The Guardsman, Vol. 151, Issue 4. City College of San Francisco

Statewide Day of Action San Francisco Students rally from SF State to City College, gearing up for a Sacramento protest March 14 – Page 3

C I T Y C O L L E G E O F S A N F R A N C I S C O ’ S N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 3 5

Volume 151, Issue 4

TheGuardsman.com

City College imposes work study hiring freeze

March 9, 2011 phoTo illusTraTion By raMsey el-Qare The GuardsMan

unattended belongings make easy theft targets

By Brant Ozanich

By Matthew Gomez

The Financial Aid Office at City College has placed a temporary freeze on hiring new workstudy employees until the new fiscal year begins this summer.

The freeze is a result of budgeting $850,000 for the current semester and is a way to ensure that the current students on work study can remain employed for the remainder of the semester.

“The freeze is just a way to make sure that we have enough money for spring,” Roland Montemayor, associate dean of the financial aid office said. “We manage our own money so we have to look at how we’re spending it.”

Funds for summer Hiring will resume in the summer when $100,000 more is allocated to the program, on top of the $850,000 that the program already Work study receives yearly, Facts: Montemayor said.

30,000 Students receivOf the roughing financial aid ly 30,000 City 350 – 400 or 1% College students Participate in receiving finanwork-study cial aid, between program 350 and 400, or 1 120 percent, particiDepartments hiring work study pate in the workstudy program employees for more than 120 different departments.

Work Study Benefits Students are allowed to work 15 hours per week maximum for a length of time specified by the department doing the hiring.

“It’s a good way to gain experience, money and work on campus,” Montemayor said.

Students have to be approved for work study before they are allowed to do a job, but the process simply requires checking a box to indicate the student is interested in work study when they submit their application for financial aid, Montemayor said.

“If there was no work study, I would just focus on my

At City College unattended valuables like laptops and cameras are a favorite for thieves looking for a quick score.

So far this semester, 31 of the 59 crimes reported on City College campuses were thefts, and the majority of those occurred in the Wellness Center and Rosenberg Library.

“Theft is the number one issue that we deal with,” City College Police Chief Andre Barnes said.

Last summer City College and the Ingleside police department teamed up to conduct an investigation into the thefts on campus.

The Ocean campus resides within the Ingle- “Public Safety side district, is a shared responsibility.” and often Ingleside’s – City College Police officers work Chief Andre Barnes together with officers from City College (TheGuardsman. com/stings).

Sergeant Jim Miller, from Ingleside, compared data and statistics that City College had compiled and used it to determine the best form of theft prevention.

“We kind of had an idea already of what the problem was,” Miller said.

They found that the majority of thefts involved unattended items. Their main plan of action was to spread the message to students that they need to prevent theft by being more aware of their surroundings.

“Public safety is a shared responsibility,” Barnes said.

“It’s up to students to be the first protectors of their property and themselves.”

Erik Krouse, who uses the locker room in the Wellness Center before and after his P.E.

The GuardsMan

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wORK study: Page 2

stun gun guns for the sFPd?

Commission votes to study ‘less lethal’ options

jessica norTh / The GuardsMan

(L-R) Police commissioners Petra DeJesus, Carol Kingsley and James Hammer listen to interim Police Chief Jeff Godown introduce a presentation by the San Francisco Police Department to the Police Commission. Godown told the room to stay seated during the intense dramatization. Police officers then entered the room and drew real weapons.

By Brian Rinker The GuardsMan

After a lengthy hearing on Feb. 23 the San Francisco Police Commission voted 6-1 in favor of interim Chief of Police Jeff Godown’s proposal to explore the use of all less lethal weapons, including the controversial Conductive Energy Device, also known as a stun gun.

The decision was reached at 11:30 p.m. after six hours of deliberation. The hearing was concerning all less lethal weapons, but the debate centered mostly on stun guns — their safety, how to use them effectively and why police officers may need an additional weapon.

“The use of force is never pretty,” Police Commission President Thomas Mazzucco said.

Right now there is a significant gap in the SFPD’s

arsenal, he said, and an intermediary weapon is needed between the baton and the firearm.

Police officers gave accounts of life threatening situations they said could have been prevented with a stun gun. Chuck Wexlar, executive director of Police Executive Research Forum, presented a study completed in conjunction with the SFPD. Wexlar suggested guidelines and recommendations for using stun guns, such as officers wearing them on their weak draw side, and where and whom they could shoot.

However, most recommendations were contradicted by opponents with studies and expert testimony that said the majority of situations where stun guns would be beneficial were exactly the situations where guidelines prevented their use. stuN guNs: Page 2

CRIMe: Page 2

2 | March 9, 2011 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com

News Community concerned stun guns will lead to trigger-happy cops stun guns: From the front page

Mazzucco guaranteed the community that the misuse and abuses of stun guns would not happen with the SFPD, citing the department’s very low record of misconduct cases compared with departments in other major cities.

Conductive Energy Devices, including stun guns commonly referred to by the Taser brand name, are less lethal weapons intended to deliver an electrical charge sufficient to disrupt the subject’s central nervous system, enabling officers to subdue the individual with minimal injury to all involved, according to a U.S. Department of Justice study.

The weapons remain controversial because of the number of deaths and injuries resulting from the device, speakers at the Police Commission meeting said.

“My concern,” said Colleen Riveca of Homeless Youth Alliance, “is that the introduction of Tasers will change non-lethal situations that could be dealt with by de-escalation techniques, and that those situations will instead be dealt with by a potential lethal weapon – the Taser.”

San Francisco is one of the few cities of its size that doesn’t utilize stun guns as a less-lethal option.

“I’m not asking to arm the San Francisco Police Department with Tasers at this juncture of the debate,” Godown said. “I’m just asking for permission to go out and research the feasibility of a less lethal option that can be a substitute in some instances, under certain conditions for a firearm.”

Commissioner Petra DeJesus, the only Police Commission member to vote “no”, said the chief’s request “was a soft-pitch way of authorizing Tasers.” This was met with loud applause from the audience.

The commission gave Godown approval to research all the less lethal weapons and put together a pilot plan within 90 days. The implementation of the plan is contingent on another vote at end of the 90 days.

Last March the commission rejected a similar plan

on stun guns proposed by former Police Chief George Gascón, fearing the misuse would disproportionately affect the mentally disabled.

Since then, San Francisco named a new police chief and two new commissioners. The commission has also recently established Crisis Intervention Training program based on the “Memphis Model.”

Memphis is one of the few cities refusing to use stun guns. The CIT program aims to teach de-escalation techniques to police officers, greatly reducing the number of situations that require the use of force.

“Let’s make one thing clear,” Mazzucco said. “We have separated the mental health issue from the Tasers.

This commission has moved out into the forefront and unanimously accepted the Memphis Model. This hearing is not about the mental health community being Tased.”

Only one person during public comment said stun guns would be a good addition for the police department. About 40 community members testified against the use of stun guns.

SFPD used examples of officers involved in recent shootings as evidence that Tasers or other less lethal weapons were needed. In the end, Mazzucco played on the hearts of man.

“You know deep in your hearts that if we had a Taser, those people would still be alive,” he said.

Community members criticized the chief for not discussing the less lethal weapons with them. Cinthya Muñoz, of the grassroots community organization Just Cause/Causa Justa, cautioned the Chief and the Commission on how to deal with the community.

“Do talk to our communities, but don’t talk to them about what kind of gun you’re going to allow police officers to shoot them with.” Muñoz said. “They are communities of color who are disproportionately impacted by police brutality and the use of the Taser.”

Email: brinker@theguardsman.com

CalWORKS still hiring students work study: From the front page

academics because it’s too hard to find a job elsewhere,” Joyce Lin, a work study participant and Learning Assistance Center front desk worker said. “Work study gives students an opportunity to have a job. It helps sustain their basic needs.”

