Learning to Participate

BY JOSH LEHMAN
Staff Writer

Most of us remain fairly dissociated from the Associated Students, a representative body of 16 students whose purpose is to voice concerns and grant funding to a variety of special programs.

Since college is a microcosm of life, the problem seems indicative of wider concerns. 

The general political apathy of the average American is given its purest expression in the student population. Students consistently rank among the lowest demographics in voter participation.

This is clearly a problem. We don’t want to produce a generation of people asleep at the wheel, so what can be done?

The effort should start on campus on a grassroots level with the AS.

The AS could, for instance, distribute summaries of their spending each semester along with surveys encouraging students for feedback.

The surveys could include general categories indicating where students feel AS energies should be focused, whether it may be in the area of campus maintenance and beautification or toward promoting cultural events.

The point is, we should think locally about this problem. If we want to produce citizens who take civic involvement seriously, we can start by redoubling efforts to involve students within the microcosm of campus politics.

e-mail: jlehman@theguardsman.com

Anniversary

STAFF EDITORIAL

A City College newspaper front page from 68 years ago. GUARDSMAN ARCHIVE

Archibald Cloud established the former San Francisco Junior College in 1935 as a place for stu-dents to gain access to a college education or vocational training, even if they lacked the money to do so elsewhere.

The 70th anniversary of what is now the City College of San Francisco should serve as a reminder of its founder’s intent.

Last semester, The Guardsman printed a story about how supplementary monies generated by the state lottery were used to make up the balance of diverted educational funds. Furthermore, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pushed for college tuition increases as President Bush again froze the maximum size of Pell Grants.

Despite these circumstances, City College must maintain its ability to provide an affordable education. Any failure to do so will violate the principles of this school.

Take, for example, W. Michael Blumenthal: He arrived in the United States with only $60 in 1947 after spending eight years in China to escape the Holocaust in his native Germany. In 1948, he took his first class at City College with little prior education.
The experience was the first step to UC Berkeley, Princeton and becoming the 64th Secretary of the Treasury under President Jimmy Carter.

This quintessential American story happened because of his hard work.

City College helped by being accepting and affordable to the willing.

e-mail: editorial@theguardsman.com

Learning When to be Quiet

BY STEVE MOWLES
Staff Writer

CHARLIE CORRIEA / GUARDSMAN

Middle age is not all arthritis and nose hairs, it also comes with the hard-earned knowledge of when to speak up and when to shut up.

As I drag my aged carcass around the campus, I have ample opportunity to practice this wisdom. I see students heading full throttle toward some of the same train wrecks I have crawled away from. Instead of blurting out, “Hey kid, it’s your lucky day because I’m gonna amaze you with some way cool insights,” I quietly pour myself a tall, cool glass of Shut Up Juice.

When I was a strutting bag of hormones the last thing I wanted was advice from some loose-
dentured 53-year-old. I can imagine some wizened elder observing my youthful capers and thinking, “I’d like to tell ya, but you’re just gonna have to learn it the hard way, punk.” Of course, I have never thought such coarse thoughts … at least not in the last 10 minutes.

It’s amazing the things I hear when I close my mouth and listen. City College students are bright, resourceful and opinionated. Never believe that someone 30 years your junior has nothing to teach you. Once you start thinking that, you become a fusty old curmudgeon.

The definition of old is someone who can no longer learn — at least, I think that’s the definition. I tried to look it up in the dictionary but my eyes are failing.

I am not diminishing my experience. There are times when it is good to speak up. I pick my times carefully, mostly when I think the information will be welcomed. Why waste my great wisdom on the ungrateful?

e-mail: smowles@theguardsman.com

COMING IN

Faculty Poll

Would you automatically fail a student on his or her test if you thought they cheated?

Yes: 22% (5 out of 22)

No: 78% (17 out of 22)

“No, not based on thought. Suspicion alone is not good enough.”
Alisa Messer, English

“I probably would if I had clear evidence. I would also talk to the student and tell them cheating will not help them in the long run.”
Bob Price, biology

ON THE RECORD

What would you change about City College?

Angela Knowles

"The amount of litter and loitering I see around campus."

Robert Gonzales

"So far I’ve had no problems. Everything has been cool."

Jessica Leser

“The counselors weren’t very helpful"

Dave Wright

“I guess the attitudes of students toward academics. There are a lot of people who are kind of lost.”

Dorothy Mak

“Student involvement and awareness of activities and services available."

Christian Calderon

“Students’ awareness of programs, the things that are available to them and the clubs.”