The Guardsman, Vol. 170, Issue 8, City College of San Francisco by The Guardsman

AIRCRAFT PROGRAM

FUTURE OF MUNI

SPRING SEASON

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What Do Students Think of National Society of Leadership and Success? By Hannah Asuncion hasunci1@mail.ccsf.edu

The National Society of Leadership and Success, NSLS has nominated various students, especially international students, to join their honor society for the past couple of weeks. In order to be inducted, the nominee needs to pay $95 and then go through various steps leading up to their induction, but some students have been questioning the organization’s legitimacy. Chapter President of NSLS Jimmy Tran confirmed that they are an established chapter operating with a free club version for all students to join. They are a registered student organization on campus that holds social events and workshops for the future. “Our goal is to create a community that offers opportunities to build leadership skills through practice and peer support.” Their nomination process involves the Upper Society where they recognize students who meet the GPA threshold with a certain credit window, which then offers them a chance to enroll in

City College Journalism Wins Big! By An Pham apham34@mail.ccsf.edu

The Guardsman Photo Editor Emily Trinh works on her laptop in her Inner Sunset apartment in San Francisco, Nov. 29, 2020. Photo by Jennifer Hsu/The Guardsman.

a leadership certificaThere are partnered tion program. Their discounts when it comes paid membership is not to the membership, like endorsed by City College. at Earnest a student loan Members who decide refinancing company. to accept their nomi- There are other gifts and nation will get access discounts at over 1,000 to Inducted Member other companies through Benefits, which includes websites or mobile apps. a leadership certification, For example, at and members who have a Audible there is a two3.3 GPA or above receive month free trial, two free a Presidential Seal on audiobooks, and four their certificate. NSLS recommended

audiobooks valued at $129. For Apple, there is up to $200 off any eligible Mac and $20 on an iPad Pro with Apple education pricing. For Dell, you can save up to 40% on select PCs and up to 50% on select TVs and electronics. These benefits also offer an exclusive job bank, scholarship portal, and a personalized letter of recommendation.

City College student Burcu Ozdemir stands for a portrait outside her apartment building in downtown San Francisco. Nov. 29, 2020. Photo by Jennifer Hsu/The Guardsman.

There is also a speaker broadcast series where public figures address their experience with leadership and success, teach from their experience, share advice, and also answer questions. The 2020 speakers include Neil Patrick Harris, Tanya Acker, Jack Black, Bill Nye, and Matthew McConaughey. Emily Trinh, an international student, decided not to accept the nomination due to NSLS not being accredited. “The fee is too high (for me) in exchange for membership of something not that prestigious. There are forums and quora that goes more in-depth than I can.” Trinh also looked into the President of the NSLS and to her his credentials are not that impressive. His position as President is an internship with the organization behind NSLS. She is also under the impression that NSLS tries way too hard when it comes to showing what type of organization they are and they have also attempted multiple times National Society continues on page 2

City College’s journalism students attended the Journalism Association of Community College (JACC) Fall 2020 conference, which was held online using the Qiqo chat platform and Zoom from Nov. 6 to Nov. 8, 2020, and took home awards left and right. “Thanks to COVID-19, it’s been over six months since people have been allowed to gather in large groups,” JACC’s press release said. “That didn’t stop the 217 delegates who virtually came together this past weekend, for the first time, in a virtual environment, when the Journalism Association of Community Colleges held its 2020 Fall Conference on Friday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 8.” “The event was hosted using the Qiqochat platform, which provides a social wrapper around Zoom meetings so participants can move themselves in and out of Zoom spaces,” JACC’s press release said. Over a dozen journalism students at City College joined the three-day-long event. Some participated in contests, and several won awards. The Guardsman’s Co-EditorIn-Chief Jennifer Yin was one of the students who joined the event and won first place in the photo story contest. She was overall happy that she took part in the contest and won awards. “I felt like that shoot was good, but not good enough to win first place at JACC. The saturation of the photos were off and the quality was super pixelated.”, Yin said. “I suppose the judges saw something that I must have missed and like folks say, ‘you are your own worst critic.’” The event was a success thanks to its easy-to-use platform, QiqoChat. Students were having zero problems navigating from a room to another. Though, the competitions weren’t that easy. The Guardsman’s Illustrator Manon Cadenaule participated in her first JACC contest, and even though it was online, she was satisfied with her time spent at the event. “I have never been to JACC before, but I can only imagine the excitement of going there and being able to speak with all these great people! Therefore, I felt the energy these folks put into the event JACC continues on page 2

2 | NEWS

JACC continued from page 1

Vol. 170, Issue 8 | Dec. 8 - Dec. 22, 2020

National Society continued from page 1

this year to stay still, strong, adaptable with the new norms and provide useful content.” Cadenaule said. Cadenaule won an honorable mention for the Editorial Cartoon contest. “The competition in itself was very destabilizing due to the lack of time, but I enjoyed putting my brain to work and coming up with what I could do best at that time and place. It was undoubtedly missing lots of things and not really well done, but I hope the idea was fun! I will do it again!” Cadenaule said. “The interface was easy to use, there was descriptive

information on how to attend lectures, and I liked how easy it was to jump from one room to the next. The on-the-spot completion was intense since we only had a limited amount of time to write, copyedit, and upload our work,” said Yin. “I am not that tech-savvy so uploading my work was a challenge and I, unfortunately, was five minutes late because of it. The only thing I would suggest to the council at JACC is to add a sign language translator to the lectures so that people with disabilities can enjoy

