The Guardsman, Vol. 172, Issue 2, City College of San Francisco

Vol. 172, Issue 2 | Aug. 30 – Sep. 8 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE | www.theguardsman.com

The Chancellor Finalists:

Candidates Largely Align in Approaches to Restore Solvency, and In-Person Classes

By Garrett Leahy garretteleahy@gmail.com As the semester kicks off, City College is in the final stretch of picking its next Chancellor, narrowing the search down to three finalists, one of whom will start on Oct. 1.

Some of the main challenges for the chancellor will be ensuring the college’s long-term fiscal stability while making preparations to bring back in-person classes. Opinions on how these goals should be achieved differ between AFT2121, the union which represents the college’s faculty, and the Board of Trustees, with chancellor candidates in the running having largely similar stances on achieving goals mostly inline with the Board’s opinion and differing from each other only slightly.

enrollment, and help us get on a path to grow our enrollment and that we are fiscally solvent ... bringing an external perspective around what [classes] are in demand and where to we have opportunities to grow based on what students are demanding,” said Williams. “We need to look at student demand, and look at what programs will drive enrollment.”

Williams also said that the state’s Student Centered Funding Formula, which bases funding allocations on enrollment numbers, has presented “challenges” to City College, and that the Chancellor must lead the way in advocating for additional funding for the school.

“We’ve heard loud and clear that San Franciscans want us to be a full-service college, and with the current state funding formula, that’s a challenge,” said Williams, adding, “We definitely will need [local support], and I see the chancellor as the main champion to get us get the resources that we need.”

On Williams’ last point, City College’s faculty union, AFT2121, is in agreement, saying that their top priorities for Chancellor are that whoever is hired advocates at the local, state, and federal level to bring additional funding into the school.

Chancellor Finalists continues on page 4

Main Priorities: BoT vs AFT2121 Whoever is hired by the Board of Trustees will have to deal with a chronic budget deficit and low enrollment according to Board President Shanell Williams, and will have to take a hard look at which classes drive enrollment and which do not in order to get the college fiscally healthy.

“I think that the biggest challenge for our incoming chancellor will be to look at where we are in terms of our

Crowds Long for Live Entertainment, but Barriers Remain

Players and Coaches Excited For Return

By David Chin dchin20@mail.ccsf.edu The entire Bay Area has been greatly and adversely affected over the last two years because of the pandemic, with hundreds of schools, programs, and businesses abruptly shutting down the way they’ve been functioning for a countless number of years. Sports programs are no exception, as athletes across the Bay Area have been robbed of a part of their lives, not being able to compete for what is almost two years now.

Luckily for college football players in the Bay Area, they are finally starting to see the light at the end of their dark tunnel as they gear up to return to the field after such a long time, in the wake of a new football preseason. For City College’s Rams, they are particularly excited about the prospect of returning to the competition. Defensive tackle Dino Kahaulelio had this to say about the team’s return, “Since football has returned, it has felt as if I’m whole again. The pandemic was an awful thing that made the sport of football collapse for a year, but it has reminded people the love of the game they have and helped reignite the fire of the game,” he said.

“Being able to be back together and share locker room memories again is what makes any true team great. The chemistry that is built and the lifelong friendships are what make the game great. The team is eager to line up and go

9/8/21, 11:24 AM

02_culture_sfmoma_blackwell.jpg

Big Return continues on page 11

Student follows the mask protocol at Science Hall on Aug. 31.

Photograph by Bob Kinoshita/The Guardsman.

By Julie Zigoris jzigoris@mail.ccsf.edu With operations that draw together large and mostly indoor crowds, theaters and music venues have suffered enormously since the pandemic’s onset. And now entertainment establishments struggling to get back into business face fresh uncertainties with the Delta variant surging in San Francisco.

San Francisco’s health order, Safer Return Together, now requires proof of vaccination for those 12 and up to attend theaters and entertainment venues, and some establishments are hoping this will lure back audiences. Ben Bleiman, President of the Entertainment Commission in San Francisco that oversees everything from “Giants games to sushi bars” noted that most major music venues — like the Independent, the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, and the Greek Theatre — had their own vaccine mandates even before the city instituted theirs.

Bleiman, who stressed his views are his own and not the Commission’s, stated venues are “very, very, very happy” about the city vaccine mandate as it lifts the burden of decision making and enforcement from individual venues.

Instead, they can say “sorry, it’s the law” to anyone who Live Entertainment continues on page 7

SFMoMA Ends Programs

Mandatory Vaccinations

Culture - pg 6

Opinion - pg 8

2 | NEWS

Tempers Run High While Maneuvering a Vaccine Mandate

By Angela Greco a_greco511@yahoo.com The past 18 months have been a tortuous whirlwind for City College, but with the FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine, administration seemed to finally reach grounds for resolution unveiling a new “safety campaign.”

The administration now seeks to hammer down the specific details of implementing these protocols in order to have a cohesive plan in place for the Spring semester.

These protocols include testing, contact tracing, and ensuring proper ventilation of classrooms is up to The Division of Occupational Health and Safety (Cal/OSHA) regulations, which aims to protect and improve the health and safety of those working in California.

come Spring semester of next year.

However Zepeda said that some buildings including Bateman Hall, will most likely not be conducting classes until they are up to snuff mostly due to their lack of windows and poor air ventilation.

To help offset these obstacles City College received over $50 million in COVID relief funds including access to $845 million in facilities bond funds. With that in mind, money should not be an issue in ensuring buildings are up to code while implementing these safety protocols.

Interim Chancellor Dianna Gonzales stressed that the health and safety of students and employees is their top priority, this being reason for a newly implemented “safety campaign.”

Policy Requests

"Safety Campaign"

Per an Aug. 16 press conference - a day that coincided with the first day of instruction although only 28% of classes were actually operating in person - The Higher Education Action Team (HEAT) called on the City College Board of Trustees and Administration to administer two policies moving forward.

