Vol. 162, Issue 6 | November 2–November 15, 2016 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE
Number of reported Clery crimes across City College campuses from 2013-2015 12
Vehicle Theft
27
12
Robbery
4
Aggravated Assault
10 9
Burglary
7 4
1 3
1
3
1 2
Hate Crimes Weapons Possession
2 1 1
Stalking Rape
1
Murder/Manslaughter/Arson Sodomy Liquor Laws
On School Grounds
Sexual Assault w/object Statutory Rape Incest
s pu am rt C po Air h ug us Go mp s an st Ca Ev a e uth ms So a Ad r hn Jo nte Ce vic n Ci tow ch wn ea Do hB on ort ssi n/N Mi tow ina Ch n ea
Domestic Violence
Clarifying the Clery Report By Nancy Chan nchan@theguardsman.com
One of the less visible cogs that keeps City College running safely is an Annual Security Report (ASR), which provides criminal offense information involving the Ocean Campus and each satellite campus from previous years. The report, alternatively known as the Clery Report, is a federal requirement for U.S. colleges and universities with financial aid programs. Campus security authority is responsible for making reports available in print and online to educational communities every October.
Its legal namesake, the Jeanne Clery Act, was passed following the 1986 murder of 19-year-old Jeanne Ann Clery in a Lehigh University campus dormitory. A total of 163 illegal acts have been reported across nine of City College’s campuses between 2013 and 2015. Of these, 74 of them happened on school grounds and 89 occurred on public property. The Clery Center For Security On Campus defines public property as “all reasonable public property,” including parking lots, streets and other pathways adjacent to facilities. Clery Report continues on page 3
Infographic by James Fanucchi and Nancy Chan
City College anticipates accrediting commission decision By Cassie Ordonio cordonio@theguardsman.com
City College is awaiting the decision whether it will be accredited by an accrediting agency. The accrediting agency, in turn, is being reviewed by the Department of Education. After the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) visiting team made their exit report back in October, the college can exhale for now. However, the four-day visit left an unsettling feeling with the ACCJC's new changes to their standards and practices. “I knew what to expect, in terms of this being mainly a thank you,” Interim Chancellor Susan Lamb said at the visiting team’s exit report. “I would’ve liked to have known where there’s areas of concern and areas of recommendation, but I understand this is a part of the process that they’re not able to do that.” The standards and practices
Special to The Guardsman
City College’s Board of Trustees approved a $53 million deal on Oct. 13, with a developer to lease 33 Gough St. All members of the board
Trustee race heats up By Nigel Flores Special to The Guardsman
in a residential area, it has potential for development. “The planning department wanted to rezone to build high rises in that area which makes the
City College Board of Trustee candidates addressed faculty and student’s concerns at the first public forum of its kind on Oct. 26. The incumbents a seeking to maintain their seats on the board included Alex Randolph, Amy Bacharach and Rafael Mandelman. Randolph most recently worked as a special assistant for the U.S. General Services Administration. Bacharach is a Senior Research Analyst for the Judicial Council’s Center for Families, Children and the Courts. Mandelman, who is a Deputy City Attorney with the City of Oakland is currently president of the Board of Trustee. Shanell Williams, the only African-American woman running for office citywide, is a City College graduate and a former student trustee who is involved in the Save CCSF Coalition. She worked on increasing the student minimum wage to $10.74 per hour and has
Gough Street continues on page 3
BOT Election continues on page 3
Half of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges visiting team listens to the statements of faculty and administration at Ocean Campus's Wellness Center on Oct. 11, 2016. Only one student attended the fprum. (Photo by Cassie Ordonio/The Guardsman
have been changed slightly last year, but still highlight four standards: focusing on improvement of quality, student outcomes, improving consistency and clarity of standards and practices. “We look at more in terms the leadership, governance and leadership, and looking at student achievement,” visiting team
representative Henry Shannon said in regards to the standards. “We’re trying to get a feel for the whole institution.” On the other hand, the visiting team can no longer provide a recommendation to the commission. This change was implemented at the beginning of the Fall semester.
Before, the visiting team would report if the college is at a level of reaffirmation, warning, probation or show cause, according to Lamb. The commission will meet in January 2017 to review the visiting team’s evaluation, and determine the college’s status the following month.