The CalWORKS program, which receives funding from a different source, will not freeze hiring, Rebecca Wolf, program coordinator of CalWORKS at City College said.

“A lot of departments are calling us looking for students to work,” Wolf said. “It is the same kind of program as work study.”

The only difference, Wolf said, is that CalWORKS students must be on cash aid, have children and be cleared by the Department of Human Services.

CalWORKS provides an opportunity for parents who are unable to get a job elsewhere, but work study provides jobs for students who are unable to get a job off campus.

Some students do not think work study is a valuable use of time and would rather work elsewhere in the city where jobs could pay more.

Gracie Malley / The Guardsman

Student Worker Avonn Mejia stamps forms during her clerical job in the City College Rosenberg Library.

“They pay too little, and I couldn’t survive on what they pay,” Francesca Mixco, a former City College student said. “They

ask and demand a lot from you as students.”

Email: bozanich@theguardsman.com

More financial aid brings longer lines

By Essie Harris The guardsman

An increase of $20 million in student financial aid at City College for the 2011-2012 school year has led to more applicants and longer lines at the Financial Aid Office.

“The amount of financial aid available this year has increased millions of dollars from last year, and more students are becoming aware that these grants are available,” City College Student Trustee Jeffrey Fang said. “This is great but consequentially there is a higher volume of students and the same amount of employees trying to help them.”

City College Student Hannah Maier said sometimes the wait to see a counselor can be anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours.

“It’s frustrating,” Maier said. “I always happen to come on the wrong day when there’s 30 students waiting — mostly picking up their checks, but sometimes I’ll pass by this room and there wont be one person in line.”

Students can opt to have financial aid payments deposited directly to their bank account. They can also pick up checks in person on specific days of the month in Conlan Hall.

Roughly 30,000 students at City College receive financial aid, with an average grant of $3,500,

according to a survey done by the National Center for Education Statistics.

“We’re all on the same boat. We all have to jump through hoops and wait in line,” student Adrian Gutierrez said. “When I get my check deposited into my account, it will all be worth it.”

Sophia Toney, a senior management assistant at the financial aid department, said despite the increase in applicant numbers, the lines for financial aid are not too long.

“Except for the first few weeks of the semester, I do not believe we have long lines,” Toney said.

“So far our department has not experienced many layoffs, but some faculty will be retiring soon and we will not have the funds to re-hire when they do.

We are going to great measures to keep our lines short, this includes providing students access to information via email and phone.”

At the Student Equity meeting in February Fang said administration planned to work diligently on providing students with information about the availability of funds and the application process.

He urges students who are applying for financial aid for the 2011-12 school year to do so promptly to avoid delays.

Email: eharris@theguardsman.com

Police advise students to watch belongings CRIME: From the front page

Gracie Malley / The Guardsman

Students ignore their belongings on the steps outside of the Wellness Center.

classes, said he keeps his valuables either with him or in his car. He only keeps clothes in his locker, because he said the area can get “sketchy.”

There are only 33 police officers divided between City College’s 11 campuses. Three to six officers are usually stationed at the Ocean campus, Barnes said.

At a school with more than 100,000 students, Barnes said it is impossible for the police to monitor every situation.

The staff and librarians at Rosenberg have tried to take that

responsibility upon themselves.

They do patrols throughout the day and leave tags on unattended items that say “If we were thieves, your things would be gone.”

Charles Fracchia, department chair of the library learning resource center, said the message is still lost on many students, who think leaving items unattended for a few minutes isn’t an issue.

“They don’t take it seriously,” Fracchia said. “We have bent over backwards to try to educate students not to leave their belongings.”

Email: mgomez@theguardsman.com

News

The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | March 9, 2011 | 3

Felix Cabrera, City College Associated Students vice president of cultural affairs, speaks about SF State and City College’s connection to a crowd approximately 500 people in SF State’s Cesar Chavez Student Center on March 2.

Cabrera addressed the group moments before demonstrators marched to City College’s Ocean campus to show unity between the schools.

CA commission takes aim at state pensions

By Brant Ozanich The guardsman

Ramsey El-Qare / The guardsman

Schools unite for Day of Action

By Matthew Gomez and Estela Fuentes The guardsman

City College and SF State students gathered March 2 in solidarity to protest looming budget cuts to higher learning institutions that will reduce classes and other benefits for students throughout California.

The demonstrations started at SF State, where some 500 students and faculty gathered in the Cesar Chavez Student Center to listen to speeches, spoken word and songs about budget cuts.

The rallies had fewer attendees than last year, when an estimated 10,000 people gathered at Civic Center Plaza to protest cuts in education.

“The outreach was less this year,” said Felix Cabrera, City College vice president of cultural affairs and City College Save Our Schools member who helped organize the events. “The reason is there was a lack of communication and collaboration between all the different organizations.”

But Cabrera said he was not dismayed because the goal of the rally was to spread the word and inform people, which he said it achieved.

According to City College’s annual financial report, the 201112 projected budget deficit will amount to somewhere between $17.5 million and $35 million.

“Faculty is supporting the students because the mission of the campus is to educate students,” said Sheila Tully, lecturer vice president of the executive board

of the California Faculty Associa- discussed the benefits a progrestion. “We, as teachers, understand sive tax would have on the state what cuts are doing to the educa- budget. tion system.”

Glass also spoke at a small Marisa Soski, a junior at S.F. teach-in at the Student Union State and volunteer with Students building on March 1. He said Califor Quality Education, said the fornia’s budget problems could be budget problems pose a threat not eased if taxes were raised on the only to students, but also to facul- rich and that tax brackets should ty and staff. be raised to 11 percent for the “It is really important that wealthy. At 9.3 percent, Califorstudents write to their represen- nia has one of the lowest tax rates tatives,” Soski said. “It is our for people earning $250,000 to responsibility to be aware.” $500,000.

Other students agreed that Some prominent commustudents needed to do more to save nity members also offered their education. perspectives on the budget cuts.

“We can only go so far “People need to vote no with days of against cuts action,” said when given a Jesse Sabin, “We can only go so far choice,” Kim 25, an environ- with days of action. It’s Shree-Maufas, mental studies kind of an empty gesture.” commissioner major at S.F. of San FranState. “It’s kind –SF State student Jesse Sabin cisco’s Board of an empty of Education, gesture.” said. She was Later that the lone no night, more than 200 people gath- vote in a recent 6-1 decision to lay ered at City College’s Mission off some 500 San Francisco teachcampus for a town hall forum as ers, administrators and aides. part of the Unified Day of Action.

City College students are also Various speakers discussed invited March 14 to the “March on how the budget cuts affected them Sacramento,” where community and ways the state budget could be college students from around Calireworked to provide more educa- fornia will gather to protest on the tion funding. High school students steps of the state capitol building. said increased college tuition prices were discouraging them from Peter Hernandez and Brant Ozanich attending and college instructors contributed to this report. spoke about the importance of education.

Email: Fred Glass, director of the efuentes@theguardsman.com California Federation of Teachers, mgomez@theguardsman.com

A report recommending California to overhaul its public pension system released by an independent state oversight agency on Feb. 24 could propel the state into a series of labor and union struggles similar to those happening in Wisconsin.

The agency, informally called the Little Hoover Commission, prepared the report in response to Governor Jerry Brown’s request of recommendations on how to save money and make the state government more efficient.

“California’s pension plans are dangerously underfunded, the result of overly generous benefit promises, wishful thinking and an unwillingness to plan prudently,” the introduction to the report noted.

“Unless aggressive reforms are implemented now, the problem will get far worse, forcing counties and cities to severely reduce services and layoff employees to meet pension obligations.”

The report primarily focuses on California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), which provides pension benefits for more than 1.6 million Californians and their families and is the biggest public pension plan in the United States. The report still made a point to mention other pension plans.

