The Guardsman, Vol. 175, Issue 4, City College of San Francisco

Ellen Yoshitsugu egiese@mail.ccsf.edu

While riding on transit, Student Chancellor Heather Brandt responded to questions about the Associated Students’(AS) current work.

The AS went in person to Sacramento on Jan 10, and will go again March 15. Brandt said, “We have meetings with legislators. We're going to continue to lobby and rally and I think we're going to attend a budget committee meeting and give public comment.” All students are welcome to join them. Contact Heather at studentchancellor@mail.ccsf.edu.

Brandt is particularly concerned about the following bills in the state legislature.

Assembly Bill 811 would modify existing laws to allow courses to be repeated five times, in some cases, up from the current three. “Why are we being punitive and why is it not okay to fail? I don't think anybody ever intends to fail,“ said Brandt.

Last year’s Assembly Bill 1919 would have allocated money to colleges to provide free transit passes for students. Brandt said, “It had a lot of legislative support, made it all the way to [Gov. Newsom’s] desk, but didn't get signed into law because money was not set aside in the budget for it. And so, this year, we wanted to continue to push for it, but make sure that it gets worked into the budget.”

AB 2449 ended the permission to conduct public meetings by teleconference. Brandt said they are looking for “some way around Assembly Bill 2449, which really, really impacts who is able to show up in meetings. I think one of the silver linings in the pandemic was being able to meet virtually or remotely meant that there were more non-traditional students able to access student leadership.”

AB 2881, signed into law last year, gives priority registra tion to students who are parents, among other things. Brandt is watching to see how it is implemented at City College, because, “we do not have a process in place to collect data on who our student parent population is or how big it is.”

Continue on page 2

The Associated Students Works to Reduce Barriers Rams Fail to Capture Second Straight State Title;

Fullerton Hornets Shock Rams 83-73

Gracia Hernandez ghern140@mail.ccsf.edu

After a season-long show of explosive offense, the City College Rams didn't have enough firepower against the No. 1 Southern California seed, the Fullerton College Hornets, who walked off with an 83-73 victory and the CCCAA state title.

The tough loss to the Hornets on March 12 at the Golden Eagle Arena in West Hills-Lemoore College cost the team its second consecutive state championship title. A win would have given the Rams a sixth state title in men’s basketball, breaking a five-championship tie with Cerritos, Fresno City and Long Beach City.

With a victory Justin Labagh, who has coached the Rams to four of those state titles, would have surpassed legendary coach Jerry Tarkanian, who also collected four state titles. Despite its five titles, City College has never won consecutive state championships. Only three schools have accomplished that feat: Long Beach (1958, 1959); Riverside City (1964, 1965, 1966); and Rancho

Santiago–Santa Ana now–(1990, 1991).

Continue on page 8

Chancellor Martin explains how to “build the budget”

Ellen Yoshitsugu egiese@mail.ccsf.edu

Using the 2021-2022 year as an example, Chancellor David Martin provided a well explained close-up of how the administration “builds” the college’s budget each spring in his two hour Zoom webinar on March 3, 2023.

In addition Martin presented a draft look at next year’s budget, to be finally approved by the trustees in June, and the preliminary instructional allocations for next year, recently shared with department chairs. Able questioning by participants during the Q and A segment brought out substantive answers from Martin about various aspects of the college’s finances.

See links in sidebar.

AFT 2121 executive director Alayna Frederichs’ pointed questions led Martin to affirm that this year he has chosen to hold this forum instead of actually meeting with the union to work together on the budget.

In 2021 during the pandemic, the faculty union agreed to a 10% pay cut in order to stave off further class reductions. This cut along with other staff reductions actually generated a surplus and the college received extra funding. Martin revealed that rather than abiding by the negotiated agreement with AFT2121 the extra funds were used for other purposes such as controversial transfers to the retiree health care trust fund.

Fredericks said these financial choices represented “a really substantial breach of trust and good faith between your administration and both the 900 teachers who serve city college's students, and the public who elects a board to make critical decisions about the priorities and direction of their public institution.”

Martin contended that these were necessary to remain accredited and were approved by the trustees when they approved the budget documents at the time.

Photo Ellen Yoshitsugu for the Guardsman.

