The Guardsman, Vol. 151, Issue 1. City College of San Francisco

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FEATURE: Palace of Fine Art reopens and shines

Volume 151, Issue 1

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C&T: Jazz clubs struggle to survive in historic jazz city

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SPORTS: Rams clinch 16th straight win

www.theguardsman.com

January 26, 2011

STUDENT MEDIA

USF sells college radio station By Isaiah Kramer THE GUARDSMAN

University of San Francisco’s 34-year-old, volunteer-staffed radio station KUSF was pulled of the FM airwaves Jan. 19 and is being transitioned to an onlineonly format — a decision made without the station staff’s knowledge. University President Stephen Privett made the decision when classical music station KDFC offered to buy KUSF for $3.75 million. Privett signed a non-disclosure agreement that prohibited him from alerting students, teachers or even the station itself of the sale. “When I was at KUSF and I was thrown out, I didn’t feel like a student. I felt like a criminal,” KUSF student recruiter Chad Heimann said. Privett said the motivation behind the sale was to reinvest $3.75 million into the university to benefit students. KUSF will continue online as a student-run station — excluding the volunteer staff and DJs, some who have been at the station for three decades and helped make it a foundation of the community that at one time had programs in 13 different languages. Station supporters said he abandoned his Jesuit ideals by turning his back on the community and accused him of making a crass business deal without regard for the value of the radio station. Supporters also chided him for signing and hiding behind the non-disclosure agreement that kept everyone in the dark. KUSF: Page 12

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Assembly to decide fate of CA DREAM Act By Peter Hernandez THE GUARDSMAN

“We can use that recognition for a number of things,” said Kyle Thorton, program director and department chair of radiologic sciences. “It brings our students prestige.” Scott worked at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, California as a transporter, moving patients around the hospital to get them to tests, X-rays and surgeries. But the more he saw of the radiology department, the more he realized he needed to change careers. The winning combination of patient care, physics and rapid advances in technology inspired Scott to enroll in City College’s

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s incarceration of City College student Steve Li last fall thrust the crusade of undocumented students into the national spotlight, putting the possible relief offered by a federal DREAM Act into sharp focus. Although the federal DREAM act has repeatedly died in congress, a similar piece of state legislation was reintroduced into the Calif. Assembly Jan. 11. The federal DREAM Act would have granted citizenship to those who immigrated before the age of 16 and are younger than 30, provided they attend college or serve in the military and are of “good moral character.” The House of Representatives passed the most recent incarnation of the DREAM Act in December 2010 but the bill stalled in the Senate after failing to secure 60 votes. The California DREAM Act, proposed by Gil Cedillo (D-Calif.), would go into effect July 1 this year if Gov. Jerry Brown signs it into law. The bill would grant financial aid to undocumented students who have attended high schools, technical schools, or adult schools in California. Those eligible would be required to apply for legal residency. “Scholarships are hard to come by,” a member of City College’s AB 540 club said — who requested her identity be withheld because of her undocumented immigration status. She believes state law has compelled many students to clamor over scholarships, leaving few opportunities for undocumented students. She is one of eight students in City College’s AB 540 Club, named after a bill that allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rather than much higher cost out-of-state tuition at California’s higher education institutions. “AB 540 has been a big

RADIOLOGY: Page 2

DREAM ACT: Page 2

EZRA EKMAN / THE GUARDSMAN

KUSF supporters protest University of San Francisco President Stephen Privett’s sale of the radio station at the USF Presentation Theater on Jan. 19.

City College radiology 2nd best in US By Matthew Gomez THE GUARDSMAN

MATT LAMBERT / THE GUARDSMAN

(L to R) Shaohi Tan, Wilson Li and Jonathon Arquiza learn to adjust a Victoreen measuring device in their radiation protection class on Jan. 24.

Formerly a hospital transporter, Troy Scott is now a student in the best radiologic technologist training program this side of the Mississippi river. City College’s radiology program was rated second in the nation by auntminnie. com, a website considered to be the holy grail of radiology information. Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore took top honors. “In our world it’s big,” Diane Garcia, clinical coordinator of the diagnostic medical imaging program, said of the award.

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News

THE GUARDSMAN

JANUARY 26, 2011

Space for cyclists painted onto city streets San Francisco Bike Plan adds miles of lanes to crowded city By Liska Koenig

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With an increase of bicycle use by more than 58 percent since 2006, according to statistics compiled by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, safety is becoming a growing concern for city planners and bicyclists alike. Following plans and suggestions supplied by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, SFMTA has implemented 48 miles of bicycles lanes throughout the city. The San Francisco Bike Plan, developed in conjunction with the cycling community, SFMTA and other partners, was adopted by the transportation agency in June 2009. The plan will add more than 30 miles to the already existing routes. The bicycle coalition’s goal is to establish a network of bike lanes that are physically separated from car traffic. Five blocks on Market Street, starting at Gough Street and leading northeast to 10th Street, sport the bright green color marking that area of the road exclusively for bicyclists. SFMTA is currently working on extending that path to Octavia and 8th streets. “Altogether San Francisco

FRANK LADRA / THE GUARDSMAN

A commuter takes advantage of the designated green bicycle lane along Market Street at Gough Street in downtown San Francisco on Oct. 14, 2010. Safe-hit posts are in place to prohibit vehicles from driving or parking in the green zone.

does a good job. I’d give the city a B+,” said Misha Antonich, an instructor at the City College video and electronic media arts department. Antonich is a father of two and regularly commutes to Mission campus on his bike. “Being a parent makes a big

difference because you definitely want to be safe and separate from traffic with your child, so you use bike lanes,” he said. SFMTA’s most recent bicycle collision reports are from 2008 and show a total of 468 accidents for that year, including three fatal-

ities. “It’s too early to tell if the bike lanes make a difference as far as accidents are concerned,” SFMTA spokesman Paul Rose said. The agency recently marked 11 more miles of bike lanes, among them Ocean Avenue

between Lee Avenue and Alemany Boulevard. “We are making good progress with this,” Rose said. “Of 21 projects to be completed by June, all will be completed by May.” Email: email@theguardsman.com

Field training key to success Undocumented students still searching for relief

RADIOLOGY: From the front page

diagnostic medial imaging program, one of two programs offered by the radiology department. “I had a nice view of all the different departments,” Scott said. “Radiology was the one I enjoyed the most.” The faculty is a key to the radiology program’s success. Many teachers, like Marilyn Rose, also work in hospitals. This helps keep them educationally updated, as well as knowing what students will experience when they enter the field. “I have a more current knowledge of what actually goes on,” said Marilyn Rose, who works at Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford when not teaching. “I’m able to give them real life examples.” Such knowledge is important to third semester students like Scott, who must split their time between the classroom and the hospital. He will be training at the VA Medical Center two days a week until summer, when he will work five days a week. The guidance his teachers have offered him is now being put to the test, but he isn’t nervous. “They really set the bar high,” Scott said. “When you get to the hospital you’re ready to jump in and experience everything you’ve been taught.” Email: mgomez@theguardsman.com

DREAM ACT: From the front page

MATT LAMBERT / THE GUARDSMAN

City College instructor Kyle Thornton, in black, demonstrates how to use an Unfors measuring device in the Radiation Protection class on Jan. 24.