An overwhelming majority of City College’s staff is covered by either the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), a pension system for teachers and administration of public schools and community colleges, or San Francisco Employees Retirement System (SFERS), San Francisco’s own public pension system, said Leslie Smith, City College’s Government Liaison.

“The faculty and adminis-

trators do not pay into Social Security, because we have our own system, which is CalSTRS” Smith Said. “A major part of our classified staff are in the SFERS” The report claimed California’s public pension system lacked discipline and accountability, the math didn’t work, and that pension costs would crush the government.

It also recommended that state and local governments move to a hybrid pension model that includes aspects of 401(k)-style plans used in private sector and increase transparency and accountability by providing more information to the public.

Public pensions and unions are seeing increased scrutiny as a debate over collective bargaining in Wisconsin has led to numerous protests and increased media attention to the issue.

“I think that public service is fundamental to the success of our government. You want good public servants, to get good public servants you need to treat them well,” Smith said.

“The attack on pensions is dead wrong. All people who work should know that when they are too old to work that they have a safe place to live and health benefits to take care of them.”

The commission, formally called the “Milton Marks ‘Little Hoover’ Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy,” is an independent state monitoring organization founded upon legislation authored by former State Assemblyman Milton Marks Jr., father of current City College Board of Trustee Milton Marks III.

Email: bozanich@theguardsman.com

LGBT major coming to City College, pending approval

By Emily Daly The guardsman

City College is on the verge of making LGBT Studies an official major, pending the approval of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s office in Sacramento.

“Now is a really good time to do this,” LGBT Studies Chair Ardel Thomas said.

The action is the culmination of three or four years of research, talking to students and faculty and writing the proposal after more and more students wanted to transfer with the major.

Thomas said that increased enrollment, both in LGBT courses and throughout all departments, also gave the proposal good timing.

LGBT Studies is considered a legitimate intellectual study around the world, Thomas said. And even schools in conservative areas like her birthplace, Oklahoma, offer the program. Thomas listed Univer-

sity of Maryland as a college offering an exceptional LGBT Studies degree.

“We’re actually a little behind the curve. That’s why we need to get this going,” she said. “The programs are everywhere. We need to catch up.”

Associated Students President Elizabeth Weinberg, who is among those who support the creation of the major, said it would benefit the college.

“I think it would increase the awareness of different perspectives, which is incredibly important in a diverse community,” Weinberg said.

To create a new major at City College, faculty need to submit a proposal with a mission statement, the areas of study offered within the major and goals that students studying the major will be expected to achieve, Thomas said. The proposal must also show how useful the major will be and how its courses can fulfill general education requirements.

Thomas said students majoring in LGBT studies could easily take care of almost all of their general education requirements, and an LGBT Studies degree would be a good foundation for students interested in applying to law school or graduate school.

“Anything that a good humanities degree could do, a LGBT major could do,” Thomas said. She explained that LGBT courses are multidisciplinary, multicultural and deal with modern world issues.

Thomas noted the City College administration has been very supportive of her proposal and said she doesn’t expect any opposition from Sacramento or anywhere else, although there is no set date for when students could begin declaring an LGBT major.

Marla Fisher, a student worker at City College’s Queer Resource Center, said she hadn’t heard of LGBT Studies becoming an official major, but thought the news was great.

“I’ll tell all my clients,” she said.

According to CollegeConfidential. com’s college search service, 15 schools in the United States offer a degree in LGBT Studies. The College Equality Index lists 28 schools with minors in LGBT Studies and 25 with concentrations in the subject.

LGBT Studies became a department at the college in 1989, according to the department homepage, and City College offered its first LGBT-related course, a gay literature class, in fall 1972.

City College also has its own “outlist,” of faculty, administrators and staff who openly identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. The objective of the list is to end stereotypes and discrimination by showing that people of all sexual orientations exist everywhere in daily life.

Currently, there are 81 names on the list.

Email: edaly@theguardsman.com

4 | March 9, 2011 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com

OPINIONs

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Wisconsin public-sector workers and their supporters have been demonstrating at the state capital to defend the existing union standards of collective bargaining for more than two weeks.

Gov. Scott Walker proposed a budget which is contingent on the removal of many collective bargaining rights, and he has refused to negotiate with the workers, even though they have already agreed to compensation cuts.

Walker’s demand for the elimination of most collective bargaining to avert a financial disaster is a political maneuver unsubstantiated by the reality of the state’s budget. Eliminating union power is his real goal.

To avoid voting on this unacceptable budget, the Wisconsin Senate democrats left the state.

Worker support demonstrations in Madison have exceeded 70,000 people.

The Wisconsin workers are not the cause of the budget deficit.

They have already agreed to wage and pension cuts to help bridge the state’s shortfall, and they must keep their rights to organize and to collective bargaining.

The state’s budget woes are driven by a combination of the U.S. financial collapse, related value losses in pension funds and a tax cut passed in early 2011.

Walker’s politics, not the state’s public employees, are responsible for the deficit. The New York Times reported that Walker and the state legislature gave away $117 million in tax breaks early this year, which account for a large portion of

$61,668

Opinions Editor Alex Emslie

Wisconsin Empolyee Earnings Based on level of Education

The GuardsMan

$47,469

News Editor Kwame Opoku-Duku

By Catherine Lee

$46,213

Managing Editor Ramsey El-Qare

support union workers in wisconsin

Earnings per Year

Editor-in-Chief Alex Emslie

Check out The Guardsman Online video coverage of a Feb. 26 San Francisco “Rally for the American Dream” supporting Wisconsin workers (TheGuardsman.com/labor).

Professional Degree (eg- JD or MD)

Source: Keefe, Jeffrey H. 2011 Are Wisconsin Public Employees Overcompensated Washington, D.C. Economic Policy Institute

raMsey el-Qare and esTela FuenTes / The GuardsMan

Wisconsin’s $137 million shortfall.

Collective Bargaining Good working conditions and living wages are a mandatory feature of many American workplaces, but maybe we take them for granted. Negotiated work rules protect everyone.

Collective bargaining allows workers to pool their power.

While one worker may simply be fired for demanding health-care benefits or a living wage, a union representing the whole work force has more clout.

In a Feb. 28 New York Times/ CBS News poll that asked U.S. residents if they favored stripping workers of collective bargaining rights, 60 percent of respondents were opposed and only 33 percent were in favor of “taking away some of the collective bargaining rights.”

worker scapegoats “The average government worker in America earns a lot more than the average private sector person,” Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels told PBS. But Paul Krugman, the Economics Nobel Prize winning columnist for the New York Times clearly states in his Feb. 25 blog post, “Yes, some publicsector workers are overpaid.”

“But the whole idea that union excesses are at the core of state and local fiscal problems is false, and only deliberate obfuscation keeps that from being obvious,” he wrote.

Compensation Facts Ethan Pollack at the The Economic Policy Institute specifically wrote about Wisconsin compensation to address the claim that pension benefits boost compensation beyond private-

sector compensation.

His analysis compared total compensation — health care, vacations, pensions and wages — for public versus private sector workers.

“Workers with a bachelor’s degree or more — which constitute nearly 60 percent of the state and local workforce in Wisconsin — are compensated between $20,000 less to over $82,000 a year less,” Pollack wrote.

A recent New York Times study of census data cited an “educational divide” between public and private employees.

Pollack unequivocally states that Wisconsin public sector workers make less than private sector workers. The numbers have been crunched and the facts support the Wisconsin workers.

Email: clee@theguardsman.com

Republicans play politics with vital u.s. health care provider

By Liska Koenig The GuardsMan

The amendment to defund Planned Parenthood, which was adopted by the Republican House of Representatives, will limit access to life-saving health care services for millions of women without health insurance.

Last year, the nonprofit health provider received about $75 million of its funding from Title X, (pronounced Title 10), a program enacted by President Richard Nixon as part of the Public Health Service Act in 1973. Title X is the only federal program offering comprehensive family planning, outreach and preventative health services to low-income Americans.

