The Guardsman. Vol. 161 - Issue 1. City College of San Francisco's student-run newspaper

VOL. 161, ISSUE 1, JAN. 27 – FEB. 09, 2016 | CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO | SINCE 1935 | WWW.THEGUARDSMAN.COM | @THEGUARDSMAN | #CCSFJOURNALISM| FREETHE GUARDSMAN

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By Cassie [email protected] @CassieOrdonio

With an agenda of preserving The Pan American Unity Mural’s history, and the story it conceals, City College hired a team of digi-tal documentarians to determine its condition for safe transport.

“It’s a world class treasure,” mural historian Will Maynez said. “It’s our job to serve it to the public.”

The plan is to feature the mural in the new Performing Arts Center slated to be built on Phelan Avenue giving a panoramic view of the fresco, however the official build-ing date has yet to be announced.

Funded by the “friends” of the mural, City College spent approxi-mately $10,000 for Cultural Heritage Imaging (CHI) service to evaluate the mural. CHI is a nonprofit dedicated to preservation, digital capture and documentation of historic and artistic treasures.

CHI used photogrammetry to decipher whether there were cracks in the mural that might prevent it from being moved to the proposed Performing Arts Center.

“The art of photogrammetry is a six-step process,” said CHI President Mark Mudge. “We want to be as accurate as possible.”

Compiling Data

There were two “passes” when pictures were taken of the mural, according to Mudge. In the first pass, CHI used a wide angle lens that covered 7 ½ feet by 5 feet area and the second pass covered 45 inches by 30 inches.

After the passes were complete, CHI uploaded thousands of images into the computer to create a 3D effect, then grouped the pictures together to make sure the aperture and lighting were similar. Finally, they used the photogrammetry software to make a 3D image.

“So far the mural is in great shape,” Mudge said.

Large Mural, Long History In 1940, muralist Diego Rivera painted a complex and challeng-ing fresco rich in symbolism and imagery with origins from the “Art in Action” program hosted by the 1940 Golden Gate Exposition on Treasure Island. The mural stands at nearly 1800 square feet, making

it the biggest contiguous mural that Rivera ever painted.

“My mural will picture the fusion between the great past of the Latin American lands, as it is deeply rooted in the soil, and the high mechanical developments of the United States,” Rivera said.

The mural has been moved twice

in its lifetime. The first move was in 1941 from Treasure Island to a temporary home at City College where it was to be housed in the proposed library, but World War II put a halt to its construction. Afterwards, it was moved to the Diego Rivera Theatre.

“The mural was always destined for City College,” Maynez said.

CHI finished the photogram-metry on Dec. 23, moving to the next phase of the investigation to figure out its condition.

LMN Architects will be revis-iting to check out the mural’s construction. The administration will make the final decision about it being moved.

Reclaiming MLK’s Legacy A PHOTO STORY BY JOEL ANGEL JUAREZ • PAGE 5

Activists march in the Fillmore District on Jan. 15, 2016, during the “96 hours of Direct Action,” a national call to honor and reclaim Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. The parents of Alex Nieto, a former City College student killed in 2014, are seen marching along the road. ( Photo by Joel Angel Juarez/Special to The Guardsman)

Carla Schroer, the Cultural Heritage Imaging founder and director, checks her images as she photographs The Pan American Unity mural at the Diego Rivera Theatre at Ocean campus, Dec. 23, 2015. (Photo by Franchon Smith/The Guardsman)

Diego Rivera Mural Undergoes Structural AssessmentWill the mural be ready for relocation?

“The mural was always destined for City College.”

— mural historian Will Maynez

2 | THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | VOL. 161, ISSUE 1, JAN. 27 – FEB. 09, 2016

Editor-in-ChiefMarco Siler-Gonzales

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news

By Audrey [email protected] @audreygarces

Approximately two hundred seats were vacant when Chancellor Susan Lamb addressed faculty opening the professional development flex-day event on Jan. 15, as college staff, student leaders, and community members picketed outside Diego Rivera Theatre led by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) 2121 union.

City College faculty held signs that read “Fund Education—Not Administration,” following 10 months of negotiations and six months of working without a contract. They have accepted conces-sion contracts which pay some of the lowest wages of community college faculty in California.

ProposalsThe current proposal that adminis-tration put on the table would barely bring faculty pay above their 2007 levels by the year 2018. Currently, faculty is being paid below their 2007 wages.

“An injustice against teachers and faculty at City College is an injustice against the students and communi-ties that rely on City College,” said Emily Li of the Chinese Progressive Association during the rally.

Faculty, who are also unsatis-fied with the District’s proposed 26 percent class cuts over the next six years, rejected AFT 2121’s proposal to make minimum class sizes of 15 as City College’s enrollment has

continued to drop over the years. “How about instead of a 26

percent cut to classes, let’s cut the salaries of administrators by 26 percent,” proclaimed Sheila Tully, President of the California Teachers Association at San Francisco State University.

Faculty members performed a skit dressed as Star Wars stormtroopers held a variety of signs that expressed their frustration with administra-tion, such as “Punitive Evaluation” and “Puny Salaries.” They “battled” against other faculty members who held green signs which highlighted

the proposals of the union.

