Vol. 161, Issue 5 | Mar. 23 – Apr. 13, 2016 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE
Playoff MVP Jalen Canty (23) breathes a sigh of relief as the Rams clinch the California Community College Athletic Association men's basketball title in Livermore, Calif. on March 13, 2016. (Photo by Peter Wong/Special to The Guardsman)
State Champions
By Dakari Thomas dthomas@theguardsman.com
As the clock ran down to zero and players began rejoicing with their families, the City College Rams completed their historic season on March 13 with a California Community College Athletics Association (CCCAA) State Championship
win over the reigning champion Saddleback College Gauchos 68-57. Head coach Justin Labagh now has two state titles under his belt as he brings City College its third state title with wins in 1962 and 2011, respectively. The final game was similar to every Rams game this season, with the Gauchos’ only
lead coming from the game's initial basket. From then on, the Rams’ tight play by means of their stifling defense and relentless offensive rebounding kept them in the lead. The Rams’ high-flying athleticism and shooting ability shined as they finished at the rim in transition and knocked down clutch 3-pointers. Meanwhile,the Gauchos
ran a multitude of defensive plays centered around their pair of 6’8” forwards Lyle Hexom and Breaon Brady in an attempt to slow down the pace of the game. Though the Rams were held to a lethargic 35 percent shooting from the field in the Champions continues on page 8
City College Faculty Arrested In Labor Protest By Patrick Fitzgerald & Audrey Garces pfitgerald@theguardsman.com @HitSquarely agarces@theguardsman.com @AudreyGarces
Amid giant skyscrapers, hundreds of protesters’ chants echoed off the office of Jeff Sloan, the chief attorney for negotiations on March 11, calling demands for fair faculty wages and stronger support of higher education for both cultural enrichment classes and careersoriented classes. “We are fighting for the college San Francisco deserves,” Instructor Wendy Kaufman said. “The rally was positive, energetic and strong.” 24 participants were arrested toward the conclusion of the
protest, many of them faculty, for staging a sit-in in front of Sloan’s office. The tactic highlighted the faculty’s goal of pursuing a wage increase and underlines the faculty’s determination to the keep the college open and accessible to everyone interested in education in the Bay Area. “Our message that we want to tell the board and administration is that there will be no more business as usual,” American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 2121 President Tim Killikelly said. “We had a demonstration that shows that we are willing to be arrested to make sure they understand they need to change their direction.” City College Board of Trustees President Rafael Mandelman echoed Killikelly’s sentiment. “I think it shows that people
care passionately about the college,” Mandelman said. “They want a fair contract, and I think the board wants to try to give them a fair contract.” Neither City College’s marketing and public information director nor Sloan’s office responded to requests for comment.
Facing a Crossroads
City College faculty took a wage cut in the aftermath of the recession at the recommendation of Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior College (ACCJC), leaving faculty wages 3.5 percent below 2007 levels. Now faculty is insisting on fair wages that not only reflect their professionalism, but Arrested continues on page 4
3.5% 26%
Decrease in City College’s full-time faculty salary from the 2007 rate.
Reduction in class offerings over the next five years—a proposal set forth by the district who said the classcuts will balance out the dramatic decline in enrollment since 2012.
Of American Federation of Teachers Local 2121 members voted in favor of the Union’s executive board authorizing a strike if negotiations with the district fall through.
92% 24
Faculty and supporters arrested for blocking the office doorway of Jeff Sloan, the district’s lead negotiator.
2 | news
Staff Editor-in-Chief Marco Siler-Gonzales Managing Editor Santiago Mejia News Editor Audrey Garces 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 Staff Photographer Gabriella Angotti-Jones Contributors Peter Wong James Fanucchi 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 Affiliates
Vol. 161, Issue 5 | Mar. 23 – Apr. 13, 2016
News Briefs Batmale Gets Makeover Construction began Saturday, March 19, on Batmale Hall at Ocean Campus to fix energy consumption, temperature and air-flow problems. The seven-story, 129-room building will be brought into compliance with the 2013 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, mandated by the California Energy Commission. “They’re going to be working on the heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system,” said Marian Lam, who is interim director of the college’s facilities department. “And, it’s paid for by the Prop 39 energy efficiency bond.” The project which costs $949,620 is slated to wrap up this July with its major construction taking place over spring break. Poor ventilation and uncomfortable temperatures can cause “sick building syndrome,” (SBS), according to a study from Denmark’s the International Center for Indoor Environment and Energy. The center’s research concluded SBS can lead to inefficient work output. Batmale Hall, has never replaced its original heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems that were constructed in 1978.
Cloud Hall Blows Off Steam A steam leak on the southeast corner of Ocean Campus’s Cloud Hall that began Wednesday, March 16, was still sending billows of water vapor into the ether as of March 21. “We just passed on the information to the steamfitters and they will deal with it,” building and grounds department worker Brian Tom said. “We get lots of calls every day about different problems.” A small barricade prevented people from traversing the patch of sidewalk emitting gaseous boiling water. Heated and superheated water mist has been known to cause explosions, and inflict burns and sometimes death to those who come into contact with it. White clouds were shooting about a dozen
feet high from a vent on the handicapped access ramp, requiring people using wheelchairs, to enter Cloud Hall from the other end of the building. Another employee in the office of buildings and grounds who didn’t want his name used added, “a steamfitter assessed the situation Thursday, and they’re going to fix it next week.”
