Volume 140, Issue #6
News
PEACE PROTEST ENDS IN ARRESTS: City College March for Peace
BY
ELIZABETH PFEFFER
Editor
PHOTOS BY SONIA SAVIO / THE GUARDSMAN |
When Troy Massey awoke on Nov. 2 he never imagined that 12 hours later he’d be confined to a makeshift cattle pen under Interstate 280, hugging another man to stay warm.
Massey, a 22-year-old City College student had assembled with about 50 other demonstrators that day at Ram Plaza, preparing for “The World Can’t Wait,” a nationwide day of protest to drive out the Bush regime.
College and high school students from all over the Bay Area walked out of their classes to converge on the Civic Center’s United Nations Plaza.
“It was an opportunity for people to peacefully assemble,” Massey said.
The noon rally drew 3,000 to 4,000 protesters chanting and waving signs, accusing the president and vice president of being violent extremists.
They assembled on the lawn in front of City Hall to hear popular anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan speak.
“We have to do everything nonviolently in our power to get our troops out of Iraq,” Sheehan said. “And if that brings down the Bush regime, then that’s a bonus.”
“It’s time for everyone in the United States to declare the beginning of the end of the Bush regime,” said Finian Makepeace, president of City College’s chapter of World Can’t Wait, and an organizer of the protest.
Following the rally, a march led by bullhorns and drums traveled down Mission Street to Third Street and back toward the Civic Center on Market Street.
Massey followed, passing out homemade stickers that read, “Fear is a lie” and “Do the right thing or join your oppression.”
Around 4:30 p.m., police dressed in riot gear and, armed with batons, encircled a group of protesters who were lying on the street, blocking the flow of traffic. At least 10 of them, including Massey, were placed into police wagons for failing to heed an order to disperse.
“As we were surrounded I was trying to look police in the eyes and ask them why they were doing this,” Massey said. Getting too close, an officer hit him in the chest with his baton.
Massey was restrained with plastic handcuffs but was not formally arrested. He was taken to a private parking lot behind the Hall of Justice where he was placed into an outdoor holding pen constructed of police barricades. His belongings, including his jacket, were taken away and he was cited for disrupting traffic and refusing to obey the order of a police officer.
“Are you OK with who you are?” Massey asked another man as he shivered in the windy parking lot. The man said yes and the two huddled on the ground, sharing body heat to stay warm.
Massey felt his removal from the scene was a violation of his right to free speech.
Dewayne Tully, spokesman from the San Francisco Police Department, refused to comment on the arrests, but explained the protocol followed by the SFPD in large-scale protests.
“When the protest disrupts traffic or interferes with the daily operation of the city, at that point the demonstrators become subject to arrest,” he said.
After being released from police custody at 6:43 p.m., Massey returned to Ocean campus for an evening class.
With the support of the teachers’ union, Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. and many professors, Makepeace thought more students would be eager to walk out.
But student Tony Pearson disagreed. “The legislature doesn’t care when there are huge demonstrations all over the country, so they’re not going to care if some City College students walk out of class.”
e-mail: metronews@theguardsman.com
City News Editor Dan Powell contributed to this semester
FAKE FLIERS POSE THREAT OF ID THEFT
BY
JOSH LEHMAN
Staff Writer
LEILANA WEBB / GUARDSMAN |
City College officials are undergoing an investigation after discovering several fliers posted around Ocean campus that displayed social security numbers to the public.
Dean of Admissions and Records Robert Balestreri found the fliers, which urged City College students to contact either Lost and Found or Admissions and Records if they saw their numbers listed, in August and September.
Balestreri removed the fliers and checked the numbers in the student database. Finding no match, he forwarded sample fliers to Associate Dean of Student Advocacy, Rights and Responsibilities Dr. Mark Robinson and to Sgt. Kenneth Baccetti of the campus police for further investigation.
“It became apparent when we could not match the social security numbers to our student database that this was a sick person, for whatever reason, attempting to gain attention,” Balestreri said.
The objective behind posting the fake social security numbers remains unclear. “We don’t know the motives involved,” said Baccetti. “Obviously, identity theft comes to mind, and maybe falsification of records.”
Associate Dean of Student Activities Skip Fotch, whose office is responsible for authorizing postings on campus, said this is a matter of privacy, regardless of the specific motives. “Social security numbers are highly confidential and I would never allow them to be posted,” Fotch said.
Scarcity of information has made the incident difficult to investigate. “Basically, we have nothing. We have no way of knowing who the social security numbers belonged to,” Baccetti said. “Unless we’re fortunate enough to find the individual posting it, we have no further information as to who did it.”