JACC too.” Yin added.

to get Trinh to accept her nomination. “If they are as desirable as they claim they are, they don't need to beg me to join.” According to Trinh, the NSLS Chapter at City College is brand new and anyone can set up a Chapter at their school from what she has read online. Burcu Ozdemir, another international student, also decided to not accept the nomination because she did some research of her own which led to various questions due to bad reviews of NSLS. She also didn’t want to be a leader in the future and she wasn’t looking for any type of scholarships as well. “Firstly, I didn’t accept, they asked for a membership fee before everything. I prefer to see websites and some of their workshops then pay for it. I kinda feel this organization is more about taking students’ money,” Ozdemir said. There has been so much superstition when it comes to the legitimacy of the National Society of Leadership and Success because it seems like there has been lots of inconsistency about what their organization offers or if it’s actually something that students should find trustworthy.

The Guardsman is listed as one of the winners of the General Excellence Print 2020 award by the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC). Screenshot taken from JACC website.

LIST OF WINNERS ON-THE-SPOT CONTESTS EDITORIAL CARTOON Honorable Mention Manon Cadenaule

INSIDE PAGE DESIGN Honorable Mention Chiara Di Martino ILLUSTRATION Third Place Lisa Martin Fourth Place Lisa Martin

MAIL - IN COMPETITIONS ENTERPRISE NEWS STORY/SERIES Meritorius Award Natalia Bogdanov Tyler Breisacher Jennifer Yin COLUMN WRITING Fourth Place Andy Damian-Correa EDITORIAL CARTOON Third Place Lisa Martin

Staff Co-Editors-in-Chief Jennifer Yin Meyer Gorelick News Editor Matheus Maynard

A mailed invitation to join the National Society of Leadership and Success sits on the dining room table in Emily Trinh's San Francisco apartment. Nov. 29, 2020. Photo by Jennifer Hsu/The Guardsman.

PHOTO STORY-ESSAY First Place Jennifer Yin Honorable Mention Jennifer Yin SPORTS ACTION PHOTO First Place Fran Smith

T-shirt, coffee cup and a certificate are among the merchandise from the National Society of Leadership and Success. Photo courtesy of Jimmy Tran.

Culture Editor Alexa Bautista

Opinion Editor Andy Damian-Correa Photo Editor Emily Trinh

Layout Editor Peter Suter Designer Chiara Di Martino

Online Editor Fran Smith Social Media Editor

Diana Guzman Illustrators Manon Cadenaule Burcu Ozdemir Staff Writers Eleni Balakrishnan An Pham

Tim Hill Starr Wilson Hannah Patricia Asuncion

Elizabeth Lopez Tobin Jones Sadie Peckens

John Taylor Schneider Kaiyo Funaki Rachael Scarborough Photographers Jennifer Hsu Kevin Kelleher Melvin Wong

NEWS | 3

Vol. 170, Issue 8 | Dec. 8 - Dec. 22, 2020

Proposed Relocation of City College’s Aircraft Mechanic Program Continues to Draw Criticism By Tobin Jones tobinjones@protonmail.com

