Volume 140, Issue #8
News
ASSAULT CALLS CAMPUS SAFETY INTO QUESTION: Assaulter arrested twice before attack
BY
ELIZABETH PFEFFER
Editor
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAN ELDRIDGE / GUARDSMAN |
An assault and battery on a custodian in broad daylight, Nov. 22, revealed flaws in campus safety and exposed a lack of communication among Ocean campus administrators, campus police and the custodians themselves.
Custodian Denis Phan, 60, attempted to sweep around a man he presumed to be a student taking a cigarette break near the Arts Extension building entrance.
“I just did my job as routine, and when I swept around him, he said to me, ‘Look at me.’ He pushed me, and I fell down on the ground,” said Phan, who was taken to San Francisco General Hospital by custodian supervisor Dauwen Bailey after the attack.
Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. expressed surprise when informed of the incident during an interview conducted by The Guardsman on Dec. 2.
The police file about 500 reports with the district annually, and the most serious incidents are supposed to be sent to the chancellor’s office.
“This one, for whatever reason, was not forwarded, and it probably should have been,” Police Chief Carl S. Koehler said
Two eyewitnesses helped police identify the assaulter, whose name was not released, Sgt. Kenneth Baccetti said. Both Phan and police believe the man is mentally ill. The police and other custodians also speculated he might be homeless.
Koehler said the police were in the process of identifying the man prior to the incident to obtain a restraining order. He said the assaulter was arrested twice at City College, once on Nov. 9 for disturbing the peace and being a non-student refusing to leave campus, and once in December 2004.
Phan said he had no knowledge of his assailant’s history and could recall only one occasion when police notified him of “undesirables” — individuals that have no business on campus.
“We don’t know who’s who and the homeless are pretty easy to spot, but you see a person of any age walking down the hall — I don’t know what their business is,” said Hillary Hooper, a custodian who has worked the graveyard shift from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. for almost two years.
“It would be nice to have policies … we have dealt with the homeless and I think many of us are unsure or not aware exactly what we’re supposed to do in all situations,” Hooper said.
Some custodians have been told informally by Bailey and campus police to ask undesirables to leave, unless they feel unsafe.
“It’s up to the [nighttime] custodians to secure buildings, outside of keeping places clean. That’s why they’re not called janitors,” Baccetti said. “They should tell them to leave.”
Hooper disagreed. “If I feel somebody won’t leave if I ask them to, I’m not going to put myself at risk if I don’t have to,” she said. “I’m not a security guard. I’m not qualified for it.”
Indeed, a custodian job description — provided by Clara Starr, dean of Human Resources — includes cleaning and inspection duties but not dealing with people, let alone undesirables.
“There is no distinction between a custodian and janitor. Their primary job is to take care of the campus and get classrooms clean,” Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. said. “If an administrator, custodian or public safety runs across somebody that’s about to set up a homeless camp, they should be told to leave by a police officer.”
The sudden attack left Phan with no chance to call the police.
And some custodians lack the means to contact police at all.
SONIA SAVIO / GUARDSMAN |
City College provides pagers for custodians, but not cell phones or walkie-talkies. For those who don’t own personal cell phones, locating a public or office phone is their only way of reaching police.
Chancellor Day said giving phones to each of the approximately 50 custodians on Ocean campus would be a costly overreaction.
But with the brazen, daylight assault fresh on their minds, some custodians wonder about their safety at night in a deserted, darkened campus.
City College is a public space with vague guidelines after evening classes let out. Custodians begin to lock buildings around 10 p.m. most nights. They sometimes find students, the homeless and neighborhood residents seeking shelter inside or wandering around the poorly lit campus.
Hooper said she feels safe working at night most of the time, but the footsteps of a person walking his or her dog through campus and an undesirable sound the same in the dark.
Although Ocean campus is not located in an area dense with the homeless, it attracts some for its safe appearance.
Hooper guessed that four or five homeless people stay on campus nightly.