USC tuition increase causes protest A student-run protest took place in the University of Southern California (USC) on March 8 due to an almost $2000 tuition increase for the 20162017 school year, bringing average enrollment costs to $51,442, according to USA Today. USA Today reported that the USC’s new tuition makes it more expensive to attend than many other private universities, including Stanford and Princeton. If other costs of living such as housing are included, its annual total is around $70,000. Last November, USC’s Undergraduate Student Government approved a tuition freeze resolution in an effort to stop tuition hikes, but to no avail.
Right-to-die Law Introduced A new law that allows the terminally ill to receive physician-assisted suicide is set to take effect in California this June, according to CBS San Francisco. The law passed in consideration of Brittany Maynard, a brain cancer patient whose case was made known after she moved from the Bay Area to Oregon to legally end her life in 2014. As of 2016, the only other states where the controversial practice is legal are Oregon, Vermont and Washington.
March and April Events Keep Calm And Color
Join us for a relaxing and creative coloring session hosted by the CCSF Bookstore. Bring your colored pencils, markers and coloring books! Wednesday, March 23 from 10 a.m. — 2:00 p.m., CCSF Bookstore, Ocean Campus.
The Queer Resource Center will be hosting an exhibition honoring the history of San Francisco’s MUNI drivers. For more information: (415) 4525723
The San Francisco Board of Education is implementing sex trafficking education into middle school and high school classrooms, according to CBS San Francisco. The lessons include the history of Chinese, Korean and Filipina comfort women during World War II, in addition to teaching students how to recognize signs of human trafficking. San Francisco City Supervisor Eric Mar stressed remembrance for those who suffered and recognition for those who are suffering. “I also want to make sure, besides a memorial curriculum, that there is a day of remembrance,” Mar told CBS San Francisco. “That we come together to celebrate people standing up for themselves and speaking truth to power and about history.”
Board of Gov. Oust Accrediting Agency The California Community College Board of Governors voted unanimously on March 21 to replace the the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) with a new accrediting body. A press release from the California Federation of Teachers said the community college system has made a historic turn toward fair accreditation after facing years of harsh practices by the ACCJC. City College remains under sanction by the ACCJC and is expected to undergo its final evaluation by the accreditation agency this fall. The ACCJC attempted to strip City College of it’s accreditation in 2013, but the ruling was overturned in a lawsuit between the City of San Francisco and the ACCJC. In the press release, American Federation of Teachers Local 2121 President Tim Killikelly said, “The Board of Governors’ overwhelming decision today to move to a new accreditor is the right one and we applaud it.”
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
Swing City Dancers
connection with the lecture. For more information: (415) 9206023
Join us for a talk on history of Lindy Hop in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Alpha Gamma Sigma
Café Musée
Thursday, March 24 from 2:00 — 3:00 p.m., Room 106, Mission Campus.
The Alpha Gamma Sigma honor society will be selling hot dogs and pizza slices to fund their scholarYellow Line: an exhibition honor ship program in Ram Plaza.
of S.F. MUNI Operators
SF students to learn about sex trafficking
Thursday, March 24 from 9:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m., Ram Plaza
Bone Marrow Drive
Take a few moments out of your day to save a life! The Biotechnology Club will be hosting a Bone Thursday, March 24 from 4:00 — 6:00 p.m., Marrow Drive on Ram Plaza. All it Queer Resource Center, Bungalow 201 takes a few minutes of your time (between Creative arts and Arts extension and a simple, pain-free cheek swab buildings, Ocean Campus.) to join the bone marrow registry. For more information, contact ccsLectures on Civil Rights fbiotechnologyclub@gmail.com or USF Professor and journalists Tere- carin.zimmerman@mail.ccsf.edu sa Moore and Ethel Payne discuss Friday, March 25, 8:00p.m. — 10:00p.m., civil rights for Women’s History Ram Plaza, Ocean Campus. Month. You can also view the “Race and Place: Architectures of Segregation and Liberation” exhibition in
Saturday, March 26, 7:00 – 8:00p.m., Wellness Center Room 301, Ocean Campus.
Join Café Musée for a presentation in French on "The Aesthetic Theater of Franz Von Stuck (1863-1928)" and discussion in French to follow. A great opportunity for socializing and networking. Saturday, March 26, 9:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m., Visual Arts V114, Ocean Campus.
Student Employment Orientation Workshops
City College students will learn about the procedures and resources for getting hired on- and 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.
