The Guardsman, Vol. 173, Issue 4, City College of San Francisco

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Vol. 173, Issue 4 | Mar. 7 – Mar. 15 2022 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE | www.theguardsman.com

Library Welcomes Students for Two Hours a Day by Appointment By Jason Avina jason.avina@gmail.com After nearly two years of closure, the library recently announced that it would now be open to in-person usage but restrictions apply. Students can make a maximum of two appointments per day, one before 4pm, and the second after 4pm. Also each appointment cannot be longer than two hours. Students must show proof of vaccination and masks are required at all times. Hours are posted on the website. However, for some students who work in the mornings or afternoon, a two

Nation Looks to Biden PHOTO STORY to Right a Wrong Museum of the Cliff Dives In

hour appointment might not be enough. Izzy Ramirez is a culinary student at City College who also works full-time as a barista.

By Beth Lederer

"A lot of students don't have somewhere else to study." “If a professor assigns more than two hours of work, then I’m not going to get your Library continues on page 3

The Rosenberg Library at City College Ocean Campus remains closed. City College libraries are currently offering contact-free pickup of library materials and other library services online while the library is closed. San Francisco. March 9. Karem Rodriguez/The Guardsman

Activists for the release of prisoner Leonard Peltier watch an Indian dance honoring those killed during the shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975. Katherine Castillo/The Guardsman By Katherine Castillo kcasti27@mail.ccsf.edu according to his attorney, Kevin A national campaign callSharpas, who first reported to ing for the pardon and release HuffPost. of long-time political prisoner Sharp has reported that he Leonard Peltier is gaining has yet to receive any updates on momentum nationally. Peltier's condition. "No one has Peltier, of the Turtle spoken to me, so I have no idea Mountain Chippewa Nation how Leonard is doing," he told and member of the American BuzzFeed News. Indian Movement (AIM), was convicted for the deaths of two FBI agents during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian "I have no idea how Reservation in 1975. He was sentenced to two consecutive Leonard is doing." life terms on June 7, 1977. He has since been incarcerated for over four decades at the United States Penitentiary at Coleman, Fla. In response to BuzzFeed News' The 77-year Peltier tested questions, a White House official positive for COVID on Jan. 28 acknowledged Peltier's request for and has been suffering from a clemency and the public support painful, persistent cough, for his release. They added that all

bethlynn2020@gmail.com A new pop-up museum,”Museum of the Cliff,” at the old Cliff House gift shop is open until April 2022. This is the perfect destination to view the remnants from the past, a bygone era. The Western Neighborhood Project (WNP), with the assistance of other organizations, was key in bringing history back to life. You can take a stroll down memory lane by viewing the history of both the Sutro Baths and the Cliff House. Some items were newly acquired by the WNP from the Cliff House auction in March 2021. The staff is very excited to share this history and listen to memories of those who come to view the museum. The museum brings to life picturesque scenes of Playland-at-the -Beach, Sutro Gardens and Baths and the Cliff House Restaurant. There is one picture and article describing the Sutro Baths which would have cost approximately $31,000,000 if built today. It was magnificent — six swimming pools heated in different temperatures with water collected from the Pacific Cliff continues on page 4

PHOTO STORY

San Francisco Rallies in Support of Ukraine By Andrew Segala

andrew.segala@gmail.com On Feb. 24 rocket strikes and intense gun battles erupted through the country of Ukraine caused by the invasion by the Russian Federation, triggering the largest refugee crisis since World War II began in Europe. San Francisco, which boasts a large concentration of Ukrainian residents, saw many converge at rallies across the city, including on A Ukrainian flag waves during a rally to support the country of Ukraine at the Ferry Building in San Francisco on Feb. 26. Andrew Segala/The Guardsman

Ukraine continues on page 7

"The Museum at the Cliff" exhibit is on display at the Cliff House located at 1090 Point Lobos Avenue in the former Gift Shop. The exhibit will be freely available to the public from Oct. 23, 2021 mid-April of this year. The museum is open from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Fridays through Mondays. Katherine Castillo/The Guardsman