Plans to relocate the Aircraft Maintenance Technology (AMT) Program from the City College of San Francisco’s Airport campus to the college's Evans Center have continued to face opposition from some faculty and community members, despite the postponement of the move. College administration officials had hoped last month’s announcement that the plan was to be put on hold, coupled with a series of town hall meetings held by Interim Chancellor Vurdien to solicit faculty and community input on the project, would help to defuse tension around the issue. However, opponents of the relocation A variety of planes are used to train students in aviation maintenance. San Francisco, CA. March 16, 2018. Photo by Ekevara Kitpowsong/ have remained steadfast in their resistance The Guardsman. to the relocation proposal, citing concerns that included: pollution and environmental Francisco Airport Commission’s weekly Bayview resident and City College alum community, it has a long history of being degradation, the displacement of existing meeting to inquire about the possibility of who previously served as a member of used as a dumping ground for the city’s Evans Center programs, the possibility that leasing a site on airport property. The fact the Associated Student Council. “What is most toxic industries, such as coal and oilthe move could jeopardize the maintenance that teachers and activists felt the need to going to be your level of engagement with fired power plants, San Francisco’s largest program’s accreditation, and potential noise appeal to an outside body showcases the lack the Bayview community going forward? wastewater facility, and most famously the issues. The town halls, which have been held of confidence in City College’s handling Because this is not enough coming in and Hunter’s Point Shipyard. As a result, the every Wednesday since the beginning of of the process felt by some teachers and saying what you’re going to do to directly area suffers from some of the highest rates November, have seen City College officials community members. impact my community is not enough. And of environmentally-related ailments, such take a diplomatic and sometimes defensive “(The Chancellor’s town hall meetings) it's quite disrespectful.” as asthma and cancer, in the city. tone in addressing criticism, which ranged have been a lot of people saying the same In that same meeting, Dean Bynum and A petition circulated by City College from merely concerned to upset and angry. thing: Why are you not asking the airport? Interim Chancellor Vurdien assured meet- Faculty Union AFT 2121 claims that Interim Chancellor Vurdien, Vice Why have you stopped asking for space? It’s ing attendees that the college planned on the presence of the AMT program in a Chancellor of Academic Affairs Tom Boegel like you’ve given up on it,” said Stephen including community members in all future partially residential area would bring “noise, and Evans Center Dean Torrance Bynum Brady, who heads the motorcycle repair discussions about plans to move the program. air, and potential water pollution” and have insisted that they did everything possible program at Evans Campus. “If you’re not The Guardsman spoke to residents of cause “adverse noise, environmental, and to obtain another site at the Airport Campus going to ask then what chance do you have?” the blocks immediately surrounding the health effects.” after City College’s decades-long, a dollarEvans Center campus on Dec. 5, 2020. Of City College has not yet released a list of a-year lease expires at the end of December. these roughly dozen neighbors we asked, chemicals that will be used in AMT courses. NEIGHBORS WEIGH IN But critics charge that City College has been none had any knowledge of the proposed Toby Lee, the college’s Lead Project Manager insufficiently proactive in lobbying San At the very first Evans Campus town hall relocation, or Chancellor Vurdien’s town for Evans, said on Nov. 4 that he was in the Francisco International Airport officials to meeting on Nov. 4, criticisms were made hall meetings. process of compiling one to be sent to the that end. At a time when COVID-19 has concerning insufficient outreach to ensure “I find it interesting that I don’t know Department of Public Health, which would decimated the air travel industry worldwide, the inclusion of Bayview residents in the anything about it, because I try to actually also be posted publicly on the Evans Center SFO, they believe, would likely be amenable decision-making process. know what’s going on in the neighborhood website. As of publication, the college had to leasing space to City College. “Are there going to be more ongoing … I try to stay up on what's happening,” said not yet responded to a Guardsman request Frustrated with what they saw as City discussions with the community? Because Jennifer Lake, who lives near the campus. “It for any records relating to the program’s College’s reluctance to fully consider this having one random discussion, without any would be easy enough to just put up fliers potential environmental impact, nor has any possibility, a group of faculty attended notice given to the public is not going to saying, ‘Hey, this is happening.’” information been posted online. the public comment segment of the San be sufficient,” said Alyssa Jones-Garner, a Lara P.A., who has lived in the area Neighbors who spoke to The Guardsman since she was a child, was also unaware of expressed trepidation that the Aircraft the possible arrival of the program. She Maintenance Technology Program, which described her mother, Vera, as being heav- allegedly involves the use of leaded fuel as ily involved in neighborhood issues, and said well as other toxic chemicals, could be yet that if even she had not been informed about another example of an undesirable health the move, that the college “needed to do a hazard imposed on a neighborhood with better job.” She said she approved of the idea little political or economic clout. of town hall meetings to discuss the issue but “I’m not that surprised that they would was skeptical that the college would change put it in this neighborhood,” said P.A. She course, regardless of community input. “I called the discussion around the move, think that it’s great that they’re taking input which has so far come with little input from from the neighborhood, but if they’re not community members, “part of a pattern of actually investigating or considering any blatant disrespect from both the city and other alternatives for where to put this, then private business,” toward the area. I feel like it’s just a bit of ethics-washing to One longtime resident, who spoke say that they listen to the neighborhood but on condition of anonymity, told The then not actually change any of the decisions Guardsman that decades of mistreatment that they’ve pre-made,” she said. and environmental racism have left many in the community inured to it. “They been contaminating this area forever,” he said. CONCERN OVER TOXINS, POLLUTION “So, whoever it is who’s complaining about it The Evans Campus is situated in the is some new people, not the people who have A decommissioned aircraft parked at the Airport Campus. San Francisco, CA. March 16, city's Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood. already been here. They’re immune to it.” 2018. Photo by Cameron Ehring/The Guardsman. A traditionally Black and working-class

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4 | NEWS

Vol. 170, Issue 8 | Dec. 8 - Dec. 22 , 2020

Student Advocates Demand Funds By Starr Wilson swilson3@mail.ccsf.edu

Illustration by Daina Medveder Koziot/Special to The Guardsman. (Instagram: @Dmkoziot)

New Internal Auditor and Controller Hired to Oversee City College’s Finances

This semester, the San Francisco Foundation gifted $500,000 to City College, and Students Making A Change (SMAC) wants those funds distributed to students as soon as possible. SMAC was organized in 2009 by students to improve student equity at City College and the community at large. Their primary focus is to advance rights, safety, and full inclusion of low-income people of color. They state on the web page that the racial achievement gap and opportunity gap indicates that we still have a way to go to achieve true equity. Their core values are grassroots community leadership, education as a human right, equity and social justice, movement building and strategic alliances with other community organizations to build a movement capable of winning long-term systemic social change. Intern program coordinator Marjorie Blen stated that SMAC gave out food cards and $500 to students during the pandemic to keep them going and through the City College Foundation has campaigned to help students. “Our grant was for people not included in the COVID-19 package to get funding. Currently, students are being charged for Free City money if they dropped classes before the onset of the pandemic,” Blen said. Blen further stated that students are being hurt because they don’t have the monetary resources to pay for drop fees or graduation fees on transcripts. Blen added, “Since the funds have been donated, not a word about how they’re going to be disseminated has come from the BoT. As a result, SMAC has instigated a social media campaign to put pressure on the administration to get funds to students. Blen further stated that SMAC has no direct contact with the Board of Trustees. A concern for Blen is that unemployment funds end Dec. 12, 2020 and students will need those funds even more with no income coming in.