First, they called for all those on campus to require proof of vaccination, or a doctor’s note of exemption. Any of those exceptions were asked to show proof of regular testing for COVID-19.

Second, they asked the administration to prove that all buildings being used have proper airflow, ventilation, and are continuously and properly cleaned; these standards being based on the guidelines of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Director of Media, Government Relations and Marketing, Rosie Zepeda said that the administration is closely following the guidelines of the CDC when it comes to carrying out the regulations of the mandate. She said that a walk through of the campus had recently been conducted by Cal/OSHA. All classes are expected to make a full return for in-person

Zepeda said that while this campaign reflects the vaccine mandate, it will also “provide information regarding testing, the two allowable exemptions, and other resources to get us all safely through this pandemic.” The two allowable exemptions have yet to be released.

Political Science Instructor and HEAT board member Rick Baum pointed out that sorting the details is not only imperative for the safety of City College’s staff and students, but for the safety of the community as a whole.

In regards to any possible opposition to the mandate, Baum said that those unvaccinated “should be able to enroll, but must keep a safe distance from everyone.”

During a Board of Trustees meeting on Aug. 26, HEAT board member John Rizzo again stressed that “what we’re doing here is not just for this semester, but for the long haul as well to keep everyone safe.”

Applying Protocols When it came to actual implementation, Administrative Vice Chancellor Tom Boegel said that the newly drafted administrative

Staff

Vol. 172, Issue 2 | Aug. 30 – Sep. 8 2021

Students follow the mask protocol and practice social distancing as they wait in line at Conlan Hall on Aug. 31. Photograph by Bob Kinoshita/The Guardsman.

procedure would “call for students to either submit proof of vaccination status or submit their request for an exemption and be granted that exemption prior to registering for or attending any class.”

Although Boegel stressed vaccine requirements for students planning to enroll in classes that will be in person, he also said that they will not stop registration for students that have yet to submit their vaccine information. Instead Students follow mask protocols as they walk around campus on Aug 31.

Photo by Bob Kinoshita/The Guardsman he said, “Our intent is to handle this on a section by section basis.”

Zepeda showed support to this notion as well when she said, “our approach is not prescriptive at this time and more focused on NEWS BRIEF considering all safety measures for students and employees.”

For those exempt from vaccination, a possible resolution could be calling for regular testing regimes. The CDC stated that those vaccinated can still carry and spread the virus, supporting the importance of carrying out the double pronged notion of not only requiring vaccinations, but following proper safety standards.

By Derek Chartrand Wallace Funding for this project was When asked if he thought dwalla30@mail.ccsf.edu secured in the March 2020 general student enrollment might continue A geological survey was election through Proposition A. to drop due to the coming restric- conducted on July 12 at Conlan This facilities bond which provided tions, Baum instead asked, “Do Hall by the Design Team behind City College with $845 million for people want to be in a classroom the Ocean Campus’ proposed new construction of sustainable for up to three hours with others Student Success Center. During and energy efficient buildings, was who are unvaccinated?” this time loading dock access was also expected to fund several enviDuring the Board of Trustees restricted and the parking lot was ronmental upgrades and seismic meeting, questions of low enroll- closed off temporarily so borings improvements intended to help put ment numbers and a possible could be made to assess soil char- the community college on a path contingency plan resurfaced but acteristics, which will determine to a zero-carbon footprint. still no definitive resolutions were the design and size of structural made. foundations for the future center.

The office of Facilities and Academic Senate President Rosie Zepeda, Director of Capital Planning for City College Simon Hanson said, “The challenge Media Relations at City College of San Francisco developed a of instruction is not the numbers. of San Francisco, stated in an email “Facilities Master Plan” featuring What makes instruction is whether that the project “will consolidate “Priority Projects." These included our students are inspired.” Then over 30 student development the Student Success Center, a new added,“It's not going to be whether programs such as academic coun- Science, Technology, Engineering, we just say we're going to increase seling, tutoring, career center, Arts and Math (STEAM) Center, or decrease enrollment, and that transfer center, etc.” renovations on the historic Main requires support and unity and According to Zepeda, construc- Building, the original Science Hall understanding. tion is expected to begin in late and on Cloud Hall, the building Fall of 2022 in order to provide a Performing Arts and Education “improved access to services key Center with Diego Rivera’s “Pan to increasing and maintaining American Unity” mural and the future enrollment” while “better creation of a new Child Care serving historically marginalized Center. student populations.”

Work Under Way for Student Success Center

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NEWS | 3

Vol. 172, Issue 2 | Aug. 30 – Sep. 8 2021

Resignation of Internal Auditor Reignites Oversight Debate

By Emily Margaretten margarettene@gmail.com After only eight months on the job, David James, Internal Auditor and Controller at City College, resigned, citing family reasons. His departure raises questions about who will monitor the financial situation of the college, which is struggling to resolve its structural budget deficit.

The Board of Trustees and faculty organizations, including the Academic Senate and the Higher Education Action Team (HEAT), have advocated for an independent auditor to oversee the college’s finances for years. Now, with the departure of James, they are concerned about what controls are in place to ensure the accurate review and reporting of financial information.

" I believe that we must hire somebody into the position as soon as possible to ensure that City College has strong financial controls in

The college’s financial reporting has been a major point of contention for faculty union AFT 2121 and activist groups like HEAT. Labor organizer and HEAT member Steve Zeltzer conveyed this frustration in an email message to the Guardsman, writing, “The lack of transparency and failure to have accurate figures of the actual financial situation at CCSF is systemic and HEAT has challenged this and why the administration has failed to provide accurate figures week to week.”

