Vol. 161, Issue 6 | Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 2016 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE

1962: The ACCJC was founded as a non-governmental,

independent organization of educators.

2003-2008: The ACCJC generated 89% of all sanctions

issued nationwide.

2013: The ACCJC declared that it would shut down

City College.

2013: San Francisco District Attorney Dennis Herrera successfully sued the ACCJC in

San Francisco Superior Court for illegally allowing biases to

influence their accreditation action.

2016: California Community Colleges Board of Governors

voted unanimously, with one abstention, to reform

and replace the ACCJC.

The Dismantling of an Accrediting CommissionNEWS ANALYSIS

By Andy Baysabays@theguardsman.com

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), a maligned agency in charge of evaluating two-year colleges in California, was given the final nail in the coffin on March 21 by policy-makers in Sacramento, but they’re not going down without a fight.

The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges (CCC), who oversee the state’s 113 community colleges, voted

unanimously to replace the the ACCJC over allegations of financial opacity, poor leadership, substandard training and failure to communicate with colleges.

A 2015 Task Force on Accreditation was assembled by the CCC to take a hard look at the ACCJC. The Task Force’s report states its inception as the culmina-tion of eight years of “concern” and

“calls for reform,” and its conclusions and recommendations were highly influential in the recent vote to dismantle the embattled commission.

The ACCJC’s systemic short-comings, the report states, resulted

in the “clear consensus that the ACCJC had lost credibility within the system.”

The measures elected by the CCC will restructure the ACCJC for its remaining few years while a new agency is created to better serve the changing dynamics of community colleges in California.

Earlier this year, 15 California community colleges were approved to offer bachelor’s degrees in select industry-related fields such as respi-ratory therapy, dental hygiene and automotive technology. The report states this as one reason for a need for a total overhaul, rather than simple

adjustments, to the accreditation system.

The Commission The ACCJC placed two-thirds of all community colleges in California on some form of sanction from 2005 through 2015. That level is

“inordinately high compared to the frequency of sanctions under other accreditors,” the Task Force’s report states.

If a college loses its accreditation, it loses access to taxpayer dollars and

Accrediting Commission continues on page 4

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges President Barbara A. Beno. (Illustration by Zoheb Bhutia)

Wellness Center Boiler Failure Halts Classes

Page 4

Vol. 161, Issue 6 | Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 2016

Staff

Editor-in-ChiefMarco Siler-Gonzales

Managing EditorSantiago Mejia

News EditorAudrey Garces

Photo EditorFranchon Smith

Culture EditorMichaela Payne

Sports EditorShannon Cole

Opinion EditorCassie Ordonio

Copy EditorsMadeline Collins

Michaela PaynePatrick Fitzgerald

Nancy ChanDavid Horowitz

Design DirectorSerina Mercado

Online News Director Patrick Fitzgerald

Advertising ManagerCara Stucker

Social Media DirectorMargaret Weir

Staff WritersAndy Bays

Nancy Chan Jose Duran

Daniela Fiestas-ParedesDakari Thomas

Staff PhotographerGabriella Angotti-Jones

ContributorsZoheb Bhutia

James Fanucchi Amanda Aceves

Cody DavisPeter Wong

Faculty AdviserJuan Gonzales

Reach us at

Twitter and Instagram@theguardsman

#CCSFjournalism

Facebook/theguardsman

Youtubetheguardsmanonline

theguardsman.com

Mail50 Phelan Ave Box V-67

San Francisco, CA 94112

Bungalow 615

Phone(415) 239-3446

Affiliates

2 | news

News Briefs

April Events Do you have any City College events that you would like included in The Guardsman calendar?

Send event information to accionjg@aim.com and mgonzales@theguardsman.com

Muni Proposes Cash Fare Increase

On April 5 the Municipal Transportation Agency proposed a 25-cent fare increase to Muni riders who pay in cash. If the MTA budget is approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Muni’s fare surcharge will take effect Jan. 1, 2017, according to SFgate.

The SFgate reported that the MTA’s trans-portation director Ed Reisken said the reason for the 25-cent increase would be to convince more riders to use Clipper or a Muni fare app, which he stated would cut Muni’s boarding times and costs.

“A” Fast Passes that grant people access to both Muni and BART will pay an additional $5 a month, raising their costs to $88.

Fare costs for youths and seniors are also planned to rise from 75 cents to over a dollar.

Survey Shows Support For Police Tasers

The San Francisco Police Officers Association (SFPOA) released survey results on April 6 reveal-ing that 68 percent of San Franciscans favored having their police officers armed with tasers. ABC 7 News reported that only 70 voters said they opposed tasers, while 90 stated they weren’t sure in the 500-person survey.

Two of the SFPD’s seven police commission-ers have spoken out against tasers, saying their use could result in medical emergencies or death. Chief Greg Suhr proposed only certain officers such as the tactical unit should have access to tasers for the time being.

One of the issues regarding arming all offi-cers with tasers is the cost to do so.

“When it comes to saving a life, what’s the cost to a human life in the city?” SFPOA President

Martin Halloran said.ABC 7 news said police commissioners are

scheduled to discuss the implementation of tasers Wednesday night.