2 | NEWS

Vol. 173, Issue 4 | Mar. 7 – Mar. 15 2022

17 Awards Won by City College Publications for Worthy Student Work By JohnTaylor Wildfeuer

jt.wilfeuer@gmail.com City College’s student publications The Guardsman and Etc. Magazine each won General Excellence awards, and together won 15 more at the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) Spring National College Media Convention. The convention was co-hosted with the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) and California College Media Association (CCMA) and took place in Long Beach from March 3 - 5. In prior years City College has sent a delegation to the convention, including during the pandemic when the event migrated to an online platform. This year, however, delegates met in-person, and City College journalism students opted out due, largely, to health and safety concerns related to COVID-19. Derek Chartrand Wallace, who took the first place award in Feature Writing for his piece “Calel Olicia-Aramboles: Reading the Signs Leading to Rams’ Success,” said that being a part of City College’s Journalism program means “standing on the side of truth and justice,” a position, he said citing Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Peter Parker, his childhood heroes would support. Chartrand Wallace described the experience of receiving the rewards as one of the great

honors of his lifetime, particularly as it reflects well on the department and its chair, Juan Gonzalez, who he views as a mentor and both of which he speaks of in glowing absolutes. “The man is a national treasure,” Chartrand Wallace said, “and his J-team, held together by

"It was a privilege to be able to share something positive about someone as inspiring as deaf football player Calel Justice-Aramboles." the wonderful JohnTaylor and Skylar Wildfeuer, is a class act through and through.” He credited many others with the success of his story, from his editor Kaiyo Funaki to Greg Lee of KTVU, who picked up Calel’s story and brought it to a larger audience, and offered appreciation of Celia Deck and the JACC,“for the accolades, the opportunity to network with career professionals and the ability to have my published work seen by a wider audience” Chartrand Wallace closed in gratitude with the following statement: “And big ups to my Father

in Heaven, God Almighty, for this Blessing. In an era where journalists are being targeted, an ‘all news is fake news’ sentiment runs rampant and most of what gets printed seems so dark and foreboding, it was a privilege to be able to share something positive about someone as inspiring as deaf football player Calel Justice-Aramboles (during an undefeated season)! #GoRams” Emily Trinh won first place in the Magazine Photo category for her work in “Art Finds a Way” and, along with Jasmine Castillo, third place for their Magazine Cover Design for the Spring 2021 issue. Trinh says she gained more working in student publication than just the technical skills needed to produce articles, that she learned “to work with different personalities, make friends with people I have just met and will only get a few minutes with, and above all how to deal with non-negotiable deadlines.” Describing the cooperative dynamics of publication, and the tension that sometimes arises from mutually dependent deadlines Trinh said the pressure can be weighty, but its weight is commensurate with its importance. “It means what I do matters and there are people who trust me enough to depend on me,” Trinh said, “The hard work is very rewarding.” This semester Derek

Chartrand Wallace reprised his role as The Guardsman’s social media editor, and, expressing a desire for more to join the publication, said, “Everyone has a story to tell and our department can help - so please join us in the Justice League that is known as The Guardsman,” adding to

"The hard work is very rewarding." the call to join, “The future of democracy depends upon a free and educated press, plus we're also fun people to hang out with!” Last year City College’s journalism department pulled in over 80 awards between the Spring and Fall semesters. Given the track record, therefore, these 17 decorations are likely only the first of many to be awarded to City College journalists in 2022. significant, about which Reiley said, “The fact that they had disrespected us like that made the state championship win so much sweeter.”

NEWS BRIEF

Temprano Resignation Leaves Empty Seat on Board of Trustees By Emily Margaretten margarettene@gmail.com The resignation of Tom Temprano from the Board of Trustees in February has left an opening on the board with no immediate replacement in sight. In most California community college districts, the Board of Trustees appoints a new member when a vacancy occurs in the middle of an election cycle. But City College has a different process. “San Francisco is an exception where the mayor appoints,” said Trustee John Rizzo. Supervisor Aaron Peskin recently introduced a charter amendment to change this process so that if an unexpected vacancy occurred on the Board of Supervisors, Board of Education or Community College District Board of Trustees, the board members would have the power to appoint a replacement by majority vote, as reported in The San Francisco Chronicle on Dec. 22. The charter amendment also placed limits on recalls. However, the part of the measure that proposed to give boards the power to appoint replacements did not make it into the charter amendment, according to Peskin when contacted for comment. Neither the Mayor nor the Chancellor’s office responded to requests about the timeline of the appointment for the Board of Trustees. But Trustee Thea Selby said that Mayor London Breed likely was focused on filling the three vacated positions on the Board of Education before turning her attention to the Board of Trustees. Temprano was reelected to the Board of Trustees in 2020 and a year into his second term when he accepted the position to serve as Political Director of Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization.

