Volume 140, Issue #6
News
SMALL FIRE, BIG PROBLEMS: A small fire that flared up outside of the Student Union on Oct. 20 has uncovered inconsistencies in Ocean campus’ compliance with state fire safety codes
BY
CHRIS ALBON
Staff Writer
PHOTOS BY PETER VARSHAVSKY / SPECIAL TO THE GUARDSMAN |
Early that afternoon, students napping in the second-floor lounge were startled awake by the sound of a fire alarm alerting students to the south door.
“People were freaking out,” student Neci Jones said. “The fire was burning the wall.”
Bystanders in the area were confused about where fire extinguishers were located.
“When someone finally brought one, it was empty,” said Brandeon Josh, the student who pulled the fire alarm.
The alarm drew Skip Fotch, associate dean of student activities, out of a meeting in the Pierre Coste dining room. With the help of Brian Ellison, dean of Instruction, Curriculum and Tenure Review, Fotch pulled the burning debris directly under sprinklers on the covered walkway.
When the fire started, the only extinguisher on the second floor was sitting empty in Fotch’s office. Two weeks earlier, Fotch placed a work order with the Department of Buildings and Grounds to have the empty extinguisher filled after it was used in another small garbage fire outside the building.
That order was never filled, which might suggest the college’s emphasis on safety is being hampered by communication breakdowns.
The nearest portable extinguisher was on the first floor, in violation of the California Code of Regulations, which states that people should not have to use stairs or walk more than 75 feet to reach an extinguisher.
Officers arrived on the scene at 2:19 p.m. Minutes later, firefighters from stations 33 and 15 arrived, but the flames had already been extinguished.
City College Police Chief Carl S. Koehler speculated that a stray cigarette thrown into a box of papers and garbage ignited the fire.
“If it hadn’t been for the outside sprinkler system, we could have had a bigger problem,” Fotch said.
City College is legally obligated to make sure extinguishers are undamaged and in place each month. On Oct. 24, Science Hall was missing seven of its 16 fire extinguishers. The first and second floors only had one portable extinguisher each.
The Guardsman immediately informed James Keenan, superintendent of Buildings and Grounds Maintenance, that the extinguishers were missing on Oct. 24. Keenan replaced the extinguishers on Oct. 25, attributing their disappearance to a possible theft one week earlier.
The college has also neglected to fulfill its obligation to inspect extinguishers on a yearly basis. Extinguishers in both Creative Arts buildings were last checked in March 2004, and the Downtown campus’ extinguishers were checked on Oct. 25, but had not been inspected since October 2003.
“Sometimes the building will slip through the cracks,” said Rick Lichthardt, general manager of International Fire Inc., the company contracted to check City College’s extinguishers.
Lichthardt said most City College buildings have staggered inspection times, which led to the oversight. He said he will contact the college to get an updated list of the inspection dates.
According to Fotch, students lingering outside the Student Union during the fire led him to believe that many are not adequately trained in fire safety.
Keenan said students should not be concerned with stopping a fire.
“The object is, if you see the fire then get out of the building,” Keenan said. “You don’t want to put anyone’s life in danger.”
But Fire Inspector Kaan Chin of the San Francisco Bureau of Fire Protection said evacuation is not always an option.
“We make our own catch-22s,” Chin said. “It’s easy to tell everybody to run out of the building, but what if someone catches on fire? What are you going to do? Stand there?”
Chin said that students should be educated in order to ensure their own safety. In the case of a natural disaster, which could bring widespread fires, the fire department would have to prioritize its responses in the surrounding area.
“Education is an important prevention measure,” Chin said. “It’s your first line of defense.”
California Fire Codes
“Fire extinguishers shall be conspicuously located along normal paths of travel where they will be readily accessible and immediately available in the event of a fire.”
“Portable extinguishers shall be maintained in a fully charged and operable condition, and kept in their designated places at all times when they are not being used.”
“Where extinguishers are subject to malicious use, locked cabinets may be used provided they include a means of emergency access and are approved by the authority having jurisdiction.”
e-mail: calbon@theguardsman.com
BY
ALEX K. FONG
Editor
COLLEEN CUMMINS / GUARDSMAN |
Despite fielding an almost entirely new staff this semester, The Guardsman left the Journalism Association of Community Colleges NorCal conference with a General Excellence award, the highest honor given out each year.
