Vol. 161, Issue 6 | Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 2016 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE
1962
: The ACCJC was founded as a non-governmental, independent organization of educators.
2003-2008: The ACCJC
generated 89% of all sanctions issued nationwide.
2013
: The ACCJC declared that it would shut down City College.
2013
: San Francisco District Attorney Dennis Herrera successfully sued the ACCJC in San Francisco Superior Court for illegally allowing biases to influence their accreditation action.
2016: California Community
Colleges Board of Governors voted unanimously, with one abstention, to reform and replace the ACCJC.
NEWS ANALYSIS
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges President Barbara A. Beno. (Illustration by Zoheb Bhutia)
The Dismantling of an Accrediting Commission By Andy Bays abays@theguardsman.com
The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), a maligned agency in charge of evaluating two-year colleges in California, was given the final nail in the coffin on March 21 by policy-makers in Sacramento, but they’re not going down without a fight. The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges (CCC), who oversee the state’s 113 community colleges, voted
unanimously to replace the the ACCJC over allegations of financial opacity, poor leadership, substandard training and failure to communicate with colleges. A 2015 Task Force on Accreditation was assembled by the CCC to take a hard look at the ACCJC. The Task Force’s report states its inception as the culmination of eight years of “concern” and “calls for reform,” and its conclusions and recommendations were highly influential in the recent vote to dismantle the embattled commission. The ACCJC’s systemic shortcomings, the report states, resulted
in the “clear consensus that the ACCJC had lost credibility within the system.” The measures elected by the CCC will restructure the ACCJC for its remaining few years while a new agency is created to better serve the changing dynamics of community colleges in California. Earlier this year, 15 California community colleges were approved to offer bachelor’s degrees in select industry-related fields such as respiratory therapy, dental hygiene and automotive technology. The report states this as one reason for a need for a total overhaul, rather than simple
adjustments, to the accreditation system.
The Commission
The ACCJC placed two-thirds of all community colleges in California on some form of sanction from 2005 through 2015. That level is “inordinately high compared to the frequency of sanctions under other accreditors,” the Task Force’s report states. If a college loses its accreditation, it loses access to taxpayer dollars and Accrediting Commission continues on page 4
Wellness Center Boiler Failure Halts Classes Page 4
2 | news
Vol. 161, Issue 6 | Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 2016
News Briefs Muni Proposes Cash Fare Increase 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 Editors 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 Zoheb Bhutia James Fanucchi Amanda Aceves Cody Davis Peter Wong 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
On April 5 the Municipal Transportation Agency proposed a 25-cent fare increase to Muni riders who pay in cash. If the MTA budget is approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Muni’s fare surcharge will take effect Jan. 1, 2017, according to SFgate. The SFgate reported that the MTA’s transportation director Ed Reisken said the reason for the 25-cent increase would be to convince more riders to use Clipper or a Muni fare app, which he stated would cut Muni’s boarding times and costs. “A” Fast Passes that grant people access to both Muni and BART will pay an additional $5 a month, raising their costs to $88. Fare costs for youths and seniors are also planned to rise from 75 cents to over a dollar.
Survey Shows Support For Police Tasers The San Francisco Police Officers Association (SFPOA) released survey results on April 6 revealing that 68 percent of San Franciscans favored having their police officers armed with tasers. ABC 7 News reported that only 70 voters said they opposed tasers, while 90 stated they weren’t sure in the 500-person survey. Two of the SFPD’s seven police commissioners have spoken out against tasers, saying their use could result in medical emergencies or death. Chief Greg Suhr proposed only certain officers such as the tactical unit should have access to tasers for the time being. One of the issues regarding arming all officers with tasers is the cost to do so. “When it comes to saving a life, what’s the cost to a human life in the city?” SFPOA President
Martin Halloran said. ABC 7 news said police commissioners are scheduled to discuss the implementation of tasers Wednesday night.
CSU and Faculty Reach Labor Agreement The California State University (CSU) system and its faculty reached a tentative agreement on April 8 after months of gridlocked labor negotiations. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that CSU faculty will receive pay raises of 10.85 percent or 13.8 percent, depending on longevity. The agreement still needs to be ratified by the teacher’s union and the university system, but succeeds in avoiding the five-day strike planned to begin the following week on April 11. The strike would have devastated the 23 campuses across the state serving approximately 473,000 students. The Chronicle reported that a neutral factfinding report found CSU faculty were entitled to a larger salary raise than the 2 percent CSU officials were initially offering. The new deal will run the university system $200 million over the next three years.
SFMTA to Enforce Parking Meters on Sundays Parking meters are to be enforced on Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. next to West Portal neighborhood stores due to drivers’ prolonged parking. The San Francisco Examiner reported that many believe the new policy will cause people to shop in other stores that provide free parking lots such as Serramonte Mall and Stonestown Galleria. San Francisco Transportation Agency
April Events
Low Tech Performance
The lights on, lights off (hence low tech) dance performance offers a great opportunity for students and faculty to present dances and new material without the pressure. For more information: Jeanne Hughes at 415-239-3412 or jhughes@ccsf.edu Sat., April 23, 6:00-8 p.m. Performance Studio 301. Free.
