The Guardsman, Vol. 173, Issue 1, City College of San Francisco

Vol. 173, Issue 1 | Jan. 24 – Feb. 1 2022 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE | www.theguardsman.com

San Francisco’s Cantonese Speakers at Risk of Further CCSF Student Journalist's Alienation as Language Program Languishes Victory

By JohnTaylor Wildfeuer

jt.wildfeuer@gmail.com A resolution for the revitalization of Cantonese that could rescue the nearly silenced language program was unanimously approved on Jan. 13 by the Board of Trustees.

The agenda item, proposed

by Trustee Alan Wong, garnered support from over thirty organizations including Chinese Hospital and the San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium.

The Society of Professional Journalists is a national organazation founded over a hundred years ago to facilitate a well informed citizenry, freedom of the press, and excellence and diversity in journalism.

The Guardsman's own former sports editor Kaiyo Funaki was the only student to win an award, from the Society in 2021 for his story about the college's men's basketball team and their coach, Justin Labaugh. Funaki is now a quality editor for the Bleacher Report, which has offices in San Francisco, New York and London.

The Resolution Currently, students who have taken Cantonese classes at City College are unable to apply their credits to a UC school as their General Education, non-English language class.

The resolution cites the existence of Cantonese programs at Sacramento City College and College of Alameda that satisfy state requirements, and makes mention of existing certificate programs at City College of San Francisco for Spanish, Russian, Pilipino, Japanese, Italian, German, French, and Mandarin.

While the Board’s consensus makes clear its intention, to revitalize a once robust training Cantonese continued on page 3

"I am excited and honored to have won."

Born and raised in San Francisco, Alan Wong, pictured here in front of a mural of Bruce Lee in Chinatown, has become a pillar of the community. Serving on the Board of Trustees at City College of San Francisco, Wong led a coalition of community groups to fight to not only save, but to also expand the Cantonese Language Program. Chinatown, San Francisco. Jan 19. Janna Velasquez/The Guardsman.

Funaki issued the following statement exclusively to the Guardsman. "I am excited and honored to have won this award.

I'd like to thank Juan and the entire Guardsman team for their support, as well as coach Justin Labahgh and the men's basketball team for giving me the opportunity to share their story on their behalf. This was a collaborative effort and one that makes me proud to be part of CCSF and the Guardsman staff."

City College Community Remembers Student and Alameda Sherrif's Recruit David Nguyen

By Garrett Leahy

garretteleahy@gmail.com When news of the deadly shooting of City College student and soon-to-graduate Alameda County Sheriff’s Office recruit David Nguyen reached Matt Castagnola, an instructor in the Administration of Justice department who taught Nguyen last Spring, the first thing that passed through his mind was disbelief.

“I was devastated,” said Castagnola. “I was sitting at dinner with my wife and one of my daughters, and my phone’s going off, ding, ding, ding, and it’s a bunch of texts between staff at the Administration of Justice department, and I scrolled down and I saw his

name and his picture, and I was stunned.”

He continued, “It was the same picture he sent me when he was mid-way through the

"I was devastated."

Academy [Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Regional Training Center], the one where he was running...I couldn’t believe that it was him.”

Nguyen was set to graduate from City College’s Administration of Justice program in February, according to a Twitter post from City College’s account, sent out

earlier last month.

Those who knew Nguyen remember his work ethic, including City College instructor Gianrico Pierucci, who had Nguyen as a student in his Criminal Investigation class in Fall 2020 “He reminded me of me and my friends,” Pierucci said. “He was trying to make it to a place where we wanted to go, cherish it, and do a good job. That’s the kind of kid he was, he wanted to give back to the community.”

Freeway shootings like the one that killed Nguyen have become more common over the past four years, according to an analysis of CHP crime data by the San Francisco Chronicle,

which found that the number of freeway shootings in the Bay Area has increased from 49 in 2018 to 165 in the first ten months of 2021.

The plurality of these shootings have occurred in Alameda County and increased from 26 shootings in 2018 to 63 in 2021, with six of the 2021 lethal shootings happening on Oakland freeways, compared to just two deadly freeway shootings in the whole Bay Area in 2018.

Interstates 580 and 880 saw the most shootings of any Bay Area highway in 2018 and 2019.

Nguyen was shot as he drove on Interstate 580 towards the Bay Bridge toll plaza as he was commuting to his home in San

Delano Nursery

Men's Basketball

Culture - pg 5

Sports - pg 7

Francisco.

“We have seen an increase [in shootings] recently, and we’ve seen an increase in shootings actually hurting or killing someone,” said CHP Officer Karsant, who identified herself by last name only because she was a backup Public Information Officer.

