Volume 140, Issue #3
News
FOUR YEAR DEGREE AT CITY COLLEGE: One stop shop on Ocean Campus
BY
PAULETTE BLEAM
Editor
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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION / SPECIAL TO THE GUARDSMANRumor has it that City College will be building a joint-use facility on campus so that students can graduate with a four-year degree from San Francisco State University (SFSU) while remaining on the City College campus.
While there has been discussion on the possibility, City College has developed an immediate master plan in which a series of buildings will be constructed on campus within the next few years.
These buildings include a health and wellness center, a student health building and a child development center.
“It is only a possibility,” said Jim Blomquist, Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning and Maintenance, regarding the joint-use facility. Blomquist was instrumental in forming the plan. “It is several years down the road,” he said.
This fall, a new Student Health Center will be built at the intersection of Judson Ave. and Phelan Ave., across from Archbishop Riordan High School. It will be completed in about a year, Blomquist said.
The Health and Well-ness center will be built on Ocean Avenue where the current practice field lies. Construction will start in early 2005, and will take a year and a half to complete.
In addition, a Child Development Center will be built in early 2005, and finished in approximately a year. The location has not been determined.
A new three-story parking garage, located in the parking reservoir, is also planned.
The state of California gave $27 million toward the implementation of the $60 million plan.
While Blomquist stated the joint-use facility is still only a possibility, Chancellor Phillip R. Day, Jr. is very optimistic.
“In theory, what this means is that there will be a number of programs that feed automatically into San Francisco State,” Day said. SFSU faculty will be brought to City College to teach programs in child and family studies, health sciences, as well as teacher preparation programs.
Interactive television, or smart classrooms, might also be available to students by acting as a link between City College and SFSU faculty in other parts of the schools.
As a result, students will have the opportunity to graduate from SFSU with a four-year deg-ree in these various majors.
“It’s a win-win for everybody,” Day said. “It’s almost like one-stop shopping.”
e-mail: citynewseditor@theguardsman.com
CITY COLLEGE FAVORABLE CHOICE: Four-Year schools can wait
BY
GITANJALI BHUSHAN
Staff Reporter
ANTONELLA FABIANI / GUARDSMAN |
Amid rumors of drastically reduced funding for the Univer-sity of California (UC) and Cal-ifornia State University (CSU) systems, many students have decided to enroll at City College instead of applying to a four-year institution.
Although the original plan to divert students from UC and CSU to community colleges was shelved when the state’s final budget was approved, many students who intend to transfer to the universities are attending City College of their own volition, for a variety of reasons.
Fritz Reininger, who earned an Associate Degree in Broadcasting at City College in Fall 2003, plans to transfer to San Francisco State University (SFSU) next year. According to Reininger, the Broadcasting Department at City College offers opportunities that SFSU does not.
Not only is City College more affordable, but also, according to Reininger, “Some students will come back to City and take classes because they actually get to work on the equipment, and State doesn’t give you that luxury…you just have to watch someone else doing it, and learn from that.”
Francine Podenski, chair of the Broadcasting Department at City College, agreed that City College offers students “a lot more open lab time,” due to the fact that the department also operates video services for the entire campus, as well as the educational access channel. The equipment is accessible from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. to students who want to work on their assignments or perfect their skills.
Although the Broadcasting major at SFSU is not officially impacted, according to Chairman Phil Kipper, the department has had to cut sections and has lost “the equivalent of three full-time faculty members” due to reduced budgets.
Certain classes are not offered every semester. “It’s smart for students that want to go into our program to take their general education requirements at community college,” Kipper said.
Ayanna Belton deciding upon a career in nursing, a program that is impacted at SFSU, according to the definition supplied by Kipper.
“Pretty much all of the Bay Area nursing programs are packed,” Belton said.. “It’s sort of a hustle game – I have to hustle to get into classes like statistics and microbiology.” She might still apply to SFSU, but doubts that she’ll get in. “I knew all along, when Schwarzenegger was elected, that the schools were going to suffer,” she said.