Online Wedding for Two Guardsman Staffers in the Time of Covid-19

By Loretta Bonifacio

appointment because “the hiring is something the previous administration was not able to accomplish During a Nov. 12 meeting, the or did not want to accomplish,” Board of Trustees unanimously Trustee Randolph said. approved a recommendation to For two years, Trustee Lee hire David James as the College’s advocated for the hiring of an new executive internal auditor auditor before Chancellor Vurdien and controller. joined the Board of Trustees. “It James will join the Office shouldn’t have been this difficult of Internal Control and Audit, to get this expertise,” Trustee Lee where he will be responsible for added. “If we had this person on performing an ongoing, exhaustive staff previously, I do think that review of the College’s contracts some of the costly errors that were and finances. made could have been prevented.” His hiring coincides with the “I’m really hopeful that because Board of Trustees’ multi-year plan Mr. James is here, we’ll save some to restore stability to the College money,” Trustee Lee added. by restructuring budget allocations. Chief of Staff at the Office Interim Chancellor Rajen of the Chancellor Leslie Milloy, Vurdien submitted the adminis- and Dianna Gonzales, Deputy trative hiring recommendation Chancellor of Human Resources, for James, who is a certified public Compliance, Risk Management, accountant. Hiring an auditor and and Safety, were unresponsive controller was an immediate prior- when reached for comment ity for Interim Chancellor Vurdien, regarding James’ hiring. who vowed to meet this goal by the James previously worked with end of the year or resign. the San Bernardino Community Trustee Alex Randolph College District as the Director of motioned to approve the recom- the Internal Audit and Advisory mendation, which Trustee Ivy Services department. His duties Lee seconded. They expressed are effective as of Dec. 1. collective gratitude to Interim Chancellor Vurdien over the datubonifacio@gmail.com

Peter Suter, former editor-in-chief at the Guardsman, and Chiara Di Martino, current designer at the Guardsman, celebrate their honeymoon after getting married with the online wedding service provided by San Francisco City Hall. Las Cruces, New Mexico. Nov. 9, 2020. Photo courtesy of Chiara Di Martino.

CULTURE | 5

Vol. 170, Issue 8 | Dec. 8 - Dec. 22, 2020

POC Students and Faculty Fight For Equity By Kaiyo Funaki kaiyo.funaki@gmail.com

The African American Studies Department (AFAM), BSU, and the Affirmative Action Task Force have teamed up in the hopes of creating a more welcoming and equitable environment for City College’s black and brown students. Despite celebrating its 50th anniversary earlier this year, the AFAM department continues to struggle to get the resources and visibility it needs to thrive at City College. In order to rectify these issues, these organizations worked together to develop three demands from the administration to help change the current dynamic. The first goal was to relocate the African American Resource Center into the new Student Success Center. Akeli Lord, the student ambassador for the AFAM department first stumbled across the African American Resource Center currently

located in Batmale Hall back in September of last year. Lord discovered that the resource center was no more than a storage closet and paled in comparison to that of the other ethnic and cultural resource centers around the campus. The room lacked essentials, such as Wi-Fi connection, functional computers, ventilation, and could not fit more than three people at a time. In addition, it was neither listed on the campus map nor the college catalog. While the resource center is supposed to serve as a study hall and a food pantry, it also holds symbolic meaning where students can feel welcome on campus. “That’s the benefit of having a culturally accepting resource center, because I can feel at home at school,” Lord said. Wynd Kaufmyn, a member of the Affirmative Action Task Force also highlighted the importance of a

unified space. “It’s a way to give them a safe place, a way to give them a place to network with other students who might be facing similar issues and need support,” she said. The second of the demands was to reinstate Dr. Ramona Coates as the AFAM department chair. Dr. Coates was briefly the interim chair in 2019, but was stripped of the position due to her status as a part-time professor. However, Dr. Coates has remained active within AFAM and BSU, holding open houses, fundraisers, and other social functions to support these organizations. BSU member Trillia Hargrove felt that Dr. Coates would bring a sense of legitimacy for AFAM and BSU at an administrative level. “It would help with advocacy; it would make sure that black educator voices are being heard black staff voices are being heard, and black student voices are being heard,” Hargrove said.

San Francisco State statistics professor and former Interim Department Chair for City College's African American Department, Dr. Ramona Coates poses for a FaceTime portrait in her front yard. San Francisco, CA. Nov. 30, 2020. Photo by Melvin Wong/ The Guardsman.

Fellow BSU member Keir Wilson felt that a lot of the issues black and brown students are encountering at City College can be solved with someone who can relate to them on a more personal level. “We don’t have the right department chair. Because there is no one to advocate for us, or no one who knows what to advocate for, we can’t get the help that we need,” she said. Edgar Torres, the chair for the Latin American and Latino/a Studies Department, is also the current interim chair for the AFAM department. However, he has supported the reinstatement of Dr. Coates to assume the role of chair for the AFAM department. The last of the demands was to hire at least one full-time faculty member for AFAM. As it stands right now, the department only has three part-time members and offers just four courses. With the current political energy around social justice, Dr. Coates argues that now more than ever, representation in academic institutions is vital for the success of students of color. “It takes the village of City College to prepare and support our students for their graduation. To have a robust African American studies faculty that have that same energy and that same passion and support for students, there's no telling what students will do.” While there has been optimism that these demands will be resolved, City College’s failure to

Engineering professor and Affirmative Action Taskforce member, Wynd Kaufmyn sits in her nature-themed home adorned with art from all over the globe that was collected on previous trips. Berkeley, CA. Nov. 22, 2020. Photo by Melvin Wong/The Guardsman.

