Vol. 161, Issue 4 | Mar. 9 – Mar. 22, 2016 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE
CITY ON TRIAL
CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Program Relocating To Bungalows Amid Construction Lawsuit By David Horowitz dhorowitz@theguardman.com
Supporters listen to a speaker at the at the Justice for Alex Nieto rally outside of the Federal Court building on March 1, 2016. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones/ The Guardsman)
Hundreds Protest Testimonies Clash In Alex Outside Courthouse Nieto’s Civil Rights Trial By Cassie Ordonio cordonio@theguardsman.com @CassieOrdonio
Chants of “No justice, no peace” roared throughout Civic Center as demonstrators marched outside of San Francisco’s Federal Courts Building to City Hall during the first day of slain City College student Alex Nieto’s civil trial on March 1. Two years after the shooting of Nieto, the trial began to review evidence of unlawfulness by four San Francisco Police Department officers who fired approximately 48 bullets, thinking Nieto had a gun. When retrieved, the alleged gun was actually a
Taser for his security job. Benjamin Bac Sierra, co-founder of Justice and Love for Alex Nieto coalition, introduced the crowd outside the courthouse to Nieto’s parents, Refugio and Elvira Nieto, before they went into to the trial. “They are our heroes,” Bac Sierra said to the crowd. “They have shown dignity and given us an example on how to fight for our loved ones.” Fists raised high and cheers erupted while the Nietos walked toward the Federal Courts Building. The Nietos were still grieving yet Protest continues on page 2
Nieto’s family lawyer, civil rights attorney Adante Pointer, is pressing civil rights charges against the City and County of San Francisco for the mgonzales@theguardsman.com killing of Alex Nieto by police on @mijo_marco March 21, 2014. The four officers— krwords@gmail.com Lt. Jason Sawyer and Officers Roger @the_krnl Morse, Richard Schiff and Nathan Chew, are all charged with excessive The parents of Alex Nieto finally had force, violation of Nieto’s civil rights their day in federal court for their and wrongful death under California son, a City College student who was law. shot and killed by San Francisco Police officers in Bernal Heights Park The Call nearly two years ago. At 7:11 p.m., a passerby called the On the opening day of the police after seeing Nieto in the park trial on March 1, Judge Magistrate acting strangely—and believed his Nathanael M. Cousins whittled a holstered Taser was a gun. Upon juror pool of 30 down to eight. Five approach, dispatch alerted the offiwomen and three men, none Black cers that a Latino male, wearing red, or Latino, will decide whether Nieto’s was seen with a gun atop Bernal civil rights were abused and if Nieto’s family deserves monetary reparation Civil Trial for his death. continues on page 6
By Marco S.G. & KR Nava
CULTURE
How San Francisco’s Own Trevor Dunbar is Back on Track PAGE 7
Fifty-five children who spend their weekdays at City College’s child development program will be temporarily relocated from the program’s four Orfalea Family Center buildings into a two-bungalow facility behind Rosenberg Library in August. Although the Orfalea Family Center’s interiors are exceptionally well-maintained, the buildings’ outer walls are so extensively corroded that the facility has been deemed unsafe. As a consequence, the program’s children and staff are being moved into a space about half its current size. “It’s a really sad story because it was pretty avoidable, but the rust problem has ruined the whole building,” Family Center project coordinator Judith Hearst said. In addition to serving as a preschool for children 18 months to 5 years old from low-income families, the program trains students of City College’s child development department. The preschool is vital to many parents and children. Former City College student David Saenz, who works and studies full time, has been taking Vida to the preschool since she was 18 months old in 2012, and now she’s prepared to graduate from the program. “The child development program helped us a lot because they saw our income and situation and saw we were full-time students, and they didn’t charge us,” Saenz said. “They’re great. The teachers are great… It helped us so much—so much—and we’re really sad that our child will have to leave.”
Hunt Construction Lawsuit
San Francisco Community College District contracted the Hunt Construction Group in 2005 to build the center. According to the contract, Hunt would be held legally responsible for property damage and losses resulting from negligence by the subcontractor Project Frog and its parent company MKThink. A previous edition of The Guardsman disclosed that the district received a report in 2011 determining that the Orfalea Family Center’s exterior corrosion was a direct Child Development Center continues on page 4
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Vol. 161, Issue 4 | Mar. 9 – Mar. 22, 2016
Hundreds Flock to Demand Justice for Alex Nieto Protest continued from page 1
Staff Editor-in-Chief Marco Siler-Gonzales Managing Editor Santiago Mejia News Editor Audrey Garces
their faces expressed anxiousness for the days ahead.
Grief
“We miss Alex very much, and we want to thank our supporters,” Elvira Nieto said in a press release. “During these past two years, you’ve
never forgotten us.” A ceremony was performed before speakers delivered their
messages. Following the chanting by Buddhists from Soka Gakkai International, the smell of sage
“The physical evidence will show that Alex Nieto had his hands in his pocket and that he did nothing wrong.”
—City College English Instructor Benjamin Bac Sierra
Photo Editor Franchon Smith Culture Editor Michaela Payne Sports Editor Shannon Cole Opinion Editor Cassie Ordonio Copy Editor Madeline Collins Michaela Payne Patrick Fitzgerald Nancy Chan David Horowitz Design Director Serina Mercado Online News Director Patrick Fitzgerald Advertising Manager Cara Stucker Social Media Director Margaret Weir Staff Writers Andy Bays Nancy Chan Jose Duran Daniela Fiestas-Paredes Dakari Thomas
City College student Adam Coleman demands justice for Alex Nieto outside the Phillip Burton Federal building on Tues. March 1, 2016. (Photo by Gabriella Angotti-Jones / The Guardsman)
News Briefs
Staff Photographers Gabriella Angotti-Jones Contributors Pablo Reyes Peter Wong KR Nava Sean Karlin Agustina Perretta Faculty Adviser Juan Gonzales Reach us at Twitter and Instagram @theguardsman #CCSFjournalism Facebook /theguardsman Youtube theguardsmanonline theguardsman.com Mail 50 Phelan Ave Box V-67 San Francisco, CA 94112 Bungalow 615 Phone (415) 239-3446
calmed the spirits of the rally gatherers as they watched Aztec dancers. One of the Buddhists, Jeffery Staulcup, was a good friend of Nieto. Friends since 2008, Staulcup said Nieto came to chant at least twice a week with the community. “I was in denial,” Staulcup said. “He was extremely nonviolent, very pacifist and he had a large vision and a thirst for education.” A core member of the coalition, Adriana Camarena, said that additional information was revealed through an extended legal discovery process that gave the family access to the independent investigation records. In November 2015, the city tried to dismiss the case, but officials said it would take a jury to decide a verdict based on the evidence. Outraged by police profiling, the Justice for Mario Woods and the Justice for Amilcar Perez Lopez supporters joined the Justice and Love for Alex Nieto coalition at the rally. Police Chief Greg Suhr told ABC 7 News that it was a tragedy, but thought the officers did what they felt like they had to do. “That’s illogical for us to believe,” Bac Sierra said. “The physical evidence will show that Alex Nieto had his hands in his pockets and that he did nothing wrong.”
Reports of Norovirus at UC Berkeley UC Berkeley health services identified a possible outbreak of norovirus with three confirmed cases following an outbreak among hundreds of college students in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, Inside Higher Ed reported on March 3. The virus, also called “winter diarrhea,” causes flu-like symptoms and 50,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. every year. The virus can be spread person to person but also is the most common food-borne illness. Symptoms include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Those infected can be contagious up to two weeks after symptoms cease. Norovirus has been on the rise in California, reported SFGate in December.
