The Guardsman Vol 149, Issue 8. City College of San Francisco

NEWS: Lunch Box catches fire — arson suspected

PAGE 2

FEATURES:

City College students and faculty in ‘La Mission’

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Volume 149, Issue 8

www.theguardsman.com

May 12, 2010

Board gets grim fiscal projection

BUDGET: THE BOTTOM LINE

Foundation of City College seeks funds for the school

By Jessica Luthi THE GUARDSMAN

By Liska Koenig THE GUARDSMAN

“I

nvest in Education,” a new program to save classes at the school, was launched by the Foundation of City College of San Francisco this month.

“It’s like giving to your favorite charity,” said Armen Carapetian, director of development at the foundation. “If friends or family want to give you a graduation present, they can just go to the website, make a tax-deductible donation and print out a certificate.”

Minimum donations of $35 can be made through http://investineduca- “If we are just looktion.bbnow.org, a website dedicated to ing at next year, the campaign.

Due to lack of funds, City College we are looking at a has been forced to cancel about 1,500 deficit of about $8 classes, including all 2010 summer million” classes. With the current California budget deficit and recent cuts to educa— John Rizzo tion, the school may have to cancel City College Trustee more classes in the upcoming fiscal year.

“It all depends on what the state does,” City College Trustee John Rizzo said. “If we are just looking at next year, we are looking at a deficit of about $8 million.”

Rizzo said he doesn’t know where money to bridge the deficit will come from.

Where has all the money for education gone

I

n these difficult economic times, everyone is tightening their budgets, including City College.

The monthly financial report, which was delivered at the April 29 board of trustees meeting, brought grim news of City College's current budget. Peter Goldstein, vice chancellor of administration and finance said there are still more hardships ahead.

"It will be an extremely difficult year," he said about the 201011 fiscal year.

In addition, the college will have to wait until mid-May for the governor's May budget revision to determine the severity of the shortfall.

"Both the best and worst case scenarios have shortfalls, with the best case being $4 million and the worst $12 million," Goldstein said.

City College could stand to lose even more money if base enrollment is not met.

CITY COLLEGE: Page 5

FOUNDATION: Page 2

College nets $15,000 in donations

By Brian Rose and Don Clyde THE GUARDSMAN

T

he City College donation campaign to save fall 2010 classes has raised over $15,000, and efforts are underway to raise much more in the near future.

The cash donation drive was originally set up by Chancellor Don Griffin on March 1, but many of the logistics are being managed

by Katryn Wiese, department chair of earth sciences.

“Without him getting the ball rolling in the beginning we

wouldn’t even be close to where we are at now,” Wiese said about Griffin.

The donations will be added to the existing $150,000 already raised by The Foundation of City College of San Francisco. It takes about $6,000 to fund one class.

Donations of all amounts have been given so far. Everything from $5 to $2,000 has been received.

“We all appreciate the great support and generosity from all those that have made donations.

Great and small, all is needed, and all will go to great use,” Wiese said.

DONATION CAMPAIGN: Page 2

GRAPHIC BY MCT CAMPUS

ROBERT ROMANO / THE GUARDSMAN

San Francisco drops Mission Science Workshop

(L-R) Landon Boren, Jasmine William, Mario Canul, Dan Bragss, Dan Sudran and Luis Gallardo (front right) experiment with fire and oxygen at the Mission Science Workshop on May 10. The City of San Francisco plans cut funding to the workshop and some other youth-service programs.

SEE FULL STORY: Page 3

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News

THE GUARDSMAN

News Briefs Budget Meeting May 18

A public hearing to discuss the City College 2010-11 budget will be held in Room 103 of the Wellness Center on May 18 at 1:15 p.m.

The meeting will focus on how the college plans to deal with the expected $8 million gap that was reported by Peter Goldstein, vice chancellor of finance and administration, last week.

The hearing is sponsored by the Planning and Budgeting Council, chaired by Chancellor Don Griffin, and serves to inform and involve students, staff and faculty.

Campus Safety

The City College Police Department urges faculty and staff to take active responsibility for their personal safety. They recommend: • Walk with confidence to not be perceived as a potential victim.

• Prepare yourself to respond to various situations, and think defensively.

• Laptops, purses and other personal belongings should never been left unattended, even if it is just for a brief period of time.

• Always lock your vehicle, and remove all valuables from open view.

• Park in well-lit areas.

Walk with a group or another person and have your keys in your hand when approaching your vehicle.

• Check the inside of your car so before opening the door.

• Be aware of your surroundings - if you feel you are being followed abruptly switch directions or cross the street. If someone is still following you go to a public place and ask for help. Call campus police at (415) 239-3200 or 911.

• Most crimes occur when an opportunity presents itself. Use common sense, and trust your instincts.

MAY 12, 2010

Illegal fireworks display sparks Lunch Box blaze

By Estela Fuentes THE GUARDSMAN

City College police officers responded to reports of shots fired at the Ocean Campus Lunch Box restaurant on May 6 and discovered that the source of the noise was not a gun, but an unlicensed fireworks display on the roof which resulted in a small fire.

Firefighters quickly doused the flames, but police evacuated the area and Cloud Circle was closed off when firefighters found an pyrotechnic device on the roof of the Lunch Box. CCPD chief Andre Barns said the incident is being investigated as arson by the city police and fire departments as well as City College police.

“This was not just a normal fireworks display. It was very large,” a City College police officer who declined to state his name because he was not authorized to speak said. “Now it’s looking like it was absolutely something that was set up.”

City College officers called the San Francisco fire and police departments when they realized there was a fire.

The Bomb Squad was called in to determine whether or not the device, which started the fire and may have been a triggering mechanism for the fireworks, was still a danger. Two K-9 units were brought in to search the perimeter

Donation certificate promoted as gift idea FOUNDATION: From the front page

ALEX EMSLIE / THE GUARDSMAN

San Francisco firefighters douse a small blaze at the Ocean campus Lunch Box on May 6.

around the restaurant for more explosives, but found nothing.

“At first, I thought someone threw a grenade up here,” Lunch Box employee Baline Wong said.

The restaurant reopened briefly before police shut it down and deemed it a crime scene.

“There was hella fireworks.

It was pretty dope though,” City College student Brock Smith said. “All we heard was a loud bang and we looked up and it was fireworks.”

Several officers on scene said because of the size and complexity of the pyrotechnics, they had to have been set up in advance.

“Why would someone spend this kind of money on something like this?” CCPD officer Rachele

Hakes said.

Footage from security cameras contained no evidence, Hakes said. Police officials did not release any specific description of the device arson investigators took from the scene.

“This wasn’t kids,” Hakes said. “This was professional fireworks.”

Lunch Box employees told police that they have not had any altercations or arguments with customers that would encourage retaliation.

Despite repeated attempts, representatives from the San Francisco fire and police departments refused to comment.

E-mail: efuentes@theguardsman.com

The average cost per class at City College is about $6,000, and about 170 contributions at the $35 level would be sufficient to save a course section, said Carapetian.

“Asking people to invest in education plays a vital role for City College. In the long run it also plays a major role for the Bay Area workforce. It’s a gift that will bring back dividends to the community,” Carapetian said.

Foundation President Haig Mardikian and City College Chancellor Don Griffin signed a Master Agreement on April 14, which outlines the agreement between the non-profit foundation’s commitment and the college to raise funds for educational purposes.

The foundation has raised approximately $150,000 to save classes, Carapetian said.

The campaign website also provides links to social networks like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace so users can participate in the fundraising effort by sharing the information through their personal profiles.

E-mail: lkoenig@theguardsman.com

Drive organizers hope for more money DONATION CAMPAIGN: From the front page

Still, an issue remains with the promotion of the campaign itself. Many students and faculty are still unaware the donation drive exists.

“I haven’t seen anything at all about a donation campaign anywhere on campus,” City College student Nathan Brinlee said.

“You would think that for a topic as big as saving classes from being cut, we would be made more aware.”

Wiese said steps are being made to correct this issue. A link to the donation drive flyer was added to the City College website, and soon the link will be provided describing the donation process in general, as well as links to other donation drives.

A steady stream of e-mails to all faculty members will also remind them of their responsibility of helping spread the word of

the campaign.

“We’ve developed internal logistics and processes that will help in future donation drives,” Wiese said. “So it’s been a success in more than just bringing in money for fall — it’s also helped simplify the process of bringing in money for future semesters.

We’re still suffering large budget cuts. And we have lots of projects we want to fund.”

This donation drive will last until the end of this semester, but future donation drives will be undertaken until the budget situation has improved.

If approved student groups or faculty would like to take the initiative and help form their own fundraising efforts, they are encouraged to do so. Those interested can contact Bursar Rebeca Chavez in Conlan Hall, Room E103, to pick up a donation box.

Gail Barton of the physical education and dance department hosted a Waltz Party

in the Wellness Center on March 12 and received over $500 in donations.

“This current donation drive is possible only because of the efforts and support of Rebeca Chavez and her office,” Wiese said. “The bursar’s office is our number one supporter.”

Visit www.ccsf.edu and click on the “CCSF Donate” button to learn how to make a donation.

Cash donations can be dropped off in donation boxes at the bookstores on the Ocean, John Adams, Mission, and Downtown campuses.

Check donations (subject reference: Restore Classes Fund) can be mailed to: City College of San Francisco -- Bursar 50 Phelan Ave. Box E103 San Francisco, CA 94112 E-mail: dclyde@theguardsman.com

News

MAY 12, 2010

THE GUARDSMAN

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Budget crisis threatens youth-serving groups City department drops Mission Science Workshop and many other nonprofits

By Alex Emslie THE GUARDSMAN

The mayor’s scramble to close San Francisco’s $483 million projected deficit hit home for many youth-serving community organizations with the recent cuts to the Department of Youth, Children and Their Families budget.