Some are students.
“If you’ve ever been in a shelter, the places are not welcoming — they can be very hostile. Some people prefer to sleep on the street outside,” said Frank Bayer, a Homeless / At-Risk Transitional Students Program work-study student for the past five years.
Bayer, who used to be homeless himself, has stayed at several shelters within the city.
HARTS, which is assisting 109 students with FastPasses and cafeteria vouchers this semester, has heard of students attempting to live on campus in the past.
“One couple was trying to camp out on campus,” Bayer said. “As soon as they got housing they got out.”
On Nov. 18, a 26-year-old homeless transplant from Ohio who would only give his name as “L.B.,” camped in the woods between Batmale Hall and the horticulture department. He estimated it was the tenth time he had slept on Ocean campus.
“There’s no signs telling people not to come here, so it’s actually a much better place,” L.B. said.
Nevertheless, Bailey remains opposed to any policy that would officially close the campus to outsiders at night. “We’re not trying to build a jail here.”
Chancellor Day agreed. “You can only have so many policies,” he said.
With only about three or four out of 17 unarmed officers staffing campus police per shift, there is not enough manpower to enforce a closed-campus policy or prevent random acts of violence on 56 acres of campus and within innumerable buildings.
“We are very short handed,” Koehler said.
Phan was at San Francisco General for a follow-up examination on the morning of Dec. 1 when another custodian reported seeing the assaulter in the Smith Hall cafeteria. The custodian notified campus police, but they were unable to locate the suspect.
“Sometimes custodians point [undesirables] out to us because they’re here very early in the morning,” Koehler said. “The hard part is finding them once they’re identified.”
Phan feels little fear of being attacked again but expressed concern over the safety of others.
“It was a random act,” he said. “It could have been a student or anybody.”
Still, Phan, Hooper, administrators and Chancellor Day expressed support for the campus police they believe to be doing the best job possible.
“It is a great place, and most of the people that do work here, homeless or not, are really a positive influence,” Hooper said.
e-mail: metronews@theguardsman.com
City News Editor Dan Powell contributed to this report
EOPS EMPLOYS ALLEGED EMBEZZLER
BY
JON GUNTON
Staff Writer
LESLIE HICKS / GUARDSMAN |
Kim Scott, the newly appointed program assistant at Extended Opportunity Programs and Services, is currently facing criminal charges stemming from her previous position at American River College.
Scott, 48, pleaded not guilty in Sacramento Superior court on Nov. 10 to one count of felony embezzlement and one count of felony grand theft. If convicted, she could face up to three years in prison for each count.
She is accused of defrauding more than $50,000 from American River College in Sacramento while she worked as a coordinator for the college’s EOPS, a program designed to assist low-income, at-risk students.
In August, Scott was hired by City College as the program assistant for the same department she was employed in at American River College.
Alvin Jenkins, EOPS director, hired Scott after working with her for 15 years through the program.
EOPS is a state-funded counseling program found in many community colleges throughout California. The departments at each college often work together.
“She’s a doggone good counselor who I didn’t have to train,” Jenkins said. “She has extraordinary interpersonal skills with the staff and students. Until someone is convicted of a crime, nothing precludes them from working.”
At the advice of her attorneys, Scott declined to comment.
“The case appears to be a big misunderstanding,” Scott’s attorney, Jon-Paul Valcarenghi told the Sacramento Bee in April. “My hope is my client will be exonerated as soon as proceedings get underway.”
Scott, who worked at American River College since 1995, resigned from her position as dean of student services last March shortly after the initial investigation began.
She is accused of hiring Lorraina Bergman in 1999 as an adjunct counselor, and allegedly continuing to issue Bergman paychecks even though Bergman moved to North Carolina in November 2001, and has not been seen at the American River campus in the past five years.
According to police reports, Scott and her alleged co-conspirator had apparently known each other since childhood and attended college together.
