THE GUARDSMAN VOL. 159, ISSUE 3, FEB. 18 - MAR. 3, 2015 | CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO | SINCE 1935 | WWW.THEGUARDSMAN.COM | @THEGUARDSMAN | #THEGUARDSMAN | FREE
Search for Special Trustee underway
Closure of the Civic Center Campus impacts attendence By Otto Pippenger
@theguardsman opippenger@theguardsman.com
the guardsman
Illustration by Serina Mercado
By Marco Siler-Gonzales @theguardsman mgonzales@theguardsman.com
the guardsman
The unexpected resignation of state appointed Special Trustee with Extraordinary Powers Robert Agrella has California community colleges Chancellor Brice Harris on the hunt for a replacement. Harris’ office has not yet released any names to be consideraed for the job. Just after City Colleges narrow escape from losing accreditation, Agrella’s resignation is another obstacle City College must overcome in order to meet full accreditation standards by 2017. Harris must find a replacement to take over as special trustee until the local Board of Trustees are reinstated in 2016. Harris had announced Agrella’s
retirement via Twitter on Dec. 30. “Heartfelt thanks to Dr. Robert Agrella for all he has done to support #CCSF in its recovery and best wishes for a well deserved retirement,” he wrote. Agrella was appointed by Harris in 2013, when ACCJC took action
“There is no
justification and no logic for the continuation of special trustee with extraordinary powers.” -Jim Mahler to terminate City College’s accreditation, to save the school, and he was reinstated last July.
According to trustee Rafael Mandelman, no changes due to Agrella’s resignation have been made for the timeline of the local board’s return to power. President of the California Federation of Teachers for Community Colleges, Jim Mahler, addressed Chancellor Harris in a letter, requesting the immediate reinstatement of City College’s Board of Trustees. Mahler’s justification was Judge Karnow’s ruling that the Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges decision to discredit City College was unlawful. “There is no justification and no logic for the continuation of special trustee with extraordinary powers. I urge you to move the process forward and restore the San Francisco Community College Board of Trustees to their rightfully and democratically elected positions,” Mahler said. Despite Mahler’s written letter,
File photo of Robert Agrella by Khaled Sayed
State Chancellor’s office spokesperson, Paul Feist, said in an email to the Guardsman that they are hopeful to find a replacement by the end of February. Since Agrella took the position in the summer of 2013, SFGate reported that his earnings were $276,000 from City College with an annual pension of $163,236 from the California State Teacher Retirement System.
Mission fire aftermath
Men’s basketball
Residents return after local tragedy
Rams fend off renegade rivals
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Inside
Internet Kicker: security New plan Cityshit College to cla reinforces bla network
As of Feb. 11, 2015, all available evidence suggests that very few of the 2000 credit and noncredit students of the currently closed Civic Center campus have resumed attendance at any of the school's other campuses. There is no official count at this time of how many students are still in attendance from that school, although anecdotal evidence suggests very few. Although the Jan. 13, announcement directed students to the 33 Gough Street administration building to resume classes, administration has further dispersed students to the John Adams, China Town, and Mission Center campuses. Only 350 Civic Center students arrived at 33 Gough Street, on Feb. 2, to begin classes as the administration had originally announced. However, due to similar seismic concerns in the structure, and its imminent sale, classes were moved sometime thereafter at a date employees at the Gough Street building would not disclose to the three sites listed above. One administration member, speaking anonymously said, “This was all known about in 2000 or 2001.” He added, “We're working our asses off to get them back into Civic Center. Three years max.” At one of these campuses, many courses including one English as a second language (ESL) classes have resumed after being moved from Eddy Street. In the reporters observed, two students out of an original class size of 39 were present. The instructor, requesting anonymity, said that they had been told of the second changed location on the first day of classes at Gough Street. “Since resuming classes here, the most I've had in one day is eight students. I'm telling everyone to tell whoever they can that we still exist,” the instructor said. The instructor has not remained in contact with most of the classes original students, “I got some of the
continued on page 3
2 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | FEB. 18 - MAR. 3, 2015
news
Editor-in-Chief Alex Lamp
News Editor Marco Siler-Gonzales
Culture Editor Patrick Cochran
Sports Editor Shaleisa Daniel
Opinion Editor Matthew Patton
Photo Editor Ekevara Kitpowsong
Multimedia Editor Nathaniel Y. Downes
Production Manager Elisabetta Silvestro
Online Content Manager Khaled Sayed
Design and Layout Matthew Patton Khaled Sayed Elisabetta Silvestro
Advertising Manager Calindra Revier
Staff Writers Dina Boyer Michael Burkett Steven Ho Otto Pippenger Yesica Prado
Staff Photographers Dina Boyer Jon Brooner Natasha Dangond Otto Pippenger Yesica Prado Khaled Sayed Franchon Smith
Illustrators Cristina Flores Serina Mercado Olivia Wise
Contributors Galen Maloney Christopher Moren Bridgid Skiba
Faculty Advisor Juan Gonzales
Mail: 50 Phelan Ave Box V-67 San Francisco, CA 94112
Phone: (415) 239-3446
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Campus Briefs
CCSF seeks to revoke accreditation decision
City College may set the course for adult education
Following the Jan. 16 court ruling that the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges treated City College unfairly, Chancellor Arthur Tyler is now seeking to revoke the initial accreditation decision, the San Francisco Examiner reported. In a recent letter to Presiding Judge Curtis Karnow, Tyler said the accrediting commission “violated the law” so the court should revoke the commission’s 2013 decision to strip City College’s accreditation, as long as a “reasonable schedule for CCSF going forward” is established. “Specifically, CCSF would request that the court revoke the 2013 termination action and direct the Commission to conduct an evaluation of CCSF in October 2016 as currently planned,” Tyler wrote. “However, that evaluation should be conducted applying the same standards as are applied to any other comprehensive evaluation conducted by the Commission, with the same rights of appeal.” City College of San Francisco is currently in restoration status, meaning the school has two more years to comply with accrediting requirements, the Examiner reported. But school officials, according to the Examiner, have expressed concern about the restoration status because it holds City College to a higher standard than other colleges and it must fully meet all accreditation requirements by January 2017. If the college is found to be non-complaint, it cannot appeal the decision. Karnow is expected to issue a final ruling on the case later this month.