Many nonprofits dependent on DCYF allocations to stay afloat were not awarded any grants. That’s the situation the Mission Science Workshop — a hands-on science program with City College roots — is in today.

“The Mission Science situation is critical in that, without the DCYF funding, they might shut their doors,” said Kathleen White, chair of City College’s child development and family studies department, a Mission Science Workshop partner.

Dan Sudran, the workshop’s founder, said he expected some level of cuts to public funding of his program, but he didn’t expect to lose half his budget — the yearly $120,000 the workshop receives from DCYF. The rest of the workshop’s funding comes from private donations and grants.

Beginning June 30, the end of San Francisco’s current fiscal year, many child- and youth-serving community-based organizations will see city funding drastically reduced or eliminated if the current budget is approved. These programs provide a wide range of services to San Francisco children and their families, like violence prevention, mentoring, job training and educational support.

“We’ve always really thrived in San Francisco,” Sudran said.

“This is the first time we’ve ever really got a blow on the head, which is what it feels like.”

DCYF cuts

The DCYF website states that $20 million was available to award for the next fiscal year, but requests for funding totaled approximately $72 million.

“In terms of funding, we literally don’t have the money,” DCYF Director Maria Su told the city Board of Supervisors budget committee on April 28. “We’re looking at an $11 million reduction to our budget.”

Supervisors David Campos, Ross Mirkarimi, and budget committee chair John Avalos agreed the cuts to the DCYF budget were unreasonable, and that the department should be exempt from the mayor’s request that all city departments submit a 20 percent budget reduction for next year.

The mayor must submit next year’s budget to the board by June 1 and then approve a final budget by July 30.

“A lot of people in this room did not get what they requested in our Requests for Proposals process, and there are a lot of people in this room who provide high quality programs,” Su said to the committee chamber packed with community-based organization representatives waiting to testify about cuts to their program.

“We just ran out of money.”

She defended the DCYF decision-making process, which uses an assessment of social and economic factors concerning San Francisco youth by neighborhood to choose the amount of money awarded to programs, stressing the need to maintain the quality of the programs that will be funded.

“It made no sense for us to give everyone $20,000 grants,” she said.

But Sudran said being completely dropped by the city would hurt his ability to acquire private funding.

“Our feeling is that even if it was a small amount, it could make a huge difference,” he said. “It’s kind of embarrassing when you go to a corporation or a private foundation and they want to know how sustainable you are and you can’t even say that the city is supporting you. In fact, if they look into it, they can see that the city actually dropped you like a ton of bricks, like you were infected or something.”

The Mission Science Workshop’s staff of three serves about 3,000 children yearly, mostly from Mission district schools belonging to San Francisco Unified School District — 2.5 times the service requirement set by the DCYF. “They’re so into quality controls and performance standards,” Sudran said. “Then when you not only comply with them

ROBERT ROMANO / THE GUARDSMAN

(L-R) James Lick Middle School students Brenda Franco, Iñes Solano, Carlos Cartagena and Jasmine William play with dry ice in water as Jaquin Garcia (back) watches on May 7 at the Mission Science Workshop. If she wasn’t at the workshop, Solano said, “I would be on MySpace or be sleeping.”

all but you actually overperform, this is what you get?”

Early activation

There is a social justice aspect to providing early activation in science learning to children, White said.

“One critical issue is that we have an achievement gap in science,” she said. “In many lowincome areas in San Francisco — the Mission being one of them — our kids don’t do as well in science.”

California ranked second lowest of all states on eighth grade science achievement, only above Mississippi, according to a 2005 National Center for Education Statistics assessment.

A 2007 UC Berkeley study titled “The Status of Science Education in Bay Area Elementary Schools” described early activation in scientific curiosity as a crucial aspect to improving California’s low science performance rate.

“They’ve sort of determined that the crucial age for getting people interested in science is between 5 and 12 years old,” Sudran said. “If you haven’t done it by then, it’s a really low probability that you’re ever really going to be able to do it.”

White said the social benefit of housing a hands-on science center in a neighborhood where science achievement has been historically low is “kind of a no brainer.”

“I understand from a developmental point of view that all children should be scientists and they begin to be scientists as soon as they start talking,” she said. “They ask questions about the natural world and the order of things, and that kind of curiosity

should be fostered. That’s very related to learning, and learning is very related to success.”

Facing extensive cuts within their department and a much greater need due to the recession, the DCYF is facing a “perfect storm” of economic conditions, White said.

“You have less money, more need and fewer people to get the money out,” she said. “It’s really just this process, and if the process isn’t fully supported, it’s destined to be problematic.”

Worst case scenarios

San Francisco’s budget is not yet finalized, and there is still a possibility that money could be added back into the DCYF budget. Supervisors Bevin Dufty, David Campos and Sophie Maxwell introduced a resolution requesting the city controller’s office to conduct a review of DCYF’s award decisions to present to the board in time to adjust the 2010-11 budget.

“Some of the choices that are embedded in this proposal are not only wrong, but I actually think they’re dangerous because they leave communities with high levels of need without programs that are not only good programs, but are actually vital to the health and safety of those neighborhoods,” Campos said.

While “add-backs” to the DCYF resulting in some restoration of funding would help the Mission Science Workshop and other youth-serving non-profits, the budget maneuver only covers next year. DCYF grant awards cover the next three years. Even with some add-backs, community based organizations would have no guarantee of funding for

2011-12, when the city’s budget deficit is projected to top $750 million, or for the following year.

Meanwhile, Sudran splits his time between doing what he loves, teaching science to kids in the Mission, and advocating for funding for his program.

He is also actively planning for additional community science workshops in California through a grant from the S. D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation.

The worst case scenario is if the current budget passes, he said, meaning no add-backs or restoration of funding, and the workshop would be cut off from city funding for the next three years.

“We would figure out how to continue,” Sudran said. “I don’t think I could imagine ditching the program.”

Sudran said he would be left with the option of firing the workshop’s two employees and running it himself, serving less than one third of the children he does now, or forgoing his own salary and benefits and registering for social security and medicare to support himself. Or a private donor could cover the loss.

“Crisis can be opportunity,” Sudran said. “We’ve exponentially increased our amount of outreach because of this crisis.

All kinds of people are finding out about us that didn’t know, including a number of supervisors who didn’t know about this program. Now they do, or they’re going to know. The mayor is for sure going to know.”

E-mail: aemslie@theguardsman.com

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News

THE GUARDSMAN

MAY 12, 2010

KCSF 90.9 broadcasts live from Ram Plaza

By Resyl Joy Bejasa CONTRIBUTING WRITER

City College’s radio station, KCSF 90.9 FM, held its first live remote broadcast in 30 years of operation on May 7.

Students who normally work for the station in the Ocean campus Arts Extension building broadcast their programs from Ram Plaza.

The event was held to promote the station and raise student awareness of it.

“A lot of people here don’t even know we have a station,” KCSF Executive Assistant Jerry Weatherford said.

KCSF is an entirely studentrun FM station that provides hands-on experience in programming and operating a modern radio station. The staff of KCSF is comprised of students from three overlapping broadcast classes that meet together twice a week — radio management skills, radio production and radio news and public affairs.

As General Manager of KCSF, Cecil Hale shares his broad industry experience — including employment as a radio DJ, station manager and Capitol Records executive — with students.

“The main objective of KCSF is to train people to understand radio,” Hale said. “To equip them so they can go out and be employed.”

Hale has worked with the

RAMSEY EL-QARE / THE GUARDSMAN

Sports reporter Matias Godinez (left) and Operation Manager Assistant Jerry Weatherford debate baseball teams during The Red Zone commercial break on May 7.

station for 20 years and played a major role in transforming KCSF into a state-of-the-art facility when it updated to an all digital format three years ago. He provides students with guidance and an environment that encourages professional growth and teamwork skills, but otherwise he stays out of the way.

“Dr. Hale let us think for ourselves as a radio station,” KCSF Operations Manager Angelica Nevarez said. “He lets us provide our own content and we work from there.”

Nevarez came to City College in fall 2007. She took several broadcasting classes, and by the next year, she was part of a team that strives to run KCSF as a commercial radio station.

“KCSF was previously just known to be a class where students come in, do their air shifts and leave,” Nevarez said.

“Now we think outside of the box and we're trying to be bigger.”

There is a broad range of programming on KCSF including “Dead Air,” a news-based comedy program; “Urban Update,” a

show that couples local and international news with spiritual and relationship advice; “Dispatches from the Underground,” a music show that promotes local bands; and “The Red Zone,” a City College sports broadcast.

“We have more students than we’ve ever had, it's grown,” Hale said.

Last Fall, KCSF held a food drive for the San Francisco Food Bank, an organization which delivers food to about 400 nonprofit organizations in the city. They collected over 200

pounds of food.

“KCSF is here to speak for the people and give back to the community,” Nevarez said.

The station is currently working closely with local businesses and companies such as the San Francisco Giants, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and 2b1 Multimedia to receive promotional items and funds.

The San Francisco Giants provided a Tim Lincecum bobblehead as a raffle prize at the live broadcast event, along with CDs and DVDs as giveaways.

A new KCSF station in the Mission campus is on its way.

With brand new equipment, the staff of the Ocean campus will eventually merge with the sister campus and work closely to promote the station.

“Once Dr. Hale gives us the OK, we’re going to work closely with them and show them what we know,” Nevarez said.

KCSF will be holding a talent show contest on May 14, 2010 in the Ocean campus cafeteria. Any special talent is welcome. There will be live bands and performances by other talents from the KCSF staff and City College students.