According to Karsant, CHP Division 370, which operates in an area spanning Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond, they have been placing extra officers along a highway in the area for once a month to watch for suspicious behavior which may indicate a crime in progress or Nguyen continued on page 3

2 | NEWS

Vol. 173, Issue 1 | Jan. 24 – Feb. 1 2022

District Implements Round of Layoffs for Classified Staff at City College

By Emily Margaretten margarettene@gmail.com City College laid off 42 classified employees on Jan. 3 after the District failed to reach a labor agreement with Services Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021, which represents classified staff.

The layoffs impacted 67 employees in total, as Civil Service rules and regulations (Article 21) allow for classified employees to displace or “bump” other employees based on seniority within each class. 98% of those affected by the layoffs were women and people of color, according to SEIU 1021

needed to adjust staffing and other expenditure categories to offset its decline in revenue from lower student enrollments.

The number of classified staff positions has reduced in size from nearly 1,000 to just over 500 since the year 2000, according to a press release from SEIU 1021.

SEIU 1021 leadership denounced the layoffs as unjustified and unnecessary and accused the chancellor of regressive

avoid layoffs. The District had assigned $4.8 million of the projected $8.3 million budget deficit to classified salary lines.

“We were real close to the $4.8 million,” President of SEIU 1021 Athena Steff said in an interview. “Both sides, when we left that meeting [on Dec. 12], we felt like we had a resolution.

We had an agreement.

“And you know,”

The chancellor told Steff and Gamarra that he wanted ongoing savings in the form of salary cuts or layoffs when they met on Dec. 22.

“He imposed the layoff of our workers. That's what the new chancellor has done.”

“He totally withdrew the District from any kind of negotiations with SEIU,” Gamarra said. “And he imposed the layoff of our workers. That's what the new chancellor has done.”

SEIU 1021 submitted an unfair

Choosing Layoffs

"One side moves backwards, offering less on a proposal than they previously offered."

Martin also referred to an unspecified independent audit and a report from the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) to justify the layoffs. FCMAT stated in 2021 that City College

A $5 million to $6 million budget deficit.

Unfair Practice Charge

leadership.

Martin addressed his decision to implement layoffs instead of furloughs in an email to the campus community on Jan. 3.

“I do not believe that furloughs are in the best interest of our college and the financial sustainability and long-term viability of the San Francisco Community College District,” he said.

The Union added an amendment to the file, charging the District with regressive and coercive bad faith bargaining tactics.

The District responded to the allegations with a position statement on Jan. 14. It said it met the Union’s requests for information adequately, implemented the layoffs properly, and engaged in good faith bargaining.

“SEIU surely knew that layoffs would be implemented if salary concessions were not provided,” the District said.

“Unfortunately,” it continued later in the statement, “the parties were unable to come to

bargaining at the Board of Trustees’ special meeting on Dec. 30.

“What is regressive bargaining?” Vice President of SEIU 1021 Karl Gamarra asked.

“It is when one side moves backwards, offering less on a proposal than they previously offered.”

Adding another twist to the proceedings, the Board of Trustees dismissed Dianna Gonzales from her position as Deputy Chancellor when they reconvened from closed session.

Gonzales was the chief negotiator for the District’s bargaining team.

Union Negotiations Gonzales met with SEIU 1021 leadership several times to identify cost savings to

Staff Editor-in-Chief Casey Michie T: @jtwildfeuer

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she continued, “we had gotten to the point where we weren't even going to challenge where they got that number [$4.8 million] and whether it was accurate or not. We were trying to get to a solution.”

The framework for settlement included 18 furlough days through June and a salary freeze to step increases for 18 months.

There would be no layoffs or salary reductions.

However, the District’s bargaining team said the chancellor would not authorize furloughs when they reconvened two days later, according to SEIU 1021 leadership.

Illustration by Yuchen Xiao/ The Guardsman. practice charge with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) on Nov. 24. The charge cited the District’s failure to fulfill the Union’s requests for information, which it said it needed for concessionary bargaining.

an agreement before the layoff notices went into effect.”

The District also said that “although 67 employees were initially notified that they would be laid off, only ten employees actually lost their jobs.” This took into account bumping rights that went into effect per Civil Service rules and regulations.

The unfair practice charges leveled against the District still were in the investigation phase of processing by a board agent, according to a PERB spokesperson.

Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration John al-Amin revised the end-of-year budget deficit at the Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 27. He projected a $5 million to $6 million budget deficit, which was less than the $8.3 million figure projected in early December.

He also referred to “savings that have occurred as of Jan. 3.”

City College administrators did not respond to multiple requests for interviews for this story.