City College stands to set an example for the entire state on adult educational opportunities, thanks to legislation that will provide funding for such planning and implementation. AB86 allows the Community College Chancellor’s Office and the California Department of Education to establish a regional consortia system that will launch in 2015-16. It also provides $25 million for twoyear planning and implementation grants. A consortium, according to AB86, must include at least one K-12 adult school and one community college. Beyond 2015, K-12 adult schools must be in regional consortia to receive dedicated state funding. Currently there are 70 Adult Education Regional Consortia in California representing 72 community college districts and about 300 K-12 school districts. Now, under AB86, both districts have an opportunity to develop a full-scale joint program. The college is submitting its planning proposal to the state on Feb. 28. City College began offering an array of noncredit courses leading to the establishment of the Transitional Studies Department and expansion of ESL and Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS), according to the progress report.
crime data cited in a news release issued by San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón. The S.O.S. Initiative called on the smartphone industry to adopt kill switch technology as a theft deterrent. After SOS called on the industry to adopt a kill switch, Apple introduced Activation Lock in September 2013. From January 2013 to December 2014, according to the news release, New York City’s Police Department recorded a 16 percent overall drop in cell phone robberies, including a 25 percent drop in iPhone robberies. During that same time period, San Francisco recorded a 27 percent overall drop in cell phone robberies, and a 40 percent decrease in iPhone robberies. London also recorded a similar decline in smartphone crime. “The wireless industry continues to roll out sophisticated new features, but preventing their own customers from being the target of a violent crime is the coolest technology they can bring to market,” Gascón said in a news release. “As more manufacturers implement this technology to comply with California law, I expect to see further reductions in the number of robberies. It just goes to show that thoughtful regulation that protects consumers is not at odds with innovation. We will end this public safety crisis through prevention, by removing the incentive to commit these violent crimes.”
Smartphone thefts and robberies have declined dramatically in New York City, London and San Francisco since the wireless industry began to implement ‘kill switches’ on their devices, according to new
The fate of the Balboa Reservoir may rest on the desires of local residents when they meet for a second community meeting on March 2. A year ago, Mayor Ed Lee pledged to tackle San Francisco’s
Kill switch thwarts smartphone thefts
Balboa Reservoir eyed as prime space for housing
housing crisis by ensuring that 30,000 new or rehabilitated housing units come to market by 2020. About 100 people attended the first community meeting Jan. 21 at Lick-Wilmerding High School to consider a 6,000-unit development or to leave alone, the San Francisco Examiner reported. “This is an opportunity to bring in public investment and public amenities to the neighborhood,” said Jeremy Shaw, project manager for the Planning Department, at the meeting. Simon Hanson, a City College professor who lives at the edge of the Excelsior district, said the housing plan is of concern since it appears to be set in stone. “There is no design or proposal on the table right now,” Shaw said, adding that the purpose of the meeting was to receive input from the community.
Get Help with English Do people understand when you say “can” and “can’t”? Let me help you. Classes can help. You might be taking ESL classes already. But tutoring can help you in other ways: I focus my full attention on you, and help with pronuncia tion, grammar, writing, or use of expressions — whatever you need. I usually give lessons at my homeoffice, at 16th & Guerrero streets in San Francisco. For more information, visit the web site below, or call Scott at (415) 6216148. www.scottellsworthtranslator.com and click on ESL TUTORING
City College Internet security fends off hacking attempts By Michael Burkett
@theguardsman mburkett@theguardsman.com
the guardsman
Despite continued hacking attempts on City College’s online services, security at the college is better than most colleges and universities, according to the Internet Technology Department. Sam Bowne, who teaches ethical hacking, and Tim Ryan, the college’s chief technology officer, have led the effort to secure the college’s online services.
