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 2
TheGuardsman.com
february 8- February 21, 2012
78 classes cut at last minute– many at full capacity
PHOTO: BETH LABERGE, PHOTO EDITED BY: PETER HERNANDEZ/ THE GUARDSMAN
Roger King teaches a conceptual psychics in Science Hall on the Ocean Campus February 1
By Thomas Figg-Hoblyn THE GUARDSMAN
City College lost $13 million from state budget cuts during the fiscal year, forcing school officials to chop 78 courses from the Spring 2012 schedule – many of which had already been filled to capacity. Darlene Alioto, President of the Department Chairperson Council, had to cancel three history classes in her section that she says were full. “My 9 to 10 a.m. class had 38
people in it,” Alioto said. Physics Department Chair, Diana Markham had a Physics 10 lecture and a Physics 10 lab cut this semester, both of which are transferable to four-year universities. “They were both totally full,” Markham said. Currently there are 538 students in Physics 10 lecture classes, with only 135 lab spaces available.
ON THE INSIDE
Dueling abortion marches face off downtown
CULTURE: LION DANCERS REV UP FOR PARADE Page 5
COLUMN: FOR-PROFIT SCHOOLS PREY ON VETS
Page 4
SPORTS: SWIM TEAM SHAKES OFF BAD SEASON Page 8
Markham is holding a “Celebrating Physics” open house on Feb. 16 from 3 to 5 p.m., followed by a fundraising dinner. Her department has raised $10,000 to pay for two physics classes. Leo Paz, department chair for the one of only Philippine Studies departments in the country said that 25 percent of his section has been cut. Paz heads Paz said he appealed to have a Philipino language class with a
traditionally lower enrollment cut instead of a more popular Filipino Family course. His appeal was denied. Min Ta, a City College administrator, said the initial cut of Spring classes was as high as 4 percent “across the board.” This would be followed by a second cut of 32 classes. Registration for Spring 2012 had already been underway for several weeks when some classes
taught by retired faculty or those with less than four semesters teaching were cut, regardless of enrollment numbers. Chairpersons did their best to balance their programs in face of this by targeting only low enrollment classes, Alioto said. She added that many students enrolled in the canceled courses were veterans, guardian scholars, and recent high school students that had been granted early registration. Student veteran Marc Salgado discovered his Engineering 38 had been cancelled the very first day of class. “A guy walked into the room and said ‘sorry class in cancelled’,” Salgado said. “I needed that class to transfer to San Francisco State.” Salgado is in his fourth semester at City College, majoring in civil engineering. There were no alternatives available due to all other comparable classes being full, he said. Giovanni Valdez, also an engineering major, found out the same day his Energy 3 class had also been cut. Valdez said he was able to find an online class as an alternative. “Maybe that is the way of the future, to save money,” he said. Following extensive cuts,
By Lance Kramer and Oz Litvac THE GUARDSMAN
Tens of thousands gathered for the eighth annual West Coast Walk For Life on Jan. 21 to spread their message against abortion before marching down Market Street, where the group closed off the city’s main thoroughfare. The walk was met with some opposition by pro-choice advocates at Powell and Market, where San Francisco police arrested four demonstrators and then cited and released them. Police officials said they gave two citations for vandalism, one for failing to obey a police officer and one for resisting arrest. Beginning at Civic Center around 12:30 p.m., Walk For Life co-founder Eva Mutean introduced speakers Lori Hoye, Rev. Clenard Childress, Dr. Vansen Wong and Silent No More representative Jacquie Stalnaker. “If you were born after 1972, you are a survivor of the abortion holocaust,” said Hoye. She explained how an abortion in her family affected her and her decision to join the Walk For Life. Former Miss West Virginia Jacquie Stalnaker, a Walk For Life regional coordinator from Birmingham, Ala., told the crowd about a time when she was forced at gunpoint by her boyfriend to have an abortion. “I held that secret for 22 years,” said Stalnaker. “For 22 years it affected every relation-
LANCE KRAMER / THE GUARDSMAN
VINCENT PALMIER / THE GUARDSMAN
ABOVE: The “Walk for Life” began at Civic Center and continued down Market St to Justin Herman Plaza on Jan 21. BELOW: Sophia Zen speaks at the pro-choice rally nearby.
ship I was in.” Moments before the march began Rev. Childress addressed the crowd. “I always want to remind you that you are the salt of the earth, and God has ordained you for such a time as this.”
The Walk For Life, preceded by a 9 a.m. Catholic mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral, came one day prior to the 39th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade, considered a milestone in the women’s rights movement.
COURSE CUTS Page 3
Members of the Archdioscese from throughout California attended the mass, along with many other Catholics from throughout the West Coast. The Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers welcomed attendees. Tour buses lined Geary Blvd. and Gough St. in front of St. Mary’s and the mass quickly became standing room only. After the service, people took to the streets and to their respective buses to make the short journey to Civic Center Plaza while carrying hundreds of signs, some reading, “Change Roe v. WadeYes We Can” and “A Person Is A Person, No Matter How Small.” Roughly 50,000 pro-life demonstrators came together in front of City Hall to get their message out, and organizers encouraged the participants at the event to sign petitions in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade. The 1.8 mile march continued to Justin Herman Plaza and closed Market Street for about two hours. Pro-choice activists made numerous attempts to block Market Street to prevent the Walk For Life marchers from arriving at Justin Herman Plaza. “When abortion is illegal, women die,” shouted a small group of pro-choice demonstrators, who continued with chants such as, “Racist, Sexist, AntiQueer, Walk For Life get out of here!” Email: news@theguardsman.com