City College administrative building leased for millions By Erin Schwab
None reported
Oc
Dating Violence
Campuses by Color On Public Property
Drug Violations Forcible Fondling
23
present voted in favor of turning the current administrative building at 33 Gough Street into housing units with the requirement that 33 percent of the units be affordable, which is more than the 25 percent city law requires. The college trustees selected
in June 2015 Equity Community Builders and Integral Urban (ECB), an Atlantic based firm, to work on the project. The board determined four or five years ago that 33 Gough Street was not being utilized to its full potential and since it is located
2 | news
Vol. 162, Issue 6 | Nov. 2–Nov. 15, 2016
News Briefs Creative Writers Certificate Arrives Staff Editor-in-Chief Cassie Ordonio News Editor Cassie Ordonio Culture Editor Bethaney Lee Opinion Editor Nancy Chan Sports Editor Dakari Thomas Photo Editor Franchon Smith Lead Copy Editor David Horowitz Copy Editors Nancy Chan Cynthia Collins Patrick Fitzgerald Design Director James Fanucchi Online Editor & Social Media Director Shannon Cole Advertising Manager Cara Stucker Staff Writers Kyle Honea Abdul-Latif Islam Robert Jalon Bethaney Lee John Ortilla Adina Pernell Gabriela Reni Karen Sanchez Staff Photographers Gabriela Reni Staff Illustrator Auryana Rodriguez Contributors L.A. Bonté Nigel Flores Erin Schwab Rachel Quinio Sonny Pichay Faculty Adviser Juan Gonzales
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advertise@theguardsman.com info@theguardsman.com (415) 239-3446 Mailing Address
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City College’s creative writers certificate, a collaborative effort of the English department, is available to students for the first time in the Fall 2016 semester. The creative writers certificate is a wellrounded interdisciplinary program that prepares students to pursue a creative writing degree in the publishing industry. In order to complete the creative writers certificate, students are required to study a variety of of subjects and can choose from a spectrum of diverse courses. Course offerings range from subjects traditionally offered in creative writing programs such as Intro to Fiction to more expressive classes such as Beginning Storytelling & Performance. “Often the classes go deeper than the subject matter; many students are able to express important ideas about themselves and the world [and] create the world they want to live in,” said Cynthia Slates, a creative writing program coordinator. At a Visiting Writers Series event, City College English professor Julie Young acknowledged the amount of work behind the program, saying that many of the faculty “put in many dedicated hours to build the course line and surmount the bureaucracy involved,” to make the program a reality amidst “challenges to accreditation and drops in enrollment.” “Everyone should take at least one class in creative writing or craft exploration before they leave City College,” Slates said. – Adina Pernell
November ballot targets City College’s future San Francisco voters will help determine the possible future of City College when they go the polls on Nov. 8. The college faces the prospects of additional revenue from Props. B and W that will further stabilize the college’s fiscal picture and insure increased enrollment.
Prop. B raises the local parcel tax from $79 to $99 to help fund City College for 15 years. Prop W calls for increasing the tax on the sale of houses and property valued at $5 million and over. The revenue generated will help support city services, as well as help create a “Free City College.” But both measures are not without their share of controversy that centers around the actual use of the funds and who would be burdened. – Kyle Honea
City College echoes support for Prop W As election nears, City College chanted their support for a tuition-free community college at the corner of Ocean and Phelan Ave. Faculty members, students, administration and District 11 candidates from the San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors gathered to voice the benefits of attending a free college. Candidates, Kim Alarenga and Magdalena De Guzman highlighted how Free City will benefit the college. The chanting has been going on for months since the proposal of Free City from Board of Supervisor, Jane Kim. Signs were held high, such as a big W accompanied by fists waving in the air. Vehicles honked their horns passed the crowd who held a sign that read “Honk if you love CCSF.” – Cassie Ordonio
Twitter’s chirps grow fainter Twitter laid off approximately 300 employees starting the week of Oct. 25, 2016 to redefine its business model. The Christian Science Monitor reported that Twitter struggled with advertising and user growth over the past few years compared to apps like Snapchat and Instagram. The cuts echo a downsizing effort initiated by co-founder Jack Dorsey that laid off 336 employees on Oct. 13, 2015.
November Events Educated Palate Fall Buffet
Nov. 2-3, 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and 12:45 p.m. to 2 p.m. 88 4th St., San Francisco, California 94103
Celebrate the savory and sweet flavors of autumn with Educated Palate, a fine dining restaurant staffed by City College’s culinary and service skills training department. Call (415) 908-7522 to make a reservation.
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Nov. 5, 5-8 p.m. 579 Madrid St., San Francisco, California 94112
Excelsior is celebrating the Day of the Dead. Activities involve learning how to make masks, decorate cookies, making papel picado and children coloring books. Families are encouraged
Downsizing is seen as favorable while Twitter tries to find a new purchaser, as Fortune Magazine has noted. Promising deals with Salesforce.com Inc. and Disney fell through last September because both of them expressed concern about preserving their individual images. Although Twitter is a platform for professional connections and topics, it also has a sizeable population of “trolls,” or individuals who post inflammatory content on purpose for attention. Twitter has already discontinued Vine, a video app it purchased four years ago, on Oct. 27, 2016. It remains unclear if Twitter's acquisition of the live video broadcasting service Periscope will be impacted. – Nancy Chan
Nation’s hack attack under investigation The hacking of one of the nation’s largest domain system providers temporarily stalled approximately a dozen major websites on Oct. 21. Sites put to a halt were Twitter, Paypal, Netflix, Spotify, Reddit, Amazon, The New York Times, The Boston Globe and more. The New York Times reported that three service “attack waves” occurred from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. “The number and types of attacks, the duration of attacks and the complexity of these attacks are all on the rise,” Kyle York DYN’s chief strategy officer told The New York Times. What is to be considered a common attack is named a distributed denial-of-service attacks. Dyn DNS, a Internet performance management company is currently investigating the attacks. “Please note that our investigation regarding root cause continues and will be the topic of future updates,” York said in a statement on Twitter. “It is worth noting that we are unlikely to share all details of the attack and our mitigation efforts to preserve future defenses.” – Cassie Ordonio
Do you have any City College events that you would like included in The Guardsman calendar? Send event information to info@theguardsman.com
to make an altar to present for display to share with the neighborhood.