Students Face Mental Health Issues More than half of community college students surveyed report they suffer from mental illness, a recent study indicates. Inside Higher Ed reported the Wisconsin research group HOPE Lab surveyed 4,000 students at 10 community colleges across seven states. HOPE’s report found that 36 percent of respondents suffered from depression, and 29 percent had issues with anxiety. HOPE Lab reports this is slightly higher than the reports of the same illnesses in students at four-year colleges and universities. Mental health conditions also appeared to occur at a higher rate in younger students at colleges. Fewer than half of the students affected by mental illness are receiving treatment, partly due to the lack of treatment options available
to students. HOPE also reports that 88 percent of community colleges lack licensed psychiatrist or other prescribing professionals and 57 percent of schools do not offer suicide prevention resources.
Apple Battles FBI In an op-ed written for The Washington Post, Apple's chief software engineer Craig Federighi warns of the dangers associated with forcing the phone manufacturer to build a security "backdoor." "The FBI wants us to create a backdoor in the form of special software that bypasses passcode protections, intentionally creating a vulnerability that would let the government force its way into an iPhone," Federighi said in his Washington Post article. It isn't this particular case that worries Federighi, but the potential to impact other security measures. “Criminals and terrorists who want to infiltrate systems and disrupt sensitive networks may start their attacks through access to just one person’s smartphone,” Federighi said.
Smoking Age May Raise to 21 The California Assembly passed bills to change the smoking age to 21, the Chronicle reported. Approved 46–26, the bills awaits approval in the state Senate and by Governor Jerry Brown. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved raising the city-wide smoking age to 21 on March 1 but the change still needs Mayor Lee’s signature. Military personnel ages 18 to 20 will be
exempt from the new law but must provide a military ID. Six bills were introduced to control tobacco sales.Other bills include requiring e-cigarettes to be regulated the same as cigarettes; further restrictions to broaden tobacco restrictions in public places; and allowing cities and counties to ask for voter approval on tobacco taxes. The November ballot also may include an initiative to raise cigarette taxes by $2 per pack. The first state to raise the smoking age to 21 was Hawaii, where a new law went into effect Jan. 1.
The Lunch Box Reopens The Lunch Box cafe, which sits above Rush Stadium on the Ocean Campus, has reopened following a long closure due to electrical problems. Danny Chin, proprietor of the Lunch Box, states that the cafe was forced to close in February due to heavy rains which caused damage to the transformer that powers the cafe. The cafe was closed for nearly three weeks while school maintenance crews struggled to resolve the electrical issue. A short-term solution was made to provide half the usual power to the cafe, thus allowing the cafe to once again serve students. But a long-term solution is required. Chin states the school has told him they may relocate the damaged transformer, as well as the cafe itself in the next few months.
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Mar. 9 – Mar. 22, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 4
Phony Fliers Attempt To Scam Students Deceitful Flyer Posted Aro By Patrick Fitzgerald
pfitzgerald@theguardsman.com @HitSquarely
Fraudulent flyers posted around City College’s Ocean Campus on designated billboards and in classrooms advertising online work for $12 per hour caught the attention of campus police after several students reported them as a bogus ploy for money and possibly phishing personal information. The flyers carried a counterfeit City College “approved for posting” stamp that all legitimate posts on campus billboards in hallways and stairwells must carry. Only the Associate Dean of Student Activities Office can provide the approval stamp and in this case no permission was requested for the posting. “I think I have seen them in the classrooms but they are mostly outside of the classrooms,” City College student Brianne Levine said, a psychology major. “I think it was kind of sketchy…it seemed kind of gimmicky.”
Deceitful Flyers
The advertised jobs required a $40 application fee and a submission of an online application requesting personal information.
Upon further investigation, police believed the scammers’ primary objective was profiting from each student’s application fee, and they determined that the website could not be traced to any legitimate business. Campus police officer and
rent, internship positions and for student jobs. “I don’t remember the people but all I know is that when I walked by there, people were passing out (these) flyers,” said Hannah Choi, a City College student also majoring in psychology. “I take them
•T t a •T l •T a •R a •D F
"The CCSF police department has been investigating to determine the source or individual(s) responsible for posting the flyers."
—Statement released by CCSF campus police
media spokesperson Tiffany Green said the flyers were a scam and students should be aware not to provide any personal information online. The flyers came to the attention of campus police two weeks ago, which they investigated. “The CCSF police department has been investigating to determine the source or individual(s) responsible for posting the flyers,” a statement released by campus police said. “Additionally, the police department removed the flyers at the beginning of the semester, but they were being re-posted.” Green said such phony flyers are an anomaly at City College. Previous unapproved postings typically advertise rooms for
March Events Celebrate Russia’s International Women’s Day
City College Russian faculty and the Foreign Languages Department will celebrate International Women’s Day with Russian food and surprise gifts for female attendees. For more information visit https://www. facebook.com/LanguagesCCSF/?fref=nf. Thurs. March 10 12:00-2:00 p.m. Smith Hall Cafeteria. Free
Glass Slipper to Glass Ceiling: Art Show in V119 Gallery
20th reunion exhibit of The Beauty Project will feature the work of 11 artists, from a feminist artist collective started by Kerry Vander Meer active in the late 1990s. Gallery open Mon.–Thurs. through March 23. Contact curator Barbara Morris or visit facebook.com/TheBeautyProject Archive for more information. Opening March 10, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Student Employment Orientation Workshops
City College students will learn the procedures and resources for getting hired on- or off-campus. RSVP to studentemployment@ccsf.edu. For more information, visit the Career Development Center/Student Employment Office in MUB 101 or careercenter@ccsf.edu. Thurs. March 10, 12–1 p.m. and Thurs. March 16, 1–2 p.m. Multi-Use Building 39, Ocean Campus.
and then I just throw them away because I feel rude if I don’t take them.”
Online Work Opportunities
The flyer advertised for workers willing to simply fill out online forms and for email administration work—good computer and language skills were not required. All work could be done from anywhere with an Internet connection at the student’s convenience. The flyer also emphasized that no experience was required. So far, City College students appear to be the only known target as San Francisco State University’s campus police had no report of
This flyer was distributed and posted around Ocean Campus with counterfeit approval stamps.
similar incidents on their campus. remove items that have expired The Student Activities Office before a semester‘s end. is responsible for all campus billCampus police ask anyone boards and allows no more than 20 who sees these flyers to not contact flyers to be posted for off-campus the listed website, to please remove student activities. The office flyers immediately if seen around removes all postings at the end of campus, and to notify City College each semester, but they do not peri- Campus Police of the postings at odically check designated bulletin 415-239-3200. boards for approved material nor
Do you have any City College events that you would like included in The Guardsman calendar? Send event information to accionjg@aim.com and mgonzales@theguardsman.com
Front Page Gallery’s Premier Opening For further details, visit ccsfpena.blogspot.com or Features “A Window to the World” Guardsman photographers will showcase their photographs that were published during internships at local newspapers. Food and refreshments will be available. For further details, contact Juan Gonzales at jagonzal@ccsf.edu. Opening March 10, from 5:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Exhibition open Wed. March 10 through Mon. April 11, 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Bungalow 615, Ocean Campus. Free
High School Journalism Boot Camp
The Department of Journalism at City College of San Francisco and the San Francisco Peninsula Press Club will cohost a boot camp for high school journalism students. Workshops will include topics such as investigative reporting, transition to college journalism, broadcasting, social media and webcasting, and photography. For further details, contact Juan Gonzales at jagonzal@ccsf.edu. Saturday, March 12, 12:30 p.m. registration and 1:00 p.m. start time. Diego Rivera Theatre, Ocean Campus. Free
"El Border Brujo” Performance Art
Poet, activist and published author Guillermo Gomez-Pena will present a performance art piece combining spoken word poetry, critical and humorous commentary about art, activism and politics. Free and open to the public.
email ccsfartdept@gmail.com.
Friday, March 18, 7 p.m. Diego Rivera Theatre, Ocean Campus. Free and open to the public
Teaching and Learning in Chile: Why are Chilean students striking?