JohnTaylor Wildfeuer/The Guardsman

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

Editor-in-Chief JohnTaylor Wildfeuer T: @casey_michie

News Editor Emily Margaretten T: @e_margaretten

Culture Editor Julie Zigoris T: @jzigoris IG: @jusudra

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 4 | Mar. 7 – Mar. 15 2022

Library contined from page 1 seven hours of work done,” she said. “Especially since a lot of students don’t have somewhere else to study.” The library website said the library was closed for so long because of “pandemic concerns.” However, since last fall, almost every other major college library in the Bay Area has been open all academic year (or longer) with proof of vaccination including Berkeley, SFSU, USF and Stanford. Even Berkeley City College, Alameda College, and other community colleges have offered in-person services since fall. Doors at the Rosenberg Library are still closed at Ocean Campus. City College libraries are currently offering contact-free pickup of library materials and other library services online while the library is closed. San Francisco, March Doors at the Rosenberg Library are still closed at Ocean Campus. City College libraries are currently offering contact-free pickup of library 9, 2022 (Karem Rodriguez / The materials and other library services online while the library is closed. March 9. Karem Rodriguez/The Guardsman Guardsman) So why so long for City seem like a reason also for College? In the past the library extended closures, but others has had maintenance issues, but disagree. In the same article it has been closed for almost by Hernández, a labor union two years, likely enough time representing college employees to fix such issues. Building said there was “no budgetary and grounds said they were not need” to lay off more workers. aware of any current mainteThis is supported by the fact nance issues. that in 2020 the federal government provided approximately $7 million to City College via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and A closed library Economic Security (CARES) A San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency bus displays "Mask Required" in San Francisco's Mission District. Feb. 26. Act under section 18004(a)(1). seriously affects No less than 50% was to be required for use to give as direct students' ability to aid to students. One thing is for sure though. study. A closed library seriously affects students’ ability to study. Charles Murray works full time and is a student in the Emergency Most recently there has Medical Technician program been attention on the college at CCSF. He said, “My dayValeria De Barros, a photography student, waits for her in person class to for how it spends money. In to-day life doesn’t allow me to resume at Academy of Art University on Feb. 16, the day California lifts February an article by Lauren study effectively at home. So Hernández entitled, “CCSF faces the library reopening is amazing layoffs of 50 full-time faculty because it gives me a place I can members” appeared in The San focus on the material.” A discarded mask left on Francisco Chronicle. In the The newspaper reached out the floor at an apartment lobby in San Francisco article Chancellor David Martin to the library, but none of the the morning California is quoted as saying that CCSF librarians wanted to go on record By Andrew Segala lifts its indoor mask has “deficit spending of more to explain what was happening. andrew.segala@gmail.com mandate on Feb. 16. than $65 million since 2017The library referred the newspa18.” Deficit spending, in regular per to Cynthia Dewar, the Dean words, means an organization is of the Library for comment, but spending more money than they she did not respond to a request are receiving. for an interview. The Dean’s The District had 26 full office was contacted, and a time equivalent (FTE) librarsecretary who did not want to ians before the pandemic that be named referred the paper to was reduced to 17 during the the library as well. For the past shutdown. The college plans two years, a lack of transparency on cutting two more posihas kept students in the dark. As tions, representing a 42 percent the library lights come back on, A door in San Francisco's reduction from pre-pandemic hopefully the rest of the semester Mission District displays a sign Members of the Chinese community gather to buy bamboo plants at a local vendor during the Chinese Lunar New Years Street Fair on Feb. employment levels. will be brighter for students, staff requiring a mask to enter on 19. Feb. 26. So budgetary cutbacks may and faculty.

Bay Area Residents Adjust to the End of the State's Mask Madndate

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4 | CULTURE

Vol. 173, Issue 4 | Mar. 7 – Mar. 15 2022

The history of the former Cliff House and the Sutro Baths is displayed at the entrance of the Museum at The Cliff. San Francisco, March 10. Karem Rodriguez / The Guardsman

A 1920s Sutro Baths men’s bathing suit is displayed in the Museum at The Cliff. March 10. Karem Rodriguez/The Guardsman

A view of the ocean from inside the Cliff House. Katherine Castillo/The Guardsman

Cliff photostory continued from page 1 Ocean. On display in the museum are two bathing suits that would have been handed out to patrons while swimming at the Sutro Baths. This was a huge complex accommodating 25,000 swimmers, built with the wealth that Adolph Sutro was able to acquire as a mining engineer building the four-mile drainage adit Sutro Tunnel.