Fellow nursing major Jessica Oliver appreciates the fact that City College is cheaper than SFSU or UC.
Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. says although City College would have received only 70 students through the scuttled deferment program, “I think some of those kids are here … They’re still getting a better break on tuition than they would have at CSU or UC and, quite frankly, I think they’re getting a better education.”
e-mail: gbhushan@theguardsman.com
MISSION CAMPUS: MOVE DELAYED - Temporary quarters will open in Spring 2005 semester
BY JONATHAN FARRELL
Editor
JORGE PARADA / GUARDSMAN |
The City College Mission Campus at 106 Bartlett St. had planned to move during the summer to a temporary location on Alabama Street while undergoing renovation.
“I saw the signs that said the campus would be moving,” said Broadcast Writing student Ron Gilliland, who attended classes at the Bartlett locale over the summer.
“The building seemed a bit uncared for — as much of what I saw needed re-pair,” Gilliland said.
Carlota del Portillo, the dean of the Mission Camp-us, had been prepared for the move but then she got word of a delay. “We unpacked what we needed to offer classes for this semester,” she said.
Jim Blomquist, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning and Maintenance, hopes no more unforeseen surprises are in store.
“We will be ready for classes at the 375 Alabama location for this spring,” he said. Blomquist anticipates that the move will take place over a two-week period.
The campus will remain there temporarily for about two years while a new campus building is constructed. That work will begin in January, Blomquist said.
In his address to the Mission Campus, Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. emphasized that the move was temporary. “This move to 376 Alabama Street will allow us to start the project and get it finished sooner,” said the chancellor.
The present building is a square four-story structure that sits on the corner of Bartlett and 22nd Streets.
“The neighborhood is fun, and apart from the dullness of the building itself, as a structure I think it serves the community well,” Gilliland said.
Gilliland and his fellow Broadcast Writing students frequently had lunch or coffee at the café and taqueria directly across the street.
On any given day the campus is a center that is more than just for learning. It is also a gathering spot for the Spanish-speaking community. The parking lot facing 22nd Street is almost in the middle of the block between Valencia and Mission. People often congregate outside on the steps or along the access ramp.
The atmosphere at the campus is filled with people in friendly conversations and laughter, sometimes listening to music that is casually played from time to time. The classrooms and halls provide a cultural tapestry of expression surrounding the news, events and issues that are important to the people and their families.
e-mail: metronewseditor@theguardsman.com
PRICE OF COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS DRAWS OUT COMPETITION: Bookloan program is free
BY LUCY KENNEDY
Staff Writer
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Buying textbooks can seem ludicrous when students enrolled in organic chemistry spend $223 — twice the cost of tuition for the four-unit class — to buy the required textbook and lab manual.
“We try to keep prices low, but it’s complicated with new editions,” said Bruce Lundy, course materials manager, at the campus bookstore. “Sometimes we can work with departments to use an older edition of the book in class.”
Although college textbook prices continue to rise, there are still some other cost savings options for the savvy student.
The campus bookstore will buy books from students at half the new book price and sell used books for 23 percent below the new price. Students end up paying approximately a quarter of the retail price for use of a textbook during the semester if they choose to resell their books to the bookstore.
Another money saving alternative is the Bookloan program, funded by the Associated Students (A.S.), which lends up to three textbooks per student for the duration of the semester.
To maximize savings, Lauren Nelson, a Bookloan coordinator, recommends that students pick their top three most expensive books.
For the first week of the term, Bookloan is open to students with financial aid, after that it is open to all students.
Students can also buy used books online from Amazon.com, HalfValue.com, eCampus.com, textbookx.com, and many others. These options are sometimes cheaper, but there are usually shipping costs added.
For example, Autour de la Literature, a French textbook, is $44.49 (used) at the campus bookstore. On Amazon.com, used copies will ship in four to fourteen business days for $40.44 and two to six business days for $42.44.
