The Guardsman, Vol. 172, Issue 4, City College of San Francisco

Vol. 172, Issue 4 | Sep. 27 – Oct. 6 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE | www.theguardsman.com

Rams' Reign Continues with Strong Performances Versus Las Positas and Santa Rosa Art Span Celebrates the Colors of Bay Area Artists

Board of Trustees Consider Monterrosa Scholarship

By Angela Greco a_greco511@yahoo.com The presence of the tech scene may be prominent on the skyline of San Francisco, but every year local artists join forces in hosting one of the city’s largest artful happenings, reminding residents and tourists alike of the uniquely vibrant art culture that is still alive and well in the Bay Area.

ArtSpan, an organization supporting and preserving San Francisco’s inimitable creative arts scene is hosting their annual and largest production - SF Wide-Open Studios (SFOS). While September marks one of the city’s largest corporate events, Salesforce's infamous Dreamforce, local artists and art lovers prepare for a different, more colorful kind of event.

By Julie Zigoris jzigoris@mail.ccsf.edu @jzigoris

Local artists and art lovers prepare for a different, more colorful kind of event.

Illustration by Erin Blackwell/The Guardsman with photography by Bob Kinoshita.

By Seamus Geoghegan geogheganspg@gmail.com t: @seamoose415 The Rams women’s soccer team remains dominant after wins in seven of their eight matches as they head into the rest of their fall season.

"I just think we've really grown as a team."

The team continued their run from last season’s reduced number For two glorious months nearly of games, where the squad won 500+ artists host happy hours, opening celebrations, traditional BREAKING NEWS: open studios, sidewalk pop-ups, and virtual happenings. Stemming from a small group of artists who concurrently opened their studios to the public in 1975, SFOS is still contributing to the accessibility of artists’ work nearly 50 years later.

In a press release statement, Open Studios continues on pg 4

four of five scrimmages, losing only to Los Positas in their final match.

“Last season we had a really short season, five games in the spring. We didn't practice at all during the fall,” forward Illiana Sanchez said. “It was just good to get out there.”

The women’s soccer season was cut to a brief five game season due to COVID-19.

The team was also restricted in their practice, being limited to non-contact drills such as passing or individual conditioning.

Despite the condensed season, head coach Jeff Wilson set up

online activities and other ways for the squad to train and build bonds among the senior players as a way to keep the team together.

"We all treat each other like family."

“Many players on the team participated in a summer soccer class,” Wilson said. “We did a little bit of stuff online...We started individually where there was zero Rams Reign continued on pg 7

New Chancellor Contract Postponed: Interim Gonzalez to Remain Through October

The Board of Trustees will be voting at their next meeting on Oct. 28 whether to create a scholarship fund in honor of Sean Monterrosa, a City College student shot by Jarrett Tonn of the Vallejo Police Department.

If approved, the Chancellor will work with the Foundation of City College as well as Associated Students to provide criteria for the scholarship. The goal is to provide more opportunities for underrepresented students at the school.

Monterrosa was majoring in Latino Studies at City College when he was shot unarmed and kneeling with his hands up in the air on June 2, 2020. He was born in San Francisco and raised in Bernal Heights.

"Sean believed that knowledge is power."

The board was initially slated to vote on the scholarship at its Sept.

23 meeting, but tabled the motion until next month, to give them more time to coordinate with the Monterrosa family.

In a Sept. 29 statement, the Monterrosa family supported the creation of a scholarship fund, saying they were “grateful.” The statement continued, “Sean believed that knowledge is power. It's something that no one else can take away from you.”

Monterrosa continues on pg 2

NEWS | 2

Vol. 172, Issue 4 | Sep. 27 – Oct. 6

Bodycams Mayor Breed Subsidizes Small Businesses With New Relief Program Approved

By David Chin

dchin20@mail.ccsf.edu On September 15, in a press conference located at the shoe store, “Footprint,” on Taraval, Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Gordon Mar announced the launch of a new program aimed at helping small businesses that have been vandalized or broken into. The program, called the “Storefront Vandalism Relief Grant Program,” plans to offer either $1,000 or $2,000 to small businesses victimized by break-ins or any sort of property damage caused by crime.

The program specifically targets all businesses in San Francisco with annual revenues less than $8 million with the intention to provide relief money to cover the cost of damages including, but not limited to, stolen goods, shattered windows, and graffiti. To receive relief, businesses must first report vandalism to police and to call the number 311, and show receipts for related expenses.