relief for me, but it’s still frustrating,” she said. “I want to go to UC Berkeley but I can’t get most scholarships. It’s been hard to pursue my education.” Li, a City College nursing student, made headlines when he was taken into custody with his parents by ICE in September 2010 and spent more than two months at a detention center in Arizona. He was granted a threemonth stay on Nov. 20, 2010. His case compelled educators from City College, San Francisco State University and University of California Los Angeles to stage call-ins and to write letters to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. Rallies were held on the City College Ocean campus and at Sen. Boxer’s office, and more than 600 people supported Li on a Facebook page. His case is not isolated in San Francisco. Elizabeth Lee, a City College student with an undeclared major, was arrested with her mother and faced deportation on Jan. 19. She was granted an extension and her case will be reevaluated in July. “There are lots of intelligent students who are facing deportation and could give back to the

community,” the AB 540 student noted. The federal DREAM Act will be reintroduced during congressional sessions this year. The bill is perceived as having little potential to pass in the Republican-majority House of Representatives. “It will be especially difficult with our new Congress. The chance is slim that it will actually pass,” said Sin Yen Ling, the attorney who represented Li during his detention in Arizona. Ling, an attorney from Asian Law Caucus, is now working with more than 20 individuals who would qualify for the DREAM Act and currently face deportation. The civil and legal rights organization is based in San Francisco and encourages advocacy through the group Asian Students Promoting Immigrant Rights through Education, which seeks to mobilize AB 540 youth and to educate local colleges, high schools and community based organizations. “Steve Li’s case was not the first, and it will not be the last.” Ling said. “These have become common cases.” Email: phernandez@theguardsman.com

News

JANUARY 26, 2011

Undercount costs California House seat, federal funds By Yomi Akinyemi THE GUARDSMAN

California ofďŹ cials estimate the U.S. Census Bureau undercounted at least 1.5 million state residents, according to the Los Angeles Times. OfďŹ cials also believe the undercount could have cost the state an extra House seat. The census declared the state to have 37.3 million residents, but according to a report by the Los Angeles Times, data from the state Department of Finance shows California’s population was 38.8 million on July 1, 2010. Apportionment in the U.S. House of Representatives is based on census ďŹ gures. The 2012 reapportionment will affect 18 states, and 12 congressional seats will be reassigned to representatives in the 113th Congress, which begins Jan. 1, 2013. Sun Belt states Arizona, Georgia, South Carolina, Utah and Nevada will each gain one seat, while Florida adds two. With approximately 4.3 million new residents in the recent census, Texas gained the most of any state with four new seats. Louisiana is the only Sun Belt state to lose a seat.

Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York are among nine Midwest and Northeast states to lose seats. City College political science professor Richard Baum said the litany of congressional losses in Democratic stronghold states has given Texas and other Sun Belt states more say in future presidential and congressional elections. These states, who tend to vote Republican, will also have more electoral votes in 2012. “If the 2012 Presidential election is close, this could be a big problem for Obama getting reelected,â€? Baum said. “In states like Texas, with a winner-takeall electoral college based on the number of popular votes, the electoral college could be to his detriment.â€? The once-a-decade redistricting, Baum said, is a win for Republicans who gained more governorships and ofďŹ ces in state legislatures across the nation and will draw districts that will generally favor them. But the effect of a rise in Hispanic population — who, according to the Pew Hispanic Center voted 60 percent in favor of Democrats during the mid-term elections — could also hurt Republicans in the Sun Belt. Baum said in theory, the

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Healing for Change, an annual eighthour conference featuring seminars, workshops and panels for female survivors of trauma, had its ďŹ rst meeting at the City College Mission campus after a two-year hiatus due to scheduling conicts. The conference, which was held Saturday, Jan. 15, focused on small group format and was organized and led by City College LGBT studies instructor Trinity Ordona, who also provides healing meditation sessions in her home. The day began at 9 a.m. with an orientation. After leading a short meditation, Ordona introduced herself and the purpose of the meeting to a room of about three dozen women. Emotions were already running high as some attendees began to cry while Ordona announced the goals for the day. “Feel your feelings. And that means feel the pain. We know how to do this stuff, so don’t worry,â€? she said. Ordona explained that the day would consist of a two-hour workshop of choice, followed by lunch and a second two-hour workshop. She warned the attendees not to bounce from room to room but to take the time allotted to “go deeper in and deeper in, and then come out.â€? Attendees were given information packets containing guidelines for the day that read: “Always, always take care of yourself. This is your day. It is okay to cry, to laugh, to be quiet, to pass, not participate, to walk out of a workshop, to ask for help, to say ‘no,’ to say ‘yes.’â€?

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INFOGRAPHIC BY THE GUARDSMAN STAFF

recent election results show the shift of power in U.S. politics as Southern state politicians have become more powerful. “Yet the population makeup of these states could result in a rise in elections of more conservative Democrats,â€? he said. In April, the census will release local data that will be used, if needed, for redistricting purposes. Locally, federal law states that newly drawn districts must ďŹ t the city's geographic landscape and have about the same number

of residents. More importantly, the districts must adequately reect the demographics of the community. Baum said that although there are strict guidelines to prevent gerrymandering, there are several methods legislatures use to beneďŹ t their party. Instead of drawing lines that ostensibly favor them, the ruling party can redistrict to weaken the opposition party strongholds and capitalize on the new up-for-grabs districts. The Los Angeles Times report also states that California ofďŹ cials

Workshops held for sexual trauma survivors By Jen Houghton

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Quiet rooms and talking rooms were designated where women could go to think, write, pray, meditate and rest or talk to each other outside of a guided workshop. Amy Lam, a facilitator for the Family Stories in our Healing Journey workshop, became involved in Healing for Change after Ordona spoke about sexual trauma in a women’s studies class. Lam had experienced sexual abuse at age four and didn’t begin her own healing process until decades later. “It completely changed my life,â€? Lam said. “I really started healing. The ďŹ rst time I heard these women’s stories I just started bawling.â€? Many workshop facilitators are trauma survivors themselves who were compelled to lead group sessions after attending previous Healing for Change meetings. The group sessions, which included Healing Through Movement, Healing Through Writing, Acupuncture-Enhanced Meditation and Healing Through Drumming, provided a forum for discussion and healing, not only for attendees but also for the facilitators. “The biggest thing about this workshop is it’s about self-healing,â€? Lam said. “As healers, we share our examples of how we healed and help others to begin their healing.â€? Fatimah Salahuddin, a volunteer, also got involved with Healing for Change after hearing Ordona speak in a class. “Once I made a connection with Trinity, I felt an obligation to be a part of this,â€? Salahuddin said. “It takes me outside of my own abuse. It’s bigger than me. It’s about all

these women, here and in the world. Healing is needed globally.� Trudy McMahen became involved with the conference after participating in an eight-week, self-healing meditation with Ordona. Like many of the volunteers, she felt that Healing for Change allowed her the opportunity to connect with resources she might otherwise not have had access to. “There are people here who are highly skilled healers who are offering their services for free,� McMahen said. “This is a real platform to go forth and get help.� The women at the workshop all had different stories, experiences and reasons for attending but all seemed to want the same thing, to relinquish the power their trauma had over them. “Sharing our stories allows us to give a voice to experience, which is important for anyone who has been through a traumatic experience,� Lam said. “That’s the power of trauma — it keeps people silent. But in speaking your truth, you set it free, let it go and take the power away from the trauma.� McMahen echoed that sentiment by quoting a 12-step mantra: “Your secrets keep you sick.� The all-day meeting was put together with no funding and solely by volunteers. Scheduling for Healing for Change is determined by the availability of the Mission campus. “This is born out of City College but it reaches out into the community,� McMahen said. Email: email@theguardsman.com

believe undercounting in the last decennial census cost the state about $1.5 billion in federal funds allocation. The Brookings Institution, a nonproďŹ t public policy organization, stated that about 20 percent of state government budgets come from federal grants, and erroneous census data costs states a portion of the $447 billion annual federal funds disbursed.