Black Student Union (BSU) student, Trillia Hargrove strolls through her Outer Sunset neighborhood. Through the BSU, Hargrove had the opportunity to interview student trustee candidates this past Nov. election in hopes of building a bridge between them. San Francisco, CA. Dec. 4, 2020. Photo by Melvin Wong/The Guardsman.

address these issues beforehand serves as a microcosm of the educational injustices black and brown students have routinely encountered. “We are still at the back of the bus at City College,” Lord said. “People keep on shouting black lives matter, but black minds matter as well.”

Wilson expressed a similar sentiment as well. “Just make things equitable and fair. We can see the inequality every time we walk out of the house, we can see the inequality every time we turn on the news. We shouldn’t have inequality at school.”

African American Studies (AFAM) student ambassador, Akelli Lord details the conditions of the AFAM Resource Center on campus. Lord says how the center has no windows and the only two provided computers are nonoperational. San Francisco, CA. Nov. 22, 2020. Photo by Melvin Wong/The Guardsman.

6 | CULTURE

Vol. 170, Issue 8 | Dec. 8 - Dec. 22 , 2020

Healthcare During the COVID-19 Pandemic By Liz Lopez

In San Francisco the total number of reported COVID19 cases reported through Dec. 2 was 16,208 with the total number of deaths reaching 162, according to Data At the forefront of our social consciousness during the SF. California’s total COVID-19 positive cases, reported COVID-19 pandemic is human health. News outlets cover through Dec. 3, reached 1,286,557 cases, with 19,582 deaths. health now as a daily topic. How we are doing health-wise “The 14-day rolling average of new coronavirus cases has as a country, as a state, as a city, in our families, and as spiked since Nov. 1—up a staggering 152%,” reported Alix individuals are constant topics of conversation. Martichoux and Stephanie Sierra of ABC 7 News. As a result of the sharp increase of infections, starting on Nov. 29, San Francisco was pushed from the red tier to the purple tier. The four tiered color coded system, rolled out by California Governor Gavin Newsom, assigns the colors yellow, orange, red and purple (in order of severity) to counties in order to track cases and determine when businesses and schools can start to reopen. Purple designates widespread COVID-19 cases, with more than 7 new cases per 100,000 residents, which means that many non-essential indoor businesses will remain closed or limited to 25% of capacity. On the frontlines are healthcare workers who work long stress filled days to provide urgent care for patients with COVID-19. By April 15, hundreds of healthcare workIllustration by Burcu Ozdemir/The Guardsman. (Instagram: @Ozdemrbrcu) ers around the world had died.

elopez32@mail.ccsf.edu

“EMT [emergency medical technician] salaries [have] never been adequate for what they do, especially at these trying times,” says Frank McMahan, instructor in the Health Care Technology (HCT) department of City College. City College’s HCT department offers Medical Assisting, Paramedic, Emergency Medical Technician, Health Information Clerk and Pharmacy Technician certificates. HCT department programs provide lectures on COVID19, covering how to providing care for infected individuals and how to do it safely. McMahan recommends that students stay home when possible and when there is a need to leave your home, wear masks and stay 10 feet away from people. Washing your hands for at least 2 minutes and drying your hands is important. Use alcohol sprays on door handles and everything your hands touch. Before shopping for groceries make sure to disinfect your shopping cart and wear disposable gloves. There are multiple testing sites in San Francisco, so if you think you contracted COVID-19, even if you don’t have health insurance, you can get tested. The Mission Neighborhood Health Center at 240 Shotwell and the Potrero Hill Health Center Testing Site at 1050 Wisconsin Street are just a couple of the local testing locations that are open Monday through Friday. The Alemany Farmers Market has walk-through and drive-through options and takes a limited number of drop-ins, though appointments are recommended. If you live in San Francisco you can call 311 for help making an appointment. The risks and challenges taken on by healthcare workers are beyond the scope of what they are being paid to do. By making sure that we are doing everything we can to protect ourselves and others during this time, it not only keeps our communities safe but it is also a way of showing our respect to the many health care workers who put their lives on the line in order to save lives.

Now We’re Cooking! More Cannabis Course Offerings this Spring By Eleni Balakrishnan ebalakri@mail.ccsf.edu