Salsa Dance Party
Ballroom Dancing
A professional instructor will teach a ballroom dancing class from 7 to
Uber Settles in Background Check Lawsuit Uber agreed to pay $25 million to resolve a lawsuit filed in 2014 by San Francisco and Los Angeles city officials. According to the S F Gate, District Attorney George Gascón found that 25 Uber drivers carried criminal backgrounds as burglars, sex offenders, identity thieves kidnappers, and there was even a murderer. “The result we achieved today goes well beyond its impact on Uber,” Gascón said. “It sends a clear message to all businesses and to startups in particular that in the quest to quickly obtain market share, laws designed to protect consumers cannot be ignored.” Uber allegedly misled customers about safety and will have to pay $10 million within 60 days. The remaining $15 million could possibly be waived if the company follows all settlement agreements. Uber has now been granted permission to operate in three major Bay Area airports, including San Francisco International Airport and the Los Angeles International airport.
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
8 p.m. The lesson is followed by a DJ event that features all the various forms of ballroom dance music. Proceeds go to maintaining the dance department’s equipment. For more information: David Blood at dblood@ccsf.edu. Sat., April 30. 8-11 p.m. Performance Studio 301. $10 admission.
Self Defense Classes
Janet Gee will lead a free noncredit self-defense class. You do not have to be enrolled at City College in order to attend, but must be at least 14 years of age. Gee comes from a martial arts background, and will offer easyto-learn self-defense techniques, including street protection and setting boundaries in relationships. For more information: Maggie Harrison at 415-452-5825.
Join the City College dance department for a “Tribute to CCSF Salsero Grahame Perry” salsa dance party. Beginner salsa lessons with Jeanne Hughes at 8:15-845pm. The DJ will spin salsa, merengue and bachata dance music. All three dances are taught in courses, so it's a great place to practice. The party is also open to the public. Sat., April 16. 12-1:50 p.m. Mission For more information: Jeanne Campus, 1125 Valencia. Free. Hughes at 415-239-3412. Sat., April 23, 8-10 p.m. Performance Studio 301. Free.
(SFMTA) director Ed Reiskin said that parking meters will start to be enforced becaus eover 75 percent of the stores nearby are open on Sundays. “The city” parking meter policies were stated in the 1950s, when most of the stores were closed on Sundays. According to The Examiner, the SFMTA is currently experiencing a two-year shortfall budget of $53.2 million. Sunday parking will help them obtain $2.5 million in income annually.
Bystander Intervention Workshops
This workshop offers an overview of oppression dynamics and strategies for interrupting oppressive situations when they occur.
Participants engage in dramatic roleplays that uncover the motives behind oppressive actions while also providing opportunities to practice intervening. For more information: Maggie Harrison at 415-452-5825.
Tues,. April 26 Rosenberg Library 304 11:10 a.m.-12:25 p.m. and Wellness Center 103 from 1:10 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Tues., May 3. Rosenberg Library 304 12:40 p.m.-1:55 p.m. and Wellness center 103 from 2:15 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Career Network Club Meeting Meet other students while learning about choosing the right major/career for you. The Career Development center will provide job and internship resources, job search help and resume and interview tips. Refreshments and snacks provided! For more information: careercenter@ccsf.edu.
Thurs., April 28 and May 12 from 4-5 p.m.
news | 3
Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 6
FACILITY MAINTENANCE
School Officials Tackle Batmale Temperature Control Wilhite, architectural associate for Facilities Planning and Construction. “This is a pretty big project for the cordonio@theguardsman.com school,” Wilhite said. “The whole purpose is to improve the ventilation for the building.” City College students and faculty may The project began on March 19, and soon be relieved of Batmale Hall’s extreme the department had an opportunity to speed temperature fluctuations caused by broken up the process over spring break. Since the chillers and boilers. building was not in use, they shut down the Batmale Hall’s temperature issue power to replace the old boilers, Southland’s was recognized several years ago. The Project Manager Dan Goodman said. Department of Facilities Planning and However, the new chillers will not arrive Construction (DFPC) developed a Year One until June. project to help control the 39-year-old buildThe second floor of Batmale Hall ing’s temperature. gets even warmer than usual during San Proposition 39 was approved by San Francisco heat waves, and the majority of the Francisco voters in November 2012 and gave classrooms have no windows or ventilation. the college $900,000 to pay for the project Palaita has been teaching in the building and other campus needs. since 2007, and this project gives him a sense “People need to, really need to think about of relief. He uses a fan to keep his students the quality of education in terms of what and himself from overheating. During colder the classroom temperature feels like,” Pacific days the fourth floor gets so cold students Kathrine Long (left), Paul Wilhite (center), and Dan Goodman (right), review City College's plan for Batman Hall on April 6, 2016. (Photo by Gabriella Angotti Jones/The Guardsman) Island Studies professor David Palaita said. must bring extra layers of clothing. “The temperature in the rooms really affect the way teachers teach and how students Walk-Through proceeded from outside Batmale Hall’s third so far been changed, Goodman said. “This learn. It jeopardizes participation.” A DFPC person and PG&E representative floor to the compressor area on the rooftop. will help improve energy efficiency and occuKathrine Long conducted a walk-through “Everything has been pretty solid as far pant comfort,” Goodman said. Fluctuating Temperatures on April 6. Long, who is new to the project, as we’re concerned,” Wilhite said. “The ultiThe department aims to finish their Year Batmale Hall’s broken chillers and boilers, came to assess energy efficiency and progress mate goal is to be energy efficient. We’re One project by the end of July, and will be which control how hot or cold the building with DFPC’s timeline. upgrading all of our basic infrastructure.” working on Year Two, the infrastructure of gets, are the root of the problem, said Paul The walk-through began at 11 a.m. and Eighty-five out of 100 thermostats have the Art Extension building next.