Photo Courtesy of Adobe Stock Photos

Associated Student - continued from page 1

Chancellor Brandt also serves on the Participatory Governance Council as well as the Enrollment Management Committee. “I’m really trying to get enrollment management to understand the student perspective is vital in the decision making process at the

Spring 2023 Unity Day Unites Over 300 Students, Staff

Shawn Ree Canin scanin@mail.ccsf.edu

Over 300 students attended Spring Unity Day held at the Smith Hall cafeteria on March 9, 2023, to learn about all City College clubs, resource centers, and departments.

Unity Day is the biggest campuswide event that the Associated Students Council of Ocean Campus (ASCO) and the Student Activities Office organize every semester.

the photo booth, karaoke, and bingo game with prizes like t-shirts. Food and drinks were also provided.

Khong mentioned, “the work we do [18 council members and Advisor Amy Coffey] for Unity Day is because of everyone who wants to create a platform for the student [and] work together to unite students to have and be confident to know more about the school.”

Rams Fail to Capture Second Straight State Titlecontinued from page 1

Semifinal Play

Leading up to the championship game CCSF, the No. 1 Northern California seed, showed their resiliency and never-say-die mentality against Citrus College.

In that game they pulled-off a miraculous comeback to force overtime play. They quickly rallied in the closing minutes of the game to capture a 90-84 win that thrust them into the grand finale against the Hornets.

college. I've just been really vocal in that space,” she said.

Upcoming Events

The Zoom links for both the AS Executive Council which meets Fridays afternoons and the Ocean campus council which meets Wednesday afternoons can be found on the AS webpage.

Here on Ocean campus the AS has organized a Basic Needs Listening Forum on April 21, 2023 from 1 to 4 p.m. in MUB 140. State Senator Scott Weiner has been invited. All students are encouraged to attend and speak.

The Spring General Assembly of the Student Senate of the California Community Colleges is set for March 31st - April 2nd in Long Beach. Here is a partial list of resolutions that are going to be addressed. More information on the Student Senate can be found here.

Amelia Khong, ASCO president, said, “Unity Day is a good chance to come and see all the resources available. Maybe some students do not know that we have that support until they go to Unity Day and see it.” She added, “so I think that is a really good opportunity for students, especially the new students if they do not know much about CCSF [City College]. That this resource center may suit your need, you can find where you belong, maybe you can not find it right away, but you know when you need to find support.”

Due to heavy rain, the event moved from the Amphitheater indoors. Khong expected an outdoor venue so many students could stop by. But the cafeteria was able to accommodate 36 tables for several clubs, resources, and departments to share their information. She stated that organizing events like this means adapting and being flexible. “Cafeteria is not too small, good enough.”... Students go to the cafeteria to buy food, so they know where to go,” she said, which made it an even better venue.

Students and City College staff alike, including Chancellor David Martin and student trustee Malinalli Villalobos, were able to participate in

Austin Su from the resource center City Dream described Unity Day as an experience that students could have to see the community and get involved. He added, “all the resources we have here at City College are a blessing for the students.”

Nursing Student Association President Alexander Feng Wu’s experience at the event “has been great. Everybody has been great, kind, and helpful, and everyone is happy here, and we are all having fun.” “There are plenty of resources here at the school, and clubs, and different departments that you can check out or anything you’re interested in,” he added.

Broadcast Electronic Media Arts (BEMA) student Emilio Quiogue, came to table for the Filipino Student Association and said the event “shows that your time in a community college is actually worth it. There are many ways to feel at home, feel part of the community, and get involved.”

The $7 student activity fee funded Unity Day. It is one of the four events the ASCO prepared for this spring semester. Three upcoming events are

(1) Thrift Swap, March 16, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Ram Plaza, where attendees could bring in clothes in good condition to swap with people at the event.

(2) Active Shooter Training, March

Carnaval SF Mardi Gras Celebration Hosted in the Mission

In the Citrus game, Te'Jon Sawyer (32) scored 21 points and had 11 rebounds. EJ Neal (04) and CJ Hardy (00) also contributed 18 points and 16 points respectively.