For more information contact Patricia at pbarraza@ymcasf.org
On-Campus Recruitment Event Nov. 8, 1-3 p.m. Ocean Campus MUB 140
20+ employers will be recruiting on campus for various positions, including regular and seasonal employment opportunities.
For more information contact Career Development Center at 415-239-3117 or careercenter@ccsf.edu
18th Annual San Francisco International Hip-Hop DanceFest
Nov. 11-13 Palace of Fine Arts 3301 Lyon St, San Francisco, California 94123
Eleven hip-hop dance compa-
nies from around the world will be attending. The festival honors the artistry of hip-hop dance in a non-competitive environment.
For more infomation, ticket sales and schedule, go to sfhiphopdancefest.com
San Francisco Veterans Film Festival 2016
Nov. 12 and 13 San Francisco Public Library, Main Branch Koret Auditorium, Lower Level
The festival is a robust forum for veterans to express their creativity and share their stories, which in turn promotes their healing and brings greater awareness to the public regarding the challenges our nation’s veterans face. The festival spotlights both Veteran and civilian filmmakers addressing issues about Veterans and military-related topics. For more information contact sfveteransfilmfestival@gmail.com
news | 3
Vol. 162, Issue 6 | Nov. 2–Nov. 15, 2016
BOT Election continued from page 1
Rafael Mandelman and Amy Bacharach address public comment from faculty and students on Oct. 26. (Photo by Sonny Pichay/Special to The Guardsman)
Clery Report continued from page 1
Observations
ASRs focus on offenses referred to as Clery crimes: among them are manslaughter, sex offenses, intimate partner violence, crimes against property, unlawful acts of prejudice and the possession of drugs or weapons. The majority of Clery crimes committed at or near City College were opportunistic in nature. Of the recorded cases, 100 are classified as nonviolent, consisting of vehicle theft (39), burglary (8), drug or weapon possession (32 and 17), stalking (2) and hate crime (2). The other 63 required physical aggression or threat of force toward another person: aggravated assault (14), robbery (35), forcible fondling (5) and intimate partner violence (8). One rape occurred on John Adams campus’ public property in 2014. Vehicle theft is the most common reported crime. Ocean Campus had 10 cases by itself, and the lengthiest Clery crime record with a count of 79 cases over the three years observed. It is the only campus with incidents of hate crime, domestic violence and stalking. In the same time format, the lesser-known Airport Campus has zero offenses. Only people with permits are allowed inside. Downtown Campus’ violations (14) and Southeast Campus’ violations (9) were committed solely on public property, while all of Evans Campus’ were on campus (4). Civic Center Campus had the greatest number of violations with 14 in 2014, but each arrest made was a special arrest that didn’t involve students. There have been no killings in or near any campuses.
Responsibility
Police Sgt. Carlos Gaytan of the San Francisco Community College District Police Department (SFCCDPD) collects the information needed to assemble City College’s Clery Report, along with related monthly crime logs every two months. Officer Igor Boyko uploads the data onto City College’s website. “Every day officers give me
taken a stand for increasing it $15 per hour. Candidate Tom Temprano was not present for the forum. The candidates were juggling many issues including dropping enrollment, class cancellations, and access to resources to for all 11 campuses--all while the accreditation issue looms over the college. Sharen, an English as a Second Language (ESL) student at the Chinatown campus, voiced a concern as to how board members will advocate for non-credit students to become student leaders. Non-credit students are currently unable to serve as student leaders, and the majority of international students start as non-credit students. Candidates agreed that the issue of student leadership is mostly a state issue, but it the issue has been previously discussed at board meetings. Mandelman
said the board had sent a request to the state to change this policy but was not aware of any new developments. “This has been discussed a lot, however it is a state issue,” Bacharach said. “All students should be able to serve. Student government is important for all credit students.” When asked about the soaring costs of insurance, which does not provide full coverage that international students are required to buy, all the candidates responded as being surprisingly unfamiliar with the issue. “We need to partner with our city and county to look at ways to support our students,” Williams said. “It’s not fair for students that have to take on that burden living in the most unaffordable city in the country.” Affordability is a concern among many students on campus.
info, and I put it into my daily log,” Gaytan said. “I’m a patrol officer and a sergeant; it’s hard to keep up.
department is understaffed and on the lookout for trainees. “Ideally we would have 50 officers,” Gaytan said. “Having just one officer without backup or no extra pair of eyes nearby for you… that’s a dangerous situation.”