Opinion Editor Skylar Wildfeuer

Layout Editors Skylar Wildfeuer

Photography Editors Bob Kinoshita

Illustrators Sarah Clayson

Sports Editor Seamus Geoghegan

Lauren Murphy

Janna Velasquez

Yuchen Xiao

Social Media Editor Derek Chartrand Wallace

Onyx Hunter

T: @seamoose415

Illustration Editor Max Hollinger

Chief Copy Editor Colton Webster

NEWS | 3

Vol. 173, Issue 1 | Jan. 24 – Feb. 1 2022

Nguyen continued from page 1 that a crime may take place. This initiative started roughly a week after Nguyen’s shooting, according to Karsant.

Karsant declined to comment on the ongoing investigation into Nguyen's death.

Shortly before Nguyen was killed, he spoke with his girlfriend, Shanice Vaughn, on the phone and told her that he was driving back to their home.

Cantonese continued from page 1 in a language spoken by more San Franciscans than by any other city population in the country, it appears to fall first to the Chancellor’s office and the Academic Senate to determine its execution.

One proposed development was that of a 16-unit certificate program that would satisfy state funding requirements and university transfer standards.

These institutional changes, Trustee Wong says, would require the college to “start talking to the other four-year institutions and have a conversation about transferability,” as well as to facilitate discussions between department and faculty.

Trustee Wong, who makes no pretense of accomplishing the goals of the resolution “overnight,” says aspects like taking measurements for funding could potentially take “up to two years.”

In the meantime he proposes taking immediate steps to safeguard the future of the program by creating a 9-unit certificate unique to City College that,

When he still hadn’t arrived after an hour, she knew something was wrong.

“He said he was on his way home; that [phone] call was at 4:13 [p.m.]. After an hour had gone by...His location said he was on the highway still, in Oakland. Finally, I went out looking for him, and I saw that the freeway was blocked off, and there were police cars,” said Vaughn.

“It wasn’t until I got home

that CHP let us know. I couldn’t believe it,” she added.

Vaughn said that Nguyen wanted to join law enforcement to uplift and serve those who are marginalized and serve as an example of how law enforcement can be a positive influence within communities.

“He wanted to show people that there are good people in the field because they truly wanted to help people,” she said.

“He wanted to be able to

A Popular Program City College’s Cantonese program, created in the 1960’s by Professor Gordon Lew, has seen, and continues to see, intense interest among Bay Area residents to learn the language.

City College’s sole remaining Cantonese instructor Grace Yu attributes this to a desire and need for emergency services to be better equipped to serve the area’s unique number of Cantonese speakers, and for their family members to learn to better communicate across generations.

Yu has been teaching at the college for over 30 years. In that time she has seen the program go from ten classes with five instructors, including herself, to a single part-time instructor teaching a maximum of three classes.

Two years into her employment Yu’s most senior colleague in the program retired, followed by another instructor the following year.

At this time her classes could

Trustee Wong, whose board resolution was agreed to unanimously, in front of a mural of Bruce Lee. Chinatown, San Francisco. Jan. 19, 2022 by Janna Velasquez/The Guardsman.

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he had a lot of drive to him, he had a lot of things that he wanted to do,” Castagnola said.

“I could see him going up the ranks and being a good police officer,” he continued. “Losing a police officer is always tragic, but for someone who never got to start his career...we’ll never know what he was going to be able to do.”

while not yet transferable, would help to track interest and drive the process.

Serving on the Board of Trustees at City College of San Francisco, Wong led a coalition of community groups to fight to not only save, but to also expand the Cantonese Language Program. Chinatown, San Francisco. Jan. 19. Janna Velasquez/The Guardsman. have more than 40 students, and she described having “some students sit on the floor just trying to get a place.” To meet the need the college hired replacements.

Her department had four instructors, Yu said, “when one suddenly passed away … his classes and his position … [were] filled by a Mandarin instructor.”

The following year yet another instructor retired, Yu says, “Her class is also not offered anymore,” adding, “The position was also filled by a Mandarin instructor.”

This, she says, is how she came to be the only Cantonese instructor despite the historic and continued popularity of her courses.

Certificate Prospects

KatherineAdvisor Castillo Faculty Juan Gonzales Anderew Segala

make a difference in someone’s life who just needed to hear the right words or know that someone believed in them,” Vaughn continued. “David wanted to be that person.”

For Castagnola, the worst part of Nguyen’s death is not knowing what he would have accomplished within law enforcement.

“He was the type of student that getting into the Sheriff’s Department could have gone far,

There are a number of obstacles standing between the program and the long-term security the Board’s resolution asserts the administration should seek for it.

The keystone issue is the creation of the certificate itself

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that has a number of standards and requirements, which will ultimately fall to Yu to materialize, and may involve significant work and course overhauls.

