Volume 141, Issue #5
News
VEGGIE-POWERED EL CAMINO: PIMPIN' IS GREASY
BY
ANKIL GOYAL
Staff Writer
JACK KARP / GUARDSMAN |
Strip, grip, paint, revamp, and let nature take you away. It’s not an adult-club variety experience but one that bumps and grinds with vegetable oil. Biodiesel Hot Rod Conversion club members at Evans campus are close to overhauling a 1974 Chevy El Camino to run on a vegetable-oil mixture for Earth Day, April 22.
“Many people have the wrong impression of biodiesel and its use,” said Erik Miller, a core member of the club. “They think because it’s vegetable oil, it’s somehow only to be used by earth loving hippies. We chose the rugged El Camino to diffuse this idea.”
First, the group set out to find a diesel engine. They soon found a diesel engine to fit perfectly in place of the old engine. Because biodiesel is similar to the petrochemical based diesel fuel it replaces, no vehicle or storage modifications are required.
Miller spearheaded the idea six months ago. The car’s condition, particularly the body and interior were abymsal when they first received it. In a fashion “Pimp My Ride” would be proud of, the club worked diligently to make the car as smooth on the outside as on the inside.
“We expect to pimp in our veggie car by Earth Day. This is what we’ve been working on so hard for,” club member Chris Menkins said.
Miller’s vision was to restore an old American car to run on a mixture of petrochemical diesel and biodiesel.
The club claims to be one of the early pioneers in converting classic cars. “We thought of this way before Willie’s biodiesel project,” club member Adam Shane said. “We just didn’t have the money and backing to kick off the project.”
The group is responding to singer Willie Nelson’s endeavor to remodel rugged and tough-looking American cars to run on part-biodiesel fuels.
Called BioWillie, Nelson focuses his attention on pick-up trucks such as Ford 250s and Dodge Rams. He also set up biodiesel fueling stations throughout the country.
Most stations are centered in the middle states.
“Vehicles using biodiesel confront a scarcity of available fueling sources along the coastal regions,” City College Technology Coordinator David Dias said. Dias first introduced the biodiesel class as a seminar last spring. The popular seminar was extended to a semester long class.
The state of biodiesel has changed significantly since the first seminar in 2005. Last year, President Bush endorsed biodiesel. Because of the endorsement and spiraling gasoline prices, consumer interest and curiosity has grown for this alternative fuel source. Some are even buying kits and growing the fuel in their houses.
Many are intrigued by the environmental benefits biodiesel offers. According to journey toforever.com, biodiesel is non-toxic and biodegradable. Also, it is made from 85 percent vegetable oil, a renewable resource.
“Biodiesel will see rapid expansion in years to come” Dias said. “We have only begun to see its potential.”
e-mail: agoyal@theguardsman.com
MAYOR SPEAKS AT EVANS CAMPUS, UNVEILS PROGRAM
BY
MARCO A. GUTIERREZ
Editor
SASHA KHOSHKHOU / GUARDSMAN |
Mayor Gavin Newsom, Supervisor Sophie Maxwell and leaders of several local trade unions met at Evans campus on Feb. 23 to announce the CityBuild Initiative, a program that would prepare low-income residents for jobs in the building trades.
CityBuild is a 14-week pre-apprenticeship program. Students receive both hands-on and classroom training that prepares them for skilled jobs.
The main purpose of the program is to ensure equal employment opportunities for San Francisco residents of all backgrounds and genders on planned San Francisco public works projects totaling $1.5 billion. “We have the commitment of not bringing people from the East Bay, North Bay into our community and work on our jobs. We want to create job opportunities for people living here,” Newsom said.
In a marked change from past practice, CityBuild requires that all contractors and their subcontractors working on major capital projects participate in CityBuild, with a goal of 50 percent of all new hires coming from the local workforce.
“The goal is literally to create thousands of job opportunities for real people in San Francisco,” Newsom said.
The three-week-old program has 51 students enrolled in classes everyday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. “I like [the program]. It’s a lot of fun, and they are teaching a lot of things … to get jobs,” student Thomas Bates said.
e-mail: calendar@theguardsman.com
BUDGET WORKSHOP HELD FOR FACULTY
BY JEREMIAH MICHAELS
Staff Writer
SAPASORN RIDHIKERD / GUARDSMAN |
City College conducted workshops for its teachers to better inform the faculty about the budget problems facing the school in the coming months.
The workshops are designed to help faculty members involved in campus activities better understand the inner workings of the California public school budget.