Email: yakinyemi@theguardsman.com

Board President Milton Marks has emergency surgery By Kwame Opoku-Duku THE GUARDSMAN

Board of Trustees President Milton Marks is recovering at home after having surgery on a brain tumor that was discovered after he suffered a seizure on December 8, 2010. Marks had surgery at UC San Francisco, which U.S. News ranked among their top 10 cancer treatment centers in the nation. Chancellor Don GrifďŹ n relayed through an email that he had spoken to Marks’ wife, Abigail and that Marks is under excellent care. Currently, Board of Trustees Vice President John Rizzo has been acting as president in Marks’ absence. He said he has kept in touch with Marks and is looking forward to his speedy recovery. “He’s planning on coming back to work,â€? Rizzo said. “He’s a ďŹ ghter. I fully expect he’ll be back. He’s got to get through these cancer treatments but I know he’s anxious to get back to work.â€?

Email: kopokuduku@theguardsman.com

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Opinions&Editorials

THE GUARDSMAN

THE GUARDSMAN City College of San Francisco’s Newspaper Since 1935

Editor-in-Chief Alex Emslie

Cyclists must take responsibility for safer streets By Frank Ladra THE GUARDSMAN

News Editor Kwame Opoku-Duku Opinions & Editorials Editor Omri Petitte Cultures & Trends Editor Isaiah Kramer Sports Editor Bontã Hill Online Editor Atticus Morris Multimedia Editor Kay Recede Photo Editor Frank Ladra Chief Copy Editor Erin Conger Copy Editors Yomi Akinyemi Matthew Gomez Atticus Morris Staff Writers Jerry Adams Yomi Akinyemi Armani Bolmer Alexander Beuhrle Emily Daly Joe Fitzgerald Matthew Gomez Essie Harris Peter Hernandez Laura Jackling Gary Jay Ryan Kuhn Catherine Lee Tony Letigre Gracie Malley Lucienne McKirdy Brian Rinker Ivan Sanchez Jessica Trecul Destiny Vaughn Photographers Jerry Adams Ezra Ekman Donald Hamilton Dishon Irving Laura Jackling Gracie Malley Robert O’Bryant Broadus Parker Multimedia Jerry Adams Joe Fitzgerald Frank Ladra Catherine Lee Tony Letigre Robert O’Bryant Brian Rinker Faculty Adviser Juan Gonzales California Newspaper Publisher’s Association Journalism Association of Community Colleges

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JANUARY 26, 2011

The term “going green” has been on the minds of San Franciscans for decades, but the physical results of our evolving lifestyles have only recently become apparent. As a community that prides itself upon forward thinking and the implementation of a greener society for a better future, we must take caution in becoming too full of ourselves. Yes, riding a bike to work or school is a step in the direction toward eliminating an otherwise exhaustive carbon footprint. But rest assured, cyclists: your shit stinks too. The road was meant to be shared, and the laws were meant to be obeyed. With gas prices at an all-time high, hundreds, maybe even thousands, of San Francisco commuters have replaced their automobiles with bicycles as a means of transportation. However, they are still using the same roads to get to their destinations. The result is a chaotic blur of vehicles and bikes in every direction. It’s no surprise that accidents — some fatal — occur on a regular basis. So who rules the road? Who has the right of way? Obviously, there needs to be equality for all commuters. Thus, the bike lane was created to remind drivers that roads were not solely theirs, and extra caution should be exercised to ensure cyclists would be just as safe on city streets. In certain areas, the lanes

have been clearly divided with green painted asphalt and “safehit” posts as barriers to prevent automobiles from entering into them. Despite the lane improvements, unnecessary accidents continue to occur regularly. Delivery trucks and vans frequently park in the designated bike lanes for loading and unloading. Although these stops are temporary, they force bicyclists to veer off course and enter into car lanes. Cyclists too, are creating risky situations by not abiding to standard traffic laws, such as stopping at red lights or assessing their surroundings before making sudden turns. In the bicycle section of the California Department of Motor Vehicles handbook, the first listed rule states that cyclists “must obey all traffic signals and stop signs.” Yet any San Franciscan can walk along Market or Valencia streets to find cyclists blatantly ignoring this rule. Without police involvement, unnecessary traffic incidents between cyclists and motorists will continue to occur. So why aren’t police forces cracking down on these law breakers? Automobile drivers are regularly receiving citations for casually entering crosswalks when only one pedestrian is crossing the street, but some cyclists are racing through red lighted intersections without thinking twice. Take notice, cyclists. The next time you’re approaching that light or stop sign, thinking you can

FRANK LADRA / THE GUARDSMAN

A FedEx delivery vehicle partially blocks a shared bike lane, causing a cyclist to veer closer to oncoming automobile traffic along Market Street in downtown San Francisco on Oct. 13, 2010.

safely race through it because you are saving the planet by reducing emissions, consider this: Each year in California, more than one hundred people are killed, and hundreds of thousands more are injured in bicycle colli-

sions. The keys to safe bicycling include being predictable, visible and communicating your intentions to motorists. Email: fladra@theguardsman.com

Curb nightclub violence with ID scanners, police By Nick Palm

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Violent acts in and around San Francisco’s nightclubs over the last few years have become a hot button topic for city legislators, who created the Entertainment Commission in 2003 to act as watchdog over problem venues and their owners. But a recent deadly altercation at one city club shows that even with the newly appointed power to shut down a club, the commission has not been able to change the recurring theme of violence found throughout the city’s nightlife. A friend of mine is a nightclub promoter. He’s at a different nightclub almost every night, hosting a birthday party or playing DJ to hundreds of dancing club-goers. One day last year, I asked how his gig went the previous night. “It was cool,” he said, “until somebody got shot and everyone had to go home.” There was no look of shock in his face, almost as if he had anticipated it. Nothing will change unless certain practical solutions, like the use of ID card scanners inside and more police presence outside clubs, are in place. Early Sunday Jan. 9, two separate brawls took place at Temple nightclub in the South of Market area. The first left UCSF medical student Joe Hernandez dead and another hospitalized. In the second, two victims were sent to the hospital after being stabbed with broken beer bottles. The next day the Entertainment Commission ordered Temple to implement ID card scanners, double the amount of security

cameras and have bouncers search guests using pat-downs before entry. Those ID card scanners are quite possibly the most effective method of violence prevention in nightclubs. When a guest enters the club, their ID card is scanned, and all the information from the card is stored on a hard drive, making it easily accessible by management or local authorities if an altercation occurs. Of course, applying these strict security measures will make some people cringe at the thought of our society coming closer to a true police state under heavy surveillance. But, as with any act of leisure, there is a cost for the feeling of safety and well-being. When someone finds themselves in a large crowd, like the kind you would find inside a nightclub, they may encounter a feeling of anonymity. That feeling, when fueled by alcohol and the presence of other happy partiers, will typically cause one to let loose and enjoy the party. Although feeling anonymous can also cause someone to believe they can get away with anything. Even violence. As of yet, no arrests have been made in the Jan. 9 Temple assaults. Whoever killed Joe Hernandez fled the scene, as did many witnesses, putting a damper on the police department’s investigation. Taking the anonymity out of nightclub and party scenarios will help keep patrons in check by reminding them that their presence in the club is on record. But because any violent acts associated with nightclubs are taking place outside the actual clubs, scanners can’t solve the whole problem.