The Guardsman and the City College journalism department tied Contra Costa College with 35 awards, one short of its school record-setting total at the 2004 convention. The students were particularly dominant in on-the-spot competitions, winning two first-place awards and at least an honorable mention in each of its seven categories.
Sacramento’s American River College finished a distant second in on-the-spot contests with five awards to City College’s 10.
“It was a tremendous display of our students’ talent, particularly in on-the-spot competitions,” Journalism department Chair Juan Gonzales said. “I’m so very proud of them. The students put in tireless hours in producing a quality publication — this certainly represents the fruit of their labor.”
Over 23 schools attended the event on Oct. 22. A total of 290 students participated in a day full of workshops and competitions at San Francisco State University.
The keynote address, given by San Francisco Chronicle Creative Director Nanette Bisher, pushed for newspapers to adapt to changing attitudes about their look and approach.
“If you’re a journalist right now, or thinking about a career in journalism, you’ve got to think beyond sitting at your desk on the phone,” Bisher said, barely peeking over the podium in her neon yellow and black dress shoes.“You got to go do the interview and record it for a podcast.”
Guardsman Opinions Editor Jerold Chinn saw the speech as part of a wider call for newspapers to break with tradition.
“The Guardsman should take a stand — push buttons instead of staying on the safe side,” Chinn said.
On-The-Spot Contest Winners:
Paulette Bleam, 4th place, Copy Editing; Colleen Cummins, H.M., Front Page Layout – Broadsheet; Alex K. Fong, 1st place, News Story; Alex K. Fong, 2nd place, Front Page Layout – Tabloid; Eli Milchman, 1st place, Opinion Writing; Elizabeth Pfeffer, 2nd place, News Story; Elizabeth Pfeffer, H.M., Headline Writing; Dan Powell, 2nd place, Copy Editing; Dan Powell, 2nd place, Headline Writing; Peter Varshavsky, H.M., News Photo
Bring-In Contest Winners:
Dan Eldridge and Alex K. Fong, 2nd place, Team Feature; Alex K. Fong, 3rd place, Bring-In Ad; Dante Mendoza, H.M., Bring-In Ad; Sonia Savio, 1st place, Bring-In Photo; Nathan Weyland, 2nd place, Bring-In Photo
Mail-In Contest Winners:
Jacob Andrade, 4th place, Editorial Cartoon; Adam Brody, 3rd place, Depth News Story/Series; Kathleen Donovan, H.M., Critical Review; Antonella Fabiani, 3rd place, Feature Photo; Francisco Fernandez, 1st place, Opinion Story; Francisco Fernandez and Coleen Mackin, 2nd place, Front Page Design – Tabloid; Mark Folkman, H.M., Profile Feature Story; Mark Folkman and Coleen Mackin, 3rd place, Inside Page Layout – Tabloid; Alex K. Fong and Dan Verel, 2nd place, Investigative News Story/Series; Delicia Hegwood, H.M., Feature Story; Tracy Held, 3rd place, Sports Profile Story; Summers Henderson, 2nd place, Profile Feature Story; Hubert Huang, 1st place, Sports Game Story; Zack Luchetti, H.M., Editorial Cartoon; Coleen Mackin, H.M., Inside Page Layout – Tabloid; Steve Mowles, H.M., Column Writing; Joseph Sharkey, 1st place, Editorial Cartoon; Dan Verel, H.M., Sports Game Story; Nathan Weyland, 4th place, Photo Story/Essay
Other Awards:
The Guardsman, General Excellence – Tabloid
e-mail: ssavio@theguardsman.com
BY DAN SANKEY
Staff Writer
JACK KARP / SPECIAL TO THE GUARDSMAN |
The Green Party’s local chapter is urging the public to vote no on Proposition A in the Nov. 8 special election. Proposition A would authorize the San Francisco Community College District to borrow up to $246.3 million by issuing general obligation bonds.
“We’re not against education,” said Erika McDonald, spokesperson for the San Francisco Green Party and a City College alum. “We’re willing to give to City College, but in the past there just hasn’t been enough accountability.”