It was opulent.

Doors at the Rosenberg Library are still closed at Ocean Campus. City College libraries are currently offering contact-free pickup of library materials and other library services online while the library is closed. March 9. Karem Rodriguez/The Guardsman.

These baths are an important part of San Francisco history. There were supposedly four Cliff Houses, Adolph Sutro’s second Cliff House was built as a resemblance to a French Chateau on the edges of the cliff. It was opulent and spectacular, showcasing restaurants, art galleries, lunch galleries, parlors and verandas. This spectacular Cliff House unfortunately burned down in 1907. The new Cliff House was built in 1909, which is the one which we see today. This Cliff House also has a rich history. In the latest chapter, the future of the Cliff


CULTURE | 5

Vol. 173, Issue 4 | Mar. 7 – Mar. 15 2022

"Song For Cesar" Remembers Labor Reform Leader By Lilla Bateson

lbatson@mail.ccsf.edu “Song For Cesar” is a documentary that revisits the farmworker movement that Cesar Chavez helped ignite. It examines how the attention and support of musicians and artists such as Maya Angelou, Joan Baez, Daniel Valdez and Carlos Santana helped to make this movement into real change for farm workers across America. The film gives a feeling of inspiration and awe as it documents the bravery of Cesar Chavez, who stood up against unfair working standards for farm workers and became a leader for oppressed people everywhere. It highlights the inhumane labor conditions that farm workers lived with, including children working, being sprayed with pesticides, and being bent over in the sun for more than 10 hours a day, in addition to how they were unfairly paid. The film gives us a history of Cesar Chavez, from a young pachuco who loved jazz and swing music to the leader of a movement that we still pay tribute to today. It shows us the power of combining a movement against oppression with music instead of violence —powerful and with lasting impact.

The bilingual photography exhibition More Than A Wall by David Bacon explores aspects of the boarder region. Feb. 12. Janna Velasquez/The Guardsman

Brooke Anderson shares her photography at the panel discussion at the opening event for the exhibition The Media, Art and the Border, with photographer David Bacon, Juan Gonzales, Kim Komenich, and Juan Fuentes. Feb. 12. Janna Velasquez/The Guardsman.

"More Than A Wall" Exhibit Portrays Excruciating Labor Conditions By Beth Lederer

Juan Gonzales answers questions with Juan Fuentes at the panel discussion The Media, Art and the Border. Feb. 12. Janna Velasquez/The Guardsman.

Juan Fuentes speaking at the panel discussion at the opening event for the exhibition The Media, Art and the Border with photographer David Bacon, Juan Gonzales, Kim Komenich, and Brooke Anderson. Feb. 12. Janna Velasquez/The Guardsman.

kcasti@mail.ccsf.edu The San Francisco Public Library is presenting the exhibit More Than a Wall: Border Communities and Their Social Justice Movements, with photography by David Bacon. Juan Gonzales, Chair of the Journalism Department, was part of a team of panelists on opening day on Feb. 12. The exhibit runs from Feb. 12 to May 22 at the Main San Francisco Public Library, in the Jewett Gallery on the Lower Level. The exhibit has seven different sections: North of the Wall, Detained and Deported, Communities Resistance, The Border Wall, Miners and Maquilas Workers, Workers’ Reality and Indigineous FarmWorkers. I was moved by the workers' resilience. The photographs were thought- provoking and made me really feel for our neighbors South of the Border. Some

pictures showed the poverty they experience on a daily basis and their horrendous living conditions. The photographs demonstrate just how hard Mexicans and other Latin Americans work. Two pictures which portray the years of hard work are a picture of an old lady's wrinkles in her face and another enlarged picture of wrinkled hands.

I was moved by the workers' resilience. Other pictures conveyed a little bit of hope of workers learning how to strike, form or join their own union, or ask for higher wages. All these pictures showed years of hard work, though I didn’t see many pictures which showed the hopes and dreams of

a better tomorrow. The pictures captivated the authenticity of the workers' lives. The pictures did not sugarcoat the hardships of their living situations and there was nothing pretty or beautiful that was captured in the picture. The picture which saddened me the most was of a young girl whose mother was detained and then her mother was transferred far away. The picture portrayed the raw emotions of a girl whose heart is broken because shedoesn’t know when she will see her mom again. Each picture had a caption that you could read in English or Spanish. That was helpful to get a broader feel and understanding of the photographs and the obstacles these workers are still facing at the border. It was most rewarding to see some workers learning to form unions, become social activists and fight for workers rights.