City College and specifically cited the unreliability of the internal audits. “We don’t trust based on our examination of the budget and what they’ve been doing, we don’t trust the reliability of their audits.”

"We don’t trust based on our examination of the budget and what

instead of the Board of Trustees placed limits on what kind of audits were being conducted. “I think if this position was reporting directly to the board and administratively to the chancellor that may give the position more independence so that the auditor would basically be more involved with the board, and the board would have more involvement in what audits were being done.”

they’ve been doing, we "“For key administra-

"It’s a three-pronged don’t trust the reliability tive positions at CCSF, approach of enrollment of their audits.”

salaries [were] among

growth, new funding, and

the highest of California

a real focus on getting our financial house in order.”"

Zeltzer further questioned the accuracy of the audits that James conducted on administrative management and faculty salaries and benefits. In an interview on Aug. 29, he reiterated HEAT’s position about malfeasance at

Similarly, the faculty union has disagreed with the administration’s budget numbers. During negotiations this spring to close the budget deficit under threat of layoffs, City College administration accepted AFT 2121’s readjustment of the deficit from $32 million to $22 million.

James acknowledged the need for more independent financial controls at City College. In an interview with the Guardsman on Aug. 24, he explained that reporting directly to the chancellor

single district community colleges.”"

spending on consultants in core roles like infor-

Wong expressed support for the auditor to have more engagement with the board too. “I would like to see this person report more directly to the board,” Wong said in an interview on Aug. 31, “So that we’re able to give better direction and also ensure that, going

finance. level of influence over the projects that the [auditor] works on.”

During his tenure at City College, James conducted audits on consultant and contractor costs, and faculty, administrative, and classified salaries. His audit of administrator salaries revealed that “for key administrative positions at CCSF, salaries [were] among the highest of California single district community colleges.” The audit for faculty salaries and benefits revealed that full-time faculty salaries were slightly above average while part-time faculty, who qualified for health care benefits, “were paid at the highest rates, based on salary step rates.”

Fees paid for consultant positions, meanwhile, far exceeded allocated budgets. James noted in his interview with the Guardsman that there was 100% overspending on consultants in core roles like information technology and finance.

Outdated technology systems also made it difficult for James to conduct the audits, and he often relied on the cooperation of the payroll staff to help find information. “They were very helpful,” James remarked, “They provided information I needed and that helped me get my job done.”

Illustration by Yuchen Xiao/The Guardsman.

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There was 100% over-

mation technology and

place.”

Trustee Alan Wong expressed these concerns in an email correspondence with the Guardsman.

“With City College’s past history of fiscal crisis, the Internal Auditor position that David James was in is critical to maintaining public confidence and trust. I believe that we must hire somebody into the position as soon as possible to ensure that City College has strong financial controls in place.”

Wong continued, “I would like to see the position take an expanded role when the new hire joins us.

We need the Internal Auditor to ensure and demonstrate that City College is financially solvent and sustainable.”

Trustee Tom Temprano also addressed the importance of internal financial controls during the Aug. 26 board meeting, stating that the college needed to “get our internal controls and our internal excess spending issues solved,” to reach financial sustainability. He added, “It’s a three-pronged approach of enrollment growth, new funding, and a real focus on getting our financial house in order.”

forward, we’re taking steps ahead of time to have a balanced budget, ensuring that we're not overspending in different parts of the budget, ensuring that we have cost controls in place.”

Wong described tumultuous cutbacks at City College, like the hundreds of class cancellations in 2020, that the board could have foreseen and monitored with more informed projections about the budget. He called for an improved “dotted-line” or “quasi-supervisorial” relationship that would provide additional oversight and “allow [the trustees] to have some

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4 | NEWS

Vol. 172, Issue 2 | Aug. 30 – Sep. 8 2021

meaningful conversation when it he claimed to have created a “fivecomes to reopening in California year plan” that both “constituent community college campus, and groups” and the Board of Trustees “One of the most urgent things is ensuring that whatever feedback approved of. Martin also said that funding our school. We are dramat- and input is received, [and that] he would, as chancellor, advocate ically underfunded, we can’t do there is a circle of feedback back to at the state level for increased what the city and community needs the engaging participant to ensure funding. us to do because we don’t have the that the communication loop is “Part of a chancellor’s responresources,” said Finkelstein. “The closed." sibility,” Martin said, “... is to new chancellor will need to bring Christopher Villa, the only continue to advocate for resources in revenue and work with City Hall, candidate who has not worked at the statewide level as it applies groups around the city, and at the at City College before, said in a to the budget development process state and federal level to bring in phone interview that he supports specifically to City College resources so we can be the college a vaccine mandate for students, because that is a critical compothat San Francisco needs to be.” faculty, and staff, with weekly nent to building and understanding Finkelstein was clear, however, testing for those who cannot future budget scenarios and fiscal in saying that the union does not receive the vaccine. However, implications of decisions, but not support layoffs and cuts. On the Villa acknowledged that a lot of only our legislators are making contrary, Finkelstein said that the details about reopening remain today, but the system itself is class sizes will need to be smaller hazy, particularly because roughly making as well.” if the school hopes to reopen half of City College’s faculty are Kristina Whalen, who is for in-person education, in order apprehensive about returning to currently Vice President of to facilitate social distancing in campus, despite 86% of faculty Academic Services at Las Positas classrooms. being fully vaccinated, according College, is another familiar “It’s the opposite of what the to Villa. face to many at City College, college should do. Our goal is to “Is it 100% in-person, or hybrid having worked as Associate 9/7/21, 11:22 AM 02_news_chance_blackwell.jpg serve San Francisco, you don’t serve San Francisco by increasing class sizes and lowering the quality of education, and you don’t serve the students by cutting their classes,” said Finkelstein. “San Francisco needs us to step up and maintain what we have and increase it so we can be an engine of recovery for the City.”