The notorious February 2010 shooting outside Club Suede at Fisherman’s Wharf, which left one dead and four others wounded, and the August 2010 murder of a German tourist in the theater district brought forth new legislation aimed at shutting down venues plagued by violence. This is a cheap, temporary fix to a much larger problem. Simply shutting down a nightclub will not stop violence from happening on city streets. Constant police presence at peak hours in parts of the city populated by nightclubs will deter many acts of violence from taking place outside parties just as ID card scanners will do inside a club. The Entertainment Commission was given the insignificant power to shut down troubled nightclubs in August 2010, just after it was nearly shut down itself for being regarded as highly ineffective against violence by Mayor Gavin Newsom and citizen activists. Responsibility for stemming the perpetual plague of street violence outside San Francisco nightclubs needs to be put back in the hands of the police department. Club owners are neither able nor qualified to police the streets near their establishments. For the most part, club owners have been very cooperative. They don’t want their investment shot to pieces in a gang fight. They have been cooperating with the Entertainment Commission and the police department. Now it’s the police department’s turn to return the favor and protect San Francisco’s valuable nightlife industry. Email: email@theguardsman.com

Opinions&Editorials

JANUARY 26, 2011

THE GUARDSMAN

MARC LESTER / ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS / MCT CAMPUS

Never forget the real victims in the Tucson blood libel holocaust By Greg Zeman

SPECIAL TO THE GUARDSMAN ZEMANIFESTO ONLINE

In the latest lamestream media gangbang of public decency, the tragic shooting in Tucson that left 13 people wounded and eight dead is being harnessed for political capital by the loony left. Even if the shooter had been wearing a “Vote Palin 2012” t-shirt — even if he’d had a tattoo of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan tongue kissing on his bare chest — it would be absurd to link the acts of a crazy killer with an entire group of people. It would be like protesting the construction of a “mosque” at Ground Zero, just because the people who perpetrated the 9/11 terrorist attacks were Muslims — absurd. So when Palin preempted a

I believe her because I like her. nationally televised memorial for the dead to bravely defend I like her spunky can-do spirit. I maligned political visionaries like her no-nonsense “mama grizlike Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh zly” mentality, and above all else, — and of course herself — from I liked Bristol Palin on Dancing with the Stars. almost an Sarah entire week of Palin called media attacks, the media I admired her I guess that makes Fox News the Warsaw Ghetto response to for it. Sure, her of cable news, Obama Hitler her video a “blood libel.” Facebook and Keith Olberman Then the video might Washington have seemed Goebbels. Times called like a crass, it part of a opportunis“pogrom,” so tic attempt to present herself as a viable presi- I’m going to step out on a limb dential candidate by one upping and call it what it is — just one Obama. But she assured us that more atrocity in the holocaust of she wasn’t trying to co-opt a criticism faced by conservative national tragedy to further her Christians in this country. Yeah, I said it. Holocaust. obvious political aspirations. And I believe her. The blood libel against the

Jews was used as the justification for nearly a millennium of anti-Semitic violence, leading up to and including the wholesale slaughter of 12 million “enemies” of Nazi fascism (half of them Jews like me), so why split hairs with an analogy so obviously apt and inoffensive? Professional traitors on the left are suggesting that Palin’s campaign map with a gunsight over Arizona and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords name might have been a tad extreme. Particularly considering that Giffords was later shot through the head at point-blank range with a Glock 19 in an assassination attempt that resulted in the deaths of six people including a nine-year-old girl. Isn’t that pretty much the same thing as saying Jews drink baby blood on Passover and then proceeding to burn down a Jewish village? And when tea partyers show up at rallies with signs that say, “We came unarmed, this time,” obviously they mean, “We came unarmed this time, and unless the tree of liberty looks like it needs to be watered with the blood of tyrants or something, we will also come unarmed next time. We’re not crazy.” But it’s really hard to fit that

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on a picket sign. The Washington Times is perfectly justified in calling the possibly misplaced or excessive criticism of a political public figure “the latest round of an ongoing pogrom against conservative thinkers.” The only difference between the 1938 Nazi pogrom and the Washington Times one is that stuff and things actually happened and people actually died in the Nazi one. Otherwise, the political environment in Obama’s America is definitely tantamount to a conservative Kristallnacht. I guess that makes Fox News the Warsaw Ghetto of cable news, Obama Hitler and Keith Olberman Goebbels. So let’s forget the more than six million and counting Jews dead from real pogroms inspired by the inexplicably persistent influence of the blood libel, the many-times-debunked “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” and other slanders against the Jews. Let’s forget about the people who were actually shot, some of them actually killed in Tucson. Let’s forget about the “patriots” — at least four or five — who were arrested for threatening Democratic representatives and their supporters. Particularly the one who drove by a group of peaceful demonstrators brandishing a knife and then a cleaver out the window. And let’s definitely forget about Bryon Williams, the wouldbe “progressive hunter” who was apprehended — armed to the teeth in full body armor — on the 580 in Oakland. Williams was driving to San Francisco to “start a revolution” by committing an act of mass murder at the offices of the Tides Foundation and the ACLU. An act inspired by the ever-so educational chalkboard of Professor Beck. But let’s never forget the real victims in this national tragedy: conservative pundits and Sarah Palin. Greg Zeman is the former editorin-chief of The Guardsman. He is currently publishing his Zemanifesto column online at Zemanifesto.tumblr. com. Email: gzfreepress@gmail.com

Letters to the editor The Guardsman encourages feedback from our readers. We will publish printable letters as soon as our publication schedule allows. Guidelines for letters: Letters must be signed with first and last name. The Guardsman reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and content. Most letters should be less than 200 words, although longer letters are sometimes printed. All letters, regardless of length, are available at www.theguardsman.com. E-mail letters to: editor@theguardsman.com Send letters to: 50 Phelan Ave. Box V-67 San Francisco, CA 94112 Bungalow 214, Ocean Campus Call for more information: (415) 239-3446 DREW SHENEMAN / TRIBUNE MEDIA / MCT