Past vulnerabilty secured
Bowne said the college in May 2012, installed application aware software that created three firewalls to isolate potential hacking penetrations. Concerns arose prior to the software installation due to a major security breach that compromised thousands of students personal information. The breach involved viruses found throughout City College’s networked computers that may have originated in Russia and were
not caught by the McAfee virus protection. It is still unclear to this date how and what was compromised in this security breach. “One thing that has helped is that City College, like the majority of other colleges and universities, no longer uses a student’s social security number as their student identification number,” Bowne said. “ This eliminates much of the security risks involving personal information.” Bowne said the college currently uses Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure to protect most of the college’s network rather than Hyper Text Transfer Protocol which was previously used. “I am confident that the security at CCSF is good, and will remain good,” he said. “No network is perfectly safe, but CCSF is way ahead of other comparable colleges and we’re all working to keep it that way.” Bowne continued, “We have not had a compromise, but there was a minor issue about a year and a half ago with a DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack against the main City College site. It occurred after normal school hours and we
Illustration by Cristina Flores
were able to resolve the problem in about an hour.” A DDoS attack denies Internet access.
Security expenses
But efforts to maintain Internet security and online presence comes with the help of free hardware from companies that manufacture Internet hardware. “We receive hardware from Meraki for free that provides the Internet access points throughout campus. This defrays a major expense,” Bowne said. “Also there’s CENIC (Corporation for Network
Initiatives in California) that provides access to the Internet for City College.” Ryan also said Cisco Meraki provides free Internet access points worth approximately $5,000 in return in order to determine how well the internet access points preform. However while the college does not pay for access to CENIC and Internet access points, Ryan acknowledged that it does pay approximately $70,000 annually for its online presence.
THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | FEB. 18 - MAR. 3, 2015 | 3
news
Campus Closure
“I think we’re all lucky to have classes”
continued from page 1
A woman walks by the main entrance of the Civic Center Campus. Wednesday, Feb. 11. (Photo by Jon Brooner)
-Anonymous ESL instructor
students' phone numbers, and have talked to a few. Most don't speak enough english to clearly say what is preventing them, but most I spoke to said it was simply too far,” the instructor added. The instructor declined to describe the situations of other teachers in the same situation, saying only, “I think we're all lucky to have classes.” The ESL instructor reported having little knowledge about future plans, “The chancellor said we're being Held Harmless for this semester. I don't know about the next one,” the instructor said. (Being Held Harmless means that teachers will not be held responsible for low enrollment this semester.) Engineering instructor and activist Wendy Kaufmyn was more forthcoming saying, “Dozens have been relocated out of 2000.” A written resolution from the City College Academic Senate in protest of the closure and its handling was passed at the executive council meeting of the Academic Senate at Mission Center campus on Feb. 11, concluding that “(T) he sudden relocation of 750 Eddy classes has been a harmful interruption to the education and job
prospects of San Francisco's most vulnerable neighborhood... so be it resolved, that in the future, the Chancellor follow Federal and State Education law and CCSF Board Policies as well as Collegial Consultation as required by the ACCJC (Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges) 2014 Accreditation Standard IV.” One anonymous source whose job with the City and County of San Francisco deals mostly with the treatment of Juvenile offenders described the closed campus at 750 Eddy Street, as “A badass school for badass people...most of our referees are on informal probation...Civic Center campus is more therapeutic than regular school.” Another source disclosed that, “The Chancellor has approved a $20 Clipper card for low income students to travel, but there is no refill. I believe they will reopen the campus, but it needs to happen as soon as possible.” Clipper cards have been given to fifty students, out of the 350 who initially arrived at 33 Gough Street. ESL instructor and Academic Senate member Susan Lopez emphasized that the moves have been particularly hard on the
Latino, African and Middle Eastern student population, especially those with families, saying, “The state is supposedly emphasizing workforce development, but in this relocation the students left out have been working people of color with family who rely on having a nearby educational resource. Civic Center was their option for school.” Lopez also takes issue with the lack of planning for the move, saying,“if it takes 12- to 18- months of planning alone to begin construction there was no need for an emergency removal. I thought Gough street was a strange plan to begin with. I didn’t see the things they said they would be doing (to prepare the building for students) happening in two weeks.” Although the Civic Center Campus is closed, help with GEDs can be obtained at Ocean, Mission, John Adams, Evans, Chinatown, Southeast, Airport and Downtown campuses. Contact Admissions and Enrollment at (415) 561-1824 for further information regarding GEDs. Michael Burkett of The Guardsman also contributed to this story. Email: mburkett@theguardsman.com
Black Student Union returns to City College By Michael Burkett
@theguardsman mburkett@theguardsman.com
the guardsman
Image courtesy of Twitter @ccsfbsu
