Have Your Say

What do you like or dislike about your semester?

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. 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.

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 a longstanding concern for the city, and the report released in January indicates that 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.

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

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.

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

promotion.

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 just perpetuates the cycle of people who go in and out of

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 area, the center was still closed. The mayor's 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?

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

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

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.”