6 | CULTURE

Vol. 173, Issue 4 | Mar. 7 – Mar. 15 2022

24 and a public demonstration on Feb. 25 in front of the U.S. Federal Building on 7th and Mission street. Supporters gathered peacefully in front of the Federal Building, holding up signs, handing out pamphlets, and wearing t-shirts in support of Peltier. Shannon Rivers, a Native American leader in support of indigenous women and men in prison, questioned in his speech to attendees how a person can be given two life sentences when there was no evidence proving Peltier's guilt. Mission resident Louie Gutierrez performed an indigenous dance honoring those killed in the battle of the Oglala Sioux Reservation in Pine Ridge. Recuperating Justice

An activist monk who has traveled the United States on foot, joined the protest on Friday, February 25 for the prompt release of Leonard Peltier. Feb. 25. Katherine Castillo/The Guardsman. introduced by Mission District Supervisor Hillary Ronen.

"Peltier was never proven to have fired the fatal shots that killed the agents," Standing Elk said. The resolution also urged “the federal government to release Leonard Peltier and grant clemency after many years of

unjust confinement as a political prisoner,” Native News Online reported. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors, according to Native News Online, directed the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors to transmit a copy of the resolution to President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. On the "Day of Solidarity with Leonard Peltier" supporters stood on the front steps of City Hall with banners calling for Peltier's release from prison. The action was followed by an indoor rally at Brava Theater in the Mission District on Feb.

To-date, Native-American state legislators and members of Congress, including Sen. Patrick Leahy, have made personal appeals to President Joe Biden to release Peltier. "He is precisely the type of person who should be considered for clemency," Leahy said in a statement. Meanwhile, Peltier's supporters continue to call for his immediate release.

"We have to step up now before it is too late." “Today he is ill. He has diabetes, a serious heart ailment, prostate disease, and now, COVID,” said Carole Standing Elk, a longtime Board Member of the National American Indian Movement and Director of California AIM. “He needs our help now. If we do not move fast and demand President Biden grant him Executive Clemency, he will die for nothing. We have to step up now before it is too late.”

Tony Gonzales during the indigenous ceremony offering tribute to the indigenous spirits. Feb. 25. Katherine Castillo/The Guardsman. Library continued from page 1 the charges against the fourth were dropped. Many, including Carole Standing Elk, a longtime Board Member of the National American Indian Movement and Director of California AIM, consider Peltier to be a political prisoner, owing in part to the manner in which his case was prosecuted. “Peltier was never proven to have fired the fatal shots that killed the agents,” Standing Elk said. Prosecutors instead relied on testimony from alleged witnesses who later recanted their statements, claiming that FBI agents threatened and coerced them into

lying. According to Peltier's attorney, years after his conviction, it was revealed the government withheld a ballistics report that showed the shell casings collected from the scene did not come from his weapon. Calling for Clemency In San Francisco, Peltier's supporters held a news conference on Feb. 22 to announce that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a resolution declaring Feb. 24 as a "Day of Solidarity With Leonard Peltier." Tony Gonzales of AIM-West and the American Indian Cultural District submitted the resolution that was

Protesters gather in front of the Federal Building in San Francisco demanding the immediate release of indigenous activist Leonard Peltier. A mission activist provided support by designing and handling over handmade pamphlets. Feb. 25. Katherine Castillo/The Guardsman.