KCSF can be heard on 90.9 FM and streams on-line through the campus website, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

E-mail: email@theguardsman.com

Three days of noncredit classes offered for summer

By Hannah Weiner THE GUARDSMAN

An “Open College” proposal

by City College’s June 2nd General Assembly July 14th August 4th has been approved Budget CutsBiology10am-5pm for the summer Economy& Social Engineering Justice@Ocean Campus Register now! and will offer free lectures, workthe General Assembly shops, labs, food and open discussions.

The event will be on three days, June 2, July 14 and Aug. 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Science Building on Ocean campus.

Student sign-up and outreach is set to begin soon on Rams Plaza.

“We have had an overwhelmingly positive response from faculty,” General Assembly student member Felix CabreCCSF Summer 2010

OPEN COLLEGE Upset about the loss of summer classes? You are not alone! Your teachers and fellow students have organized FREE SUMMER WORKSHOPS for you to take part in. Explore education like no other semester!

Topics for workshops may include, but are not

limited to: Astronomy Latin American Studies

& Fire Science

online enrollment coming soon!

(all Wednesdays)

visit Ram Plaza in the afternoon

Brought to you by:

want to get involved? visit us at:

www.ccsfagainstthecuts.org

or e-mail us at: ccsf.generalassembly@gmail.com

All persons desiring accommodations need to contact DSP&S at (415) 452-5481. Please give at least 72 hours notice.

ra said. “Teachers are eager to teach the subjects they love, students are willing to learn, and everyone sees the positive and powerful statements that can come out of an event such as this.”

Lectures will also be given about the education budget deficit and how to fight it.

“The budget is really what is determining our future,” Leslie Smith, associate vice chancellor of governmental relations, said. “They will be talking about advocacy in terms of student empowerment and how to make changes to the education system.”

“It’s the first time summer school was canceled in over 30 years and I think people felt the need to keep in touch with the school over the summer,” Smith said.

“The idea really resonated with folks.”

Cabrera, whose role is to focus on outreach and follow-up for the event, said almost everyone the General Assembly has

talked to has agreed to help in some capacity.

“We have contacted teachers, administrators and unions to ensure the possibility of the event,” Cabrera said. “Once we get a teacher who is interested we need to make sure they stay informed of the developments as they happen.”

While the Open College will provide free courses in various subjects, students will not receive credits for the classes they attend.

“The teachers are going to be working for free, with no obligation other than the love of teaching,” Cabrera said. “I kind of like to think of this as an event like a concert where people come because they really want to, not because they have to.”

Katryn Wiese, earth sciences department chair will be helping students organize events and will teach a workshop at Open College. Education is valuable

whether it’s formally structured or not, she said.

“I’m supportive of any opportunity to reach out to the community and provide open educational workshops and experiences,” Wiese said. “We will demonstrate that our education lies in our own hands — that we don’t have to let our education stop simply because the formal piece, credit, pay, etc., isn’t available.”

The General Assembly, as well as other supporters of Open College, are hoping the event will make a widespread political statement about the state of education in California, and enable collaboration between students and faculty.

For more information visit www.ccsfagainstthecuts.org or write to ccsf.generalassembly@gmail.com.

E-mail: hweiner@theguardsman.com

News

MAY 12, 2010

THE GUARDSMAN

Voters elect new student representatives

By Tania Cervantes THE GUARDSMAN

City College students voted on April 27 and 28 to elect Jeffrey Fang as the new Student Trustee, Elizabeth Weinberg as President of the Ocean campus Associated Students and 15 Ocean campus AS Senators.

The election was the first to be conducted entirely electronically.

“Last year it was hard to get to the polls, whereas with the new system people could vote from home,” re-elected Senator Marielle Bautista said. “I see it as a big plus.”

Current Senator Pedro Alforque said he thinks this election was more secure than others in the past. The staff was more involved and there was more supervision at the polls, he said.

Senators are the direct representatives of the student body and serve as a bridge between the student council and the student body, according to the AS Voter’s Guide.

The president’s role is to direct and assist the mission statement and set goals of the student council. The Student Trustee represents the entire student body on the San Francisco Community College District’s Board of Trustees.

“I would love to see more students voting and getting involved with this process,” said re-elected senator, “Diamond” Dave Whitaker.

Candidates used Facebook and other social media to promote themselves and their campaign, Bautista said.

“I know some people created fan pages on Facebook,” she said.

More than 1,000 students participated in the election process.

“It was a successful election with a record number of votes,” said Elizabeth Rockstroh, the interim dean of student activities.

E-mail: tcervantes@theguardsman.com

City College struggles to bridge the budget gap for next fiscal year CITY COLLEGE: From the front page

The base enrollment is the minimum number of full-time credit students needed per semester. For City College, it means approximately 36,000 students. If the college does not meet the base enrollment, it could stand to lose millions of dollars.

“Part of our budget strategy for next year requires us to add money for adding more classes both during the fall and spring and the summer,” Goldstein said on building enrollment.

Chancellor Don Griffin said it is important to add more classes next year despite the financial situation City College is in.

“The reason we have to add classes is because this year we are under base,” Griffin said. “And if we don’t add classes next year, we’re going to lose even more money.”

To save money during the

2009-10 fiscal year, the college eliminated summer school, cut classes and reduced the operating hours for student services.

Over the last 24 months, City College has struggled to come up with $26 million for both the 2008-09 and 2009-10 fiscal years, Griffin said. He added that the college could be looking at a $7 million shortfall each year if conditions don't improve.

Trustee Chris Jackson said the college needs to look at all avenues for revenue, including a parcel tax.

The college also began a campaign to solicit donations to help save classes that have been eliminated, or are on the chopping block. A contest was also started asking for ideas on how to save the college money.

“This situation can't go on,” Jackson said. “We can't continue to do more with less money.”

E-mail: jluthi@theguardsman.com

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Associated Students Election Results Student Trustee Result Jeffrey S. Fang

755 votes

Ocean Campus Results President Elizabeth Weinberg

450 votes

Senators Edward Toan Tran Ai Kim Suk Wah Wong (Suki) Vinh Truong Lap (Tony Vu Nguyen Jamie Wong Jesse Clayburgh Darian Smith Marielle Bautista Mark Matsuzaki Nicole Blas Felix Cabrera Khin Thiri Nandar Soe Samia Zuber Dave Whitaker

479 votes 467 votes 405 votes 372 votes 372 votes 360 votes 313 votes 299 votes 288 votes 285 votes 281 votes 278 votes 276 votes 271 votes 269 votes

Downtown Campus Results PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFFREY FANG

Jeffrey Fang was elected as the new student representative to the board of trustees on April 28. He will be the student trustee for the 2010-11 year.

Other Board News

President Mandi D. Lam Vice President Xiujing (Joyce) Yu

DEPT. OF JOURNALISM City College of San Francisco

50 Phelan Ave. Bngl. 214 San Francisco, CA 94112 (415) 239-3446 • The board approved the appointments of six interim deans for the school of science and mathematics, school of behavioral and social sciences, school of liberal arts and Castro/Valencia campuses, international education and retention programs and the faculty support services, course/ room scheduling.

• A contract to hire Godbe Research was approved to conduct a public opinion survey to evaluate opposition and support for a potential parcel tax. It will cost the college no more than $33,110.

• Honorary degrees will be given to people both living and deceased who were forced to leave City College because of Federal Executive Order 9066, the order resulting in the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. • Chancellor Don Griffin discussed his ideas to bridge the student achievement gap and plans to start a task force, which will be comprised of members of the faculty, academic senate, students and the administration.

• Several students said they are having a difficult time with hiring practices at City College, and felt the two TB tests that students are required to take are excessive. Sunny Clark, associate dean of student health services, said the two TB tests are required by California law and ensure an accurate reading.

Fall 2010 Courses Classes start August 16

Jour 19: Contemporary News Media 3 units M/W/F 9:00-10:00 a.m.

3 units T 6:30-9:30 p.m.

ARTX 185 1125 Valencia St. 217

Jour 21: News Writing and Reporting

3 units M/W/F 10:00-11:00 a.m.

3 units T 6:30-9:30 p.m.

ARTX 185 1125 Valencia St. 218

Jour 22: Feature Writing

3 units W 3 units R

6:30-9:30 p.m 6:30-9:30 p.m.

1125 Valencia St. 217 1125 Valencia St. 217

Jour 23: Electronic Copy Editing

3 units W

6:30-9:30 p.m

1125 Valencia St. 218

Jour 24: Newspaper Laboratory

3 units M/W/F 12:00-1:00 p.m.

BNGL 214

Jour 25: Editorial Management

3 units M/W/F 1:00-2:00 p.m.

BNGL 214

Jour 29: Magazine Editing and Production

3 units M

6:30-8:30 p.m.

1125 Valencia St. 217

Jour 31: Internship Experience

2 units Exp

Hours Arr

BNGL 214

Gonzales Graham Gonzales Rochmis Graham Rochmis Rochmis Gonzales Gonzales Graham Gonzales

Jour 37: Intro. to Photojournalism 3 units W

6:30-9:30 p.m.

1125 Valencia St. 278

Lifland

Jour 38: Intermediate Photojournalism 3 units R

6:30-9:30 p.m.

1125 Valencia St. 218

Lifland

www.ccsf.edu/departments/journalism

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Opinions&Editorials

THE GUARDSMAN

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

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MAY 12, 2010

Proposed sit/lie ordinance dehumanizes homeless and distracts from the real issue

By Angela Penny THE GUARDSMAN

In March, Mayor Gavin Newsom proposed a citywide ordinance that would make it illegal to sit or lie on San Francisco sidewalks between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., with 30-day jail sentences and $500 fines for repeat offenders.

This is a ridiculous “solution” to a serious problem.