Pro-life Republicans like to present the situation as a way to save taxpayers’ money and protect unborn life. However, no federal funds are allocated to perform abortions in the first place, and only two percent of Planned Parenthood’s services

lead to the termination of pregnancies.

Title X money is solely used to provide cancer screening, family planning services, HIV testing, risk counseling and other services for men and women who don’t have the money to pay for health care.

Without these funds, people lacking health insurance will find themselves with unwanted pregnancies, undiagnosed cancer and other undiagnosed illnesses.

About 85 percent of all Planned Parenthood clients are from lowincome backgrounds. A visit to the non-profit health care provider is often the only opportunity to see a doctor.

Cuts to Title X would increase, rather than reduce, government spending. Family planning and primary care are a lot less costly than prenatal care, children dependent on Medicare, families living in poverty, or chemotherapy.

What makes Planned Parenthood different from other health care providers is their activist

approach to women’s health issues.

For 90 years Planned Parenthood has been educating and empowering women and men, giving them the tools to take charge of their own bodies.

Many pro-life activists see the health care provider as the main culprit in providing abortions. This is a misrepresentation.

The organization’s records show that 98 percent of all patient visits concern family planning, preventative health care, cancer screening and other health care services.

“Our doors are open, but without those funds from Title X we are going to have to close clinics, cut staff and raise our fees,” said Heather Estes, CEO of Planned Parenthood Shasta Pacific, which includes the San Francisco Bay Area.

Her division alone runs 18 health centers, plus additional express sites at public health departments and community clinics, and serves about 1 million patients per year. Fees are based on a sliding scale and nobody is turned

away because they lack funds.

This is not only an attack on women without health insurance, it’s an attack on contraception and on the health of all women and families.

If the Obama administration is trying to save money on the federal budget, I suggest taking $75 million (or more) from the $671 billion defense budget for the coming fiscal year to fund Planned Parenthood.

If this amendment is written into law, Planned Parenthood will lose its Title X funding at the beginning of the 2011 fiscal year.

This is not a “women only” issue, it also concerns any man who has a girlfriend, a wife, a mother or a sister.

It is up to every one of us to stand up for our rights, speak up and join the fight to save Planned Parenthood, the organization that has been educating and empowering women for the past 90 years.

Email: email@theguardsman.com

Opinions

The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | March 9, 2011 | 5

City attorney’s ‘crack down’ amounts to cheap political ploy

By Kwame Opoku-Duku The guardsman

I almost choked on my cereal when I read the headlines about San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera “cracking down on crack pipes” — or at least the stores that sell them.

Surely, I thought, a man of Herrera’s competence (the man has a law degree, after all) must realize that such an empty gesture would do nothing to curb the crack epidemic in this city. There had to be some other reason he was choosing to sue smoke shops even though he knew that, ultimately, such a meaningless action would not stop a single person from smoking crack.

And then I remembered: Herrera wants to be elected mayor this November. It suddenly became so clear. We’ve hit a new season of political grandstanding. And I was finally starting to wash the stink off myself from last November.

I have a vision of Herrera sitting around a table in his political war room with his cronies, trying to think of various feathers he could place in his hat to show off this election season. I must say, I’m a little disappointed he and his cronies couldn’t do better.

After reading about the “crackdown,” I decided to type “how to smoke crack without a crack pipe” into a popular search engine. And just like many other substances one could smoke, the

paraphernalia possibilities are almost limitless.

There’s smoking out of an aluminum can or plastic bottle, using a light bulb, making your own pipe out of tin foil, using a tire gauge. Basically, you can smoke crack out of anything if you’re industrious enough. All of these methods cost pretty much same — about a dollar, and one could find these at any gas station mini market.

But something tells me the crack users of San Francisco already know this.

And, on top of that, if you really don’t feel like smoking it, you can just cook it up and inject it. It’s a good thing they’re thinking about opening that safe injection center site (Feb. 23 issue, TheGuardsman.com/HepC).

After reading about how to smoke crack, I typed “educating kids in San Francisco about crack” into that same search engine. The most relevant article was about San Francisco’s Happy Meal ban.

It gets me to thinking all kinds of radical thoughts. Forgive me if I seem far out but: Dennis, if you’re reading this (and I know you are), why don’t you use some of that moxie to do something that could actually help crack users, and not just help keep them out of your neighborhood?

Email: kopokuduku@theguardsman.com

Danielle Schlamp / The Guardsman

Editorial

Voters to choose taxes or cuts City College, as well as the rest of the California Community Colleges system, is bracing for devastating funding cuts that will be handed down by the state when legislators finalize California’s 2011-12 budget.

Gov. Jerry Brown released a state budget proposal in early January that aims to bridge California’s projected $25 billion-plus shortfall with $12.5 billion in cuts to general fund spending and $12 billion in revenue generation in the form of temporary tax extensions. Remaining true to his campaign promise of no new taxes without voter approval, Brown hopes to put the tax extensions before voters in a special election this June.

The entire budget proposal is currently before the state legislature, which has the power to hold the special election and place the tax measures on the ballot.

City College can expect at least a $9 million cut from state funding if the tax measures pass. The reductions could explode to more than $25 million if the tax measures fail and the state suspends its

minimum education funding obligation defined by Proposition 98, which it often does. Deferrals of Proposition 98 funding now total nearly $1 billion.

The California Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended cutting community college intercollegiate athletics completely and raising fees to $66 per unit. Vocational training, ESL, vital student services and general class availability are all conceivably on the chopping block if California doesn’t get its balance sheets in order.

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s special tax election held in 2009 was a dismal failure, mostly because any increases in funding to areas like education and child care were offset by substantial cuts to mental health programs and unrealistic “rainy day fund” requirements.

Let’s hope Brown’s proposals are a little more rational, and that Californians are willing to support the services this state needs to compete in a modern economy, like a healthy education system.

Email: editor@theguardsman.com

Letters to the Editor Thanks for hep C article

Smoking rules unenforced

Editor, Brian Rinker did a great job on the article “Task Force proposes new tactics to combat hep C” (Feb. 23 issue, TheGuardsman.com/ HepC). His interview with Robin Roth shows the prevalence of hepatitis C and lists some task force proposals on how SF can begin addressing the disease. The story clearly explains the recommendation for setting up a safe injection facility without sensationalizing the issue, which I much appreciate. A safe injection site is good public health policy.

Sharing intravenous paraphernalia certainly spreads hep C, but it’s by no means the only route. I have hepatitis C, help facilitate a support group, and have met dozens of HCV-positive people. For some, the likely source of infection was either a transfusion prior to 1992 (first year of testing donated blood), straws used for snorting drugs, tattoos or piercings, or manicures/pedicures. Sharing a razor or toothbrush can also put one in contact with infected blood.

I personally know doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, contractors, artists and others from all sorts of professions who have hepatitis C. My support group has welcomed people of all ages, from people in their 20s to those in their 70s. Anyone can get hepatitis C, and in the U.S., estimates are that between 3.2 million to 5 million have done just that.

Of those millions, three quarters don’t know they are infected.

I urge people to get tested, especially if they have risk factors. By the time symptoms become apparent, the liver may be seriously damaged, and associated conditions and diseases may have developed. Addressing hep C early on, whether with standard medical treatment or alternative therapies and lifestyle changes, can help you live a full, rich life. Through Brian’s article, The Guardsman has promoted knowledge of hepatitis C in the CCSF community, and knowledge is power. Thanks!

Editor, On Feb. 16, as I was leaving through an open door at Cloud Hall, I found myself in a plume of cigarette smoke. Four students were hanging out at the entrance, three of whom were smoking.

As someone who gets adverse effects from cigarette smoke due to asthma and other conditions, I was concerned.

The officers seemed bothered when I asked about the ubiquitous no-smoking signs around campus. After a brief verbal runaround, the officers eventually told me it wasn’t really a policy, and that they would not enforce it. Five minutes later, at the Deans office, I was told that - not only is it a campus policy - but it is also part of the California Educational code that governs community colleges.