It’s challenging, but for the good of the students and the whole of the college, I get it down”
– Police Sgt. Carlos Gayton
His log is a black Wilson Jones binder, housing typed documents that are sleeved in sheet protectors. Not one paper is out of place to compensate for the many hats he wears. Gaytan isn’t the first sergeant to act as a Clery keeper. A previous sergeant maintained the same role before he retired. City College’s campus police department currently employs 23 police officers. Ocean Campus generally has 11 on patrol, and satellite campuses utilize two police officers in addition to eight campus control officers for different shifts. The latter lacks the power of arrest, but they’ve been sufficient. Smaller areas with a knowing group of watchful eyes are natural crime deterrents. However, Gaytan prefers a larger police workforce. His
Also, enrollment has dropped from over a 100,000 to about 70,000 this year. “Enrollment is key,” Williams said. “We need to do everything we can to restore City College.” Currently, students are making less than minimum wage for workstudy jobs on campus. Many students can no longer afford to live in the city as housing prices continue to skyrocket. The college is also taking heat from officials after City College issued a request to lease or sell a property located on 33 Gough St. to a market-rate housing developer, instead of creating affordable housing for future faculty and students. When asked about raising the student minimum wage Mandelman said, “There is only a certain amount of work-study money. If we raise it, it will result in less student workers.” Randolph, among other
candidates, was promoting passage of Proposition W to make the college free for San Francisco residents. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Randolph also wants to partner with public transportation providers to give students free passes for BART and Muni. The board candidates main goals seemed to show their greatest differences in an otherwise monotone forum. Bacharach’s main focus would be to create an alumni association to develop partnerships with businesses to create another form of revenue for the college. Mandelman and Randolph’s focus would be to get through the accreditation crisis and keep the college open, while Williams pointed to a dropping enrollment rate at the school.
Discrepancies
City College’s 2016 ASR contains a few oversights regarding calculations. For the number of all burglaries, SFCCDPD’s total crime statistics lists nine burglaries, but the sum pulled from Chinatown (1), Evans (1), Gough Administration Offices (1), John Adams (1) and Ocean (4) locations amounts to eight. Either Ocean Campus had an extra burglary added in the year of 2013, a burglary was omitted from Ocean Campus’ ASR page or a burglary occurred on another campus. Furthermore, the Fort Mason Campus was excluded from the pages. According to the “Our Locations” section of the City College website, Fort Mason had around 2,000 enrolled students in 2014. A disclaimer on total crime statistics mentions that “The San Francisco Police Department did not furnish public property Clery crimes statistics for 2015.” Property crimes were not necessarily as low as they appear, compared to 2014.
The administrative building at 33 Gough St. will be leased for $53 million, which was approved by City College’s Board of Trustees on October 13, 2016. (Photo by Rachel Quinio/Special to The Guardsman)
Gough Street continued from page 1 property value even more because if they raise the height level that increases the value of the property and the amount of revenue that can be generated by it, if you add floors,“ City College Marketing Director Jeff Hamilton said. The college will receive $11.5 million upfront once the lease disposition and development agreement is signed, and once the entitlement of the building occurs. The lease will be for 75 years plus a 25-year extension option. During that time the college will receive 15 percent of the rent. “There is a guaranteed minimum of $400,000 per year regardless of the rents,” Hamilton said. ”The downside is if the rental market drops significantly in five or 10 years, then our rent will drop because it is a given percentage of the total rent. But, there is a floor of $400,000 per year that we get no matter what.” He added: “Anything above that, we share 15 percent of the rent received. Over time there may be years where the college gets a million or two million dollars in rent because of the way in which rent grow over time.” Prior to voting to approve this project, the Board of Trustees had an opportunity to review a report by Kayser Marston Associates who was hired, according to Trustee John Ruzzo, “to take an unbiased third party view of the lease agreement.” Currently, there are 80 administrative staff working at Gough
Street that will be affected by this deal, but no academic courses are held there. “There is a plan to move the Gough Street departments and people to the Ocean Campus and integrate them with the Ocean family,” Vice Chancellor Ronald Gerhard said. Gerhard spoke of temporary housing used in adjacent to the Multi Use Building until an assessment of needs has been complete for the Gough Street staff. The revenue from the lease of Gough Street will be used to offset the college’s deferred capital maintenance issues. The college currently has approximately two million square feet of classrooms, offices and other facilities spread across 11 campuses that are expensive to maintain. An example of where the money could be spent is City College’s 750 Eddy Street. The old Civic Center location was unexpectedly closed prior to the Spring 2015 semester due to seismic reasons the building was not earthquake proof. “We are right now in the internal process in partnership with the board to determine what the options could be for 750 Eddy,” Hamilton said. “There is also the possibility, that in addition to academic mission, there might be housing that could be added to it so you would have the same footprint for the Civic Centre campus then you might also have housing. This is all exploratory. Nothing has been determined, but the housing could potentially provide revenue to support the mission of the college.”
4 | culture
Vol. 162, Issue 6 | Nov. 2–Nov. 15, 2016
Cliques of creepy clowns have come to town By Bethaney Lee blee@theguardsman.com
Surprise! The commonly depicted red nose, juggling and big-footed fellows usually hired to entertain children at birthday parties have been replaced with the nationwide “creepy clown” pandemic capturing headlines with stomachchurning potential. Littering social media feeds and having already obtained the interest of San Francisco’s own “SF Examiner,” the creepy clowns have infiltrated our nation’s culture and are now lurking in our city’s own backyards. In an article issued Oct. 10 by the “San Francisco Examiner,” reporter Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez reports that a mother told authorities a “creepy clown” tried to kidnap her one-year-old child in Concord. Lockouts at schools in Oakland and San Mateo County were also reported earlier this month due to the clown activity sweeping the nation. NBC News reported that Oakland Unified School District Spokesman John Sasaki issued a statement saying “The Federal
called to restrict traffic flow in the afflicted Bay Area schools, with the intention of preventing any unwanted ‘creep clown’ appearances and to investigate existing threats.”
