Volume 138, Issue 3
News
COLOSSAL OLMEC HEAD: Sculpture Recognizes Wealth of Pan American Heritage
BY
TRACY HELD
Staff Writer
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DUSTIN GRAY / GUARDSMANA 12-ton reproduction of an ancient San Lorenzo Olmec Head will be donated to City College by Governor Miguel Aleman Velazco of Veracruz in Mexico for the college’s new Pan American Center before the end of the fall semester.
The sculpture is historically and culturally significant for the Latin American Studies Department, which is developing a Pan American Center around the Diego Rivera Mural. It will be the centerpiece of the sunken garden adjacent to the Diego Rivera Theater, which is now being repainted in the style of Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul, or Blue House, with vibrant blue walls surrounding the vegetation.
“Our new garden will become an integral part of the Pan American Center that will replace the Theater when our new Performing Arts Complex is finished in 2009 on the west campus [the reservoirs],” said Diego Rivera Mural Project organizer William Maynez. “This Center will fulfill our tewardship of the Rivera mural by allowing the mural to be seen in a better venue.”
“This gift was a side benefit of negotiations Harry Parker, director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, was conducting to borrow a real head for next year’s opening of the De-Young Museum,” Maynez said.
Parker has been working with colleagues in Mexico for the past five years in preparation for the current Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya exhibit at the Legion of Honor. “In the process, I met the right-hand man of Gov. Aleman Velazco of Veracruz,” Par-ker said. “He was the one who introduced me to the governor.”
In discussions with Parker, Gov. Velazco “thought it would be a great idea to place a replica permanently in San Francisco,” Parker said. The governor has a program of placing replicas of the sculptures in locations throughout the world. “He’s very enthusiastic about the program.”
San Lorenzo Number One is part of a ten-head series from the city of San Lorenzo, the longest series of such sculptures created by the ancient Olmecs of Vera-cruz. Little is known about the Olmecs, who are believed to make up Mesoamerica’s first civilization.
HALIE JOHNSON / GUARDSMAN |
Similar to other heads in the series, San Lorenzo Number One resembles a human head wearing either a helmet or headdress made of two bands. The colossal sculptures range between five and 11 feet in height and are made out of multi-tons of basalt stone. The cross-eyed head is thought to be the image of an important ancient ruler who is either depicted in battle or in an ancient ballgame.
City College student Paula Tejeda provided photographic documentation of the proposed new home for the colossal sculpture. “The sculpture is recognizing the wealth of archeological, intellectual and artistic wealth that exists in Mexico and Latin America,” Tejeda said.
“It recognizes we have a richness unique to America, the continent. It’s important for students to be exposed to all aspects of history, cultural and art, especially in Latin America. I mean, we share a continent,” Tejeda said.
Gov. Velazco is postponing his dedication trip to San Francisco due to rain and the difficulty that may arise when transferring the sculpture in bad weather conditions. The dedication day program is still being assembled to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
The original San Lorenzo Number One Olmec Head currently resides in the Jalapa Museum in Veracruz, Mexico.
e-mail: theld@theguardsman.com
GETTING A JUMPSTART: Bringing literacy to preschoolers
BY
DIEGO VALDEZ-SANCHEZ
Staff Writer
DUSTIN GRAY / GUARDSMAN |
City College students are beginning to participate in Jumpstart, a national literacy program geared toward tutoring preschool children from low-income San Francisco neighborhoods.
The program is brand new to City College, and is asking students to mentor preschoolers 8–10 hours a week in centers located in the Mission, Haight and Richmond districts.
Sixty universities across the country have been working with this program, including San Francisco State University for seven years.
“It’s been a very effective program and benefited pre-schoolers going into the first grade,” said Noelani Mussman, manager of the program at City College.
Eleven preschools in San Francisco are currently participating in the Jumpstart program.
e-mail: dvaldez-sanchez@theguardsman.com
COLLEGE UNDERGOES ACCREDITATION REVIEW
BY MARLON LUMANG
Staff Writer
The first phase of the Self-Study program that started last spring is to be completed by this December.
The Self-Study program is part of the accreditation process done by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) every six years. WASC is one of six regional associations that accredit public and private schools, colleges and universities in the United States.
WASC evaluates high schools and colleges to ensure institutions have the resources students need. They set the benchmark and develop required standards for schools to follow.