Chancellor Finalists continued from page 1

factor is the number of students that you have and that you're serving. And that it is tied to revenue is the single most important thing ... the choices made around the schedule will determine the future health of City College of San Francisco,” Whalen said. “I have said a number of times that the budget is the problem,” she added,” but the challenge is what we're going to offer what we can afford to offer, and it has to be the smartest choices. The choices that serve our students the best and provide them with the best opportunity for social mobility.”

Villa also expressed concern over City College’s financial state, and also pointed to lower enrollment as a primary concern. Villa, too, acknowledged that class cuts may need to happen in order to keep the school in the black, but stressed that he does not want to make cuts to classes in accredited Career and Technical Education

from the Enrollment Management Committee as well as listen to input from students, staff, and faculty.

“If I’m selected as chancellor I’m going to request that all faculty and staff and students think of ways that can bolster enrollment.

I’m going to foster an environment that’s like all hands on deck ... I appreciate the work that faculty and staff are already doing,” Villa said.

When asked about some ideas floated by faculty, including marketing City College in more languages and resuming campaigns to mail printed course schedules to San Francisco residents, Villa said, “From my perspective there have been mixed results for [mailing out schedules] ... I would look at the costs and benefits to doing that ... whether the cost of that offset by the [Full-Time Equivalent Students] that was generated from mailing out hard copies of the schedules to the community,” Villa said.

No AFT2121 Endorsements

Finkelstein said that while they have carefully researched each candidate, they will not endorse or otherwise take a position on any candidate.

“All three of these have people Opening In-Person who work with them ... who like them and who don’t like them. All Another key challenge for three seem to be nice, kind people the incoming chancellor will be who value accessibility and transgetting students back to school. parency, all three seem to have Candidates were somewhat short good working relationships with on details, promising collaboration at least some of the faculty and to create a plan that would work for unions we have spoken to,” said everyone at City College which Finkelstein. “At this time we have also complied with local health not taken a position between the orders, but most did not share three.” many specific policies or strateFinkelstein added that what gies that they would pursue. faculty really want to see in the David Martin, a familiar next chancellor is that they genuface for some at City College inely care about the school and having previously served as what it means to the community, Vice Chancellor of Finance and and therefore be willing to stick Administration , left in December around for several years before 2017 to work as an administraleaving for another position, in tor in the Monterey Peninsula order to gain the trust of faculty. https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1lKD1V_VlSCnlZGuJQV4eVIt0fN4dVtQO 1/2 Illustration by Erin Blackwell/The Guardsman. Instagram: @blackwelldrawingfool Community College District.

“There are a lot of administraHe has served as President and tors who don’t build ties to their Superintendent at MPCCD since in-person? It’s a good question ... Vice Chancellor of Enrollment fields, which include nursing and school, part of it is that they are July 2019. let’s make sure we get our data Management and Instructional culinary arts. always looking for a better posiMartin did not respond to multi- clear before moving forward and Support from August 2018 to Villa said that as chancellor, tion,” Finkelstein said.“When I ple requests for an interview, but updating an administrative proce- June 2019. Whalen declined to be he would strive to be “politically talk to faculty and say ‘Hey your said during his public forum that dure that affects our students,” said interviewed for this story, but said savvy,” which he said involved administrator is applying to our he would take input from “constit- Villa. during her public forum that her seeking additional funding from school, can you tell me about uent groups,” including students, strategy for balancing the budget the federal, state, and local level, them?’, one of the common reacfaculty, and staff, saying that creatChronic Budget Deficit is to increase enrollment at City including calls to expand the tions I get is ‘What they’re leaving ing a collaborative dynamic would College as increasing enrollment Workforce Education Recovery already? They obviously have no be his responsibility as chancellor.

As for dealing with the budget will go hand-in-hand with stream- Fund, $500k of one-time funds commitment to where they’re at.’

He did not include details on how deficit, all three candidates lining course offerings to those which were established by the And that is a common reaction public input would be solicited or acknowledged its importance, which garner high student interest Board of Supervisors in October faculty have to administrators in what setting in would be shared. although some were more concrete and which have the best record of 2020. when they move around.”

At his Aug. 24 Candidate Forum, in their approach than others. leading students into high-paying Villa also said during the interMartin said, "It's my responsibility Martin said that he wants to jobs. Whalen, however, did not view that he wanted to focus on as the Chancellor to ensure that include voices to create a plan for share any ideas on how to directly ways to increase enrollment at that environment, exists, that indi- solvency long-term, pointing to boost enrollment.

City College, saying that he would viduals fill in power to engage in past success at Monterey, where “The single most determining base his approach off of input

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Vol. 172, Issue 2 | Aug. 30 – Sep. 8 2021

COMMUNITY | 5

6 | CULTURE

A disposable mask blows by the SFMoMA. Photo by Onyx Hunter/The Guardsman

Vol. 172, Issue 2 | Aug. 30 – Sep. 8 2021

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Photo by Onyx Hunter/The Guardsman

SFMoMA Cuts Several Programs, Including Film and Open Space

By Johanna Ochoa

jochoa32@mail.ccsf.edu Invoking a feeling of discontent and disappointment among artists and the arts community, SFMOMA has decided to cut several programs, including film, which will leave local artists without support and seven members of its staff without a job.

Citing financial hardship, the San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art is disbanding many well-known programs including its Film Program, Open Space program, their podcast Raw Material, and the Artists Gallery at Fort Mason.

Prior to the announcement of the planned cuts, SFMOMA had been considered a pioneer in the presentation of film. Since 1937, the Film Program has screened countless numbers of classic and contemporary films, establishing San Francisco as a major center for experimental filmmaking.

For Brett Kashmere, Executive Director of Canyon Cinema Foundation, SFMoMA is moving in the wrong direction.