Baccetti said nothing like this had ever happened at City College. “I’ve been here 25 years and I’ve never seen this before,” he said.
e-mail: jlehman@theguardsman.com
GARMENT WORKERS GET SECOND CHANCE
BY SHAWN LIU
Staff Writer
DAN ELDRIDGE / GUARDSMAN |
For most college students, 18 months is a small portion of time in their pursuit of higher education. For students in the Dislocated Garment Worker Retraining Program, it is the start of a new life after garment factories.
In partnership with the San Francisco Labor Council and advocates in the Chinese community, City College has developed an 18-month training program to help these dislocated workers acquire new vocational skills.
“I never thought I could get another job,” said Mary Shen, one of 100 former garment workers who joined the retraining program and became a City College student this semester.
Outsourcing of the garment industry cost more than 800 jobs in San Francisco in 2004.
Many of these garment workers are Chinese immigrants who have neither the English ability nor the professional skills to find a new job.
“A lot of these people came from small villages in China and had only four grades worth of education,” said Warren Mar, the program’s coordinator. “[The program] helps them to get the education they never had a chance to get.”
The majority of these students are females in their 40s and 50s who only speak Chinese. Their training began this fall with 20 hours of vocational ESL classes per week at the Chinatown / North Beach campus.
“The vocational ESL classes are really helpful because they teach the English we need to use in the work field,” Shen said in her native Mandarin. “It’s almost impossible for aged people to learn a language from the ground up.”
Shen, who is in her early 50s, had been a garment worker ever since she came from China to San Francisco with her family 22 years ago.
In March, Nova Knits, Inc., a San Francisco based garment manufacturing company, laid off over 80 Chinese immigrant workers, including Shen, who had worked in Nova Knits’ factory for the past 12 years.
“In the knitting factory, you don’t need to speak English or change your lifestyle, and that’s the way I was for 20 years,” Shen said. “It’s different right now.”
The classes are customized for the program. Next semester, while continuing their English studies, all 100 students will choose a new profession and begin job training.
Federally funded Trade Adjustment Assistance, designed to assist workers who lose their jobs due to industrial outsourcing, pays most of the expenses in the program.
Depending on individual needs, the program also provides income support, transportation and childcare for the 18 months these students are in school.
Other contributing organizations include the Chinese Progressive Association, which provides case management to ensure students stay on track with the program.
The San Francisco Labor Council and Chinese for Affirmative Action are responsible for job replacement. They hold workshops to introduce the students to high growth industries such as hospitality and health care.
Shen said she wanted to learn baking, but the program doesn’t offer it. After attending one of the workshops, she is now considering childcare.
Mar said City College is always looking for ways to be more responsible to the workforce and the economic development of the city. “Low income Chinese immigrants are a long-standing part of the city,” Mar said. “With this program, we filled one of the holes.”
e-mail: sliu@theguardsman.com
THOUSANDS OF CALIFORNIA STUDENTS UNINSURED, BUT CARE OPTIONS EXIST
BY JON GUNTON
Staff Writer
LESLIE HICKS / GUARDSMAN |
Although City College provides some minimal health care services, students with serious conditions must find their treatment elsewhere, which can be problematic if they are uninsured.
“Many students without insurance delay their care,” said Sunny Clark, clinic director and chair of the Department of Student Health. “The system gets so overwhelming for them, they just give up.”
There are 6.6 million uninsured residents of California, 10 percent of whom are college students.
“We saw around 10,000 students last year,” Clark said. “About 78 percent of those cases were uninsured.”
Student Health Center nurses at Ocean campus provide services to students with a $13 per semester health fee. The fee does not cover total health coverage, and the services it does provide are limited.
“Students cannot come here forever,” Clark said. “We have to make judgments based on our assessment of the individual’s needs. We provide urgent immediate consultation. We are not financially equipped to deal with serious conditions.”
Nurses at the Health Center spend much of their time trying to find the right options for students whose care must extend beyond the center’s capabilities.
While it is easier to assist those students who have health insurance, most students that use the center are not covered, so they have fewer options.
“I don’t have insurance,” student Leo Phillips said. “I try to get it through benefits packages, but if something happened now, I don’t
know what I’d do. I guess I would owe a lot of money that I couldn’t pay.”
Uninsured students often have to look to community clinics for treatment.
Clark says the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic is a good option for non-county residents because the cheapest extensive care center available, San Francisco General Hospital, is often crowded.