No More Business as Usual

The union, who officially declared an impasse with the labor board, will now begin a mediation process between faculty and the District. AFT 2121, will produce a fact-find-ing report if the the two parties still cannot come to an agreement.

If the District still does not give faculty a contract they deem fair; faculty plans to strike.

AFT 2121 kicked off their “No More Business as Usual” campaign at

the rally, and they announced their next step is to push the Board of Trustees to take action on the issues at hand. The Board of Trustees have regained their power since winter break.

Several faculty members began this effort by expressing their concerns to the Board of Trustees during a meeting on Jan. 21.

“I love my students and I love my job,” said Kate Frei, a part-time ESL teacher, “but I am also willing and ready to strike if I need to.”

Call for Independent Federal Investigation in Mario Woods

Killing

The Lawyers representing the Wood’s family called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) for an independent federal investigation into the Dec. 2 killing of Mario Woods at the hands of San Francisco police officers.

At a press conference on Monday, January 18, attorney John Burris said he sent a letter to the DOJ requesting an independent inves-tigation into the Woods’ killing, along with an examination of whether the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has a pattern of unfair policing against minority communities.

The District Attorney, SFPD and Office of Citizen Complaints have all initiated separate investigations into Woods’ death, although Burris made clear that these judgments will be insignificant until an independent federal inves-tigation ensues.

Police Chief Greg Suhr asked the DOJ to conduct a review of the department’s use of force. Burris and other attorneys representing the Woods family said Suhr is not capable of ensuring reform due to his inability to appropri-ately handle other shooting incidents in the past.

Brazen Killing on BART A suspect aboard a San Francisco bound

BART train opened fire on a man as the car pulled into the West Oakland station around 7:40 p.m. on January 9.

The victim, identified by BART police as

19-year-old Carlos Misael Funez-Romero, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect took off on foot and was last seen near the 99 Cents Only store on Seventh Street across from the train station entrance, BART police said.

BART police released surveillance images on Wednesday, January 13, of the suspect entering the station at Pittsburg/Bay Point shortly before the shooting occurred. The suspect, described being roughly 6-foot-four inches, slim build and bald, was seen wearing a dark green jacket with a hood, jeans and beige boots.

Settlement reached in Public High School “Sham Classes”

A settlement has been reached in the class action lawsuit stating that students at Castlemont and Fremont High Schools in Oakland, as well as four other public high schools in Los Angeles, were not receiving adequate class time in comparison to other, more affluent schools in the state.

The suit cited “sham classes” that had students perform office duties or pick up trash.

Civil rights attorneys sued the state Department of Education and Board of Education, saying that the state, not the school districts, is responsible for every child receiving equal learning time in schools.

The state Board of Education approved a settlement on November 5, 2015 that requires the state to monitor students assigned to non-educational classes and provide scheduling assistance when needed. The board must pay

$400,000 in attorney fees.

Revised Propositions for Balboa Reservoir Project

The Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) for the Balboa Reservoir housing project proposed several alterations to the project’s parameters in the Jan. 11 meeting.

Transportation, urban design, open space and housing are areas of the project which have been discussed publicly at a series of monthly CAC meetings over the past year.

These changes are the CAC and planning department’s interpretation of public input about the project, and though subject to further revision, will be used in the city’s Request For Proposal (RFP) in upcoming months.

The housing parameters will include a mix of 500 rental and ownership units. Units designated as “family friendly” will have at least two bedrooms. Targeted housing (for the elderly, disabled, etc.) is still officially under consideration.

At the ground level, several spaces will be rented to private businesses. Open space require-ments are still undecided between the required 80 square feet of private space per unit or 60 feet of public space per unit.

The overall parking provisions of the housing have been revised to allow one space for each family unit, and one per four student units. This would mean a total of no more than 250 spaces.

Revised parameters for other areas of the project should be released by March at the latest, with the RPF process beginning soon after.

AFT 2121 Declares Impasse In Labor Negotiations

Faculty hold a sign demanding a fair labor contract outside of the Diego Rivera Theatre on Jan. 15, 2016. (photo courtesy of Marynoel Strope)

News Briefs

THE GUARDSMAN & THEGUARDSMAN.COM | VOL. 161, ISSUE 1, JAN. 27 – FEB. 09, 2016 | 3

news

By Audrey [email protected] @audreygarces

Use of college funds by college officials will face stronger scrutiny following a recent San

Francisco Chronicle news report that two City College administra-tors spent thousands of dollars of taxpayer money on fine dining and travel without justifying the educational purpose behind these expenditures.

Interim Chancellor Susan Lamb has launched an investigation and requested an audit on the possible misuse of college funds, according

to Board of Trustees President Rafael Mandelman.

“I am glad that Chancellor Lamb is going to be investigating what specifically happened with these types of expenses,” Trustee Alex Randolph said. However, during a board meeting on Jan. 2, he highlighted the level of complexity surrounding the issue and warned against an overreaction which might deter the funding of future benefi-cial travel by administrators.

“I know that the current chancel-lor, as well as the board, are dedicated to honest and transparent use of public funds for the betterment of City College and its students,” Trustee Amy Bacharach said.