Before March, Newsom said he would not support such an ordinance because it was too divisive. He changed his mind after taking his 5-1/2 month old daughter on a Saturday morning walk down Haight Street, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

“As God is my witness, there’s a guy on the sidewalk smoking crack,” Newsom told the Chronicle.

Last time I looked, smoking crack is illegal no matter where you are. So there is already a law on the books that justified having this guy arrested, it just wasn’t being enforced. Why would this new law make any difference?

The fact that someone felt it safe to smoke crack as the mayor walked down the street says a lot about this person’s mental state.

My guess is that most people hanging out on the streets don’t have $500 handy to pay a fine and that jail actually might be a welcome change for at least some of them, especially if it’s raining.

Instead of sitting on the sidewalk they can sit in a room where there might be access to playing cards or a television. But chances are they won’t stay very long.

Jails are over-crowded and cost the government money. This is a serious problem since San

Francisco is facing one of the largest budget deficits in history.

Haight Street merchants are very upset about the large groups of people who take up space on the crowded sidewalks and harass the passers-by, but fining and arresting these people is not the answer. When they see the police coming, they’ll just move.

How can a person with no address even be fined? It doesn’t matter if the fine is $10 or $1000, they’re still not going to pay.

These people need help and it’s frustrating because there is no easy solution. Even if our resources weren’t depleted, providing education opportunities or drug and alcohol treatment is often ineffective because of the resistance people have to changing their lifestyles.

Very quickly it becomes an “us vs. them” situation which

makes the homeless even more hostile and intensifies their feelings of entitlement. It’s wrong for Newsom to say that he’s dealing with the situation by offering this non-solution.

Obviously there is no easy way to rectify the situation or we would already have implemented a coherent national policy. But just because there is not an easy win doesn’t mean the issue should get stuck in a “pro vs. con” debate with homeless rights activists and merchants going at each other.

The argument about whether or not this type of strategy is exploiting the homeless doesn’t address the need for some type of change to address the problem of homelessness.

E-mail: apenny@theguardsman.com

Letter to the editor

Free trade agreement endorses ‘systematic torture’ Editor: The term “end” brings a rush of activity: finals, graduations, job and apartment searches.

How does this relate to dogs and cats half a world away?

Let’s look closer.

In another world, the South Korean government poises itself to pounce into the world economy through the proposed South Korean Free Trade Agreement which is now before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.

At the same time, in this same world, seemingly unrelated (but similarly compelling) events progress – the goingson in the South Korean dog- and cateating industry.

These markets and farms go by the unfounded belief that dog and cat meat ‘tastes better’ if there is a release of adrenaline sustained by animals who endure systematic torture over a lengthened period of time before they die or are killed.

Yearly, millions endure: -Crushing in wire cages in extreme weather.

-Stuffing into bags, pummeled violently with a hammer.

-While still alive, their paws are cut off.

-Lying helplessly on the ground, with just stumps for legs, if the animal in sheer agony moves or tries to resist, their heads

are stomped upon.

-Still alive, they’re skinned (fur) and boiled or blended (often still alive).

If SKFTA is ratified, leverage to abolish this industry disappears. Make no mistake. More U.S. jobs will disappear also.

Nancy Pelosi, District 8, San Francisco, is now unilaterally empowered to stop SKFTA. With our 110,000 student body and rich history of activism, act now! Nancy Pelosi, hold the vote. South Korea must meet with the worldwide humane commu-

nity on the issue of dogs and cats killed for food, intentionally tortured, and on our jobs!

The San Francisco college-community is a force, a beacon for all U.S. college students – a voting mass which will alter our U.S. politics. We will make a difference in the world we are embarking upon.

Nancy, you are up for re-election this November. Hear us now.

Patricia Knudsen City College student

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Opinions&Editorials

MAY 12, 2010

THE GUARDSMAN

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Euphemisms turn into reality as PCRF heals

By Robert Romano THE GUARDSMAN

The United States are currently involved in two official wars: Afghanistan and Iraq - and we have helped to completely destroy these countries.

We wag a finger at the Iranian government about human rights abuses and fear it may have nuclear weapons. At the same time, we turn a blind eye to Israel — an undeclared nuclear state — as its government commits systematic genocide against the Palestinian people.

In the U.S. we have department of Homeland Security to protect us. Why can’t our administration protect the innocent victims of our collateral damage?

We should have a department of collateral damages that is funded by the government and run by civilians. Right now, these victims of our wars have to rely on independent organizations to clean up our mess.

One such organization is the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, a U.S. nonprofit organization that helps victims of conflict by identifying children in medical need and arranging free care for them in countries with the necessary

infrastructure.

Berkeley resident Rana Tomaira began assisting the PCRF when she traveled with her family to Jordan. After receiving an e-mail asking for help, she obtained a visa for an Iraqi boy attempting to enter the U.S through Jordan. Post-9/11 law requires two visas for such travels — one to enter Jordan through Iraq and another one to enter the United States.

Tomaira has established a system that continues to facilitate visas via email and fax, which she started with the help of the Civil Affairs Liaison Team in Jordan, a branch of the military set up as an intermediary between U.S. armed forces and civilians.

The CALT office in Jordan, however, was only opened as a public relations stunt, and it was promptly closed when the Bush administration became uninterested in the public’s opinion about the war.

The Obama administration seems to feel the same way when it comes to public opinion about conflict with Afghanistan.

Tomaira managed to rescue seven children and got them the medical attention they needed.

She acted as a visa-facilitator,

translator, shuttle driver and took care of the children’s basic needs.

Her family also hosted PCRFsponsored Ahmed Ali Hani, now 16, from Sept. — Nov. 2008.

He had lost his leg in a Baghdad suicide bombing that killed his father and 300 others.

When he came to the United States, Al Hani was outfitted with an prosthetic leg by Tony le France and a team of orthopedists and prosthetic specialists at Laurence Orthopedic. All costs, including the $16,000 procedure, were covered by donations.

The American government should be required to provide medical assistance to noncombatants. A first step would be to stop using the euphemism collateral damage to lessen our degree of responsibility.

“Is it not our duty as humans to help our blood children be healthy, positive loving adults?

And our duty as humans to help all children wherever they may be in the world?” said Nuha Shuman, a former PCRF host-mother. “For now, thankfully, we rely on those in the PCRF and other organizations to quietly assume the burden of the world’s wars.”

We are told that civilian death is unfortunate, but collat-

ROBERT ROMANO / THE GUARDSMAN

Abdullah Althaman, 11, and Ido, 2, play together in front of the Dish Dash restaurant during a Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund dinner in Sunnyvale, Calif. on April 18.

eral damage is the price we pay for freedom. Part of paying the price is taking responsibility and helping innocent victims of war. Besides, the word collateral damage is a euphemism that dehumanizes and makes people

easier to kill.

One surefire way to protect children is not to go to war in the first place.

E-mail: rromano@theguardsman.com

Racial profiling encouraged by new Arizona law

By Matthew Gomez THE GUARDSMAN

If Texas rewriting history isn’t enough, Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona signed a bill into law on Apr. 23 that essentially allows law enforcement officers to racially profile people they think might be illegal immigrants.

I’ve never had a reason to hold anything against the Southwest, but if these offenses continue, I may just have to find a suitable bumper sticker to express my rage.

The law, Senate Bill 1070, will take effect in either August or September; which month must depend on how the Arizona heat affects Brewer’s racism. Legal immigrants would be required to carry their alien registration cards at all times, just in case they

happen to be looking especially illegal one day.

At the defense of Brewer stands Joseph Arpaio, sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, who’s had a long history with the issue of immigration. Arpaio is infamous for raids — often conducted illegally — on towns where he rounds up anyone he finds suspect of being an illegal immigrant.

He even claims that in October of 2009 the Department of Homeland Security tried to limit his power. At one time he had been allowed to check the immigration status of prisoners and make field arrests concerning immigration, but the Department of Homeland Security barred him from the latter. The DHS didn’t want him enforcing federal immigration laws.

Arpaio “vowed to keep scour-

ing Maricopa County for people whose clothing, accents and behavior betrayed them as likely illegal immigrants,” according to a 2007 New York Times editorial.

“This is not about profiling.

They’re worried about the laws being enforced,” Republican Sen. Russell Pearce, who sponsored the bill, told the Associated Press.

No matter the underlying cause, deciding whether or not to question someone about their legality based on their “clothing, accents and behavior” is still profiling.

That shouldn’t faze Arpaio, though, as he already dresses his prisoners in pink underwear and houses them in tents in the middle of the desert. His blatant disrespect for human beings should be a clear sign that he doesn’t deserve to hold power; but what

do I know, he has been elected sheriff four consecutive times.

Brewer, who signed the legislation Friday, “issued an executive order that requires additional training for local officers on how to implement the law without engaging in racial profiling or discrimination,” according to an April 26 article by Emanuella Grinberg of CNN. Her idea of additional training is having her own state officials, who are under her command, “develop a training course for officers to learn what constitutes reasonable suspicion someone is in the U.S. illegally,” according to an April 25 article by Jonathan Cooper of the Associated Press.

So they’re going to school to learn how to be racist on the sly.

Brilliant! It’s like culinary school but it involves profiling and is

for klansmen — and it doesn't involve cooking.

It seems the only fair way to implement this law is to conduct an illegal-alien version of the census and question everyone in the state of Arizona.

The group that’s being targeted has already been made clear; there is no way to avoid racial profiling or discrimination.

Also, it’s disturbing that these officials are doing everything in their power to expel people from land that we initially took from them.

Hopefully people rally together and stop this bill, if only for the sake of freedom and all those other ideals that don't seem to matter anymore.