“Right now,” Yu says, “there are four levels of classes, but only three of them can be used to apply to the certificate program … so that means only nine units.”

Yu says that another course, like Mandarin which has grown as the Cantonese program has diminished, cannot be used to bring the certificate to 12 units, according to the World Languages and Cultures Department Chair Diana Garcia-Denson.

The Guardsman has not received a response to a request for comment from Garcia-Denson.

“The solution,” Yu says, “is to hire another instructor to help me … because I feel that I’m just overwhelmed.”

Yu says she was told by Chair Garcia-Denson that there is not room enough in the budget for more than three classes per year, a state of affairs which

could prove to be a roadblock to meeting state certificate standards, or requirements for certificates for transfer to state universities.

If the college cannot afford 12 units, it will struggle to expand the program to accommodate a 16 unit certificate on any timeline.

In a statement to The Guardsman on the resolution, Chancellor David Martin thanked the Board of Trustees for “their leadership in ensuring City College continues the tradition of offering high quality programs that meet the needs of our communities.”

He says he is “excited to work with the faculty on the college’s curriculum committee, as well as the academic senate, to explore options and pathways to enhance City College’s Cantonese language program.”

Instructor Grace Yu’s ultimate prescription: “Give more money to the Cantonese program, so [Chair GarciaDenson] can hire a new instructor, so she can add more Cantonese classes.”

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4 | COMMUNITY

Vol. 173, Issue 1 | Jan. 24 – Feb. 1 2022

On the Chancellor's Desk:

Systemic Suppression of Student Demand at City College of San Francisco

With concern about “insufficient” student demand for classes at City College to maintain the current level of instructors, we need to examine how the true demand for classes has been obscured by systematic suppression of student demand since Fall 2012.

It would seem that the best way to measure student demand is by the number of students registered for classes at the start of each semester. But barriers to the four key components that lead to healthy class numbers have significantly reduced the number of students registered in classes, rendering that number an invalid measure of actual student demand. The four components are the following: 1. Outreach 2. Enrollment 3. Registration 4. Investment in the future Outreach includes positive publicity and robust marketing.

Negative Publicity Starting in Summer 2012, the San Francisco Chronicle ran numerous articles about the accreditation crisis at City College. Though the rogue ACCJC leadership was eventually stopped by a lawsuit, the negative publicity bred misinformation, which persists almost a decade later. To give some examples, during the recent postcard distribution on the streets of San Francisco, staff at a restaurant in the Sunset District thought the college was closing, and a retail clerk at a store in the heart of the Mission District asked if the college had gotten its accreditation back. Administration has done nothing to counter the negative publicity.

(Reimagine! RP&E Journal. “Corporate Media Writes the Soundtrack for the Attack on City College” Volume 21-1: Power in Place.)

Lack of In-house Investment in Marketing The college supported a robust marketing and public information office run by its director Martha Lucey from 1995 to 2010. Lucey built enrollment through ads in local newspapers and at movie theaters, PSAs on radio stations, and stories on local television stations. The college reached an enrollment of 100,000 in 2007 due, in large part, to Lucey’s efforts and the work of her staff, which included mailing an attractively designed full Schedule of Classes to all San Francisco households. Not until Rosie Zepeda’s hire late in 2020, has the college invested in a comparable in-house position; however, Zepeda does not have the staff she needs to accomplish the work she envisions. For example, Zepeda reinstituted a postcard mailing to each household for Fall 2021 and Spring 2022, but she had to depend on volunteer efforts to get the job accomplished. Zepeda has the strategic planning skills to walk in Martha Lucey’s footsteps, but she has not yet received the staff support, or the salary, she needs to make that happen. A one-person shop is unsustainable.

The Guardsman. David Mamaril Horowitz .10-21-18 Enrollment should support all educational goals.

Lack of Support for a Diverse Student Body Once prospective City College students have completed the California state application process and have been admitted to the California community college system, they head to the City College website to enroll in the college. Students who already have an AA degree or higher, or only want to take one or two classes, confront a major barrier. They might be mid-life folks re-tooling for their current job or contemplating a career change. Or they might be young, a few years out of high school, and still uncertain if college is for them, so they just want to try a course or two. There are countless success stories of folks in that situation who go on to matriculate at City College and then transfer to a four-year university. But they need a soft launch, not an intimidating process.

Matriculation exemption is not clearly explained on the website to incoming students, so students in the above outlined categories think they have to go to orientation, meet with a counselor, and apply for financial aid, which is especially confusing to San Francisco residents who think City College is free for them.

This discourages them from enrolling. Skyline College, a few minutes down I-280, makes it much easier for them. At Skyline, a person can reach the matriculation exemption by clicking on the “Apply Now” prominent red button on the home page. That will take them immediately to a choice for Non-Degree Seeking students.