Scott and Bergman were first arraigned on April 26. Both women are currently out on $10,000 bail.
“Honestly, I don’t know what happened, but she hasn’t been convicted,” Jenkins said. “I’m going to let it play out in the courts. People are innocent until proven guilty. I don’t need someone who has been convicted of crimes. I need a good counselor, and I’ve got one right now.”
A preliminary hearing for Scott has been set for Jan. 19.
e-mail: jgunton@theguardsman.com
BY DAN SANKEY
Staff Writer
BRANDIN LAKEE / GUARDSMAN |
A group of car fanatics from City College’s Evans campus called the Biodiesel Hot Rod Conversion Club is undertaking a project they described as an eco-friendly “Pimp My Ride,” referring to an MTV show of the same name.
The students are creating a fully functioning biodiesel muscle car by lifting the gas-guzzling guts out of a baby blue 1974 El Camino Super Sport and dropping in a vegetable-oil-fueled diesel engine.
Maintaining the hot rod’s speed and look is important to the budding mechanics.
“What really inspired us was that generally people think of alternative fuel cars as neutered, with no pick-up,” said David Dias, advanced transportation technology coordinator, who is overseeing the student project.
“Every time you see something in the news about biodiesel, they show some thrashed old Jetta with some old hippie guy who covered it with Astroturf,” said club member Erik Miller, who owns two biodiesel vehicles, one of which is a 2001 Jetta TDI that has been modified aesthetically and for higher performance.
The original idea came from club president Chris Kendrick, who believed making a muscle car would reach a lot of people who normally want nothing to do with biodiesel.
“We are thinking of it as a biodiesel propaganda machine,” Kendrick said. “I think it’s better to use an old American car. It’s big with a lot of room to work in, and it’s a sweet looking ride — a working-class vehicle.”
The club started working on the project Nov. 1 by removing the car’s transmission. Their goal is to have it running by April 22, Earth Day. They plan to take the El Camino to car shows and environmental events.
“To our knowledge we are the only college in California attempting such a project,” Dias said. “The drawback is there’s nothing to draw off of — this is totally new.”
The diesel engine, named after its inventor, Rudolph Diesel, first ran on peanut oil — a version of biodiesel — when it was displayed at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris.
The group hopes their endeavor will take an old tradition and give it an appealing twist.
e-mail: dsankey@theguardsman.com
BY STEVE ADAMS AND DAN POWELL
Contributing Writer and Editor
LUBOMIRA RAYKOVA / SPECIAL TO THE GUARDSMAN |
A man convicted five times for drug-related felonies was denied employment in City College’s Drug and Alcohol Studies Program, despite being a graduate of that program who has been off probation since 1999.
William Buehlman, 37, believes the decision to deny him an assistant management position in the department was unjustified. He brought his case to the Oct. 28 board of trustees meeting and tried to persuade Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. and the board to revise the college’s hiring practices.
Applications must now list the steps an ex-convict needs to take to be eligible for employment
“What I saw was this whole job system as nothing more than institutionalized discrimination,” Buehlman said.
At the heart of the issue is Buehlman’s claim that his attempts to reenter society have been hindered by the constant shadow of his criminal past and the reluctance of the board of trustees to decide for themselves when an ex-convict has been rehabilitated.
“I am hard-pressed to find a board that is qualified to evaluate what ‘rehabilitated’ is,” Trustee Johnnie Carter, Jr. said. Carter believes Buehlman is qualified, but expressed concerns that setting a precedent in the case would flood the college with similar applicants asking for the same consideration.
Currently, persons applying for a job at City College must admit if they have felony convictions. Section A of California Education Code 87405 states: “Governing boards of community college districts shall not employ or retain in employment persons who have been convicted of any … controlled substance offense as defined in Section 87011.”
Buehlman applied for the position last June, but later found out he had to get his criminal record expunged in order to meet the criteria for employment outlined in the code. Expunction of criminal records is a lengthy process that requires ex-convicts to travel to each state and county they have convictions in.
