicating time to tennis alongside Ponce’s job proved itself a challenge.
Ponce also went on to be ranked No. 31 in the 3C2A Top 75 Singles, as well as No. 40 in the Top 50 Doubles alongside freshman partner Linda Geballe.
The tennis team was lucky enough to have three first-year players who Graber fondly refers to as her “lifelong learners” — Geballe, Michelle Lee and Pam Dineva.
“I had two mothers on my team this year – Linda and Michelle Lee. I didn’t have any last year,” Graber recalled. “My three oldest players all have degrees and are working women. I think they were very inspiring for the younger players, and took on a nurturing and supportive role in that way.
“And Linda’s a mother of three kids, taking classes, giving her all at every match… She was everyone’s mother on the team. She was inspiring,” Graber said.
Dineva had a great first season with the Rams, finishing at the No. 73 rank in the Top 75 Singles. The duo of Dineva and Lee ranked at No. 42 in the Top 50 Doubles.
Graber plans to give her players the summer to decompress but hopes for the return of a handful of players next season, with notable mention to Lee, Dineva and Geballe.
Graber also mentioned she likely has one more year herself as head coach.
“This will be my nineteenth year as coach, but thirty-fifth with the school as a whole,” Graber said.
Hired in 1989, Graber carried the Rams as head coach for 15 seasons. She took a break after the birth of her second child, but continued to maintain full-time faculty status until she was asked to return as head coach back in 2022.
At the end of the season, Graber could be found touching up on her game at the National Women’s 50 Hard Courts, hosted at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club in San Diego. Alongside her came her 89-year-old mother.
“She’s my spectator,” Graber said. “It’s a full circle moment to still play and be here with my mom. She’s been by my side since I started playing.”
The team readies for the impending court battle with the customary "go team" gesture. Photo by Don Collier/The Guardsman.
(L – R) Rams tennis stars Ariel Xu and Christina Ling chat during a recent practice session on the college's home court. Photo by Don Collier/The Guardsman.
It was a Year of Sports Honors for CCSF Women; Impressive Play and Coaching Recognized
City College’s women athletes ended their respective seasons on a high note capturing state and conference honors.
Tennis sensation Ariel Xu was named All-American by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) . She ended the season ranked among the state's top 10 to earn the 3C2A ITA All-American honors.
Just last month, Xu was honored by the ITA as the Region I Sophomore Player of the Year .
Xu helped lead City College to a Coast Conference Championship this season and qualified for the State Championships as an individual and in doubles.
This year’s swim team also made a splash. Thanks to their impressive showings at the recent 3C2A State Championships and Coast Conference Championships, a pair of City College swimmers, as well as three relay teams were named to the All-American Community College Swimming Team by the American Swimming Coaches Association.
Phenom Sophia Tran led the way for the program after collecting three individual All-American honors with her results in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:07.47, 6th), 200-yard breaststroke (2:27.46, 6th), and 200-yard individual medley (IM) (2:15.17, 7th).
Lian Mar was also honored in the 100-yard fly after clocking the 14th fastest time in the state at 1:00.81.
The women's 400-yard freestyle relay team of Mar, Sarah Tanabe, Serawit Ezra, and Tran was named to the list of honorees after posting a time of 3:48.71, ranking them 16th.
The 200-yard medley relay of Ezra, Tran, Mar, and Hillary Hong had the 13th best time at 1:55.76. The 400-yard medley relay squad comprised of Ezra, Tran, Mar, and Tanabe swam to the 11th fastest time in the state with 4:12.96 to earn AllAmerican honors.
On the hoop-side, the Rams fell short of capturing a state basketball title, but they were recognized with five All-Coast Conference North Division postseason honors.
Rams Coach Derek Lau was named Coach of the Year and freshman forward Madison Thomas captured Co-Player of the Year.
Thomas was also named to the First Team All-Northern California that also included guard Deonna Mayfield and forward Dedriana Prim.