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THE GUARDSMAN

PALACE OF FINE ARTS: RE

Above: The Palace of Fine Arts, built for the World’s Fair of 1915, remains today a landmark of San Francisco culture and history. Left: San Francisco native Doris Madden leads the procession of visitors entering the newly restored Palace of Fine Arts. Madden’s father, an immigrant from what is now Slovenia, worked on the original roof of the Palace dome. Right: The interior of the rotunda of the Palace of Fine Arts, once covered by a safety net, now clearly displays decorative garlands that separate each ceiling panel.

ostory

JANUARY 26, 2011

ECLAIMING A CITY JEWEL By Frank Ladra THE GUARDSMAN

Labeled a jewel in San Francisco’s sparkling crown, the Palace of Fine Arts has reclaimed its status as a gateway and respite from city life recognized by locals and visitors from around the globe. The Campaign for the Palace of Fine Arts unveiled the San Francisco icon’s seven-year, $21 million transformation to the public Jan. 14. The fragile rotunda has been reinforced, the artisancrafted maiden statues and colonnade structure revitalized, the landscapes restored and the dome returned to its golden glow. The Palace of Fine Arts was built in 1915 for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Originally meant to be a temporary structure, the Palace was spared from demolition by the Palace Preservation League, founded by Phoebe Apperson Hearst, moth-

er of famed newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst. During the 1960s, philanthropist Walter Johnson championed the reconstruction of the Palace to replace the deteriorating wood and plaster framing with more permanent materials. By the 1990s, mold, rust, graffiti and damage from the Loma Prieta earthquake had taken its toll on the structure of the Palace, and significant action was necessary to ensure the preservation of the landmark. The Campaign for the Palace of the Fine Arts formed a partnership with the Maybeck Foundation (named for Palace architect Bernard Maybeck), the Recreation and Park Department and the Department of Public Works in order to carry out a vision that many considered impossible. Email: fladra@theguardsman.com

Clockwise: Left:Campaign Chair for the Palace of Fine Arts Donna Huggins addresses gatherers at a ceremonial grand reopening of the newly renovated landmark. On January 17, 2011, the Palace of Fine Arts finally opens to visitors and locals of the Marina District. The center structure, known as the rotunda, rises above its neighboring lagoon. Strategic landscaping was used in the placing of new plant life throughout the grounds of the Palace of Fine Arts.

ALL PHOTOS BY FRANK LADRA / THE GUARDSMAN

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Culture&Trends

THE GUARDSMAN

JANUARY 26, 2011

Parking spaces turned to outdoor seating bring cafes into city streets By Brian Rinker THE GUARDSMAN

An aesthetically-pleasing public patio called a parklet extends six feet into the road and takes up three parking spots at 22nd and Bartlett streets, kitty-corner from the City College Mission campus. Public roads constitute up to 25 percent of public space, the majority of which is ultimately used by motorized vehicles for commuting, rather than by pedestrians for relaxation and enjoyment. This has caught the attention of groups such as design firm Rebar, who built the parklet on 22nd. “Three quarters of public roads are comprised of private vehicles and obviously, there doesn't need to be that much metal out there,” Rebar designer Blaine Merker said. “Public roadways should be more comfortable for humans. We understood the huge need for that.” Originally conceived as a grassroots movement, parklets became permanent city fixtures when former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom pushed the idea of creating parks on public roads. “He wanted it to be the last great thing before he left office,” Escape From New York Pizza Manager Chewy Marzola said. Escape from New York Pizza is one of the parklet’s five owners and they are responsible for its maintenance, Marzola said. “All in all the parklets are great,” Marzola said. “But right now I’m just worried about the upkeep — keeping all the wear and tear to a minimum.” Because parklets are meant for public use and reside street side, upkeep can be difficult at times. The graffiti on the decor wood is especially problematic, Marzalo said.

Marzola is also concerned about the amount of trash collecting underneath the parklet. Every time the street cleaners come they push the entire street’s garbage underneath it. But he has no serious complaints, nor does anyone else. “There have been no legitimate complaints, except for some parking issues at first, but people have adapted,” Marzola said. “They don’t receive any more negative attention than anywhere else around here.” Around the Mission, people are in favor of parklets. “I think parklets are a great idea,” said Oliver Gomes, FedEx delivery driver and parklet patron. “ I want to go to all of them in one day.” Some neighbors have complained about pending parklets in front of two cafes: Ritual Coffee and Farm:Table. The proposed parklets have yet to receive permits, and no parklet opponents went to the appeal hearings. A final decision has not yet been reached. The application process is fairly easy, but getting grants and money to build the parklets is a long and tedious process, said Debra Niemann, representative for the association Noe Valley Community Benefit District. The association is in charge of maintaining parklets located on 24th and Sanchez streets and on 24th and Noe streets. Each parklet costs about $15,000, Pavement to Parks Project Manager Andres Power said in an interview for SF Streets Blog. For info about parklets: pavementtoparks. sfplanning.org. Email: brinker@theguardsman.com

EZRA EKMAN / THE GUARDSMAN

Andrei Gog and Jason Roque relax in the lush greenery provided by the parklet on Divisadero Street between Hayes and Grove Streets on Jan. 21, 2011 in San Francisco, Calif.

Art on campus

Artist couple deviate in medium but not meaning By Estela Fuentes CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ocean campus’ City Arts gallery opened its first show of the spring semester on Jan. 19, featuring two artists who work in different medias and methods to evoke a common theme. At first look it may not be obvious amid the visual disparity that both artists were inspired by the concept of identity. The artists are a married couple, Aaron Fine and Priya Kambli, both of whom are art professors at Truman University in Kirksville, Mo. Fine’s “First Words Series” is composed of long sheets of white paper with pencil sketches. The sketches are colored in and/ or shaded in with acrylic paint to resemble children’s book illustrations. Each piece has a word written backwards, printed with rubber stamps of individual letters. The series is a set of about 20 flash cards, each one representing first words Fine’s son learned. In an artist statement he explains that words are sometimes consid-

ESTELA FUENTES / THE GUARDSMAN

A City College student looks at a painting from Aaron Fine’s First Words Series, titled “Car,” which will run from Jan. 19 to Feb. 17 at the City Arts Gallery in the Visual Arts Building.

ered useless, but that it would be very difficult to use only 20 words to describe yourself. In Fine’s painted flash card titled “First Word House,” a sketch of a small mound at the top of the page is shaded green with branches in the background. It is surrounded by a moss-green ground that breaks down to a set

of connected branches where a stream flows down and falls on the roof of a house. The house is what first catches the eye. It is sketched out as a building made of blocks in all shapes and sizes. Each shape is a different color, resembling toy building blocks. Kambli’s works are all inkjet

printouts of photos but are more than simple portraits or snapshots. Her pieces are composed of digital photos and photo collages she has made with old family photos. Kambli’s photos represent what she calls her “hybrid identity” — a mixture of her Indian culture and the culture she was exposed to when she moved to

the United States. From Kambli’s collection, “Muma and Me (Gold Earrings)” is the most striking. The piece is a set of three images combined into one. Unlike many traditional collages, each of the three images can stand on its own. First is a black and white image of a young girl standing behind what looks like a sheet of white floral lace, so only her head and a few branches are visible at the top of the sheet. Next for the eye to take in is a color photo depicting a pair of gold hoop earrings, sitting one on top of the other on a white background. From the back of the collage comes the image of a woman with sheer white fabric wrapped around her head, draped over her shoulder and across her body. The show will be at the City Arts gallery located in the Visual Arts building until Feb. 17. Gallery hours are MondayWednesday 12:30-4:30 p.m. and Thursday 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. Email: email@theguardsman.com