By Cassie Ordonio
STUDENT SERVICES
Health Center Offers Students Mental Health Services By Margaret Weir mweir@theguardsman.com
them to ask for treatment,” Perelli said.
Limited Resources
There’s a delicate balance about raising A study done by the Wisconsin Harvesting awareness. City College’s Student Health Opportunities for Postsecondary Education Center is 100 percent funded by the $17 (HOPE) Lab found that half of all commu- health fee each credit student pays at the nity college students have reported mental beginning of the semester. There is no state health issues in the past year and less than money coming in because they are not a half of those are receiving treatment, Inside state-mandated program. Higher Ed reported in March. “We are very concerned about the budget, About 88 percent of community colleges because there are less students enrolled so do not employ a psychiatrist or another we get less funding,” Perelli said. version of a mental health professional. The student health fee covers faculty and Luckily, City College is not part of this staff, supplies and equipment, and contracts. statistic. They’re looking into possible grants, espe“We definitely have licensed mental cially ones for mental health. health providers here, a psychologist and “The last thing we want to cut back on licensed clinical social workers,” Student is people,” Perelli said. Health Services director Becky Perelli said. While the health center would like to provide services to everyone, there are Accessing Treatment simply not enough resources to do so. If “We screen everyone for depression, and if too many people utilize the health center, in fact they have a high level of depression, they won’t have the money to take care of or were concerned they are at risk, we will people any more. have them see one of our mental health Because the state doesn’t mandate health providers right away,” Perelli said. programs like they do for Disabled Students Between eight to 10 percent of commu- Programs and Services (DSPS) or Extended nity college students have sought treatment Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), through their schools by talking to a psychol- many community colleges do not offer them. ogist, according to Felicia King, a social worker at City College. Issues “I don’t think we’re as well-utilized,” King A report published by Health Services said. “I think part of it is just plain not know- Association of California Community ing the service is there, and we talk about Colleges (HSACCC) says stress is the number that ad nauseam, about how we can get the one cause of academic underachievement, word out.” with depression fairly close behind. Students Awareness is a key factor in City College’s are often affected by their mental health both efforts to aid in mental health. in and out of class. Stigmas toward mental health care play “One of my teachers recently saw somea role in the lack of treatment students are one have a full breakdown and told them receiving. Both King and Perelli said that about all these resources,” City College people often think there has to be something student Tyler King said. He said he was wrong with them to seek counseling, and not aware of any mental health resources people don’t want to think of themselves on campus prior to that incident. that way. The Student Health Center also offers King and Perelli also agreed that cultural physical health services, which Perelli says background and religion played a role in are one and the same with mental health. people’s decision to look for help. “Someone who comes to one of our coun“We want students to know that we want selors for fatigue may really have anemia!”
Christopher Brodie and Sam Edwards both work in City College's Health Center. Sam Edwards is a licensed therapist and helps with a variety of group counseling services on campus. March 16, 2016. (Photo By Amanda Aceves/Special to The Guardsman)
Perelli said. Two-thirds of Student Health Center visits are to see a nurse practitioner, and the other third are visits regarding mental health. Despite that, Perelli said City College still does less with physical health than other community colleges.
“Our facility is probably the biggest in the state,” Perelli said. Orange Coast College and Santa Rosa Junior College are close behind. She primarily credits early screening for the marked increase in students getting help from a counselor or psychologist.
4 | news
Vol. 161, Issue 6 | Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 2016
Caution tape marks off Wellness Center bathroom stalls after a leak was caught in a room adjacent to the water system on april 11, 2016. (Photo by Gabriella Angotti Jones/The Guardsman)
Boiler Failure Causes Wellness Center Class Cancellations contamination,” physical education department Chair Dan Hayes said. MGB took samples of the facility’s water sometime during the week and sent them to a lab for testing. “My understanding is that they’re simply waiting to get the test results back, and they expect to have them back today,” Hamilton said on April 8, the day classes resumed. Hamilton added that if the water is deemed safe for use, facility operations will return to normal. If City College does not receive the test results they want, Hamilton said, “We’d have to look again at what we’d do on Monday.” Hayes said MBG received clear test results on April 8, with the exception of one result that was still pending. The Wellness Center bathroom doors were open April 9 with working toilets, but its water faucets, sinks and showers were still taped off.
for the students.” Dean of physical education and dance Ray Gamba was unavailable for comment. “When these decisions get made, there’s kind of a collaborative conversation that happens. Like, (between) the dean, the facilities, and buildings and grounds people,” Hamilton said. “So it’s not like there’s this one person who just said, ‘Closed.’” These departments are all close-lipped about the issue and what details are known or not.