The Black Student Union (BSU) is once again meeting Wednesdays at 4 p.m. on Ocean Campus at the Student Union upper floor. BSU was started at City College in the late 1960s or early 1970s by Glenn Nance, first African American Studies Department chair at City College, and met until the 1990s. It was originally called the Black Student Unification Club with sometimes upwards of 100 plus attendees. Presently there are 25 - 30 students attending the weekly meetings, but hopes are that over time it will grow. After Nance stepped down as the faculty adviser Felita Clark became the new adviser. In the fall semester of 2014 Thea Matthews approached Aliyah Dunn-Salahudinn and Kevin Brown approached Felita Clark with an interest in starting a Black Student Union at City College. During a casual conversation Dunn-Salahudinn and Clark were made aware of Matthews and Brown’s goal, so they put the two students in touch. The result of that was DunnSalahuddin became the new faculty adviser with Matthews the new president of the BSU, Brown the Inter County Council (ICC) representative, Austin Jones vice president, and Jasmine the secretary. The first meeting of the BSU
was held on Ocean Campus at the Student Union upper floor on Sep. 3, 2014 with subsequent meetings during fall of 2014 every Wednesday at 3 p.m. and they now meet on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Besides the meetings on Ocean on Wednesdays BSU is active in Black Lives Matter which can be found on Facebook and Twitter. BSU also participated in the Million Man March to City Hall in December of 2014, are active with community service, support open mics for poetry, song, dance and other performances, have film screenings, as well as other political and social activism and events Dunn-Salahuddin said. “One difficulty with any club at CCSF is consistency,” said DunnSalahuddin, “Will the club continue when the current officers move on to other schools?” Dunn-Salahuddin added, “My hope is that [the] Black Student Union is here to stay. Once Thea, Kevin, and the others have moved on with their schooling and are no longer here, hopefully a new crop of students will take their place.” Dr. Tarik Farrar speaking at a meeting of the BSU said, “It’s up to you, a new generation, to carry on the legacy of what we started.” The BSU has formed a group on Facebook called “Ccsf Bsu”, has an email address of pwr2thappl@gmail.com and is on Twitter @CCSFBSU.
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4 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | FEB. 18 - MAR. 3, 2015
news
Displaced Mission residents gather belongings The day after a four alarm fire burned a three story building on the corner of 22nd and Mission streets, residents patiently waited to be escorted one at-a-time back into the building in order to gather any belongings they could salvage from the rubble. Residents were provided black plastic trash bags to collect what they could from their apartments. It wasn’t until after leaving their destroyed homes with their entire lives in trash bags that the residents felt reality set in.
Alessandro Gonzales stands across the street looking at where he used to live. He feels fortunate he saved his dog. Thursday, Jan. 29.
Photo story by Bridgid Skiba contributor to The Guardsman s.bridgid@gmail.com
Displaced residents gather outside the charred building waiting to go inside to get their belongings.
Rubble and debris layers the sidewalk on Mission Street.
Feb 18 / Mar 5 FEBRUARY
WED/18 Film Discussion Naomi Jelks is hosting a discussion on the film Dark Girls by Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry at the Ocean Campus in the Rosenberg Library, room R304, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
FRI/20 Fight Against Cancer CCSF Athletics is participating in the Coaches vs. Cancer program to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living. Women’s basketball will start at 5 p.m. and men’s basketball will begin at 7 p.m. Donations collected will go to the American Cancer Society. Order a “Rams Believe” t-shirt (tinyurl.com/pzx3ccx) to show support, orders must be submitted by Feb. 6.
FRI/20 Art Exhibit The “Trap X Art Tribute: The Late Great J Dilla” exhibit will feature work by local artists, including photographs by City College student Ekevara Kitpowsong (The Aperturist). The event will be held at 111 Minna Gallery located at 111 Minna St. from 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. Tickets can be purchased online (trapxart.com) for $15. Must be 21+.
Residents were given a white hard hat and trash bags to get what belongings they could get.
events
WANT YOUR NEXT EVENT IN THE CALENDAR? EMAIL THE NAME, DATE, TIME, LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION
WED/25 Unity Day The Inter-Club Council is hosting Unity Day at the Amphitheatre from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Come and discover various clubs at City College. There will be free food, music, and performances.
WED/25 Women of Color Gathering The Women’s Resource Center is holding its annual Women of Color Gathering as part of Women’s History Month. The event will be held at City Cafe from 12-2 p.m.
WED/25 Financial Planning Workshop Learn about credit, budgeting, savings, student loans, and taxes in a workshop hosted by One Stop. Space is limited; call Allie Fasth at 415-239-3266 to reserve a seat.
OF YOUR EVENT TO SHO@THEGUARDSMAN.COM
Photography Exhibit Rock, Paper, Scissors Collective is hosting the photography exhibit “Individualism,” which features work by five artists. The event will held at 2278 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland from 6-10 p.m.
WED/4 Forum Launch Party Forum Magazine is holding a launch party at Bird & Becket Books located at 653 Chenery St. The event will be from 6:30-8 p.m.
THU/5 Queer Art Show City College art student Martin Olivares is having an opening reception for his art show Friends and Friends of Friends: Rabitt Garcia’s new works on paper. The event will be held at 1111 Post St. from 6-10 p.m.