“The Film Program, Open Space, and Artists Gallery are among the museum's most vital, inclusive, forward-thinking, culturally relevant, and community-focused programs. Hopefully, the decision-makers at SFMOMA will come to their senses and reverse their decision to cancel these tremendous programs while there is still time," expressed Kashmere.

With the Bay Area film industry already in decline over the last several years, dissolving SFMOMA’s film program constitutes a terrible loss to local artists.

“By disbanding this program MOMA is saying ‘film isn't important to the arts.’ Honestly, the Bay Area shouldn't stand for it and the public demonstration a few weeks ago underscores that. Arts and Culture are important here and Film is Art," said Denah Johnston, Cinema Studies Professor and

Department Chair at City College local artists to show their artwork. place for artists to survive to of San Francisco.

Unfortunately it will close at the begin with. When a rich instiOpen Space, an online and live end of the year along with the other tution like SFMOMA decides interdisciplinary publishing plat- programs. to withdraw material resources form for artists and writers, and support, through the eliminathe podcast Raw Material will end Artists, art lovers, and tion of programs, jobs, and paid after the fall season as well. The opportunities, the consequences podcast will be preserved as an employees have come are significant,” assures Kashmere. “audio zine” for use online and at On top of all, seven employthe museum. together to oppose ees will lose their staff positions, Steve Polta, Director of San which leaves them with more diffiFrancisco Cinematheque, noted this erasure of art and culties in between this situation. that Open Space, “ was an amazing “We're faced with a situation platform for the propagation and cultural workers in San where people are losing their the generation of new ideas and jobs. That is the first and most opinions about art and involves Francisco. devastating impact. When an lots of people. It brought lots of institution like SFMOMA elimilocal writers into the community, nates several programs, that has and it supported writers, poets “Artists Gallery has supported a tremendous ripple down effect. and people engaged with critical hundreds of living Bay Area artists Most immediately it means there theory, etc. Not a lot of museums through facilitating sales and rent- are now going to be fewer jobs and offer platforms for that kind of als of their work. The Bay Area is opportunities for people to work as engagement, outside of the visual already such an expensive place film programmers, projectionists, arts.” to live, the cost of living and theater managers, editors, and so The nonprofit Artists Gallery the precarity around dependable on,” said Kashmere. at Fort Mason Center has been housing and affordable spaces Gina Basso, Manager of open since 1946 as a space for makes this an incredibly difficult SFMOMA’S Film program has 9/8/21, 11:24 AM 02_culture_sfmoma_blackwell.jpg

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1lKD1V_VlSCnlZGuJQV4eVIt0fN4dVtQO

Illustration by Erin Blackwell/The Guardsman. Instagram: @blackwelldrawingfool

1/2

been working for about 15 years at the museum, unfortunately, she is one of the employees who will lose her job due to the cuts.

“Basso has been brilliantly reworking the programming direction over the past several years to great effect highlighting work largely outside the canon and shining a light on local experimental work (Crossroads festival in partnership with San Francisco Cinematheque), women, filmmakers of color, and a lot of international work that gets little, if any, mainstream attention,” said Johnston.

Artists, art lovers, and employees have come together to oppose this erasure of art and cultural workers in San Francisco, organizing protests that have taken place outside the museum.

The San Francisco-based Canyon Cinema Foundation has voiced its thoughts on the situation, through a letter on its website stating "It is disappointing and disheartening to learn that a museum that claims to be a center for the most innovative and challenging art of its time, now holds the medium of film and the projected moving image in such low regard."

As well, the nonprofit in their letter stated that if the museum moves forward with these announced changes, they should remove the words “Modern Art” from the name of the museum, because the film (quintessential modern art form) would no longer be part of it, so continuing to use the term "modern" to characterize the museum is unethical and deceptive branding.

Concerned residents can support the film community by signing the petition on change.org to oppose the cuts.

The petition already has around 3500 signatures, they are hoping to get more than 5,000.

CULTURE | 7

Vol. 172, Issue 2 | Aug. 30 – Sep. 8 2021

Live Entertainment continued from page 1

Bottom of the Hill. Photo by Janna Velasquez/The Guardsman

Instead, they can say “sorry, it’s the law” to anyone who protests.

An owner of five bars and an events business in addition to his work with the Commission, Bleiman noted business “tanked” across the entertainment industry after the vaccine mandate, but not because of the mandate. “The reason we have the mandate is the same reason people were staying home — Delta.”

Outdoor venues are now in high demand, and things across the entertainment scene are beginning to pick up again.

The concert industry is “feeling optimistic” according to Bleiman, and people have the sense that “we need to live our lives again.”

Yet challenges remain. The theatre world, with its reliance on mostly indoor rehearsals and performances that draw people close together, faces continued uncertainty.

EXIT Theatre in San Francisco cancelled its highly

There’s a certain hesitancy about “sitting cheek by jowl with others."

The Boom Boom Room. Photo by Janna Velasquez/The Guardsman

The Boom Boom Room. Photo by Janna Velasquez/The Guardsman

anticipated Fringe festival slated to open in September after a rash of breakthrough cases among Bay Area theatres.

Other venues are optimizing for flexibility: The San Francisco Playhouse promotes its 2021-22 season with the tagline “see it with a vaccinated audience” on their website, and the Playhouse is offering both in-person and streaming options for the season to maximize their flexibility.

Online options, though, often cannot substitute for their live versions. “Nothing replaces live sound and a live audience,” notes Madeline Mueller, concert pianist and Professor of Music at CCSF. During a recent opportunity to have her pianist group play in person after almost two years of gathering on Zoom, she was reminded of how beautiful acoustic sound is: “It’s just so special, and it reminds me of

"There is only something new."

The Blue Shield of California Theater. Photo by Onyx Hunter/The Guardsman

what we’re missing.”