In Sunday's championship game, the Rams showed a notable lack of energy and drive against the Hornets, who took a 16-point lead at halftime. The exhausting battle during a weekend of competition was visible as the Rams continued to turn the ball over -- 16 times against Fullerton and 32 against Citrus.

The Rams showed a little life in the second half. After trailing 43-27, the Rams offense, led by Neil, Sawyer and Mezziah Oakman (34), took over the game to narrow the Hornets' lead to six points.

Close But Not Close Enough

The decisive City College attack forced the Hornets to muster a strong defense to slow down the charging Rams. The Rams could only chop the Hornets' lead down to two points.

After minutes of exchanging baskets, the Rams made its final push, narrowing the score gap to 76-73 thanks to a Jamir Thomas three pointer with 2:23 remaining. However, the Rams would get no closer.

At this point, Hornets' scoring leaders Kobe Newton (22) with 25 points, and Shaquil Bender (10) with 23 points, took over by scoring the game's final seven points to secure a 10-point lead and an 83-73 win.

For the Rams, the game was about limited drives to the basket and continued turnovers. Additionally, the 73 points scored equaled the lowest points this season against a team; back on Dec. 10 the Rams beat West Valley 73-72 in a coast conference crossover game.

In the end, four Rams players scored in double digits, led by Oakman with 15.

Teammates Neal and Sawyer added 14 apiece, and Kadeem Nelson (20) chipped in 11 off the bench.

Sawyer and Oakman also grabbed seven rebounds apiece, helping the Rams to out rebound Fullerton, 33 to 27.

Sawyer and Neal earned CCCMBCA all-tournament team honors.

Despite the season-ending loss, the Rams had a successful run with a 29-4 overall record and 13-1 in conference play. They were the No. 1 seed in Northern California and will likely remain so when the new season opens again. Continue on page 8 for more photos of the game

Dancers from the group Asociacion Mayab perform during the Mardi Gras celebration at the 24th Street and Mission Plaza. This was part of a multi-venue event held in the Mission District on Feb. 21 2023. Photo by Franchon Smith, The Guardsman.

Rams freshman Dante Sawyer (#23) goes in for a layup against Fullerton College in the California Community College Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Championship at West Hills College, Lemoore, Calif. On Sunday, March 12, 2023. Photo courtesy of Eric Sun, special to The Guardsman

left to right: Chancellor David Martin holding a miniature of the Philippine jeepney at the unity Day event held at the Smith Hall Cafeteria last March 9, 2023, with the Associated Students Council of ocean Campus (ASCo) President Amelia Khong and Advisor Amy Coffey, and student trustee, Malinalli Villalobos together with Rocky the Ram.

“I’m really trying to get enrollment management to understand the student perspective is vital in the decision making process at the college.”

Student trustee Malinalli Villalobos and Chancellor David Martin pose for a picture with the Associated Students Council of ocean Campus (ASCo members at the unity Day last March 9, 2023, held at the Smith Hall cafeteria. 24, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., by Mario Vasquez, Chief of Police of the San Francisco Community College District Police Department.

(3) Student council will also staff the district-wide ASC leadership election.

Active Minds at City College for mental health

By Lolie Mahe mahelolie@gmail.com

Active Minds is a nonprofit organization committed to changing the conversation around mental health and is currently starting a chapter here at City College!

The organization was founded by Alison Malmon in 2003 after she lost her brother, Brian Malmon, who ended his life after struggling with depression back in 2000.

As a student at the University of Pennsylvania, Alison saw that no one was talking about mental health issues. Alison couldn’t find any existing groups on campus geared toward changing the culture, so she took it upon herself to create a group of her own.

With a student-to-student model, Alison’s group known as Open Minds (at the time) made it a goal of spreading the word that seeking help is a sign of strength, and not something to be ashamed of. Alison’s friend, Kate Hard, started the student-led group at Georgetown University and the program has progressed immensely since then— working in K-12 schools, alongside colleges and universities.

Mental health has grown to become an important part of our society today after we citizens have lived through rude awakenings like the COVID pandemic, climate change, and advancement in technology all in our everchanging world.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regards mental health as one’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Mental health affects the way we think, how we feel, how we act, as well as how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.

The Student Health Center at City College acknowledges the club will “…work to increase mental health awareness on campus, raise funds for critical mental health education and resources through the Active Minds national office, promote positive mental health, educate their peers about the signs and symptoms of mental health disorders, and encourage students to reach out for help when needed.”

