Community College Never Rang So True

A history and future of City College and its community

a brand-new yoga studio in Berkeley in 2018. They were only open for a few months when the pandemic hit.

Achalkboard

easel stands outside of Purusha Yoga Studio in the Richmond District welcoming yoga students back. The beautiful penmanship demands attention: “Purusha OPEN, Happy New Year 2023, Welcome OM.”

Over the last few years during the pandemic, an empty storefront would have greeted a passerby.

Purusha is a holistic yoga studio and yoga training school on the Balboa Street shopping corridor in the Outer Richmond. Purusha closed in March 2020 when the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order was issued. To respond, the teachers immediately pivoted to teaching online.

The studio reopened on New Years Day, 2023, at the same location on Balboa between 38th and 39th avenues bringing smiles, relief and happiness to many former students and teachers who are part of the Purusha community.

Business co-owners and husband and wife team, Joy Ravelli and Eric Sparks expressed their gratitude to supporters.

“The reopening of Purusha Yoga Studio came about through much outpouring and support from the community, “they said.

“When the owners asked them if they were coming back, he told them they could not have in-person classes,” Sparks said.

Subsequently, the owners closed the Berkeley studio. Sparks and Ravelli walked away from their new studio, losing all their investments and deposits.

Ravelli and Sparks filed for personal bankruptcy, and they had to practice under their personal names for one year.

According to Ravelli, Purusha had a thriving school online for teachers to become yoga teachers, advanced yoga teachers and yoga therapists.

Purusha was able to keep its accreditation and students could find them on the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) of Yoga Alliance.

“We had about 300 students who went through the school,” Ravelli said. “A lot of yoga schools did that; many people got their yoga teacher training online. We now have students from all over the world - Spain, Switzerland, Canada, Mexico and all over the East Coast.”

In February, Purusha held at the studio their first training for yoga and advanced yoga teachers. They offered a hybrid session.

“It works well for absenteeism if people need to go to a wedding or have something

Theater Arts Department Play Coming Soon: “Big Love”

By Emma Pratt espratt98@gmail.com

City College’s theater arts department is putting on a show! “Big Love” isn’t for the faint of heart - the play touches on themes of love, gender politics and domestic violence. Director and City College theater arts department instructor, Patricia Miller, has steered the play toward a more contemporary expression of American playwright Charles L. Mee’s “Big Love.” Mee’s well-known play is based on Aeschylus’s “The Suppliant Women” which was written around 420 BCE. In other words, a long, long time ago.

Actors must be enrolled in one of 3 theater arts department classes - Ensemble Role Classical, Supporting Role Classic, or Principal Role Classic - to participate in the play. Many of the actors are passionate and skilled enough to continue their theater art’s studies at a 4-year institution, or as a professional career, said Miller.

Auditions and rehearsals started in January at the Ocean Campus, in time for the show’s debut in late April. Opening night will be on April 28th at 7:30pm, followed by a Saturday night show on April 29th at 7:30pm, and a matinee show on April 30th at 1pm.

In Big Love’s contemporary pursuit of marriage, love and sex, “50 brides flee 50 grooms to an Italian villa worthy of 'White Lotus.'” The men in hot pursuit jettison in by helicopter and find resistance and submission, love and murder, passionate lovers and a trio of Italian Grandmothers,” writes Miller of the play’s storyline in an official press release. Miller also carefully warns that “Big Love” is for mature audiences only - 16 years and up. Admission is $15 or free with a City College ID!

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

City College has a long, complicated yet fascinating history as the only community college in San Francisco. For decades, the college has been one of the top community colleges in the state.

After its founding as a junior college in 1935, City College grew quickly and immensely. Its first year brought in 1,417 students. By the 1982-1983 academic year, it reached its peak enrollment of 140,000 students. This was during a significant recession and mass unemployment.

From the beginning, the school struggled with the state for financing to fulfill its goals. Budgetary restrictions have always posed challenges, but they were also consistently overcome due to the dedication of the employees and residents. San Franciscans voted to shift state funds to community colleges in 1988, increase sales tax to fund the city’s schools in 1992 and bond measures to improve and build facilities in 1938, 1997, 2001 and 2005.