ESL professor Deborah Levy will speak about when she was a student in Chile studying sociology and pedagogy. For three semesters, she taught future English teachers at two universities and worked on the curriculum development related to methodology, integrated skills, reading skills and tutorial support for a brand new English Pedagogy program. For more information, contact Prof. Deborah Levy at dlevy@ccsf.edu. Saturday, March 19 at the 9th Annual ESL Colloquium Multi-Use Building, room TBA. Ocean Campus
25th Italian Film Festival
“Saturn in Opposition,” a 2007 Italian drama film directed by Ferzan Ozpetek will be screened by City College’s Italian and Audio Visual Departments as part of the spring semester Italian Film Festival. For more information contact Prof. Claudio Concin at cconcin@ccsf.edu. Tuesday, March 22, 1 p.m. Free. Rosenberg Library 305, Ocean Campus
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Vol. 161, Issue 4 | Mar. 9 – Mar. 22, 2016
Exterior Corrosion Forces Child Care Program To Relocate comment or anything.”
Child Development Center continued from page 1 result of
negligent construction. After numerous requests that Hunt and its subcontractors fix the corrosion, the district filed a complaint in September 2013 with the Superior Court of San Francisco. Hunt denied liability in January 2014, responding that the school “breached its
Rust Matters
The center’s exterior has rusted so much in the salty breeze off the Pacific that neighbors complain about how terrible it looks. Large paint flakes fall off the buildings’ outer walls and sometimes fall on children. Furthermore, panels intended to protect the four buildings’ exteriors have corroded and are so flimsy they fall off, leaving holes
“I’m worried because land space will be really small. Everybody kind of worries about it because all of a sudden we have to cram into one area.”
—Child Development Center Chef Tai Do
Inside a roomy building, 14 children, ages 1 to 4, nap near each other as three teachers watch them in silence. The clean room smells like soup, crayons and freshlydone laundry. A child stirs in her sleep and Lisa Picot, one of her teachers, responds by stroking the girl’s head as tenderly. No one will have access to Orfalea Family Center’s four buildings, two playgrounds or garden next semester. However, child development department chair Kathleen White assured that no children, faculty or staff will be cut from the program because of space issues, and the new location will also have a playground and a garden.
Bungalows Will Be Smaller
The child development program will be moved into two one-story buildings, which obligation to properly maintain the facility.” in and underneath the buildings’ outer walls. may not suitably accommodate the 55 chilHunt and its subcontractors thereby refused Animals occasionally burrow into these holes dren and 15 faculty and staff members of to fix the rust or any issues related to work and die inside them, soon causing putrid the Orfalea Family Center. done under the contract. odors which Hearst said are responsible for “I’m worried because land space will The center was inspected in November making children sick. be really small. Everybody kind of worries 2014 and the district and Hunt Construction Twenty-four pre-school children play about it because all of a sudden we have to Group are set to go to trial this June. and laugh, running along the spacious play- cram into one area,” the preschool’s chef Hunt’s paralegal in the case, Joyce ground of the Orfalea Family Center on Tai Do said. Zorn, said she was “not allowed to give any Ocean Campus’s northern outskirts. Both locations have parking issues but
these may be worse at the new bungalows. Parents who currently take the 43 Masonic bus directly to the Orfalea Family Center will have to walk their children all the way across campus each morning to the new location. “I just am moved by how far parents will go to bring their children here. Sometimes, they’ll take three buses and travel from another city to bring them here,” Picot said.
A History of Litigation
2005 Hunt was contracted to build the Orfalea Family Center.
2008 The structures were finalized.
2011 A report determined that the buildings’ rust resulted from negligence.
2013 The district filed a complaint about the rust to the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco.
Jan. 2014 Hunt claimed the district “breached its obligation to properly maintain the facility.” Nov. 2014 There was an inspection of the buildings. June 2016 The district will go to trial with the Hunt Construction Group. Aug. 2016 The Child Development Center will temporarily relocate into two buildings behind Rosenberg Library.
The Orfalea Family Center's interior rooms are well-maintained by the children, staff and faculty of City College's child development program. (Photo by David Horowitz/ The Guardsman)
Deteriorated panels that once protected the center's exterior have fallen off the buildings as a result of the large amount of salt in City College's marine atmosphere. (Photo by David Horowitz/The Guardsman)
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Mar. 9 – Mar. 22, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 4
CAMPUS SAFETY
New Smartphone Application Aims To Keep Students Safe By Daniela FiestasParedes dparedes@theguardsman.com
City College Campus Police Department launched the 911 Shield Safety app at the beginning of this semester to improve campus-wide security. The application, which can be download on any smartphone,
"We wanted to make students feel more comfortable communicating with us."
—Campus police officer Tiffany Green
allows students to report crimes occurring on campus, seek help when needed and request safety services such as a police escort. Campus Police Officer Tiffany Green explained the need to improve communication between campus police and students that led to the implementation of the 911 Shield Safety app. “Younger (students) want to
text and call, so we wanted to make students feel more comfortable with communicating with us,” Green said. An altercation between three students on Oct. 13, 2015 led to a student allegedly brandishing a gun in Ocean Campus’s Rosenberg Library. The incident prompted the campus police department to provide a more effective system for students, faculty, and staff to report incidents.
Instant Help
The 911 Shield Safety app promises faster police response by notifying officers within a few seconds. It gives students the freedom to file reports both anonymously and discreetly, which in turn can help them feel safer. The app gives students a means to text back and forth with dispatchers, and upload pictures and videos, to improve the accuCampus police launched a safety app called 911 Shield Safety. With this app, students can report crime on racy of police reports. campus, view a crime map, access bus routes and times, and request campus police safety escort service, “Everyone in the department is along with several other features. (Photo by Franchon Smith/The Guardsman) familiar with the app and how it works,” Green said. Denise R. said. campus about the 911 Shield and the giveaways Three winners Although the department More than 200 people have Safety app. They have also orga- will be selected during spring break. expects to receive positive results already signed up for the app nized a giveaway that encourages “It seems to be pretty good, and from the new application, it is still and campus police expect more its participants to sign up for and offers a lot of protection to students too early to tell. There has been students to download it soon. utilize the app, in return offering by having the police handy, because little publicity about the new app them the chance to win a mountain 911 takes more time to get help,” to notify students about it. Alert Awareness bike and a City College backpack. student Michelle Bryant said, who “I have never heard about it. The campus police department is Students must download and downloaded the app. “This app What is it?” City College student planning to distribute flyers around sign up for the app to participate will be more convenient.”
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Vol. 161, Issue 4 | Mar. 9 – Mar. 22, 2016
Contradicting Testimonies Emerge In Wrongful Death Case sunglasses, exposing another flaw in the official account of events that evening.
Who to Trust
On the opening day of the trial for the murder of Alejandro "Alex" Nieto by police officers, students from City College and members of the community rally at the Federal Court Building on March 1, 2016. (Photo by Agustina Perretta/Special to The Guardsman.)
Civil Trial continued from page 1 Heights Park. The defense, led by Deputy City Attorney Margaret Baumgartner, alleged justification for the officer’s decision to draw their sidearms and fire upon Nieto. Lt. Sawyer and Officer Schiff arrived at the gated entrance of Bernal Hill, drove over the curb and continued up the hill where they saw Nieto 70 to 100 yards away. Upon Sawyer’s instruction, Schiff continued driving until the cruiser was about 30 yards from Nieto. At this point, both officers testified they had not yet seen Nieto draw a weapon or make any erratic movements. Rather than calling out to Nieto verbally, turning on his police lights or using the loudspeaker installed in his vehicle, Schiff got out of the car, drew his gun and called out, “Show me your hands.” Schiff began to call out the same phrase again, but alleged he was interrupted by Nieto shouting back, “No, show me your hands.” Schiff said both of Nieto’s hands were then raised at chest level in what he called a “blade, or fighting, stance.” Schiff described Nieto as having reached down to his waist, where his holster was, pulled out his Taser—which Schiff claimed he believed was a firearm due to the weapon’s red laser light—and “punched out” his hands forward. Schiff then opened fire. “You believed (Nieto’s Taser) was being fired?” Pointer asked. “Yes,” Schiff said, then admitted that he had not seen the weapon recoil, emit smoke, release a muzzle flash or shoot prongs—nor had he heard any bullets making contact with the glass or metal of the police car behind which Schiff and Sawyer were firing. After firing 59 shots, they approached Nieto’s body and realized the weapon was an electric stun gun, which is considered a non-lethal gun. “The officers kept firing
because the man kept aiming at them,” Baumgartner said. “These officers did what they were trained to do.”