The club meets every Monday virtually through Zoom. In these meetings, those who join are welcomed by other students and a mental health counselor of City College in which matters of the club and ways to improve mental health are discussed.In the meeting of February 27, students were able to engage in a breathing exercise where one student walked others through deeply and intentionally inhaling through the nose and exhaling out of the mouth. While breathing, we were encouraged to close our eyes, breathe calmly, and to think of one thing that makes us happy.

The breathing exercise enables students to focus on the sensation of happiness and transmit that energy into oneself. More information about Active Minds can be obtained from the Student Health Center of CCSF.

Campus Native Plant Gardens Support Biodiversity

City College’s Peer-led Program Builds a Family Atmosphere For Students

Susan Mullaney popcorn@gmail.com

LLed by Ecology instructor Joe Cannon, members of the Sustainability Committee are refreshing the native plant gardens outside the Science building, opposite Cloud Hall on the Ocean campus. Visitors to the gardens may include local native bees, birds, and you, dear reader.

A message of hope is that planting local native plants on public and private property will support sharply declining populations of environment-friendly native bees, butterflies and birds. Birds because they eat insects for protein and insects depend on the plants they co-evolved with.

Volunteer members of the California Native Plant Society’s Yerba Buena Chapter of San Francisco provided indigenous San Francisco plants and seeds for refreshing the gardens. Included are Franciscan wallflowers, or Erysimum franciscanum. This is a significant species as its blossoms are cream colored, while everywhere else in California blossoms are yellow.

Marks, a former trustee, to plant native plants and to remove invasive plants.

It is only in more recent years that the significance of this principle has started to become more widely understood. Scientists now talk about the sixth mass extinction, the biodiversity crisis, the insect apocalypse, and the like. Major threats to biodiversity are habitat destruction/, degradation/fragmentation, invasive species and climate disruption.

Plants are the bases of entire food webs and ecosystems; to re-create habitat for wildlife, we need to plant local native plants.

By: Logan Dang logandang123@gmail.com

At City College, students expand their knowledge of particular fields of interest, but there are various obstacles that students encounter when pursuing their goals. To tackle the issues that students may have and encourage them to be an active member of the school community, the Students Supporting Students program (S Cube) was developed. The coordinator of the program, Andrew Vai, is thankful to the former coordinator who mentored him during his time as a student.

In response to the current support the program is receiving, Vai said, “My time is limited here along with our student mentors. I could be mentoring a student and then 10 students can walk in. We could use more staff members to provide a better time for students.”

One of the missions at S Cube is to “increase the transfer rates of students to four-year universities and to empower marginalized students and communities on campus,” said Vai. S Cube offers a number of services - peer mentoring, providing advice for transfer, financial assistance, and opportunities for community involvement.

Students also go on field trips to connect with their communities. However, with the recent pandemic, activities were limited. “We call it community crawling, representatives from nonprofits that work with specific communities in the neighborhood would lead a tour,” said Vai. These trips included a Filipino-based support center called the Bayanihan Equity Center, and a trip to Manzanar, a former Japanese internment camp.

S Cube also helps organize and is an advocate for social justice and student equity. As mentioned on City College’s page for student services, S Cube activities include “marches to Sacramento to demand funding for schools, not prisons, student walk-outs to fight tuition increases, and advocate for Ethnic Studies and culturally relevant student services.”

Birds depend on plants like Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifoloia. Toyon produces red berries in winter, when food is otherwise relatively scarce for birds. It's a terrific alternative to invasive ornamentals like the red-berry-bearing cotoneaster around the campus.

"Native plants help sustain San Francisco's biodiversity, require less water, and provide more ecosystem benefits than ornamentals. Milton [Marks] and I saw native plants as an important component of City College's sustainability efforts," said Trustee Rizzo.

Native plant gardens are in keeping with the Sustainability Plan approved by the Board of Trustees in 1998. The plan includes a major principle promulgated by former trustee John Rizzo and the late Milton

The Sustainability Committee is under the purview of the Academic Senate. Meetings, agendas and minutes are posted on the CCSF Academic Senate website All CCSF community members are welcome to participate with this volunteer group headed by co-chairs Joe Cannon and counselor Anastasia Fiandaca.