Jennifer Bielstein, Executive Director of the American Conservatory Theatre (A.C.T) in San Francisco, remains “focused and optimistic” about A.C.T. 's season, which has been pushed back to January 2022.

Similar to Bleiman, Bielstein noted the vaccine mandate is “helpful right now — it’s giving confidence to people.”

Yet Patricia Miller, Professor of the Performing Arts at CCSF, acknowledges there’s a certain hesitancy about “sitting cheek by jowl with others” in light of the Delta variant’s surge.

Miller claims it’s the smallest operations that are suffering the most — any company with less than 500 people simply doesn’t have the money to revamp. Large venues like the Warfield and Orpheum can pay to upgrade their facilities’ ventilation, noted Miller, and that’s why Hamilton and SF Opera are able to operate.

The lack of a small performing arts scene is a huge problem, according to Miller. The small

"Sorry, it's the law." companies are “the engine” of the theater scene — it’s where people step into the profession and get hired. If you’re in the business of training arts professionals, you want to make sure there is a career for them to go into.

The impact on individual artists and the arts more generally has been “devastating and decimating,” Bielstein noted, since artists are often freelancers who move from project to project. A.C.T has been delivering training and programs virtually to keep people employed, and Bielstein hopes that the theatre community can “continue to advocate for support — both for arts organizations and individual artists — because people’s lives have been torn apart.”

It’s particularly challenging for smaller theatres, noted CCSF Performing Arts professor Patricia Miller, many of whom have closed up shop permanently since the pandemic. “There’s no going back,” noted Miller. “There’s only something new.”

The small companies are “the engine” of the

Bill Graham Auditorium. Photo by Janna Velasquez/The Guardsman

The Blue Shield of California Theater. Photo by Onyx Hunter/The Guardsman

theater scene.

Some smaller theatre companies, however, have an advantage. Crowded Fire Theater, a BIPOC-focused company located in San Francisco, relies less on ticket sales as a source of income, making them more resilient to shuttered venues. In normal times, they host three productions a year — this year, they will be doing one. Yet they have not had to let anyone go thanks to a business model that relies on funds secured from foundations, the government, and individual donors. “The budget is a moral document,” said Mina Morita, Artistic Director of Crowded Fire Theater Company, “and we are reminding ourselves that without our artists, we are nothing.”

The Castro Theater. Photo by Casey Michie/The Guardsman

8 | OPINION The Vigil

Voters Consider Recalling Newsom

Vol. 172, Issue 2 | Aug. 30 – Sep. 8 2021

Vaccine Requirements Keep Students Safe

By Ava Cohen

By Ava Cohen

avaocohen@gmail.com

avaocohen@gmail.com

Governor Gavin Newsom is facing a republican-backed campaign for his recall in the election on Sept. 14. If Gov. Newsom was to be recalled, radio host Larry Elder, who is a conservative Republican, would most likely replace him.

While I’m not the biggest fan of Gov. Newsom, I believe a Republican replacement would be even more detrimental to the wellbeing of California residents, especially concerning the pandemic. Gov. Newsom hasn’t handled it in the most efficient way; his scandal with going out to eat at an upscale restaurant without a mask doesn’t help either, but at least we have some chance of pushing for more change while he’s in office.

Larry Elder, on the other hand, is in favor of abolishing minimum wage, ending welfare and opposes the idea of universal basic income.

If he were to be elected with those ideals after a pandemic has left millions of people struggling to survive, we would be even more screwed.

Fortunately for us, a recent poll conducted among 1,250 Californians shows that 51% of people were planning on voting ‘no’ on the recall, an encouraging comeback after the same polls had shown him losing the vote by double digits a month ago.

In addition to this, the recent poll showed that 83% of Republicans were planning to vote or had already sent in their ballots and 81% of Democrats said the same. This is also a great sign compared to the previous polls where only 62% of Democrats were planning to vote.

While the difference between the Republican and Democratic Party usually seems like a fine line to me, this election is one where the Democrats winning could make a vital difference.

Over 400 colleges and universities across the U.S. are requiring students to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to return to in-person learning, with a whole lot of pushback from many different students for a variety of reasons.

Some folks are skeptical of the vaccine for reasons concerning the validity of it, and how quickly it was produced. However, the vaccine is based on research that goes back 100 years, to the first known coronavirus. Additionally, virtually no disease or virus vaccine has had a consumer base of the entire global population. The way our world functions through capitalism and labor requires us to use our bodies as a product, so of course we need to be physically

fit to produce profit. There’s no reason big pharma would create a vaccine that would deliberately harm us.

Conspiracies such as Plandemic, a movie featuring discredited scientists, have played off people’s fears about the vaccine and COVID-19 in general. A study done on the spread of misinformation through the ‘Plandemic’ movie shows that the campaign deliberately uses fragmented discourse among more sheltered and low reach social media users to distract the public from what they can actually do to protect themselves and others, consequentially worsening the effects of the pandemic.

These conspiracies claim that COVID-19 was planned by elites, the government or both to create profit for themselves and gain

control over us. Some people are even concerned that the vaccine has some sort of tracking chip.

These claims are so wildly ridiculous, considering a majority of us have given most of our privacy away to our phones and consumerism. Anti-vaxxers spew propaganda about people being blind followers for getting the vaccine, which I would find hilarious if it weren’t over a topic that has caused so many deaths. Are you really calling people sheep on a social media platform used by 3 billion people on your iPhone that has your thumbprint and facial recognition? I’m not really sure what to tell you at that point.

It’s unfathomable to me how some folks find it an intrusion on their free will when we are constantly doing similar things to ensure the safety of ourselves and

Graphic by JohnTaylor Wildfeuer/The Guardsman

"You won't be needing this." Illustration by Kelly Viss. kellyviss.com

"Rebuttal" Illustration by Max Hollinger/The Guardsman. @mxwsh

those around us. Are you going to always run red lights because you don’t like being told what to do? If you work in the food industry are you going to violate health codes just because you’ve been told to follow them?