Justification
Both Schiff and Sawyer claimed, as per police code, that each and every bullet was justified. Yet the prosecution’s examination of seasoned veteran Sawyer and rookie officer Schiff exposed holes in their justifications for what happened. Both Schiff and Sawyer testified that once they opened fire, at least one of them continued shooting Nieto even after he fell to the ground. The officers fired ceaselessly because they believed Nieto continued to pose a threat, according to Schiff. Nearby, a home security system recorded the sound of the shooting and includes a sevensecond pause between a first round of shots and a second, longer round, wrote investigative reporters at 48 Hills. Asked if there was ever a pause in the barrage of bullets, Sawyer said, “I don’t remember that happening.” This raises questions as to why the officers would stop shooting, why they continued and why both Schiff and Sawyer failed to remember such an important detail. Other conflicting information arose during the day’s examinations. Part of Schiff’s rationale for engaging Nieto in fire was how he perceived Nieto’s demeanor as Nieto approached the officers. “He approached ‘purposefully,’” Schiff said, leading to a discussion over what exactly that meant. Schiff elaborated by describing Nieto’s gait as “close to marching,” standing up and simulating Nieto’s walk by pumping his hands back and forth. The prosecution made sure to note that prior to March 2, in both his official report and his deposition, Schiff had never described Nieto’s movements this way. Schiff also said that Nieto’s
brow was furrowed and his cheekbones raised. “Would it surprise you to learn that Nieto was wearing a hat?” Pointer asked. Evidence showed that the hole in Nieto’s black 49ers hat matched the location of the bullet wound in his head, but
Police officer testimonies described the shooting of Alex Nieto as self-defense, but an eyewitness testified in federal court on Thursday, March 3 the shooting was unwarranted and Nieto had little warning before the shots were fired. Antonio Theodore was jogging in Bernal Heights Park with his dog the evening of Nieto’s death when he saw Lt. Sawyer and officer Schiff driving up Bernal Hill to approach Nieto. Theodore testified that the two officers stopped about 150 feet away, exited their vehicle and took shooting positions behind their car doors. “One officer on the driver side yelled, ‘Stop!’” Theodore said in federal court, “and then fired first shot, second, third, then the person fell on his knees, then the fourth shot and he fell on his face.” Moments later, Theodore said he saw two other officers arrive at the scene. The firing continued in rapid succession as Nieto lay face down on the ground. Pointer questioned Theodore to what Nieto’s demeanor was as
directly contradicts the officers’ stories. Officer Schiff and Lt. Sawyer testified that Nieto was walking purposefully toward them, taunted the officer’s command to show his hands, and pointed what the two officers assumed was a pistol in a firing position at them. Officers Chew and Morse arrived at the scene after the first four shots were fired. Officer Chew testified that he exited his car from the passenger side with his gun drawn and saw Nieto in a prone position. “I saw the red laser trying to acquire me as a target,” Chew said. He then fired five rounds at Nieto. Theodore’s testimony makes Chew’s scenario impossible, as Nieto could not have been pointing his weapon at the officers if he had already been shot and was face-down with his hands in his pocket. Theodore said he was afraid to report what he had seen to the police. ”It would be hard to tell an officer that I saw a fellow officer shoot someone up. I didn't trust police,” he said. Theodore’s story came out when a city attorney investigator interviewed him some time after the shooting, and he was later deposed by the District Attorney’s office.
Pattern of Inconsistency
Refugio Nieto, father of Alex Nieto, at the Justice for Alex Nieto rally on March 1, 2016. (Photo by Gabriella Angotti-Jones / The Guardsman)
neither Schiff nor Sawyer recalled seeing the hat. Schiff did, however, remember that he “made direct eye contact with (Nieto)” then answered no when asked if he remembered whether Nieto had been wearing sunglasses. Nieto had been wearing
he walked down the hill and where his hands were positioned before and after the shooting. Theodore testified that Nieto was walking calmly down Bernal Hill with his hands in his jacket pocket, and was shot with his hands still in his pockets. Theodore’s chain of events
Hip-hop artist Sellassie of the Justice for Mario Woods Coalition participates in a “die-in” outside City Hall to demand justice for Alex Nieto. (Photo by Gabriella Angotti-Jones / The Guardsman)
But Theodore’s credibility as an eyewitness came under question after the defense’s thorough cross-examination. SFGate reported that Baumgartner questioned Theodore on a deposition she took from him in May 2015 in which his answers were different than the ones he gave in court. The city attorney suggested that his avoidance to report the incident to police after it happened may be an indication of bias against law enforcement. SFGate also reported that Theodore admitted he is a heavy drinker, which he said hindered his recollection of specific times and dates. Baumgartner questioned, “You have a different memory now than the one in the deposition?” “Slightly. I drink a lot and that kind of helps sometimes, but I do not remember,” Theodore said. But the defense refrained from asking Theodore any direct questions about the shooting itself. Nieto family attorney Pointer asked Theodore if he would return to court later in the trial for additional examination. Theodore said he felt threatened and was not comfortable returning for further examination. The jury is expected to reach a verdict by mid March about whether Alex Nieto’s killing occurred under justifiable or wrongful circumstances. The jury’s decision will hinge on their interpretation of testimonies given and evidence shown—what Nieto did or didn’t do with his Taser and if the officers had justifiable cause to shoot.
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Mar. 9 – Mar. 22, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 4
City College Player Reaches New Heights By Dakari Thomas dthomas@theguardsman. com
With seven minutes left in a game against Skyline College, Trevor Dunbar decided to make an instant impact on the game. In transition, Dunbar hesitated to get a step on the defender, spun, dropped to the floor, and rose up for a double-pump finger roll and one. After the free throw, he stole the inbound pass and dropped off a no-look pass to his teammate for a dunk. This type of impact, on a game that’s dominated by giants, is uncommon for a guard generously listed at 5-foot-10. However, if you followed high school basketball at all in the last four years, you know Dunbar has been noticed. If he is so talented then why is he not at a nationalpowerhouse school getting ready to jump into the NBA? Getting to know Dunbar, the reason he shares his talents with City College becomes clear. In 2011, as social media was on the cusp of becoming prevalent, YouTube basketball mixtapes were on the rise. One of the biggest channels that supplied these videos was the Bay Area-based group “Yayareasfinest,” which provided a new platform for local players to reach a mass audience. The group documented players through not only high school but also Amatuer Athletic Union (AAU) basketball. The AAU league hosts tournaments throughout the spring and
summer with teams that assemble some of the best recruits under 18 years old in the nation. One of the players that caught on quick was a young sophomore at St. Ignatius College Preparatory named Trevor Dunbar, who became a virtual celebrity overnight. “He's putting up scoring numbers not even threetime West Catholic Athletic League Player of the Year Aaron Gordon of Mitty did,” Mitch Stephens of the SFGate said.Mark Knight of Sports Illustrated’s FanSided called him “The best point guard in California.” “It
“City is known to get players out and it feels great to be back home.”