The Bookloan Office is on the second floor of the Student Union, Room 105.
e-mail: lkennedy@theguardsman.com
CELL PHONES ON CAMPUS MAY BE CONFISCATED: Concerns about cheating with cameras
BY ADAM BRODY
Staff Writer
While cell phones on campus have not been a problem here at City College, some Bay Area students are having their privileges restricted. A policy effective Aug. 23 now allows for the confiscation of cell phones - especially those with picture taking ability.
San Mateo Union High School District has restricted students from using them during school hours. While the use of cell phones that have digital camera and video capabilities have increased, all six high schools in the San Mateo district have join-ed other school districts in banning the use of picture-taking cell phones.
This is an effort to prevent cheating and any potentially harmful incidents that could arise.
“The concern is about the ability of cameras to take photos without anyone knowing,” said School Superintendent Samuel Johnson Jr., in an Aug. 26 San Francisco Chronicle article.
Concerns stemmed from occurrences in Salinas and College Park High schools in Pleasant Hill, where students were caught photographing their exams and then sending them to friends. Acalanes Union High School District is also banning the use of digital camera phones during school hours.
“When you take a picture with a camera phone, it automatically zooms out giving a wider viewing area making the details harder to see” said Terell Fortune, sales representative for T-Mobile. “It would probably take me two or three pictures to do it,” he said, referring hypothetically to the copying of a school exam.
City College administrators might agree, but Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. told The Guardsman that nobody around campus has raised any concerns and, as far as he knows, it isn't an issue on campus.
e-mail: abrody@theguardsman.com
TRAVEL TO CUBA RESTRICTED: City College among last US visitors
BY ADAM BRODY
Staff Writer
Will President Bush’s recent policy restrictions aimed at combating communism in Cuba strip away more freedoms from American citizens?
That’s what some students and faculty members at City College wondered as professor Greg Landau and 31 students returned this August from what very well may be the college’s last study abroad program in Cuba.
In May, the president approved the recommendations of the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, and a reformed policy went into effect June 30. City College held a license permitting the school to operate educational programs in Cuba through Aug. 31. It became the last school in the country to go to Cuba, with a program running from July 23 to August 8.
The alleged goal of the reformation is to lessen the amount of U.S. dollars that enters Cuba. CNN covered a speech by Secretary of the Treasury John Snow, who told a group of Cuban-Americans in Miami that the U.S. is cutting off American cash flow to Fidel Castro.
This resulted in increased restrictions by the U.S. Trea-sury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for academic visits to the island.
The restrictions would prohibit Latin-American Studies Professor Greg Landau, who is the usual program leader, from participating because he is not a fulltime City College employee.
New requirements also mandate these educational programs last no less than 10 weeks, eliminating the possibility of schools around the country from participating in similar programs.
“The three study abroad programs City College offered in Cuba were extremely enriching to the students and faculty who participated in them,” said Jill Heffron, coordinator for the Study Abroad Program at City College.
Heffron feels these programs “provided the opportunity to experience the reality of life in Cuba and to meet with the country’s artist and intellectuals.”
She continued to say they intended to “correct misconceptions that many Americans have about life in Cuba.” The program’s itinerary included eight days in Havana, with excursions to Cien-fuegos, Matanzas and Vinales.
Landau said students were able to see other views of the world through a socialist perspective.
“I had a wonderful time,” said Cynthia Obenchain, who participated in the program in 2002. “But thanks to George Bush, things have changed a lot in the past two years.”
The decision “hurts the exchange of information and ideas. We’re hoping that the government will reconsider these restrictions,” Landau said.
Heffron hopes people will consider these types of policy changes when voting in the November election, “so that we can resume normal relations and cultural exchange with Cuba.”
CITY COLLEGE PREPS FOR NOV. 2: Recruiters seek student poll workers and voters
BY JONATHAN FARRELL
Editor
Since 1972 the privilege to vote has been extended to 18-year-olds. Perhaps what many young people overlook, is that our entire democratic form of government relies on this important privilege and responsibility.
In an extensive outreach program, San Francisco Department of Elections is making presentations to schools to alert students to their responsibilities as citizens of a democracy.