Thursday. April 7, 1:00 p.m. — 2:00 p.m., Multi-Use Building 39, Ocean Campus.
news | 3
Mar. 23 – Apr. 13, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 5
Nieto family attorneys Lateef Grey (left) and Adante Pointer (right) speak on the trial ruling at the Federal Court building on March 10, 2016. (Photo by Gabriella Angotti-Jones /The Guardsman)
Jury Finds No Wongdoing In Nieto Case Tim Killikelly, President of American Federation of Teachers 2121, speaks with press outside City College Chinatown campus on March 10, 2016. (Photo by Gabriella Angotti-Jones/The Guardsman)
Vexed Teachers May Strike For Higher Wages By Audrey Garces agarces@theguardsman.com
With the hope of providing a “wakeup call” to the District, the president of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) 2121 announced on March 10 that union members voted 92 percent in favor of approving the union’s executive board to call for a strike. “Today we stand united for a strong City College—for the community, for students, for faculty,” AFT 2121 President Tim Killikelly said during a press conference outside of the Chinatown Center. City College faculty have been working without a contract for nine months. According to the union, they are being paid 3.5 percent below their 2007 wages, and meanwhile the Bay Area costs of living cost-of-living continues to rise. AFT 2121 and the District are currently in the middle of a mediation process. Although details of the most recent negotiations meetings must remain confidential, Killikelly called the District’s proposals in past sessions “unacceptable.” However, City College administrators called the strike vote “premature,” according to the San Francisco Examiner reported on Feb. 25. “Deciding to take a strike vote before we have even gone through fact-finding—the next stage in the process—signals a disheartening lack of receptiveness to finding a resolution,” said a letter from the college’s Employee Relations office published in a letterOffice on March 2.
Overwhelming Support
More than With over 800 union members cast ballots cast between Feb. 25 and March 8, the local chapter’s union experienced its highest turnout rate of any voters in since 1978 when the college faculty first voted for AFT representation. its history. “People need education, they want education. We want to provide it,” said Kate Frei, a part-time ESL instructor Kate Frei said. “The resources are there. , it’s It’s time for them to give us the resources.” Killikelly pointed out San Francisco
is growing, so and with it, so should opportunities for City College students should too, Killikelly said. at City College. “We have gotten support from students all around City College. , they They voted unanimously at the Ocean Campus to support our efforts for a fair contract,” Killikelly said. Lu Marla Dea, ESL faculty member, said expressed that downsizing the college will greatly have the biggest impact on students and the community. Killikelly followed by questioning the logic of not having “competitive salaries” for faculty. , and how that is in the interest of students and the community. “I think faculty and staff at City College have had a really rough time, for now approaching a decade,” said Board of Trustee President Rafael Mandelman said. “There’s a lot of frustration and I think that is pretty clearly being expressed.”
A Complex Issue
Killikelly and other union members at the press conference also voiced their concerns regarding the District’s proposed 26 percent cuts to classes over the next six years. He made the point that San Francisco is a growing city, therefore it does not make sense to shrink the size of the college to threefourths of its current size. by a quarter. “We as a faculty, in unity with the community and students, are saying you need to come up with a better plan,” Killikelly said, directed toward the District. The District also stated the college will face a $24 million funding decrease per year once Senator Mark Leno’s stabilization bill ends in June 2017, said the District. “The board has a strong desire to pay faculty fairly and have pay scales that attract and retain the highest quality teachers, including those we currently have,” said Trustee Amy Bacharach wrote in an email to The Guardsman. “However, we also need to balance that with our fiscal reality.” Since the Accrediting Commission of Community Colleges placed the school on City College ’s current status of “show cause” status, ”-meaning the
college must prove it meets accreditation standards by this fall, has resulted in an enrollment dropped over the past few years. Mandelman said the issue is further complicated by the accreditation crises creating a “revolving door” for the of short-term administrators. administration, which has left people at the college with a lot of anger and mistrust. In an environment lacking trust, negotiations are all the more difficult. “I don't know that there’s anyone at the college and administration or on faculty or staff, or certainly on the board, who wants to shrink the college,” said Mandelman said. “But we are going to have a question about how we pay our bills, starting in about a year and a half, when we lose the Leno funding.”
Prospective Impact
The union, the board, and the District all said that understand a strike is not ideal. “A strike will have a severe impact on our students by disrupting class schedules, graduation, and possibly their ability to transfer to four-year institutions,” the District said. Union members reiterated during the press conference that fFaculty have not taken the strike authorization vote lightly, union member reiterated at the press conference. “We still hope that the District understands how serious we are. We do not want to go on strike unless we need to,” Killikelly said. “We understand that strikes have consequences for everybody.” In anticipation of a strike, To prepare for the possible strike, the union voted last September to increase dues and form a Strike Hardship Fund Committee to appropriate grants and offer interest-free loans to financially vulnerable faculty members. Killikelly would not chose not to discuss disclose a specific date or timeframe for the potential strike. “We need to give faculty a raise, and we need to give staff a raise,” Mandelman said. “We also need to explore every opportunity that we can to grow the institution and find new funding for it.”