State officials are requesting that Trustee President Mandelman must now approve future travel expenses.

Tyler’s ResignationThe new process was enacted when the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Dec. 27 that former Chancellor Art Tyler took 26 trips from January 2014 to March 2015 – an average of two trips per month at the college’s expense. Tyler resigned as chancellor in June 2015 only to become vice chancellor of facilities. He left that post on Dec. 21 just five days before the San Francisco Chronicle story went public.

Trustee President Mandelman responded by saying he hopes that

Tyler’s resignation “allows the college to move on.”

Although Tyler’s contract is good through July 20, he told college officials he will be resigning upon his return from vacation on Feb. 4. The San Francisco Chronicle reported Tyler believes City College should pay him through his contract expiration.

Expenditures Unaccounted Meanwhile, records show that Tyler traveled to various major U.S. cities, and included one trip to Ireland. As a result, Tyler was absent from the college one third of the time during his tenure.

Although Tyler was often attend-ing or speaking at conferences that were related to college enrollment or diversity, expense sheets are vague and do not offer substantial evidence that all of these expenditures were for educational purposes, accord-ing to the report the San Francisco Chronicle obtained.

Special Trustee Guy Lease told the San Francisco Chronicle that Tyler, at the college’s expense, would often stop in Houston to visit his wife for the weekend when travelling to the East Coast.

The San Francisco Chronicle investigation also disclosed that in 2014, Tyler created the position of City College president for his former colleague Virginia Parras who was

reimbursed for travels to China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. College officials claim Parras’ trips focused on recruiting foreign students. However, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, no informa-tion as to the rate of success of her recruitment efforts was available.

City College, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, also reimbursed Parras for expenses of $1,759 and $1,377 at Best Buy and $735 at Amazon, but records do not provide the information of what she purchased.

Records also show Parras spent thousands of City College’s dollars on extravagant restaurant meals, without stating who attended these outings and why.

In July 2015, the college removed Parras as City College president.

City College policy requires travellers to fill out a form that includes detailed information about the educational purpose, attendees, date and time of the trip. Also, colleges are only permitted to reimburse employees for “actual and necessary expenses,” according to state law.

“As a faculty member, who like all faculty, is still being paid 2007 wages, while the administration continues to hide and misappro-priate funds CCSF has received from various sources, I can only

say I am disgusted, but not neces-sarily surprised,” said Professor Jack Sparks, a counselor at City College since 1998.

A Critical TimeTyler was hired by Special Trustee Robert Agrella who was initially appointed by the Board of Governors to address the issue of accreditation during a critical time when City College was under state control and the Board of Trustees were stripped of their power.

Since 2008, the college has chal-lenged attempts by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) to strip it of its accreditation that would lead to a loss of public operating funds. The accreditation issue will be recon-sidered by ACCJC in January 2017.

A lawsuit filed against the agency in August 2013 resulted in a two-year reprieve for the college to prove it meets the necessary financial and administrative standards, as well as demanding more transparency from the ACCJC throughout the accredi-tation process.

In the most recent development, the California Community College Board of Governors unanimously approved in December 2015 a reso-lution claiming that the ACCJC was unfit to oversee California commu-nity colleges and called for a new state accrediting model or agency.

By Patrick [email protected] @HitSquarely

Chanting “we are unstoppable — another world is possible,” union members and activists confronted riot police, got arrested, and left their shoes at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 21) in Paris in protest for a strong, just and binding climate change agreement.

City College student Martha Hawthorne, who is fluent in English, French and Spanish sent on-the-spot updates from Paris as an official representative for Service Employees International Union, Local 1021 (SEIU 1021). The union collaborated with others worldwide highlighting awareness of worsening climate-induced migrations, the need for adequate salaries, and for a fair and equitable transition to a carbon-free economy.

“It was an exhilarating, exhausting, fascinating, some-times scary, inspirational, and sobering…two weeks in Paris as part of the international delegation of trade unionists attend-ing COP 21,” Hawthorne said.

The primary goal of the conference is to keep global temperatures from rising by more than 2 degrees Celsius or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels. This week the Met Office Hadley Centre for Climate Science and Services, a leading climate research hub in the United Kingdom, announced for the first time the cumulative increase in world temperature is 1 degree Celsius.

Call for Fair LaborHawthorne characterized the conference as a small step forward, yet she had reservations as to what government alone could do without uncompromising corporate support. She felt conference delegates did not listen enough to demands of grassroots organizations and expressed frustration with the final agreement negotiated between delegates from 190 countries.

“We fought so hard to get the words ‘just transition and decent work’ into the agreement,” Hawthorne said. “Our real message was ‘leave no one behind.’”

Yet advocates were unsuccessful getting these words

inserted into the preamble of the agreement to address the needs of workers employed in industries adversely affected by greenhouse gas reductions — like coal mining and oil extraction.

Hawthorne also charged media with not adequately cover-ing the protester’s messages about fairness and equity issues. Her sentiments were echoed by a Brookings Institution’s blog post that determined the four highest circulation print news sources in the United States failed to adequately inform read-ers on the agreement’s division of responsibilities, on social and human rights issues, and on transparency for billions of dollars in climate financing.