Vol. 173, Issue 4 | Mar. 7 – Mar. 15 2022

CULTURE | 7

A Large crowd of people rallying for the conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine to end March down Market Street in front of Ferry Building in San Francisco on March 6, 2022. On February 24,2022 Russia invaded Ukraine causing international backlash from NATO countries and the United States resulting in economic sanctions. CodePink Golden Gate Chapter held a rally calling for end of the war in Ukraine, for the United States to have a neutral stance, and to disband NATO. Many of the supporters shouted "negotiate, don't escalate!", and "U.S. stay out!" Andrew Segala/The Guardsman. Ukraine photostory continued from page 1 Feb. 26 in front of the Ferry Building. Andreii Kulian, a supporter attending the rally said, “I am here to support Ukraine in any way and I am here to support everyone I know and love who is there right now.” The true patriotism of Ukrainians and the solidarity from other ethnicities at the rally was shown with the colors of the national flag, blue and gold raised high on flag poles and draped on shoulders. Sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, were held and dressed in peoples’ hair among a vast amount of signs reading “STAND WITH UKRAINE!,” “Help Ukraine,” and “Stop War!” Kulian said, “I am now accustomed to a routine when I need to check-in with [friends and loved ones] just to know if they are still alive. I don't think that's right.” The Biden Administration along with NATO allies have responded by implementing economic sanctions against Russia. The hope with these sanctions is to collapse the Russian economy, reduce funding for the war drastically, and seize or freeze any international assets. Just over a week later on March 6 at the same location, another rally was held for the country of Ukraine but with a different message than before. CodePink Golden Gate Chapter held a rally to stop the war in Ukraine for fears of a prolonged conflict leading to nuclear war but to also stop the expansion of NATO. A majority of the those attendance, mainly ranging from middle age to senior citizens, voiced their concerns of having a neutral Ukraine with the United States not being involved, and to stop the expansion of NATO in Europe. Within the rally people shouted “Negotiate, don't escalate!” and at the same time others shouted “Let Ukraine decide for Rally attendees holding signs showing opposition to NATO and US during a rally for the conflict between themselves.” the Russian Federation and Ukraine at the Ferry Building in San Francisco on March 6. Andrew Segala/ The Guardsman.

A large crowd of supports listen to various speakers during a rally to support Ukraine during the Russian Invasion at the Ferry Building in San Francisco on Feb. 26. The San Francisco Bay Area has a large population of Ukrainians in Northern California, and have held various rallies to show support and voice concerns of sending aid. Andrew Segala/The Guardsman.


8 | OPINION

Vol. 173, Issue 4 | Mar. 7 – Mar. 15 2022

Credibility Series

The Work Set Out for American News Media By Beth Lederer

bethlyn2008@att.net I believe questioning the credibility of the media is justified because there is so much disinformation out there. In America we have choices, what media to choose, what to read, listen to and even what to believe. How did so many conspiracy theories spread through social media and why was the mainstream media attacked by Donald Trump? How and why was Fake News coined? All of these questions have given a portion of our population distrust in our media. The media had to take a look at their

own practices and ask why do so many people have mistrust in it? The media is now trying to learn from their mistakes and find ways to build this respect back. On the other hand, the media is so important to reporting the facts and helping keep our country free and democratic.

I just know... he's got my back. Over the Trump years, we saw how fragile our democracy is and how his War with the media played out. With

the growth of Fox news and conservative radio stations, the mainstream media gained a lot of people who mistrusted it. There became between a war between the Right and the Left. Our country deserves to have factual and unbiased information. The government cannot survive if more and more people start mistrusting facts and believing misinformation. So if a large portion of the nation is feeling mistrust then it is important for all of the media to understand this and to regain the trust of the people it serves. Did the media pay a part in this mistrust- and how does the media repair it?

Performing Engagement By Skylar and JT Wildfeuer

skylar.wildfeuer@gmail.com jt.wildfeuer@gmail.com Understanding entirely even a single issue City College faces is a daunting, time-consuming process. Its complexity is a large part of its beauty: as a college uniquely intertwined with metropolitan politics, one which serves a constantly changing, but consistently diverse, demography, in a constantly shifting, but consistently demanding economy. The college’s detractors, some of whom appear to be on its payroll, may view this enormous learning curve as a nearly insurmountable peak, that their role is merely to establish a base camp for the next attempt, seemingly oblivious to the avalanche of problems that arise when approaching an audacious task with incrementalism and selfprotective caution. The building of a new Performing Arts Education Center, which once housed the college’s theater, music, and dance programs and has been funded by Bay Area voters three

It is a heroism I never want to see again. Max Hollinger/The Guardsman Editor's note: Recent cases like that of Dacari Spiers leave us wondering, what's the point of all these body cams if they cannot make meaningful changes to qualified immunity?