Vice President of the Taraval Merchant Association People of Parkside Sunset Grace Garza, who also owns Carla & Co. Hair Studio, also attended the press conference and said, “[I feel] sad for the victims but happy that there is relief money if targeted by such an event. important to

mention the program not only helps the morale of the business and its workers but also our corridor & neighborhood as well.”

District 4 Supervisor Gordon Mar brought the idea to fruition after Footprint owner Michael Hsu came to him with the suggestion. Michael Hsu came up with the idea of the program after his business was burglarized twice in one night in February of this year.

With $1 million allocated, the program is set to greatly benefit countless businesses across the city. Mar listed some businesses that have already been

The crime wave has been especially difficult for Asian American businesses. victimized, including the following located in the Sunset district alone: Footprint Shoe Store, Foam Tea House, Antigua Coffee, Mr. Bread Bakery, Twisted Donuts, Pineapple King, Nomad Cyclery, and Frank’s Floral. These businesses have recently been hurt by crime within the city, and these examples are limited to only the

Sunset District painting a picture of how much of a problem business break-ins are in this city.

Of the examples, Foam Tea House and Frank’s Floral stand out in their degree of devastation.

Sunset neighborhood businesses and residents set up... Sunset Squad.

Foam Tea House was vandalized three times this year, according to Mar. Police reports suggest the vandalism at Foam Tea House may have been racially motivated as it’s an Asian-owned business.

Frank’s Floral, located on Irving, is an 87-year-old business that recently burned down as the result of an arson crime. According to their website, Frank’s Floral is temporarily closed and unable to process orders, but they plan to undergo repairs and have set up a remote system of processing orders.

The crime wave has been especially difficult for AsianAmerican businesses because they’re targeted as evidenced in the 20 burglaries in Chinatown.

Mar displayed concern within

meetings about dozens of businesses in the Sunset District corridors.

The Captain of the San Francisco Police Department Taraval Station, Nicholas Rainsford, also acknowledged the break-ins during the press conference attributing “30 or 40 incidents” in the Chinatown and Ocean areas. Their investigation drew conclusions that most of the crimes were “driven by prejudice.”

Garza said that Sunset neighborhood business and residents had set up a volunteer foot patrol, called Sunset Squad. She also said,”I do think that the city's efforts are going to curtail this type of crime or make a difference. It definitely helps.”

Recent construction along Taraval have further made business difficult, obstructing the flow of business. Garza said, “Yes, it was necessary. Construction alone made a huge impact and it scared a lot of businesses away.

That [along] with the closing of the Great Highway, the pandemic closures, and now burglary and vandalism [has made things harder]. It’s a ripple effect and we’re in it together.” She added that small business were “what San Francisco was created on.”

Monterrosa continued from page 1 Monterrosa cared deeply for social justice and fought to address systemic racism during his brief life. Just 47 minutes before he was killed, he sent a text message to his two sisters urging them to sign a petition to demand justice for George Floyd. He fought for justice for other victims of police violence, including fellow City College student Alex Nieto, Mario Woods, and Jessica Williams.

Monterrosa’s family noted, “this scholarship is so important because it will make sure that families affected by police violence are still able to access resources in order to go to school. We're grateful to CCSF for uplifting Sean's story, along with so many others whose lives have been taken by police.”

The Vallejo Police Department’s rate of officerinvolved shootings is higher than the national average, and it has the highest rate of residents shot per capita in Northern California.

Staff

for CCSF Police

By Annette Mullaney

annette.mullaney@gmail.com San Francisco Community College Police (SFCCPD) will soon begin using body-worn cameras, following the Board of Trustees’ approval of their purchase at the board’s Sept. 23 meeting.

The bodycams will cost $93,600 over five years, which covers leasing 30 cameras at $52 a month per camera from Pro-Vision, who won out over three other vendors. The contract will be funded through the police department’s operational budget.

The request, submitted by Police Chief Mario Vasquez and Interim Chancellor Dianna Gonzales, called bodycams “an industry standard in law enforcement.” Vasquez further stated that bodycams, “promote accountability, increase public trust, provide supportive documentation for complaints, assist with investigations and prosecutions, improve training opportunities, and supports transparency.”

Bodycams have frequently been proposed as a tool to increase police oversight, accountability, and transparency, particularly following the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and concomitant calls for police reform. However, the ACLU, among others, has questioned the effectiveness of bodycams and raised questions about their possible use to surveil civilians.