“Our focus is the underrepresented group, which is the 18-30-year-olds,” said Clayton Warren, an outreach coordinator with the department.
Warren sees this age bracket as very important because the future of democracy is within their grasp. Warren made a presentation to Professor Edgar Torres’ afternoon Social Studies class in the Visual Arts Building on Sept. 14.
Out of the estimated 50 students in attendance, over a dozen students registered and 12 students volunteered to be workers at the polls.
Another part of the department’s efforts is to encourage high school students age 16 and older to volunteer to work at the polls.
“This is a benefit to everyone,” said Warren. Because of the 560 voting precincts in San Francisco there have been only 3,000 poll workers.
Warren believes involving young citizens in the process helps them take a more active interest in politics.
“We are building a good response and we want to reach as many schools as possible,” said Warren.
City College Political Science instructor Tim Killikelly agrees.
“Voting is the most basic way students can participate in the political process,” he said. “They can have their voices heard.”
The San Francisco Dept. of Elections will be holding a “Rock-the-Vote” event at the University of San Francisco, and a voter-registration drive at UCSF. For more details visit sfgov.org/election or call (415) 554-4534.
City College at Large
Call or e-mail Elizabeth Pfeffer with campus-wide news at: (415) 239-3446 or metronews@theguardsman.com
Chinatown/North Beach Campus
Associated Student Council (A.S.) elections will begin Friday, Sept. 24. Sue Lim-yee, a student counselor, said the A.S. has been “fairly active” in the past. “For the demonstrations in Sacra-mento, we usually have 3 – 4 busloads of people coming from our campus,” she said. The A.S. also organizes parties and events for the student body, Limyee said.
Downtown Campus
The remodeled bookstore is open for business. The construction took a year to complete, during which time the bookstore was operating out of the basement. Thinh Nguyen, a bookstore em-ployee, thinks students are pleased with the makeover. “So far, so good,” he said. The bookstore has a street front location at 84 Fourth St. with new countertops, fixtures and shelves. Nguyen said there is less space than there was before the remodeling.
Evans Campus
Auto-mechanic students are currently building a ’65 Cobra racecar from the ground up, Vice Chancellor Phyllis McGuire said. “The students are going to build it, race it and sell it,” she said.
John Adams Campus
Most of the programs in nursing and medical technology are impacted this semester. “Students from all over the bay area, Vallejo to San Jose, take courses here,” Dean of Students Linda Squires-Grohe said. A new nutrition assistant program is being offered this semester.
Southeast Campus
As part of Latino Heritage month local children’s book author and journalist Rosalina Contreras-Rosado shares “The Adventures of Two Little Sisters in El Salvador.” The book is published in English and Spanish.
Short Cuts
Debate Team is Victorious
City College’s A and B debate teams brought home first and second place awards from the Northern California Regional Tournament in Oroville. This is the B team’s first triumph over the A team in school history. The A team had been undefeated before reg-ional finals.
City College is headed to the state championship from Sept. 24–25 at the Los Angeles City College. The two favored teams are City College of San Francisco and San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton.
Illegal Drug Use Declines
A government study found that marijuana, LSD and ecstacy use have declined among people ages 12–17, but prescription drug abuse is on the rise.
The 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health also found that young people are increasingly aware of the effects related to smoking pot. The survey was based on in-home interviews with 67,784 respondents over 12 years old. Despite declines in drug use, the survey showed little change in alcohol and tobacco use.
People ages 18–25 represent the highest prevalence of binge and heavy drinking.
$3.7 million Donated to City College
The Bernard Osher Foundation donated $3.7 million to City College in an attempt to offset the increase in tuition costs. Funds can be used toward tuition, textbooks, childcare or other school-related expenses. It is estimated that up to 900 students will be given assistance this year.
Golf Tournament Raises $18,000
A local golf tournament raised $18,000 for the City College of San Francisco Foundation Board. The tournament took place at the Adobe Creek Golf Course in Petaluma. More than 110 golfers participated and 60 companies contributed to the foundation.