The Planning and Budget Committee created the workshops, since the ongoing crisis is a main concern for the committee.
Dr. Anne Clark, chair of the committee, was selected to lead the workshops because of her prior experience with budget matters and public schools.
Clark is the author of “The Money: Bottom Line,” a report that details public accountability and money management. The report examines California community college funds over a 10-year period. Clark received the John Vasconcellos Faculty Ad-vocate of the Year Award for her work on the matter.
The classes for faculty come on the tail of a $1.7 million settlement over disability access at Ocean campus.
Asked whether or not there was a connection between the settlement and the workshops, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Peter Goldstein said, “The district hasn’t paid the settlement yet. We are currently exploring ways to stop the settlement from impacting the general fund.”
The workshops took place over an hour period on Feb. 22 and March 8. During the meetings, Clark urged fellow faculty members to obtain information on the budget by viewing the actual budget itself, noting that the records are public documents.
“Several faculty members have asked me to do a study group,” said Clark, who is also a member of the music department.
Clark also led the group through some of the documents, explaining certain numbers and how they broke down.
“Every number in the budget is backed up by an accounting trail,” Clark said.
e-mail: jmichaels@theguardsman.com
BY TOMMY HOLMES
Staff Writer
LESLIE HICKS / GUARDSMAN |
In an effort to raise awareness over environmental issues, City College held a panel discussion March 15 at Rosenberg Library that highlighted strategies to make San Francisco and City College more environmentally friendly in the future.
Panel member Marshall Foster, office director of San Francisco City Greening, discussed his vision of San Francisco as a dominant leader in global awareness by introducing “greener” or more environmentally friendly aspects to the city.
“We have set strong goals, and we are taking big steps to achieve them,” Foster said.
Mayor Gavin Newsom ap-pointed Foster to the position in September 2002. Since then he has been actively working to make San Francisco a greener city.
“Our seven year plan is to plant 25,000 trees,” Foster said. “We planted our 5,266 trees yesterday.”
During the discussion, City College shared eco-friendly visions of their own. Howard Wong, city architect and member of City Colleges Facilities Planning Committee presented finalized plans for the new performing arts center. The large infrastructure will be built on the parking reservoir on Ocean campus.
“It is a truly inspiring vision,” Wong said.
Wong wants City College to incorporate green technology in the construction of the building.
“It will hopefully have a green roof,” Wong said.
Green roofs are vegetated roof covers. Besides making the building look better, it has other functions. It absorbs storm water and can regulate the internal temperatures of the building.
Construction of the center is scheduled to begin in 2008.
With Earth Day fast approaching, April 20, preparations are underway to spark interest on City College campuses. David Dias, faculty member and advanced transportation technology coordinator, is hoping to showcase a 1972 El Camino biodiesel muscle car.
“The problem with environmentally friendly cars is that they may appear to be rather feminine,” Dias said. “We have put a diesel engine in this muscle car and are fueling it with biodiesel.”
Basic biodiesel is a mix of used vegetable oil, lye and methanol. It produces the same horsepower as regular diesel.
“The emissions smell like french fries and onion rings,” Dias said.
e-mail: tholmes@theguardsman.com
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS STILL ROLLING ALONG
BY ANGELA HART
Staff Writer
JACK KARP / GUARDSMAN |
Construction of new buildings and renovation of existing ones on Ocean campus has brought City College more budget and building openings, as well as hassles for teachers and students.
“It is very difficult to hear and exams are a nightmare for my students,” English instructor Ron Johnson said. “It’s a pain, but necessary. One hope is the construction workers are speedy and efficient.”
California voters approved phase I and II bonds in 1997, 2001 and 2005 enabling City College to improve its facilities.
Totaling $685 million be-tween the bonds and additional state funding, City College’s original budget soared due in part by rising labor costs and inflation of raw materials like concrete and steel.
“We’ve certainly felt the price impacts at City College,” said Peter Goldstein, vice chancellor of finance and administration. “Staying on budget is kind of a term of art.”
“All the projects are a lot more expensive than we estimated back in 2000. We want to make sure the monies are being spent well. By bidding with numerous construction companies we ensure the lowest prices,” Goldstein said.
It is California state law to accept the lowest bid when using state money.
The construction projects on Ocean, Mission, and Chinatown / North Beach campuses have seen many schedule changes.
“The budget increases and rethinking the design elements of the new buildings have forced us to push back the time deadlines,” said Jim Blomquist, associate vice chancellor of facilities management.
The new Student Health Center is scheduled to open this June, followed by the Child Development Center and Community Wellness Center on Ocean campus.