Culture&Trends

JANUARY 26, 2011

THE GUARDSMAN

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Tough times jeopardize city’s jazz club culture But devotees of the art form strive to keep the historic scene intact By Emily Daly THE GUARDSMAN

When one thinks of jazz, New York and New Orleans come to mind, but San Francisco has always managed to keep a place on that list as home to the historic Fillmore district, Yoshi’s Jazz Club and numerous venues devoted to jazz. But the Jan. 1 closing of the Mission jazz venue Coda has club owners and patrons questioning the vitality of San Francisco’s jazz scene. Marshall Lamm, publicist of the nonprofit organization SFJAZZ, said venues are having trouble because not enough people are going out and spending money on tickets. “It’s important to give value to people who buy tickets,” he said, adding that despite the economy, music fans don’t mind spending money on live music. The problem is that venues are just too expensive. Jazz at Yoshi’s is still thriving, although the club’s Director of Marketing Jana Jackson admitted the venue has started incorporating hip-hop, blues, world music and comedic acts into their program. Due to the state of the economy, she said the current climate in San Francisco’s jazz scene is “all about survival.” “We just try to bring acts in that we think people will traditionally love, as well as new acts that people might not expect in our venue,” Jackson said.

“Both local and national acts have their followers,” Jackson said. “But people love to see shows from people they wouldn’t normally see.” Smaller clubs are dealing with the same issues. “The economy is bad and we have had to tighten our belts like anyone else,” Savanna Jazz owner Pascal Thiam said. Thiam plans to keep the venue jazzfocused, but explained that “people don’t really want to hear musicians wailing on their instruments for hours.” Jam sessions at the club are still popular, but sessions featuring vocalists attract more listeners than those for instrumentalists, Thiam said. Though people may not be as willing to pay money to see jazz acts, that doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in learning about the art form. David Hardiman Jr., a City College instructor who teaches a jazz/rock improvisation workshop and a jazz history class, said he noticed a recent increase of students taking jazz-related courses. For those that think San Francisco’s jazz scene is indeed dying, a new addition to the city might soon show them signs of life. The new SFJAZZ center is expected to open in the summer of 2011 in Hayes Valley, near the buildings that house the San Francisco Symphony, Opera and Ballet. Although it may seem that city residents aren’t as enthusiastic about spending money on live music, an anonymous donor gave $20 million to the project. Peter Fitzsimmons, executive director of the Jazz Heritage Center, said the opportunities the building will provide would help keep San Francisco a major jazz destination. The jazz scene in San Francisco isn’t

KEN RYAN / THE GUARDSMAN

The Roy Hargrove Quintet serenades the crowd at Yoshi’s Jazz Club in San Francisco’s iconic Fillmore District on Jan. 19.

dead, but it is certainly changing, which is necessary for the survival of all musical genres. “San Francisco has a rich jazz history,

and that history continues today,” Lamm said. Email: edaly@theguardsman.com

Mid-Market arts center caters to low-income residents Community program provides free space, materials for any aspiring artists By Isaiah Kramer THE GUARDSMAN

Robert Stockland muses over sheets of charcoal drawings, his fingertips black with charcoal. Just beyond his gaze, a man is painting a self-portrait. In the back of the room, a 6-foot-3-inch man sculpts on a table strewn with mounds of clay. The studio space is silent save the sound of the artists working undisturbed. All three men are working as part of the Community Arts Program, the only service in the city providing a free facility and free materials to low-income or homeless artists, and everyone else. “People come here to escape whatever they need to. I come all the way from Napa,” Stockland said. He sells his drawings on the Embarcadero as a licensed street vendor. The space below the Luggage Store Gallery at 1009 Market St. houses an art showcase, recently donated computers, shelves fully stocked with materials, a screen

GRACIE MALLEY / THE GUARDSMAN

Sita finishes coloring in the piece of art she’s been working on for the past few days at the Community Arts Program on Jan. 21. In regards to the program, she believes “everything is coming from the heart.”

printing machine and an operable kiln for firing clay. This is a new location for the arts program, having temporarily moved from its 146 Leavenworth address while renovations are

made to the historic building. But the Community Arts Program isn’t new. It’s been offering means for creative expression since 1967 when it was called the Hospitality House. Today, the

Central City Hospitality House provides services for low-income individuals. Among the efforts to elevate the notoriously blighted midMarket to a laudable arts corridor,

the Community Arts Program stands alone in catering to the people of central Market Street. These residents, who live near the poverty line in the affordable housing units around midMarket, also benefit from social services in the area. “The people here have amazing stories and personalities,” arts program staff member Meredith Connor said. “They are beautiful and inspiring to work with.” The arts program plans to hire a fine arts teacher and incorporate workshops using the computers for graphic design, Connor said. The Community Arts Program offers weekly creative writing classes. Lessons on the pottery wheel or help setting up materials are available on request. “Its good to give people space,” Connor said of her instruction method. “I show them and let them explore on their own.” The Community Arts program is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All proceeds from art sales go directly to the artists.

Email: ikramer@theguardsman.com

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Sports

THE GUARDSMAN

JANUARY 26, 2011

AARON TURNER / THE GUARDSMAN

Rams’ sophomore Mark Johnson practices his swing with batting coach Roland Nazar who assists by tossing him baseballs at Fairmont Field in Pacifica, Calif. on Jan. 19.

Baseball Preview

City College looks to break playoff drought for upcoming season By Aaron Turner CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Coming off a 2010 campaign that featured more disappointment than success, City College head baseball coach John Vanoncini feels this season’s squad may be one of the most promising in years. Despite the low number of 2011 sophomores, who are countable on one hand, it is the freshmen on roster that most excite the Rams’ skipper. “I think this is one of the top three freshman classes I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Vanoncini said. “The fact that we now get to play and practice at Fairmont Field everyday was a big help in terms of recruiting players of their caliber.” Despite the Rams’ lack of experience on paper, sophomore Alex Rodriguez said the team will need to rely on fundamentals and an experienced style of play if the players expect success. “It’s all about executing the little things,” he said. “We’re not a team that’s going to hit a lot of home runs and hit for power. But if we all keep our heads on the same way, I think we can be very successful.” First-year players will get a chance to show exactly what they are capable of playing in the very competitive Golden Gate division of the Coast Conference, in which the top four teams all had 10 or more wins in conference play in 2010, including state championship runner-up College of San Mateo. City College finished 9-27 overall last season, while going 6-19 in the conference. This year’s schedule will not be any easier because the first-year players will be challenged immediately in their college careers. “It’s tough,” Vanoncini said, when asked about conference play. “These guys are going to be thrown into the fire early on. When you have the state champion and state runner-up playing here in Northern California, you

