C I T Y C O L L E G E O F S A N F R A N C I S C O ’ S N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 9 3 5
Volume 153, Issue 5
TheGuardsman.com
A COLLEGE MOURNS: by Joe Fitzgerald
April 4- April 17, 2012
CITY COLLEGE STUDENT VICTIM IN QUINTUPLE HOMICIDE NEAR CAMPUS - SUSPECT IN CUSTODY
jfitzgerald@theguardsman.com
Five people were found dead the morning of March 23 at 16 Howth St., just a block from City College’s Ocean campus. One suspect has been arrested in connection with the murders so far. Thai Binh Luc, 32, is suspected of robbing the home on Howth St. and laying in wait for the victims before attacking them, according to assorted news reports. According to SFPD Chief Greg Suhr, the victims were killed by blunt force and edge trauma, meaning they were bludgeoned and cut. Spring break started just a day after the grisly scene was reported and while most of the college community enjoyed their vacation, one teacher began questioning police to figure out if one of the victims, Chia Huei Chu, was her student. “I’ve been in shock and distress by the news in the past few days,” English as a Second Language instructor Thi Thi Ma said. By the time school was back in session, she was sure of what
happened. One of the victims was indeed “Chantel” Chia Huei Chu, 30, a City College student since 2007, and one of Ma’s students. Chantel’s husband, Vincent Yuanji Lei, also a victim that sad day, was registered at City College but not enrolled in any courses. Ma sat down with her ESL students Monday morning, April 2, and explained that their classmate had been murdered. She invited any students who knew her well to stay after class to talk, and a group of about ten students stayed behind— some noticeably distraught. “Who was Chantel, the person you knew from this class?” Ma asked them in English, for the sake of the reporter present. A middle aged man, Jim Lin, smiled for a moment as he spoke about her. Through his newly learned English, and a look of
family was in Taiwan, and she had an older sister. She and her husband had met because their families were friends. She was detailed in class, and always brought a wealth of information to their study groups. She was also very ambitious. Ma recalled in an email that Chantel shared “her embarrassment in some cases with spoken English—she shared that such linguistic drawbacks motivated her to thrive. Her dream was to become either an immigration lawyer or a business person.” Mei mentioned that she may have been one of the last people to speak with her; that she had spoken to Chantel on the phone the night of the murder. They were planning a barbeque for spring break. Fellow student Cathy Zang began to sob. She had discussed Chantel’s background in the most
“Chantel” Chia Huei Chu March 21, 1982-March 23, 2012 nostalgia, he spoke of how friendly she was, and how bright. One girl, Yuan Mei, struggled with a word while describing Chantel. “Outright?” she asked, looking at Ma. Then it clicked. “Outgoing. She was outgoing.” Everyone agreed, adding that she had a great sense of humor too. As a group they recounted some details of her life. Chantel’s
detail, and clearly they were close. Ma then asked for some time alone with her students, and held a private talk with them for a short time past the interview. Separately, Ma recalled to The Guardsman the last time she saw Chantel. She was the last to leave the classroom that day, and in her lively and cheerful voice wished her teacher a happy spring break, urging her not to work too hard. Ma’s last memories of Chantel were the same as her students: of a vital woman who held so much optimism, and so much promise. Thi Thi Ma and her students are raising funds for Chantel’s family. If you’re interested in donating, you can forward the check to East West Bank or email Ms. Ma at tma@ccsf.edu. Donations can be made to the East West Bank, number: 52507688. Checks can be made to “Louis Fung Yick Hong” or “Hua Shun Lei Family Memorable Fund”.
Photos by: from left to right, Shane Menez, Beth LaBerge, Matt Lambert (The Guardsman); photo of Luc courtesy of the SFPD. Left to right: Medical examiners transport one of the victims from five-person homicide; Flowers are spread over the sidewalk at a memorial for the victims in front of 16 Howth St. on April 1; Police stand on Howth St. on Mar. 23, directly across the street from the Ocean campus; Mugshot of suspect Binh Thai Luc
Stories of Hope and Struggle : Inside City College of San Francisco As budgets are slashed, classes are cut and furloughs loom, it can often seem as if education in California is failing. Most importantly, the very mission of community colleges, educating the community, has been under fire. In this time of crisis, The Guardsman is launching a new series to spotlight the acheivements and hardships of our students, faculty and staff. If you feel your story shows why community colleges are important, please write to us. We would love to highlight you in our next issue. -The Guardsman Staff
Veronica Garcia: Azlym Alim: Teresa Cullen: Doran Lewis: Rishi Subedi: a single mother and taking classes after student worker aims diploma program first from Nepal to CCSF, devoted daughter suffering from a stroke for psychology degree step to transferring to further education By Thomas Figg-Hoblyn
By Sean Houlihan
By Lance Kramer
By Eric Park
By Lance Kramer
Veronica Garcia, who only weeks before had celebrated her 16th birthday, walked out of the doctor’s office in a state of shock. Her mind reeled as she processed the news: she was pregnant. It was the fall of 2000 and Garcia was only a high school sophomore. She choose to keep her baby after leaving the doctor’s office that day, and went on to graduate
Ever since she suffered a stroke in 2005, Azlynda Alim, a long-time student at City College, has been living with aphasia, a disability that affects speech and cognitive skills. Since that time, Alim has been taking courses in communications, acquired brain injury and art. She says that by taking classes offered through the college’s
Theresa Cullen is a 23-yearold City College student working as a student ambassador with the Office of Outreach and Recruitment Services in the Multi-Use Building on City College’s Ocean campus. Cullen, who has attended CCSF for three years, was referred to her current federal work-study job by her counselor. She has worked there for
Doran Lewis, 23, considers himself one of the more fortunate students enrolled in the high school diploma program at City College. That’s because he will complete the diploma program this semester, allowing him to finally focus on taking transfer classes in the fall. Part of the transitional studies department, the high school diploma program provides adults
Rishi Subedi is a 35-year-old student from Nepal with bachelor’s degrees in both English literature and sociology. He is currently in his third semester studying diagnostic medical imaging at City College and also works about 15-20 hours a week as a medical interpreter translating from his native Nepali to English. The DMI program is a
THE GUARDSMAN
GARCIA Page 5
ON THE INSIDE
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
AZTEC NEW YEAR IN THE MISSION -PAGE 6
THE GUARDSMAN
ALIM Page 2
COOKING WITH FLAIR -PAGE 7
CONTRIBUTING WRTIER
CULLEN Page 4
THE GUARDSMAN
LEWIS Page 4
A BUG IN THE SYSTEM (PART 2) -PAGE 10
SUBEDI Page 5
ESCAPE FROM CITY COLLEGE -PAGE 11