Marco Siler-Gonzales mgonzales@theguardsman.com @mijo_marco
The Nieto family will see no reparation, monetary or otherwise, from the City of San Francisco for their son’s killing at the hands of San Francisco police officers. City College student Alex Nieto was shot and killed in Bernal Heights Park on March 21, 2014 by four officers. After two years of litigation between the Nieto family and the city, a jury has ruled in federal court that the officers were justified in their use of lethal force against Nieto. A largely white, suburban jury examined 10 days’ worth of evidence and testimonies brought forth by Nieto’s family lawyer and the city’s defense attorney that told two very different versions of what happened. The defense, led by deputy city attorney Margaret Baumgartner, argued the officers were within their right to shoot Nieto when he allegedly taunted the officer’s commands to show his hands and proceeded to draw and point his gun at the officers on Bernal Hill. The officers approached Nieto after firing 59 rounds of which at least 10 struck Nieto, and saw that his weapon was a non-lethal Taser.
"What do jurors have to understand that the people they are paying to protect them will and sometimes do violate the laws?”
—Civil Rights Attorney Adante Pointer
Civil rights attorney Adante Pointer argued that Nieto’s hands had remained in his pocket during his encounter with the officers, and the officers only yelled, “Stop!” before shooting. Sole witness Antonio Theodore testified that Nieto dropped to his knees with his hands in his pocket after the first volley of bullets were fired, after which he fell face down, hands still in his pocket, as the officers fired more rounds. The defense made a case to discredit Theodore based on his admittance to alcohol abuse and conflicting answers made in his deposition a year ago. A bone fragment from Nieto’s wrist that was found inside his jacket pocket indicated his hands were in his pockets during the shooting. Yet, medical examiner Dr. Amy Hart testified during the trial that she could not conclude the bone fragment found in his pocket was a direct cause of his hands being in his pockets at the time of the shooting. No photo of the jacket was shown during the trial. When asked what it takes to beat the cops in these types of cases, Pointer said it would be a better question for the other side. “What do officers need in order not to engage in this type of conduct? Or, better yet, what do jurors have to understand that the people they are paying to protect them will and sometimes do violate the laws?”
For the full story, visit www.theguardsman.com/nietoverdict
4 | news Arrested continued from page 1 also address the rapidly escalating Bay Area cost of living. “I think the college is definitely at a critical time,” Mandelman said. “Our administration has a really difficult task of figuring out how to preserve our capacity to grow, while making the scheduled reductions that we have to make to pay our bills.” The San Francisco Community College District has offered only modest pay increases so far, while simultaneously putting forward the 26 percent reduction in class offerings, mainly citing lower enrollment figures which have declined by approximately a third since 2012. The union fears that fewer class offerings will inevitably lead to faculty layoffs.
Continuing the Fight
Protesters assembled outside of the Hyatt Regency, where the California Federation of Teachers’ (CFT) annual convention was concurrently being held. Protesters chanted, “The workers united will never be defeated!” and “Hey Hey! Ho Ho! Where did all the money go?” They marched through the downtown streets until they arrived at the block where Jeff Sloan’s office is located. Protestors began to circle in the street as the police blocked traffic. Many conference participants as well as a diverse range other workers joined City College faculty in the march sponsored by the AFT Local 2121. “There were faculty and classified staff from all over California who joined us from the CFT convention,” City College instructor Malaika Finkelstein said. “And locally, many students and other community supporters came as well.” Nineteen college faculty and five others that included the head of the San Francisco Labor Council sat in front of Sloan’s office, repeating chants and singing a revised version of Mavis Staples’ “We Shall Not Be Moved.”
Arrests
Killikelly said the union demonstrated an act of nonviolent “planned civil disobedience” by purposely blocking the doorway of the attorneys hired by City College to sit in negotiating sessions. The attendance of attorneys at meetings is a relatively new phenomenon that began during the accreditation crises, Killikelly said. After roughly an hour, the police officers approached the sit-in protesters one-by-one, informing them they were trespassing. They each acknowledged their willful violation before they were handcuffed. None of them resisted arrest. They were taken to San Francisco Police Department’s Central Station, where they stayed for around one to two hours. Killikelly hopes the demonstration sends a message that will be heard by the district. “They need to understand that there will be no more business as usual and they can expect other things to be happening during the semester,” Killikelly said. Top: Tim Killikelly (right) raises his fist high as he leads a group of protestors to the office of Jeff Sloan, the chief attorney for faculty wage negotiations, downtown on March 11, 2016. (Photo by Audrey Garces/ The Guardsman) Middle: A group of protesters march through the middle of the street downtown, chanting demands for more money put toward the funding of public education on March 11, 2016. (Audrey Garces/The Guardsman) Bottom: A protester calls for higher quality public education through his megaphone as faculty, students, and community members march around him on March 11, 2016. (Audrey Garces/The Guardsman)
Vol. 161, Issue 5 | Mar. 23 – Apr. 13, 2016
culture | 5
Mar. 23 – Apr. 13, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 5
Striving for Independence
A Q&A with Scott Samels By Dakari Thomas dthomas@theguardsman.com
negative. They’re profiting off of us delivering hate. They don’t promote my type of music; that’s why my label is independent. I don’t care about what they will promote.