"Teacher Walkout" Sarah Clayson/The Guardsman

times, and is set to recollect the Diego Rivera Pan American Unity mural, currently on loan to the SFMoMA, in 2023, at which time one would expect the theater meant to house it to be completed. Harry Bernstein, a professor who teaches on the fundamentals of music and has of late been a vocal and prolific public commenter at meetings of the Board of Trustees said, “Yet, one leader after another does things that prevent it from moving forward.” Interim Chancellor Vurdien fired part of the construction team, claiming this would have

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

no significant impact on the timeline, and then a few months later said it would be impossible to complete the building project until 2026. Of the delay Bernstein said, “That’s not what I call a minimal impact on the timeline.” Even arriving at this point of understanding has taken time and effort: combing through disparate reporting, reading minutes, agendas, and presentation supplements from committee meetings, and scanning through at least the last two years of meetings of the Board of Trustees, with particular attention to presentations by the Board Facilities Master Plan and Oversight Committee. And what a great deal of questions are still left unanswered, some unanswerable mixed in with the attainable! What is the official timeline now that TEF Design has been chosen for the project, with Programming and Collaboration the only “Next Step” with a concrete date (2022)? What will happen to the Unity mural if it is returned to the college with nowhere yet to go? What will that cost? How accessible will the facility, whose current budget is $105,217,229, be to all students, and to the Bay Area public? How many students will be using it regularly for instruction? Is it really 3%? Is relying on that number a strawman argument which lacks a broader understanding for the needs of the Bay Area, whose voters were the ones to thrice approve its construction? This is one small piece of City College’s four-dimensional Rubick’s cube of its solvency and sustainability puzzle, and it is itself a complex formation shrouded in fog, but we are City College, and our collective brainpower, if tapped, is surely up to the task. And we are no strangers to fog.


SPORTS | 9

Vol. 173, Issue 4 | Mar. 7 – Mar. 15 2022

JohnTaylor Wildfeuer/The Guardsman.

Rams Charge Into State Playoffs After Winning By JohnTaylor Wildfeuer

jt.wildfeuer@gmail.com After a standout season with just one loss the Rams Men’s Basketball team scored a championship victory over West Valley, adding a state title to 12 postseason awards and ending on a 28 game win-streak.

The final game was highly climactic.

The Rams completed their near-perfect season with a decisive 25-point lead, defeating West Valley, the only team to beat them this season, with a final score of 91-66. While the West Valley Vikings were able to secure an early lead with Rams unable to score for the first three minutes of the game, they swiftly lost their advantage and were unable to regain it despite two Rams starters benched for committing fouls. Overall, the final game was highly climactic, with five technical fouls and flagrant fouls, a commanding performance by players off the bench, and a near comeback for the Vikings in the final minutes. The Rams decisive performance closed with 47 percent (16 of 34) shot accuracy from the floor, 46 percent (6 or 13) from the

three-point line, and 100 percent (10-10) success with free-throws. This is Coach Justin Labagh’s fourth state title in eighteen years with City College, a record he shares with Hall-of-Fame coach Jerry Tarkanian of Riverside and Pasadena City Colleges. "It is nice to be in the same sentence with his name," he said in an interview with BAOSN.tv. Contrasting the season with that of before the advent of COVID-19, Labagh said, "Two years ago, we had our best team we ever had at City,” adding, “we were 30-0 and beating everybody by 40 points.”

"To come back from here and win it is unbelievable." When it came time to compete in the championship that year, however, the team found themselves waiting in their vans, having been told that the tournament had been canceled due to health and safety concerns. Labagh said, “To come back here and win it is unbelievable." Forward Seyi Reiley, started the championship game and took home the award for Defensive Player of the Year. “I was so juiced after that game against

West Valley,” Reiley said, adding, “They were the only team to beat us this year and they celebrated hard on our home court so we had to beat the breaks off of them in the championship game.” The turnabout was meaningful to the team, and Reiley said, “The fact that they had disrespected us like that made the state championship win so much sweeter.” The team, which Reilley said started their workouts one year ago in March 2021, closed out their near-perfect season with a dramatic rivalry win fit for a feature film. Their postseason awards, which include Coach of the Year for Labagh, Co-Players of the Year for Naseem Gaskin and Seyi Reiley, and All-Freshmen Team for Emmett Neal and Jamir Thomas, add titles to trophies as the conquering team looks to future victories.

"We had to beat the breaks off of them in the championship game." “There is no feeling better,” Reiley concluded, “than having all of the work that you put in result in a huge win like this one.”

Jamill Thomas shoots over Cabrillo defender at the Wellness Center Gym on . March 5. Jamill scored a game high 23 points and had 2 rebounds in Round 2 of the Regional Finals. Bob Kinoshita/The Guardsman.


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