When I tried to speak to Chief Barnes I was directed to Sergeant Gaytan – who just happened to be one of the same 6 officers that initially blew me off. After prodding him with my new-found knowledge, he finally admitted that smoking is so rampant on campus that it’s just easier for them to not enforce the California Educational Code – something he could have been up front with me about initially instead of lying to me.

I find it outrageous that our campus police can exercise such logic. If enough students started openly shooting heroin, or if enough students were raped, would it become okay, and be tolerated?

Are students even safe on campus with police that govern themselves outside the realm of their own regulations? Shame on Chief Barne’s reign of laziness and ineffectiveness. It seems that a colossal amount of money (from our student fees and taxes we pay) is being wasted on campus security. Especially as police officers, they certainly set a bad example for the Student Body by picking and choosing what rules they want to follow. CCSF’s finest? I think not.

Shirley Barger City College Information Technology Services

Tobias Medina Broadcast Journalism

Write to us 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 are available at www.theguardsman.com.

Send Letters to: email@theguardsman.com 50 Phelan Ave Box V-67 San Francisco, CA 94112 Bungalow 214, Ocean Campus Call for more information: (415) 239-3446

6 | March 9, 2011 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com

CULTURE

Clarivel Fong / The Guardsman

Mesmerized by four-time Grammy nominee and renowned photographer Nick Zinner’s work, Esmeralda Ruiz walks around the Public Works gallery looking at every photograph.

‘1001 Images’ brings viewers into the world of guitarist Nick Zinner

By Atticus Morris The guardsman

Nick Zinner’s “1001 Images,” at Public Works’ Roll Up Gallery, opened a window into the world of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ guitarist, a candid look at the life of a successful touring musician that maintains intrigue.

The exhibit, which showed ten years of Zinner’s photography, ran from Feb. 25 to March 6 as part of the 19th annual Noise Pop festival.

The Roll Up Gallery was full of people typically associated with these sorts of events — tattooed scenesters who sipped wine from plastic cups as they snapped pictures with smart phones.

The space itself is a crooked hallway and the exhibit was presented in odd angles. The 1001 pieces were arranged to guide the viewer’s eyes to particular points — toward flashy images that were for sale.

Among them, a blown-up picture of an empty red theater resembling a David Lynch movie and a portrait of band mate Karen O wielding a gun and wearing a black kimono, fishnets and Converse sneakers.

The exhibit had a compelling, almost fractal-like aspect, whereby attention was consistently drawn further in from the larger grandiose to the smaller everyday; from the most ostentatious moments of rock stardom down to the tiniest details of the guitarist’s personal life.

A cursory glance at Zinner’s work confirmed he has traversed the globe. This makes the breadth of his work much greater than the average photographer’s. He is clearly more than just a rock star with a camera, and doesn’t hide behind exotic or exclusive subject matter.

Sure, there were plenty of pictures taken from the stages of shows. Sold out arenas crammed with legions of sweaty fans, faces twisted into masks of intense euphoria, make for memorable, if megalomanical, images.

But a much more telling and — judging by their sheer numbers — accurate portrayal of rock-star life was a series of images of unmade beds. Hotel beds, guest rooms and couches, probably several hundred pictures, occupied an entire wall of the exhibit.

Images featured musical peers, such as TV On The Radio’s Kip Malone deadpanning with a glass of scotch, and Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox camping in one of those over-sized Tupac shirts, where the dead rapper’s face occupies the entirety of the garment. But there were also ordinary slice-of-life pieces — pictures of skinned knees, middleaged women and bathrooms.

Some of the most interesting pieces were those that broke the classic rules of photography but worked anyway, like the image depicting a woman in a hijab shopping in a crowded bazaar.

The lower part of the photo was obscured by some dark, blurry object, but this gave the image a sense of intimacy, an almost voyeuristic look into this woman’s life. Another picture taken of an outdoor concert was washed out and backlit by the sun, yet the haziness conveyed the late afternoon atmosphere perfectly.

“1001 Images” was part of the Noise Pop’s Culture Club, a two-day celebration of independent art and culture that featured panels, workshops and performances. This year’s Culture Club and The Pop Up Shop, a month-long installation put on in conjunction with Upper Playground, were firsts for Noise Pop. Both are the culmination of the festival’s evolution from a one-night concert, to a weeklong, multimedia extravaganza spread out across some of the best venues in San Francisco, Noise Pop Industries Producer Stacey Horne said.

The Golden Gate, a variety of Paphiopedilum buds, is displayed in a garden style collage of prize winning orchids at the entrance of the Festival pavillion.

ABOVE: Courtney Matsui, green sweatshirt, Kyla Tom, white coat, and Carolyn Matsui admire the colorful Red Rose orchids at the Valley Orchids booth on March 6.

ABOVE MIDDLE: A Summer Sunset cymbidium soaks up the light from nearby spot lights.

ABOVE RIGHT: The Jake Orchid, a variety of Masdevallia ignea orchid blooms in an exhibit by Andy’s Orchids on March 3.

Email: amorris@theguardsman.com

RIGHT: Chuck Masud of Valley Orchids counts change for Galina Zybina. Zybina bought her Doritaenopsis for her young daughter who “loves to water plants.”

Culture

The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | March 9, 2011 | 7

ORCHIDS: NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD Photo Story by Jessica North An abundance of colorful and fragrant flora filled the Festival Pavilion at the Fort Mason Center from March 3 until March 6.

The 59th annual Pacific Orchid Expo (POE) showcased more than 150,000 orchids in an exhibition, and more than 60 vendors sold the rare plants in every stage of growth.

Orchids are the most prolific flower on earth (more than 25,000 new varieties are discovered and bred each year), however, many are in danger of extinction.

A silent auction featuring orchids, art and more

ran all weekend as a fundraiser for the San Francisco Orchid Society, whose goal is to educate the public on the importance of caring for the environment and protecting delicate ecosystems and plant life.

In addition to food and wine service, the event offered orchid potting demonstrations, docent tours, American Orchid Society (AOS) certification, and informational presentations by Brian Petraska, The Orchid Guy, who has produced a DVD for orchid growers.

Email: jnorth@theguardsman.com

Above: Pacific Orchid Expo attendees meander through the aisles of the vendor mart, which showcased the orchids of more than 60 breeders.

Below: Valley Orchids of Morgan Hill, CA offered many types of orchids for sale at the Pacific Orchid Expo on March 6. This variety of Doritaenopsis is a moth orchid hybrid, a cross with a Phaleanopsis and a Doritis.

Culture

8 | March 9, 2011 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com

Cast of ‘earnest’ strives for authenticity

clarivel FonG / The GuardsMan

(L-R) Actors Jim Jones and Carlos Hailey perform a scene ‘The Importance of Being Ernest,’ during a rehearsal at the Diego Rivera Theater of the Ocean Campus.

By Isaiah Kramer The GuardsMan

Unlike many contemporary adaptations of Shakespeare’s works that venture to modernize the production, City College’s theatre department is performing a historically accurate iteration of Oscar Wilde’s play “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

Premiering March 11, the two-hour play will run for two weeks with performances on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Actresses will lace up in gowns with bell-shaped skirts, while actors will be done up in frock coats, breeches and top hats. And they all will speak with a funny accent.

But don’t get the idea that the material in Wilde’s most acclaimed play is as outdated as the clothing. The satire has relevant motifs of classism, superficiality, sexual repression and possible homosexuality.

“One thing that is obvious to me is that this is a comedy,” Director John Wilk said. “And the actors aren’t under the same

restrictions as in a drama.”

Circled in the foyer of the Diego Rivera Theatre before rehearsal, the cast recited their favorite lines from the play, provoking laughter.

The play’s themes become noteworthy in their hilarity, with the butt of most jokes directed at the characters themselves, who comprise a petty upper class.