S Cube also provides an area for study, containing computers, printers, and mentors. Student worker, Irish Gwyneth Villanueva, majoring in psychology, said she values Vai for helping her navigate the resources provided and allocating those resources to students who need them. Irish’s activities include helping students register for classes, as well as picking their schedules and teachers, and any other questions students may have. “It’s really important that I get to help other students, not just in academics, but in also how they excel here,” said Irish.

The space S Cube provides is also a hang-out spot for students. “People of all different backgrounds come here to chat amongst each other, serving as a space for students to be themselves,” Said Henry Drake, a student at City College.

S Cube also arranges students with various workshops, personal statement writeups, how to write a resume, and how to write a cover letter, among others.

How do members feel about the program? Student Richard Chu along with Villanueva and Drake all agreed that the program feels like a family. It’s a place where “we hang out and relax, but also make connections,” said Chu. The morale students have built for each other speaks for itself as they have more confidence in their studies and know they have support from others.

S Cube works with City College’s culinary program, “We were able to pass out free lunches through the window during and after the pandemic, now on Monday’s and Wednesday’s,” said Vai. “I wasn’t academically driven. I would rather do other things, but S Cube didn’t pressure me about academics. Just doing one class here and there and over time, I started to realize the importance of it and it helped me help other students. They understood that it takes steps for a student to grow into something better,” said Drake. The program’s biggest asset is “networking and so the backbone of S Cube is the student experience,” he added.

If you want to be a part of S Cube, visit City College’s webpage regarding student services or visit the Student Union Building, room 203.

Photo by logan Dang for The Guardsman

Photo by logan Dang for The Guardsman, Student's ofrenda for a friend

Photo by logan Dang for The Guardsman

Photo by logan Dang for The Guardsman

Photo by logan Dang for The Guardsman

Native plants are chosen to highlight specimens and to demonstrate gardens of mixed shrubs, grasses, ferns and wildflowers.

Native plants are what support declining populations of native bees, butterflies and birds, which are declining due to conversion of habitat and ornamental planting.

look for California lilac, Ceanothus thrysiflorus, aka Blueblossom. This is an important treelike shrub for pollinators, which provide vital ecosystem services.

San Francisco Needs to Rethink Its Reliance on Policing to Address Public Safety Concerns

By Ann Marie Galvan agalvan1@mail.ccsf.edu

In February, Mayor London Breed introduced a $27.6 million budget supplement to address police staffing shortages and fund police overtime to ensure that “police officers are able to continue to respond to the basic needs and priority concerns facing the City.”

This would boost the already approved $714 million police budget for fiscal year 2023, which is $50 million more than last year’s budget.

Police overtime has been driven to serve “priority initiatives” in San Francisco, says the mayor’s announcement, such as sending more cops to high-tourism areas of the city, “violence reduction” and the unclearly defined “Tenderloin operations.” However, the report does make clear that “open air drug dealing” is a priority of supplemental funding for “public safety.”

This announcement came in the wake of a private meeting that Breed, police command staff, the sheriff, and a representative from the district attorney’s office had with “around 20 business owners” from the Tenderloin — a meeting that the mayor’s office denied press access to, according to The San Francisco Chronicle, who spoke with two attendees after the meeting. During this meeting, Police Chief Bill Scott is reported to have said that more officers have been trained in narcotics and are focusing on disrupting drug markets and arresting people selling drugs.

But drug use and dependency should be treated as a health issue to be addressed through rights-based measures, including public health education, care and support, and safe injection sites. Studies show that when substance abuse treatment centers in an area increase, violent and financially-motivated crimes decrease. Additionally, expanded mental health treatment, including easier access to psychiatric

drugs, also has been shown to reduce violent crime. The non-profit Civil Rights Corp has compiled many studies like this in their report “Getting Smart on Safety,” which presents non-carceral forms of harm and violence prevention.

These underlying issues cannot be resolved by simply increasing police presence in an area or perpetuating “war on drugs”-style policing measures. Research has shown that initiatives aimed at improving the social and emotional well-being of students and young adults can lead to significant reductions in arrests, including a decrease of up to 35 percent in total arrests and up to 50 percent in violent crime arrests.