The party disapproves of the governing board of the community college district’s incompliance with the Sunshine Ordinance. McDonald says their reluctance to reveal where money has been spent in the past is what makes the Green Party skeptical of the board’s decisions.
Earlier this year City College adopted the ordinance, although only partially. Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. explained that the school is not a city entity and that complying further would drive costs up.
But the Green Party thinks San Franciscans deserve the right to scrutinize all closed-door meetings, budgets and documents before shelling out millions of dollars.
“We want to fund education, but suppose we do give them the money. Who’s to say where they spend it? It literally may not make a difference,” she said.
With general obligation bonds, Proposition A would generate revenue by raising property taxes in San Francisco. All of the money would be allocated to improve facilities and educational programs and none would supplement teacher or administrator salaries.
The city passed a similar bond measure for $194 million in 2001.
McDonald said the Green Party is inherently against bond measures and borrowing money in general.
“We’re always talking about long-term, sustainable solutions,” she said. “We want funding guaranteed, so it’ll be there year after year.”
e-mail: dsankey@theguardsman.com
FORMER STUDENT, ACTIVIST DIES IN BLAZE
BY PAULETTE BLEAM
Editor
Mirtha Lizette Estrada, a recent graduate of City College and a budding activist for the Latino community, died Sept. 15 in a fire in the Mission District apartment she shared with her parents. She was 23.
Estrada graduated from City College last spring with her associate’s degree, and then transferred to San Francisco State University this semester as a major in International Relations.
She planned to be an international activist by mentoring Latino and Latina teens in the Mission District. Estrada pushed for social change within the Latino community and kept the Mission District close to her heart.
Erin O’Briant, Writing Success Project tutor, said she helped Estrada write an essay for the Latinas Learning to Lead Institute scholarship last spring, which she went on to win.
“It’s sad when any young person loses her future, but in Lizette’s case, it’s a loss for all the people she would have helped if she had lived,” O’Briant said.
Her father, Justo Pastor Estrada, also died in the fire. Her mother, Mirtha Estrada, survived by jumping out of the burning building and is now recovering from injuries.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
A vigil was held for her at the Capp Street Mission Neighborhood Center on Sept. 30.
City College is currently planning to create a scholarship in honor of Estrada.
e-mail: chiefcopy@theguardsman.com
FULLBRIGHT SCHOLAR OPENS 'WINDOWS INTO ISLAM'
BY ANGELA HART
Staff Writer
FELIPE JUNQUEIRA / GUARDSMAN |
Islamic theater expert Dr. Syed Jamil Ahmed, a visiting Fulbright scholar from the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, spoke about the “Indigenous Theatre of Bangladesh” on Oct. 20, marking the first in a series of lectures planned during his time at City College.
Ahmed, an actor and professor of theater and music, is one of a number of authorities on Islam visiting U.S. institutions as part of “Direct Access to the Muslim World,” a Fulbright Visiting Specialists Program.
“Unfortunately in America we don’t know much about Islam,” said study abroad program coordinator Jill Heffron, who proposed the grant that brought Ahmed to City College. “Most of the information we have comes from news. It is negative and one-sided.”
During the lecture, Ahmed focused on the history of Islamic theater and its components such as song, dance, stage and lighting.
Ahmed also illustrated the differences between Islamic and Western theater, explaining that Islamic theater is devoid of tragedy: “Like food,” he said, “you begin with something bitter and end with something sweet.”
Ahmed will continue to visit humanities, political science and theater arts classes through Nov. 11 to speak about Islam and Islamic theater. On Nov. 4, he will be a featured speaker during the two-day “Windows into Islam: Pakistan & Afghanistan” workshop.
The Fulbright Scholar Program functions to offer international educational exchange.
“Our hope is to impart a different perspective: to provide a balanced education on all aspects of Islam,” Heffron said.
Ahmed also plans to visit UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University while in the United States.
e-mail: ahart@theguardsman.com
FORMER UC ADMINISTRATOR ENDORSES AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
BY SONIA SAVIO
Staff Writer
|
As part of City College’s Transfer Awareness Month, Bob Laird, former director of undergraduate admissions at UC Berkeley, spoke to students about the benefits of affirmative action in a lecture at the Diego Rivera Theatre on Oct. 20.