“For the first couple weeks when we read through the script, we couldn’t stop laughing,” said Kelly Blong, who plays Algernon.

Upping the comedic factor and diverging from the original play, the part of the formidable Lady Bracknell will be done in drag. Jim Jones rehearsed the part wielding a diamond-knobbed cane in low-heeled black pumps and behaving like an overweight, snobbish matron.

The nine speaking actors and actresses spent four weeks mastering the dialect for the British play. The dialect itself is known as Received Pronunciation, which has roots in the upper class of southeastern England but

is more recognizably the accent used in British broadcasting.

“Our one British actor on the cast had just as much trouble as the rest of us perfecting the accent,” said Carlos Halley, who plays Ernest Worthing.

The dialog in the play is quick-witted and fresh. The language is flowery, in part due to the accent, yet sharp. The dualmeanings, undertones and innuendos warrant close attention, as they are the minute details that give the play its greater aphoristic meaning.

“All the conversations have references to something.

When they reference flowers or bunburying, it is thought to mean a man having sex with another man,” said Simon Warner Lane who plays the manservant.

In the opening scene there is talk of “bunburying down in the country.”

The sets are just as well conceived as the script. Wilk spent time creating the three sets before even casting the play. One set uses plants and trees from City College’s horticulture department.

The thrust stage places the performers amid the audience and garners a connection to the actors on stage.

Though the 116-year-old script and costumes are constants, the actors, obviously, are born in today’s world and their acting reflects it.

“We can’t help but put a contemporary spin on it with an American director and an American cast. We’re going to be more tactile, touch each other more than they did,” said Liota TisdelRhodes, who plays leading lady Gwendolen.

Email: ikramer@theguardsman.com

DISCOVER A NEW PATH TO A CAREER IN NURSING.

Academy Awards bring glamour, predictability

By Frank Ladra The GuardsMan

This year’s Oscars are already just a memory, but Hollywood’s annual glamour fest produced poignant and provocative moments while it lasted.

Nearly 40 million viewers tuned in to the 83rd Academy Awards, which took place on Feb. 27 at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre and aired on ABC. The famed red carpet was a paparazzi dream come true as celebrities arrived on the scene, met by flashing lights and hundreds of eager journalists.

Fashion consumed the majority of pre-award discussion at the Academy Awards.

Red couture was popular this year, causing some actresses to camouflage against the carpet. In that monochromatic picture, designer labels like Vera Wang, Calvin Klein and Valentino didn’t pop as much as their stunning complexions, but maybe that was the idea.

In customary Oscar style, the show opened with a spoofstyle short film, inserting firsttime hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco into scenes from this year’s best picture nominees. Cameos of Alec Baldwin and Morgan Freeman left viewers optimistic for what the night might unveil.

Unfortunately, this year’s Oscar celebration seemed to lack the flair of previous years.

Hathaway and Franco tried to entertain the audience with dry humor and cheesy one-liners. Hathaway’s girlnext-door quirks were charming yet one-dimensional, and resulted in strained chemistry when paired with Franco’s feigned indifference.

Compounding the awkwardness was 94-year-old acting legend Kirk Douglas, who blatantly flirted with young Hathaway in front of the cameras. He slurred his comic efforts when revealing the winner of the Best Supporting Actress, first-timer Melissa Leo for her role in The Fighter.

The winners were wellchosen but predictable: “The King’s Speech” won best picture; Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech”) won best actor; Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”) best actress; and Christian Bale (“The Fighter”) won best supporting actor.

Bale’s acceptance speech was most memorable; he choked up while thanking his wife.

“Of course mostly my wonderful wife ah — I didn’t think I was like this — my wonderful wife who is my mast through the storms of life, I hope I’m likewise to you, darling,” he said.

For the “In Memoriam” segment of the show, producers asked the audience to hold their applause until the end of the tribute honoring departed luminaries like Tony Curtis, Lynn Redgrave and Dennis Hopper.

The fifth grade chorus from P.S. 22 in Staten Island, N.Y. ended the show with an adorable performance of ‘’Over the Rainbow,’’ as most of the evening’s winners appeared on stage behind them. Co-host Anne Hathaway’s excitement was more than obvious, as she let out several ‘’wooo’’s and high-fived several of the singing kids.

Email: fladra@theguardsman.com

GAIN GUARANTEED ADMISSION TO SAMUEL MERRITT UNIVERSITY. • Complete your pre-nursing requirements on the beautiful 135-acre Mills College campus.

• Receive a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences.

• Prepare for a successful nursing career with unique leadership seminars.

• Gain guaranteed admission to the BSN program at Samuel Merritt University.*

INFORMATION SESSION Tuesday, March 15, 2011 • 11:00 am–2:15 pm

*upon successful completion of all program requirements

MAKING THE WORLD MORE . . .

Oakland, CA admission@mills.edu www.mills.edu CALL 800.87.MILLS TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE. City College — The Guardsman Size: 6” x 6” Ad #Nursing204

Join the leaders in

AVIATION, TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS and MORE! Undergraduate and graduate programs Learn in a NEARby CLASSROOM or from yOUR hOME! Continuously seeking adjunct faculty

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Culture

The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | March 9, 2011 | 9

‘Barrio Bushido’ bridges intellect, actions literary movement.” “‘Barrio Bushido’ transforms the urban Latino homeboy experience to a new intellectual, educational, literary and artistic empowerment movement,” his blog said.

Personal History After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Sierra enrolled at City College where he was inspired and guided by teachers who encouraged his creative writing.

Sierra began writing “Barrio Bushido” as an undergrad at UC Berkeley. He finished the book for his 2001 Master of Fine Arts thesis at SF State.

In addition to his MFA, Sierra holds a bachelor’s degree with teaching credential and a law degree.

In 2008, a tragic event changed Sierra’s life.

“My brother passed away from an overdose. He was a really important person to me since my father died when I was nine,” Sierra said.

He published “Barrio Bushido” in his brother’s honor.

“I thought I was done with the book when I got it out of my head, but I was wrong,” he said.

Since then, he has begun advocating the book’s examplesetting life lessons.

Challenging Material “Somehow, disadvantaged kids got a message that being smart is bad. People have said things to me that basically are shorthand for ‘Being smart means being white,’” Sierra said.

The author’s blog posts reflect his effort to reach beyond preconceptions and challenge read-

By Catherine Lee the Guardsman

The new book “Barrio Bushido” by City College English instructor Benjamin Bac Sierra serves as an engine, driven by cylinders of intellect and action, for Sierra’s empowerment movement to transform street culture into positive educational energy.

“Barrio Bushido” combines book knowledge, delving into abstract and critical ideas, with street knowledge, reflecting harsh realities and life lessons.

“Intellect combined with action leads to power and fulfillment,” Sierra said of his book’s motivational message.

The book release party on Feb. 17 at the Mission Cultural Center was filled to capacity.

Overflowing lines of neighborhood kids, students and book lovers waited to get a signed copy of the book.

The event was conducted in “true Mission style, with Aztec dancers, low-riders parked on Mission Street and poets spitting barrio wisdom,” a Facebook page for the event said.

Sierra doesn’t use a marketing plan, he’s got a better plan — a lesson plan. It’s a virtual classroom for “homeboy and homegirl scholars” to synthesize book smarts and street smarts through his public readings and blog.

Sierra’s lesson plans are extensive and detailed. The second chapter’s study guide alone includes 32 thoughtprovoking questions.

He previewed his greater plan in his blog where “you will find the beginning of an evolutionary

Free Dental X-Rays During the Spring Semester, the Dental Assisting Program at CCSF is again providing FREE dental x-rays.

City College is one of the few remaining schools to provide this service without charge. The x-rays are taken by appointment by students in the Advanced Dental Radiology Class in the x-ray laboratory classroom located on the Phelan Campus - Cloud Hall 304. An appointment can be arranged for Tuesday AM, Thursday AM or Friday AM or PM by calling (415) 239-3479.