Have Your Say

What do you like or dislike about your semester?

just perpetuates the cycle of people who go in and out of jail without ever getting the help they need to break free of the arrest cycle. A study by the Prison Policy Initiative shows that “repeated arrests are related to race and poverty, as well as high rates of mental illness and substance use disorders.” In the end, their analysis indicates that people who are incarcerated experience significantly greater rates of social, economic and health issues that should not and cannot be resolved through the use of imprisonment.

area, the center was still closed. The mayor's office plans to establish smaller hubs, but no concrete plans were made at the time of the center's closing, causing disruptions in services. The issue of police staffing levels has been

¿Qué le gusta o le disgusta este semestre de sus clases?

Access to employment and higher minimum wages are also shown to decrease crime. Even emergency financial assistance reduced arrests, including “a 51 percent reduction in arrests for violent crimes.”

In fact, the social costs of overpolicing can outweigh the benefits, since policing will result in higher rates of incarceration through racial profiling, excessive pre-trial detention, disproportionate sentencing and the criminalization of people who use drugs. Making arrests only addresses symptoms of San Francisco’s inadequate social services, and it does not address the underlying causes of drug use and addiction. Arresting people who need help

San Francisco is investing in more social services, but its dependence on policing and recent implementation of severe drug sentences offset attempts to address its social safety net. While research has demonstrated the effectiveness of safe injection sites, San Francisco is reluctant to open any, instead wanting to place responsibility on non-governmental organizations, such as nonprofits. In Nov. 2022, District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey, former communications director for the San Francisco Police Department, introduced a resolution to bring a COPS-style reality show called “The Real Streets of San Francisco” to the city. This will just deepen the exploitation of marginalized people, including those struggling with poverty and addiction.

In Dec. 2022, the Tenderloin Center was shut down, despite its positive impact during its operation of less than a year. The center was able to reverse 333 overdoses and assist nearly 3,000 people with finding shelter or housing, and it provided food, medical care, access to services and a safe space away from the streets. The city also saw a decrease in overdose deaths during this time, despite the presence of fentanyl in the area. However, the center faced criticism for being an unofficial safe consumption site. Despite its success in reducing overdose deaths and no reported increase in public drug dealing or use in the

San Francisco is investing in more social services, but its dependence on policing and recent implementation of severe drug sentences offset attempts to address its social safety net.

a longstanding concern for the city, and the report released in January indicates that the police department is currently operating with 353 fewer sworn officers and 133 fewer civilian positions than “recommended levels.”

However, it is unclear whose recommendation these numbers are based on. Is it the recommendation of the police department, the D.A.’s office, the police union? Given the increasing political power of police unions, it is crucial to understand the source of these numbers, and it is important to know the basis on which the mayor's office has calculated these numbers as part of its public safety planning. Is it based on the input of scientists or researchers who specialize in public safety, drug use, homelessness — or some other criteria?

By Renée Bartlett-Webber rbartle8@mail.ccsf.edu

This issue, The Guardsman went to City College’s Mission Campus to check in on how the semester was going. Because 68% of the students identify as Latinx/Hispanic/Latino, Guardsman reporters thought having a bilingual edition of Have Your Say would be appropriate. So please catch up on how things are going with students on this diverse campus.

Para esta edición, The Guardsman fue a Mission Campus de City College para investigar como prosigue el semestre para los estudiantes. Siendo que el 68 porciento de los estudiantes se identifican como Latinx/Hispano/Latino, periodistas del Guardsman consideran que sería buena idea publicar el espacio llamado "Dé Su Opinión" en Inglés y en Español. Por favor lea lo que nos dicen algunos estudiantes de un campus que posee diversidad lingüística y cultural.

La enseñanza es buena. Lo malo es que no sé mucho inglés porque no lo estudié en la escuela, primaria y secundaria. Aquí la enseñanza es diferente. Allá, en mi país, predominantemente se traduce al inglés y el significado de las cosas. Pero apena llevo dos días de clases. Todo, todo está bonito. Más que todo vine aquí a trabajar y a conocer. Pero ya me hace falta mi país.