At first glance, Scott Samels might not come off as a rapper. The 39-year-old who also goes by S Class identifies as a socially-conscious MC whose lyrics discuss Their role in music today is close to irrelsubject matter like environmental degradation, animal rights, gentrification and evant now. Streaming is the new age. The for-profit prisons. Samels is both a musician and the head of his own recording radio, as far as breaking out artists, is not label, Richland Records, which he runs primarily through a studio at City College, what it used to be. To rely on them would where he first began recording and producing. be a fool’s errand. We can push our message The Guardsman caught up with S Class in the studio while he prepared for without them. the release of his first solo album to understand his creative process and what he plans to bring to hip-hop. What are the daily operations for running a label and supporting a family completely right now? Where and at what age did you get and social takes. Someone I rapped with introduced to the genre of hip-hop told me I wasn’t good and he was right, but SS: That’s the goal. It’s easier said than done. and how did living in multiple places it only made me want to go after it harder. At the start of most businesses, people invest more money than they get back. I had a stint in the US impact what you do? in the corporate world for a few years, doing SS: I grew up in New York just north of Do you feel at all self-conscious tech sales selling software. I saved money the city and that’s where I got my introduc- about being a white rapper in a from that which I'm now investing into my tion into hip-hop. I was in the birthplace predominantly black culture? Has business. This business isn’t putting money of hip-hop. My close friend introduced me it at all affected what your music is on the table yet, but I'm confident that it will. to A Tribe Called Quest with (their album) about? For the time being it’s solely on the passion. Check the Rhime and I was astonished. I’d SS: That’s the first time I’ve ever been never heard anything this creative. It blew asked that. I think aside from my race itself, my mind. That’s when I really wanted to being from a middle class background, I How has City College helped you in have dudes on my record label that grew up your career and what specific classes learn more and fell in love with the genre. the exact opposite. Extreme poverty—things have you taken? Then I moved to Minnesota when I that could not be imagined, is what they’ve SS: I’ve taken Broadcasting 120, 125, was 13 and was exposed to a lot of the actually lived. and 151. I never knew I would start Midwest and West Coast artists such as recording or producing music at City… E-40, Spice 1, Pharcyde and Souls of I didn’t have any major struggles until later I initially took classes here to start making Mischief. Most of the people at that time on down in life. I didn’t grow up in the music videos for me and my artists’ songs… only listened to a couple of artists. There streets. So me talking about that in my I was pretty much self-taught, so these classes were no Internet or music-sharing devices… music would be fake. What I am conscious and people here have really filled in the gaps I went to Philadelphia for college and I is about is what’s going on in the world, and of my learning. started a radio show with CDs I collected as a white middle-class guy who wants to over the years. Then coming to San Francisco promote positivity and growth, hip-hop is So when can we expect your debut I learned even more about the West Coast that outlet. It lets me promote change. album? and Bay Area rap scenes. It really has helped SS: The album’s coming out this fall, hopeliving in such diverse areas that are the same Do you feel like that conscious fully November. I’m not rushing anything yet so different... message is missing in the and some videos are going to be up on mainstream media? my YouTube channel with videos shot by Would you have had the same SS: The media doesn’t want us to be students at City College. conscious aspect recording at a conscious or enlightened individuals, younger age or did the maturation whether that’s in music or out. The same process elevate your subject matter? companies that have their hands in private The above interview was edited for content and length. For the full interview, SS: I think I would have had the same subject prison systems run it. visit www.theguardsman.com/s-class matter. I just wouldn’t be as polished. When They don’t want us unified or in harmony. Scott's work can be found on his website I was in college, I was also performing on campus and writing raps about very political That’s why the entire mainstream rap is at richlandrecords.com
Top: Rapper Scott "S Class" Samels raps over his track "Corporatocracy" for his debut solo album in the Arts Extension studio B building on Tuesday. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones/The Guardsman) Right from Top: Rapper Scott "S Class" Samels prepares his track "Corporatocracy" for his debut solo album in the Arts Extension studio B building on Tuesday. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones/The Guardsman)
6 | culture
Vol. 161, Issue 5 | Mar. 23 – Apr. 13, 2016
PERFORMANCE ART Inside the theater, GómezPeña, 60, walked onstage in leather boots, sporting a feather headdress and knee-length black skirt with black pants underneath. He opted for a jacket without a shirt, revealing a giant tattoo across his chest. His performance, titled “El Border Brujo,” used language experimentation and rhythmic spoken word, often sounding like the beat of a drum. He evoked a mixture of both a political commentato and stand-up comedian, pushing the audience’s notions of sexuality, culture and race. “I think democracy cannot thrive without the critical voice of the artist constantly testing its limits and possibilities,” GómezPeña said in his 2014 TED Talk.