—Trevor Dunbar
doesn’t stop even ‘til this day. It made high school a lot more fun than it would have been,” Dunbar said. “I loved it, and I still love it. I walk in the mall and people call my name.” In 2012 he received the opportunity to join one of the most prestigious AAU teams of all time, the Oakland Soldiers. LeBron James, Chauncey Billups, Brandon Jennings, Drew Gooden and more NBA stars stack the team’s wild alumni list. Through a multitude of videos that have garnered over eight million views in total, watchers began to flock to see the brash yet
welcoming player. He went on to become one of the biggest high school phenom's the Bay Area has ever seen averaging 24 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds, as well as earning First Team All Conference in three of his four years and being named the 2014 Central Coast Section Player of the Year. When he became a senior, Dunbar’s his free time became about planning his next step, as Dunbar saw some of his close friends committing to play basketball at universities of their choices. The process was even more difficult to endure as schools were shying away from Dunbar for multiple reasons. “They stayed away from me or wouldn’t offer me because of my height and my grades,” Dunbar said. “It hurt, like really knowing you could make an impact but people doubt you off of something that you can't even control.” Dunbar’s academic performance specifically affected his recruitability. “Then I only had a 2.4 (grade point average),”Dunbar said. “Arizona State is one of the many schools that wanted me but once they saw my grades they stopped contacting me. They wanted a 3.0.” He ended up choosing Washington State University, which had seemed to embrace the smaller guard’s play style. After averaging a modest 0.8 points per game, and only appearing in 16 games, he was granted his release from the university. It later came out that academic issues and some spats with teammates were what caused friction at the school. In
Trevor Dunbar (11) leaps through the Santa Rosa Junior College defenders in a playoff game on March 5, 2016. (Photo by Peter Wong/Special to The Guardsman)
a documentary series on YouTube, Trevor elaborated on why he made the decision to leave. “There were games I wouldn’t touch the floor. I started not even mentally preparing for games because I knew I wouldn’t get in,” Dunbar said. “I honestly started to lose my love for the game.” Trying to reignite his career, the now sophomore guard made the decision to go back home and enrolled at City College.
“City is known to get players out and it feels great to be back home,” Dunbar said. “Hopefully they can help me get this Division I scholarship.” Here, it seems Dunbar has matured on and off the court. He is currently averaging 12 points and 5 assists per game on 47 percent shooting, earning all conference first teams honors in his first season. He is a big reason City College ended the regular season with only one loss and garnered a No.
1 seed going into the playoffs. Despite all of the doubt placed on him about his style of play, his height and his academics, Dunbar has risen to the occasion more times than not. He is neither perfect nor trying to be, yet he is striving to maintain a level of consistency for a chance that few get. Dunbar’s legacy will depend on how he can revitalize his deficiencies, but at this point it looks as though he has turned the corner.
“El Mad Mex” To Perform For Free At Diego Rivera Theatre PERFORMANCE ARTIST GUILLERMO GÓMEZ-PEÑA HAS HELD AUDIENCES SPELLBOUND FOR DECADES By Michaela Payne michaela.k.payne@gmail.com
Performance artist and cultural critic Guillermo Gómez-Peña will perform his latest solo work as “el Mad Mex” in the Diego Rivera Theatre at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 18, presenting his views on the future of the Americas through spoken poetry, activist theory, radical storytelling and language experimentation as visions for radical democracy. Known for his provocative videos and performances around the world, "el border brujo" has published 10 books and co-founded the San Francisco-based collaborative cross-disciplinary performance group La Pocha Nostra in 1993—and he is wilder than ever at age 60. “Gómez-Peña offers critical and humorous commentary about the art world, academia, new technologies, the culture of
war and violence in the US, organized crime in Mexico, gender and race politics, and the latest wave of complications surrounding gentrification...” the department’s poster announced. “He provokes,” art Department Chair Anna Asebedo said. “We should provoke each other to think differently.” The City College art department is making efforts to offer more equity to students by hosting guest artists who reflect the diversity of the department. The number of Latina/o students has been increasing, so hosting Gómez-Peña—who was born in Mexico City and speaks candidly about wishing for a world with no borders in which artists and intellectuals are at the forefront of international politics—is a dream come true for the school. This is Asebedo’s first time curating a performance at City College. “Everybody is pitching in,” Asebedo said. Instructor Sophie Touze, who teaches
women in art history, knew a friend of Gómez-Peña’s that got the event on the table. Video production instructor Susan Boeckmann from the broadcast electronic media arts department will help film the performance for City College’s archives. Visual media design instructor Colin Hall is making the event’s program, and others will help with the rest. “What’s lovely about (Gómez-Peña) is it’s about him. He’s got under 10 props,” Asebedo said. She teaches printmaking classes and paints. In contrast to other disciplines, she said, performers like Gómez-Peña “are the receptor of all that attention and emotional response—that just blows me away.” To Asebedo’s knowledge, Gómez-Peña will be unique in the college’s history as the first performance artist to visit. The college does not offer performance art classes, though the dance department’s contact improvisation course and the theatre department’s
acting for the camera and physical comedy courses, among others, could relate. Asebedo suggests checking out GómezPeña’s videos online, especially “Instant Identity Ritual” (on Youtube, 1:47 minutes) and “Radical art, radical communities, and radical dreams” for his 2013 TED talk from TEDxCalArts (on Youtube, 26:24 minutes). The show will include a guest performance by the Phantom Mariachi, a persona developed by the La Pocha Nostra artists to symbolically resist the evictions and erasure of diversity taking place in San Francisco. Admission to the show will be free and open to the public. Check out ccsfpena.blogspot.com and “An Evening with ‘El Mad Mex’ Guillermo GómezPeña” on Facebook.
8 | culture
Vol. 161, Issue 4 | Mar. 9 – Mar. 22, 2016
City College Teacher Co-Authors First Transgender Studies Book By Margaret Weir
a possibly non-binary individual.
mweir@theguardsman.com @mags_weir
Rodger Lee (far left), Hashim Jacobs (left), Jamil Hawkins (right), and Gilberto Polanco (far right) in City College’s production of "All the Way" on Sat. March 6, 2016. (Photo by Gabriella AngottiJones/The Guardsman)
“All the Way” Reflects Deep Cynicism In American Politics AN INSIDE LOOK AT CITY COLLEGE’S NEW DRAMA By Marco S.G. mgonzales@theguardsman.com @mijo_marco Nothing comes cheap in this country, especially social progression. In City College’s debut drama performance of “All the Way” on March 4 at Diego Rivera Theatre, the United States is a nation divided—a martyr must be made and a hero must take his place, because the spotlight is only big enough for one. Written by Robert Schenkkan and directed by City College drama instructor John Wilk, “All the Way” depicts Lyndon B. Johnson’s (LBJ) accidental presidency after John F. Kennedy’s
The Martyr
King must ease rising tensions between other leaders in the Civil Rights movement, but a lack of federal protection for voting rights activists in the South are pushing his peaceable movement to its limit. Subsequently, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation J. Edgar Hoover (played by Don Corbin) has a relentless vendetta against the civil rights leader. King’s infidelity to his wife, Coretta Scott King (played by Merri Gordon), ultimately proves to be his greatest weakness and how his opponents tarnish his saintly reputation. Right after the Civil Rights Act is signed into
“Everybody wants power, but nothing comes free, especially not good.”
— President Lyndon B. Johnson
assassination, and further chronicles LBJ’s first year of presidency up to his election in 1964.