However, the fiscal threats have continued to haunt the college. In the early 2000’s the school had to start reducing its class offerings.

In 2012, the school faced the infamous accreditation debacle. Four years later, the San Francisco Superior Court found the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) broke four laws in its illegal attempt to sanction the school. While the school rose from the ashes because of the persistence of community members, enrollment still began to decline.

As the pandemic ripped through the world, it disproportionately impacted those of lower economic standing, the same type of population City College serves. Between 2020 and 2021 fiscal years, City College’s enrollment decreased by almost 60%, according to the Chancellor's Office Data Mart. Today, the college serves about 38,000 students. With the decrease in enrollment, the administration has rolled-back classes and approved layoffs. This can be a slippery slope because reduced classes could also mean a decrease in student enrollment.

However, there is hope. In its heyday, City College served one in nine San Francisco residents annually. The community has a deep connection to the college, which has supported the college immeasurably. Even today, as the institution faces layoffs, class cuts, lack of heat, one phrase is always consistent:

“I love City College.” It’s bones are made up of faculty who have worked at the college since the 80s, students who have “the best instructor they have ever had,” and trustees and chancellors who were once students and now lead the college.

While the success of City College will inevitably come from its many community supporters, Community colleges in general are beholden to social demands locally and nationally. Their successes are dependent on the economy and political climate. Historically, recessions have increased the number of students: As unemployment rose, enrollment increased.

But the changes in the economy have become even more complicated in recent years. Despite mass unemployment in the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, enrollment has continued to decline. Community Colleges across the country are reeling.

California is unique because the state has increased budgets to higher education overall, even though enrollment has not started to recover. For the first time in 25 years, City College has had a clean audit with no flags. There was also a surplus in the last fiscal year. These are very positive financial steps for the institution, but they can be attributed to cuts to employees and classes made over the last two years.

City College is at a pivotal point in its history. It will forge through its challenges, as it always has, but there are a few paths it could take. Its current trajectory does seem to be following the “success-driven” vision of the state chancellor’s office, which prioritizes degree, transfer, or certificate outcomes for full-time students, over other students.

While the state and current administration are focusing on trying to optimize student outcomes through metrics, the community is still focused on serving San Francisco’s unique and dynamic needs to help young high school graduates, business owners, lifelong learners and community advocates. The clash in prioritization between the state’s agendas and those of the city’s residents, may heighten in the coming months/years.

“Everybody in the neighborhood kept saying, ‘Can you please reopen the studio?”’

For Ravelli it was really hard because it was such a painful end. “Yeah, it took a while for my heart to open again,” she said.

Ravelli opened the doors of Purusha in 2010 on Balboa Street. She had started Purusha in Massachusetts in 1999. The loss of Ravelli”s son Alex in 2009 was a powerful motivation to open the studio.

“I didn’t know what to do with my life after such a big loss,” Ravelli said.

”Purusha yoga studio is a great resource,” said Kathy Gehlken, a long time Ayurveda teacher and Sanskrit scholar.

“I was very sad when they had to close due to the Pandemic and am very excited that they have reopened,” she said. “What makes Purusha so special is their commitment to yoga accessible to everyone and to building a vibrant and loving community around yoga and service to others. I am deeply grateful to be part of that.”

Ravelli and Sparks faced many of the same challenges many business owners were forced to deal with.

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was another factor that affected their decision to reopen. Both Ravelli and Sparks were the only two employees of Purusha. Everyone else were contractors.

“The PPP started to come through for other businesses, though it really didn’t come through for us,” Ravelli said.

Ravelli and Sparks had invested in building personal, “ Sparks said.

Kari Marble joined the studio in February, teaching prenatal and postnatal yoga. Marble specializes in women’s health in childbearing years and beyond. The studio where she worked for 20 years permanently closed its physical locations as the whole yoga world was struggling.

In December, Marble saw a social media post that Purusha was reopening.

“Every cell of my body said ‘Yes. This is the one. This could be your new yoga home,”’ Marble said.

Ravelli believes in the commitment to service, rehabilitation and valuing humanity. In 2008 she started the Purusha Seva Project, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved and at-risk populations. They brought yoga to veterans, seniors, shelters and the jails.