This spring, students can indulge the munchies and learn cannabis culinary skills from their own kitchens alongside celebrated chefs, as City College expands its offerings in cannabis academia. City Extension will offer various new workshops, including a culinary course, which will teach students about infusing cannabis into their cooking materials, the basics of dosing, as well as the historical and cultural context of cannabis use. In line with City College’s aim to ensure the entire Cannabis Studies program keeps a focus on social equity and the political history of marijuana in the United States, the three instructors for the course are chefs of color with international roots and intentions to teach in context. New York chef Miguel Trinidad, whose cookbook was nominated for a James Beard award, will teach students how to microdose cannabis in their food. He plans to show that cannabis can be incorporated in any cuisine, in any culture, and hopes to ease negative

associations people have with edibles. “I hate to put myself in a box,” said Trinidad, who is Dominican, was raised in New York, and worked extensively in Filipino cuisine. “[Cannabis] can be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It can be savory or sweet.” Cannabis has long had a history of stigmatization, and Trinidad will incorporate new research into his class for skeptics who, like his mother, still see cannabis as “the devil’s lettuce.” “It’s not all about getting high,” Trinidad said. He expects that with legalization and further research, people will start to accept cannabis as a legitimate alternative to pharmaceuticals when it’s prescribed by a doctor. Another of the instructors, also an infusion expert and the author of “The Art of Weed Butter,” Chef Mennlay Aggrey agrees that cannabis knowledge can be applied beyond recreation. The techniques she’ll teach can be applied when infusing other herbs, and the course will be catered to cannabis enthusiasts and those interested in culinary arts alike.

Illustration by Manon Cadenaule/The Guardsman. Instagram: @Cadenaulem.

What’s more, Aggrey said, cannabis can Jennifer Dagwert-Carlin, who developed help with anything from muscle relax- the Cannabis Studies AA program, said ation to skin and haircare, though she is the curriculum for all extension courses wary of claiming any medicinal benefits due to her experiences with the FDA. Cannabis continues on page 8 Dean of Behavioral Sciences Dr.

7 | CULTURE

Vol. 170, Issue 8 | Dec. 8 - Dec. 22 , 2020

Programming Adapts for Students During Remote Status By Sadie Peckens

services include counseling, tutoring and additional activities by program. Losaline Mafuahingano-Muli, VASA Program Counselor and Coordinator, recommends that City College students, "Be a part of a program at City, whether it's VASA or any other program. It's a gift for students to take advantage of." This gift is still available to students during remote status. Counselors, classified staff, and a student ambassador shared how services and outreach have adapted to meet student needs while operating remotely, and encouraged students to reach out for help in this difficult time. Counselors have

recommended psychiatric services and advised students to connect with instrucspeckens@mail.ccsf.edu tors and peers. With the shift to remote learning, Being remote has meant more work City College’s Multicultural Retention in a variety of ways. For instance, in Services Department (MRSD) continues some cases, counselor caseloads have to support underrepresented students. gone up. With on-line bookings, students can select any counselor, and when they MRSD is made up of five programs, happen to select a counselor from an UMOJA/African American Scholastic Programs (AASP), Asian Pacific MRSD program, some students choose to join a program. On the other hand, in American Student Success Program some areas, student activity in program(APASS), Filipino American Student ming has gone down. The numbers vary Success Program (TULAY), Latino Services Network (LSN) and Oceania by program and service. Numbers aside, Student Success Program (VASA). outreach and services going all-remote According to the MRSD web-page, has required additional work, time, and ingenuity from faculty and staff. Some services have been adapted to meet remote needs. For example, APASS classified staff Nise Fono explained, the APASS program used to operate a lending library of physical books. With the campus closure, the library shifted to offer vouchers for ebooks. In addition, some scholarships are now being offered virtually. APASS counselors can connect students with scholarship opportunities unique to the APASS program. Individual outreach has given counselors a sense of why some students did not re-enroll during this remote semester. TULAY coordinator and counselor Bo Aleonar heard from students who are waiting until the fall 2021 semester to return. Reasons vary on an individual basis. Some students, Aleonar explained, have a learning style that does not match remote instruction. Other factors include challenges with access to the internet or other resources. Mafuahingano-Muli cited similar student circumstances, adding that some students have lost their jobs and/or are dealing with family situations, further impeding the effort to meet educational goals. Aleonar said making connections with students without the physical space that students used to congregate in has been a challenge. The physical space, Aleonar emphasized, allowed for impromptu conversations, outreach, and tutoring. Some opportunities are lost without the physical space, while others are different, because they now require pre-booking, which can be a hindrance. Strategies to address these challenges included weekly emails from Illustration by Daina Medveder Koziot/Special to The Guardsman. Instagram: @Dmkoziot.

Mafuahingano-Muli to every VASA student. TULAY began a new virtual link tree. Through the virtual link tree, students can connect with student ambassadors through Zoom. TULAY student ambassador MJ Villanueva II explained that the links can be found through Instagram. In addition, Aleonar said that TULAY is on a cross-colleges committee. The committee delivers events, which students from the network of participating schools can access. This provides students the opportunity to access resources from several colleges. “So if we're talking about connections and feeling a part of academia still, we're trying to be as creative as possible and make things as accessible as possible,” Aleonar said. Both Villanueva and Aleonar discussed a men’s support group, called Pinoyz II Men, which has continued to meet while remote. The support group is open to all men, Aleonar said, including men who are transitioning or questioning, and anyone who deals with the social construct of identifying as a man. The support group meets the first Friday of every month. "It's pretty awesome to see how much we can adapt, transition and make something work through troubling times,” Villanueva said. Overall, services have adapted and continued, despite operating remotely. Aleonar emphasized that it is not only a story of challenges but also a story of strength. “There is a lot of resilience as well. I meet a lot of returning students, despite the pandemic, that want to come back...I think it's just a matter of the faculty really being as creative as possible to do some outreach, it's ironic, to do some outreach behind your screen, so the students can really know that we're still here and we still care about them,” Aleonar said. Looking ahead, faculty and staff are preparing for remote outreach to high school campuses this spring. Additional events, scholarships, and opportunities can be found by following MRSD programs on Facebook and Instagram, and through the Virtual Campus link, https://www.ccsf.edu/student-services/ student-counseling/mrsd.