E-mail: mgomez@theguardsman.com

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Featu

THE GUARDSMAN

Students juggle full-time work with classes

By Fleur Bailey THE GUARDSMAN

With the rise in the cost of tuition, text books and materials — long gone are the days when students could afford to live on financial aid alone.

Many students now find that having a job while going to school is more of a necessity than a preference.

In fact, the labor force participation rate (the proportion of the population working or looking for work) for recent high school graduates enrolled in college was 42 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics October 2009 Current Population Survey.

Students attending school full-time have much lower labor force participation than part-time students. Only half of all full-time students are employed, compared to 80 percent of all part-time students.

Students tend to classify themselves as either students who work full-time to pay the bills, or full-time workers who take classes.

Either way, the process of balancing a semester of full-time classes and working full-time hours is something that could

never be considered easy, or rather, it’s exhausting as City College student Jonathon Miller, 25, described.

The previous two semesters, Miller took 16 units at City College and worked 40 hours a week at The Cheesecake Factory in Marin.

“The whole semester was exhausting,” he said. “I never had time to study so I was always cramming at the last minute. I was just scraping by. I didn’t retain anything as the information would only go into my short term memory.”

Miller said his day would start at school at 7 a.m., when he would study before class.

He would leave at 1 p.m. to “go home and breathe for an hour,” and then he’d go to work, arrive home at midnight and the next day do the whole thing again. He attended classes five days a week and had no full day off of work or school.

“It kills your mental state,” he said. “I was very unhappy. Even if I did well in exams, I didn’t remember anything so the following semester I was instantly behind.

I was burnt out from the previous semester and always trying to catch up.”

As reported by Jonathon Orszag, Peter Orszag, and Diane Whitmore in “Learn-

PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN MILLER

Jonathan Miller grabs a plate from the counter at The Cheesecake Factory in Marin, Calif. Miller, a City College student, works 25-30 hours a week.

ing and Earning: Working in College”, full-time employment may impair student performance and students who work full

time are more likely to drop out of school.

Their research states that 55 percent of students working 35 or more hours per week reported that it has a negative effect on their studies, in that it limits their class schedule by reducing their choices and the number of classes they take. It also limits their access to the library.

The study shows that, if possible, it may be beneficial for students to find other ways of financing college so they can complete their degrees, maintain academic performance levels and gain the long-term benefits of a college education.

Miller said it is easier for him now that he is able to receive a student loan, and is now taking two to three classes a semester and working 25-30 hours a week.

“It wasn’t worth it for me,” he said. “I felt like I was losing myself and slipping too much with having no downtime. Now I balance the pressure to keep my sanity but make sure I don’t slack off. I’ve learned how to manage things better now, and I know what I’m capable of and what I’m not.”

E-mail: fbailey@theguardsman.com

City College lends talent to feature film ‘La Mission’

By Kwame Opoku-Duku III CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When Peter and Benjamin Bratt set out to score their newest film, “La Mission,” City College Latin American studies instructor Greg Landau seemed like a natural choice to help them achieve the “Mission sound.”

Landau, a three-time Grammy nominated music producer, played guitar for numerous bands during the Latin rock movement in the 1970s. A friend of their mother Eldie Bratt, Landau has known the brothers since they were children.

Eager to express a vision of the neighborhood that was not just about Latin music, the Mission district natives sought to create a complex blend of oldies, R&B, rock and Latin.

“It was a challenge to put together a musical soundscape for the place I grew up,” Landau said. “It forced us all to look inside and see what music told our story and the stories of the different generations that inhabit this same space.”

Landau said he worked mainly on post production, although he did help record music for the graduation scene and gathered “local hip music” for possible use in the film.

“La Mission,” which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, relied heavily on its soundtrack to tell its story – blending complex styles of music with an equally complex story that mixes themes of spiri-

COURTESY OF FIVE STICK FILMS INC.

tual ascension and violence.

The main vehicle of the film, Che Rivera, is played by Benjamin Bratt. Bratt was a former student of City College music instructor Helen Dilworth when she taught at Lowell High School. Caught in a battle between the socially-accepted chauvinism he was raised with, and the love he feels for his gay son, Che finds healing and inspiration from his neighbor, Lena, played by Erika Alexander, who is also a former City College student.

An activist and advocate for youth, Alexander is known for her portrayals of strong-willed women. Jehmu Greene, pres-

ident of the Women’s Media Center, called Alexander “a powerful voice for youth at risk – girls and women.”

Dilworth, a former instructor of Alexander couldn’t be happier for her prior students. She was particularly pleased with Alexander’s portrayal of a strong AfricanAmerican woman as a female lead and the cultural diversity and warmth of the film.

“The film deals with very important themes that need to be dealt with,” Dilworth said.

Although her role as co-producer may not have always been harmonious, for City College film instructor Debbie Brubaker, “La Mission” was really something special to be a part of.

Dubbed “the Godmother of the San Francisco independent film movement,” Brubaker’s first job was to convince Peter Bratt to cut some 30 or so pages of his script.

“It was Benjamin initially who was most upset over the idea of cuts in the script,” she said. “But when he saw the re-worked script he couldn’t find what was missing.”

She said her main duties were hiring and handling the crew — several of whom, including production manager Chris Martin, were former and current City College students. She also acted as a liaison with the union, a shepherd of sorts, staying on top of the crew and the budget of about $2.25 million, which she said should have been closer to $4 million.

As the production progressed, numer-

ous challenges surfaced.

“Locations were tough, working in the Mission,” Brubaker said. “Having big actors going into honey wagons instead of trailers, dealing with the residents. It was hard.”

But for Brubaker, it was a labor of love.

She really enjoyed working with the Bratt brothers. She even called Peter the real star of the project.

“He’s a really wonderful man,” she said. “Very sensitive. Very spiritual.”

She loved the movie, but said the producer in her would have cut an additional 10 minutes.

“What’s great about the film is that you don’t have to be gay or Latino for the film to touch you. It speaks to everyone,” Brubaker said. “That’s its biggest strength.”

“La Mission” has become a hit among Latinos, whom professor Landau says “rarely see complex portrayals of workingclass people, especially Latino gays.”

“The film told an important story about tolerance and the way men try to use power and violence to get their way and lose sight of their humanity,” Landau said.

Dilworth couldn’t be happier with its success, because it’s an independent film dealing with a culture rarely portrayed in movies.

“It touched me in a way that films rarely do,” Dilworth said. “And that’s enough for me.”

E-mail: mail@theguardsman.com

ures

MAY 12, 2010

Volcano was studied by City College instructor

Student runs for District 6 seat

By Sara Jenkins

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Icelandic volcano which began erupting in April, continues to wreak havoc on airlines, and may pose health and environmental concerns — was the research thesis of a City College instructor.

Department chair of earth sciences Katryn Wiese did her graduate work at Oregon State University on Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano now erupting and spewing ash across Europe.

Wiese, a professor of geology and oceanography, got excited about the unusual volcanic activity — not every volcanologist is lucky enough to have their graduate work end up as global news.

“By studying the chemical changes in the old lava layers we can understand how and what types of magmas are cooking underneath,” she said.

Video footage on the website of the London-based publication The Guardian shows large billowing clouds of black smoke, which have left large parts of Iceland covered in toxic gray ash.

Studying the volcano that closed down air traffic for a week "was exciting and unexpected,” Weise said.

The Iceland island sits on a volcanic hot spot in the midAtlantic ridge where eruptions are relatively common according to The Guardian.

“This volcano produces lavas with a wide compositional range.

This is not typical in an ocean setting," Wiese said.

Volcanoes in oceanic settings, like those in Hawaii and Iceland, usually produce lava with a low silica content which means they have low explosiveness, she said. The high silica content of magmas from the current Eyjafjallajökull eruption is what gives this volcano its high explosiveness.

Volcanologists can predict how long these eruptions will last by looking at historic data and studying old lava flows, Wiese said. The last eruption of this particular volcano in 1812 lasted for two years.

E-mail: email@theguardsman.com

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RAMSEY EL-QARE / THE GUARDSMAN

Nate Payne, District 6 candidate

By Greg Zeman THE GUARDSMAN

City College graphic design student Nate Payne is trying to turn his vision of a new and improved District 6 into legislative reality by running for City Supervisor in the upcoming election. He is seeking to replace Chris Daly who has reached his term limit as a supervisor.

“I’d like to make this a selfmade district where we don’t have to rely on corporations to make the city,” Payne said. “We can use local business and community involvement.”

Payne’s life story is a familiar one in the Bay Area. He was born in the Philippines but moved to San Francisco when he was four years old, and has lived here ever since.

“I’m a native of SF for 28

years. I’ve been here through the earthquakes, the dot-com bust … I’ve been here through everything.”

A father of three, Payne says that his candidacy is about making the city safer and stronger for his own daughters.

“I believe it starts with the children, with us educating our children and volunteering our time to motivate these kids to stay out of trouble,” he said. “I emphasize children a lot because they are our future and they’re going to be running the streets of SF soon, and hopefully City Hall as well.”

He says that his political philosophy is based on the words of former city Supervisor Harvey Milk, “The American dream starts with the neighborhood.”

“I’m just a person,” he said.

“But I’m a person with a dream and I follow my dreams. I’m about making things happen.”

Payne’s candidacy is based on a three-part platform: safe neighborhoods, controlled public spending and housing programs.

“Something we need to do to save money in our districts, instead of hiring all of these cops to the patrol the streets, is to work together as a community to watch our neighborhood,” Payne said.

“For us to improve District 6 and the city of San Francisco, it starts with improving ourselves.”

Payne also wants to bring green businesses, like solar power companies, to District 6 to create

new jobs and encourage the production of clean energy.

Payne says his philosophy of personal responsibility is an integral part of his plan for fostering community growth and cooperation in District 6 to combat the unique issues its residents face.