Anyone who can benefit from this free service will need a written authorization signed by a dentist and the films will be sent to this dentist for diagnosis.

Courtesey of Benjamin Bac Sierra

Benjamin Bac Sierra, author of “Barrio Bushido.”

ers to seize the “opportunity for empowerment and promotion of our unique intellectual and spiritual identity. ” Sierra believes the book is capable of inspiring a life of the mind. His characters have “philosophical and intelligent conversations. Even though they may speak in street language, their discussions are complex and existential,” he said. “These are very smart characters.”

Sierra hopes the book’s exploration of shame, pride, purpose, life and good vs. evil will foster a worldview in which “it’s not treacherous to think.”

As a result of a reading Sierra did for the City College Literary Club, City College English

Sports

Calendar for March 09 - March 22

Campus Events

instructors John Isles, Amy Miles and Shawna Ryan added “Barrio Bushido” to their curriculum.

City College students will be on the forefront of Sierra’s intellectual movement if they enroll in these English classes.

The professor in Sierra lives and loves the life of the mind. But unlike some academics, he also lives in the outside world.

His solution to reconcile the streets with the schools is to exchange the ivory tower for the community center, embracing the power of culture and art, including literature.

Email: clee@theguardsman.com

Community Events

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California Community College March in March State Capitol Sacramento 11am

Men’s Baseball game vs Hartnell College SF State 2 p.m.

Film Screening: Still Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising’s Image of Women Rosenberg Library room 305 2:30 — 4:15 p.m.

Remembering Triangle – Connecting the Struggles of Immigrant Women Workers Then and Now Mission Campus Auditorium 6:30 — 9:30 p.m.

Immigrant Women Domestic Workers Speaker: Kathleen Coll Rosenberg Library room 304 12:30 — 2 p.m.

Men’s Baseball game at Gavilan College Gilroy 2 p.m.

Film Screening and Discussion: Pink Smoke Over the Vatican Speaker Rev. Victoria Rue Rosenberg Library room 305 12 — 3 p.m.

Track and Field: Jack Albiani Invitational at Modest Junior College 11 a.m.

2nd Annual Mexika New Year celebration Mission Campus 12 p.m.

Women’s Softball game vs Mission College Santa Clara 3 p.m.

Sun & Fun in the Mission~ Biciclistas Lifecycle Fundraiser Mission Workshop 40 Rondel Place 2 p.m.

Hike Presidio Ridge Trail To Golden Gate Bridge meet at the Arguello gate 1 p.m.

Biennial Juried Ceramic Student Exhibition now on display City Arts Gallery Visual Arts Building Ocean Campus

Women’s Softball vs Cabrillo College Fairmont Field in Pacifica1 p.m.

Women’s Tennis vs Monterey Peninsula College Ocean Campus 2 p.m.

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Satire Theater in a Pub Cafe Royale 800 Post St 7:30 — 9 p.m.

Ages 21+

Men’s Baseball game vs Ohlone College Fremont 2:30 p.m.

Donald Van Demark discusses “The Good Among the Great” Books Inc 601 Van Ness Ave 7 p.m.

Nerd Nite SF #10: Visualization of Science, Undersea Internet, & the Art of Videogames Rickshaw Shop 155 Fell St 7:30 p.m.

Men’s Baseball game vs Chabot College Fairmont Field Pacifica 1 p.m.

Women’s Softball game vs West Valley College Fairmont Field Pacifica 3 p.m.

Women’s swim meet at Las Positas College Livermore 2 p.m.

Women’s Tennis vs Chabot Ocean Campus 2 p.m.

Classifieds

Men’s Baseball game vs West Valley College Fairmont Field Pacifica 12 p.m.

National Day of Action: Stop U.S. Wars abroad and at home protest UN Plaza 12 p.m. followed by a march to Local 2 boycotted hotels

Sunday Streets 2011 Season Kickoff Embarcadero 11 a.m. — 4 p.m.

Zion I & The Grouch West Coast Hip-Hop Amoeba Music 1855 Haight St, 2 p.m.

Word for Word and Z Space Present a Bon Voyage Benefit: performance of Tennessee Williams’ “Two On A Party,” Theater Artaud 450 Florida 8 p.m..

Women’s Softball game vs Monterey Peninsula College Monterey 3 p.m.

Women’s Tennis vs Foothill College Los Altos 2 p.m.

CCSF Commencement Ceremony DATE: Saturday MAY 28th, 2011 TIME: 10:00 AM LOCATION: RAM STADIUM, OCEAN CAMPUS All student graduates wishing to participate in the CCSF Commencement Ceremony must register with the Office of Student Affairs. Upon registration you will receive a packet containing all informational materials including: *Cap and Gown loan program application (Loan packages are limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Now accepting applications) & Cap and Gown purchase order form Are you interested in being the Student Speaker for this years Commencement Ceremony? Contact the Office of Student Affairs on or before March 7th, 2011.

For questions contact: Office of Student Affairs Phone: 415-239-3211 Email: studaff@ccsf.edu In person: Conlan Hall E106

CCSF Metro Academy Will you be in English 96 in Fall 2011? Are you interested in health and positively changing society? If yes, please consider joining the CCSF Metro Academy.

The Metro Academy is a clear, supported path to CSU transfer with an emphasis on health and social justice. Students in Metro take English courses linked to other Metro classes and have the benefit of being part of a cohort and receiving academic counseling.

–Have more questions? Want an application? Please email: Amber Straus astraus@ccsf.edu

Classified Ads 50 cents per word. $5 minimum for commercial advertisers. City College students, staff and faculty qualify for one free classified per semester. Multiple ads not accepted. Must show current student ID. Commercial ads not accepted from students. Acceptance of ads at the discretion of The Guardsman.

10 | March 9, 2011 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com

SPORTS

From the Bleachers

Moving on to the Final Four

By Ryan Kuhn The Guardsman

The Rams will get a chance at redemption when they play Saddleback College Gauchos in the first state semi-final game March 11 at Ventura College. This will be a rematch of last year’s state title game that sent the Rams home without the championship win.

After falling 63-57 to the Gauchos one year ago in the same building, sophomores like Jonathon Williams are looking forward to this payback opportunity.

“I was excited,” he said, after hearing the news that they will face Saddleback again. “It is good that we played them before. We are ready.”

The Gauchos, who finished second in the Orange Empire Conference come into the state semi-finals with a record of 27-6, but Williams is confident.

“If we play hard everyday, and do what we always do, we will be fine,” Williams said.

The Rams blew through the Northern California playoffs with wins against Butte, Reedley and Santa Rosa averaging all three wins by a 22-point margin per game. With the three victories, their winning streak improved to 25 games.

Starting Rams forward Fred Sturdivant said the key to their success is team chemistry, and that the team is almost like a family.

But he knows the team has potential to play better than they did last Saturday against Santa Rosa Junior College.

“It wasn’t our best performance, but we pulled it off,” he said.

Thoughts by Ryan Kuhn on community college, sports and what not

Honoring a bad code is as wrong as hypocrisy

Gracie Malley / the guardsman

Sophomore Jonathon Williams jumps to make a basket in the Rams 85-67 win over Reedley College in the playoffs on March 2.

Sophomore Colin Chiverton led the way for the Rams with a career-high 41 points, including sinking nine 3-pointers in his last game at the Wellness Center.

Williams and Chiverton are looking to lead their teammates onto the biggest stage in community college basketball.

“They just have to stay focused, go out there and have fun,” Williams said. “They can’t be jittery.”

The Rams are poised within two victories of a state champion-

ship title, something they haven’t done since 1962.

“It would be a letdown if we do not win, but I know we are going to,” Williams said with a smile.

City College will play their semifinal game on March 11 at 5 p.m., and if the team is successful, the state championship game will be on March 13 at 1 p.m.