Instead, Buehlman tried to utilize Section C of CEC 87405, which states: “A person may be employed or retained despite being convicted of a … controlled substance offense if the governing board determines from the evidence presented that the person has been rehabilitated for at least five years.”
Buehlman’s last conviction was in 1996. Since then he has received a certificate from the Drug and Alcohol Studies Program, which prepares students for addiction counseling. He has also served as an assistant social worker in San Francisco General Hospital’s Opiate Treatment Outpatient Program for the past four years.
As a rehabilitated drug addict who spent four years of his life in prison, Buehlman believes he is uniquely qualified to work in drug and alcohol education.
“I don’t believe you have to have cancer to treat cancer, but it sure helps in developing a rapport with the patient,” Buehlman said.
e-mail: citynewseditor@theguardsman.com
OLD CHINATOWN / NORTH BEACH CAMPUS TO BE REPLACED BY SINGLE MODERN FACILITY
BY SHAWN LIU
Staff Writer
SONIA SAVIO / GUARDSMAN |
After decades of struggle, City College has finally secured a piece of land for its long-awaited new Chinatown / North Beach campus.
The $70 million campus is planned to open in fall 2008 on the corner of Kearny and Washington streets, where the college recently purchased a parking lot from real estate developer Pius Lee.
The new facility will accommodate up to 7,500 students, about 1,000 more than the current campuses serve. And for the first time ever, students in Chinatown will have a facility specifically designed for college use.
“Thousands of students will now have the opportunity to improve their lives and the lives of their families,” said Peter Goldstein, vice chancellor of finance and administration.
The existing Chinatown / North Beach campus occupies a former elementary school at 940 Filbert St., as well as seven other locations in the area. The building lacks elevators and the toilets were all designed for children.
“[Campus Dean Joanne Low] created our bookstore out of a closet in a classroom,” said counselor Sue Lim Yee, who has worked for the campus for 25 years. “We have a dedicated staff working here. Unfortunately, the facility doesn’t match our enthusiasm.”
The new campus will include expanded classroom space and faculty work areas. It will also feature a student lounge and a multi-purpose space for conferences and meetings to serve the community.
“We are very excited to have a facility that will accommodate our needs,” Yee said.
City College began planning for a new Chinatown / North Beach campus in the late 1970s, but was stalled by limited availability of land and funding. A bond measure passed in 1997 finally provided the money to shop for new properties.
Back then, the parking lot at Kearny and Washington streets was already a preferred spot for the school, but the price was over $10 million at the time.
As an alternate, City College bought the Columbo Building for $3.8 million and the Fong Building for $1.5 million within the same triangular area between Columbus Avenue, Kearny and Washington streets.
However, the purchase proved to be problematic.
More than a dozen low-income Chinese families who live in the Fong Building and would have been forced to move out sued City College in 2003. And in 1997, preservationists sued the college for jeopardizing the historic value of the Columbo Building.
The school eventually dropped their building plans and legal woes due to the enormous cost of seismic upgrades needed to begin construction on the original site.
City College is planning to sell these two buildings within the next year.
“It has been a challenge to create a spot for our Chinatown campus,” Goldstein said. “But we have never wavered from our commitment to provide a quality facility for the Chinatown community.”
e-mail: sliu@theguardsman.com
MAYOR NEWSOM LAUDS $750,000 TECHNOLOGY GRANT
BY CHRIS ALBON
Staff Writer
|
City College received a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation on Oct. 1, to develop new computer networking and information technology department training programs that will help students secure jobs in emerging technology industries.
With the funds, the college plans to purchase new fiber optic equipment and implement a program that will train instructors to teach classes using the technology. The grant will also enable the development of a job placement program that will focus on the merging of many diverse technologies.