“the fact that people would dress up as clowns to scare people is just stupid.”
– Gabe Herrera Marketing Student
While a handful of clowns have taken it a step further than just wearing eerie makeup and wellplaced props, most reports have been officially deemed hoaxes and as of Oct. 24, no sightings have been reported at City College. “We encourage students and any other City College community members to report any suspicious people or activities to us at anytime,” College Campus Police Sergeant Tiffany Green said. “If a student sees a ‘creepy clown’ they should report to us, whether they suspect criminal activity or not.”
Illustration by Auryana Rodriguez
Director David Parr gave his thoughts as to what kind of artistic meaning could perhaps be interpreted from the “creepy clowns” who are no longer amicably associated with balloon animals and knock-knock jokes. Marketing student Gabe Herrera is living in the Bay Area, a place where professional clown-
occupation. The 20-year-old’s reaction to the “creepy clown” phenomenon was more relaxed. “I think after Halloween passes it will go away—it’s a trend,” said Herrera, insisting that it couldn’t last because, “the fact that people would dress up as clowns to scare people is just stupid.”
intended to sound by nature, the circus freak sightings are still not to be taken lightly. “If we receive any creep clown reports we will treat them the same response, seriousness, caution and sensitivity as any reports we receive regarding suspicious persons,” Sergeant Green. Headlines for the “creepy clowns” still stream the pages of the San Francisco Examiner, where as recent as the 23 of Oct. reporter Rodriguez wrote a breaking article about three armed men wearing clown masks and fleeing from Westfield Mall security. For all those who already fear clowns, the “creepy clown” phenomenon is only the beginning. With the same blend of comical and disturbing imagery, the cinematic remake of Stephen King’s “It” is due to release in 2017, sparking continued chats of “creepy clowns” that are already lingering on social media feeds. Coming straight out of nightmares, the “creepy clown” panic which is believed to have started on the East Coast, has now trickled to the Bay Area—home to City College.
Your daily horoscope is still the same and has nothing to do with astronomy By Karen A. Sanchez ksanchez@theguardsman.com
Deciding which Zodiac sign to look at when reading the newspaper came into discussion earlier this October after an article NASA last updated on Jan. 13 went viral in which NASA aimed to delineate and debunk astrological “myth” from astronomical fact once and for all. The post explained how the astrological constellations represented the Zodiac signs and how the earth has moved positions since those constellations were established. This led a large part of the public to believe that the dates used for each Zodiac sign had changed, and that one more sign was added; the 13th sign called Ophiucus. Articles started flowing through the internet adding the serpent-bearer sign Ophiucus, to the list of zodiac signs. Some articles even described characteristics of those who would possibly be born under the sign. Does this mean that Taurus tattoo
you got was a mistake? Not really. Founder of the website AstrologyZone, bestselling author and business graduate from New York University Susan Miller explained astrology, giving sufficient amounts of background information in her article “The Nasa Controversy.” The article sums up the history of astrology and details how the original establishers decided on a fixed date rather than deciding to follow the earth’s movement, making it impossible to change anyone’s zodiac sign no matter how much our planet wobbles. What gives a person’s astrological characteristics stems from the planets related to the zodiac signs, rather than the constellations and their mapping in the sky above. These constellations work as a reference to see the sign in the sky. Astronomers explain that the position of these stars does not change, yet Earth’s movements constantly do. Therefore, if the sign someone was born under was Gemini, to this day it might not be under their birthday anymore.
Filbert Cartoons by L.A. Bonté Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was
Astrology is not recognized as a science. The Babylonians established astrology as a way of decoding the sun and the earth’s movement long ago. Astrology is a culture thing and there is no need to bring something like that back, professor at CCSF Dr. Cilaia Bryja said. He calls it old news. Those who believe in astrology are not necessarily understanding of how astronomy works, and that is not a bad thing. The two studies are not meant to be the same. “Having a PhD in astrophysics does not make me qualified to talk about this [astrology],” Bryja said. Although some astronomers do believe in astrology, it is considered a matter of belief and other methods of knowledge. “People saw a post from NASA and ran to the conclusion thinking they changed the signs. They thought they were going to die because they read their wrong sign in the morning,” physics student Alan Aguilar said. “It just left everyone thinking, ‘What will I do
Theater Arts Department
ing still exists as a viable form of
Illustration by Auryana Rodriguez
if I don’t know how my day is gonna go?’” Astronomy Vs. Astrology: the debate continues.
for more, visit filbertcartoons.com
As comical as the situation is
Vol. 162, Issue 6 | Nov. 2–Nov. 15, 2016
culture | 5
City College celebrates Halloween Photo story by Franchon Smith fsmith@theguardsman.com
City College celebrated a touch of the Halloween spirit. Hosted by the associated student council hosted a pumpkin carving contest with approximately 70 people who attended the event. Seven teams were represented including 15 clubs, the associated student council and administration. The unique designs presented were Captain America, disco globe, Día De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and the famous Pikachu [Pokemon]. Everyone involved had a great time as pumpkin mush was flying about during the event. Interim Chancellor Susan Lamb made an appearance to check out the festivities. The winning team was Team 5, which included a representative from the Veterans Alliance, Alpha Gamma Sigma and the Engineering Club with their themed “Party Hangover Guy.” Second place went to Team 2, which was the Disco Ball pumpkin, and third place was given to the administration team, which was the “Day of the Dead” pumpkin. At the end of the contest, small pumpkins were given out to the costumed kids from the childcare center.