“At a county hospital anyone can be treated,” said Andy Brunner, risk manager at San Francisco General. “Emergency rooms are legally obligated to treat people. However, payment at a private hospital can be very pricey. At a county [hospital] we adjust things on a sliding scale according to a patient’s income.”
Uninsured students who need assistance with their medical bills can also contact the government for help.
“Anyone can be treated,” said Saira Goitia, an information specialist at the Health Resources and Services Administration, a limb of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “If someone calls us we will find the best option for that individual.”
Low-cost Medical Care Contacts for City College Students
The Student Health Center
Ocean campus,
Bungalows 201 and 207
(415) 239-3110
www.ccsf.edu/services/student_health/
The Haight Ashbury
Free Clinic
558 Clayton St.
San Francisco, CA, 94117
(415) 487-5632
www.hafci.org
San Francisco
General Hospital
1001 Potrero Ave.
San Francisco, CA, 94110
(415) 206-8000
www.sfghf.net
Health Resources and Services Administration
1-888-ASK-HRSA
www.hrsa.gov
e-mail: jgunton@theguardsman.com
LOSSES FOR GOVERNOR, GAINS FOR CITY COLLEGE IN NOV. 8 ELECTION: Prop A Passes by Wide Margin
BY PAULETTE BLEAM
Editor
DAN ELDRIDGE / GUARDSMAN |
Fists jubilantly pounded the air and shouts of elation rang out as election results showing the passage of Proposition A were projected onto a large screen at City College’s Gough Street campus on Nov. 8.
“Proud to live in San Francisco!” yelled Peter Goldstein, vice chancellor of finance and administration.
The $246.3 million bond measure is the second half of the funding needed for the college’s renovation and expansion projects.
The proposition needed a minimum of 55 percent of the votes, easily surpassing that with a total of 64.16 percent. Most of the administration members at the event said the measure passed because San Franciscans love City College.
“If my mother is willing to vote for [Proposition] A, we got it — because she is more to the right than Schwarzenegger,” said Carlotta del Portillo, Mission campus dean.
In a speech at the event, Rodel Rodis, president of the board of trustees, recalled the day of Aug. 3, when the board met with Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. to discuss plans to float the bond measure in 2006.
To their surprise, Chancellor Day asked, “Why wait until next year? Why not this November?”
“It’s been like a roller coaster non-stop ride,” Rodis said.
Board of trustees Vice President Natalie Berg, who chaired the campaign steering committee, said she was never worried about the measure not passing. “It was just a matter of how big the win is going to be,” she said.
One project the measure will fund is a joint use facility, which will offer bachelor’s degrees through San Francisco State University to students attending City College.
“We have to be able to step up to the plate and be ready to offer that,” Rodis said.
Other projects include five new state-of-the-art facilities and the revitalization of older structures.
“I’m feeling very good that the voters once again have … affirmed this very critical role in this institution,” Chancellor Day said. “It’s a win-win for them.”
e-mail: chiefcopy@theguardsman.com
LOSSES FOR GOVERNOR, GAINS FOR CITY COLLEGE IN NOV. 8 ELECTION: Schwarzenegger’s Plan for Education Reform Rejected
BY JON GUNTON
Staff Writer
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s propositions aimed at reforming California’s political system were soundly defeated in the special election on Nov. 8, including ones that would have directly affected students and faculty at City College.
“I was very glad with the special election results,” Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. said. “I was glad to see the governor lost on all accounts. The headline in the Chronicle the next day was dead-on accurate: Californians rejected Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
Many of the propositions on the ballot would have had immediate effects on City College funding, as well as the functioning of the teachers’ labor union, Local 2121 of the American Federation of Teachers.
If passed, Proposition 76 would have changed the minimum school funding requirements previously approved by voters in 1998, and would have given the governor the power to reduce budget appropriations in an effort to reduce state spending. The measure was easily defeated by over 1.5 million votes.
“There is no way in hell I wanted that to go through,” said Chancellor Day.
Critics called Proposition 76 the “cut school funding act,” claiming that the elimination of minimum funding guarantees ensured by Proposition 98 would have cut $600 of state funding per student and would have led to overcrowded classrooms and fewer classroom materials.
Voters also rejected Proposition 74, which would have extended the current two-year trial period to five years for new teachers in kindergarten through 12th grades. Opponents said the proposition would have done little to improve schools or attract quality teachers.
Proposition 75, another centerpiece of the governor’s reform agenda, was also defeated by California voters.