know you’re going to be challenged.” Sophomore and team captain Mark Johnson said the team has improved in both work ethic and chemistry from 2010, and he is encouraged by the way the young team is coming together. “Everybody is on the same page,” Johnson said. “We’ve all been very active, and our work ethic is as high as it’s ever been. Everyone knows we just need to keep working every day at practice. Nobody has to be told that.” Johnson also cited new assistant coaches Roland Nazar and Tony Maganini as both having big impacts on practices early in the preseason. Vanoncini said Nazar will focus on the team’s hitting, while Maganini will serve as his pitching coach. Nazar will be tasked with improving an offense that scored 167 total runs last season, ranking fifth in the conference. Meanwhile, Maganini will surely look to try and erase memories of the Rams’ 2010 team ERA of 6.91. The Rams will open their 2011 season when they travel to Oakland for a three-game series at Laney College Feb. 3-5. Their conference opener is scheduled for March 1, when they host Mission College, a team that finished last in the Coast Conference last year. “We have a good non-conference schedule this year,” Vanoncini said. “We’ve got a lot of tough games early on, and it will be a good test for us.” Although the Rams are currently in a nine-year postseason drought, Vanoncini feels this team may be very close to turning the corner. “It’s always a challenge when you lose some pitchers to injury like we did early this year,” he said. “But the talent is there. We’re just going to take it one game at a time, and try to get better every day.” Email: email@theguardsman.com

FRANK LADRA / THE GUARDSMAN

Women’s tennis head coach Kelly Hickey gives her team instruction during a Jan. 20 practice.

Tennis team ready for better results, looks forward to 2011 By Bontã Hill THE GUARDSMAN

The dark clouds that hovered over the women’s tennis program at City College appear to be dissipating into sunny days. Entering her third season with the women’s program, second as head coach, Kelly Hickey is eager to lead the Rams to conference championships and state title appearances. Hickey has no players returning from last season, and is introducing a whole new team to campus that has her excited about the upcoming season. “We have a ton of great, spirited, energetic girls this season to replace the spots from last season,” Hickey said. “We’d like to take the Coast Conference title and then move forward and get into the team playoffs.” Two newcomers, Anna Kegulski and Adrianna Creese, played tennis at St. Ignatius High School. Both played for the City College club team last semester and worked out last year with strength and conditioning coach John Balano. “We had really good workouts with coach Balano, and the experience we gained from the club team will carry over to the upcoming season,” Kegulski said. “We have a good group of girls and we’re excited.” Gone from last season’s team are Barbara Coffey and Tiffany Lam, who both finished the season ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Lam finished the season ranked 46th in

the nation in singles competition, and she paired with Coffey on the doubles team. The pair ended up ranked 24th in the nation. Hickey doesn’t see a problem this year with having so many fresh faces. She wants to focus her attention on doubles initially, and then put more time into singles. “Because we have so many new bodies, were trying to fit all the talent and personalities together and grow together as a team,” Hickey said, adding the team can grow faster as a unit instead of individually. And she has a plan to make it happen. “I believe what I didn’t do last year was set expectations, and I went into the season a little naïve. This off-season we clearly had expectations on paper, printed. The players got it on the first day and read them so we know we need to do A, B and C in order to be successful day in and day out.” The Rams will have their first scrimmage Jan. 28 against Consumes River College, and their first Coast Conference match will be Feb. 22 against Chabot College at 2 p.m. “Hopefully, which I haven’t done and really want to do, is send some individual players to the state tournament,” Hickey said. “We always make it to the [state qualifier], the match before the state tournament. I’d like to get some girls into that state tournament.” Email: email@theguardsman.com

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Sports

JANUARY 26, 2011

THE GUARDSMAN

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Women’s Basketball

Rams freshman guard Ivan Dorsey soars high for a shot over Las Positas center Tim Thomas Jan. 21 in the Wellness Center. Dorsey scored 16 points in the Rams victory over the Hawks as City College remained undefeated in the Coast Conference.

Rams eye rematch with Foothill after dismantling Las Positas

ERIC SUN / SPECIAL TO THE GUARDSMAN

City College freshman guard Hallie Meneses tries to get a shot off over a Los Positas defender Jan. 21 at the Wellness Center. Meneses scored 13 points in their blowout victory over the Hawks.

By Aaron Turner CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ERIC SUN / SPECIAL TO THE GUARDSMAN

Men’s Basketball

Rams hold off Hawks rally, improve to 21-1 By Bontã Hill THE GUARDSMAN

The City College men’s basketball team withstood Las Positas’ hot second-half shooting and won their 16th straight game by outlasting their Coast Conference North foes 81-72 at the Ocean campus Wellness Center, Jan. 21. The Rams faced adversity for the first time in weeks as the Hawks were within five points, 74-69, with 1:47 left in the game. That was as close as Las Positas would get. City College hit their free throws in the final minute to improve to (21-1, 6-0). Collin Chiverton scored 19 points, all in the first half, and Ivan Dorsey dropped in 16, vaulting the Rams through the first half of the conference schedule undefeated. Still, City College head coach Justin Labagh knows his team can get a lot better and feels his own team is its toughest opponent. “The only guys that are going to beat this team are the guys in our locker room,” Labagh said. “Once they figure out that they could be their own worst enemy, it’s going to be tough to beat us.” In the first half, Chiverton and Dorsey were lights out from beyond the arc and carried the Rams to a 16-point halftime lead, 44-28. Chiverton sank four threepointers in the half, and Dorsey dropped in three of his own, including a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer. “It was a team effort,” Dorsey said. “We just moved the ball around, got the ball in the post, they passed it back out to me and I just knocked down the open shot.”

It seemed the Rams would cruise into their 21st win of the season when they jumped ahead 56-36, but the Hawks wouldn’t go back home to Livermore without a fight. Down 20, Las Positas went on a tear from the three-point line, making seven in the second half as they kept the Rams’ faithful on edge. Guard Dwight Abad led Las Positas with 15 points, including three from beyond the arc, and forward Brandon Tatum added 14, but they were unable to climb back from the double-digit deficit. “Against a good team like [City College], we can’t turn the ball over the way we did,” Las Positas head coach Tony Costello said. “They hit tough shots and to their credit, they made them. They capitalized on our mistakes and that was the bottom line.” After winning a grueling game against Chabot College Wednesday night and holding on for the victory against Las Positas, the Rams will have a week off before they play Foothill College Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Wellness Center. Despite giving up most of their 20-point lead, Labagh didn’t dwell on the negatives from the game, and afterwards reflected on his team going through the first round of conference play undefeated. “The positives are that we went through league, we’re 6-0, and everybody has to chase us down,” Labagh said. “That’s what we wanted to do, and that’s what we got done tonight.”

Email: email@theguardsman.com

Although some eyes may have been looking forward to the Jan. 28 showdown against Foothill College, the City College women’s basketball team first had to take care of business at home against the Coast Conference’s last place squad, the Las Positas Hawks. Freshman point guard Hallie Meneses led the way for the Rams with 13 points, while forwards Shawnte Taylor and Samantha Hunkin added 12 and 10 respectively, and City College rolled to a 70-37 blowout Jan. 21 at the Wellness Center. For the Rams (18-5, 5-1), it was a simply a mismatch on the court, both in size and execution. Never trailing in the game, at one point they led by 37 points. Las Positas’ lone bright spot came from the contributions of freshman guard Taylor Borba, who led all scorers with 16 points. City College jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, holding the Hawks to only 16 first half points and forcing over 20 turnovers. After the game, Rams head coach Jamie Hayes said she was glad her team didn’t fall victim to complacency. “Obviously, that’s something that is always a concern,” Hayes said. “We set some goals tonight, things we want to continue to be consistent with, so that was hopefully part of what we solved tonight.”