“Wi-Fi, fiber optics, digital media … everything related to data management has to go through the pipes of the Internet,” said Pierre Thiry, computer networking and information technology instructor. “We want to have technicians that are knowledgeable of new technologies, [so they] can get the jobs.”
The grant will assist in accommodating the department’s high enrollment by creating 600 spots in the new program.
A press conference was held Nov. 10 at Ocean campus to formally announce the grant. In attendance was Mayor Gavin Newsom, who said the collaboration between City College, City Hall and the industry was essential.
“You can’t have an economic strategy unless you have a workforce development strategy parallel,” Mayor Newsom said. “I’m here reinforcing that partnership and applauding City College for getting this grant.”
“It’s a two-part puzzle,” said Mary Liz Dejong, industry representative from SBC and member of an advisory committee to the program. “It’s having the techs to do the work … the more people who know the value of using digital products and services, the more demand there will be.”
e-mail: calbon@theguardsman.com
FOUNDATION MEMBERS QUIT OVER CAFE DEAL
BY CHRIS ALBON
Staff Writer
|
Three members of City College’s fundraising organization resigned recently, citing dissatisfaction with the bidding process used to select the vendor for the Downtown campus cafe.
Foundation members Will Weinstein, Lee Gregory and Stephen Mittel left in September after local independent company, The Bean Scene was chosen over Peet’s Coffee & Tea and Latte Express.
Gregory and Weinstein said they did not want to comment on specific wrongdoings of the bid process but wanted further public investigation of the issue.
“We don’t think the process was conducted fairly,” said Weinstein, a foundation board member for the past 15 years. “We don’t think bidders were given an equal opportunity to present their offer, and therefore the students and the college and the community suffered.”
Mittel was unable to be reached for comment.
Before tendering their resignations, the three asked for an independent audit of the selection process. Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. hired Macias, Gini & Company, an accounting firm in the last year of a non-renewable three-year contract with the college to perform annual outside audits of finances.
The report noted that some members of the foundation felt Peet’s financial strength and national status offered the college benefits that were missed in the bidding process. It also concluded the process was conducted legally and fairly.
But Gregory and Weinstein felt that by enlisting a firm that had a current relationship with the college, the chancellor had not truly sought an unbiased review.
“The school hired an auditing company that already worked for the school, so it’s not independent,” Gregory said.
“When we asked for an independent audit and got a whitewash, we found that highly troubling,” Weinstein said. “Independent audits cover anything that’s relevant, that’s what they do … [the auditors] excluded all the relevant information.”
Peter Cruz, the audit consultant from the firm, said that Chancellor Day asked for a formal review, not a formal audit. Cruz said a review doesn’t have as many legal guidelines as a formal audit but provides the same information, and offered recommendations to avoid future conflicts.
“They did all the basic steps,” Cruz said. “But it could have been better.”
The report revealed that the selection committee did not have any written notes of the bidding process and suggested using scoring sheets to indicate how members voted. Chancellor Day said that all of the recommendations would be implemented in the future.
Kathleen Sullivan Alioto, dean of college development and a member of the foundation, said she was sorry that the members resigned.
“They are people who are important to the future of the institution,” Alioto said. “[They] worked very hard as board members to help improve lives at City College.”
e-mail: calbon@theguardsman.com
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FLIERS GET STRICTER GUIDELINES
BY CLAUDIA NOVOA
Contributing Writer
|
In an effort to more closely monitor the content of fliers posted around City College campuses, the Communication Committee is working on clear guidelines that would require all fliers approved for posting be in English or include an English translation.
A flier advertising a room for rent posted only in a foreign language spurred the action. A faculty member, who felt it was unfair that only students who spoke the language would be able to respond, brought the flier to the committee’s attention.
The committee began working on the new guidelines on May 3. Skip Fotch, dean of student activities and a committee member, has written a new guideline to present to the College Advisory Committee that states: “Fliers that are in a language other than English must include an English description, summary or translation in the flier; or have a separate flyer that provides the information in English, and they must be posted side by side.”