City College operates under a policy of open recruitment and admission to anyone with a high school diploma or GED regardless of race, ethnicity or economic standing. Anyone who fulfills the minimum requirements for admissions can attend.
However, since 1996’s Proposition 209 passed, California universities and colleges are not obligated to maintain an affirmative action policy.
“As a student and minority, that may mean more obstacles to overcome if wanting to transfer from City College to another college or university,” Laird said.
Before Proposition 209, about 270 students were enrolled in UC Berkeley’s law school annually. In 1997, after the enactment of the proposition, the number of African-American law students dropped from 20 to one.
“And it was only because the student had deferred from the previous year,” Laird said.
According to Laird, opponents of affirmative action often question the thinking behind it, claiming that it may be too difficult to determine who has racial, ethnic or economic priority.
During a question and answer session following the lecture, a few students expressed concerns that Laird, a Caucasian man, does not have the right to speak for minorities.
“Only if he was a minority would he truly understand these difficulties I’ve faced,” said Christopher Gomora, a Native American student. “We don’t need a knight in shining armor to represent minorities.”
Laird insisted, however, that as a former UC Berkeley instructor and frequent guest lecturer at universities in many states, he has gained a true “sense of how uneven the equality is in our country.”
e-mail: ssavio@theguardsman.com
TEXTBOOK BILL FAILS TO PASS GOVERNOR
BY ALISON FISH
Staff Writer
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill on Sept. 29 aimed at reforming textbook policy. This comes slightly more than one month before the state votes on Proposition 76, an initiative that would give the governor power to override guaranteed minimum funding for public schools and community colleges.
The bill, AB 388, would have funded a study to determine the cause of rising textbook prices and look at cost-saving strategies adopted in other states. Funding for the study was not to exceed $300,000.
How the bill would have affected textbook prices at the college level is not known. But it would have studied the publishing industry’s influence on textbook pricing and proposed new cost-minimizing strategies that college educators could have emulated if they so chose, said Terry Reordon, chief of staff for State Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla, D-Martinez, who proposed the bill.
State administrators would also have been required to consider textbook costs as a factor in the instructional material approval process for grades K through 12.
“The state board never had the specific responsibility of monitoring the costs of materials they adopt,” said Mary Perry, deputy director of EdSource, a non-profit group whose mission is to clarify complex educational issues. “I don’t think it had ever come up before.”
The required frequency at which new materials are purchased would also have been relaxed from every six to every eight years.
The governor vetoed the bill for the same reasons he vetoed its previous incarnation, AB 2455, from the 2003 to 2004 assembly session. He argued AB 388 would violate the 2004 settlement terms for Williams vs. California, a class action lawsuit filed by low-income students who claimed they were being denied an education on par with better-performing schools in more affluent neighborhoods.
Both AB 388 and AB 2455 were inspired by a 2002 San Jose Mercury News article, which revealed textbook costs rising at levels greater than inflation, Reordon said.
ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS LOOK TO TIP ELECTION SCALES: Teachers Union Holds Rally to Rouse Student Voters
BY MILES HARWELL
Staff Writer
|
Concerned that students are underexposed to election issues, City College’s chapter of the American Federation of Teachers held a rally on Oct. 19 to raise awareness about the election and to urge students to vote against Propositions 74, 75 and 76.
Ed Murray, president of AFT Local 2121, and Allan Fisher, the union’s political action director, spoke to approximately 20 students who gathered in Ram Plaza for the rally.
“It’s important for students to vote and get the word out because their votes are needed,” he said.
Murray blamed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for not publicizing the election. “If he had his way, he wouldn’t let students know there was a special election,” he said.
It’s estimated that only 35 percent of registered voters will turn out for the special election. Historically, low attendance tends to favor Republican-backed initiatives.
“Arnold expects a low voter turnout so he can steal the election from us,” Murray said. “We need to make sure that votes are worthwhile and can prevent these damaging propositions from being passed.”