The Accidental President
President Johnson, played by Catz Forsman, is not the only main player in this period. Martin Luther King Jr., played by Rodger Lee, often shares the stage with the president, though they are not always in dialogue. The two actors often alternate their speeches in a coordinated routine, trading lines to help the audience absorb a dual commentary. Both characters are tasked with convincing the American public to pass the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In order to convince the public to do so, each leader coerces his own political party. The Dixiecrats pose the biggest threat to the president’s agenda and the cohesion of the Democratic party. Johnson seems to stand alone as the only Southern Democrat fighting for racial justice. The Texas native often exposes his rural sensibilities, and Johnson’s impoverished upbringing serves as an important link between himself and the oppressed in Black America. He understands that his position was not entirely earned by will and skill, but rather also owed to the color of his skin. “As a Southerner, I've had to bite my tongue on this issue my entire life until my mouth was full of blood. Well, not anymore,” Johnson said.
law, the narrative shifts toward King’s downfall and the clinching of Johnson’s legacy. The play slowly picks apart King’s integrity through his own flaws by the powers that seek to discredit him. “Everybody wants power,” Johnson said. “But nothing comes free, especially not good.” Certainly, as Johnson seeks re-election, it is clear something must be sacrificed. The president grants Hoover permission to spy on King in wake of his fervent activism which Johnson fears will jeopardize his chance at re-election. As Johnson takes the stage for his election victory, Coretta listens to the anonymously delivered sex tapes (undoubtedly by the FBI) of King’s various romantic affairs. Just before Johnson makes his victory speech, King walks shamefully off stage to chase after Coretta. King’s humiliation contrasts with the president’s heroism. But it was under Johnson’s influence that Hoover sent those sex tapes to the King’s doorstep. The spotlight chose LBJ. The City College theatre department will present three additional performances at Diego Rivera theater, of “All the Way” at 7:30 p.m. on March 11 and 12 with a final performance accompanied by American Sign Language interpretation on Sunday, Mar. 13 at 2 p.m.
Ardel Haefele-Thomas, chair of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer studies department, will complete the “Introduction to Transgender Studies”next year, the first textbook on the subject in the United States. Haefele-Thomas aims to educate the masses about becoming better allies with trans folks and to clear up harmful misconceptions in the groundbreaking book. The book is written in a very conversational manner and will offer many valuable discussion points for transgender and cisgender students alike. The book features firsthand accounts of what it is like to be a gender non-conforming individual along with question-and-answer segments. Haefele-Thomas was approached to pen the textbook by Harrington Park Press, the LGBTQ and diversity division of Columbia University Press. “This textbook is groundbreaking
CCSF Alum Co-author
The original cover had images featuring men in lipstick and stockings, but Haefele-Thomas and co-author Thatcher Combs did not believe the pictures aligned with the teachings in the text. Combs is a former City College student who was a teaching assistant for Haefele-Thomas’ courses on AIDS in America and intro to LGBTQ studies. He graduated from the college with high honors and went on to UC Berkeley, where he was awarded several scholarships including the prestigious Chancellor’s Scholarship. Combs graduated in 2014 with honors, and is now at the University of Texas in Austin finishing a master’s degree in sociology. As a queer transman of color and former homeless youth, his perspective is crucial to the book’s development. Any and all institutions with undergraduate programs will be able to use the textbook and several schools have already piloted it, including Austin City College, Yale and Kent State University, Haefele-Thomas said.
“This textbook is groundbreaking and defining a field...There is literally no other book like it in the world.”
—LGBTQ department chair Haefele-Thomas
and defining a field,” Haefele-Thomas said. “There is literally no other book like it in the world.” Haefele-Thomas has been deeply involved in the queer community for over 32 years in San Francisco as well as Boulder, Colorado and Lexington, Kentucky. City College hired HaefeleThomas in 2005 as a full-time tenure track professor. “This was my dream job,” they said. Since then, Haefele-Thomas has taught numerous courses on gender and sexuality diversity studies, like one about queer history and the Stonewall riots of 1969 that which sparked the modern LGBTQ rights movement. They believe these experiences will assist them in writing the book to be accessible to all students, and therefore the most likely to create change.
Feedback from Students
Haefele-Thomas’s introduction to LGBTQ studies students are a major source of help in the editing process. Students are often the first to read the material as they circle up in small groups to deeply discuss the chapters in progress, and provide constructive feedback on clarity, educational value and relevance. The students were also among the first to look at the cover, which sparked a debate. The finalized version of the cover page features several transgender women of color, as well as a grainy black and white photo of what Haefele-Thomas described as
“I hope it helps trans folks directly by offering positive introductory information and representations of trans people in an academic setting—in a text that was written by trans authors and supported by many other trans folks and allies,” City College student Logan Barsigian said, who is an aide to the LGBTQ department and the intro to transgender studies course. Barsigian originally enrolled in a few classes to learn more about LGBTQ history and culture, but loved the courses and Haefele-Thomas’ teaching so much they eventually decided to pursue the full associate degree in LGBTQ studies. Barsigian is hopeful about the lasting impact the book could have on transgender education in the U.S. Mia Satya is a contributor to Haefele-Thomas’s textbook and a former City College student who wrote about her experiences transitioning from male to female, and how her upbringing in Texas affected that. “I originally came out as gay because, growing up in a small town in Texas, if you were assigned male and acted feminine that meant you were gay. I went through reparative therapy, but although I tried, I was unable to become a straight man,” Satya said. Satya recalled a negative experience with an outdated book in one of her classes. “Our book that was attempting to cover trans issues globally was over 20 years old. This was supposed to highlight trans experiences around the world (but) was full of outdated misinformation.”
opinion | 9
Mar. 9 – Mar. 22, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 4
SAN FRANCISCO
Homeless Displacement Reveals City’s Values
A man from the Division Street homeless encampment relocates after being kicked out on March 1. The inhabitants were given a notice a week earlier to clear the area after a health inspector deemed the tent city a health hazard. The encampment was home to scores of homeless people who took advantage of the freeway protecting them from weather conditions. (Photo by Santiago Mejia/The Guardsman)
By Cassie Ordonio cordonio@theguardsman.com @cassieordonio
The removal of the homeless on San Francisco’s Division Street demonstrates how low this city has sunk itself into a pithole—it’s disgusting. Stretching from Division between 11th Street and South Van Ness Avenue, city officials gave
He spoke poetically about how the universe works and his passion for music. Inside his tent, there were some similarities to typical, indoor households. The encampment is its own neighborhood. One of Prophet’s neighbors came over to encourage others to protest against the city’s efforts to remove their shelters by moving the tents to the middle of the street to block incoming traffic. “They ain’t gonna do shit,” Prophet said. Though their protest never happened, Division Street was completely cleared on March 1. Mayor Ed Lee got what he wanted with no guilt on his conscious. “Mayor Ed Lee’s Super Bowl City” remained written on walls of Division Street. Barricades were placed throughout the streets, caging out any homeless who thinks about rebuilding their tents, basically treating them like animals, with nowhere to go. There are at least 10 homeless shelters in San Francisco, and a majority of them are overcrowded. A veteran I met two years ago moved from Maryland to San Francisco because the pay rate is higher for post-9/11. However, with misinformation and lack of research he spent all $5,000 within a month and never received the benefits he needed, leaving him on the streets of San Francisco. Homeless for approximately two months, he managed to find shelter at Dolores Community Services. Though they helped him access many resources, as a City College student, it was a struggle for him to follow a strict curfew
What was demonstrated at the encampment was a forced migration from a homeland to nowhereland. the homeless a 72-hour notice to “clean up” the block after declaring the encampment a public health nuisance on Feb. 23. During the 72 hours, I had a chance to explore tent city and realized the encampment was not exactly how city officials described it. A community was there. The residents had their own church for sanctuary and some had a stereo system. The women within the community looked out for each other. Each neighboring individual had a unique story and one particular person stood out. A local, who goes by the name Prophet, lived in the encampment for three months. Born and raised in San Francisco, he said he doesn’t mind being homeless. Though he holds unusual views, he is otherwise the same as anyone else.
and deal with roommates who were doing drugs. At the time, he said he would rather take his chances on the streets. Was this what this city was built on? Dehumanizing the homeless and forcing them to move to wherever the city decides to allow them? What was demonstrated at the encampment was a forced migration from a homeland to nowhereland. This was another version of the “Trail of Tears” and the aftermath of the nuclear testing near Bikini Atoll. The community was destroyed, and it is a reminder of how history seemed to repeat itself. The city’s neglect of human life, knowing that they don’t have anywhere else to go, baffles me.