ACCJC, who declined to give his name, refused to speak with The Guardsman as he shut the office door. In 2012, the ACCJC tried to terminate City College’s accreditation for being in a “perilous financial position,” though the agency never found problems with City College’s academics. City College, the largest community college in the nation (and still accredited), suffered a plummet in enrollment when news of the ACCJC’s sanctions made headlines. The ACCJC, in a 2013 lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court by City Attorney Dennis Herrera, was found guilty of “significant unlawful practices” in their attempts to terminate City College’s accreditation. The ACCJC doesn’t see it that way, As the person in charge of the accrediting process for the state's 112 community colleges, however. In an email exchange Beno said critics charge that Barbara Beno has been particularly tough on City College. (Photo by City College “was found to be in terrible James Fanucchi/Special to The Guardsman) condition; evaluators noted scores of deficiencies that needed fixing by the college. Accrediting Commission site 48 hills in Dec. 2014 that the ACCJC Problems included deficient student services, continued from page 1 was “instilling a culture of fear across the outdated instruction guides, antiquated state community college system” with their computer systems and lack of fiscal controls.” federal financial aid for students. campaign to sanction and shutdown colleges. Beno said that although efforts were As a result, public sentiment has been Speaking to the same publication, State made by “some leaders to help City overwhelmingly negative regarding both Senator Jim Nielsen described Dr. Beno College swiftly improve, internal discord the ACCJC and its long-time president, Dr. as the most “arrogant, condescending and has prevented sufficient progress. This Barbara Beno. dismissive individual” he had ever met. dysfunction has been documented by indeCity College Political Science instrucAsked to comment on the ACCJC’s pendent parties, including the college’s own tor Tim Killikelly told San Francisco news replacement, an employee working in the external auditor and the state’s Fiscal Crisis
Management Assistance Team.” “The process ACCJC uses has been proven repeatedly to be effective. Colleges improve, and tell us they are better off,” Beno added. City College Chancellor Susan Lamb, who previously worked for a different accrediting agency, spoke in her office about the brewing discontent with the ACCJC last November. “Accreditation is supposed to be peers coming in to evaluate [a college], and help them meet standards. The process has become less collegial and more punitive,” she said. City College currently has a one-of-akind accreditation status called “restoration,” and will undergo a comprehensive evaluation in its application for reaffirmation of accreditation in Fall 2016. The ACCJC will review City’s progress in January 2017. Paul Feist, Vice Chancellor for Communications at CCC, said that the Task Force’s decision scrapping the ACCJC extends “well beyond the accreditation challenges that City College of San Francisco faced in recent years.” In response to Dr. Beno’s assertion that the process ACCJC uses is proven effective, Feist said “the report of the task force speaks for itself.”
By David Horowitz dhorowitz@theguardsman.com
A Wellness Center boiler failure created a leakage that required City College to cancel more than 270 classes in the facility from April 4 to 7, and caused a communication quagmire among the departments. The facility’s classes resumed April 8 although bathroom sinks, locker room showers and water faucets remained taped off through April 11. Hand sanitizers were used in classrooms and bathrooms. The leak was discovered in a Wellness Center room adjacent to the water system and caught fairly early, marketing and public information Director Jeff Hamilton said. Maintenance, Buildings and Grounds (MBG) notified the Wellness Center faculty and staff of the water problem on April 4. “It wasn’t damaging and didn’t cause any major problems. The leakage itself, of course it’s a problem. The building had to close,” Hamilton said. “But the leakage didn’t flood anything or destroy a classroom or cause any problems in that sense.”
Cause Reportedly Unknown
MBG management told assistant Brian Tom
to direct any questions about the facility to Hamilton, who had no additional information as of April 11. “We are unable to give a statement about the Wellness Center. The vice chancellor has instructed us to not make any information about it public,” Tom said. On April 7, Hamilton did not know if the source of the boiler’s problem had been discovered yet. He apparently had yet to be informed what caused the boiler failure. “I think just when this sort of thing happens, it triggers the requirement for an inspection,” Hamilton said. “Even though you don’t know whether or not there’s been any compromise of the quality of the water, you don’t take that chance. You shut it down and you have to conduct tests.”
Communication for Some
Physical education instructors were notified about water problems beginning Monday morning, and the City College website (ccsf.edu) was updated daily beginning late Monday. Water Tested “There was confusion about the extent MBG shut off the Wellness Center water of the water problem and I’d say we were supply on April 4 and and put caution tape never told if the bathroom, showers, and around water faucets and bathroom doors. Canceling Classes water faucets were available,” Lucarelli said. They posted notices on the facility’s Who canceled Wellness Center classes “I don’t think the instructors were informed." doors stating the building’s water had been during the facility’s water issues has yet to shut down for repairs and Monday’s classes be disclosed. For the full story, visit were canceled, but the cancellations contin“I think Dan Hayes did everything he ued through Thursday, April 7. could to keep the building open. He was “I think there was word some boiler getting direction from his superiors—I think www.theguardsman.com/ water might have gotten into the main Ray Gamba,” men’s soccer head coach wellnesscenter water, and they’re checking to see there’s no Adam Lucarelli said. “I felt disappointed
culture | 5
Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 6
'Chicago' Brings the Roaring '20s to the 21st Century By Margaret Weir mweir@theguardsman.com
City College finally got its hands on the iconic musical “Chicago” 11 years after the theatre department applied for the rights. Samuel French Inc., a company that licenses plays to schools and theatre troupes, is bogged down by requests for “Chicago.” Director Deborah Shaw and her colleagues, music department chair Madeline Mueller and director of music Michael Shahani, are thrilled to have permission at last. “The joke was ‘What musical are you doing next year?’ ‘Chicago!’ Because we never got it,” Shaw said. Set in its namesake during the 1920s, the show features the possibly-murderous duo Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, played by
City College students Samantha Delucchi and Jennifer Cleary. Both Cleary and Delucchi have participated in theatre at City College before, when Delucchi played lead character Elle Woods in last semester’s “Legally Blonde,” and Cleary was in “Wonderful Town” in fall 2014. “Chicago is relevant today because it pokes fun at corruption in the justice system and plays with the idea of celebrity criminals,” Shaw said. Chicago begins when starlet-wannabe Roxie Hart murders her lover and is sent to jail, where she meets B-List celebrity Velma Kelly. When Kelly turns down Hart’s initial offer of friendship, the two vie to garner the most media attention to each of their cases. The rivalry hits its peak when Kelly and Hart both want the legendary lawyer Billy
Flynn to defend them in court. Shaw said Bob Fosse, the original choreographer for the show, is “the man.” Fosse won an Oscar, a Grammy and a Tony all in 1973 for the category of best director. He is known for his liberal use of jazz hands. “The Fosse style is not easy!” Shaw said, and that Chicago is “sort of like the dream show in musical theatre.” The show will run Friday nights on April 15 and 22 at 8 p.m., Saturdays on April 16 and 23 at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees on April 17 and 24 at 2 p.m. General admission is $15, or $10 for students, seniors and Theater Bay Area members. Purchase tickets through www.brownpapertickets.com. For disability-related accommodations call the City College ADA coordinator at 415-241-2294.