Cannabis continued from page 7

is being reviewed to ensure the program teaches only what has been substantiated by research. “We have real rigor around the curriculum,” Dagwert-Carlin said. “So we feel very strongly that our program will be grounded in the current science, as it evolves.” Like Trinidad, Aggrey comes from a multicultural background and plans to pass on her 15 years of cannabis expertise in course she has tentatively titled “From West Africa to Mexico: Botanical and Culinary Ties to the Diaspora.” Finally, Chef Amanda Jackson, who hails from rural Georgia will “explore the historical roots – and

intersectionality – of southern cooking and marijuana, both of which are deeply rooted in Black culture,” according to a media relations press release. Jackson and her cooking were featured in Netflix’s show Cooked with Cannabis. The new culinary course is one of several new cannabis-related not-for-credit workshops available through City Extension, and range in length from a few hours to a few weeks. Meanwhile, for those seeking a degree, the Cannabis Studies AA program announced in July that it will launch two of its required courses for the first time in the Spring 2021 semester.

Students can earn a “badge” in manufacturing, public education, social equity, or business and finance once they have completed Cannabis 101 and three City Extension workshops in that area. While they are not for college credit, the badges “will be recognized by the Bay Area cannabis industry as an indicator of expertise in the field,” the media relations press release said. “The extension is kind of like an incubator for what could develop into for-credit courses at City College,” said Dr. Dagwert-Carlin. The culinary course will not contribute to a certificate or badge, but students can learn cooking skills and get to know their own kitchens, she said.

8 | OPINION

What Does the Muni’s Future Look Like on Frida Kahlo?

COVID-19 Continues

By Tim Hill

By Andy Damián-Correa

uilleanner@gmail.com

acorrea@theguardsman.com

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages through its eighth month and begins to approach its ninth, classes will still remain virtual. This means that the once bustling strip we now call Frida Kahlo Way will continue to be as desolate as ever. Its primary occupant, the 49-Van Ness/Mission bus, is still continuing its tireless vigil from the Marina down to its terminus at Frida Kahlo. As one of the most important and well-used buses in the city, ridership for it is more crucial than ever. Since the pandemic shutdowns took effect in mid-March of this year, the entire Muni system has been losing money and subsequent ridership at a fierce rate. For many months, Muni's N-Judah line outbound is now a bus due to the pandemic ridership was free due and proceeds to be empty along Market St. Aug. 11, 2020. Photo to pandemic losses and by Kevin Kelleher/Special to The Guardsman. unemployment, but has since been reinstated. Additionally, other social programs have been In my view, one simple measure that Muni added such as reduced fares for low-income can do to improve safety during the pandemic residents, an essential trip card to help seniors and increase trust in ridership again is to have and people with disabilities to make essential hand sanitizer and masks available on buses. trips via taxi to appointments, grocery shop- This is a commonsense and safe practice that ping, and other basic outings. Muni’s East Bay cousin AC Transit has been As the overall increase in car traffic contin- implementing. While it obviously will not solve ues due to people feeling safer in their own the problem of COVID-19, it eliminates the vehicles as opposed to riding public transit, excuse of not having a mask when it comes Muni is continuing to find safer ways to time to board the bus. Everyone has a mask, save itself from economic collapse as well as and everyone can wash their hands and keep regain trust in riders to use it as a daily service. clean until they get to their destination. For Certain occupations have begun to return to unhoused people, this could be of great help in person employment again, which hope- in cutting down cases amongst the populafully will begin to see an increase in Muni’s tion most likely to spread it the quickest. I ridership. have personally witnessed a driver on the 1-California ignore the pleas of his riders when they asked him to not pick up any new passengers since all seats were taken and social distancing was becoming impossible. In general, Muni needs to up its game with regard to enforcing social distancing on its buses and capping the number of riders on each bus that is conducive with the size of the bus itself. To that end, many lines, including the 49, have been swapping out their regular 40 ft buses with accordion-style 60 foot buses to accommodate more riders and create easier social distancing. With City College students not riding it to class until further notice, a large bracket of that line’s population is removed. Muni can get on the road to recovery when a vaccine becomes available and schools and businesses begin to reopen, even if only at half capacity. I also firmly believe that there are many who ride Muni for the scenery of our A passenger wears a protective glove on city and the sense of relaxation it brings them. the 29 Muni bus outbound along Sunset

We know about the coronavirus that there have been more than 13 million cases and 266,900 deaths in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and a division of opinion on the use of the masks. We know that the vaccine is on its way and that healthcare workers and senior citizens should be vaccinated late in December 2020. In terms of the economy, jobs, housing, healthcare, and the tragic effects on lives and well-being, Americans understand our uncertain future. The election was a renunciation of the mismanagement of the Donald Trump administration. We have all suffered during this pandemic. California recently announced new restrictions on 12 counties and extra security measures for businesses. Meanwhile, San Francisco, which is already in the purple tier, announced new restrictions starting Sunday, Dec. 6, that go even further than the state’s rules. California, as a state, has now eclipsed one million cases. San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) has moved up San Francisco's COVID-19 color to purple, and City College will continue to follow SFDPH precautions. Remote instruction will continue.