A Global Perspective
Guillermo Gómez-Peña performed as “El Mad Mex” at the Diego Rivera Theater. (Photo by James Fanucchi/ Special to The Guardsman)
"El Mad Mex" Brings Art and Activism to City College Theatre By Audrey Garces agarces@theguardsman.com @audreygarces
City College received its first taste of performance art on March 18 when Guillermo Gómez-Peña graced the Diego Rivera Theatre’s stage as “El Mad Mex,” bringing a whirlwind of provocative poetry
and humor, intertwining activism and art. “I think that he represents a large part of our community: their experiences, their hopes, and he makes it vocal,” City College drawing instructor Diane Olivier said.
Setting the Stage
Foreshadowing themes for the evening, an artist named Balitronica
Multitalented and Passionate Cinema Professor Dies At 52 By Andy Bays abays@theguardsman.com
Dina Ciraulo, professor of cinema production at City College since 2000 whose devotion to teaching and making films left a lasting impression on her students, died Feb. 7 after a long battle with cancer. She was 52. Gifted in visual arts from a young age, Ciraulo strove to impart some of that passion on cinema students from all walks of life. “She had a a huge compassion for students, especially for helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds,” her colleague Professor Carolin Blair said. Having a zen-like calmness at all times and an unquenchable thirst for nature and history, she once took a two-day trek through the Eagle Mountains in Southern California to see ancient petroglyphs. Ciraulo was an understanding professor who could, in a constructive way, occasionally be brutally honest with students. “She was an inspiration to everyone,” Interim Cinema Department Chair Anna Geyer said. “In her dedication to helping students and in her filmmaking, she always went beyond the call
of duty.” Her dual love of cinema and the great outdoors led her to produce and direct the feature film “Opal” (2010) about the nature writer Opal Whiteley, whose alternating genius and insanity captured public imagination in the 1920s. “Opal” premiered at the 2010 Mill Valley Film Festival and won the Nell Shipman Directing Award, a FilmHouse Residency from the San Francisco Film Society, and several more awards nationally. “ ‘Opal’ was made against all odds, completely self-funded,” Ciraulo’s mother Janelle Melvin said. “She had an amazing ability to inspire people to get on board with her. It’s a period film and she produced all the costumes on her own dime. It’s low-budget but it looks high-end.” “She was never wasteful, always responsible. She was a steward of the world,” Melvin recalled. “During the editing of ‘Opal,’ she didn’t have a kitchen table. It was a cutting table for her splicing.” For the full story, visit www.theguardsman.com/ DinaCiraulo
Gómez performed in the theatre’s lobby as the persona the Phantom Mariachi. Members of the crowd were photographed as they held a chain that was attached to a collar around her neck. She posed silently in her tight, faux leather body suit covering her face and raised up a sign which read, “Against the erasure of complex identities and eviction.”
Gómez-Peña began with warnings to those whom his performance may offend, which were welcomed by the audience with roaring laughter. His list included those with “internalized racism,” “in support of making America great again” or “prone to mansplaining and its physical counterpart, manspreading.” “Please, if you are triggered by this list, don’t sue City College,” Gómez-Peña said as the audience erupted into more laughter and cheers. A recurring theme in his monologues was what he explained as the sense of paranoid nationalism some Americans feel, which allows them to scapegoat immigrants to
address their own irrational yet deeply ingrained fear of culturally diversity. In an “open letter to the ex-Governor of Arizona, cc: Donald Trump, and the other Republican presidential candidates,” Gómez-Peña pointed out contradictions within their “cultural behavior” and poked fun at the hypocritical nature of US American cities, teams and food that are influenced by Mexican culture. “No more piñatas for your children,” he said, receiving more laughs. Toward the end of the night, he emphasized the importance of having compassion toward the entire world, rather than solely the United States. “Dear contemporaries: God bless Mexico. God bless Afghanistan,” Gómez-Peña shouted while slicing his hands through the air. “God bless Iraq. God bless Pakistan,” and continued his list of countries by encouraging the audience to jump in. No one mentioned the United States. “One of the biggest things I am taking out of this is his compassion for others. Sometimes I feel like that is really missing in the discussion in America,” Olivier said. “It’s always about us, and he’s talking about it being about others, and I thought that was powerful.” For the full story, visit www.theguardsman.com/ elmadmex
opinion | 7
Mar. 23 – Apr. 13, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 5
POLICE DO OUR DIRTY WORK SO WE DONT HAVE TO We rely on the police to serve as protectors, and deterrents of crime. They are first responders who are given the unachievable task of keeping everyone safe—a task that we are naive to think they can fully achieve. While police seem to be a necessity in our culture, the overwhelming sentiment toward them continues to decline as they continue to take actions that result in people losing their lives. It seems as if we hear of police shootings almost daily, so common that they are often reduced to just small blurbs in news briefs, if reported at all. The community continues to shake heads in disbelief as lives are lost at the hands of police officers, and countless families are forced to grieve when police choose to use lethal force. It is hard to imagine that anyone in their right mind would point anything even remotely resembling a weapon at police, but time and time again, people are alleged to have done just that. We are always force-fed the police versions of events and, unless there is video evidence, we are simply supposed to believe the versions that are put out by high ranking officers and media relations personnel. Having to rely solely on the police’s versions of events only leads to more distrust from the community.