There is no form to fill out, no multiple steps to ponder, just a quick link to TWO easy steps to enroll as a Non-Degree Seeking student.

Registration should be user-friendly.

Unfriendly “Schedule of Classes” Browse and Search Tools After students have finally enrolled in the college, they receive a registration date, so that they may enroll in classes. But some students need a chance to browse the schedule to help them make their choices. Since the college is no longer printing a hard copy of the Schedule of Classes, students need to navigate the website.

Only recently has a pdf of the Schedule of Classes been offered to them, and only if they are using a computer can they search for departments. If they are using their phones, the pdfs are not searchable and so, virtually (pardon the pun), unusable. Additionally, these pdfs are essential to students interested in diversity/interdisciplinary departments because they are the only way students can easily view interdepartmental courses and infused courses aka “crosslists,” which are major components in Ethnic Studies and Social Justice Department course offerings. The Banner 9 fix for this problem is limited and not user friendly.

Banner 9 Band-Aid Fixes Though there have been some useful fixes for other Banner 9 registration hurdles, the registration system continues to be user-unfriendly and is intermittently unavailable. Our counterpart down I-280 has invested a significant amount of money to customize Banner 9, which has enhanced its user friendliness. City College needs to invest funds in software and personnel.

The college should invest in its future.

Downward Death Spiral Student demand dries up when classes potential students want to enroll in are cut. This is especially disturbing when classes with healthy enrollments and enrollment history, which would bring in revenue to the college, are eliminated. The Office of Instruction has taken a butcher approach to cutting classes instead of using the precision of a surgical tool. Administrators are no longer working in collaboration with department chairs about strategies for increasing enrollment. Instead, they spend all their energy on forcing ill-advised cuts.

HEERF underutilized Though HEERF provides “one-time only” funds, they are substantial and could be used to increase enrollment while we are on Hold Harmless so that when that period ends, City College is robust and capable of withstanding certain death off of a fiscal cliff.

Rebuild City College Campaign, January 7, 2022 Stephanie Macaller, Anita Martinez, Leslie Simon

CULTURE | 5

Vol. 173, Issue 1 | Jan. 24 – Feb. 1 2022

Thanks to City College Grad, Delano Nursery Still Growing Strong

By Julie Zigoris

jzigoris@mail.ccsf.edu Delano Nursery might be celebrating their 100-year anniversary, but City College graduate Lauren Borden is infusing the business with new life. The nursery’s sales have grown exponentially since Borden joined in 2014, going from 58,000 to 2.85 million products sold in a year. The business recently acquired a property in Pescadero and opened a retail shop in the Mission to add to their Daly City nursery and Flower Market wholesale center.

Borden fell in love with plants after taking the Introduction to Floral Design course at City College. “Steven Brown is one of the coolest teachers and department chairs,” she said from behind her wooden desk lined with a

Above: Hanging plants at Delano Nursery, which is celebrating their 100-year anniversary this year. San Francisco, California. Jan. 22, 2022. Photo by Katherine Castillo/The Guardsman.

Left: an expanse at Delano Nursery, a 3rd generation, family owned business, managed primarily by women. San Francisco, California.

Jan. 22, 2022. Photo by Katherine Castillo/The Guardsman.

parade of multi-textured plants: some marbled, some striped, some spotted, some smooth.

Borden likened the nursery to a clown car — it appears small on the outside but is expansive within, holding a wide variety of unusual plants. This highly curated collection also takes center stage in the nursery’s Mission retail store called Bunk Ass Plants. “It’s the Spencer’s of plants,” Borden said.

Her favorite class in City College’s Department of Environmental Horticulture and Floristry was with instructor Charmain Giuliani. “You would go in and forage different palettes of plants and we would make a color wheel with it,” she said. “Oh my gosh, so cool.” She also loved learning

from Instructor Thomas Wang, who taught with comics in her Zeroscaping (low water landscaping that focuses on native plants) class.

It appears small on the outside but is expansive within.

Borden co-owns Delano Nursery with John Nicolini, who she met while working at San Francisco’s Flower Market in 2014. Nicolini’s nursery is a family business, and he’s the third generation to operate it.

Borden helped Nicolini to transfer from paper to digital records.

“It was really tough,” Borden said. “Everyone who worked here at the time was over 40 or 50.”

Borden credits a diversification of products — as well as staff — as key ingredients to the business’s success. The nursery began selling unusual plants from faraway states like Hawaii, Tennessee, and Florida instead of growing their own. They also expanded their product line by offering hard goods like pots and supplies.