In an effort to establish his credibility with voters early on, Payne has refused to accept any public funding to offset his campaign costs.

“I’m opposed to matching funds,” he said. “I’d rather use that money to help out other students.”

Payne views his rejection of public money as a matter of integrity.

“I decline to be a part of the problem when I can be a part of the solution,” he said. “It shows strength that I don’t have to take money from the city, because if you do, it shows that you could take money from lobbyists or anyone else once in office.”

Payne isn’t afraid to suggest sweeping policy initiatives in his quest for solutions to social problems facing the state and his district, including childhood obesity.

One of the policies Payne has already begun researching and considering is a punitive tax on sugar and high fructose corn syrup, which he believes will positively impact City revenue and obesity rates, particularly among children.

“When it comes to my district,

there’s a lot of talk about narcotics, but sugar, that’s the other white powder that kills people,” he said. “There are more people who die from sugar and diabetes than from overdosing on cocaine or narcotics.”

He says that he supports removing high-sugar foods and beverages from public schools and encouraging better nutrition among San Francisco youth.

“If you look at the prison system, their food nutrition is higher than what they’re serving the kids in school,” Payne said.

“Better nutrition is one step on the right path towards producing future law-abiding citizens who will definitely give back to the community.”

Payne is confident that by addressing the issues facing children and young people early on, it will remove the need to address destructive behavior later.

“We need kids to understand and learn how to operate a small business, instead of seeing these young children selling weed and crack or cocaine which have been plaguing South of Market for years — the TL for years — and like I said, it starts with children.”

Payne is looking for volunteers to help with all aspects of his campaign. He can be contacted through his campaign website: www.votenate2010.com E-mail: gzeman@theguardsman.com

UN Club emulates international assembly

By Estela Fuentes THE GUARDSMAN

The United Nations club at City College continues to expand as its members aim to educate their peers about the history of the U.N. and its role in foreign affairs.

The U.N. club was founded in September 2009 by U.N. course instructor Jay Sayed and U.N. club president Elizabeth Weinberg to teach people about the organization’s role and goals. It is the club’s mission to show college students how the U.N. is a multifaceted peacekeeping and peace-building organization.

“The U.N. is the bridge of the world,” Jaqueline Bruno, club member said. “It gives us the opportunity to learn about other cultures and countries.”

General meetings include presentations and forums for discussion with question and answer sessions that anyone is welcome to join. U.N.-related activities give students a feel of what it’s like to be a U.N. delegate.

Club members discuss contemporary issues like human rights, nuclear weapons proliferation, social equity, environmental sustainability, and international law and justice at weekly meetings. The 92

members of the club also serve as ambassadors of culture, making presentations about different countries and the richness of their cultures.

The club hosted a U.N. Day Event and a Human Rights Day Event during the fall semester.

This semester, in collaboration with other clubs on campus, the U.N. club has participated in hosting events during Black History Month and Women’s History Month.

All U.N. club events are free and the club provides refreshments that are culturally related to the events. They have also assisted with other events on campus like those for Haiti

relief and Earth Day. “We aim to represent the unity of nations on campus, find common ground between all persons, promote tolerance and diversity, foster understanding and respect and forge pathways to world peace,” Weinberg said.

The U.N. club will be hosting a candlelight vigil for Rangoon bomb victims and for the tyranny in Myanmar on May 13 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the lower plaza of the student union. The last official U.N. club meeting for this semester is scheduled for May 20.

E-mail: efuentes@theguardsman.com

10 |

Sports

THE GUARDSMAN

MAY 12, 2010

Sports editorial

University pulls truly classless act

Sophomore forward Da’Ron Sims, a player who turned his life around at City College playing hoops for Rams head basketball coach Justin Labagh the past two seasons, recently found out his full-ride basketball scholarship to Sacramento State had been retracted.

Apparently, after doing a Google search, the Sacramento State athletic department came across a feature story on Sims published in a fall 2009 issue of The Guardsman. The feature illustrated the many hardships overcome by Sims, a man who grew up in West Oakland surrounded by drugs and violence.

Following an arrest in 2007, Sims was approached by his former McClymonds basketball coach Brandon Brooks, who knew the potential he had to become a successful basketball player. After working out with the City College basketball team, he became a walk-on player following tryouts.

Sims was named Coast Conference Player of the Year as a freshman, and earned All-State honors both years he’s played for City College, becoming a team leader and fine student athlete.

Sims’ own personal struggles were also well documented in the feature, including his dropping out of McClymonds High School in Oakland his senior year, turning to the streets to help make ends meet.

Sacramento State’s basketball program must have only read the first half of Sims’ feature. If they had read all the way to the bottom, they would have realized what an outstanding player, and more importantly, an outstanding person they were about to have playing for them.

To hinder an individual’s struggle for greatness and to judge somebody for the mistakes they made during their youth is not only unforgivable, it is simply unethical.

Sacramento State University has provided a perfect example of just that.

Sims epitomizes the idea of redemption, as he spent significant time in jail three years prior to his return to basketball. Not only did basketball save his life, it helped reveal his high level of character.

Whoever at Sacramento State made this decision should be ashamed. This is also, apparently, not the first time a scholarship offer has been taken back

by Sacramento State’s athletic department due to “concerns” they had for a recruit.

The need to judge character before admitting a student into a university is understandable when allowing them to attend school for free. However, Sims’ story shines light on his personal triumphs and should not raise warning signs for any sort of risk.

Not only does the university’s decision strip away the chance for Sims to attend college, get a degree and continue to play the game he loves, it strips away the integrity of Sacramento State as a college athletic institution. A simple sit-down with Sims would have silenced any doubts they had about his character.

Repeated judgments of character have been drawn based on what people read or see online, and that is purely absurd. Unfair.

Reprehensible.

What the university has done is write an ugly chapter to what is truly an inspiring story. The fact that Sims came from a life involving crime, poverty and reprehensible actions and changed into a young man on the brink of forever improving his life should be celebrated, not punished.

This blatant disrespect Sacramento State has shown not only to Sims, but to every coach and mentor that has helped turn his life around is despicable.

While Sims still may be able to attend a university, something that would never be a reality without the help of a basketball scholarship, this decision creates a huge cloud over his future. Not only was he stripped of the right he earned to play basketball at this university, he has for now been stripped of his right to earn a college degree.

The beauty of Sims’ story has been tarnished by the ugliness of this university’s decision. For that, shame on you Sacramento State.

E-mail: email@theguardsman.com

ROBERT ROMANO / THE GUARDSMAN

Track and field

Rams run away with third conference championship

Freshman sprinter Mario Escobedo finishes second in the men’s 400-meter race at the Maurice Compton Invitational on April 17 at Merritt College in Oakland. He and the rest of the men’s track and field team would go on to win their third Coast Conference Finals at San Jose City College on May 1. Their previous conference titles came in 2005 and 2006. Both the men’s and women’s teams are slated to take part in the Northern California Finals on May 14 at American River College in Sacramento. For those who qualify, the State Championships are set to take place May 21-22 at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, Calif.

Sports Briefs Baseball team receives four all-conference nods

The City College baseball team, who finished their season April 30 at Mission College, had four players named to the All-Coast Conference teams on May 4. Sophomore pitcher Jared Freitas and first baseman Roger Fonseca were both named to the first team, while pitcher Eric Lara and freshman outfielder Brendan Roth were named second team. Catcher Tony Oropeza was also awarded a Gold Glove for his work behind the plate. The Rams finished the season at 6-19 in the Coast Conference, going 9-27 for the season.

Rams basketball to hold youth summer camp

Children age 7-16 can sign up for a basketball camp, hosted by Rams Head Basketball Coach Justin Labagh, and Assistant Coach Adam D’Acquisto July 26-29. Players will be grouped based on skill level and age, and will be taught drills, participate in games, and emphasize sportsmanship throughout the camp. The cost per session is $125, while parents can choose to pay for $225 both sessions. The first sessions start at 9 a.m. and last until 12 p.m., and the second sessions begin at 1 p.m. and go until 4 p.m.

For more information on how to register, or any questions regarding the camp, call (415) 239-3401 or email adaquis@ccsf.edu.

Want more sports?

Check out www.theguardsman.com Highlights, recaps and more.

Sports

MAY 12, 2010

THE GUARDSMAN

| 11

Badminton

Rams set sights on historic state title

By Aaron Turner THE GUARDSMAN

For the second season in a row, the Northern California Women’s Badminton Finals were a formality for the most dominant program at City College this year.

The undefeated Rams aim to make history in Pasadena by capturing their first ever state championship, a feat that has never been accomplished by any Northern California school.

The Rams, who were the host team for this year’s NorCal Finals, held at the Wellness Center on May 8, were able to secure #1 seeds for both doubles and singles. They will send a total of six players to Pasadena City College, the site of this year’s State Championships.

After the matches were over, Fred Glosser and Coni Staff, the teams co-head coaches, were all smiles inside the Wellness Center.

“I’m very pleased with today’s results,” Staff said. “I feel that we have put ourselves in the best possible position to win at state.

I think we consider ourselves the favorite to win it all, and rightfully so.”

It would be hard to argue with Staff’s assessment, as the Rams began the season loaded with experience players. As state runner-up last season, they fell just short to host Irvine Valley College, a team that

boasted four Olympic trained badminton players. This year, the playing field will be much more even, Staff said.

The Rams will compete in the State Finals which begin on May 13. The individual player competitions will then take place that weekend, May 15 - 16.

“It’s going to be between us and Pasadena this year for the team championship,” Staff said. “While we haven’t seen their number one player, a coach has told us that we match up with them very well strategically.”

Strategy aside, City College’s best weapons may be their sophomores, five of whom were at Pasadena last year.