AFT 2121 supports Propositions 79 and 80, as well as Proposition A, the $246.3 million bond measure the college needs to fund its ongoing construction projects. “There’s millions of dollars on the line, which should be even more reason for students to vote,” Murray said.
The rally concluded with a brief march in front of Smith Hall with Murray, Fisher and other supporters chanting, “No on 75 — yes on A.”
e-mail: mharwell@theguardsman.com
ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS LOOK TO TIP ELECTION SCALES: Board Pushes for Prop A
BY CHRIS ALBON
Staff Writer
|
About 50 teachers and administrators held a kick-off rally on Oct. 15 for Proposition A, which will ask citizens in San Francisco for their approval of a $246 million bond to improve City College infrastructure.
The rally took place at the LGBT Center, where classes are offered as an extension of the Castro/Valencia campus.
Board of trustees President Rodel E. Rodis’ voice trembled with sorrow when he spoke of the condition of the facilities in 1991, the year he became a member of the board.
Rodis said students were crammed like sardines in the library, which was in Cloud Hall at the time. “Our racetrack was such that when we would be the host in a competition, it would be held at the opposing party’s track field because our field was so pitiful.”
Ed Murray of the American Federation of Teachers, Local 2121, said the measure is crucial for the students and faculty at City College.
Murray presented two checks for $10,000 to benefit the campaign: one from the AFT and another from their state affiliate, the California Federation of Teachers.
Peter Goldstein, vice chancellor of administration and finance, announced the tasks that would be completed with the bond money as the crowd chanted, “Vote ‘Yes’ on Prop. A.”
Among the projects Goldstein listed is the completion of Mission campus’ construction.
Carlota Del Portillo, dean of Mission campus, said the Latino community has been working since 1974 to get a permanent building in the Mission District.
“For 31 years we have been waiting for the dream to come true,” she said. “It’s about time.”
e-mail: calbon@theguardsman.com
PARKING FEE INCREASES PLANNED FOR SPRING
BY SONIA SAVIO
Staff Writer
|
A motion to increase parking rates for students and part-time faculty was unanimously approved by the board of trustees Sept. 29, in an effort intended to offset steadily rising labor costs and to encourage students to ride public transportation.
Effective this spring, the prices of semester parking permits will rise from $30 to $40 for regular students and from $15 to $20 for financial aid recipients. Daily permits are doubling to $2.
The fee hikes were attributed to growing expenditures on janitorial services, public safety and other employment.
“Staff costs, such as health benefits and rising salaries, as well as other costs for parking are going through the roof,” said Associate Dean of Student Activities Skip Fotch, who sits on the parking and transportation subcommittee. “We’re just unable to keep pace with inflation.”
The occasional replacement of ticket-dispensing machines costs roughly $11,000 to service, making it another mounting cost.
Two machines were blown up by a large firecracker on March 3, said Rowena Lau-Mejia, from Administrative Services, the body governing parking. “I saw the destruction the day after.”
Even though the education code allowed an increase to $40 several years ago, City College has not upped the parking costs in approximately 10 years.
Nevertheless, some students were shocked by news of the escalat rates.
Student Tiago Pinto claims parking statutes are minimally enforced and that “maybe just the enforcement of the old rate” would be sufficient.
According to Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr., more expensive permits are expected to balance out inflated public transit costs.
“With Muni fees going up, we’re afraid student incentive to take public transportation will be removed. Because parking on campus is so cheap, more students will want to drive,” Chancellor Day said. “A part of this had to do with keeping our parking fees a bit more competitive with public transportation.”
e-mail: ssavio@theguardsman.com
BY JOSH LEHMAN
Staff Writer
A favorite pastime of mine is creating a force field with my sunglasses and headphones and heading out to watch the human traffic from my protective bubble.
It never fails, though. Just as I hit the bustling crowds, the sanctity of my bubble is burst by a friendly smile and the question, “Do you want to help deprived children?”
“Yes, of course I do. Sign me up,” mutely crosses the tip of my tongue.
Instead, I stutter, “I’m sorry. I’m poor. I’m a student.” A wave of Catholic guilt ensues.
Things used to be different. When I basked in the big bucks as middle management in a movie theater, I threw my money at every charity I could — two of them.