As open and transparent as departments strive to be, police seem to always spin things in a way that makes it appear as if they had no choice, and the suspect was at fault. Yes, our communities are filled with crime, and we need a system of policing with members who will protect society as a whole. But when the actions of police appear to be just as criminal, who is tasked to protect us from them? It seems that in many instances police are above the law. Time and time again their actions are considered justified. The defense of “fearing for their lives” is used repeatedly. As soon as that is thrown out there, it almost makes it sound OK. But couldn’t one fear for their lives in almost any situation, especially those that police find themselves in almost every shift? Police are under continuous stress. They are faced with the worst of society everyday. It is a thankless job and one that seems not to make a difference. We expect police to deter and prevent crime but at the same time act in a professional manner. How high can our expectations of the police be? It is hard to understand the pressures that police officers face every time they go out into the world with giant targets on their backs. Generations of people have grown to dislike the police and many of them can’t be blamed for their way of thinking due to how they’ve been impacted by police conduct. This only serves as a disconnect between the communities and the police, whom the people should be able to rely on for help and protection.
We should be able to feel that the police have our backs, and that we can depend on them in the event we have to call on them. However, it seems that unless it is a major crime, police won’t even come out. The sentiment toward police will not change for the better so long as people continue to lose lives at their hands, and their actions continue to be considered justified. No amount of non-lethal training is going to keep police from fearing for their lives and resorting to lethal actions. I will not pretend to know or even understand the pressures of dealing with the problems that police face on a daily basis, but communities should be able to have confidence that those people tasked with serving and protecting are not going to shoot without absolute provocation. I understand the need for wanting to go back to their families at the end of their shifts and doing whatever it takes to accomplish that, but police must also be held responsible for their actions especially when the loss of life may be preventable. Being exposed to unfathomable crimes and having to deal with the worst of society can eventually take its a toll on anyone. We are gullible to think that all police personnel are capable of handling the daily pressures of their jobs without cracking. People losing their lives at the hands of police is nothing new but when it hits close to home and when it appears to have been preventable only makes it that much worse. There are no easy answers that are going to keep police from shooting people, however, what exactly is considered justified has to be much more clear. The system is broken and there is room for reform. Surely, this is not the best way to police.
Never Again, Please
MARCH 11 MARKED FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF FUKUSHIMA MELTDOWN
Have Your Say Members of AFT 2121 voted 92 percent yes on a strike authorization. How will this affect your school work?
Amber Straus 15 years teaching Women's Studies Instructor “What the vote shows is that teaching faculty, counseling faculty and librarians are all united in our desire to have a fair wage, and we’re tired of trying to make it below our 2007 wages. It’s really on the administration now to give us a fair contract so we can continue to do our work of supporting students.”
Ahmed Duvaih 19 Mechanical Engineering Major “It’s going to be hard, especially as an international student because we come far and it’s hard for us to find classes. If the teachers go on strike it’s going to affect us.”
Cindy Pang ESL Student
By Michaela Payne michaela.k.payne@gmail.com
Five years have passed since the Fukushima disaster, but containment of the radioactive leakage is still not under control. An earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 caused the “level 7” explosion and meltdown of three out of six reactors, plus damage to one more. The United States is home to 23 “very similar” boiling water reactor plants, NBC reported in 2011. Right by the beach in San Onofre, California is a nuclear plant that used seawater for cooling, which warmed the water temperature offshore to a creepy tepid and spurred a population explosion of stingrays due to the unnatural heat. It was built in 1968 within a mile of a faultline. When it suffered a steam generator failure and was shut down in 2013, nearly nine million residents lived within the 50-mile radius of fallout zone, according to the National Resources Defense Council. At Chernobyl, the site of history’s other level 7 nuclear meltdown on April 23, 1986, Ukraine plans to build a new nuclear reactor by 2065. So, the nuclear power industry has a history of real smart decisions. Let’s think hard about the future of energy. Where is the energy supply for our exponential global population growth going to come from?
Nuclear power plants
Upsides: generate lots of electricity. Downsides: 25,000-year contamination of entire regions, large-scale emergency
“If teachers go on strike maybe my studies will stop for a while, but I will support that.”
Christoph Greger 18 years teaching English
Ilustration by Shannon Cole
evacuations, giant radioactive explosions, nuclear waste with no permanently-effective disposal methods, unfair access to nuclear technology from country to country, expensive to build power plants that are high-maintenance and often impossible to control after (inevitable) disasters, terrifying “environmental impact reports,” not possible without large-scale plants, outdated technology.
Wind turbines
Upsides: generate lots of electricity, no waste, timeless technology, small-scale potential, lowest global warming potential per unit of electrical energy generated, no direct greenhouse gas emissions. Downsides: Installation costs, mined materials, some birds and bats killed by turbines, bird flight paths potentially interrupted, environmental impacts on some plants and animals displaced by wind farm infrastructure, not widespread enough yet to supply the current energy demands worldwide. Hmm. Why is nuclear still even on the table?