“We are studying ourselves,” Bonnie Grath, head of City College’s Bibliographic Instructions department, said. “We have a certain level to go by and keep our organization going.”
The Self-Study committee is made up of 167 City College volunteers, who are comprised of admin-istrators and students. They are broken down into groups to evaluate the school’s progress, which is later presented to the WASC board.
“We did well last 2000 when WASC came to see the report,” said Ann Zin, project specialist for the office of the chancellor.
“I think we will do very well when WASC comes to evaluate us this time,” Grath said. The second phase of the program will be completed in spring 2005.
e-mail: mlumang@theguardsman.com
CHEESECAKE NOT GOOD FOR EX-EMPLOYEES
BY MARLON LUMANG
Staff Writer
Supervisor Matt Gonzalez, along with Young Workers United, City College students and over 100 former employees rallied in front of Macy’s department store on Geary Street where the Cheesecake Factory is located on the eighth floor of the building.
The group of former employees and Young Workers United filed a claim with the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement against the Cheesecake Factory for denying workers meal and rest periods between 2000-2003.
Young Workers United is an organization that helps low wage and unemployed young workers in justifying and upholding workers’ rights and the code of conduct.
According to the California labor code, for each day a worker misses a meal or break, they are entitled to an hour of pay.
“I think that it is a public matter and these guys understand we are going to draw attention, hoping that these guys get the idea that we are in a struggle,” Matt Gonzalez said.
“Every time we come out here we are stronger and every time we have more and more support,” said Patty Seneca, a committee coordinator, former employee of the Cheesecake Factory, and student at City College.
e-mail: mlumang@theguardsman.com
OIS HELPS STUDENTS FIND POTENTIAL CAREERS
BY SEYLA MARTINEZ
Staff Writer
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City College offers an Occupational Interest Survey (OIS) to help students identify their potential career path.
The OIS is based on a theory developed by a career development expert named Dr. John Holland. He emphasizes the idea that people can be classified into six different personality categories.
By targeting one’s interest rather than one’s ability, the survey is designed to help students generate ideas about what they could do as a career rather than only telling them what they are capable of doing.
The OIS asks students questions about what they like doing and then provides information about related programs at City College.
e-mail: smartinez@theguardsman.com
THE BURNOUT FACTOR: Teachers as stressed as their students
BY GITANJALI BHUSHAN
Staff Writer
The next time you find yourself cramming for an exam or hurrying to finish a paper in time for class, you might want to stop and realize — your teacher may be just as stressed out as you.
City College instructors are an exceptionally hard-working group who spend hours preparing lessons, teaching classes and grading student work — in addition to fulfilling their administrative commitments to the college.
Most full-time faculty are teaching 15 hours of class per week, but the number of classroom hours required of teachers varies for each department. This is the equivalent of five one-hour classes meeting three times per week. Some teachers are also required to teach lab classes which can shoot their workload up to 18 or 20 hours per week.
This may not seem like a lot. Tack on time spent preparing for lectures, grading student work, and counseling students in office, and it becomes more than a full-time job.
In addition, full-time instructors are expected to serve on various departmental and college-wide committees, according to Frederick Teti, president of the City College Academic Senate. Teti is also an instructor in the Mathematics department. The minimum time commitment for committee work is approximately two to three hours per week, but most instructors put in far more time.
“It’s a wonder we have the energy and time to meet with our students at all.” Teti said. “And that can become onerous because, after all, we City College faculty entered this profession because the student contact is our favorite part of academia!”
Chemistry professor Mike Solow said that teachers in his department spend additional time writing grants in order to obtain new equipment vital to offering “a legitimate 21st century science education.”
The increase in class sizes due to recent budget cuts exacerbates the problem. While enrollment has increased, the number of sections offered has been cut by four percent, according to Chris Hanzo, an American Federation of Teachers’ union representative.
“There are certain times during the semester when it starts to get overwhelming, and having more students doesn’t help that,” Tim Killikelly, a political science instructor, said.
Alisa Messer is an English composition instructor who also works in the writing lab. She recently had 70 students show up for a class with a cap of 31. Turning people away from classes “is in conflict with our own mission, to offer access to all students,” Messer said.
Overcrowding is a source of stress for instructors, who feel torn between the desire to include all students and the realization that their ability to provide a good educational experience is compromised if the class is too large.
Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. says that faculty members make their own decision to accept more students. “It is all about them wanting to keep the door open, to give opportunities to as many students as possible,” said Day.