The new Mission campus is scheduled for completion in fall of 2007.
A new site for the high-rising Chinatown campus is in bids now.
e-mail: ahart@theguardsman.com
BY ANKIT GOYAL
Staff Writer
Holding my breath hoping the person next to me would stop talking as they eat an onion omelette, I write this column.
We’ve all been victims caught in a vacuum of a sulfur-like smell emanating from someone’s mouth. Each breath is like rotten milk and nasty feet mixed together.
Unfortunately, there are situations we cannot avoid. For example, if a student is talking to a professor, whose yellow teeth indicate their unwillingness to use Aquafresh, there isn’t much that can be done.
I once had a boss claim it was a waste of time to brush his teeth, feeling an occasional breath mint should suffice. He was wrong.
I hardly ever asked him questions, and whenever he came around my cube I acted really busy. Sadly, this didn’t deter him from sharing personal stories while gnawing on a day old chicken bone. I had no other choice but to quit my job.
But the cake of all bad situations is rapping to a girl with bad breath.
Imagine you see a girl sitting in the corner of class checking you out as well. Things feel good, you make eye contact, she smiles at you with her pearly whites, she plays with her hair, all the signs are there. All that’s left is the conversation, than disaster hits.
Despite a sunny day, her breath is as visible as the blue sky. As you cringe with disappointment, you wonder if another part of yourself (body) could go on with it.
To all those that falter from a healthy daily habit, think about all those suffering souls forced to listen to you. Toothpaste production reached economies of scale in the 1940’s, meaning it only costs $2 for a tube today.
e-mail: agoyal@theguardsman.com
SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY COLLEGE POLICE DISPATCH
|
Feb. 21, 3:00 p.m.
Ocean Campus
A student reported that he was beaten on Ocean Avenue at Howth Street by two suspects who then robbed him. A description of the suspects was given to the San Francisco Police Department and BART police. After searching the area officers were unable to locate the suspects. The victim was later taken to the hospital by his parent.
March 9, 2:22 p.m.
Ocean Campus
Bicycle officers reported a vehicle speeding on Cloud Circle. A check of the license plate revealed that the car was stolen. The driver of the stolen vehicle was arrested. The suspect also had an $8,000 warrant for her arrest out of Almeda County. She was booked at County Jail Nine for auto theft and an outstanding warrant.
City College at Large
Call or e-mail Steve Mowles with campus-wide news at: (415) 239-3446 or metronews@theguardsman.com
Downtown Campus
A workshop is being offered Thursday, April 27, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. where students can learn to make their files functional and effective with little effort. Tips and techniques for overcoming clutter, handling paper and keeping your desk clean will be shared. Participants will learn to create workable file systems. The cost is $40.
Fort Mason Campus
There is a two-day workshop, Friday and Saturday April 21 and 22, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in building B, room 205. It explores various levels of scene writing. Students will analyze their own work, receive feedback, and learn how to rewrite scenes to improve character development, rhythm, pace and dialogue. There will be an emphasis on enhancing the scripts’ forward motion. Cost is $375.
John Adams Campus
The 11th annual Health Fair will be held at the John Adams campus on April 14, from 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in the auditorium. HIV and cardiovascular tests as well as other health services will be offered free of charge. In conjunction with this event, there will be a blood drive.
Massion Campus
City College’s first Oral History Club meets Monday nights, 6:30-9:30 at 375 Alabama St., room 310. The goal of the club is to publish an annual anthology of stories, poetry, narratives and children’s stories based on the rich tradition of oral history.
Short Cuts
WebStars Midterm Grades
March 17 marked the conclusion of the midterm period. Student’s midterm grades will be available for viewing at www.ccsf.edu. Beginning at the end of the Spring 2006 semester, City College will no longer be mailing students their final grades. Grades will only be available online.
iPod Education
College campuses all over the country have started to transform iPods into educational tools. Apple Computer Inc. is hoping to capitalize on the recent trend with “iTunes U,” a nationwide service that makes lectures and other educational materials available online. Several schools have started using the service, including the University of Michigan.
Withdrawal Deadline Date
April 17 is the last day to file a petition for a leave of absence. It will also be the last day for student-initiated or instructor-initiated withdrawals. No withdrawals will be approved after this date. Instructors are required to assign a grade or an incomplete following this deadline.
Cesar Chavez Day
All of City College’s campuses will be closed, and no classes will be held on March 31, in honor of Cesar Chavez, the famous Mexican farm laborer turned political activist. Cesar Chavez Day is a statewide holiday.