Team 5 won the pumpkin carving contest held at Ram Plaza on Halloween day. Team 5 included Engineering Club representative Jon Gausman, Veterans Alliance representative Gerardo Sanchez and Alpha Gamma Sigma representative Gwyneth Kaminski (not pictured).
Pumpkin carving contest participants carve their designs as quickly as they can during contest the held at Ram Plaza on Halloween day. Members of 15 different represented clubs wait for the official go ahead to start carving their pumpkins during the Associated Student Council sponsored pumpkin carving contest held at Ram Plaza on Halloween day, October 31, 2016.
Representing the Administration team City College Police Chief Andre Barnes quickly assesses his team's pumpkin situation during the pumpkin carving contest.
6 | opinion
Vol. 162, Issue 6 | Nov. 2–Nov. 15, 2016
Chinese Americans, don’t let rapper YG boil your blood By Dakari Thomas dthomas@theguardsman.com
After numerous critically acclaimed mixtapes, Californiabased rapper YG released his debut album “My Krazy Life” in 2014. Track six of that LP has a skit titled “Meet the Flockers” that explains the process and emotions he associated with robberies in his neighborhood. “First, you find a house and scope it out. Find a Chinese neighborhood, ‘cause they don’t believe in bank accounts,” YG raps. The skit was generally passed over, as more focus was put on the album as a whole. Now, a nationwide protest has emerged from activist and Chinese American groups arguing that it perpetuates Asian stereotypes and provides step-by-step instructions on robbing their households. On Sept. 21, 2016, a petition called the White House to “ban the song from public media and investigate legal responsibilities of the writer.” It garnered more than 100,000 signatures before Oct. 22, meaning the Obama administration will review it and issue an official response. YG has yet to respond and I would be very surprised if he didn’t
in a big way. It will most likely be controversial and continue to rub the Chinese American community the wrong way. While I completely agree with why the community is appalled by what is basically an audio manual on how to rob their own, getting it banned serves no purpose to their cause. I feel the same way about racist and sexist bigotry that is promoted throughout some conservative demographics, but you can't silence them. Stating that the rhetoric YG uses harmful stereotyping is all that is needed. Getting it banned won’t matter. It won't stop the people who grew up as YG did or stop the people who listen to his music from believing certain stereotypes. Getting the Confederate Flag removed from South Carolina’s Statehouse, where it had flown for over half a century, won't change the beliefs and feelings some Southerners have for that flag either. The same goes with hip-hop and some of its artists. There won't be a time where suppressing the sound will actually change the thought process connected to the ignorance.
We’ve seen this before with the wave of rap censorship efforts that permeated the 1990s and strained the relationship between mainstream media and the hiphop community. The reason that era continued to prosper is because people don't care as long as the music is good. The obvious retort would be that carrying out some type of action, such as petitioning to
get the song banned, will show protestors are actively attempting to make a change. To the contrary, history has shown us protests actually help the artist. 2 Live Crew’s “As Nasty As They Wanna Be” was ruled as obscene by U.S. district court Judge Jose Gonzalez, and banned from being performed or sold in the state of Florida. The media attention to the
case and the arrest of a store owner actually boosted sales of the album, which wound up with a double platinum certification by selling over two million copies. With the ease of accessibility to obtain music and the impact of social media, protests aimed at YG can now take big artists like himself and really elevate his brand to a superstardom level. Attempting to berate an artist for furthering ignorance through his platform is ignorant in itself. A large portion of hip-hop culture and music is predicated on ignorance. Your best bet is to bring light to the issue, and distance yourself from those not on your side of the cause.