Supporters of the proposition claimed that by prohibiting labor unions to use union dues for donations to political parties without individual members’ consent, much of the political influence that labor unions wield would be eliminated.
“Our union and all the teachers are ecstatic,” said Ed Murray, president of AFT 2121. “It would have been damaging to the labor movement in general. I feel tremendous. When working people get together, we can defeat the corporations and politicians like Gov. Schwarzenegger.”
All of the other propositions supported by the governor failed, marking a significant setback for an administration already losing popularity as the 2006 election approaches.
“This is a real win for education and it shows the power of working people,” Murray said. “We are protected from the governor now.”
e-mail: jgunton@theguardsman.com
TRANSFER DAY DRAWS MORE COLLEGES
BY LISA DANG
Contributing Writer
|
Since moving from the basement of the Student Union to the Smith Hall Cafeteria, the annual Transfer Day and College Fair has been building momentum, and as it marked its 20th anniversary Oct. 28, the 50 colleges and 2000 students in attendance indicated an unprecedented success.
Students streamed in and out of the all-morning event, picking the brains of admissions representatives and weighing their transfer options as University of California and California State University application deadlines draw near.
Most students transfer to CSUs and UCs, but with the number of colleges occupying information tables up more than 30 percent from five years ago, some private institutions are trying their hand at recruiting City College students.
Students shouldn’t rule out the independent ones because of money, said Mills College Associate Director of Transfer Admissions Debbie Woods.
Woods insisted that private institutions can be a good option for students worried about transfer requirements. “Students don’t know it, but they don’t have to worry about some magic number [of units] before they can transfer,” she said.
Some students arrived knowing what questions to ask and to whom, but others casually browsed the tables, unsure of their prospective needs.
“I just thought I’d grab a few brochures,” student Jonathan Stone, 32, said. “This gives people a chance to ask about admission requirements or majors rather than doing it over the phone or online. We can actually talk to a physical person.”
Transfer Center department Chair Carl Jew was pleased with the overall outcome of the day. “Representatives gravitate to us because of our diversity,” he said. “Where else will they find such unique opportunities and great students?”
BY MILES HARWELL
Staff Writer
|
Members of the board of trustees, faculty and a small crowd of students gathered in Batmale Hall on Oct. 26 to witness the unveiling of the newly renovated, $2.5 million Academic Computing and Resource Center.
The overhaul took 10 months, but Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. said the result is what students deserve, which is a place that provides students and faculty with an environment that supports learning.
“I came in here seven or eight years ago and said, ‘We can do better than this,’” Chancellor Day said.
The renovation added 40 computer workstations to the center. There is a total of 169 new computers and two separate labs available for students and instructors. The lab is one of 10 located on Ocean campus.
Funding was acquired for the center’s remodeling through the technology portion of 2001’s Proposition A, and was overseen by Trustee Johnnie Carter, Jr., chairman of the Technology Committee.
“We’re very fortunate because this has turned out to be a fantastic project,” Carter said. “This project is cutting edge. This is what we are capable of.”
Construction for the center began last January, turning the once-dilapidated 5,000 square foot space into an adequate learning environment, with brand new equipment and software.
“The space was poorly utilized and ventilated before,” Mamie How, dean of education technology, said. “This space is done now. There are other spaces at other campuses to work on.”
e-mail: mharwell@theguardsman.com
BY STEVE ADAMS AND FRANCESCA SALCEDO
Contributing Writers
• The board of trustees gave final approval to the 2006 Accreditation Self Study, an examination and critique of City College that was conducted internally with the input of over 200 faculty, staff, administrators and students. The college is required to conduct the study every six years by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, a non-governmental body that functions to assure the quality of educational institutions and assist in the improvement of the institution.
• The board approved a plan to sell property originally planned as the future site of the new Chinatown / North Beach campus. The board decided that the current plan was prohibitively expensive, due to the high costs of seismic upgrades needed to begin construction.
• The meeting was closed in memory of Rosa Parks.
Choice Words:
“I am very busy, but very happy to be working here.”
-Fred Teti, president of the Academic Senate, speaking before the board dressed as Mr. Incredible.
BY JOSH LEHMAN
Staff Writer
Now that we’re on the lee side of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita’s fury and we’re facing the aftermath of the wreckage, it’s important we keep our eyes open for possibilities to help.
Lately it seems we are constantly in the wake of some kind of major calamity, though for most of us it is usually remote from our daily lives.
It becomes all too easy to shrug your shoulders, let it all fade back into the pages of the newspaper and get on with daily routines.