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“I hope that all sides can agree that this is a really high-stakes thing that’s happening. It impacts the student life significantly. It has the potential to have a really positive impact on our institution, but it’s something that is not to be taken lightly by any of the parties, so I hope everybody understands the importance and the significance of what’s to happen.”
Reporting by Jose Duran Photos by Franchon Smith
8 | sports
Vol. 161, Issue 5 | Mar. 23 – Apr. 13, 2016
Rams Capture State Championship Champions continued from page 1 first half, they weathered the storm by putting Saddleback in foul trouble and scoring a high free throw percentage. A small run before the half had the Rams leading the Gauchos 33-22. The final featured the Rams’ second lowest halftime scoring period this season, their lowest being against Skyline Community College, where the Rams only managed 28 points. Yet they still
for a two-handed exclamation point by Jalen Canty. The Rams fans cheered loudly as the final buzzer rang, and the exhausted Rams embraced and chest bumped each other before shaking the hands of their opponents. The nets were cut off and put on Coach Labagh’s neck just before the tournament’s awards were presented and three Rams players earned individual awards. Sophomore Guards Trevor Dunbar and Zach Copeland earned All-Tournament team honors and
"The work these guys put in and their ability to receive coaching is second to none.”
—Head Coach Justin Labagh
Tournament MVP Jalen Canty celebrates the championship win with his teammates following their win over Saddleback College in the CCCAA men's basketball tournament on March 13, 2016. (Photo by Peter Wong/Special to The Guardsman)
had the Gauchos presumably right where they wanted them, coming out rolling on both ends of the court as they aimed to build on their lead. The Rams applied full court presses and half court traps after scoring to produce the turnovers and hightempo play they needed to win.. The Ram’s pace and defense began to deplete the morale of the Gauchos, as the Rams drew turnovers and unnecessary fouls from their opponents. Sophomore forward Jalen Canty found himself in foul trouble as he began to takeover the game inside the paint with a series of post scores. When Canty was doubleteamed, sophomore guards Troy Thompson and Zach Copeland were left open and ended up combining for 30 of their team’s points, which helped push the Rams to a 53-35 lead late in the second half. The Gauchos fought hard and brought their point deficit down to only 10, but the inevitability of the Rams’ state title victory became ever more apparent. Beating the defense with slick passing, the Rams passed the ball to sophomore forward Shon Briggs, who laid it up
Jalen Canty lifted the Tournament MVP trophy; then the team gathered around the illustrious State Championship trophy for pictures. When reflecting on his journey and the season, Canty couldn’t have been more ecstatic. “I'm so happy I came here,” Canty said. “I played with Trevor and Shon for the [Oakland] Soldiers and once they told me they were going here, I knew I was. Labagh already has a State Championship so I knew he could lead us. It feels good to be the MVP, but how could I have done it without these guys?” This state championship is the second of the 2015-2016 school year for City College. In December, the Rams won the CCCAA state football title in a match also against the Saddleback College Gauchos. “I couldn’t be prouder of our guys, but I’d be lying if I said I was surprised. The work these guys put in and their ability to receive coaching is second to none,” Labagh said. Amidst swirling rumours about universities lobbying for his services, Labagh made it clear where his allegiance lies. “I'm not going anywhere,” he said.
Title Dreams End in Tilt With Huskies By Shannon Cole scole@theguardsman.com @oshanada
The Rams women’s basketball season came to a disappointing end on March 11 as they lost their Final Four matchup to the East Los Angeles College Huskies 47-51 in the California Community College Athletics Association’s (CCCAA) playoff basketball tournament. City College entered the CCCAA tournament as Northern California region’s top seed - a reputation built on a lineup deep with offensive talent. But in their final game, the Rams made only two of their twenty-two 3-point attempts. The large leads normally present in Rams games were also missing, the Rams’ only lead of the game was a mere three points. Despite their best efforts, the Rams’ sloppy passes and missed rebounds eventually cost them the game.
Sophomore center Danielle Palmer led the team with 13 points and freshman guard Gabrielle Vigil racked up 11, but their exceptional scoring alone could not match the efforts of the Huskies team, which stayed out of foul trouble and took advantage of the Rams’ nineteen turnovers. Despite the devastating end to his team’s stellar season, head coach Derek Lau told City College’s athletics staff that he’s proud of what his team has accomplished and looks forward to the Rams’ next chance to make a championship run. “We have higher expectations now. We made it to the Final Four,” Lau said. “Our freshmen know what they need to do to make it to the final game... We have a solid core coming back, and we expect to be back there.” After taking on the Rams, the Huskies lost to the Mount San Antonio College Mounties in a 55-57 nailbiter title game. The win is the Mounties’ seventh women’s basketball title.
Sophomore guard Cassidy Chan evades defenders from East Lost Angeles College during the Rams' Final Four game at Las Positas College in Livermore, Calif. on March 11, 2016. (Photo by Peter Wong/Special to The Guardsman)