Illustration by Serina Mercado
Swing Into Free Dance Classes At City College By Michaela Payne
party on Sunday, April 24 from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Social dancing is fun, pretty easy to learn the basics and you can bring the kids and great-grandparents, too. Our renowned City College faculty dance instructors No need to commit till you fall in love. Just try out a City and special guests will tolerate your clumsy presence in some College dance class during National Dance Week, April 23 of their classes all week, so pick a few to attend. This is a to 28, and it might spin you head over heels. great way to get recognized on the first day of next semester Like falling over your feet in a tango lesson. Or trying when you sign up for your favorite one. Just try to stay on to spin on your head in beginning hip hop. You might lose your feet and attempt everything with a smile. your balance and a little dignity, but you won’t lose any There’s always ice in the sports medicine office. Wellness money because the whole week is free. Center, bottom floor on the west end. You can surely get enough practice in just six days to This is “a chance to dance,” for you and anyone you’d venture out to the clubs around town. Visitors from City like to bring along, according to the founders of National College and the community are welcome to try out salsa, Dance Week. You’ll be tapping into a national tradition modern, tango, Lindy Hop swing, folk dance, ballet, African- invented in 1981, and maybe tap dancing, too. Haitian and more in the Wellness Center on the Ocean City College’s free classes are only the tip of the iceberg Campus. here in the temperate zone, during which Bay Area Dance Dances by students, faculty and alumni of the City Week will host more than 400 free events. College dance department will kick off the week with the Just one little class could pull you into “one of the largest, informal Low Tech Performance on Saturday, April 23 in most active and thriving dance communities in the country” the Performance Studio at Wellness Center 301. here in the Bay Area, the hosts at Dancers’ Group claim. Audience members like you will get some inspiration and/or onset of envy, then an opportunity to clutch strangers To attend, consult the Dance Week schedules posted in the third floor in sweaty embraces at the Saturday night salsa party from 8 of the Wellness Center, the dance department pages on Facebook and to 10 p.m. in the same room. Cross your fingers this will lead the City College website. The full schedule of Bay Area Dance Week to some after party at a salsa club to practice your new skills. events is at http://bayareandw.org/events/. Love holding hands with strangers? Try the folk dance michaela.k.payne@gmail.com
Tiffany Wu performs a salsa solo during the fall Low Tech Performance on Dec. 5, 2015. (Michaela Payne/The Guardsman)
Photos Hint of California’s Charms At Gallery Obscura By Michaela Payne michaela.k.payne@gmail.com
The new show at the photography department’s Gallery Obscura is “Space Oddity” by Heidi Judge, featuring 11 black and white images through April 30. Judge named the show “Space Oddity” only partly after the David Bowie album with the same name. “It’s more because my show deals with negative space. I love to have (the camera) on tweaky angles. That’s my jam,” Judge said. “Negative space is such an oddity.” All taken outdoors, the Newport Beach transplant’s images seem spacious and timeless. Some of the prints feature a Victorian facade, a steeple, people on a beach, a bird or a plane over the sea, a shirtless someone, a single branch and lots of sky. Looking much like her images, the artist dressed in monochrome white and black. And classic to gallery openings, the Photographer Heidi Judge at her solo exhi- combination of art and free beverages led bition Space Oddity held at the Gallery Obscura on Ocean campus. April 3, 2016. to a thick crowd of at least 40 of Judge’s (Photo by Franchon Smith/The Guardsman) friends and fans. It was a boisterous and fashionable parade. “This is probably one of the more booming parties we’ve had,” Gallery Obscura curator Renee Tung said.