Empirical studies of the impact of bodycams have found mixed results, though a recent metaanalysis found that bodycam use reduced complaints against police by 17% and police use of force by 10%.

The cameras will not be going into immediate use following the approval. In addition to still having to make the actual purchase, the department will also need to complete its policy for their use and train officers. In the request for the board, Vasquez said that the department will be using Lexipol, a law enforcement training materials company, as the basis for the department’s policy, with modifications if necessary.

In a phone call, Sergeant Jessica Green said that the department hopes to deploy the cameras

by January 2022.

News Editor Annette Mullaney

Sports Editor Kaiyo Funaki

Illustration Editor Skylar Wildfeuer

Photographers Onyx Hunter

Photography Editor Skylar Wildfeuer

T: @jtwildfeuer

Culture Editor Casey Michie

Layout Editor Skylar Wildfeuer

Illustrators Erin Blackwell

Max Hollinger

Chief Copy Editor Colton Webster

Online Editor JohnTaylor Wildfeuer

Opinion Editor Ava Cohen

Social Media Editor Derek Chartrand Wallace

Editor-in-Chief JohnTaylor Wildfeuer

I: @blackwelldrawingfool

Bob Kinoshita

Yuchen Xiao

Janna Velasquez

Copy Editor Tim Hill

CULTURE | 3

Vol. 172, Issue 4 | Sep. 27 – Oct. 6

Audience at Precita Park watching Namorados Da Lua perform on Oct 2.

Latiece Brown at Precita Park, a winner of the Bernal Bright Star Award, and a City College Alumni.

Audience at Precita Park enjoying the films presented on the big screen on Oct 2.

Actor Jimmie Fails, Lead Actor and Character of The Last Brazilian Band Namorados Da Lua performing to an audience in Precita Park Black Man in San Francisco. on Oct 2.

Local Film Festival Rekindles Community Spirit with Boost from City College

By Emily Margaretten

margarettene@gmail.com The Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema (BHOC), a free film festival that showcases the talents of Bay Area filmmakers and runs until Oct. 29, was off to an impressive start, as it navigated COVID-19 precautions with pop-up drivein and socially-distanced park screenings during its opening weekend, Oct. 1-2.

"Just having the opportunity to see a film festival with people... was really fun."

The films of City College alumni and students featured prominently in the BHOC this year, reflecting a talented pool of established and emerging filmmakers. Joe Talbot and Jimmie Fails’ highly acclaimed 2019 film, “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” was the headliner event, a fitting tribute to the festival, as a clip of the film first premiered there in 2014.

Leslie Lampre, Director of Exhibitions and co-founder of the BHOC, recalled the entry of the film during its early production stages. “I spoke with Joe on the phone, and he said, ‘Well, we haven't made a trailer yet.’ I was like, ‘Come on.’ So low and behold, months later, they did

submit the trailer, and the trailer won the Best of Bernal Award [in 2014].”

Because of technical difficulties, the film, which originally was scheduled for Oct. 2 now will be screened Oct. 22. Taking the evening in stride, Fails was grateful for the large audience turnout and said returning to the festival as the headliner event was “a surreal experience.” Most people, he explained, likely already had seen the movie but still showed up for it as a supportive community.

Alley Frederick, a resident of Bernal Heights who was attending the festival, overheard Fails’ comments and chimed in, “With the pandemic, there’s a greater sense of unity. People have a more inter-emotional connection to the film now.”

Laughing appreciatively, Fails replied, “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

The festival’s focus on “localness” and community makes it especially attractive for up-andcoming filmmakers. Audrey Daniel, a documentary filmmaker and resident of Bernal Heights, explained that the BHOC “gives voice” to people who otherwise might be overlooked at larger festivals. It is, she remarked, “a community celebration of filmmaking,” which this year culminates with an award ceremony on Oct. 29.

The ceremony includes the work of City College alumna, Latiece Brown, whose dance documentary, “Turfin,” won the

2021 Bernal Bright Star award.

Brown created “Turfin” in an introductory cinema class at City College and submitted it to the festival to “get [her] work out there.” She did not expect to win

The festival's focus on "localness" and community makes it especially attractive for up-andcoming filmmakers. an award for it.

“It was just something personal for me,” Brown said, “And this really has been motivating that people actually like what I'm doing. And so I want to make more.”

Caroline Blair, a professor of cinema at City College who has been involved with the BHOC since its early years, also described the unique community feel of the festival, which tends to spotlight issues that “occur very close to home.

“The cinema department’s films often reflect the ‘voices of the community,’” she said, “And the BHOC is the perfect venue to support this mission.”

