Standardized Education

BY CHRIS ALBON
Staff Writer

CHARLIE CORRIEA / GUARDSMAN

The new City College English requirement for graduation puts students at an equal level with those going to other community colleges.

But it’s still not enough for those interested in going to a four-year university.

Starting next fall students will have to take English 1A in order to be accepted into a California State University.

City College offers two different types of associated arts or associated science degrees.

The Option A degree fulfills the basic requirements for graduation from a California community college. Students will need to take English 96 to graduate.

Option B prepares students to transfer to a four-year college. Students who plan to transfer will have to take English 1A and 1B.

If students take the Option A degree and later decide they want to go to a four-year college, they will have to return to a community college in order to meet their transfer requirements.

Although putting students on par with other junior colleges may sound impressive, it does not satisfy the English requirement at CSUs.

The state and community college systems should work together harmoniously.

City College should just offer one degree with one standard that fulfills the entrance requirements for CSUs to ensure students have more educational flexibility later on in life.

e-mail: calbon@theguardsman.com

Program Cuts

STAFF EDITORIAL

Imagine not having a voice.

Students from Ventura College and Oxnard College were stripped of their voices this year when both schools cut their journalism departments and their newspapers.

Reasons cited for the closure include continued low enrollment numbers and “necessary” budget cuts.

“I think a newspaper is important for student voice,” said Dr. Lydia Lidesma-Reese, president of Oxnard College, “but I had nothing else to cut.”

Both schools now offer distance-learning classes in journalism that are based out of Moorpark College. All three schools must also share Moorpark’s newspaper, “The Reporter,” for district-wide use.

Forcing each school to cut back on crucial news that students deserve to hear infringes on one’s first amendment right to freedom of speech.

City College is the second largest community college in the country, with 10 campuses and over 100 instructional facilities.

Imagine over 110,000 students’ voices crushed with the blow of censorship.

City College journalism department Chair Juan Gonzales said, “A college without a newspaper is a college without a soul.”

This horrifying trend is becoming prominent in California community colleges and must come to an end. There has to be another solution to keep these newspapers — the voice of the souls on campus — alive.

e-mail: editorial@theguardsman.com

Concerns Over Freedom of Press: Supreme Court rules college newspaper has no control of content

BY ELI MILCHMAN
Editor

SONIA SAVIO/ GUARDSMAN

What you are reading right now is nothing short of a marvel. Not because of a clarity of thought, or sublime word usage, or any editorial brilliance.

The marvel is that you are able to hear the ideas of a student ring out, unadulterated and un-molested by meddling from any higher authority — the only meddling is being performed by the editors, who are fellow students.

If I wanted to, I could rant about how ridiculously high tuition is; or discuss the fact that the lack of parking spaces in the reservoir has created what resembles a school of ravenous sharks circling just before a feeding frenzy. I could even criticize this college administration’s policies.

I won’t, though. Instead, the fact that criticism might see the light of day is cause for praise.

But that freedom could be stripped away. Recently, the Supreme Court ruled that college papers are subject to review by their administrators, after two former editors and a writer of an Illinois college paper sued the school when a dean tried to control the content of the paper.

City College has been fortunate to have an administration that has left its newspaper alone. Because of this, The Guardsman has flourished and the students have their own voice. Hopefully, things will stay that way.

e-mail: features@theguardsman.com

COMING IN

Faculty Poll

Are there too many general education requirements to graduate?

Yes: 20% (4 out of 20)

No: 80% (16 out of 20)

“Yes. It would be more productive if people took more courses related to their major and not GE courses.”
Homeira Foth, English

“No. You don’t just go to college to get a job but to get a well - rounded education.”
Ethel Tang-Quan, speech

ON THE RECORD

Have you ever been caught cheating in class?

Michael Morgan

"It was for a simple math test on multiplication in the fourth grade. My teacher saw me looking at her answer sheet."

Karalyn Perez

“I got caught cheating on a pop quiz without knowing it was a quiz.”

Charlie Wincord

“I’ve cheated in high school but I’ve never got caught. I still consider myself an honest person.”

Janet Zhao

“I don’t get caught because I don’t cheat.”

Ryan McGillui

“Can’t say I’ve cheated here but I’ve cheated before, just never got caught.”

Jamika Tayloe

“I’ve cheated before but it was a must-do thing. You sure don’t learn anything cheating, though.”