Boulevard on August 13, 2020. Photo by Kevin Kelleher/The Guardsman.

Vol. 170, Issue 8 | Dec. 8 - Dec. 22, 2020

San Francisco public health officials have reported 164 deaths and 16,479 positive cases in the global corona crisis and are expected to grow up in December’s next early days. According to the San Francisco public health department, the Latino community has been the most affected by this pandemic. The Mission, Bayview-Hunters Point, Excelsior, and Tenderloin have been hit particularly hard. We all know the significant challenges that await in the coming months; however, the hope is that excellent medicine will help us in these difficult times. Our actions have a significant impact. Please follow the instructions of the doctors and scientists. Today we know what is essential, and we thank the nurses and doctors who have been at the forefront of the battle against the virus. If you do decide to do something in person during the holiday season, please do it outdoors. Wear a mask, only share food with people in your household, wash or sanitize your hands, keep your distance from people who aren't in your family, and avoid sharing utensils or drinks; this should be an easy step toward taking care of ourselves during this pandemic. Life is not a joke, and COVID-19 does not give up. 2021 will become one more year that will challenge us in all aspects of our lives.

Illustration by Manon Cadenaule/The Guardsman. Instagram: @Cadenaulem.

Vol. 170, Issue 8 | Dec. 8 - Dec. 22, 2020

COMMUNITY | 9

10 | COMMUNITY

Vol. 170, Issue 8 | Dec. 8 - Dec. 22 , 2020

SPORTS | 11

Vol. 170, Issue 8 | Dec. 8 - Dec. 22, 2020

City College Athletics Gearing Up for Unconventional Spring Season By Kaiyo Funaki

While City College is doing everything it can to prepare for this abbreviated season, Brown acknowledged the unique situation Despite the uncertainty revolving around for players and coaches alike. the spring sports schedule for 2021, the City “It’s not going to be even a real season. College athletic department is preparing to It’s just to get games in so the kids can get proceed with the contingency plan set by the film so they can be evaluated and hopefully CCCAA back in July. get a scholarship.” The contingency plan divides the spring To prepare for the ongoing pandemic, semester into an early and late portion, limit- teams will undergo comprehensive measures ing the maximum amount of contests to just in order to best protect the health of the 70% of the original schedule. coaches and players. The early spring season runs from Jan. Athletes will have their temperatures 18 to April 17, while the late spring schedule routinely taken and will have to fill in will start practice on March 27 and conclude sign sheets indicating whether they have by June 23. experienced symptoms of COVID-19 or Regional postseason competition is been in contact with someone who has still allowed, but teams will no longer tested positive. have the opportunity to participate in For close contact sports such as football, state championships. basketball, and volleyball, teams will have to However, student-athlete eligibility will test three times a week, with 25% of players remain unaffected by this season, meaning getting tested per practice. that participation in this upcoming season Lower contact sports such as swimming will not burn eligibility for future seasons. will be tested one or two times per week. California community colleges have until Athletes will work in smaller cohorts, and Dec. 15 to opt-in or opt out for the spring practices are expected to have designated season, though Men’s Athletic Director blocks of time so as to minimize interaction Harold Brown assured that City College between teams. plans to participate next semester. kaiyo.funaki@gmail.com

City College freshman guard, Amelia Sinclair drives toward the basket against Las Positas College freshman forward, Melanie Heigold on Jan. 29, 2020 in San Francisco. Photo by Kevin Kelleher/Special to The Guardsman.

City College freshman guard, Seyi Reiley grabs a rebound in front of Las Positas College sophomore guard/forward, Wesley Burse on Jan. 29, 2020 in San Francisco. Photo by Kevin Kelleher/Special to The Guardsman.

All athletes, staff, and officials will be tested 48 hours prior to intercollegiate competition, and masks will be worn by staff and everyone who is not actively playing. Continual testing will be a financial strain, but Brown is hopeful that the college can get a discounted price by teaming up with other community colleges in the conference. Though the athletic department received approval from the City College administration for this outline to return to play, teams are not allowed to conduct in-person activities until approved by the San Francisco Department of Public Health. Until then, coaches will continue to interact virtually with their players, a task everyone has grown accustomed to during this hiatus. Coach Justin Labagh of the men’s basketball team was hopeful that a season would take place, but he has continued to temper expectations and maintain transparency when communicating with his student-athletes. “We don’t know what [the season] is going to look like. Everything still up in the air,” Labagh said. “When we have our meeting with our kids every week, it’s really difficult to tell them what’s actually going on.”

Sophomore defensive end and linebacker for the football team Dino Kahaulelio emphasized the need for accountability amongst his teammates to ensure a safe environment. “Honestly, I’m not too worried about the practices or playing against other teams. For me, it’s making sure that my teammates take this as seriously as they should, and understand that when we’re done with our workouts, we’re done with practices or games, that, instead of going and having fun, they should go relax at home,” he said. “The worst-case scenario for us is that we play a game and then have one or two kids test positive, and that results in the entire team having to sit out.” Sophomore point guard for the men’s basketball team Kyree Brown echoed a similar sentiment in regards to the challenges the players will encounter as a team. “It’s going to be interesting. Everybody is going to have to put their ego aside. We’re definitely going to have to be all in for the team, do what’s best for the team, and think selflessly.”