While traditionally held outdoors and oftentimes in eclectic commercial and community spaces—“including a motorcycle shop, art gallery, cafe, butcher

shop, library, and a laundromat,” as Anne Batmale, co-founder of the BHOC, told the SFGate— the venues, more recently, have adhered to COVID-19 safety protocols. Last year, the organizers implemented a pop-up, drive-in experience that they plan to continue at Alemany Market Plaza.

Blair and Daniel both described last year’s drive-in experience as a novel adaptation to COVID-19 restrictions that rekindled a sense of community for filmgoers. As Daniel explained, “Just having the opportunity to see a film festival with people, even if they were in their cars, was really fun. It was different. It was thinking outside of the box and saying how can we share films in a safe way?”

She added, “It continued to be an outdoor film festival although it was just in a parking lot.”

With the easing of pandemic restrictions, this year’s screenings have returned to Precita Park and commercial venues like the Bernal Star Restaurant. Owner Vega Freeman emphasized the importance of supporting local artists, particularly now during the pandemic. “We need to support each other locally,” she said, “And, if we do, we all can survive together.”

Lampre also addressed the challenges of the pandemic that has made it difficult for local sponsors to contribute as much financially as in previous years.

“We lost support from local businesses and organizations who were

deeply affected by the pandemic and still have not returned to full force. But, I'm optimistic that there will be a 19th season and beyond.”

Carl Rennie, a City College student and resident of Bernal Heights, remarked on the importance of a supportive community

"Film is such an incredibly collaborative medium." as one of his reasons for participating in the festival. His short film, “The Guest,” screened at the BHOC during its opening night on Oct. 1, and he is eager to participate in more events where he can meet and interact with filmmakers and “find out who in the community is doing what.” Up until now, he has not been able to do this easily.

“In the pandemic,” Rennie explained, “there's this added layer where it becomes difficult to be around people because there's some danger associated with it. And film, in particular, is such an incredibly collaborative medium that it's hard to collaborate remotely. When people aren't getting together and meeting, it's hard.”

The BHOC, with its emphasis on bringing together local filmmakers, represents one such opportunity.

4 | CULTURE Open Studios continued from page 1 ArtSpan Executive Director Joen Madonna emphasized the importance of supporting the art community who were hard hit by the pandemic. She said, “There is no better way to support [artists] than to get out there and buy some art. Open Studios is always a wonderful occasion to explore different parts of the city, meet people from our community, and reconnect with what makes this such a remarkable place.”

San Francisco resident and artist Soad Kader is proudly celebrating her twentieth year participating in SFOS. Every year she looks forward to not only sharing her work, but connecting with art lovers from all over. She called the event “an annual celebration of the year’s work” - a time to reunite,

Kader has seen firsthand the fluidity and innovation of the art community over the years. reflect and catch up with others.

With her level of experience, Kader has seen firsthand the fluidity and innovation of the art community over the years. Since last year was all virtual, it has widened the scope of artists and art lovers who did not need to be local to appreciate the experience.

As Kader said, “the more inclusive the better.”

Studio artist and ArtSpan Program Assistant, Nick Maltagliati, understands how exposure and accessibility is a predominant part of the practice. He said as an artist, “we are essentially our own business.” The exposure and creative freedom

Vol. 172, Issue 4 | Sep. 27 – Oct. 6

from this event is the backbone for an artist’s livelihood.

SFOS participating artist Susan R. Kirshenbaum used naked subjects for her work, displayed Oct. 2 at San Francisco Women Art Gallery, inviting viewers to question the comfort they feel in their own skin. She stated on her card that, “It is fundamental for my art to reveal our natures and to remain uncensored. Art is the way I express my activism.”

Another element quietly on display is art's ability to continuously incite change. An addition to this year’s events includes the development of a mobile web app.

Anyone can filter events by certain dates, locations and even artists, essentially customizing a location to what is nearby.

“It’s promotion, it’s getting your name out there. Having that guide is like an artist’s directory.”

Maltagliati said. He added that the program has evolved so drastically over the years, but always with the artist and art lover in mind.

Kader pointed out how especially vital the arts were during the past year. She said, “Imagine what the lockdown would have been without music, movies and television, or literature. For me, the art that was on my walls was like my friends. It reminded me of people and experiences and times in my life - The art around me created a certain vibrancy that helped so much.”

Just as Kader’s recent work highlights the interconnectedness of shared humanity, the underlining artistic perspective is a reminder to the importance and accessibility of connection.