Requiring students to be fully vaccinated in order to return to in person learning seems like a minuscule price to pay in order for people to feel safe and comfortable in a learning environment. School is already stressful, and to have to worry about our physical health on top of that creates unnecessary strain. What most of the aversion to getting vaccinated really strikes me as is some weird sort of power complex, like their faux sense of

‘American independence’ is being threatened.

OPINION | 9

Vol. 172, Issue 2 | Aug. 30 – Sep. 8 2021

City College to be Held Harmful by California

By Skylar Wildfeuer skylar.wildfeuer@gmail.com At the bottom of our college’s fiscal cliff lie the sharp rocks of California’s new State Funding Formula for community colleges, and the Hold Harmless net that held us is soon to be removed.

A Formulaic Solution The formula, passed in 2018

by California lawmakers, is based on three calculations: total enrollment, number of students receiving a few specific grants, and student success allocation based on outcomes like associate degrees, certificates, and transferring to a four year institution. What is notably not considered worthy of state funding are enrichment art programs, elder education, and non degree students seeking career skills.

The shift towards degreebased funding formulas reflect policies enacted by the Obama Administration late in his second term. A 2015 Ruling by the Department of Education, which covered career colleges and some community college programs, tied Title IV funding to “gainful employment performance.”

In a public statement leading up to his 2015 state of the union address, President Barack Obama said, “We ... have to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to train themselves for better jobs, better wages, better benefits.” His proposal was something approaching free city college for all. Currently, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Washington state offer city college grants depending on varying factors including need, major, enrollment status, and residency.

Innovating on Tradition The new California City College Funding Formula and the 2015 Ruling by the Department of Education both serve to protect working class access to job training and that is important.

Community and city colleges have, since their inception as junior colleges in response to the financial downturns in the 1890s and 1930s and the need for training in new jobs after WWII, given working class people the tools to create flexibility for their future, to invest time into expanding themselves so that the battered post-war social framework might heal and begin to grow again.

That must absolutely include job training.

Many of the first junior colleges were vocational schools and teacher training centers, but community and city colleges don’t have to be exclusively vocational to be true to their purpose. It isn’t about a piece of paper, or at least not exclusively. It’s about the pivoting that’s necessary when you’re poor and the fluctuations caused by the rich and their economic maneuvers impact you the most, causing your plans to have to change along with them, sometimes without warning I want to champion a thing

cessation programs like Chinese Brush Painting. I know of it because I spoke a few weeks ago with a City College Chinese brush painting instructor Ming Ren, who teaches art students from all over the Bay Area because what he offers is an education that almost no one else can.

He has students coming from traditionally prestigious schools like Stanford and UC Berkeley to learn from him, and then go on to graduate elsewhere. He also has a significant portion of his own personal student population who are retirees and therefore have little or no reason to work toward an

Mistaken Leadership The cost of this mindset is both a de facto and a de juro reduction in enrollment. Fewer classes can only mean fewer students. Beyond that, the reduction of offerings may be a significant factor in the college’s decade of consistent enrollment decline.

According to 2019-20 headcount data the school has lost 30,117 students since Academic Year (AY) 2010-11, a 36% decline over ten years. This represents a 26% drop in Credit-enrolled students, and almost half

that has been done. The community has built programs to meet its own needs. There is still more left to be done. The college should be funded and guided in accordance with the real work it actually does and not an outsider's idea of what the City College of San Francisco does, or should be doing.

This makes me extremely wary of the candidates for chancellor. Do any of them have an idea of what our college is as a unique institution that meets our unique bay area population? Or do they think that the college's purpose is exclusively to churn out training certificates and asso-

"Rollback-to-School Sale" Illustration by JohnTaylor Wildfeuer/The Guardsman

that’s beautiful about City College, and a truly “unique position on the educational field,” to draw language from a 1899 “junior college” brochure, that has more to do with the people who don’t necessarily transfer to a four year institution or get a certificate. I’m not against those things, but they already have their champions. .

Other Types of Value The prioritization of training for labor, however, also undermines programs that don't provide direct, measurable training for labor. I believe that these other offerings are no less worthy of existence.

These include the programs developed by the late Dr. Henry Augustine at the college, including the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Transfer Program, the Summer Bridge Program, the Peer Mentoring Program, and the African American Retention Program, now the African American Scholastic Programs (AASP).

The job-training considerations would also put at risk of

associate’s degree. In fact, says Ren, many of them already have bachelor’s degrees.

Tradition In Peril In some eras of our own City College, it has shown itself willing to be brutal with it’s faculty and students in its eagerness to comply with the Formula’s vision for the college as a paper mill.

When the controversial Chancellor Rocha was facing a projected $13 million budget shortfall his solution was to cut 350 class sections weeks before the start of the Spring 2020 semester.

Among those cut were 90% of the college’s Older Adult (OLAD) Education, which was left with no more than 6 classes.

Little over a year later Rocha’s interim successor Dr. Vurdien’s administration sent out pink slips to 163 faculty members. Had the cuts not been averted by salary concessions on the part of the faculty, programs like the Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) and Philippines Studies would have been all but completely gutted.

of all non-credit students, or 49%.

In his last meeting of the Board of Trustees as Interim Chancellor, Vurdien advised solidarity among City College adherents, and shared optimism about funding prospects. “The Unions, the senates, the Board, administration, in presenting a solid unified face you will achieve much more, you will get much more funding from the city and the state, if you can present a united front with a unified request for funding.”

So we have had several leaders who thought that canceling an important component of the college's offerings would improve the college's financial situation, but that, apparently, has not turned out to be true. And it is so paternalistic of the state to dictate which courses benefit our lives, and it is sick to base that dictation on what best feeds the industrial capitalist machine, and our own City College is better than that.