Paris AgreementThe “Paris Agreement” as it has become known, is a commit-ment calling for climate changing greenhouse gases to peak

“as soon as possible” and to completely stabilize by 2050. An enforcement mechanism was developed to make the reduc-tion pledges, from 184 countries responsible for 96 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more binding over time. The next assessment happens in 2018 and every five years thereafter.

Developed countries also accepted responsibility for causing the loss and damage of climate change but did not accept legal liability for the harm. Yet the agreement reaf-firms a previous goal by developed countries, made at the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, of annually maintaining a $100 billion-dollar fund by 2020 to assist poor and developing countries in adapting to climate change and mitigating greenhouses gases.

A key demand from U.S. representatives for internationally recognized, transparent emissions standards was also accepted by delegates but specifics were left to be determined by a select panel at a later date.

The next report on climate change will focus on local efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including City College’s own work to reach sustainability. In 2012, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office released The California Community College Sustainability Plan Guidebook as a blueprint for community colleges in respond-ing to California’s landmark legislation the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB-32) of 2006.

City College Student Protests Labor Standards at COP 21

Chancellor Launches Investigation Into Administrative Spending

City College student Martha Hawthorne near Eiffel Tower in Paris wearing red in support of 350.org’s red line campaign emphasizing the necessity for a just and livable planet that includes sustainable energy transformation, justice for impacted people, and the right to food and water. (Photo courtesy of Martha Hawthorne)

Former Chancellor Arthur Tyler addresses faculty and staff mem-bers during a 2014 Flex Day meet-ing. Tyler retired last December. (Photo by Santiago Mejia/The Guardsman)


culture

Michaela [email protected]

After decades spent reinventing rock music, David Bowie passed away in New York City on January 10 after an 18-month fight with cancer. He was 69.

The multi-talented recording artist and music producer became a hugely recognizable icon after releasing the song “Space Oddity,” used by BBC in their coverage of the U.S. moon landing in 1969. Bowie was known for wild costumes, other-worldly performances and space-age lyrical content.

Though he gained extreme public attention and international fame, Bowie valued anonymity and spent his last months in New York where only his closest confidants knew of his declining health.

Black StarJust two days before his death, on his birthday, he released his 27th studio album, “Black Star.”

Reviewers seemed stumped about what the songs could mean and discussions flared online.

In the video for the title track, “Black Star,” Bowie scattered lyrics about death, skulls, the afterlife and whether fame is fleeting or everlast-ing. Bowie’s iconic skeletal form is enrobed in black like an occult spiri-tual leader, staring up into a bright beam of light. He holds up a black book emblazoned with a large black star, like he’s keeping some power at bay.

In Bowie’s video for “Lazarus,” he clutches blankets toward a bandage around his eyes and head, and sings, “Look up here/I’m in heaven/I’ve got scars that can’t be seen.” The scene shows Bowie in a hospital-like bed.

Yet he stands and does a little dance, and rocks tight black clothes so shiny and futuristic. His makeup and the dim lighting seem to show his age and gaunt condition, but he is stylish and shocking like he always had been.

FarewellRecord numbers of viewers and listeners accessed Bowie’s work after he died, and nightly tribute dance parties swept the clubs of San Francisco.

Bowie was born David Jones in 1947, and he adopted the surname moniker Bowie at the age of 18 after the American knife fighter who the Bowie knife was named for. The young rocker obsessed over cultural icons and public figures with theatri-cal personas.

His gender fluidity shocked some people, and his sexuality fluctuated between orientations. His leg-baring styles and elaborate pretty makeup influenced fashion, art, music, and social perceptions of gender norms, and paved the way for others to more safely express their own androgyny.

Bowie lived a rockstar life, and helped shape the public’s idea of what that was. At age 15, he formed his first band, The Konrads. One of his famously different-colored eyes, his left, was damaged in a fist-fight with a friend in 1962. The pupil remained open permanently, adding to his overall fantastical appearance.

In the 1970s, he struggled with significant drug problems with cocaine and heroin, writing the song “Ashes to Ashes” about his struggle. Later in his career, Bowie created a sound with deliberately less commercial appeal for his new band, Tin Machine.

He played 14 instruments, produced other artists, acted in films and on stage, and his music influenced countless musicians. He was known for concept albums and immersing himself into new personas, like the character Ziggy Stardust.

Cultural IconBowie was influenced by soul and was one of few white artists invited to perform on the TV dance show Soul Train to play his songs in the style of “plastic soul”—sounds pioneered by black artists adopted by white musicians. He took British rock to new territory into glam rock, performance art, pop, electronica, drag and theater.

Bowie declined the award of Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000, and refused Queen Elizabeth’s offer for knighthood in 2003. Bowie was uninterested in fame for fame’s sake, and said that sort of recognition was

“not what I spend my life working for.” Model Kate Moss accepted his Grammy lifetime achievement award for him in 2006, and was honored as “Best British Male” at the 2014 Brit Awards.

He played the leading role in the film “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” (1983), the Goblin King in Jim Henson’s film “Labyrinth” (1986), scientist Nikola Tesla in

“The Prestige” (2006), and had many other roles and cameos.