To prepare the show, Tung guided the artist through a four-month process of selecting her images. “Renee helped me narrow my photos down. She’s kinda the best,” Judge said. At $54 each, Judge said, “The frames and the matting were my big spender.” “I ask to see a cohesive body of work, 10 to 12 images,” Tung said. “Heidi definitely took my suggestions but she had her own ideas, which is great to see in such a young person,” Tung said. The student photographer indicated to her along the process, “No, I’m sticking to my ideas. I want to stay true to this,” Tung quoted. Then “Space Oddity” went up on the gallery walls. Three of the glossy prints are square 120 mm prints and the rest are rectangular 35 mm. “Her eye for taking photos has gotten really good over time,” Judge’s friend and San Francisco State student Nickolas Tonn said. Judge’s favorite images is of the Sky Glider ride at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, showing just a few high cables with dangling cars similar to a ski lift. When Judge captured this picture, she decided she wanted to put together a show and portfolio. The photographer captured the images
all around California while traveling, sometimes alone. “I can be like, ‘I like that exit’ and no one’s like ‘We gotta get home,” Judge said. She snapped the images in Lake Tahoe, Marin, San Diego and more. “I love California. California is great,” Judge said. “I bring my camera wherever I go.” She used a 35 mm Minolta SRT for most of the photos, and a medium-format Bronica camera for the three square-shaped 120 mm images. One of those vintage cameras that the photographer holds at waist height and looks down into, the Bronica came from Glass Key Photo in the Lower Haight. “I develop everything myself in the darkroom here, then took it to Photoworks,” Judge said. On Market and Church, the photo developer offers a 10 percent student discount to scan, print and digitize film images. All untitled, the 11 prints are on sale for $250 each. View more of the artist’s work at www.heidijudgephotography.com and on Instagram as HeidiJudge22. “Space Oddity” will be on display through April 30 at Gallery Obscura in Visual Arts Room 160. Visitors may call the photography department gallery at 415-239-3422 for hours and directions.
6 | opinion
Vol. 161, Issue 6 | Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 2016
LABOR NEGOTIATIONS
A protester calls for higher quality public education through his megaphone as faculty block Jeff Sloan's office doorway, the district's lead negotiator on March 11, 2016. (Audrey Garces/The Guardsman)
Let's Start Thinking Outside the Box By Patrick Fitzgerald pfitzgerald@theguardsman.com
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander—or at least that’s what I’ve been told. At the heart of this idiom is the concept of fairness in sharing both the burdens and the benefits of any situation. We may not be practicing fairness well when we review the current dilemma of City College. Our college is facing the possibility of a faculty strike that moved one step closer to reality as of the instructors’ March 10 strike vote.
increased by 29 percent overall during the past year alone. If this claim is true, and is about increasing salaries rather than expanding staff , why shouldn’t faculty salaries not increase as much? What the administration and the Board of Trustees put forward is the fact that City College’s enrollment has dropped nearly one-third since 2012, consequently opening a $24 million budget shortfall that made the need for a balanced budget a prime priority. However, citing this fact as the reason for withholding union members’ pay increases while increasing administrative salaries is inherently a
could be seen as a long-run opportunity. Most businesses would be investing in a robust, interactive marketing plan that promotes the college’s strengths relentlessly. Instead, our marketing plan is subcontracted out to a marketing firm. No on-campus marketing
department is solely dedicated to coordinating and promoting the college. Where are the stakeholders who have some skin in the game? How about a truly aggressive marketing department with a vigorous, interactive plan that includes one-on-one meetings
How about a truly aggressive marketing department with a vigorous, interactive plan that includes one-on-one meetings with key community organizations and community members? Why is the breakdown in communication happening now, and what led us down this path of confrontation? Some blame a new tack taken by negotiators away from bargaining based on mutual interest to one driven by the best bargain with its inherent winners and losers as the reason for the communication failure. If the best bargain strategy is pursued, it may produce shortterm benefits but offer long-term heartburn as resentment simmers and poisons employer-employee relations. No one likes to be unfairly used.
Fairness
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 2121 claims administrative salaries have
double-dealing argument. What does this double-deal do to our institutional morale? Could City College be entering a death spiral where cost cutting measures escalate, enrollment continues shrinking, and the budget gap is never closed? Maybe it’s time—in fact overtime—for thinking outside of the box. AFT 2121 President Tim Killikelly said, “San Francisco is not 26 percent smaller than it was in 2007. In fact, it has grown.” He’s right, since 2007 San Francisco has grown by approximately 100,000 people.
Opportunity
The fact that San Francisco has grown by more than 13 percent
100% Black CIIS: URW Clarendon T, Regular, 38.75/46.5pt (kern 10pt) URL: Meta Bold LF, Roman, 34/42pt
100% White CIIS: URW Clarendon T, Regular, 38.75/46.5pt (kern 10pt) URL: Meta Bold LF, Roman, 34/42pt
where key community organizations, businesses and members are consulted and enrolled to support the college? How about holding collaborative instead of adversarial negotiations that incentivizes both the administration and faculty to persistently and aggressively promote the college together? Should administrators and union members first negotiate a memo of understanding that identifies City College’s institutional welfare as a priority to be handled with respect, collaboration and shared sacrifice? Should we be emulating our football and basketball teams who spectacularly exhibited these traits this academic year? Could we think outside the box and come up with a truly innovative way to consider these issues instead of adopting the “us versus them” model? Until then, administration should in good faith drop their salary to 2007 levels, or as much as possible, until union partners can equally share these benefits. After all, faculty are the ones on the front line every day, as much as if not more than the administrators. They deal with the stress of not only teaching but also fightinga perception of a declining institution. That is hard work and they are still their producing quality results. And, in these negotiations especially, everyone would do well to heed one more idiom too. Don’t kill the goose that laid the golden egg.
opinion | 7
Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 6
My, How Times Have Changed By Andy Bays abays@theguardsman.com
There’s a really awesome college in San Francisco called San Francisco Junior College. It’s cheaper than City College, has a ton of activities, lots of school spirit and a great location on Ocean Avenue. The only catch is, it hasn’t existed in nearly a lifetime. San Francisco Junior College was the name of City College from its inception in 1934 until the name was changed in 1948. But, the name wasn’t the only thing that changed. Perusing the San Francisco History Center one afternoon, I came across a gem titled “SF Junior College Handbook,” (Fall, 1947). This indispensable guidebook for students illuminates a time when life on Ocean Campus was almost perplexingly unified. For example, this passage expounds the glory that is the pole in the middle of the science building: “The silver pole in the main lobby is the campus counterpart of the grandfather clock at the St. Francis Hotel. That is, if a student waits near the pole long enough, he will meet all his friends there… At the base of the pole in the main lobby the lifelong friendships formed parallel the distant view obtained from the observatory tower.” Is this the same pole I barely notice, and have never observed people congregating near? Apparently, yes.