Feb. 25: MUB, 2-3 p.m.,
UNTIL APRIL 30 Free Tax Return Preparation
March 10: MUB, 2-3 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
March 19: MUB, 3-4 p.m.,
Ocean Campus - MUB room 130A
MARCH
Mission Campus - room 123
FRI/5
Southeast Campus - room 203
THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | FEB. 18 - MAR. 3, 2015 , 2014 | 5
culture
Dreamscape
The Other Barrio
Student exhibits surreal photos inspired by lucid dreams The Mission District’s untold stories
(L-R) Producer Lou Dematteis, Production Designer Rene Yanez and Producer/Director Dante Betteo during a Q&A session after the 2 p.m. screening of The Other Barrio on at Brava Theater, Sunday, Feb. 8. (Photo by Nathaniel Y. Downes)
By Patrick Cochran
@theguardsman pcochran@theguardsman.com
Amanda Aceves, left, and Photography Department Chair, Erika Gentry, right, view the photographs displayed during the opening reception of “Dreamscapes,” exhibition by Amanda Aceves at Gallery Obscura at Ocean Campus, Monday, Feb. 9. (Photo by Natasha Dangond)
By Natasha Dangond
@theguardsman ndangond@theguardsman.com
the guardsman
San Francisco based photographer and City College photo student, Amanda Aceves, is the creator of City College’s most recent photo exhibition at Gallery Obscura which is inside the Ocean Campus Photo Department.
“Every photo has a different character. It’s almost like a glimpse into many different stories.” -Renee Tung Aceves hosted the opening reception of this show on Feb. 9, welcoming attendees with wine and hors d’oeuvres. “Dreamscapes” is a collection of black and white portraits shot in Golden Gate Park using a 4x5 view camera, a popular method of photographing from the early 1900s. The
images have a surreal, and mysterious aspect, inspired by a number of ethereal scenes Aceves envisioned. “They are inspired by my dreams. I am a lucid dreamer and I began to focus on what photo I would want to take next and these images started coming to my head in my dreams,” Aceves said. City College Photo Department Lab Supervisor, Renee Tung, is the woman in charge of deciding which photo student’s work will be displayed in Gallery Obscura each month. After seeing Aceves’ work, which was initially submitted for the Photo Department’s Cherkis Scholarship, Tung said she was “immediately struck by the lushness of the photographs.” “These very surreal figures against a forest backdrop, it felt mysterious and dark,” Tung said. “What I like about this series is that every photo has a different character. It’s almost like a glimpse into many different stories,” Tung said. “She doesn’t tell us the story of each character, but it’s a peek into so much more. It’s like a little window into these potential stories, allowing the viewer to imagine what is going on.”
When asked what challenges she faced while shooting this project, Aceves said, “It’s hard to take pictures of people with a large format camera. You have so much going on, and it is such a tedious process, very different than shooting with a 35mm camera or a digital camera.” Besides the challenge of using a difficult method of photographing, Aceves discussed further on some family circumstances that affected the making of “Dreamscapes.” “My mother was diagnosed with cancer last semester, and at the same time my grandfather was very ill,” Aceves said. “My grandfather and I bonded over our love for film photography, he gave me the camera I shot this project with and (he) has had a big impact on me.” “I want my viewers to be mystified and intrigued, keeping the viewer guessing. I like creating photos that you can stare at for a long time and consistently surprise people. I want people to be inspired to be creative,” Aceves concluded. “Dreamscapes” will be up in City College’s Gallery Obscura for viewing until Feb. 28.
City College photography student Amanda Aceves at the opening reception of her black and white photo exhibition “Dreamscapes,” shot entirely on a 4x5 large format film camera, Gallery Obscura on Ocean Campus, Monday, Feb. 9. (Photo by Natasha Dangond)
the guardsman
In his directorial debut, Dante Betteo tells the story of the Mission neighborhood and the gentrification underway there, weaving together a tale that feels a lot like a film noir with all the twists and turns you’d expected from that classic genre. The story that the “Other Barrio” seeks to tell is relevant and in an eerie way seems ripped right from the headlines. It seems every week there is a new controversy over condos, the Google bus or the myriad of other issues related to gentrification of the Mission. The film centers around protagonist Bob Morales, a building inspector in San Francisco who finds himself investigating a fire of an old hotel in the Mission that killed eight people. Quickly he finds himself entangled in a deadly web of developers, corrupt politicians and dirty police officers, but he refuses to give up until he gets justice for his fellow residents of the neighborhood he loves. Just a week before the film’s debut at the Mission’s Brava Theatre as part of the San Francisco film festival, an apartment building on Mission and 22nd streets caught fire. One person died, six were injured and dozens of people were left homeless by the fire. Many of them were long-time residents of the Mission, working class Latinos who had lived in the building for generations. Days after the fire it was announced that developers were already trying to buy the burneddown building and turn it into multi-million dollar condos. It was the plot of a noir film playing out in
newspaper headlines. The director/writer Dante Betteo mentioned after the film that the similarity between the film’s plot and the recent fire was obviously a coincidence, but a strange one nonetheless. The inspiration for the film instead came from a short story about the 1975 Garden Apartment fire, written by noted Mission poet Alejandro Murguia, who plays himself in an important role in the film. Betteo said numerous influences on his movie were not just from film noir but many other genres of movies. “The movie Chinatown, a noir classic from the 1940s heavily influenced the movie,” said Betteo “I wanted the look of Blade Runner, gritty. We didn’t have much time, so like the old noir films we had to shoot on location. It was shot in documentary style” Even Betteo’s kids helped film the movie. “They grew up around movies and film, and went to school in Los Angeles and New York for it. When they graduated they said ‘Dad when are we going to get to film with you?’” Betteo said. Actor Richard Montoya did an excellent job of portraying Bob Morales in the film. Throughout the movie Montoya is driven by a grim sense of determination to get justice for his fellow residents of the Mission. Montoya also does a great job of executing his character’s biting and sarcastic sense of humor that often targets the lead instigators of the Mission’s gentrification — hipsters and tech workers. A scene on the Mexican Bus (semi-famous party bus in the Mission) with a group of young hipsters is one of the funniest scenes of the movie, with Morales cutting jokes and wry social commentary that make you stop and
Members of the audience ask questions after the film. at Brava Theater, Sunday, Feb. 8. (Photo by Nathaniel Y. Downes)
6 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | FEB. 18 - MAR. 3, 2015
opinion