-Alan Balladore Amaya

Me gusta mucho City College. Lo mejor es que no pagamos nada. Estoy en el nivel uno y dos y por la tarde en el nivel conversacional. Todavía no ha aprendido mucho pero espero hacerlo pronto. En estos tres meses, por que solo voy a estar tres meses, ahorita está todo bien. Los profesores son muy amigables y te ayudan en lo que necesitas para que puedas desenvolverte.

- Herman Taliaferia

In the last class that I take now, they changed the teacher. In my opinion, this teacher is really good. But they moved him to another class again. This is the second teacher in two weeks. It’s not a problem, it’s a good English class. Okay, como puedo decirlo, I don’t know how to say; it’s sad because he’s good, and they continue to move him elsewhere. He’s a part-time worker, and he came from a college that they closed. Maybe this is why, I don’t know, they are closing other colleges.

- Osiris Jorges

Hay cambios sobre todo desde la pandemia hasta ahora. Uno de los cambios que yo veo es que recibimos atención individual de la profesora. Y eso me gusta. Porque antes no era así.

- Sara Nuñez

Registration Robot Bullies Student to Enroll in “Corporate Cross-Functionalisms”

By Renée Bartlett-Webber rbartle8@mail.ccsf.edu

On the first day of enrollment, new student

Christina Miller arrived on campus excited to sign up for her first mechanics course. She was eager to gain new skills needed to earn a raise in her field. She approached the registration robot, nervous and anxious to add her class. To her surprise and frustration, the registration robot continuously denied her class enrollment request. All of a sudden, the robot animated with arms. Its 7-foot tall metallic body started to roll towards her. “Access denied. The only courses available are in the Corporate Cross-Functionalisms degree. You will take them,” the robot harshly mono-toned. Miller frantically pressed the buttons to remove the course from her roster but her efforts were for naught. The robot made several loud beeps. “You have successfully added four courses to your schedule.” Miller tried to abandon the robot, but it followed her. ”Congratulations, a great start to gaining your degree in Corporate Cross-Functionalisms,” it added as it chased her down the hallway. She finally escaped the robot as she slid through a crack in the door and ran outside.

Miller is a Bay Area native who has spent years working three jobs and barely earning enough to live above the poverty line. In an effort to hone in on her mechanical engineering career, Miller decided to take a risk and drop one of her jobs to take a class. She was hoping to take Introduction to Hybrid and EV Auto Maintenance and Repair so that she can get a promotion.

As described by the State Chancellor’s Office of Fruitful Fruition, “the Corporate Cross-Functionalisms degree is a game changer in the college’s curriculum. Students will leverage new opportunities to get on board with workflows to collaborate cross-functionally. The degree will teach blue sky thinking to build core competencies so students are on the bleeding edge to corporate pathways. The primary deliverable of the degree program is to ensure students ability to master phrases that resonate in an office setting such as ‘we will disrupt the industry,’ ‘building a collaborative company culture that ideates through synergy,’ and ‘how will we monetize that?’”

The state has prioritized the Corporate Cross-Functionalisms degree for all community colleges in order to “reform curricula to build more tangible student success metrics, and accelerate corporate placements for lowincome students,” said Chancellor Karen Rigidra of the Office of Fruitful Fruition. While they have done the legwork to add these programs in every community college across the state, they have struggled to fill the classes. In a desperate attempt to have this program succeed, officials have decided to adjust the registration technology to help “encourage” students to sign up for the classes. Officials have yet to confirm whether the harsh incidents, such as the one Miller experienced, are glitches in the “encouragement” technology or if they were specifically programmed to chase students through the schools. These incidents are becoming known as “cyborg bullying.”

Many students have been having to attend classes in the freezing cold because there is no heat in some classrooms.

Illustration by Cindy Chan/Guardsman

“repeated arrests are related to race and poverty, as well as high rates of mental illness and substance use disorders.”

Shocking loss knocks Rams out of State Championship

By Gracia Hernandez Rovelo ghern140@mail.ccsf.edu

Despite a splendid season record of 24-5 overall, the City College Rams suffered a painful 72-56 loss against the visiting College of the Sequoias Giants on Saturday, March 4. With an average of 74.8 points per game this season, the sixth-seeded Rams endured the loss in the third round of NorCal playoffs, ending the chance to compete in the State Championships.