“Purusha’s philosophy is to provide a safe, nurturing and healing environment for all our members, all our students,” said Ryan Bach, student admin and tech director. “Empower your true self and connect to the community.”

Ravelli lives by Purusha’s mission to make yoga accessible and to create a studio that is open to all socio-economic groups.

“Eric and I just want to serve the community,” Ravelli said.

Referring to the first months of operation, Ravelli said, “I have no expectations, I feel so much better in here than I ever imagined I would, I feel really good.”

To learn more, go to https://purushayoga. org/.

Z Space, “a multifaceted performance space,” at 450 Florida Street in the Mission district, will host all 3 “Big Love'' performances. City College’s campus theater was unfortunately destroyed during stormy weather, said Miller. Ordinarily, the beloved campus theater would be where performers take the stage and audience members take their seats.

City College site circa 1937. Men grading and preparing land, then Balboa Park. Location of current City College athletic fields, previously the location of the Ingleside Jail, demolished after it closed in 1934. View north-westerly toward homes built between 1923 and 1930 on 300 block of Judson Ave., west of Foerster st. Mt. Davidson in background. OpensFHistory wnp26.1548

City College circa 1945. statue of ram in front of City College of san Francisco. statue was carved at Golden Gate International exposition by sculptor Dudley Carter from a single redwood log, using primitive tools: double bladed axe and chisels, entitled Big Horn Mountain redwood ram. In background, science Hall designed by architect Timothy Pflueger. OpensFHistory / wnp27.7699

Is a Little Warmth Too Much to Ask?

Facilities at City College in Disarray

By Melissa McPeters mmcpeters@ccsf.edu

It is no secret to many that City College facilities are in disarray. In fact, it appears that everything broke at once. However, our buildings and campuses have been slowly degrading over the years with the exacerbation of the pandemic where many were not paying attention to the condition of the facilities. Now school is back in session we can see the disrepair and are learning of new issues. No one seems to know how we got here, and many are unsure when things will be fixed. The truth is that we cannot wait.

Many campuses have had facilities issues since pre-pandemic. The roof at the Evans Center has been leaking for at least 10 years. Flooding at Batmale Hall is common and broken elevators in that building and others are commonplace. The boiler at the Mission Campus has been broken since pre-pandemic as well as in other buildings across the District. Now that we are mostly in-person, we are remembering that these buildings need serious TLC.

I currently teach at the Mission Campus where two space heaters aren’t enough to keep me and my students warm.

Students have stopped attending as a result of the cold. Here it is April, and my students and I are still wearing multiple layers, fingerless gloves, scarves and hats. We have hope that the heat will be fixed by Fall 2023, but we will not feel so hopeful until the construction begins.

Cold facilities are something that many teachers, students and staff are battling. I have visited the Photography studio which is very cold. Since they have specialized equipment, they cannot move to another room or building. The dark room is very cold and the chemicals need to be at 60 - 80 degrees which means the students are unable to develop their photos properly. Some buildings have had water intrusion that lead to mold or power outages. These are just a few examples of the problems

People feel neglected, a reflection of the buildings that we work and learn in we have in our buildings.

All of these conditions have made people feel uncared for, ignored and even angry. People feel neglected; a reflection of the buildings that we work and learn in. Some of us have hope that the bids will go through and things will get repaired in a timely manner. Others are angry and do not believe that anything will get repaired any time soon. What can we do until we are warm? Space heaters are too small for our large rooms. Hand warmers for instructors are not adequate. The students are particularly cold sitting on those frigid, plastic chairs. What can we do?

Is there a way to ensure that the repairs continue, regardless of who is in charge?

I do not understand how we let our facilities get so broken down. Is there a way to ensure that the repairs continue, regardless of who is in charge? How can we ensure that everything isn’t broken at once? I would like to see the current repairs happen and a method in place for continued care when there is a vacancy in leadership. Who can help us with this?

I feel hopeful that we will be warm by next winter, but what happens if there are other facilities issues? How can employees and students feel assured that they are in a safe, comfortable building? We remain at City College because we love it, but the facilities have caused people to feel disgruntled and neglected. Let’s bring back the hope in functional, safe buildings.