Remember, however, that there are local ways to help. There’s no need to forego school and your job to charge down to the Gulf Coast.
By consuming less oil, you can help to stem the flow of that rascal of a resource and aid the national cause locally.
Now that political scandals and pop stars have reclaimed the headlines, finding a reminder of the hurricanes is as easy as visiting the gas station. Just look at current prices and you’ll see some of the wreckage spelled out in dollars and cents.
Repairing the Gulf Coast will require a lot of oil, and the more oil that’s used, the higher the cost will be driven. But the opposite is also true, as prices drop when less oil is purchased.
This means adopting an “oil-lite” lifestyle will help the United States’ next great reconstruction effort.
By riding your bike or Muni to work instead of driving and by consuming less oil-based products such as plastics, you can join the effort from afar.
e-mail: jlehman@theguardsman.com
SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY COLLEGE POLICE DISPATCH
|
Oct. 19, 10:30 a.m.
Ocean Campus
A student reported that a man exposed his genitals to her in Batmale Hall around 9:30 a.m. The student said the suspect fled when she screamed, but officers were unable to locate him.
Oct. 21, 12:29 p.m.
Ocean Campus
Officers responded to Batmale Hall, where several people were reportedly smoking marijuana. Three subjects (two students and one non-student) were detained by the officers, who confiscated a small amount of marijuana. The students were referred to the dean of students for discipline and the non-student was given a trespassing admonishment.
City College at Large
Call or e-mail Elizabeth Pfeffer with campus-wide news at: (415) 239-3446 or metronews@theguardsman.com
Chinatown Campus
Students can still enroll in Learn 52A and Learn 52B courses, which will be taught by counselors in both English and Chinese. Learn 52A, offered on Nov. 19, will give students an overview of City College programs, grading and credit matriculation. Learn 52B, offered on Dec. 3, will discuss degrees, certificates, transfer requirements and the resources available to students.
Fort Mason Campus
The Fort Mason campus will be holding its 31st Annual Art Exhibition and Sale from Dec. 2 through Dec. 4. The event will feature original works by faculty and students in media such as photography, ceramics and weaving. There will be a preview reception featuring live music on Dec. 2 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Alemany Campus
Spurred by a proposal from the Alemany campus’ Associated Students Council, ESL instructor Maureen Rooney will be offering a workshop aimed at exposing the campus’ largely Chinese population to country and western style music. Students will listen to examples from the musical genre, followed by a discussion. The workshop, which takes place on Nov. 22, is the first in a planned series that will educate students in Western styles of music.
John Adams Campus
The Swing City Dancers are offering swing lessons, dancing and live music at the “Mystic Ball 6” on Saturday, Nov. 19 in the John Adams campus auditorium. Prior to the dance, lessons will be offered from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. for $10 in advance or $15 at the door. For more information, e-mail sfswingcity@hotmail.com.
Short Cuts
Win Your Tuition
Jeremy Olisar, a 21-year-old Carnegie Mellon University student, recently won Absolute Poker’s “Win Your Tuition” Texas Hold’em tournament. As a result of his lucky streak, Absolute Poker will pay one semester of his tuition, at approximately $32,000. Students from over 300 colleges worldwide took part in the online tournament.
Sleep Debt
When someone does not get enough sleep, his or her body builds up a sleep debt. Several nights of sleep deprivation can carry over into a very large sleep debt, which can take up to two weeks of regular rest to correct. Fortunately for college students with irregular schedules, doctors believe naps as short as 10 to 20 minutes can slowly but surely help pay back sleep debt. This is not recommended for individuals who have difficulty sleeping at night.
Latino Film Festival
As part of the International Latino Film Festival, City College will be sponsoring a free event tonight in room 304 of the Rosenberg Library at 6:30 p.m. A program of short films will feature works by students from City College’s Film Production program. The filmmakers will be in attendance for a question and answer session after the viewing.
Don't Come to School
Just a reminder: For the Thanksgiving holiday, classes end at 4 p.m. on Nov. 23 and resume on Nov. 28.
The Guardsman, Issue 6 Corrections
On page seven in the opinions section, the On The Record question should have read, “Is the special election in November a waste of taxpayers’ money?” not “...City College’s money?”
On page 16 of the news section, the last quote of Josh Lehman’s column, “In Lehman’s Terms,” was cut off prematurely. The quote should have read, “I’m poor. I’m a student. I’m already doing what I can.”
On page 15 of the classifieds section, the calendar item “English Eligibility Exam,” should have given the location of the exam as the Rosenberg Library, not Batmale Hall.