He starred in a 1976 film based on the novel “The Man Who Fell To Earth,” and later co-created the stage play “Lazarus” from the same story. After a show of the stage production on January 20 this month, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that day as the city’s David Bowie Day.

Bowie was survived by his wife Iman, 60, a supermodel, actress and entrepreneur originally from Somalia, and their daughter, 15-year-old Alexandria. For 10 years from 1970 to 1980, Bowie was married to Angela Bowie, a journalist and former model and actress. Now 66, she quit her stint on the reality show Big Brother after she learned of Bowie’s death. Their son, Duncan, 44, is an emerging filmmaker.

Lowrider Lawyers Raise Contradictory Evidence In Alex Nieto Killing

Screen shot of “Lowrider Lawyers: Putting a City On Trial” courtesy of Benjamin Bac Sierra.

by Marco [email protected] @mijo_marco

Alex Nieto, previous City College student and full time security guard, was shot 48 times by San Francisco Police before he was presumed dead, face down in Bernal Heights on March 21, 2014.

A new movie written and directed by a City College English teacher raises legitimate contradictory evidence to that of the San Francisco Police Department’s (SFPD) story leading to Nieto’s death.

City College English professor Benjamin Bac Sierra released “Lowrider Lawyers: Putting a City on Trial” on January 3 at the Brava Theatre in the Mission district. Dressed in swanky attire and riding in the freshest lowrider, a team of lawyers from the barrio takes the city to trial in order prove the SFPD’s wrongful use of force when four officers shot Nieto down.

What may surprise you is the depth of detail that Bac Sierra weaves through in each eyewitness testi-mony and Lowrider Lawyer examination. The witness testimonies in the movie are based entirely on real eyewitness accounts from court depositions that were subsequently left out in the district attorney’s and SFPD’s report in the events leading to Nieto’s death.

“In this film, we flip the script,” Bac Sierra said at the movie premiere.

The Official Story San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon cleared the four officers of criminal charges in the shooting of Nieto on February 13, 2015. “Given the circumstances, I’m not sure this was a preventable shooting,” Gascon said in a news conference regarding Nieto’s death.

Lowrider lawyers would argue Nieto’s death was entirely preventable. Witnesses described Nieto as acting erratically, showing what appeared to be a gun on his belt according to the official version.

The cops were called when Nieto reportedly threatened to shoot a dog. When police arrived, Nieto allegedly aimed his Taser at them, which the officers mistook as a gun. The officers proceeded to shoot at Nieto 48 times, striking him 14 times.

This was the story reported by the district attor-ney’s office, SFPD and was further amplified by local news media.

However, the deposition brought down by the law office of John L. Burris reports that eyewitness Antonio Theodore stood 20 feet away from the incident with the same vantage point as the officers. Theodore testified that Nieto still had his hands in his pockets when the officers began to fire.

The officers claimed that they had told Nieto to show his hands, to which Nieto allegedly retorted,

“Show me your hands!” Theodore testified that the officers never gave Nieto warning before firing other than saying, “Stop!” to which Nieto did not respond.

After a series of shots were fired by the police, the officers said Nieto strategically entered a prone position

to make himself a smaller target and continued to fire his weapon at the officers. On the contrary, Theodore testified that Nieto fell to his knees after the first volley of bullets were fired and appeared mortally wounded, and then fell face down with his hands still in his pocket, to which the police continued to fire at Nieto.

Profiling“The abstract goal for this film is to smash stereotypes,” Bac Sierra said.

In the official version, three independent witnesses testified that Nieto was behaving erratically and drew a weapon at a dog being walked on Bernal Hill. However, the deposition uncovers conflicting versions in the witnesses’ testimonies.

One witness, featured as “Mr Wolf” in Lowrider Lawyers, testified that he was distracted looking at a female jogger passing by when his dog, a Siberian husky, started to approach Nieto for his food. Wolf admitted he made a snap judgement about Nieto based on his San Francisco 49er’s apparel, believing he was a Mexican gangster that he didn’t want to mess with.

The husky was not on a leash and the witness acknowledged that his dog could act aggressively for food as it did with Nieto. The witness said Nieto jumped up on a bench and pointed a weapon at the husky, but could tell immediately that Nieto had a Taser.

An officer who shot Nieto testified that he saw muzzle flashes and smoke emitting from Nieto’s weapon which led him to believe it was a pistol. Testimonies from the Taser company confirmed that Tasers do not emit muzzle flashes nor smoke like a pistol when fired.

Rising UpUnfortunately, Nieto’s case is not unique. SFPD Police Chief Greg Suhr and Mayor Ed Lee have come under heavy criticism for what many are calling a culture of biased policing against black and brown communities in San Francisco.

Bac Sierra said his film provides a colorful answer to the injustice that has transpired against Nieto and his family.

“This film is critical but also entertaining and comi-cal,” Bac Sierra said. “The answer is unity, creativity, dancing, and art.”

The Lowrider Lawyer’s call for justice has not gone unheard. The city’s movement for summary judgement in Nieto’s case, which would grant the officer’s story is true; has been denied by a federal judge. Nieto’s case will go to civil court in early March.