Illustration by Shane Pooler/Special to The Guardsman
We lost civility during this election season By Robert Jalon rjalon@theguardsman.com
Among the first things we are taught as children are manners such as proper greetings, not interrupting someone when they are speaking and being courteous to others. The overall hope is that these are basic things we master by young adulthood. Unfortunately, both major party candidates in the 2016 presidential election seem to have forgotten these simple lessons. This election is unlike any we’ve ever had as rules of decorum were thrown out the window and things got personal. It’s been nasty and filled with anger, accusations and vitriol. The
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two candidates regularly call each other names and disparage the other’s character and loved ones. The animosity runs so deep the two candidates couldn’t even shake hands before the second debate. One threatened his opponent with incarceration should he win. Just when we think it can’t possibly get any lower, any less presidential, it does. Supporters emulate their candidate of choice by spewing hate speech toward each other on social media, and violent exchanges have broken out at their rallies. A poll conducted by Allegheny College on civility in American politics found that in 2010, 89 percent of American voters found commenting on another’s race or
ethnicity out of bounds during a political debate. In 2016, the number dropped to 69 percent. Kansas State University's Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy and the National Institute for Civil Discourse conducted a joint poll that found the 2012 and 2008 elections had fewer instances of insults, questioning of character and name calling. In contrast, they found the amount of interruptions went up in 2016, and other methods of what they call “unprecedented behavior” were included, such as “intimidation by crowding someone’s personal space and refusal to answer a direct question.” Many fear for the worst, that we as a nation have lost our civility,
grace and manners. It never used to be like this. Elections and debates were the forum where both candidates put forth ideas and their best plan on how to move the country forward. This cycle, though, neither were serious affairs. Although Nielsen Media Research reported that the three presidential debates and the lone vice presidential debate broke viewership records with 259 million viewers, people watched for all the wrong reasons. They tuned in for the circus and the spectacle. America waited for that “thing” that everyone would be talking about the next day. Never one to miss a chance to perform while on stage, the “thing”
that the Republican candidate provided in the third debate was a highly controversial suggestion— he would not accept the outcome of the election if he lost and “keep us in suspense.” His opponent responded by saying "He is denigrating—he's talking down our democracy. And I, for one, am appalled that somebody who is the nominee of one of our two major parties would take that kind of position." Many from the candidate's own party also condemned the statement. Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens said it was “the most disgraceful statement by Candidates continues on next page
opinion | 7
Vol. 162, Issue 6 | Nov. 2–Nov. 15, 2016
A present thank you to the future Mr. Roboto By Kyle Dang Special to The Guardsman
Automation in the workplace has been putting people out of work since the Industrial Revolution, and now a new revolution is on the horizon. According to an Oxford University study from 2013, 47 percent of American jobs are at risk of being computerized in the next 20 years. While that might seem like a long time off, changes in the structure of how we work are already visible. Self-driving cars are about to revolutionize the transportation industry as trucks begin transporting goods autonomously, and ride-sharing companies like Uber create fleets of driverless vehicles. Autonomous cars are just the first of many new technologies. As a City College student, this concerns me quite a bit. By going to college, I am gambling several years of my life on the hope that a degree will open up new opportunities for me. Ostensibly, those opportunities would be in the form of job offers. But what if the job market changes so thoroughly that a degree doesn't mean anything? Almost every industry in the country is being or will be affected by automation. These days it's not China taking all of America's manufacturing jobs, but intelligent, skilled and cheap robots. On May 25 of this year, BBC
Candidates continued from page 6 a presidential candidate in 160 years.” Rules exist for a reason. A concession by the losing candidate is made for a smooth transfer of power and is fundamental to a working democracy where the voice of the people is sovereign and the candidates work for us. Although the Republican candidate has since amended his statement into accepting the outcome of the election, the dangerous precedent it may have set has made a letter from former president George H.W. Bush to his successor and the man who beat him in the ’92 election, Bill Clinton, go viral. It reminded many of when there was civility and grace in politics. Clinton found the letter of support waiting for him on his desk on his first day in office on January 20, 1993. In it, the elder Bush wishes Clinton great happiness while in the White House. Bush says that Clinton would be “our President.” The line “Your success is now our country’s success, I am rooting for you” must have been particularly striking to Clinton. Despite losing, Bush clearly has the well-being of the country and all Americans in mind. You would be forgiven for thinking that such gestures would never happen now. The 2016
News reported that Foxconn Technology, a supplier for both Apple and Samsung, replaced 60,000 human jobs with robots at a factory in China's Kunshan region—and that was just one factory. While jobs in the manufacturing and transportation industries face immediate threat, jobs that require creativity, empathy and interpersonal skills are beyond the capability of current technology, or even technology in the near future. Careers in teaching, social work and home care work, for example, are at low risk of computerization. Essay-grading software exists, but don't expect a robot grade school teacher anytime soon. At least, not one that is operating without adult supervision. During the Industrial Revolution, as menial human jobs were replaced by cheaper, safer and more efficient machines, workers who lost their jobs found new careers in fields that were only possible because of that automation. On Oct. 27, 2016, Uber released a white paper explaining its plans for Uber Elevate, which aims to provide electric flying cars driven by pilots. If our current technological boom follows historical models, many jobs will be created for every job that is lost. In 2015 Gartner, Inc. stated that 4.4 million IT jobs were created globally to support big data, and the demand for IT workers continued since.
election has turned into a fight between a “deplorable” and a “nasty woman.” Hopefully former President Bush’s letter served to remind the victor that when the dust settles, be dignified and let healing begin by being “our” president. It would be a great example to follow, and it may lead to a more successful mandate. America will have a new president-elect on Nov. 9, 2016. Hopefully the runner-up and we as a nation have the grace, manners and civility to accept it, no matter the outcome.