There used to be an Associated Men Students club, whose “chief tradition... is the semi-annual boxing carnival in the men’s gymnasium. All bouts are three rounds and effort is made to have every weight classification from flyweight to heavyweight contenders represented in the tournament.” I would like to see the boxing carnival reinstated, but I’m not sure what the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) would say. Perhaps ACCJC President Barbara Beno would like to go a couple rounds with City College’s Chancellor Susan Lamb. Not to be outdone, the Associated Women Students would hold two teaparties per year: “one is in honor of senior girls enrolled in San Francisco high schools, the other is for freshman women in their first semester of college, which serves to acquaint the newcomers with the regulars.” These two clubs would “jointly sponsor each semester a huge barn dance complete with appropriate decorations. Students dress according to the occasion with ‘levis’ and plaid shirts for the men, and cotton dresses or pinafores for the women.” Does anything sound more awkward than a campus barn dance? Even the most spirited, loyal Rams enrolled today probably don’t know the words to any of the two college hymns, the college cheer song, the two college fight songs or the college “High Stepping” song.
By Nancy Chan
More and more veterans are taking marijuana to alleviate the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is a concern since there are no conclusive results that reflect sustainable positive effects. Marijuana, like drugs so often are, can be an unpredictable substance. Quantities of its psychoactive component delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and non-psychoactive component cannabidiol (CBD) vary from plant to plant; THC and CBD concentrations depend on cultivation method and strain. Leafly.com, the world’s largest online marijuana resource, has information on 1,824 strains of marijuana as of 2016. Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica, marijuana’s main strains, can still be crossbred with other hybrid strains in an untold number of ways. Both professionals and enthusiasts have reasons for developing their own ideal ounce. The possibilities seem endless. Ironically, possibilities are marijuana’s greatest hindrance for societal approval. The drug is classified as a Schedule 1 drug by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, meaning our government believes it has a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical treatment and no applicable safety standard. Harder drugs like ecstasy and heroin are also identified as Schedule 1. The implication here is ridiculous. Many veterans have reached a point where they feel outside approval is no longer necessary for their treatment of
choice. Marijuana’s ability to reduce acute stress, anxiety and nightmares is enough to justify its use, even though the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) acknowledges there are no studies on the number of veterans currently using marijuana or the benefits of marijuana for veterans suffering from PTSD. Why not, if the side-effects of prescription drugs are known? Antidepressants such as Zoloft and sedatives such as Klonopin have decreasing effectiveness, and leave individuals feeling like zombies. One former marine veteran, Logan Edwards, was contacted by NBC News about how marijuana saved his life. “The first time I used it, I wanted to cry. Because it did everything for me that the Oxycontin, benzodiazepines and antidepressants the VA prescribed me for three years did not do,” Edwards said. He believed cannabis allowed him to return to school and resume his relationships. Cameron Shearer, a City College veteran who acquired PTSD from the 2014 Fort Hood Texas shooting, has a similarly positive outlook. “When I came back from Texas, I was taking 18 different medications in a given day,” Shearer said. “But since I started smoking pot, it’s down to four. I consider that an achievement.” Shearer admittedly enjoys the plant’s versatility. Living with PTSD doesn’t seem like such a hard pill to swallow if there are less pills involved. “This is the choice I like. It works. You can absorb it in many different ways,” Shearer said. “I could do things sober, but you can’t stop thinking about things and tears come up to your eyes.” Lane Worley is another City
The Student Voting Act will automatically register students to vote when they register for classes at the UC, Cal State and community college systems. What are your thoughts about this? Jim Uhlman 55 Computer Science
The San Francisco Junior College Handbook from the Fall Semester of 1947.
I’ll leave you with this, eternal friends around the silver pole of the main lobby, to sing to your heart’s delight. “On a hill in San Francisco stands our dear J.C. Cherished, loved by all comprising her large family, San Francisco Junior College, Thee we’ll never fail, San Francisco Alma Mater, Hail, Hail, Hail!”
Let Veterans Turn Over A New Leaf nchan@theguardsman.com
Have Your Say
College veteran with PTSD. His hands easily become clammy whenever he’s in a crowd or an area with a lot of people, including class. “The thing you need to understand is prescribed drugs are meant for you and are not meant for the public,” Worley said. Worley is not the only one aware of the stigmas. Veterans already have trouble reintegrating themselves into society, whether it’s finding employers or friends. To that end, marijuana does have uses. But a lot more needs to be done for veterans’ sakes, including actual government studies and potential alternative therapies. They deserve our care.
3.5¢ Black & White on 20lb white bond
per side 8.5x11” size only. One orginal only. Minimum 500 copies. No bleeds & heavy coverage. Offer good with this ad only. One per customer please.