“The city tried to bury us,” Bac Sierra said at the premiere, “but they did not know that we are seeds, and we sprout from the dirt.”

“Lowrider Lawyers: Putting a City on Trial” is now available to stream at Youtube.com and will premiere in the Multi-Use Building Auditorium on February 1 from 12–1 p.m.

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cultureRemembering

A King by Joel Angel Juá[email protected] @jajuarezphoto

Hundreds of activists marched in the Fillmore District on Jan. 15 for the second annual “96 hours of Direct Action,” a national call by the Anti Police-Terror Project to honor and reclaim Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. Members of the Black Lives Matter Bay Area, The Last 3 Percent Coalition and the Justice for Alex Nieto Coalition joined the movement. Nieto was a former City College student who was shot and killed by San Francisco police in March 2014. Demonstrators also demanded justice for Mario Woods, who was shot and killed last year by S.F. police officers. Officials say they both Nieto and Woods failed to comply orders to drop their weapons. Protesters also brought to light the alleged displace-ment of minority communities during the current housing crisis. Protesters marched along roads for hours causing heavy traffic congestion. Protesters later dispersed and no arrests were made.

Ronnishia Johnson, a member of Black Lives Matter Bay Area and the Last 3 Percent Coalition, speaks to the crowd of protesters in the Fillmore District on Jan. 15, 2016. (All photos by Joel Angel Juarez/Special to The Guardsman)

Above: Protesters march along the road, which created heavy traffic congestion.

Far left: Two protesters hold a sign that reads: “Evict Ed Lee” at the intersection of Geary Boulevard and Webster Street.

Left: April Martin holds a sign of Officer Roger Morse.

Bottom Left:Mosai Butler (middle) holds a sign that reads: “Black Homes Matter” as he and others protest along the road.


opinion

It appears that whoever is the running school has managed to keep it open for at least another semester.

Apparently, bringing in former Chancellor Art Tyler and his sketchy past may not have been the best decision, but our school leaders aren’t exactly known for making the best decisions.

Tyler’s abrupt departure coinci-dentally occurred at the same time the San Francisco Chronicle was looking into his spending and travel.

Had anyone bothered to check his time in Houston, first class travel invoices from places like Four Seasons hotels may have raised some sort of flag, but instead he was awarded an exuberant salary and given the reigns to a college on the verge of being shut down.

Our accreditation issues still didn’t prevent shoddy record keep-ing as our former President Virginia Parras spent thousands on fancy

meals that the college reimbursed her for. The desks in the Arts Extension building are barely able to stand, but let’s pay for our presi-dent’s elegant palate. Makes sense.

Do we even have to mention that Tyler, who worked with her in Houston, hired Parras? Yet we’re all dumbfounded at the state our school is in.

The school alleges there is no money for faculty but paid a special trustee to drive in from Tahoe as well as provided a monthly housing allowance. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great deal for Guy Lease, but it just leaves a bad taste in the mouth of teachers and students who are worried about what their future holds, even if his appointment was forced upon the school by the state.

Like most issues where there is no simple solution, how long before people stop caring? Eventually staff, just like students, will be forced to

look elsewhere for employment.The constant fear of the school

closing, rising costs of living and zero job security does little to help anyone.

As the school continues to expe-rience low enrollment and classes continue to be cut, students and faculty will have extremely difficult choices to make.

The school has problems at every level and there is not any one person that will magically appear to save the day, regardless of the salary or perks that come along with their job.

We are well past the point of finding our unicorn to get us out of the hole the school finds itself in.

While City College is still a great institution with top of the line instructors, it’s on a dangerous path if our current leaders are unable to right the wrongs of past decision makers.

Doubtful, but maybe once Mayor Ed Lee has finished selling the City out to the NFL, he can put his governments’ corruption and bribery worries to the side and look into the shenanigans still going on at our school.

Here’s to one more semester of wondering what’s going to happen to our school.

Joze Lopez, 32, EMT

I would chase my dream, and my dream is to become a philanthropist. In reality, I would say maybe 90 percent would go to helping the world. It would be fun, and it’s really a dream I would fulfill.

Eric Lee, 19, Computer Science

I would put it in the bank and slowly think about spending it.

Freddie Beasley, 19, Graphic Design

I would spend it on food mostly and save the rest.

Michelle Kong, 20, Communications and English

Honestly, I would split a quarter of it for my grandparents, and some of it for my mom. Some of it will be for myself.

NeeNee Fanaika, 19, Business

First I’ll buy my momma a house, and a truck, then I’ll go back to the islands and build a house for my grandma.

Raymond Li, 21, Hospitality

I would pay off some debts, then buy my friends a house and donate to charity. Other people need the money and it’s for a good cause.

What would you do if you won the Powerball jackpot?

Have Your Say

The ESL Department is hosting a book sale on. Come to MUB 149A at Ocean Campus between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on January 27-29 for great deals on books, textbooks and dictionaries.

Gallery Obscura, located at Ocean Campus in the Visual Arts building, will be showing the “BIG: Panoramic Images”, the photographic works of Henry Bortman. Emphasizing grandeur and tranquility, Bortman’s photos will be on display through February 20.