Jim McKinney, an ESL instructor, finally decided to lighten his load this semester, from 15 to 12 units. “Any teacher can run the risk of burn out,” he said. “Oftentimes, when members of my family have said, ‘Let's go to the park today,’ I've had to tell them, ‘No, I can't go today, I have to finish correcting these papers,’” he said.
He said the 20% reduction in his workload "has made a huge difference" in both his health and his personal life, but that he will have to begin making up for this time by teaching an overload next semester.
e-mail: gbhushan@theguardsman.com
HANDS-ON TEACHING OPPORTUNITY: Child Development students work directly with children
BY SEYLA MARTINEZ
Staff Writer
The Teacher Prep Center at City College is offering internships for students enrolled in child development courses who want to be teachers.
The Prep Center has been providing support and advice to students in the community to help them become teachers since 1999.
“Early fieldwork and classroom internships are a very important part of teacher preparation,” Prep Center counselor and child development instructor Kathleyn White said. “The courses help students understand ‘why’ children do the things they do, and the experience helps them understand ‘how.’”
White said that last summer students from Lincoln High School joined City College to attend the child development course and work with children. “There were 21 students who worked and got paid. They received money, units and training,” she said.
In the last five years, 500 students have been placed in elementary and middle schools, and another 500 were placed in preschools.
“I think it is an experience that exposes you to the realities and challenges of teaching,” Monica Navarro, a former student teacher intern, said. She said it is a good first step for students to “mentally prepare” to work in the field.
White said that many students want to give back to their community and feel they have the ability to teach because they often come from disadvantaged communities.
Many former City College interns were hired by the San Francisco Unified School District and many are still working toward their credential.
e-mail: smartinez@theguardsman.com
PRE-ELECTION RAISES HEATED DEBATE AMONG TRUSTEES: Bay Guardian article alleges diversion of funds - divides Board of Trustees
BY NATHAN WEYLAND
Staff Writer
Discontent is brewing among the normally cooperative City College Board of Trustees. Four board members are engaged in a political battle involving $50 million in public funds and the relationship between City College and its neighbor, Lick-Wilmerding, a private high school.
The Board, led by Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr., began negotiations with Lick-Wilmerding to possibly share the use of a new Community Health and Wellness Center, which will be built with public funds. In compensation, the high school would provide $13.7 million over 25 years — including $1.5 million in a lump sum this January. Lick-Wilmerding charges an annual tuition of $23,600.
The money provided by the high school will not be part of the general funds and will not be under board control, according to Trustee Julio Ramos. Instead, it will be deposited in the City College of San Francisco Foundation, and used for the maintenance of the Health and Wellness Center.
The proposed deal is attracting additional attention, thanks in part to the general election this November. Trustees Julio Ramos, Natalie Berg, Milton Marks III and Rodel Rodis are the incumbents and also the key figures in the Lick-Wilmerding proposal. Judith Schiff and Matthew Darlington are also running.
The Sept. 22 San Francisco Bay Guardian article “Field of Schemes” drew harsh criticism from Berg, Rodis and board president Lawrence Wong. In the article, Ramos extensively criticized the proposal. “This sounds like a huge power grab,” he said. Ramos is also quoted as saying that “the Athletic department is getting first cut, and to hell with everybody else.”
The Guardian article alleges an air of secrecy and mismanagement within the board. It reads: “The stage for the Lick-Wilmerding deal was set several months ago when the board of trustees quietly voted (with Ramos and Marks the only dissenters) to give the Health and Wellness Center $25 million that was originally slated for a new performing arts center.”
The article raised eyebrows — and blood pressure — throughout the City College administration.
“We were very upfront with this,” noted Berg, emphatically. “Almost everything is discussed publicly. We are one of the most transparent organizations in the city. We haven’t even voted on this yet,” Berg said. The shared use of the facilities will be spelled out “in every detail” in a publicly available contract, she added.
Chancellor Day is quoted in the article as saying, “All groups that have traditionally accessed the facilities … will get access over Lick-Wilmerding.”
Rodis added that the article “creates distrust” between the board and the voters, eroding a relationship they have worked hard to build.
Funding for the construction of the center – provided by general obligation bond issue proposition A – was approved by San Francisco voters in 2001. The $195 million bond provided $25 million each for the Health and Wellness Center and the Community Performing, Cultural and Media Arts Center.