Despite the ever present techie takeover or the unpredictable setbacks of the past year, the power of art remains consistent and strong. Through whichever creative outlet speaks to your soul, the arts will undeniably remain essential to the human experience.

Susan R. Kirshenbaum, a local artist, exhibits her artwork during the Open Studios Event on Oct 2 at the SF Women’s Artist Gallery on Irving Street, San Francisco.

San Francisco Women Artists Gallery on Irving St.

San Franciscans enjoying an Open Studios Event on Oct 2 at the San Francisco Women Artists Gallery on Irving St.

Robin Allen, a local artist, exhibits her artwork during the Open Barbara Landis, a local artist, exhibits her artwork during the Studios Event on Oct 2 at the SF Women’s Artist Gallery on Open Studios Event on Oct 2 at the SF Women’s Artist Gallery Irving Street, San Francisco. on Irving Street, San Francisco.

COMMUNITY | 5

Vol. 172, Issue 4 | Sep. 27 – Oct. 6

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6 | OPINION

Vol. 172, Issue 4 | Sep. 27 – Oct. 6

The Vigil

Roe v Wade In Texas Reflects Current State of Women’s Healthcare

By Ava Cohen avaocohen@gmail.com

The Supreme Court recently rejected a request to block a law in Texas that “bans physicians from providing abortions "if the physician detects a fetal heartbeat," including embryonic cardiac activity, which can be as early as six weeks into a pregnancy,” despite much protest from many Americans.

In all parts of the world where abortion is illegal, botched abortions cause about 30,000 deaths yearly.

Six weeks into a pregnancy also happens to be only about two weeks late for most people’s periods, which doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for someone to realize they’re pregnant. In fact, only 10-15% of people seeking abortions fit into the margin of being less than six weeks pregnant. Of course, this ban isn’t going to stop people from getting abortions.

What it will do is prevent people from access to safe abortions, consequentially putting pregnant people at risk for more dangerous methods of abortion.

For example, countries where abortion is illegal, such as Argentina, 40-some women die from methods of unsafe abortions.

In all parts of the world where abortion is illegal, botched abortions cause about 30,000 deaths yearly.

However, there are exceptions to this rule. The people who will continue to have access to safe abortions are the ones who can afford to drop huge sums of money on them.

The working class is continuously exploited and treated as disposable in America, and this situation is no different. The lawmakers deciding if people should be allowed to receive safe abortions could not care less if people perform unsafe abortions with hangers or throw

themselves down the stairs. And in Texas, poverty rates are doubly high for Hispanic and Black residents compared to White residents, meaning that this law could disproportionately affect Black and Brown folks seeking abortions.

The agenda of pro-life legislators has been to slowly chip away at abortion rights for years, and Mississippi just recently requested that the Supreme Court overturn Roe in their state. It seems that in the post-Trump era, Democrats and Republicans alike realize they can get away with much more, especially since so many Democrats and liberals stopped caring after Biden got elected. Who’s to say that there won’t be more elusive laws to try and forbid people from getting abortions across the whole country in a few years?

According to Planned Parenthood, women are fifty percent more likely to die during childbirth than thirty years ago, with Black women being three to

The working class is

continuously

exploited and treated as disposable. four times more likely. TRAP laws, or targeted restrictions on abortion providers, have been a consistent hurdle while ninety percent of counties in the country lack an abortion care provider. Women’s health care is consistently brushed aside for the comfortability of old white men who think their word should be unquestionable. If they really care about the lives of children so much, why don’t they do something for the more than 400,000 kids in foster care across the country? Or help the children in cages on the border? This is not a matter of religious beliefs and morality, but of legislators wanting to hold onto their power and make everyone and anyone feel small so they may uphold their cycles of exploitation and abuse without having to worry about revolt.

10/4/2021. Comic by Skylar Wildfeuer/The Guardsman.

Jonathan F Mitchell is the former Solicitor General of Texas under Rick Perry and a member of the Federalist Society. He proposed the idea of the civil enforcement feature of the law in a 2018 Virginia Law Review article entitled The Writ-of-

Erasure Fallacy.

On March 11, 2021, the Texas Heartbeat Bill (Senate Bill 8 or SB 8 for short) was introduced

by Texas State Senator Bryan Hughes.

A companion bill to SB 8, HB 1515, was filed by Texas State Representative Shelby Slawson on March 12, 2021 in the Texas House of Representatives.