“They’ve all been there, they know what to expect,” Glosser said of his team following the NorCal finals, adding that he persuaded sophomore Maggie Choy to return for her second season after a four year hiatus from badminton, with the hopes of winning a state title before he retired.

Choy last played for the Rams in 2006, before leaving City College until this season. Despite that much time away, she stepped in nicely as the Rams’ number one player in both singles and doubles.

“Coach Glosser wanted to form a good women’s team this year, and win a state championship,” Choy said in regards to her returning. For Choy, she couldn’t have

ROBERT ROMANO / THE GUARDSMAN

(L-R) City College sophomores Wendy Zhu and Michelle Wu, wearing black, face Skyline’s Rachel Bernia and Nour Abudamus in their first-round doubles match during the Northern California Badminton Finals, May 8 at the Wellness Center.

made a better decision.

“This year was just so fun,” she said.

“We have all known each other for a long time on the team, and we have such great coaches, so I am happy to be back.”

“Maggie sets a great example and a great work ethic for the rest of the team,” Staff said. She also praised the work of sophomore Wendy Zhu, who is seeded #2 for State, and was the number two singles player all season.

“Wendy is always the first to practice and the last to leave,” Staff said. “She is a

huge reason why this team is so disciplined and so well conditioned this year.”

Having seen her team come up just short last year, Zhu is yet another battletested player the Rams have at their disposal.

“I think we have an even better chance this year,” Zhu said. “We’ve all been through tournaments before, and have been on out there on the court before, so experience definitely helps.”

E-mail: aturner@theguardsman.com

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Sports

THE GUARDSMAN

The Water Cooler

By Bontã Hill

Just two years ago, this little whippersnapper named Bontã Hill walked into bungalow 214, home of The Guardsman, curious to know what it took to join the school newspaper.

After that, a good friend of mine sent me two sports writing books for Christmas urging me to start writing. To be honest, it was the only way I was going to stay in school.

With no journalism experience (does reading the Sporting Green from the age of 10 count for something?), I was assigned to a women’s basketball game at City College, and after writing that story, my hunger to become a better journalist grew with each assignment.

Two years later, my time with The Guardsman is coming to a close. But it has not been without great memories, classic run-ins with members on staff and the joy of expanding the recognition of City College athletics here on campus.

Chasing down the likes of George Rush, Justin Labagh and Jamie Hayes for quotes will be something I will surely reminisce about 15 years later.

Going forward, the Cooler has served its last cup, meaning the future for The Guardsman is sure to be dryer than the Sahara Desert.

All kidding aside, it’s been a pleasure to make all you readers laugh and get away from the daily grind of going to school.

To the people who stopped me on campus to talk about various topics in my column, thank you.

I couldn’t be more proud in saying that my journalism career started right here at City College.

Idiot of the Week My protege and current sports editor here on campus suggested I do an Idiot of the Semester.

I know I can’t go wrong with JaMarcus Russell, Josh McDaniels and Ben Roethlisberger, but after last week, how can I pass up the opportunity to recognize a guy

who used to take quarterbacks’ heads off while on cocaine?

This honor of course goes to the original L.T., Lawrence Taylor. While he’s had a long list of off-field troubles, last week’s was probably the most embarrassing moment of his life.

While in New York last weekend, Taylor was looking to have a little fun in his Holiday Inn room He contacted Rasheed Davis, who had a prostitute pay Taylor a visit.

The 51-year-old Taylor was told the girl was 19, and Taylor then paid $300. The catch? The girl was 16, still a couple of years away from being classified as an adult.

The girl, who was reported missing by her family in March, met Davis at a Bronx bus stop two to three weeks ago. Federal prosecutors say she told investigators that the 36-year-old parolee offered her a place to live and a way to make money.

It is simply unbelievable that Taylor, with a long list of run-ins with the law, would put himself in that position.

Taylor could face up to 10 years in prison and a life-time sexoffender registration if convicted.

It’s a shame that he has given the African-American community a black eye.

Whatever the outcome is, L.T. is a fool, fool enough to be the Idiot of the Semester.

Misc.

I loved how Floyd “Money” Mayweather took apart Shane Mosley on May 1 to once again hush his critics. Mayweather upped his record to 41-0 and hopefully, $40 million to $50 million dollars will convince Manny Pacquiao to take a blood test and make the fight between himself and Mayweather happen.

In hockey news, the San Jose Sharks are four wins away from their first ever Stanley Cup Final.

Is it me, or does it seem like the Bay Area sports landscape is starting to look a little more promising? This region is overdue for sporting success.

Lastly, how about the guy who blasted A-Rod for stepping on the pitcher’s mound? Oakland A’s pitcher Dallas Braden threw the 19th perfect game in Major League Baseball history on Mother’s Day against the Tampa Bay Rays with his grandmother watching in the bleachers.

Nothing like a great sports moment to end a great run at The Guardsman.

MAY 12, 2010

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14 |

Culture&Trends

THE GUARDSMAN

Raising a glass to the end of the road

By Greg Zeman

As both a news editor and a columnist, I haven’t always lived up to my admittedly lofty aspirations.

In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “I didn’t fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong.”

In defense of my column and section: You can pull images and text from both of them quite easily, using silly putty. And with a little effort and patience, they can also be folded into a hat or a sailboat.

Oh, by the way...

Maybe it’s because I always write this column in the wee hours of the morning — after drinking hard liquor all night — but I almost forgot to mention that you’ll never see me again, at least not round these parts.

Don’t get me wrong, you’ll still see me at City College. In fact, thanks to all the time I dedicated to The Guardsman, instead of transferable credit class work, I’ll probably get to stay here even longer than I had planned.

Vesuvio North Beach gets a bad rap, and it totally deserves it.

The “best” bar there is Vesuvio, a crumbling, tourist-infested monument to its own bygone social relevance.

This place shamelessly exploits the reputation of its longdeparted “regulars” and its incidental proximity to City Lights bookstore in a desperate attempt to up the “cool” factor by making it look less like what it is — a watering hole for Midwestern families lost on their way to Joe’s Crabshack.

The fact that Ken Kesey dropped acid there on occasion is pretty unremarkable — is there anywhere in the Bay Area that he didn’t?

And yes, Jack Kerouac and other beat generation luminaries drank here once upon a time, but I’m pretty certain they’d prompt-

ly vomit if they saw who drinks there now.

I considered channeling William Burroughs, typing a bunch of hyphenated obscenities on a typewriter, cutting them out individually by hand with a straight razor and using rubber cement to reorganize the pieces into a monolithic vulgarity to describe this place.

But then I ran out of Benzedrine and bug powder, so I decided to just say Vesuvio sucks.

So now we’re going back to the Lower Haight to drink beer!

Toronado The Toronado is named after a car you are definitely not cool enough to even imagine yourself driving, so don’t feel bad if this bar intimidates you when you first walk in.

First things first, there is no liquor there. That isn’t a typo or a drunken hallucination on my part, they seriously do not have any hooch.

That said, whereas most bars have 10 or 15 beers and get away with boasting a “wide variety,” this place does like I did when I turned 21, and buys gallons of every kind of beer imaginable.

On an average day, they have about 200 kinds of beer available, with roughly 20 on tap.

Don’t go there and ask for PBR; they will seriously yell at you. In fact, don’t go there for anything you’ve already had. Just think of this as the Ocean Avenue Books of beer and get lost in the pursuit of unexplored brews.

As my final farewell to you, let me leave you with these words from Winston Churchill, a famous drunkard and British person who looked like a silly little bulldog.

“I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.”

At least that’s what I tell myself.

By the way...

If for some reason you don’t drink alcohol (and I highly recommend you start soon, because things are only getting worse) there’s something special and free for you on the corner of Scott and Waller, not far from the Toronado: a labyrinth.

Now I know what you’re thinking, and I’m sorry for putting the image of David Bowie wearing impossibly tight, shiny pants in your head, but this isn’t a gigantic maze with an inappropriately attired Muppet fairy king or an axe-wielding novelist with cabin fever in it — it isn’t a maze at all.

You can get lost in a maze, and I wouldn’t do that to you. A labyrinth is an open “path” on the floor that has lots of twists and turns. But there are no wrong turns — it all leads to the same place in the center. I guess that’s a little fatalistic if you take it too seriously, but it’s a fun way to meditate and kill a few hours.

And if you have been drinking, you can still walk it, provided you can still walk.

Speaking of which, there’s another one a block up California from the Tonga Room at Grace Cathedral — actually, there’s two; one inside the church and one out front. So if you’ve been enjoying the tropical scenery down the block and decide that it’s sacrilege to stagger into a cathedral to get your kicks, there’s option B. Then again, if you decide that option A is more your speed, you have my unequivocal, nondenominational blessing.

In the words of Father Sinatra, “Alcohol may be man’s worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy.”

Amen Frank, Amen.

E-mail: gzeman@theguardsman.com

Brass Tacks: Vesuvio 2/5 I mean, you can purchase liquor here, and there’s a place to anonymously yell at people, so two points, but just barely.

Toronado 4.5/5 Half a point off for lack of booze, which incidentally can be procured a stone’s throw away ... but I don’t want to give away the precise location of my 12/5 star, top secret hideout in the Lower Haight, so I aint’ naming no names.

MAY 12, 2010

City College alumna writes from the soul

By Kwame Opoku-Duku III CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Former City College student April Martin Chartrand decided she needed to leave a legacy in April 2009.

She had been sharing her poetry among friends and co-workers and getting positive responses, a feat that surprised her considering she’d never taken an English class beyond what was required for the B.A. she received in Creative Arts from San Francisco State University. Her dyslexia adds to her challenges with writing.