“I think anytime you encourage citizens to be a part of the system is a good thing and voting is a theoretical power. Voting is good. I hate to see at any time that any program jumps in as a political solutions. I’m not sure that the youth votes and that disturbs me as a citizen.” Nardin Maroof 23 Travel and Tourism Management “I believe that everyone should be registered to vote, and I think it’s convenient to be registered to vote. But, there are pros and cons to it." Di Tran 19 Marketing
“I think we’re not being educated or informed enough about voting so I think it’s a good thing. Normally, people our age doesn’t think about voting. I think it’s good that we have something to push us into that kinda area.” Jeffrey Merat 29 Theatre
“That’s really not fair, but I guess it’s something you have to do.” Jose Santamaria 33 Computer Science “I almost didn’t register to vote. I think that being registered to vote automatically when registering for classes is good. It sort of takes away that fear of not knowing how to go about.” Edgar Mo Lara 27 Bioengineering
“I feel like being registered to vote is not the problem. But when somebody does something automatically for you without you asking for it, I feel like that’s unfair.” Reporting by Jose Duran Photos by Franchon Smith
8 | sports
Vol. 161, Issue 6 | Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 2016
Liz Thompson Swims Towards Success By Margaret Weir
her teammates furiously nodded in agreement behind her. The team practices four or five days a week, spending two hours in water and Liz Thompson is a team player. She became one hour on land. Both technique and captain of the City College women’s swim practice are really important in swimming, team when her teammate Daniela Fiestas- Thompson said. Paredes recommended her to the coach. It’s a thorough workout. As captain, “I said, ‘I think the person who would be Thompson motivates herself and her a good captain is Liz,’” Fiestas-Paredes said. colleagues to get through it. Thompson began swimming casu“I think people always want to kind of mweir@theguardsman.com
“We can either have a hard practice and not have it be worth anything, or have a hard practice and be really proud of what we did. Either way, it hurts in the morning.”
—Liz Thompson
ally when she was five, but it was after she joined her high school swim team that she decided to pursue the sport more seriously. She intends to attend a four-year school and major in environmental engineering after leaving City College. Thompson’s event of choice is the individual medley, a grueling test of skill and strength comprised of four swimming styles. She also competes in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly. “Swimmers can either do fast events, like sprinting, or endurance. I think I’m a better endurance (swimmer),” Thompson said as
cheat on practice, but I like to remind myself and everyone else that we only have one chance to do this right,” Thompson said. “We can either have a hard practice and not have it be worth anything, or have a hard practice and be really proud of what we did. Either way, it hurts in the morning.” Thompson is undeterred by the daunting physical demands of her sport. The most satisfying part of swimming is when the coach gives them a really hard set and she manages to work her way through it, Thompson said.
City College swim team captain Liz Thompson encourages her teammate during team practice at the Wellness Center. Feb. 2016. (Photo by Cody Davis/Special to The Guardsman)
Sports Briefs City College Swimmer Recruited By Mills College Second-year swimmer and Guardsman staff writer Daniela Fiestas-Paredes is in the process of being recruited by Oakland’s Mills College. Fiestas-Paredes, a native of Lima, Peru, competes primarily in breaststroke events. Her season-best 100-yard breaststroke time of 1:11:84 qualified her to compete in state championships in the event in the second week of competition this season. Mills athletes compete in the Great South Athletic Conference and is a member of Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Really Big Rings
(Peter Wong/Special to The Guardsman)
Athletes and support staff of the 2015 state championship football team received their championship rings on March 18, 2016. The rings were designed by Jostens and contain feature an enamel and gold ram’s head logo in the center of the ring. Players, staff and coaches could all purchase the rings. City College’s men’s basketball team is preparing for their commemorative championship rings as well. Sophomore guard Shon Briggs told The Guardsman with a smile, “We got fitted for our rings last week.”
Basketball Player Honored by School
(Cody Davis/Special to The Guardsman)
City College sophomore Kelly Wong, a member of the Coast Conference champion women’s basketball team, received the 2015 Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award at the annual California Community College Athletic Association meeting on March 30 in Ontario, California. Wong is a computer science major with a 3.92 GPA, and is the first City College athlete to receive the Scholar Athlete of the Year
award which requires a 3.5 GPA or higher in 36 semester units, sports leadership and demonstration of the athlete’s outstanding citizenship. “This award has made me more appreciative of my experience at City College and all the people that have helped me get here today,” Wong said at the awards banquet. When she completes her degree at City, Wong hopes to continue her studies and basketball career at UC Berkeley, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo or San Diego State University.
Stars of Track and Field As the track and field team prepares for the final meets of the season and Coast Conference championships, all eyes are on stars Kiera Simmons and Geraldo Castro. Simmons ranks first in the Coast Conference, third in Northern California and sixth in the state for the 100-yard hurdles with a time of 14:49. “She’s very strong in our conference. She’s our conference leader by nearly a second, as well for the 100-meter at 2:05,” Rams head track coach Demarcus Williams said. Multidistance runner Geraldo Castro ranks number one in the state for the men’s 800-yard with a time of 1:50.1. “He’s a very versatile, wide-range athlete. He’s actually able to run the 1500-meter, which is just under a mile down, and the 400-meter which is one lap, and be very effective,” Williams said. The team’s next track meet will take place on April 15 at De Anza College in Cupertino.