Free education creates opportunities for America By Christopher Moren theguardsman
contributor President Obama’s new plan to make community college free for students across the United States is exactly what our country needs. The education system we have in place is in need of some serious reforms. The burdens put onto our teachers, administrators, counselors and fellow students is already high enough to make the school year a difficult and stressful time for everyone involved. For low income students, these problems are piled onto what is already a long list of obstacles outside of school. Students
with children would benefit, as well as their own kids. Growing up, I saw my mother struggle to go to school, work and still have time to be present in my life. I believe that had this proposal already been law, she would have
women in the same position that my mother was in 10 years ago to come back and finish school. This would benefit low income families with children, and also returning students who simply have not had the resources or financial backing to
“I cannot imagine an argument strong
enough to turn the American public against making community college free to the most challenged students in the country.” been able to do all of these things. Instead, she had to leave school behind. President Obama’s new proposal would encourage many young
be able to finish pursuing a degree. I cannot imagine an argument strong enough to turn the American public against making community college free to the most challenged
students in the country. The benefits to our country are immeasurable. The more people who have degrees, the more money they will be able to contribute to the economy. Do we really need another generation of service industry “professionals”? Do we want to see more students dropping out of school only to fill up the lines for dead end jobs? Or would we rather see an America where most of our population has a degree, whether it’s a two-year associates or a bachelors from a four-year university? Are we, as citizens, content with seeing minorities working all day for minimum wages, struggling to feed their children and hoping for a miracle so they can put them through school?
Or…are we finally ready to take charge of our government and demand that they make education possible for everyone? We will no longer settle for getting a GED and a job with no future. I, for one, will no longer tolerate it. We have the money, the schools and a whole nation of students who have been praying in dark, obsolete classrooms for someone in Washington to shine a light on their struggle for higher education. This is how we resurrect the American Dream for the modern era.
Obama’s free community college education plan is not groundbreaking By Galen Maloney theguardsman
contributor Before you give kudos to the President’s recent proposal to make community colleges free, take a moment to consider that Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland and Holland all offer their citizens free
sity system offered free education before 1970. The California Master Plan for Higher education of 1960 banned tuition. Graduating with debt has become so commonplace that we forget this was mostly unheard of 40 years ago. In 1978 the passage of Proposition 13 curtailed California’s revenue and marked the beginning of our hate/hate affair with “enrollment fees.” When Meg Whitman ran for Governor of California, she proposed a capital gains
“You don’t change a system dominated by
the economic elites with one man or one election, no matter how charismatic the candidate is or how catchy his slogan was.” higher education. Not just free community college for those with a 2.5 grade point average and who attend at least half time, like Obama’s proposal would stipulate, but free to everyone regardless of grades or economic status. Before you dismiss that idea as European and socialist (or both), consider that California’s univer-
tax that would have reduced state revenue by $10 billion. Another report came out that same year stating that elimination of tuition at UC’s would have cost $3 billion. So, why have we been settling for less, and why has it taken so long for Obama to come out with even this modest proposal? A good answer to the latter
question lies in numbers like 36.4 percent, which was the percentage of eligible voters who voted in the recent midterm elections. This abysmal turnout resulted in the Republican control of both Houses of Congress and put democrats into strategy mode. The demographics of the country favor the Democrats and American voters are steadily getting more diverse, which will favor future democratic office seekers. But in order to transform these demographics into real political advantage, democrats must inspire their base and clearly distinguish themselves from the Republicans. This proposal by Obama is simply the opening move in a long chess game with the intention of highlighting the differences between the two parties and paving the way for future posturing further illuminating the differences between the elephants and donkeys. However, the more important question is why should we settle for these breadcrumbs? Obama was supposed to represent real change? What happened to the emotion and possibilities of 2008? Why do other developed countries invest in their
youth with subsidized education and healthcare, while we consistently choose to invest in incarceration and the economic elites? Well, to put it simply, the system happened. You don’t change a system dominated by the economic elites with one man or one election, no matter how charismatic the candidate is or how catchy his slogan was. We have to understand that the system we have now is part of an agenda. Corporations pay minimal amounts in taxes. Hedge fund billionaires and a kooky pair of Koch brothers can spend to their radical heart’s content. The U.S. Supreme Court protects the obscene corruption of public elections and we prioritize incarceration over education. Don’t take my word for it. Read up on the Black Panther Movement and how they were systematically undermined by our government, or go see “Party People” at the Berkeley Repertory Theater, watch “Kill the Messenger,” about how the CIA introduced crack to urban cities, or go learn about how well Socialism did in countries where the CIA unleashed its political correction
program. Read up on the history of Civil Rights, Farmworker rights, Environmental Rights, LGBT rights and you will surely see a pattern. Positive social change requires a great deal of action and awareness. In our current political climate, the word “socialism” has been hijacked by the right wing of this country as derogatory and abominable. But “social ownership of the means of production and co-operative management of the economy” on some level is quite necessary to solve the many challenges of our time. The free market espoused by the economic elites benefits the very few at the expense of the many. We have a long way to go, but a good start involves seeing the big picture. Terms like “left” and “socialism” are not bad. Neither is free education. Take Obama’s proposal for what it is baby steps. But we have to fight to make sure that the stairs are going to the right place. Otherwise, the agenda setters and economic elites will continue to disparage any positive program that doesn’t involve maximizing profit over people.
THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | FEB. 18 - MAR. 3, 2015 | 7
opinion
Illustration by Khaled Sayed
U.S. policies give rise to thugs in the Middle East By Khaled Sayed
theguardsman ksayed@theguardsman.com
the guardsman
Isis, Isil, Islamic state, or whatever they call themselves, we should call them what they really are thugs! These thugs are working hard to create their own story, and the Western media has been helping them reach their audience. They are filming and photographing their victims to attract more psychopaths and dominate the conversation. We also need to stop calling them Muslim, because these thugs are about as Muslim as the Ku Klux Klan is a Christian organization. There is no “radical” Islam. There are only people who are radical, and choose to terrorize others and kill for their own agendas. We should call these thugs terrorists, not Muslims. Like many people, I was horrified by the barbaric killing of the Jordanian pilot this month and the beheading and killing of many of their captives from other countries. But we seem to forget that these thugs have been on a killing ram-
page for a few years now, not only killing American, French and Japanese journalists but also terrorizing and killing over 4,000 Arab Muslims in Syria and northern Iraq. According to a United Nations report from the Human Rights Office of the Commission for Human Rights, released in September of 2014, Isis has executed and targeted both Sunni and Shia Muslims alike, if they don’t support them and join in their ugly war. “As
needs of all civilians remains of critical importance.” Calling them thugs brings attention to the nature of their agenda and helps people realize that what they are doing has nothing to do with Islam. They are using the name of Islam to spread their hate and anger toward the west and attract new followers. Looking at these barbaric thugs, I can’t help but credit U.S. policies in the Middle East for creating the
“We should have been horrified when Isis
was committing mass murders in Northern Iraq in 2013, but the whole world watched and did nothing.” of August 2014, an estimated 1.8 million Iraqis had been displaced due to the ongoing violence. Some 1,000,000 are displaced in areas under the control of ISIL (Isis) and associated armed groups or in areas under government control, while 800,000 were displaced in the Kurdistan Region. Ensuring the protection and basic humanitarian
environment that has allowed them to rise to the international stage with such brutality and hate. However, we need to put things in perspective when it comes to the Middle East. We have to notice the connection between the U.S. invasion of Iraq and how our failed Middle Eastern policies created this explosion of militant thugs.
Matthew, Thank you for your informative and eloquent op-ed, “Black History Month: an outdated notion.” I agree that the Moorish influence on world history is usually overlooked in favor of “hero worship” of certain black cultural figures. One could argue that history is generally taught in this
lazy fashion: rarely does it inspire people to think through how life got to be the way they experience it and reflect upon how it could be improved. Best, Loren
We need to keep in mind that the U.S. invaded Iraq, a country that had nothing to do with the 9/11 tragedy. That invasion resulted in over 100,000 Iraqi civilians and thousands of U.S. military personnel dead. It fragmented the country, bringing Iraq to civil war. We should have been horrified by the absurdity of a war on Iraq, but the media foolishly went along with the failed war from the beginning. We should have been horrified when Isis was committing mass murders in northern Iraq in 2013, but the whole world watched and did nothing. We need to realize that all lives are sacred, and no person’s life is more important than another. The Charlie Hebdo incident was a terrorist attack on journalists where 12 people were killed in Paris at a newspaper whose main focus has been to make fun of Muslims. Around the same time, the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram killed 2,000 people, and their horrific act gained very little attention from the western media. The international news media was saturated with the Charlie Loren, Thank YOU for reading all of it. I think it’s become increasingly easy to repeat and regurgitate the same stories of the same people in the microwave society of “now” that we live in. Historically speaking, minority accomplishments and contributions have always been overlooked or
Hebdo story, and very few bothered to give as much attention to the 2,000 people who were killed in Nigeria. None of the top powerful countries did anything to stop Boko Haram. While the U.S. chose to take armed action in the Middle East, they were OK with the Israelis carrying out attacks on the Palestinians in the summer of 2014, or the Syrian government killing their own citizens, and they are also OK with Isis killing Arab Muslims. I’m not simply blaming the U.S. for the barbaric way these thugs are behaving, but can you imagine them gaining this much of a foothold without the Iraq invasion? The Middle East would still be the same as it was ten years ago, with all the nations and their borders intact, and all the dictators the U.S. originally put into power. So before you become outraged with the latest actions of these thugs against a few non-Muslim targets, you really need to consider what the U.S. policies in the Middle East are doing to give them power.