The Physics Club will be meeting in Science Hall Room 193 on Ocean Campus between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. to discuss and plan events for the semester, including movie nights.

Join City College instructor and filmmaker Benjamin Bac Sierra at the showing of his latest film Lowrider Lawyers: Putting A City On Trial on Feb. 1 in MUB Auditorium. Viewing begins at 12 p.m. For more information, contact [email protected].

The grand opening of the African American Studies Resource Center will be held at Batmale Hall Room 325 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors can also start signing up for Black Graduation. For more information, call (415) 239-3509.

Keenan Webster will give a demonstration and lecture titled Talking Wood: Music From Africa from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in Multimedia Room R305, located on the third floor of the Rosenberg Library.

The Associated Student Council of City College will be meeting from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the SU208 to deliberate on all matters pertaining to the Associated Students of Ocean campus.

The Social Media Club will be meeting from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the MCRC on Ocean Campus to discuss using social media to network.

JANUARY

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January and FebruaryEvents

Want your next event in the calendar?Email the name, the date, time, location and description of your event to [email protected] by Shannon Cole and reporting by Cassie Ordonio

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opinion

By Margaret [email protected]

Clunky, flammable and not even hovering, “Smart Balance” or

“hoverboards” have been a media spectacle akin to the selfie stick from last year.

It’s puzzling that in 2016, a year filled with the promise of techno-logical advancements, the “it” toy is a Segway that lost its top half. I suspect the hoverboard will slip back into the obsolete section in the back of the line as suddenly as it emerged.

I was walking through Long Beach with a friend when we heard a

massive, electrical whir like a swarm of flies had gone headfirst into a bug zapper. I turned around, not sure what I was expecting and encoun-tered five preteen boys, tugging at the backs of each other’s shirt in a train of smart boards.

This spectacle greatly reduced the sidewalk area, which is why hoverboards were not legal on San Francisco sidewalks until Jan. 1, according to the Chronicle. So rejoice, those of you who received one over the holidays.

The new restrictions on the boards don’t stop there. California riders must: wear a helmet on public property, be at least 16-years-old, and cannot be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

New York City remains solid on their position saying that hover-boards are equivalent to unregistered vehicles. They are illegal on streets, sidewalks, highways and parking lots, and violators could pay fines of up to $200, the New York Daily News reported.

By Leslie Simon

Over the holidays I smashed my nose walking into the crystal clear window of a newly designed store in a local mall.

Though bruised and bloodied, my nose didn’t break, so rather than sue the corporation for damages, I have written a letter pleading with it to put stickers on the windows or merchandise behind them to protect others, especially children who might be running as they approach the windows. Apparently, in the three weeks the store had been open on the day of my accident, at least one other person had also tried to walk through the “transparent” opening.

This got me thinking about the concept of “transparency” and why I chafe at its popular usage. Why don’t people say, “I will strive to be more honest at work” instead of bragging about how “transparent” they are? Perhaps because hiding behind that word is a shield that, if you don’t know any better, you could easily smash into.

That’s how I would describe the San Francisco Chronicle’s recent article about City College of San Francisco (“Two City College managers spend big” December 27, 2015).

Former Chancellor Art Tyler and his colleague from Houston, Virginia Parras, whom he hired into a newly created president position soon after he arrived in November 2013, seem to have misused taxpayer dollars on expensive meals and travels—cross-country and international. The story implies that this kind of financial laxity got City College in trouble with its accreditors.

The truth is that prior to the accreditation crisis, top-level admin-istrators did not spend lavishly on

restaurants and travel. What you don’t see in Nanette Asimov’s article and so could arrive bloodied and bruised at its window, is that Tyler and Parras came to the college via a state take-over engineered by the California Community College Board of Governors (BOG) and State Chancellor Brice Harris.

The special trustee, Robert Agrella, who hired Tyler, resigned in January 2015, and Harris has announced his retirement effective April 2016. Asimov does report that Tyler has been demoted and that Parras was asked to leave her job. But she doesn’t tell you that the BOG has now severely criticized the ACCJC, the accreditors who many contend have irresponsibly damaged City College’s reputation even though its stellar academics were never questioned.

Buried at the end of Asimov’s article is the fact that Tim Killikelly, faculty union president, highlights:

“administrative spending has grown by 29 percent over three years, even as spending on the faculty has dropped 9 percent.”

The union and others criti-cal of the accrediting agency that has been put on probation by the Department of Education have rung the alarm before. Their honest evaluation: the parcel tax supported by San Francisco voters for their beloved college is being stuffed into a bloated reserve and used on high-priced consultants and over-paid administrators. You can walk right through the open door to that truth, which, according to the words engraved upon the City College’s entrance, “shall make you free.”

Leslie Simon is an Interdisciplinary Studies Instructor at City College of San Francisco

This article was first posted on Beyondchron.org

Hoverboards Are Not As Cool As You Think

False Transparency: Getting it Right About CCSF

San Francisco encouraged balancers to use bike paths, because bike paths are notori-ously used by people who seem to love being in the way. This is good news for City College as “The Maze” by Batmale Hall seems to be the current place for congregations of aspiring Marty McFly’s to cruise about and vape giant sugar clouds.