Also for the Rams, Thomas was a second-team AllNorthern California selection by the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
As for women's soccer, following another impressive season, the Rams were rewarded with an amazing 18 Coast Conference North Division postseason awards as well as a pair of Northern California Regional honors.
Topping the list of CCSF honorees is head coach Jeff Wilson. He was named the Coast Conference North Division Coach of the Year after leading the Rams to a conference title with an unbeaten 10-0-2 record. CCSF wrapped up the 2023 season with a 15-6-2 overall mark and advanced to the third round of the Northern California Regional Playoffs.
Midfielder/forward Amaya Jarzombek was recognized
as the Coast Conference North Division Offensive Player of the Year and honored as the Defensive Player of the Year was defender Arpan Bahia. Rounding out the top honors was forward Paige Pineda Aliamus as the Freshman of the Year.
At the regional level, Bahia was named first-team AllNorthern California, while Jarzombek garnered second-team All-Northern California honors.
Also, for the Rams, the following earned first-team AllCoast Conference accolades: were Amaya Jarzombek, Arpan Bahia, Paige Pineda Aliamus, Fatima Waldo Garcia, Yvette Moreno, Amelia Gale, and Gabriela Reyes Second-team All-Coast Conference North Division honors went to Talia McCoy, Emma Glynn, Angelina St. Denis, and Daniela Del Carlo.
Named All-Coast Conference North Division Honorable Mention were Paolina Molina, Emma Colmenero, and Ivon Escuen.
Lastly, despite not having a strong season, City College's women's water polo did showcase some standouts who earned All-Coast Conference postseason honors.
Named to the Second-team All-Coast Conference were freshman Serawit Ezra and sophomore Olivia Gow-Smith. Likewise, Honorable Mention All-Coast Conference: honors went sophomore Sarah Clayson, freshman Remy Dizon, and freshman Krystal Osorio.
(Information for this story courtesy of the CCSF Athletics website)
Without a Baseball Diamond to Call Their Own, the Rams Never Had the Home Field Advantage
By Cooper McDonald cjknowledge301@gmail.com
City College of San Francisco has had trouble with finding a home field for their baseball team which has made students, players, and faculty members ask why Balboa Park isn’t being used.
For the past couple of years, the City College baseball team has been commuting seven miles to Fairmont Field located north of Pacifica for their home games. The drive from campus it takes about 15 minutes to get there on a traffic-free day.
Fairmont Field has been primarily used by St. Ignatius College Preparatory for their home baseball and field hockey games. Having this shared home field, however, has come with its complications.
For example, a scheduled game between City College and Skyline College was cancelled at Fairmont Field because the St. Ignatius junior varsity and varsity teams already has schedule back-to-back games that conflicted with City College’s 2 p.m. CCSF game.
Mario Mendoza, the head coach for City College’s baseball team, has had concerns about the matter of a home field for a while now.
“Do be honest, I have no idea why we don’t have any facilities. I’ve been fighting this for years,” Mendoza said.
Whenever Mendoza has tried to bring this matter up to administration and the Athletic Department, he said, “they always give me the run around and always say they don’t have any finances to get a field.”
After numerous attempts, Athletic Department Chair Jim Labagh and Men’s Athletic Director Harold Brown were not reachable for comment.
The question around the use of Balboa Park as a possible home field has been overlooked possibly due to the condition of the field being rarely managed.
It has been an inconvenience for the team to drive from the campus to the baseball field in Fairmont, a small, hilly, and quiet neighborhood off the 280 Highway. The field itself is nestled in the middle of the neighborhood.
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A centerfield view on June 21, 2024 of the Balboa Park diamond, once the homefield of the City College Rams. Photo by Franchon Smith/The Guardsman.
The once often used Balboa Park baseball diamond as viewed from home play on June 21, 2024. Photo by Franchon Smith/The Guardsman.