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A lack of skilled workers means only one-third of those IT jobs will be filled. Many computers can do the jobs of knowledge workers just as well or better, and are only going to get more skilled. If there is a particularly frightening aspect of automation, it's that there is no pick and choose about it. These changes are coming, and I don't have any control over it. I can choose not to sign up for Facebook, or even not to use a smartphone, but there's no convincing a megacorporation that they shouldn't do everything they can to optimize their operations. But just because I don't have control over it doesn't make it wrong, or necessarily bad for me or human society as a whole. As we look forward to a future made easier and more comfortable by automation, there are some who envision a world where we won't have jobs at all. Ideas like universal basic income become feasible when we have whatever we need designed, manufactured, and distributed cheaply and efficiently by machines. The idea of universal basic income is that, freed from the yoke of necessary labor by robots, governments would take the profits and provide every citizen with enough money to pay rent, buy clothes and feed themselves. I can't help feel intoxicated by the idea of that kind of freedom. Imagine your child growing up, knowing that it will always have its
basic needs provided for. I can't think of a more human fantasy than that. And we stand at the precipice of a world where that fantasy could be reality. It is not necessarily the shape of things to come, but it is one of the possibilities for an inspiring future. I don't know what's next in store for humanity, but I can't help but feel incredibly lucky to be alive at this turning point in our collective journey. Illustration by Shannon Cole
8 | sports
Vol. 162, Issue 6 | Nov. 2–Nov. 15, 2016
Kicking it with Jesse Bareilles Story and Photo by Shannon Cole scole@theguardsman.com
On a team with as much talent as the City College women’s soccer team, it can be hard for a player to stand out. But sophomore forward Jesse Bareilles is setting herself apart from the rest of the pack with her incredible performance on the field and in the classroom. In the first game under new head coach Jeff Wilson, the team had a preseason match against Skyline College. The Rams outran and outwitted the Trojans for a 9-0 victory. Sydney Alvarado, Daniela Gutierrez, Jocelyn Alonso and Zoe Elloway scored one goal each in the match. Bareilles scored five goals. And it wouldn’t be the last time she’d put five goals on the board in one game: she did it again in a 9-1 victory against De Anza College on Oct. 11. Speaking to the unpretentious, easygoing Bareilles, you’d never know that she’s scored more than half of her team’s 45 goals in 14 games this season. Her stats are impressive: third in the state in goals scored, leading the state in shots on goal, and fourth in total points. But if you ask her about it, she’ll quickly and humbly remind you it was a group effort. “I couldn't do it without my teammates. It's them doing a lot of work and me doing the last step of it,” she said.
A star is born
Bareilles was born in Eureka, Ca. on Feb. 11, 1997 to Jack and Carolyn Bareilles, both educators in the public school system. They introduced their young daughter to soccer in part because of her father’s love for the sport, but Jesse quickly made the sport her own. “I've been playing soccer since I was four, and I was always good at it,” Bareilles said. “When you're young it's hard for other kids to focus on what the point of it is, but I just always could get the ball in the goal. I definitely always liked it.” Throughout her youth, Bareilles honed her skills by playing on a club team in Humboldt county. Bareilles’ father Jack coached, and for convenience her little sister Claire joined the team too. Bareilles’ eight years spent with AC Samoa was a character and skill-building experience for the young player. “My club team didn't even have a full-size field to play on or practice on, so we never had home games and we just practiced in a basketball gym in the winter when it got too rainy,” Bareilles said. The hardships made winning the 2015 Rogue Memorial Championship showcase, an annual youth soccer tournament in Medford, Ore. with 165 participating teams, even sweeter for Bareilles and her teammates. Bareilles scored one goal in the championship match against the Rogue Timbers, and considers the tournament win one of her best soccer memories. Part of the team’s success on the field was due to their lack of an actual full-size field that allowed
them to focus on the more nuanced aspects of the game. “We were really successful because we didn't have good facilities, but we were really able to work on our skills and stuff, which helped us beat bigger clubs that had more infrastructure,” Bareilles said. Bareilles calls herself an “unfocused” student in high school, which made it hard to decide on what college to attend. Luckily for City College, she chose to come to San Francisco.
Success at City
Jesse Bareilles stands a little over five and a half feet tall. With her long hair and cool demeanor, she resembles a surfer more than a soccer player. Cheerful, a natural leader, and humble to a fault, Bareilles’ success at City College has not gone unnoticed. Women’s athletic director Jamie Hayes is proud of her achievements. “When I first met her last year as a freshman, she was very down-to-earth, very personable, just a sweet kid. But obviously watching her on the field, she's amazing”, said Hayes. Being at City College has also brought out the scholar in Bareilles, who is considering majoring in economics in order to pursue a career in international business. She’s gone from a C+ grade point average in high school to a 4.0. “All-American last year as a soccer player and All-Academic this year, I mean she really knows how to balance being a full-time athlete and being a full-time student,” Hayes said. “She's kinda the epitome of a student athlete and excelling in both, so it's really nice to see just the balance of that.” Women’s soccer team head coach Jeff Wilson loves the competitive edge Bareilles brings. “I think her best quality is just how competitive she is with herself,” Wilson said. “She's always willing to make herself better and I think that's why she's been able to find so much success over the last couple of years. I kind of equate that to where she's from, kind of a smaller-town mentality where she's just out to prove that she's as good as anybody.” Even Bareilles acknowledged that the hardest thing to overcome has been herself. She even considered giving up the sport. “I used to have a hard time if I wasn't succeeding easily in sports, so I debated giving up soccer multiple times,” Bareilles said. “I think that I was my biggest opponent at times.”
Looking ahead
Now in her last year at City College, Bareilles looks forward to where soccer will take her. She’s open to attending any school with a good soccer and economics program, and hopes to start an internship in the spring when she isn’t as busy with soccer. For now, she’s a part-time dog walker, fulltime student and scholar athlete. She makes it all seem easy. “I don't doubt anything that she can do, she's going to be able to excel at pretty much anything she puts her mind to. She's a great student athlete here and it's been fun just being able to watch her,” Hayes said. “I'm actually really excited to see where she's gonna move on to and how she'll do. Like I want to be able to fast-forward and just see.”