Governor Greg Abbott signed the new legislation into law on May 19, 2021.

On Sept 9, 2021, United States attorney general Merrick Garland delivered a speech announcing that the Justice Department had filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas.

Illustration by Yuchen Xiao/The Guardsman.

And The World Stood Still

By Casey Michie cmichie1@mail.ccsf.edu I recall close to a decade ago when the immediate world around me seemingly stood still, if only for a moment. It came in the form of darkness; the greatest blackout California had ever seen. For twelve hours the daily routines of modern life halted as technology went dark and the streets came alive with conversation as adults sat drinking beers and children played aimlessly through alleys.

I bring this up not because it was necessarily a profound moment in time, for many of us the night has been largely forgotten. No, I bring it up because it offered a small glimpse into another way of living. Of a life not dictated by monotonous routines or evenings dominated by television. Of brief hours where neighbors disposed of distractions and interacted honestly with neighbors.

It seems we’ve become so accustomed to the routines of modern life.

Accustomed to the long hours and the rush hours and the deadlines that invade further into our consciousness each day. Shouldn’t there be more to life! We have become so accustomed to the trajectory of the world, that we rarely take a moment to consider that the trajectory could ever change.

Why did we live the way we used to?

And yet now it has.

For the first time in generations, we have seen society come full stop in a matter of weeks. A full stop that affects not a single region but the entirety of the world. The pandemic has changed the course of our daily lives, and the important question we must ask ourselves now is: why did we live the way we used to?

I am not talking here of political revolution, but a revolution of cultural introspection. The pandemic has shown us that the monotonous tread forward of society is not set on unalterable rails. That the tribulations of our modern world are a

construct of our own making. And as we trade old uncertainties for new, it has undeniably shown us that we are all in this together.

The thought brings to mind an idea of Walker Winslow that Henry Miller recounted in his essay entitled “The Hour of Man”. The piece was written some 80 years ago but holds weight, even to a greater magnitude now, to our lives today.

Winslow writes, “I want to see the radio or television turned off for an hour a week, the paper or magazine laid aside, the car locked safely in the garage, the bridge table folded, the liquor bottle corked, and the sedatives kept tightly in their packages. I want to see production and consumption forgotten for this hour. Politics must be forgotten, national or international. The hour that I propose could be called The Hour of Man. During this hour man could ask himself and his neighbor just what purpose they are serving on earth, what life is, what a man or woman can rightly ask of life as well as what they must give in return.”

It is indeed a romantic thought: to come together for a short moment to meditate on what it is to be human. To meditate on what it is to be part of a community.

The pandemic, in its own way, has offered us a form of this introspection. It has given all of us an opportunity to question the way we used to live. To ask ourselves what it means to be a worker, a neighbor, a lover, a friend. Through the isolation, the hardship, and the loss, the pandemic has also given us an opportunity to grow.

As society goes dark around us, there is light to be gained in the perspective of its absence. Our communities and our world will emerge from this pandemic vastly different from how it entered. It would be a tragedy otherwise. In this moment, in this interim of normalcy, we have a chance for introspection. This is our chance for The Hour of Man. Our chance to consider what we want our world to look like as it inevitably starts spinning again.

7 | SPORTS

Vol. 172, Issue 4 | Sep. 27 – Oct. 6

Infographic by Skylar Wildfeuer/The Guardsman.

Rams Reign continued from pg 1 out several shut-out games and continues to produce great results. contact and then went to [playing “I feel like everybody on our in] small groups where they had team really wants it this season.” to be isolated.” goalkeeper and team captain “I just think we've really Alexia Estrada said. “We saw how grown as a team, our chemistry has good we could be in the spring, gotten so much better,” Sanchez you know, we only had one loss said. “We're all pretty close. And in the spring. So I think everybody we've gotten really close over the sees the potential and everybody summer.” wants it.”

After their long break from the While the team’s morale is pitch, the team is more eager than high, the season hasn’t been flawever to play and win games. With less. The side has had players out new and strengthened connections due to injuries in recent games, between teammates from training something that has been difficult over the summer, the side has put to cope with for the side even with

their larger roster. The squad has had to rely on newer faces to keep

"I think they [bonded with us] really quickly, and you know, I love everyone on the team." up the good performances the side has been producing.

“We all treat each other like family, so it's hard knowing that

Illustration by JohnTaylor Wildfeuer with photography by Bob Kinoshita/The Guardsman.

one of your close friends has an injury that they're going through,” forward Megan Celillo said, adding: “We don't take the practice for granted, because any wrong step can put you out for months.”