The original intent was for the state to match those sums, providing $50 million for each project. Budget issues forced the state to fold.
In fact, a provision was drafted in the original bond, which is summarized in the City College Web site: “In the event that neither state nor private funds are available to complete the funding needed for the Performing Arts Center, the college would re-allocate the $25 million into the Community Health and Wellness Center.”
A vote on the proposal was not on the September agenda, but may be expected in October. The meetings are public, and students are encouraged to attend.
e-mail: nweyland@theguardsman.com
ELECTION LOOM FOR BOARD OF TRUSTEES: Incumbents and challengers battle for open seats on Board
BY NATHAN WEYLAND
Staff Writer
Four seats on the City College Board of Trustees will be up for grabs this November in the general election.
Trustees Natalie Berg, Milton Marks III, Julio Ramos and Rodel E. Rodis are running for re-election. They are challenged by Matthew Darlington and Judith Schiff.
Board President Laurence Wong and Trustee Dr. Anita Grier — both elected in 2002 — will not be up for re-election this year.
Berg served as President of the Board in 1997 and 2001. Rodis was President of the Board in 1998 and 2002, and Vice President in 1994, 1997 and 2001. Marks III is currently Vice President of the Board.
“The voice of students at City College has definitely faded over the years,” Darlington said.
Schiff teaches middle and high school students in San Francisco and Santa Barbara.
The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the college, responsible for all administrative issues from budget proposals to the monitoring of educational programs. The Board is overseen by Chancellor Phillip R. Day, Jr.
e-mail: nweyland@theguardsman.com
City College at Large
Call or e-mail Elizabeth Pfeffer with campus-wide news at: (415) 239-3446 or metronews@theguardsman.com
Alemany Campus
The Alemany campus is in the process of forming a soccer team. “50 students have signed up,” Gary Tom, dean of the Alemany campus said. Practices will be beginning soon. Stu-dents on campus will also be watching the newly formed Ocean campus women’s soccer team at a future game. There will be a College Day organized for students who want to visit the Ocean campus to learn about different services offered. The date has yet to be determined.
Evans Campus
The Evans Campus congratulates the 18 graduates of the Asian Carpentry program. This training program, sponsored by the Asian Carpenters Union, had its graduation/certification ceremony on the Evans Campus Fri., Sept. 24. The three month program provided hard skills training in carpentry and Labor Study.
Suzanne Korey, vocational education program coordinator, praised the students and the program. “The spiral staircase they built is beautiful; it is here on display at the campus,” she said.
Chinatown/North Beach Campus
The campus held its annual Citizenship Day Celebration on Fri., Sept. 17 at the Grand Lodge of the Chinese-American Cit-izens Alliance. The event was attended by some 50 of the nearly 200 students who earned their citizenship this year with the help of City College’s SHINE program. Also attending was a representative from Con-gresswoman Nancy Pelosi’s office, and City College Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr.
Castro/Valencia Campus
The gay/lesbian studies department and the child development department have teamed up to offer CHDV 76. According to Debbie Porter of the City College School for Liberal Arts, the class takes a practical approach to “the challenges faced by LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] families ... and for people working in child care.”
Short Cuts
Facing Deportation
Members of the City College Board of Trustees and Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. have shown support for Martha and Camelia Luna, who face deportation back to Mexico after leaving the country in spring 2003.
When the sisters began to attend California State University’s Northridge campus, they had to apply for work permits, which acted as the only identification they had when they attempted to re-enter the United States from Mexico.
The sisters faced deportation back to their home country on Sept. 1, but due to the efforts of City College Student Trustee Veronica Lawrence, the sisters were granted a court date. This will allow them to stay in the country longer while their case is reviewed.
“They are the pillars of our society, and I’ll fight for them,” said Lawrence, who presented the idea to Chancellor Day. Day supported it fully, and presented a statement of advocacy for the sisters to the Board of Trustees, which passed unanimously.
The sisters remain in the United States while the case is being processed.
Lower Textbook Costs
California Governor Ar-nold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill to help bring down the prices of textbooks for college students. The bill, AB 2477, would require California state universities and community colleges to find alternatives for expensive textbooks.
On the very same day the Governor signed the bill, he vetoed another that would have allowed students to rent books.
In a press release, Schwarzenegger said that he supports the “author’s intention to lower textbook costs. However, I am opposed to provisions in the bill that would allow additional fees to be assessed to all students, even those not using the program.”