10 | opinion
Have Your Say What do you think about California raising the smoking age from 18 to 21?
Vol. 161, Issue 4 | Mar. 9 – Mar. 22, 2016
Doomsday Clock Stands Still Amid Nuclear Tensions By Nancy Chan nchan@theguardsman.com
Tanveer Shahzad | 22 Administration of Justice
“It’ll be just like alcohol. People will find a way to get it anyway. However, I don’t care because I’m already over 21.”
Gabriel Parrott | 23 Computer Science
“I think it’s a good thing because the best way to stop people from smoking is to prevent younger, misinformed people from being able to buy cigarettes.”
Delaney Bradix-Lofton | 24 Criminal Justice
“I’m in favor of the higher age limit, because I have nieces and nephews, and I think the underage children should wait before they start smoking.”
Tristan Eng | 19 Psychology
“I’ve been smoking since I was 12, and now I vape. This useless bill extends to restricting vape products. This will do more harm than good because people won’t be able to get vape products, which are more healthy than cigarettes.”
Reporting by Andy Bays and Photos by Cassie Ordonio
I am glad to learn the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) exists because they back their Doomsday theories with empirical evidence and historical observation instead of paranoia or religious predictions. Knowing the team includes University of Chicago scientists who helped develop the first nuclear weapons adds credibility to their predictions. However, there is one large glaring flaw to the Doomsday Clock—it's not a clock. Clocks measure time as we know it, moving forward without ever turning back. However, the Doomsday clock's hands are altered depending on how potentially catastrophic events occur and how they are handled. One example cited as the closest to world destruction was in 1953 during the Cold War, when both Russia and the United States were conducting hydrogen bomb tests. This put the minute hand two minutes before midnight. Fast forward seven years to 1960, the minute hand was placed seven minutes before midnight, meaning the world was “four minutes” farther from ending. Through the decades the hands
were adjusted repeatedly. It is more accurate to call the Doomsday Clock the Doomsday Timer. I understand such a change may warrant a redesign, since the current version has minute and hour hands. But is the hour hand necessary, when the only hour represented is between 11 p.m. and 12 a.m.? Timers measure a shorter range of time, which is appropriate when only considering single hour. Unlike clocks, they can be turned forward or backward without any theoretical inaccuracy. Having an unspecified hour can replace the metaphor in current use, "to midnight," without losing truth, like"until the final hour" or something. There is no shortage of adjectives to describe danger. Finally, timers can represent positive responsibility better than clocks. Just replace the hands with a dial. Modern clocks don't require winding to continue running—electricity or batteries do the trick, whereas timers with manual dials still require human hands to operate. What could be a more encouraging metaphor to us all than acknowledging wrongs and finding solutions? The current Doomsday Clock is clearly an aggregate of human actions and consequences. I intend to read through the BAS official website for additional reading. As of 2016 the minute hand is
considered “three minutes to midnight,” which is a slight improvement from 1953. Maybe the optimistic side of me is speaking, but I would like to think reversing some of the damage we've done to the planet—and to each other—can happen.
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To Protect and Serve...Or Not By Sean Karlin sean.karlin@gmail.com
Mario Woods was a neighbor of mine. I never met him, but we shared the Bayview. We both shopped on Third Street, rode the T Line and swam at the Martin Luther King Jr. Pool. In the mornings, I drink coffee at Vasquez—maybe he did too. I hang out with my friends on Gilman Street, just
Yet we still train our peace officers to respond with deadly force to those of us who are malfunctioning. The coroner’s report states that Woods was hit by 21 bullets fired by seven officers. What happened to the idea of shooting someone in the leg? What about “set weapons to stun”? Back in the ’90s, the U.S. military funded research into non-lethal weapons to control civilian unrest in occupied territories. They tested weapons like rubber bullets, expanding foam grenades, sonic emitters and electric stun guns.
We still train our peace officers to respond with deadly force to those of us who are malfunctioning around the corner from the spot where police shot Woods to death. In the past 10,000 years, we have inherited the mantle of our collective civilizations, both East and West. If I lived in another part of town, maybe Potrero or Dolores, he would still be my neighbor because that is how we have decided to craft our society, as a community. I may not have been his friend, and I may not have appreciated his lifestyle. I may even have been cautious walking the street towards him, but I cannot ignore that he was killed by our police force and that in my community we don’t kill people just because they don’t fit our mold.
How can it be that an organization designed to ensure civil tranquility is still armed with lethal weapons while the Marines are looking for non-lethal options? Police are on the front lines of the clash between order and chaos. Violence is a part of that conflict and there will be casualties. Police in the United States are some of the best-trained in the world and they do what they are trained to do. So let’s train our police to favor weapons and tactics that are focused on subduing rather than exterminating. Maybe we can ensure that some of these kids, even the knuckleheads, get another chance to figure life out.
Sometimes there may not be a peaceful solution, and an officer whose life threatened will need to act in selfdefense. But every time I see a video showing a police shooting, especially the video of Mario Woods being surrounded and shot, I can’t help but think there must have been a better way to resolve that situation. We are San Francisco, home to some of the brightest minds in the history of humanity. If we can figure out how to connect the world to Facebook, we can surely figure out how to help a person in crisis without killing them.
sports | 11
Mar. 9 – Mar. 22, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 4
Rams Double Fault Against Chabot By Pablo Reyes preyes11@mail.ccsf.edu
The Rams dropped the ball against the Chabot College Gladiators on March 1, losing the tennis meet 3-7. The unusually warm March day seemed it would favor City College. The Rams had the home-court advantage and the team looked strong in warm-ups as they perfected their backhands and forehands, slices and serves. It looked as though the Rams
the match would become tied up with all the momentum Chabot’s favor. In the end that’s exactly what happened, with City College failing to win any of their doubles games against Chabot. It was a demoralizing 0-8 shutout for the Ram’s second and thirdseeded teams. City College needed to win this match to have any hope of being victorious at the end of the day. The ninth set turned out to be key for the number-one-seeded match. The Rams made their stand and came out on top of long rallies
“I just took a couple of deep breaths and knew I had to battle. I didn’t want this match to go into a third set.”
—Vivian Dao
were poised to make short work of the Gladiators. But looks can be deceiving. The only competitive doubles contest of the day was the firstranked pair of Ram sophomores Vivian Dao and Emma Strope, which lived up to its top billing. Dao and Strope jumped to an early lead of 5-3 over Chabot’s Gladiators, but it was a battle to the bitter end. If Dao and Strope failed to answer the Gladiators’ barrage,
to take the game and the next two to win their only match of the doubles portion, 8-4. In the singles competition, it was pivotal for the lower-seeded players to be victorious if they wanted to have any shot at winning the overall match against Chabot. Much to the chagrin of Rams supporters, the fourth through sixth seeded matches continued with an ugly streak of the Rams getting shut out. City College lost the fourth, fifth
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Sophomore Emma Stoep serves during a meet against Chabot College on March 1, 2016. (Photo by Peter Wong/Special to The Guardsman)
and sixth seeded matches with two of them ending in a 0-6 losses. The first and second seeded singles matches ended up being the highlights of the day. Vivian Dao, the Rams’ number one singles player, had a firm grasp in her top seeded singles match against Melissa Young of Chabot College. The second set had a couple of sticky moments but Dao persevered. “I just took a couple of deep breaths and knew I had to battle. I didn’t want this match to go into a third set,” Dao said. “I had to dig deep and take advantage of my opportunity to win this match.” Dao tied the second set at four games each and went on to take
the match in two straight sets, 6-4 and 7-5. Rams’ second seed Emma Stoep wasn’t at fortunate, losing her match 1-6, 3-6. The final score for the day was City College three, Chabot seven. The Rams have three victories and five defeats this season. Hopefully they can parlay this loss and turn their season around. The Rams will face their next opponent, Cabrillo College, at home court on March 11.