Bite-Sized Reviews Editorial Review by JohnTaylor Wildfeuer Book: Ministry For the Future An incredible work of dismal fortune-telling and meticulous hopefulness, Kim Stanley Robinson's near-future science fiction is a painfully clear exploration of coming climate catastrophes, and of the work of surviving them.

One scene had particular staying power for a person from the Bay Area: as Mary, the Director of the Paris Accord Ministry for the Future, arrives in San Francisco she is swept away by hydrologists excited to show her how they were using dams and groundwater basins in the Central Valley to safeguard against drought and famine. Even the Tule Elk return.

Editorial Review by Skylar Wildfeuer Television: Flowers

Hanging plants in Delano Nursery, which is now lead by the City College former student Lauren Borden who studied horticulture and floristry at City College before joining forces with her grandfather at the 100-year-old Delano Nursery in San Francisco. San Francisco, California. Jan. 22, 2022. Photo by Katherine Castillo/The Guardsman.

Like Melancholia, an attempt to evoke life within depression; unlike Melancholia, Flowers is gripping, whimsical, laugh outloud funny and super weird.

I love it.

Yes, the Guardian called it a mental health comedy, and yes, it's netflix original content, but it's directed by Will Sharpe (Giri Haji), from whom I hope to see more. Flowers is absolutely beautifully made, and it stars Olivia Colman (The Favorite).

6 | OPINION

Vol. 173, Issue 1 | Jan. 24 – Feb. 1 2022

Jimmy Garoppolo’s Time in the Bay is Over

By Kaiyo Funaki

kaiyo.funaki@gmail.com The time is nigh for the most polarizing quarterback to suit up for the San Francisco 49ers.

Make no mistake: Jimmy Garoppolo’s fate as the starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers was decided exactly 270 days ago. That was the day, of course, that the 49ers mortgaged their future to select Trey Lance with the third pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Afterall, this wasn’t a move the front office made as a contingency plan for their much-maligned starter. No, this was an indication that the team knew what they had in their incumbent starter and

Illustration by Skylar Wildfeuer/ The Guardsman.

understood that his limitations would prevent the team from ascending to new heights.

Meanwhile, they drafted Lance knowing that he could very well open up a part of Kyle Shanahan’s playbook that the offensive genius could never dream of doing with Garoppolo.

Granted the veteran handled what could’ve been an awkward situation with aplomb, welcoming and even mentoring his eventual replacement. For that, Garoppolo deserves credit. There was little, if any, report of discontent in the locker room. Quite the opposite, in fact.

"I just know... he's got my back."

“Jimmy is one of the best teammates and leaders I've ever been around," Lance told reporters after he started in place of an injured Garoppolo in Week 17. "So, for me to have him, I know he's got my back on the sideline, whether good play or bad. … Huge confidence booster, just that I know that he's another guy that's got my back.”

Furthermore, Garoppolo, for all of his flaws, commands the respect of his teammates and is the unquestioned leader of his team.

He is a “winner,” and one that has battled through multiple injuries and media noise to help put the Niners on the cusp of their second Super Bowl appearance in three years and a shot at the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy.

Because of that, rumors have emerged that the team may stick with him for at least one more year.

That would be an egregious mistake.

In Opposition To The Pecuniary Lense

"My Glamorous Life As A Commodified, Labeled, Flattened Thing" is a propaganda against capitalist reductionism by culture worker Max Hollinger/The Guardsman.

For the Niners to continue to compete with the NFL’s elite, they must move on from Garoppolo next season and give the reins to Lance, even if they win it all with Jimmy G at the helm.

Yes, he is a fine starter, but one that will never strike fear in the heart of a defense.

His reputation as a winner partially masks his production on the field, as the signal-caller has been underwhelming at best during the team’s late season surge.

In two postseason starts this year, he’s generated a total of 303 yards, two interceptions, and zero touchdowns. That is unacceptable, especially in comparison to what some of the other starting quarterbacks have done this postseason.

From the clinics that Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Joe Burrow have put on, it’s apparent that Garoppolo can not compete with them.

The Niners have been able to depend on their strong run game and defense, but they won’t always be able to dictate the game through those facets. To have to rely on Garoppolo to carry the team is something that Shanahan is reluctant to do, and for good reason.

He routinely puts the ball in harm’s way and overestimates his arm strength. Though he excels at quick reads, his improvisational skills pale in comparison to what the league’s elite can do.

Yet, because of the improbable run the Niners have gone on, other teams in desperate need of a quarterback will look to the leader of the offense and overestimate Garoppolo’s value. John Lynch and Co. should capitalize on that opportunity and recuperate some of the lost draft capital they traded when the moved up to select Lance.