glossed over, and in my mind, this “hero worship” if the same people is a method of doing so. Thanks for reading, and I hope you continue to respond. V/R, Matthew
8 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | FEB. 18 - MAR. 3, 2015
sports
Men’s basketball
Rams hold off Ohlone Renegades 91-84 By Shaleisa Daniel
@theguardsman sdaniel@theguardsman.com
the guardsman
sports calendar Basketball: Men’s
Feb. 18, 7 p.m.
vs Canada College @Away Feb. 20, 7 p.m. vs Los Positas @Home
Basketball: Women’s
Feb. 18, 5:30 p.m. vs CSM @Away Feb. 20, 5 p.m. vs Los Positas @Home
Baseball
Feb. 19, 1 p.m. vs Marin @Home Feb. 21, 12 p.m. vs Gavilan @Away Feb. 24, 12 p.m. vs Mission College @Home Feb. 26, 1 p.m. vs Canada College @Home
Softball
Feb. 21, 12 p.m. /2 p.m. vs Mendocino College @Away Feb. 24, 1 p.m. vs CSM
The Rams came out on top 91-84 last Friday in an away game against the Ohlone Renegades, after Coach Labagh stated earlier in the week that it would be a challenge to beat Ohlone on their home Prior to the game, Coach Labagh emphasized how important it was going to be to perform at the same level throughout the duration of the game. “We have to stay aggressive over the entire 40 minutes, we’re usually okay for a good 15 minutes and that’s not going to be enough.” A few players attributed the win to smart execution on the court. “We just played tough and made big plays down the stretch when we needed to,” said Sophomore forward Julian Herrell. “also really good rebounding.” The Rams are on a three game win streak, and have acknowledged how much better they have been playing as a team.
“We’re playing a lot better as a (team) because we’re starting to figure out who can do what on offense and defense.” Said Team Captain Vincent Golson. The team believes they have found their footing since the beginning of the season after being faced with injuries and tough losses. “I think it really just comes with the season,” said Herell on the improvements, “we’ve played a lot of games, went through a lot of challenges and lost a lot of close games where we had to come together and figure out what we needed to do to fix things.” The Rams now hold a conference record of 7-3 with two games left in the regular season. “For a good playoff run we have to follow our game plan according to every team, because every game plan is different depending on what player plays what.” Golson added. With Regionals approaching, Coach Labagh is now conducting more frequent practices in the gymnasium during the week.
City College’s, Vincent Golson, Sophomore, (20), trys to shake-off the Ohlone College defense at Fremont, Friday, Feb. 13. (Photo by Khaled Sayed)
Baseball
Napa Valley Storm wash out Rams in double-header By Yesica Prado
@theguardsman ypardo@theguardsman.com
the guardsman
The Rams suffered a loss at Napa Valley last Friday in a preseason double-header game ending in a score of 10-4 and 2-0. The last minute double header was due to rainy weather on Tuesday pushing the 2 pm game to Friday morning at 11 am. While the team was unable to keep their opponent from making several runs throughout the first game which ended in a 10-4 loss, the score of the second game remained low throughout, with Storm outfielders Andrew Wheat and Ryan Perkins scoring the only 2 runs in the 4th and 5th
innings. “The offense just wasn’t clicking today.” Said Rams’ head coach, John Vanocini when asked about the defeat. One player stood out however, Rams’ pitcher Jesse Navarro, who was able to stop the Storm from making a significant amount of runs in the second game. “Jesse Navarro was great,” said Vanocini, who acknowledged the pitcher’s performance when the games finalized for the day. The loss at Napa Valley came right on the heels of a previous loss against the Storm the day before, when the Rams were beaten by a close score of 4-3. Vanocini still managed to stay optimistic about each loss stating, “We put up a fight, we didn’t give up
Pitcher Jesse Navarro, #10, strikes out batter Ryan Perkins, #18, on 6th inning. Score is 0-2 in favor of the Napa Storm at Storm Field, Napa Community College, Napa, Calif. Friday, Feb. 13. (Photo by Yesica Prado)
and we worked hard, which is one of the strengths of our team. The Ram’s baseball team’s first
conference game will be at home against Mission College on Feb. 24, 1 p.m.
@Home Feb. 28, 12 p.m./2 p.m. vs Contra Costa @Home
Women’s Tennis
Feb. 20, 2 pm
vs Mission Colege @Away Feb. 24, 2 p.m. vs Monterey @Away
Swimming
Feb. 27, 2 p.m. vs Cabrillo @Away Cale Anderson strikes out swinging to end the extra-inning game against Napa at Fairmont Field in Pacifica, Calif. Thursday, Feb. 12. (Photo by Nathaniel Y. Downes)