12 | sports
Vol. 161, Issue 4 | Mar. 9 – Mar. 22, 2016
The Road To State
Sophomore forward LaDonovan Wilder battles two defenders from Santa Rosa Junior College in the third round of the CCCAA playoffs on March 5, 2016. (Photo by Peter Wong/Special to The Guardsman)
Freshman guard Malliyah Alpati (23) takes the ball deep on a drive in the game against College of the Siskiyous in the third round of the CCCAA playoffs on March 5, 2016. (Photo by Peter Wong/Special to The Guardsman)
WITH AN IMPRESSIVE 27-1 RECORD FOR THE SEASON, RAMS MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM SET THEIR SIGHTS ON THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS By Dakari Thomas dthomas@theguardsman.com
the Rams took on a more familiar foe in Diablo Valley College Vikings, one of only two teams that have bested the Rams this season. When they last met on Dec. 27, the Vikings managed to pull the win away from It’s all going according to plan for the City the Rams in the game’s final quarter for a College women’s basketball team. 78-74 victory. The Rams stormed through the reguKnowing they’d be facing a team that lar season with an impressive 25-3 record got the best of them earlier in the season against their opponents. The women’s exem- didn’t seem to affect the Rams’ state of mind. plary performance during the regular season “It’ll be a good motivation to see how earned them the number one seed going into much we’ve improved over the season. I the California Community College Athletics think it’ll be a good challenge for us,” Wong Association’s playoff tournament that began said. on February 24. The Vikings stormed onto Brad Duggan Like their counterparts on the men’s Court with high energy. Like most of the team, the top-ranked Rams got a rest day Rams games this season, the tipoff was won while two teams competed for the privilege by sophomore center Danielle Palmer. This of playing them. College of the Sequoias helped the Rams open with a 10-0 run in the bested San Jose City College, stamping their first quarter and gave them the momentum ticket to the playoffs as the seventeenth seed they needed to control majority of the game. in the tournament. Despite persecution from the referees, But as soon as they’d arrived in the tour- the Rams were able to hold the Vikings to nament, the Rams sent them home packing. just 17 points in the first half by using their Sequoias forwards Alexandria Tobie and speed and strength to wear down the opposDakota Olivers scored 21 and 15 points ing defense. respectively, but they were no match for the Freshman Gabrielle Vigil once again led offensive onslaught of Rams freshman guard the Rams in scoring, relying on her diminuGabrielle Vigil, who led her team to victory tive size and superior speed to sneak past with 26 points in the 71-55 rout. defenders and take the ball deep. The tenaFollowing their decisive win over College cious guard showcased her offensive and of the Sequoias, the Rams met their next defensive skills, proving to the Vikings that opponents in College of the Siskiyous. The you don’t have to be tall to play a big game. matchup proved to be unbalanced, with the Rams easily pulling ahead early by limiting Final Four the Siskiyous to just 12 points in the first On March 11, the tournament moves quarter. Freshman guard Malliya Alapati across the bay to Livermore, where the sank all three of her 3-pointers and fresh- Rams will take on their first opponent from man Brianna Deckman made three of her southern California—the East Los Angeles seven 3-point attempts. College Huskies. Sophomore guard and CCCAA Scholar Taking the court for the Rams will be Athlete of the Year Kelly Wong explained Northern California Player of the Year what kept the Rams in the game over guard Gabrielle Vigil, second team Northern Siskiyous. California All-State center Danielle Palmer, “We knew they were a shooting team, so second team Coast-North Conference guard we knew we had to defend the perimeter a Cassidy Chan, CCCAA scholar athlete of lot. And we knew we had bigs as our advan- the year Kelly Wong, and Coast-North tage as well, so we tried to work it into the Conference coach of the year Derek Lau post so that would open up our 3-pointers,” leading. Wong said. "It will be a fast-paced, up-and-down Defensive strategies were an integral shoot-it-up game. The just play a great part of the win. “We tried to make sure brand of basketball, they are very well we limited their transition points, cos that’s coached, and they play solid defense. They where they were getting a lot of points off are very similar to us," Lau said to City our missed shots, so we tried to focus on College staff. that and keep eliminating their 3-pointers,” Should the Rams eliminate the Huskies, Wong said. they would move on to the state final on Sunday, March 13. This year’s Rams hope We Meet Again to be the first City College team ever to win After plowing their way through teams the state basketball championship. from the far reaches of northern California,
said. “Even though we didn’t make them pay By Shannon Cole tonight, we can with the shooters we have.” scole@theguardsman.com
Rams Roll On
Blowing through the competition is some- As round three of the playoffs approached, thing City College have become accustomed the Rams next foe came in the form of the to this year. Santa Rosa Bear Cubs. As a result, the push to a state shamThe Rams came out hot, going on a 20-3 pionship continues as the Rams have point run at the very start of the game. The reached the Final Four of the California insurmountable lead was in large part due Community College Athletic Association’s to the shooting display put on by the Rams, men’s basketball playoffs after three blowout as freshman guard Zachary Copeland shot wins against three inadequate competitors: 8 for 10 from 3-point land. Sierra College, Santa Rosa Junior College, “We got hot and never looked back,” and most recently, College of the Sequoias. sophomore guard Troy Thompson said. The Rams started the playoff tourna- “When we’re shooting like that, it’s going to ment by doing nothing at all, having earned be hard to beat us.” a number one seed. They were well rested That seems to be the case as the Rams and ready to prove their illustrious position never looked in the rear-view mirror, locking by the second round of playoffs, when they up their 20 straight win 100-69. took on the Sierra College Wolverines. With confidence boiling and the pressure mounting, the Rams found themselves against a feisty opponent in the College of the Sequoia Giants. "I think our players Even as the game had barely begun, you know the opportunity could tell it still wasn’t going to be the day the Rams would finally be defeated this year. we have to win state." High-flying dunks, acrobatic layups, —Head Coach Justin Labagh and deadly 3-point shooting, all played a factor in the Rams jumping out to a crushing 25-4 lead. The Battle Begins Sophomore forward Jalen Canty gave The Wolverines came out in a stingy 2-3 a helping hand in lowering the opposition’s zone defense and were holding the ball after confidence with repeated, thunderous blocks crossing half court attempting to slow down off of the backboard. the pace. This forced the Rams into shooting “When we can make big plays like that deep, contested three-pointers and inconsis- and limit their scoring, I think it starts to tent scoring resulting in a 14-point tie early get in the other team’s heads,” said Canty. in the game. The competition never got much closer However, the lack of depth on Sierra’s as even when the Giants were able to score, roster began to manifest as the Rams pres- they could not stop the Rams who saw five sured the Wolverine ball handlers, getting of their players scoring in double figures as easy buckets in transition. They also pene- they won in undramatic fashion 84-46. trated the zone defense by driving and As the Rams continue to ride there passing efficiently to open teammates. season’s momentum to a 30-1 record in “One of their guys was suspended," the midst of a championship run, Coach Head Coach Justin Labagh said. “So we Labagh is very confident but doesn’t want his knew it would be close early but if we got team getting complacent down the stretch. our guys going and kept Sierra uncomfort“I think our players know the opportuable, we’d pull away.” nity we have to win state,” Labagh said. “I They would indeed pull away, scoring just don’t want them to think it’s guaranteed. 50 points in a second half that included Every team we play is going to give us their spectacular alley-oop dunks and high- best shot.” light crossovers. Sophomore guard Troy The Rams will now face off against the Thompson led his team, scoring 25 points, third seeded Chaffey College Panthers in the while Trevor Dunbar, Shon Briggs, Jerrod Final Four matchup. Nodar, and LaDonovan Wilder all had 12 If what we have seen from City College points apiece in the 96-65 win for the Rams. is any indication to what is in coming future, “When a team goes into a 2-3 zone, it’s a the State Championship is imminent. mistake,” sophomore guard Trevor Dunbar