The CAC coordinates and reviews policy developments before forwarding them to Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr., who proposes the final recommendations to the board of trustees.
“We have to review for the level of content and make sure it does not incite any violence or level of hate,” Fotch said. “We can refuse to post something that we feel will be offensive to a segment of our community.”
Currently, fliers require a “CCSF Approved for Posting” stamp from the Student Union. Many fliers, however, are posted without the college’s approval, and due to funding cuts it is difficult to police all fliers on campus.
Four years ago, fliers that read, “Kill An Arab Today” were posted in Cloud Hall and the Science building. Fotch tore down the fliers immediately. No subjects were caught.
“If a flier contains code words that can potentially create a hostile or violent environment, we have to look at the right of free speech and safety of the individuals,” Fotch said. “The right of safety is a critical issue.”
Some ESL students on campus support stricter guidelines.
“All fliers must be printed in English,” ESL student Median Zughayer said. “All students are studying English, so they are supposed to know the language. It’s not fair to the other students on campus if they can’t understand.”
According to committee Chairwoman Francine Podenski, the research is almost completed and she hopes to have a final proposition for the CAC to consider at the December meeting.
BY ALEX HYDE AND DAPHNE MORGAN
Contributing Writers
• The board heard the seventh annual High School Report from the Education Committee on how San Francisco Unified School District graduates placed at City College in math and English. Last year, 59 percent of SFUSD graduates placed at pre-collegiate English levels. Scores in math were worse, with 77 percent of SFUSD graduates at pre-collegiate levels, though the numbers have improved over the past seven years. The low placement scores could impact students by causing resources to be allocated to lower-level classes instead of higher classes needed for transfer to four-year institutions.
• The board proposed new members for the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee. The committee includes members of the community not affiliated with City College, and monitors the allocation of Proposition A funds.
Choice Words:
“These students certainly are not functioning at a college level, not even at a high school level.” -Sara Peterson, math instructor
BY DAN VEREL
Editor
Every one of us, at some point, has had to contend with those people who are just offensive to life itself. And as the holiday season rapidly approaches, such people will be in full force, regaling us with their pathetic tales of family values, bargains to be had and the political incorrectness of said holiday season.
One thing remains true during the holiday season: People who are annoying become more annoying with each passing minute of every day.
But given that we’re all supposed to be a little nicer during the holidays, I propose we collectively ignore the morons who spout nonsense like, “God loves everybody at Christmas.” You know the type. They’re the same people who ring that bell in your face when you’re trying to enjoy your morning coffee, and the same people who say things like, “Why don’t the Jews just get over it and celebrate Christmas?”
The point of the holiday season, to me, is to overlook everyone’s display of ignorance and severe personality shortcomings. For a few short months, we can say, “It’s OK that you’re a moron; it’s not your fault. I forgive you.” Wouldn’t that be the greatest gift of all? Treating those not as smart as you equally is the best example of embodying the holiday spirit.
But don’t confuse my honesty with animosity. It’s not that I have a strong disdain for my fellow citizens, it’s just that around the holiday season, we are all inundated with a disingenuous mentality of compassion, and blowhards everywhere latch onto that mentality like a drag queen to Madonna.
For this holiday season, I ask that we just sit back and enjoy a holiday free of the banter that pervades the seasonal speak of idiots the world over.
On that note, I’d like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season, even if I’ve offended you. As we usher in a new year, I can overlook the fact that many people suck at life, and you can look beyond my chastising remarks. I’ll be back east, basking in the eggnog with my beloved friends, bashing whisky bottles and desperately trying to find an unlucky designated driver. I encourage you all to do the same — relax.
e-mail: sports@theguardsman.com
BY JOSH LEHMAN
Staff Writer
Winter break has become my favorite time of year — and it’s not just because of Bing Crosby’s dreamy singing voice. Although I’m an ardent fan of tinsel and multi-colored lights, the real reason I love the holidays is the knowledge that my family will all be together in the same place.