This marked the fifth straight double-digit victory for the Rams as they remain a half game behind first place Foothill in the Coast Conference North. “Coach expected us to go out strong and play how we always play,” sophomore forward Tierney Jones said. “We knew what to expect, and did what we needed to do.” Hayes and company will now have until Jan. 28 to prepare for league rival Foothill, a team that has already beat them twice this season. Both of those losses were decided by a combined nine points, the most recent being a conference loss at Foothill on Jan. 5. With a win Jan. 28, the Rams can force a tie atop the Coast Conference, before being able to finish the season with a favorable schedule for their last four games. Foothill meanwhile will face Chabot, Skyline, and College of San Mateo at home for three of their last five games of the season. Coming into the Jan. 28 matchup, The Owls have won 15 straight games, dating back to the beginning of December. Jones summed up the Rams’ mindset as they prepare to renew their conference rivalry. “We’ve had the whole week to practice,” she said. “And we’re just really looking forward to beating them.” Email: email@theguardsman.com

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News

THE GUARDSMAN

JANUARY 26, 2011

President Privett: KUSF station a minimal benefit to the college’s students KUSF: From the front page

“It’s a cultural institution, and the only station in San Francisco that has consistently supported underground and emerging artists,” music promoter Larry Rudis said. After a day of silence on the part of the administration, KUSF organized a meeting at the USF Presentation Theatre on the evening of Jan. 19. There, Privett confronted the KUSF community and attempted to address their concerns. “All of our questions have importance tonight,” KUSF Music Director Irwin Swirnoff said. “We are here to get answers.” Rallying to the cries of distress sent out via KUSF’s Twitter feed and Facebook page, the audience — which included students, alumni, staff, local musicians and San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi — filled the auditorium to standing-roomonly capacity. Security opened the theatre balcony, allowing KUSF supporters to enter. The whole room reverberated with the fivesyllable protest chant, “Shame on U-S-F.” “It’s very clear to me that there is justifiable anger and grief about the decision I made,” Privett said in opening. “As a university our responsibility is to our students. It [KUSF] was of tremendous benefit to the community but minimal benefit to the students.” He said that because the station was

funded by student tuition, he didn’t think it was fair for it to primarily benefit the community. The audience grew louder, especially several outraged students, to rebuke Privett’s position. Every time he spoke the audience reacted with heckling or a roar of objections. One by one, supporters came forth to the microphone to pose questions, which Privett addressed in a diplomatic tone. “I challenge you to allow us to buy the station,” shouted an audience member. “I think you could’ve gotten more than $3.75 million.” To clarify that the purpose of the meeting was not to involve the community in reversing the decision, Privett assured supporters that the binding deal was done and the 90.3 frequency now belonged to KDFC. “A counterbid is not an option,” he said. “But you can make your case to the FCC.” The deal still requires Federal Communications Commission approval to be official, although it is extremely rare for the FCC to overturn a deal, USF teacher and FCC scholar Dorothy Kidd said. KUSF is fighting to regain their frequency and keep control of the station. Their next steps include contacting the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for support, planning USF campus protests and filing a grievance with the FCC, according to the KUSF Facebook page and website SaveKUSF.org. Email: ikramer@theguardsman.com

EZRA EKMAN / THE GUARDSMAN

University of San Francisco President Stephen Privett shrugs in response to a KUSF supporter's complaint about the sale of the station’s radio license during a Jan. 19 protest at the USF Campus.

Student opinion survey aims to improve college services stable for that reason, but also to be current and relevant,” Mery said. “So there is a balancing act that takes place between those two things.” Lindy McKnight, dean of counseling and student The City College Office of Research and Planning support, reviewed the survey with Mery and gave her is currently compiling and analyzing the results of thoughts on the counseling section. an in-depth survey that will show what a broad cross “I wanted the counseling departments listed sepasection of City College students think of the college rately with their locations, so that each department and its services, which could have a significant impact could look at their rating and respond individually,” on the way classes and facilities are run. McKnight said. Pamela Mery of the Office of Research and PlanAcademic Senate President Karen Saginor ning sent an email late last semester to all fall City co-chaired the steering committee that approved the College credit students asking them to complete the 78 survey questions. question survey. More than 4,000 students responded. “One change I recommended was in the demoStudents were questioned about their overall expe- graphics section, where information on ethnicity was rience at City College and asked to indicate their level collected,” Saginor said. “I suggested a write-in option of satisfaction with a range of services the college where people could choose their own identification provides. because I don’t think anyone wants their ethnicity to be One set of questions labeled as ‘Other.’” asked if students feel a Mery said the sense of belonging and results of the survey support at City College, will be used as the basis “I suggested a write-in option where and whether their studies for several important people could choose their own identihave been affected by a projects at the college fication because I don’t think anyone variety of factors including and to inform planwants their ethnicity to be labeled as work schedule conflict or ning and assessment financial difficulties. processes. She said she ‘Other.’” A section on demoexpects initial results to — Karen Saginor graphics collected inforbe available by the end Academic Senate President mation on the age, gender, of February. ethnicity, sexual orienta“The initial results tion and length of attenwill include percents, dance of City College averages and content students. The survey also asked students to name the and analysis of open-ended responses with particular highest figure they had paid for a textbook, and whether attention to common themes,” Mery said. She added they had ever been forced to drop a class because they that the full report, which will include a more in-depth couldn’t get access to the required text. At the conclu- analysis of all the aggregated data, could be available sion of the survey, students were invited to provide by May. written comments. While the Office of Research and Planning hoped Mery classified the survey as a longitudinal study, for more responses, Mery said the 4,000 they received meaning its purpose is to monitor change over time. represented more than 10 percent of credit students “We want the questions on the survey to remain enrolled last semester. By Tony LeTigre THE GUARDSMAN

She added that a similar survey for non-credit students will be disseminated during the spring 2011 semester. Saginor said it will not be clear how statistically viable the survey results are until they are fully analyzed, and that those results will point the way for further research. “When we have the data we can scan it to see if things are skewed in particular ways, for instance in regard to ethnicity,” Saginor said. “Or with regard to age, we can ask ‘Did one age group not respond to the survey?’” McKnight said she anticipates that each college department will hold discussions on ways to improve services, as indicated by the survey results. “I expect the department chairs to look very seriously at all student comments and at the overall rating,” McKnight said. “I hope the surveys will give us an indication of what we in counseling are doing well, and what we could do better.” The last opinion survey of City College credit students took place during the 2004-05 school year. It analyzed the responses of 3,095 credit students. According to the 2004-05 report, “The overwhelming finding ... is that students appreciate City College.” The report also found that students aged 16-19 expressed the lowest percentage of positive responses, while students aged 50+ were the most positive. Across ethnic groups, African-American students appeared to be the most satisfied with the services and facilities of City College.

The full published results from this and other past surveys can be found at http://www.City College.edu/Offices/ Research_Planning/reports_satisfaction.htm.

Email: aletigre@theguardsman.com

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