Should he be traded after June 1st, that would save the Niners $25.5 million in cap space, resources that they could allocate to crucial players in need of a new contract, like Nick Bosa, and Deebo Samuel.

Handing Lance the keys of the offense would also help expedite his development. He was a raw, toolsy prospect coming out of college, so perhaps a season sitting on the bench did help in the long run. However, there’s no sense in waiting any longer, as he needs actual playing time to determine whether or not he is really the future of the franchise.

No matter what happens the rest of the playoffs, Jimmy Garoppolo should be appreciated for what he has done for this franchise. Prior to his arrival mid-2017, the team had been horrendous. He quickly helped reverse the fortunes of the team and returned the Niners to the postseason.

Nevertheless, his time as the starting quarterback is expiring.

The Niners need to maximize the star power they have on both sides of the ball, and Garoppolo has only taken them so far. To keep their Super Bowl window open, Lance needs to be one guiding this team.

Opinion Column

Maintaining Our Faculties

Quote from instructor Wendy Kaufman at the June 24, 2021 Board of Trustees meeting.

By Skylar Wildfeuer skylar.wildfeuer@gmail.com As the spring semester drew to a close last year, I had just begun to take sufficient interest in the story of City College to attend to Board of Trustees meetings.

The school was in a dire place. Like our COVID climate, it is becoming increasingly difficult to know when looking back whether things are better or worse now, but they are certainly as serious, and maybe just different. This time last year, the faculty politic had received 163 pink slips and then, through

It is a heroism I never want to see again.

AFT212, negotiated a pay cut to avert layoffs.

Every time I think about that, I feel admiration, but I also feel ill. Like the heroism of nurses caring well for too many patients with too few supplies or teachers putting in hundreds of unpaid hours to deliver great curriculum to their students while also working a second job to make ends meet, it is a heroism I never want to see again.

But it will be asked of everyone again. AFT2121 is already gearing up for another negotiation.

Quote from Chancellor David Martin to JohnTaylor Wildfeuer/ The Guardsman on Nov 8 2021.

In the intervening months we have gotten hitched to a new

chancellor who in his first interview with the Guardsman said, "City College is the bridge that connects our students to their dreams, whatever their dreams

Quote from Wendy Kaufman at the June 24 2021 Board of Trustees meeting. may be."

I find myself returning to the advice that instructor Harry Bernstein gave about interim chancellors last year, which I think is even more pressing for a new, committed chancellor: "They have to be able to hear what people are saying ... We need someone who is honest," said Harry Bernstein in public comment at a June 22 special meeting of the Board of Trustees.

I return also to the admonishment from Instructor Wendy Kaufman to the Board of Trustees two days later at a June 24 meeting of the Board of Trustees, "If you want the chance to rebuild city college into the robust community college that it needs to be ... listen to your faculty."

I believe that City College is unique and that it matters.

I think Free City is a result of that uniqueness, and I think our community is the cause. It's a precarious time, but it's also an interesting one.

In this space, for the next semester, we'll be observing the actions of the faculty, Board of Trustees, and the chancellor's office, and seeking the opinions of our instructors and students about who we are, what City College is, and what we each need from it.

Quote from Harry Bernstein at the June 22, 2021 Board of Trustees special meeting.

SPORTS | 7

Vol. 173, Issue 1 | Jan. 24 – Feb. 1 2022

Men’s Basketball Maintains Winning Streak With Wins Versus Las Positas and Foothill

Women’s Soccer Team Looks to Build Off of Their Success

By David Chin dchin20@mail.ccsf.edu

Seyi Reiley soars above Las Positas defenders and scores at the Wellness Center Gym on Jan. 26, 2022.

Photo by Bob Kinoshita/The Guardsman.

By Seamus Geoghegan geogheganspg@gmail.com The Rams men’s basketball team continues their unbeaten run with victories against the Las Positas Hawks and the Foothill Owls, making 17 straight wins for the side.

Rams v Las Positas Las Positas went into the game versus the Rams on Wednesday with an impressive 16 wins to one loss, compared to City College’s 19 wins one loss.

“We knew it was gonna be a great competition,” said Jamir Thomas, a guard on the Rams side. “We knew it was gonna be a great test for us.”

“They were going to be a tough opponent, they were number two in the state,” said Seyi Reiley, forward for the rams.

“They actually defeated West Valley, a school that got us early in the year.”

The Hawks swooped in early, scoring 8 consecutive points shutting out the Rams for the first initial minutes of the game.

“We tried to do some things on defense that we hadn’t previously done,” said Justin Labagh,

head coach of the Rams. “It took us a while to execute it, but we did it by the second half.”

As soon as their defense patched up the Rams side took the game to Las Positas, being just about ahead by the end of the first period.