My concept of family never fit succinctly into the nuclear description. I grew up with a potpourri of stepparents, stepsiblings, half-siblings and cousins who were like siblings to me. I didn’t know it then, but that was a relatively simple state of affairs. Over the years, the word “family” has taken on increasingly subtle definitions.
When I was seven, I found out I had an older sister in Indiana. She remained a dimly lit specter in my mental family album, however, until I met her earlier this year. Oddly enough, our encounter was the third of its kind. Although she was the first to surface, the past year has brought two more long-lost siblings to me: one brother and another sister.
Now, shared history will always support a unique bond with the people I grew up with, but this is by no means the limit of what family means to me. After only a couple of months, for instance, my new brother and I would unquestionably be there for each other if called. This, more than anything, puts him squarely in the ranks of family.
In a way, I look forward to the approaching holidays as the consummation of a gift already given. This year we’ll be bringing more than a couple of new chairs to the table — we’ll also bring a broader understanding of what it means to be a family.
e-mail: jlehman@theguardsman.com
SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY COLLEGE POLICE DISPATCH
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Oct. 17, 5:15 p.m.
Ocean Campus
A student gave a counter report on an indecent exposure she witnessed. The student said that about a month ago a man approached her in the Science Building and began to masturbate while talking to her. The student said she left the area immediately.
Oct. 17, 5:25 p.m.
Ocean Campus
A counter report was taken regarding questionable behavior in the Rosenberg Library. A female student reported that in early 2005 she saw a man masturbating through his pants while sitting near her. The student said she saw the man repeat the lewd act three more times.
City College at Large
Call or e-mail Elizabeth Pfeffer with campus-wide news at: (415) 239-3446 or metronews@theguardsman.com
LGBT Center
The Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Community Center will be offering a free non-credit American Sign Language I class in the spring. Students interested in joining the class, offered by Disabled Students Programs and Services, should show up for the first meeting to enroll. The class is held every Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Downtown Campus
The Vietnam Trade Mission that gave students and business people the opportunity to visit Ho Chi Minh City and learn about Vietnamese business practices, returned recently. As a result, one of the businessmen who participated in the trip has agreed to donate seven $500 scholarships to students through the Asian Pacific American’s Student Success Center.
Mission Campus
The Working Adults Degree Program at the Mission campus will be offering two intensive six-week classes next semester for students looking to work at an accelerated pace. The classes include United States Women’s History and Ethnic Minorities in the United States, both of which will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays from Jan. 20 to March 4.
Evans Campus
The Evans campus will hold a digital pattern design workshop that will teach students to make clothing patterns that can print out on a plotter. The workshop will take place every Thursday evening from Jan. 26 to Feb. 23. The workshop will meet in the campus’s design studio from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Students interested in participating should contact Vaneese Johnson, the project coordinator, at (415) 550-4456.
Short Cuts
Flu Shots
The Student Health Center is currently offering flu vaccinations to students, faculty and administrators. The center’s staff is urging people to get the shots as soon as possible to avoid sickness during the holiday season. The cost is $15 for credit students and $20 for non-credit students, faculty and administrators. Payments will only be accepted in cash, and students will need to bring a valid City College ID card.
Smell Your Way to an "A"
Numerous scientific studies exploring the link between scent and memory may have larger implications for students. While the studies have mainly focused on Alzheimer’s sufferers, students could potentially use the same techniques to recall memories. Many students already reported that smelling a scent while studying, and then wearing that scent while taking a test has greatly improved their grade.
Gr8 wrks uv lit
Dot Mobile, a British mobile phone service, has announced plans to condense classic works of literature into SMS text messages. In SMS form, the famous line from Hamlet, “To be or not to be, that is the question,” becomes “2b? Nt2b? ???” The company believes the shortened books will be an aid to students in studying and exams, but critics are already saying the text messages will decrease student literacy and encourage cheating.