Future Leadership There is communal, relational, intersectional, radical work

ciate's degrees for transfer?

If they want to tell me their beliefs, I would absolutely love to get a hold of them to interview.

Please reach out, Dr. Martin, Dr. Whalen, and Dr. Villa! I want to know: have you studied our college's unique history? Do you believe in it's important work?

Asking Experts The people who seem to me to know what that important work is and how to serve our trainees, our students intent on transferring, as well as our students in need of cultural enrichment and specific support, are the instructors. It seems to me that they are the ones who have historically and consistently seen needs and met them.

They are to City College its most vital component, both rudder and sail, and ultimately the reason we attend. They are the ones who are best equipped to understand how our hulking system needs to run before it is run aground.

Vol. 172, Issue 2 | Aug. 30 – Sep. 8 2021

COMMUNITY | 10

THE GUARDSMAN NEEDS YOU TELL US WHAT YOU THINK OF THE CANDIDATES FOR CHANCELLOR

11 | SPORTS

Water Polo Struggles to Stay Afloat with Diminished Participation

By Seamus Geoghegan geogheganspg@gmail.com As the start of the women’s water polo season draws closer, fears that the team won’t have enough players to stay competitive increase.

The team, which had its inaugural season in 2015, has struggled to recruit players for its 2021 season, currently donning nine student-athletes. The sport requires seven players in the pool per team and an incredible amount of stamina and endurance. This leaves members of the team like sophomore Emma Ayala worried.

“I think that if we have just the right amount of players [to compete], we’ll just not have any substitutes, which will be pretty hard,” Ayala said. “I remember when we would play a team, and they wouldn’t have subs, we’d think, ‘Oh, it’s okay! They don’t have subs; they’ll get tired!’ when we had a lot of players. Now it’s just kind of funny thinking, ‘Wow, that’s gonna be us now.‘” Without a full roster, the team is limited both in players and

experience, leaving sophomore Melanie Beavan-Szabo concerned with the experience gap which currently exists in the squad.

“I know we have at least enough players to play in a game, but it will be difficult,” BeavanSzabo said. “Everyone’s stamina levels are different, and our experience levels are different, so it will be difficult, to say the least.”

Beavan-Szabo, who started playing with the team in 2019, is still hopeful that the side can continue building together despite what it’s currently lacking.

“If we can get the entire team together regularly for every practice, we can all do the drill sets together, and build our strength together and improve our passing,” Beavan-Szabo said. “If you’re not there, you’re not gonna learn. If we can get a consistent number of players in the pool, that would be fantastic.”

Consistency in practice is desperately needed for the team who had limited access to the pool due to COVID-19, practicing mainly on dryland.

“We’ve got some weights, and we’ve been doing some strength training,” Beavan-Szabo said.

“The coaches have tried really hard to get us access to the pool.”

Despite wanting to play more games, the squad is still thankful for what the team has meant to them during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

“It really has been a fantastic outlet for everyone during COVID,” Beavan-Szabo said.

“A community where we all care about each other and improve together has really been really special to me during COVID, and we’ve been very lucky.”

“Participating in any sport or being on a team is a whole different experience,” Ayala said. “You learn to be really mentally tough and disciplined, which can really pay off later on in the future.”

Even with a limited squad, the season will continue for the Rams, and the team is preparing for its next game versus De Anza College on Sept. 10 at 3 p.m.

Vol. 172, Issue 2 | Aug. 30 – Sep. 8 2021

Covid-19 Outbreak Cancels Pre-Season Game

By Kaiyo Funaki kaiyo.funaki@gmail.com After waiting two years to finally see their first official action, the men’s soccer team kicked off their 2021 season with mixed results.

They got off to a hot start against Contra Costa College, defeating the Comets 2-0 on Aug. 27.

They were originally supposed to play on the road, but field renovations in San Pablo turned this into a home game for the Rams.

This late change in venue, as well as the unusually high temperatures in the city, threw the Rams off their game in the first half.

“We hit the post like three times. We were pretty unlucky for a long time,” sophomore center back Sora Konishi-Gray said.

The Rams eventually shook off their rust by the second half with Oseas Hernandez scoring a goal in the 58th minute with an

Big Return continued from page 1

to war with someone other than ourselves.”

This team certainly has a long journey ahead of them, yet it is clear the pandemic hasn’t slowed them down. However, their first game of the preseason, scheduled for Aug. 25, was canceled, which means their first official regular game will come on Saturday, Sept.

4, against Sierra College at home.

This game was originally planned to take place in Rocklin, where Sierra plays their home games, but due to air quality concerns, it was moved to San Francisco.

Kahaulelio stated that the team has been meeting over Zoom, bonding with each other, and sharing each other’s pandemic stories as a means of creating chemistry so

assist from Alejandro Palos, and Kai Norzawa-Auclair sealing the game with a long-range goal in the 73rd minute.

“There's always room for improvement. … But for it being our first game since 2019, I think it was a good result on our end,” first-year center back Adrian Vasquez said.

However, the Rams could not maintain their momentum heading into their second game, falling to Santa Rosa Junior College 2-0 on Aug. 31.

Velasquez noted that minor mistakes, such as miscommunications and misplaying balls, led to their downfall.

The Rams play their next game at home against Napa Valley Sept. 3, then take nearly a two-week break before resuming play at Lake Tahoe Community College on Sept. 15.

they may work together like fitting puzzle pieces returning to the field.

For college football families and football enthusiasts alike, there is a great reason to be optimistic, and Kahaulelio and the Rams are a premier example of this.

Players are ready and excited to be returning to the football field, some with the hopes of obtaining scholarships at four-year colleges or even getting drafted in the NFL.

Illustration by Kelly Viss.