A self-described “perfectionist to a fault,” she decided to use all of her talents to complete a project that was 20 years in the making. She used over 70 poems she had written over the years as well as her own illustrations. The finished product is “Angel’s Destiny,” a book of poems written in the style of a novel with the end of each chapter leading to a new step in a spiritual journey.

The four chapters of poetry — Illusions, Anger, Awareness, and Love — press forward to an eventual state of healing, a state Chartrand hopes each reader will find within themselves.

The subject matter was born from an abusive marriage that Chartrand left in 1993.

The poems she wrote helped her own healing process.

Her poetry is influenced

by Eastern philosophies as well as the violence she experienced in her life and the lives of those she has helped along the way.

“Of course it was cathartic,” Chartrand said. “And of course it was painful. When you’re writing about your life and illusions and anger, you think about it a lot.”

When it came time to publish her finished work Chartrand took conventional steps, sending out queries and manuscripts, but in her mind she knew she was going to selfpublish so she could maintain artistic control.

“Poetry is the step-child of

COURTESY OF APRIL MARTIN CHARTRAND

the publishing world and does not sell well unless you are a big name like Alice Walker or a newly selected poet laureate,” she said.

Also, a writer who includes their own original illustrations can often hurt marketing a new author.

In the end, she chose to self-publish her book through the website CreateSpace; a decision she has not regretted.

“I basically am a quick learner,” Chartrand said. “I did all the formatting, designed the cover, everything.”

Chartrand relished the underdog role. It gave her a chance to learn for herself. She took classes on web design and even “dated some ‘techie’ guys” to help her out. She put on her own book reading at the San Francisco Main Library in April and sent out over 100 press releases. Her goals are to be a guest on a few shows and hopefully get some good reviews.

She took a chance publishing her own work, “to bypass the gatekeepers,” she said. Although she has many influences, her real inspiration comes from within.

“I want to be what my experience has taught me,” she said. “I want to explore who I am, where I come from. New stories need to be told. People need to be able to tell them.”

E-mail: email@theguardsman.com

Calendar

MAY 12, 2010

Calendar for May 12 - May 25

WED Young At Art Festival: Meet the Artists at the de Young Museum 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive San Francisco, CA Free 1 - 5 p.m.

13

FRI

City College Fashion show: “2nd Time Around” in Ocean Campus cafeteria 12 - 12:30 p.m.

THUR

FRI

Last C3 (Video) First day of Editors meeting final exams of the semester in Room 109 at MisSF Weekly’s sion campus “Best of SF 6 - 8:30 p.m.

2010” Party at Ruby Skye Michael 420 Mason Street Chabon reads from Manhood for San Francisco, CA $10 Amateurs at The 21+ Booksmith 1644 9 - 11 p.m.

Haight Street San

“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at The Willows at the Campbell Theatre 636 Ward St. Martinez, CA Ticket info: (925) 798-1300 8 p.m.

19

20

SAT

14

World Music club hosts ninth show case concert in the Diego Rivera Theater - It will feature the Maze Daiko Group, an all women Japanese Daiko drumming group.

Free 7 p.m.

UN hosts candle light vigil for Rangoo bomb victims and for the tyranny in Myanmar from at the lower plaza of the student union Ocean campus 3- 4:30 p.m.

WED

Community Events

Campus Events

THUR

12

THE GUARDSMAN

SUN

15

16

The 2010 Inner Sunset Street Fair on 9th and Irving San Francisco, CA Free 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

21

MON

City College Fashion show: “Premiere” at Yoshi’s 1330 Fillmore St. San Francisco, CA

SAT

17

City College Fashion show: “Marching Revolution” at Horatius 350 Kansas St. San Francisco, CA

SUN

22

TUES

18

Tuesday StandUp Comedy Showcase at The Comedy Club at Castagnola’s 286 Jefferson St. San Francisco, CA $5 7:30 - 9 p.m.

MON

23

TUES

24

Acoustic Monday and Industrial Night at the Rockit Room 406 Clement St. San Francisco, CA Free 21+ 9 p.m.

25

City College formal Fashion show: at Ocean Campus Wellness Center $10 students $15 regular 7 p.m.

| 15

Classifieds Looking for a female student to study with. Must have at least 60 units completed. If interested, please contact Eric at (415) 518-9080.

Be the Match, Bone Marrow Drive Wed., May 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ram Plaza The Black Student student is hosting the event. They will be signing people up for the marrow registry. For more information or questions call, 510-301-9512.

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.

Article Submissions To submit tips on stories contact: Editor in Chief (415) 239-3446 Fax: (415) 239-3884 editor@theguardsman.com

Francisco, CA Free 7:30 p.m.

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Culture&Trends

THE GUARDSMAN

MAY 12, 2010

Film Review

Life 2.0 — like life minus the reality

By Angela Penny THE GUARDSMAN

Watching Life 2.0, a documentary about the virtual reality sensation Second Life, was an entertaining thrill, emotionally insightful and satisfyingly voyeuristic.

The juxtaposition of the real and “imaginary” lives of four heavy Second Life users was fascinating. Watching the film was like taking an imaginary vacation to some other planet, with a complete society including beaches and dance clubs, fashion and real estate, friends and strangers. The graphics were very utopian, with clean lines and computer generated images. It was basically a binge of collective imaginations.

Life is much easier in Second Life than it is in the physical world. For instance, while dating in Second Life, a woman gets upset because the private beach won’t allow them to fly.

After this couple failed to make a real-life relationship work, the man speculated that if they hadn’t ventured out of Second Life, they would “have a nice house in Second Life somewhere with lots of friends,” and would probably be still together,

emotionally if not physically.

One of the subjects in the film is the fashionable avatar, Asri Falcone, who designs high-end skin, fashion, and housing products for Second Life denizens.

In stark contrast to her avatar, the camera pulls back to reveal the real-life Falcone, snoring in her unkempt bed before her alarm goes off at 6 p.m. All of the subjects in the documentary seem to spend most of their nights staring into a computer.

Living your life as an avatar is like the ultimate in plastic surgery.

In reality Asri Falcone is pretty, but she’s overweight, lives in her pajamas and chain-smokes.

She also lives in her parents’ Detroit basement.

Falcone says she earns well into “six figures” by selling her products, but I wonder if that includes decimal points or is in game dollars, since about 250 Second Life dollars is equal to one US dollar. She lives with her parents because they’ve all had some health problems and her mother is an excellent cook specializing in soul food and fried chicken.

Filmmaker Jason SpingarnKoff also follows a young man strangely obsessed with build-

JESSICA LUTHI / THE GUARDSMAN

Second Life resident Caitsu Manga flies a kite in the fields outside of Zero Style Hair. Second Life is a virtual world where users can create a persona all their own while interacting with other players.

ing a Second Life persona of an 11-year-old girl. At one point this avatar spends time as a suicide bomber and eventually plans her own death.

The documentary doesn’t judge whether ultimately Second Life, is healthy or non-healthy but it definitely has the power to take over people’s lives. For all of the individuals profiled, their Second

Life experience was almost more important and more “real” than their physical surroundings.

One of the founders of Linden Labs, the San Francisco-based company that created Second Life, said one of the biggest differences between the virtual world and first life is that you can’t physically hurt someone or be hurt.

The film is not an encyclopedic expose of how to use the tools in Second Life. For me, the virtual experience of the movie was enough to know about what goes on in this “new reality.” And I’m satisfied that I’m not missing out on anything.

E-mail: apenny@theguardsman.com

Book Review

‘Tell All’ oozes washed-up Hollywood glam

By Hannah Weiner THE GUARDSMAN

Chuck Palahniuk’s latest novel, “Tell-All”, is about a washed-up actress named Katherine “Miss Kathie” Kenton and her confidant, Hazie Coogan, who is not only her maid but also the force behind Katherine’s glamorous facade.

Palahniuk always seems to find new ways to tell his stories. Possibly his most famous work “Fight Club,” which was published in 1996 and made into a movie in 1999, was told by an unnamed narrator with two personalities.

“Tell-All” reads like a screenplay, which is quite clever of the author. Each chapter — or act — opens with a different camera angle. With the exception of voice-overs, the story is told by Hazie.

It is Hazie’s responsibility to hold Katherine’s life together because the actress is often too sedated and emotional to do much for herself.

When the often-married and divorced actress meets potential suitor Webster Carlton Westward III, Hazie steps in to prevent catastrophe.

Katherine has encountered such men before who simply use her and leave her heartbroken. Hazie does her best to thwart Webster’s efforts by rescheduling dates and not giving Katherine her messages from Webster.

It’s vintage Palahniuk: dark, creative, vulgar and hilarious, and littered with little buzz words and coined phrases like “was-bands,” in reference

to her ex-husbands; “projectile praise,” the overabundant compliments Katherine receives; and “funeral flirtation,” which is pretty self-explanatory.

Palahniuk name drops incessantly.

Classic actors like Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn and Bette Davis are printed in boldface for the reader’s viewing pleasure.

This N book MA S D AR could GU E / TH RE very likely A Q ELEY inspire a night of S M RA renting old classic movies — especially if you don’t know who

any of these people are.

He’s making some underlying commentary about Hollywood starlets as well. At one point in the novel, Katherine Kenton holds auditions for a baby she can adopt. However, the infants either don’t match her home decor or just simply cry too much and so her efforts to become a diva-mother are in vain. It’s hard to ignore the parallel with current celebrities who adopt children like it’s the greatest fad since skinny jeans.

My only qualm with the book is how difficult it is to relate to the characters.

Their dialogue exchanges are hilarious and their quirky personalities entertaining, but I didn’t really connect with any of them; they’re just too extreme to be real people.

I think any member of the Chuck Palahniuk cult will love “Tell-All” just as much as his previous 12 novels.

E-mail: hweiner@theguardsman.com