Both teams struggled to find the net until the third-seeded Giants scored with a layup by Alana Roberts more than 7 minutes into the game. By the end of the first quarter College of the Sequoias was ahead 18-12.

Talo Li-Uperesa (23) stepped up for the Rams throughout the game with a total of 25 points, made by jump shots and three-pointers, followed by Teuila Tuiasosopo (35) with 16 points.

During the second quarter the Rams picked up the game, narrowing the gap to a near tie at 22-20. But Sequoias’ Noura

Aboutaleb hit a 3-point jump shot with 5:10 left in the period. That seemed to strike the Rams emotionally and secured a 6-point lead for Sequoias at halftime.

The Rams trailed 29-23 at the half and were down 50-42 heading into the final period.

Amira Lama (30) added 7 points to the Rams offense and during the third quarter helped the team's chances of a comeback with a series of important assists.

But Sequoias' defensive game in the fourth quarter stymied the Rams’ usually explosive scoring punch resulting in a 16-point victory for the Giants.

CCSF had won 16 straight games heading into the playoff matchup. The Rams close out another successful season capturing its seventh consecutive Coast Conference North Division championship with a perfect 10-0 mark.

Following the close of the regular season, the Rams totaled seven All-Coast Conference North Division postseason awards:

Coach of the Year

Derek Lau

Most Valuable Player

Talo Li-Uperesa

First Team Teuila Tuiasosopo

Amira Lama

Second Team Rianna Lee

Sierra Kolomatangi

Honorable Mention Jaden Roan

Rams Fail to Capture Second Straight State Title- continued from page 3

SPRING ATHLETICS CALENDAR

Women’s Tennis

Friday March 17, 2pm Rams vs. West Valley at CCSF***

Tuesday March 21, 2pm Rams vs. Chabot at CCSF

Wednesday March 22, 2pm Rams vs. Cañada at CCSF (Rescheduled from 2/27)

Friday March 24, 2pm Rams vs. Cabrillo at CCSF

Monday March 27, 2pm Rams vs. Ohlone at CCSF***

Men’s Baseball

Thursday March 16, 2:30pm Rams at West Valley***

Saturday March 18, 12pm Rams vs. West Valley at San Francisco State University***

Tuesday March 21, 2:30pm Rams at San Mateo***

Thursday March 23, 2:30pm Rams at San Mateo***

Saturday March 25, 2pm Rams vs. San Mateo at Fairmont Field, Pacifica***

Tuesday March 28, 2:30pm Rams at Skyline***

Thursday March 30, 11:30am Rams vs.. Skyline at Fairmont Field, Pacifica***

Women’s Badminton

Thursday March 16, 3pm Rams at Mission***

Tuesday March 21, 3pm Rams vs. De Anza at CCSF***

Thursday March 23, 3pm Rams at Fresno***

Women’s Swimming

Friday March 17, 2pm Cabrillo / Ohlone / West Valley @ Hartnell

Rams sophomore Mezziah Oakman (#34) playing against Fullerton College in the California Community College Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Championship at West Hills College, Lemoore, Calif. On Sunday, March 12, 2023. Photo courtesy of Eric Sun, special to The Guardsman

Sophomore EJ Neal (#4) playing against Fullerton College in the California Community College Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Championship at West Hills College, Lemoore, Calif. On Sunday, March 12, 2023. Photo courtesy of Eric Sun, special to The Guardsman

Sophomore EJ Neal (#4) playing against Fullerton College in the California Community College Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Championship at West Hills College, Lemoore, Calif. On Sunday, March 12, 2023. Photo courtesy of Eric Sun, special to The Guardsman

Rams Associate Head Coach Adam D'Acquisto (stand left) and Head Coach Justin Labagh (standing middle) and EJ Neal (standing left) reacting to a play during at West Hills College, Lemoore, Calif. On Sunday, March 12, 2023. Photo courtesy of Eric Sun, special to The Guardsman

Sophomore Te’Jon Sawyer (#32) hustles down the court against Fullerton College in the California Community College Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Championship at West Hills College, Lemoore, Calif. On Sunday, March 12, 2023. Photo courtesy of Eric Sun, special to The Guardsman