Student life, however, has changed my philanthropic ways. After living and school expenses wreak their havoc — making my wallet light and my backpack heavy — the prospect of changing the world through charitable donation seems unlikely.
What I often forget, however, is that I exert financial power every day as a consumer. Each time a product is purchased, a “charitable donation” goes back to the companies that put it on the shelf.
This means that, even as a poor student, I can fight the man on the financial aid plan by consuming consciously. I can help disadvantaged children, for instance, by withholding payment from businesses that own the sweatshops they work in.
Maybe the next time I’m questioned on the street I’ll stutter, “I’m poor. I’m a student. I’m already doing what I can."
e-mail: jlehman@theguardsman.com
SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY COLLEGE POLICE DISPATCH
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Oct. 11, 10:30 a.m.
Ocean Campus
An officer was called to the Rosenberg Library to control a student who was verbally abusing a member of the library’s staff and the dean of students. The student was also verbally abusive to the responding officer, who then issued a trespassing warning and eventually removed the student from campus.
Oct. 13, 2:15 p.m.
Ocean Campus
The student who was removed from campus on Oct. 11 returned to the Rosenberg Library where he was being disruptive. Officers responded and arrested the student for trespassing, then issued a citation and released him.
City College at Large
Call or e-mail Elizabeth Pfeffer with campus-wide news at: (415) 239-3446 or metronews@theguardsman.com
Downtown Campus
The Downtown campus held a Community Day on Oct. 20 as part of City College’s 70th anniversary celebration. Tables were set up to introduce their main programs, which included ESL and business technology. Their new restaurant, the Educated Palate, was open to visitors where culinary arts and hospitality students offered beverages. Their newly remodeled library was open as well.
John Adams Campus
Juan Vargas, a student from the John Adams campus, has a solo art exhibit at Emma’s Café this month. Vargas is from Chile, where he made artwork and illustrations for book and graphic designs, but it is his vivid watercolors that are on display. Emma’s Café is located adjacent to the John Adams campus on Ashbury and Hayes Streets.
Evans Campus
The Evans campus began a four-day “Veggie Vroom” biodiesel workshop on Oct. 21. The workshops give an overview of alternative fuels with an emphasis on biodiesel production. Students are trained to manufacture biodiesel fuel, and learn about the basics of diesel mechanics and biodiesel advocacy. The workshops are funded by a $10,000 grant from the Rainbow Grocery Cooperative, and run every Friday through Nov. 11.
Chinatown Campus
The Chinatown / North Beach campus formally announced its new location will be on the corner of Kearny and Washington Streets. The new property will consolidate the 10 separate buildings that the campus currently uses to teach classes. This location was chosen after the school decided not to evict longtime residents from the first property purchased, which housed several apartments.
Short Cuts
Last Day to Withdraw
Students entertaining the thought of dropping classes after finding out their midterm grades should keep in mind that Nov. 14 is the last day for a student or instructor-initiated withdrawal. Although a transcript is marked with a “W” after a student or teacher initiates a late withdrawal from a class, it looks better than a “D” or “F” and doesn’t affect their grade point average.
Miditation Helps Students
A study by the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, published in the April issue of the American Journal of Hypertension, revealed that transcendental meditation is helpful in improving students’ concentration and well-being. The technique involves silently repeating a mantra to oneself for 20 minutes a day. Schools across the country are starting to teach transcendental meditation in classes to ease anxiety, stress and fighting among students.
Daylight Savings Causes Car Accidents
A study by Stanley Coren at the University of British Columbia correlated traffic accidents and the changes into and out of daylight-saving time. In 1992 and 1993, Coren used 1.4 million car accidents that occurred on the Mondays before and after the changes into and out of daylight-saving time, to conclude that on the Monday after spring daylight-saving time, when drivers gain an hour of sleep, there’s an 8 percent less chance of being in a car accident than normal. He also found that on the Monday after winter daylight-saving time there’s an 8 percent increase in accidents.
The Guardsman, Issue 5 Corrections
On the front page, the name in the caption should be “Nina Berman,” not “Nina Bergman.” On page 12 in the sports section, the name in the caption for the top photo should be “Julian James,” not “Bishop O’Dowd.”