The team kept pushing, pulling ahead of their opposition through the second period and beating Las Positas by 89-79.

Rams v Foothill The Rams went into their game against Foothill with confidence, both from having beaten a top team earlier in the week and due to the fact that they had beat Foothill that month already by a wide 60 point margin.

“When we came out we knew it’d be a game against ourselves,” said Thomas. “We just had to come out and play hard and execute our game plan.”

Despite coming off a tough game Wednesday, no one on the side was worried about players tiring out through the match.

“We're used to that,” said Reiley. “We go real hard in practice against each other, so we're ready to play back-to-back games or do two games a week.

Jamir Thomas scores on visiting Las Positas on Jan. 26, 2022 at the Wellness Center Gym. Photo by Bob Kinoshita/The Guardsman.

That's not a problem for us.”

Similar to their game versus Las Positas, the Rams were slow to start. The Owls kept the scoreline close for the early first quarter but started to fall behind as the game went on.

“In the beginning, they were kind of hanging with us. We just started playing more unselfishly, and then our pressure got to them,” said Reiley. “They didn't really have any legs, they had no more endurance or stamina left in the second half.”

Heading into the second period the Owls’ lack of staying power became more obvious, as the home side continually widened the gap until the end of the game.

Coach Labagh attributed the team's success to their heavy pressure against the opposition. “We can pressure without fouling. We're gonna wear teams down with our bench.”

“Everyone's starting to realize what their role is on the team, and we're really starting to find our stride,” said Reiley.

“And so I think we're just, we're just a way better team now.”

The Rams' next game will be against the Ohlone Renegades away on Feb. 2 at 7 p.m.

Mathew Williams scores on Las Positas on Jan. 26, 2022 at the Wellness Center Gym. Photo by Bob Kinoshita/The Guardsman.

Jeff Wilson, Head Coach, Women's Soccer, Jan 20, 2022.

Photo by Bob Kinoshita/The Guardsman.

Coming off of the 2021 season, the Rams Women’s Soccer season was nothing short of a success, boasting a regularseason record of 16 wins and 4 losses, having come in second place for the state championship.

When looking at the competition, it’s easy to see just how challenging things can get for the Rams. Being in what may arguably be the best conference in the state, there are five playoff teams and the highly notable Hartnell College finishing with 22 wins, two draws, and two losses. The Rams ranked as one of the top teams in the state, scoring 73 goals in the season and only allowing 13 against them.

Going into the 2022 season, the Rams hope to replicate and exceed the success they found last season with their newly promoted full-time head coach Mr. Jeff Wilson. Before the 2022 preseason, Wilson was formerly the only part-time coach at City College.

Player Leslie Murillo commented on what his promotion means for the team: “Coach Jeff becoming a full-time coach was mandatory. He does so much for the team and deserves to be full-time.”

“I’m not sure why it took so long, but I definitely am happy they finally recognized all of the hard work he puts in,” Elaina Gonzalez, another player on the team said. “This means our team finally has a full-time coach.

Coach Jeff has always gone above and beyond and will continue to inspire the players [and] culture of the team.”

According to Wilson, the Rams are in “a good spot” with

many players from the previous season returning and promising potential in the form of new faces.

When asked about the accomplishments of the 2021 season, Wilson said, “They don’t do it for the accolades but when they’re honored with such awards it makes them feel good … We don’t have the type of players that are only celebrating their own accomplishments; they’re celebrating everybody else’s too.”

Regarding what he’s looking to improve on going forward, Wilson said, “You’re always looking to improve, but improve in a way that you’re adding pieces that meet the team philosophy too.” Wilson expressed that having accomplished studentathletes can make for an “easier sell” during the recruitment process.

“The team is happy for everyone’s accomplishments,” Murillo said. “I feel as if everything that has been accomplished is only representing what kind of team we are here at City [College] such as talented, hardworking, competitive, etc.”

An anonymous player reached out to The Guardsman over winter break, detailing that one area could be greatly improved, which is the accessibility of City College facilities. “I think the one thing about City College is when you’re playing in a season like ours in the fall is that there [are] a lot of teams and there [are] larger teams like football, so it’s not as accessible just because of the limited space and we happen to train at the same time.”

It’s worth noting that the Rams soccer team shares a field with the High School Lick Wilmerding. Wilson said, “The one thing I think about our soccer field is that [it’s] overused. They have a lifespan and I definitely think it [has] hit its lifespan.”

Overall, it seems as though the Rams have a bright 2022 ahead of them. With returning players keeping the mold and new faces strengthening the team, there’s a lot to look forward to. It appears that the facilities themselves at City College are improving, yet still need to better suit the needs of the players and coaches that use them.