“It can definitely be hard, going into a new team where they're already bonded,” Sanchez said. “So just kind of make them feel comfortable. I think they [bonded with us] really quickly and you know, I love everyone on the team.”

Despite losing a game to Sierra college 2-0, the team has done incredibly so far this season

conceding only five goals in eight games and scoring 37. They continue to win games, including beating the only side they lost to last season, Los Positas 1-0.

The squad is hopeful that they can continue their recent run and take on the tougher teams of the division. “[During] the five years that I've been at City, this is the most talented team that I've coached,” Wilson said, “It's a lot of fun to work with a team like this. It's kind of what I imagined when I first took the job, and it kind of came into fruition.”

8 | SPORTS

Vol. 172, Issue 4 | Sep. 27 – Oct. 6

Calel Olicia-Aramboles: Reading the Signs Leading to Rams’ Success

By Derek Chartrand Wallace dwalla30@mail.ccsf.edu The crunching football pads and clattering helmets of rivaled Titans. The rising fervor as fans leapt to their feet, cheering on their hometown heroes. Each time Calel Justice Olicia-Aramboles has entered the hallowed end zone, he has heard none of these social cues.

However, this running back for the Rams would be the first to tell you that silence is not the hindrance you may have thought.

“I don’t see deafness as a block to what I can do as an athlete,” confessed Olicia-Aramboles during an interpreter-assisted Zoom video conference with The Guardsman, “I was given talent

by God and I’ve had that as a gift, so I’m ready to put it all into football.”

Inspiration Calel’s grandfather was a pastor, whom he cited as a big role model for helping him to understand his own faith. “Anytime I finish a touchdown or a successful tackle or block, if I have a good day, have a great run, it doesn’t matter how much I’m playing, I thank God. I thank God every day, every moment, I give up that gratitude.”

He also counted among his influences his parents. OliciaAramboles’ father, who was in the U.S. Army, encouraged his children to do something—so Calel and his brothers got into sports.

“I was five or six when I joined a flag football team, and that experience playing that sport, I really felt like at that moment, this is something I’m gonna be into,” he reflected. “You know, I tried different other sports. I tried my hand at those, but they weren’t as exciting.

So I came back to football. At age 11 when I was playing two-hand touch, the first game that I played, I ran my first touchdown,” adding, “I was hooked from there on out.”

Among his professional football inspirations, the running back listed former NFL coach Dave Atkins and players Sean Taylor, Walter Payton, and Saquon Barkley. Taylor and Parton are deceased, but when he spoke of their sportsmanship and character it was translated in the present tense.

“Taylor is very highly competitive, he works very hard, he has heart, and he is a family man.” Walter Payton he described as “kind of a sweet person, he’s got a very friendly personality, and he’s good to people.” Of Saquon Barkley, Calel said,“He is an athlete, he is a player, he’s a baller - so I just appreciate that. All three of them have qualities that I like.”

Finding inspiration in both the hearing and deaf worlds, Calel internalized these positive traits, and the results left coaches and teammates unable to speak highly enough of the young man. “He’s a good player, I saw that when I went to go watch him play at the School of the Deaf,” running backs coach Ed Smith said during a phone interview. “You don’t really know people until you are around them, and he’s an even better person than he is a player. I love having him out there, working with him every day.”

Rams assistant wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator Brendan Henderson echoed this sentiment. “He’s a dream to coach, he wants to learn so much.

Working with him is quite easy, you know, because he’s a ballplayer, he knows football in and out. We saw it in his high school tape.” Henderson added, “He’s a great kid, all the kids love him on the team,” and highlighted that he “loves to celebrate his teammates’ successes."

Collaborators Fellow running back Devan Walker could not have agreed more. “On his last touchdown when he ran it in, I was one of the first ones running down to congratulate him, jumping on him, super excited for him.” Walker, whom fans have kept an eye on as well, thinks that the secret to their team’s success this season was “doing all the little things. Not taking each day for granted. Taking each day in and out. Making sure you’re getting better.”

The business of “getting better” was a challenge to which Olicia-Aramboles was eager to rise. “We are unrelenting in our focus and we practice in that regard,” he elaborated. “We’re on all the time and then we’re just

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getting better.” Defensive lineman Dino Kahaulelio noted that “He’s studied a lot of film, and studied a lot of the paperwork that we’ve prepared for him beforehand.”