Email: ikramer@theguardsman.com

REALIZE YOUR DREAM AT MILLS COLLEGE.

When someone brings up stories of their college experience, the stereotypical excessive drinking, meaningless sex and memories of outrageous parties are usually brought to mind.

But to a college basketball player in Provo, Utah, his memory of his first two years might be getting suspended from the basketball team not for poor grades nor breaking the law, but for having sex with his girlfriend.

Brandon Davies, a sophomore at Brigham Young University, will not be allowed to play basketball for the remainder of the season after admitting he had premarital sex, which violates the school’s honor code that every student is obligated to sign.

BYU’s honor code’s requirements include being honest, living a chaste and virtuous life, obeying the law, using clean language, respecting others, abstaining from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, coffee and tea, specific dress and grooming standards, attending church regularly and waiting until marriage to have sex.

Davies was leading the No. 3 ranked Cougars in rebounds and was third on the team in scoring.

Now, let me first give respect to the university for actually abiding by their code and taking action. Other colleges have been known to turn a blind eye to negative light that is shed on their

Concurso poesía en español Versos y frases del alma Día: miércoles 27 de abril, 2011 Poemas y cuentos cortos deben ser en español e inéditos.

(No exceder más de una página)

Mills offers talented women who want an exceptional and personal education the ability to: • Transfer in fall or spring.

• Get the classes you need to graduate on time.

• Earn a merit scholarship from $8,000 to full tuition.

• Transfer with no minimum number of credits.

• Transfer without completing your GE requirements.

INFORMATION SESSION Tuesday, March 15 11:00 am–2:15 pm City College — The Guardsman Size: 6” x 6” Ad #501DREAM11

MAKING THE WORLD MORE . . .

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athletes. On the other hand, taking action is one thing, but making an example of a student is another.

Religion should be a guideline or a set of rules to follow.

While these rules mostly make sense, and should be highly encouraged, they should not be so strictly enforced. Besides, whose right is it to tell someone they are not allowed to dress a certain way or have a cup of coffee?

With more than 1,700 private universities in the United States, BYU, BYU-Hawaii and BYUIdaho are the only schools that uphold a strict honor code like the one Davies broke.

Private universities that are affiliated with religious organizations (such as Notre Dame and University of San Francisco) have academic honor codes, but they don’t have lifestyle honor codes.

Katie DeChants, who works for USF’s Office of Student Conduct, Rights and Responsibilities, said it takes a lot for a student to get kicked out of the university, even when alcohol is related.

Despite being a Catholic university, USF doesn’t push views onto their students. According to the US News and World Report, USF is ranked in the top 30 for universities with cultural diversity. This shows that religious views can help a university strive in the education process but also gives students a chance to keep their own beliefs.

Someone must have reported Davies and his girlfriend to the university. But if two people decide to have sex, it should be their concern alone.

Whether or not we are judged by our way of life, there will be repercussions for the decisions we make. For Davies, we don’t know his entire story. All we know is that someone told on him and he admitted to his mistake.

The fact is, the university and his church took action, so as I sit here and sinfully sip my cup of coffee, I sincerely hope his basketball career and, more importantly, his education do not come to an end in Provo, Utah.

Email: rkuhn@theguardsman.com

sports

The Guardsman & theguardsman.com | March 9, 2011 | 11

yoga brings relaxation to campus

By Matthew Gomez The GuardsMan

Gracie Malley / The GuardsMan

Sophomore Shawnte Taylor (24) attempts a layup during a third round playoff game against Butte College on March 2.

women head to state

By Ryan Kuhn The GuardsMan

After a blowout victory against rival Foothill College, City College women’s basketball will head back to Ventura, Calif. to play in the state semifinals.

The Rams traveled down the road, crushing Foothill in their third meeting of the year, 87-70, on March 5. It was their second win against the Owls this year.

City College had no problem in the Northern California playoffs with victories also against

Cosumnes River College and Butte College. All three games were no contest, with the Rams winning by 15 points per game on average.

Their semifinal game will be on March 12 when they face Cypress College, the No. 2 seed from Southern California Tip off will be at 5 p.m. and if victorious, City College will play for the state title on March 13 at 3:30 p.m.

Email: rkuhn@theguardsman.com

Yoga is the class for City College students looking to take a step back and relax.

Often interpreted as meaning “union”, yoga combines physical postures with breathing and calming exercises, and is meant to connect the mind, breath and body, yogajournal.com said.

“The relaxation helps you to be able to control your emotions,” City College yoga instructor Yvonne Banuet-Alvers said. “It helps you to build a mental capacity of focus and concentration.”

Yoga poses contort the body and require submission from the practitioner. While it can be uncomfortable at first as the body adjusts to using different muscles, many first time practitioners find that after a few classes they are more relaxed and focused.

“It calms me throughout the day,” said Alexis Cortez, an architecture major at City College. “We could all use that.”

Cortez’s chiropractor suggested he take yoga classes because the stretching would help his scoliosis.

Banuet-Alvers began teaching yoga at City College 24 years ago and only four yoga classes were offered in the old gym. Now there are 27 sections and five different courses being held at the brand new yoga studio in the Wellness Center.

She said the hardest concept for many students to grasp is the difficulty involved in mastering the poses. The strength needed to support oneself is acquired within a few weeks, but flexibility can take months or years of practice to develop.

clarivel FonG / The GuardsMan

Students in one of City College’s yoga classes stretch their legs in the yoga studio at the Wellness Center.

Jaimie Diaz, a fashion major and first-time yoga practitioner, takes a morning class with Banuet-Alvers. She said her muscles were surprisingly sore for a few days after her first class, but that she finds it easier the more she practices.

“I like it because it’s early so I get to start my day earlier,” Diaz said.

Banuet-Alvers has noticed many changes in the way yoga is viewed. When she began teaching, 99 percent of her students were female. Now her classes

are more diverse.

“It’s a reward seeing bodies made better,” Banuet-Alvers said.

“Everything changes, but your body is the one vehicle you have through life.”

She began doing yoga in the late 1970’s at the suggestion of her belly dance teacher.

“She said ‘Yvonne, you’ll like yoga,” Banuet-Alvers said. “And she was right.”

Email: rkuhn@theguardsman.com

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12 | March 9, 2011 | The Guardsman & theguardsman.com

Broadus parKer / The GuardsMan

Freshman catcher Zach Maraziti slides into third base during City College’s 9-6 victory over DeAnza College on March 4. The Rams’ record now stands at 3-10.

Rams break out of slump

By Ryan Kuhn The GuardsMan

Broadus parKer / The GuardsMan

Infielder Louis Coppo drives the ball to center field, extending the Rams’ lead to 9-6.

Sometimes teams just need to return to the basics.

After giving up 71 runs and committing 14 errors in their previous five games, City College snapped their losing streak, defeating DeAnza College 9-6.

On the heels of losing his last two starts, Tomas Sanchez pitched five innings — giving up only three runs — to get his first win of the season.

The Rams got off to the early start as freshmen Jeff Tanaka and Cody Silveria hit back-to-

back singles to drive in two runs.

Later in the inning, Anton Luchtel added another RBI to put City College ahead 4-0.

Silveria finished 1-4 with two RBIs. For every DeAnza offensive surge, the Rams had an answer, gaining some distance between the two teams on an RBI single

by Alex Rodriguez.

Head coach John Vandocini said he was pleased with the victory, but he knows his team can improve and needs to stay confident.

With two more runs in the

bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly and double, the Rams extended their lead back to four.

Although relief pitcher Aaron Hartman gave up a run, he retired the final batter on a fly out in the ninth inning. He pitched the last four innings and sat down seven of the last nine batters in a row to save the game.

The next game for City College will be March 10 when they travel to Gilroy, Calif. to face Gavilan College. First pitch will be at 2 p.m.

Email: rkuhn@theguardsman.com

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