Not every comment about hoverboards is disparaging, and they have many loyal advocates and supporters. They’ve some-what created a new subgenre of internet viral videos, with both elderly relatives falling and super fit Zumba moms doing pristinely choreographed routines on the boards occasionally standing on their hands.

When an item comes to fame as does a person, it is often followed by a slew of viral videos, which become tiresome after roughly two days. Yet, then,

months after everyone on the Internet has forgotten about it, TV swoops it up.

A scandal that rocked the Bay Area on Jan. 20 might signal the end of smart boards. ABC7 news reported that a house fire, allegedly started by a hoverboard, killed two adorable dogs. When do we decide enough is enough? Property damage is one thing, but an animal related fatality is where I draw the line.

Adding insult to injury, Amazon, the largest Internet retailer in the U.S., has advised those who purchased hoverboards, to recycle them immediately, with a promise of a full refund in three days. In an email, they said that their customer’s safety and satisfaction are their highest priority.

I end with a plea: stop post-ing videos of your elderly relatives on hoverboards; it’s not nearly as cute or funny as you think.

(Courtesy of Ben Larcey/Flickr/Urbanwheel.co)


sports

by Cara [email protected]

Last Wednesday evening the lady Rams basketball team dominated over the Ohlone Renegades, execut-ing a strong passing game to wear down their opponents for a 96-44 victory.

The Rams won the tipoff and wasted no time. Freshman point guard Gabrielle Vigil opened scor-ing with the first three points of the game, with her teammates right behind keeping up the pace to reach an 11-0 lead early in the first quarter.

The Renegades were not far behind ending the first quarter 18-11, but quickly fell behind during the second quarter with no scoring until 5 minutes in—landing only a one-point gain after two free throws by Renegades point guard Nicole Machado‐Potestio.

The Renegades’ chance to catch up looked slim towards the end of the second when the Rams widened the lead to 40-21.

Over the entire match, the Rams completed multiple strong 3-point scoring plays, something assistant coach Monique Calvello says they have been working on in particular.

“It is part of our program,” Calvello said, “We try our best to recruit them (shooters), and if they aren’t, we try our best to make them into shooters.”

Freshman guard Brittney Deckman was fluid in her plays and led the team’s three-point scoring with five.

“We have good teamwork, so we don’t have to try that hard because everyone knows what they’re doing,” Deckman said.

Calvello says Deckman, along with her twin sister Brianna, and fellow freshman Gabrielle Vigil, were the most valuable players the game.

“This was the first game they really got to showcase all their skills, both offense and defense, and that was exciting to watch,” Calvello said.

Vigil also has the sixth best scor-ing record in the state—a title very deserving for the freshman point guard who led scoring with 22 points this game.

The Renegades scoring stag-nated in the third quarter, landing only 10 points while the Rams tripled that with 30 points, ending the quarter at 70-32.

In moving forward, Calvello

Rams Wreck Renegades

City College freshman guard Gabrielle Vigil (11) drives toward the net against the Ohlone College Renegades on Jan. 20, 2016. (Photo by Peter Wong/Special to The Guardsman)

Patrick [email protected] @SerPatOfPortola

The City College men’s basketball team won its 12th game in a row dominating Las Positas 97-44. The Rams controlled the game from beginning to end and won by 53 points, their largest victory margin of the season.

Head coach Justin Labagh ran his team hard all game, running an opposing full-court press that forced Las Positas turnovers and easy, fast-break baskets. On offense the Rams pushed the ball hard on fast breaks exhausting the opponent.

“Coach said were 14 deep, so we’re going to push hard and if one group gets tired, we’ll put the next group in,” forward Jashandeep Kahlon explained.

Power forward Jalen Canty proved to be a force for the Rams down low. Canty’s offensive

rebounding gave the team second chances on offense after missed shots.

“I think I had a good game,” Canty said. “Getting closer to play-offs, I just got to keep pushing the bar higher and higher.”

Another strong point for the Rams was their outside shooting. Guard Trey Thompson led the onslaught as the teams sharpshoot-ers buried threes all night. Kickout passes from driving teammates proved extremely effective for the team.

“We just got to keep on a roll,” coach Labagh said. “Three games ago we started playing really good defense so we refer to ourselves as

‘3-0’ playing really good defense. We are going to try to keep this roll going.”

The Rams are now 6-0 in confer-ence play and in the most recent state poll ranked second overall, only behind Saddleback College of Orange County.

Undefeated Rams Extend Win Streak to 6-0

City College sophomore forward Jalen Canty (23) grabs the rebound against Las Positas College on January 22, 2016. (Photo by Peter Wong/Special to The Guardsman)

says the girls still need to improve on keeping their focus. “In games where we are in control way more than usual,” Calvello said, “we can lose focus and kind of play down.”

However that was not an

issue this game as the girls kept the momentum through the fourth quarter to gain 26 more points.

The Rams are ranked second in the state for women’s

basketball, and their 96-44 victory solidifies that status.

The next game will be against City College’s rival Skyline College on January 29 at 5 p.m. at home court in the Rams gymnasium.

The Guardsman. Vol. 161 - Issue 1. City College of San Francisco's student-run newspaper

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