“Determination to me means you have a special gift, use that gift for the rest of your life,” OliciaAramboles explained. “Keep on it, keep at it, don’t give up.

‘Determination’ is my mantra.”

Crossfit proponent and a big fan of gyms, Calel kept in shape off-season with weightlifting and aerobic exercise, fromunning, stretching, powerlifting, and isometrics, to sauna, steam, and swimming.

“He’s into fitness,” Walker concurred, “I know that for sure because working out with him, you’ll be sore! Me and him were working out the other day and my legs are tired right now”.

“Uber-competitive, he loves the competition,” coach Henderson added. “He plays his heart out and he’s fast and he’s physical and he’s willing to do what a lot of other people won’t do.” Galvanizing the team has become standardissue for Calel as “every game he makes a big tackle on kickoff or he’s caused two forced fumbles, which are stats that we track—so he’s been an integral part of our team having success this year.”

Walker opined, “He’s making plays for himself. Nice plays.” One example was the 98-yard kick-off return he ran for a touchdown against Modesto this year. “He competed for that kickoff spot, for sure. He got his position firmly in place there by getting that first kick return back, that was the first one of the season.” Henderson agreed that “you just see him in the end zone and how fired up he is, that’s a guy that just loves the game and the competition of the game.”

Communication The pressures of the football field have revealed this diamond in the rough to be a hidden gem— just like his comic book namesake, Kal-El from Krypton (aka Superman). Each step of this gridiron journey has brought Calel Olicia-Aramboles closer to a moving goal, even from a young age. Kindergarten through middle school, Olicia-Aramboles attended mainstream classes designed for those with hearing.

In his freshman year of high school, he joined the California School for the Deaf in Fremont.

“The education being bilingual means that you are emphasizing literacy through the first language, American Sign Language, and that’s the foundation of communication in the school itself,” Calel explained. “It’s the deaf language; so all communication is through ASL.” When asked for clarification on the correct terminology, he clarified that “Deaf is fine to

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say in general. People prefer the word deaf, they don’t typically use ’hearing-impaired’.”

Some may perceive it as a limitation, but Olicia-Aramboles rejected that particular interpretation. “I don’t see myself as disabled, I see us all as humans,” he elaborated. “Everyone has their own uniqueness and the focus should be on what your unique gift is, not what you are lacking.”

Working with hearing coaches and teams had its initial barriers, but he was willing to use all tools at his disposal to foster open communication in those relationships. Being able to read lips and the use of a cochlear implant has given him a slight advantage, even if the device has proven troublesome with his helmet. “If I put on a skullcap it’s easier for me to have that stay in place,” he said.

A self-proclaimed “solutionbased human,” Calel has utilized a network of support ready to help him achieve success. “His interpreters, they are incredible people,” coach Henderson stressed. “They are just as much a part of the team as anybody else is, really. They are there every day, every meeting, signing everything all day long.” He lauded copiously that they “do a great job relaying the right information. It must be such a difficult job to interpret some of the football terminology and put it into hand signals.”

On the field, the other players have done their part as well. “We run our plays based on certain calls and keys,” Kahaulelio offered, “so the quarterbacks do a really good job at explaining them and what he needs to do for that particular play, they’ll help him line up as needed.

When the coach calls a play out loud, the translators are standing right next to him translating his

calls to Calel.”

Regardless of the sport played, hand gestures have always had a role. Olicia-Aramboles likened it to the analogy of baseball pitchers and catchers who need to have long-distance conversations between the mound and home plate. "We have a communication system that works,” Calel reiterated. “Regardless of whether you’re hearing or deaf, it can be communicated from a distance much easier than spoken language could.” He listed several scenarios, such as “Is it a run play? Is it a mesh play? Is it a screen? Is it a stretch? What are you doing? That information that can be communicated from a distance with those gestures.”

“We do hand signals, so he’s been able to fit in well with our team,” coach Smith noted. “It’s the Ram way: We’re all one team, one unit, one voice.” That voice has demanded a 5-0 winning streak, and Smith indicated that they are “looking forward to him doing more special things for us.”

One special thing Calel already did for City College was to give the Rams their own special “name sign”, which the team has performed before their home games. The team hypes each other up, the players clapping their hands to a certain fevered pace.

When Calel signs “GO RAMS,” everybody joins him, finishing in a power stance before running onto the field through the iconic plume of red smoke.

When asked if he would like to see fans perform his special name sign, Olicia-Aramboles said, “It would be great to have a whole stadium signing ‘RAMS’, that would be awesome.”