CSU and Faculty Reach Labor Agreement

The California State University (CSU) system and its faculty reached a tentative agreement on April 8 after months of gridlocked labor negotiations.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that CSU faculty will receive pay raises of 10.85 percent or 13.8 percent, depending on longevity.

The agreement still needs to be ratified by the teacher’s union and the university system, but succeeds in avoiding the five-day strike planned to begin the following week on April 11. The strike would have devastated the 23 campuses across the state serving approximately 473,000 students.

The Chronicle reported that a neutral fact-finding report found CSU faculty were entitled to a larger salary raise than the 2 percent CSU officials were initially offering. The new deal will run the university system $200 million over the next three years.

SFMTA to Enforce Parking Meters on Sundays

Parking meters are to be enforced on Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. next to West Portal neighbor-hood stores due to drivers’ prolonged parking.

The San Francisco Examiner reported that many believe the new policy will cause people to shop in other stores that provide free parking lots such as Serramonte Mall and Stonestown Galleria.

San Francisco Transportation Agency

(SFMTA) director Ed Reiskin said that parking meters will start to be enforced becaus eover 75 percent of the stores nearby are open on Sundays. “The city” parking meter policies were stated in the 1950s, when most of the stores were closed on Sundays.

According to The Examiner, the SFMTA is currently experiencing a two-year shortfall budget of $53.2 million. Sunday parking will help them obtain $2.5 million in income annually.

Uber Settles in Background Check Lawsuit

Uber agreed to pay $25 million to resolve a lawsuit filed in 2014 by San Francisco and Los Angeles city officials.

According to the S F Gate, District Attorney George Gascón found that 25 Uber drivers carried criminal backgrounds as burglars, sex offenders, identity thieves kidnappers, and there was even a murderer.

“The result we achieved today goes well beyond its impact on Uber,” Gascón said. “It sends a clear message to all businesses and to startups in particular that in the quest to quickly obtain market share, laws designed to protect consumers cannot be ignored.”

Uber allegedly misled customers about safety and will have to pay $10 million within 60 days. The remaining $15 million could possibly be waived if the company follows all settlement agreements.

Uber has now been granted permission to operate in three major Bay Area airports, includ-ing San Francisco International Airport and the Los Angeles International airport.

Low Tech PerformanceThe lights on, lights off (hence low tech) dance performance offers a great opportunity for students and faculty to present dances and new material without the pressure. For more information: Jeanne Hughes at 415-239-3412 or jhughes@ccsf.eduSat., April 23, 6:00-8 p.m. Performance Studio 301. Free.

Salsa Dance PartyJoin the City College dance depart-ment for a “Tribute to CCSF Salsero Grahame Perry” salsa dance party. Beginner salsa lessons with Jeanne Hughes at 8:15-845pm. The DJ will spin salsa, merengue and bachata dance music. All three dances are taught in courses, so it's a great place to practice. The party is also open to the public. For more information: Jeanne Hughes at 415-239-3412. Sat., April 23, 8-10 p.m. Performance Studio 301. Free.

Ballroom DancingA professional instructor will teach a ballroom dancing class from 7 to

8 p.m. The lesson is followed by a DJ event that features all the vari-ous forms of ballroom dance music. Proceeds go to maintaining the dance department’s equipment. For more information: David Blood at dblood@ccsf.edu.Sat., April 30. 8-11 p.m. Performance Studio 301. $10 admission.

Self Defense ClassesJanet Gee will lead a free non- credit self-defense class. You do not have to be enrolled at City College in order to attend, but must be at least 14 years of age. Gee comes from a martial arts background, and will offer easy-to-learn self-defense techniques, including street protection and setting boundaries in relationships. For more information: Maggie Harrison at 415-452-5825.Sat., April 16. 12-1:50 p.m. Mission Campus, 1125 Valencia. Free.

Bystander Intervention WorkshopsThis workshop offers an over-view of oppression dynamics and strategies for interrupting oppres-sive situations when they occur.

Participants engage in dramatic roleplays that uncover the motives behind oppressive actions while also providing opportunities to practice intervening. For more information: Maggie Harrison at 415-452-5825.Tues,. April 26 Rosenberg Library 304 11:10 a.m.-12:25 p.m. and Wellness Center 103 from 1:10 p.m.-2:30 p.m.Tues., May 3. Rosenberg Library 304 12:40 p.m.-1:55 p.m. and Wellness center 103 from 2:15 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

Career Network Club MeetingMeet other students while learn-ing about choosing the right major/career for you. The Career Development center will provide job and internship resources, job search help and resume and interview tips. Refreshments and snacks provided! For more information: careercenter@ccsf.edu. Thurs., April 28 and May 12 from 4-5 p.m.

Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 6 news | 3

School Officials Tackle Batmale Temperature Control By Cassie Ordoniocordonio@theguardsman.com

City College students and faculty may soon be relieved of Batmale Hall’s extreme temperature fluctuations caused by broken chillers and boilers.

Batmale Hall’s temperature issue was recognized several years ago. The Department of Facilities Planning and Construction (DFPC) developed a Year One project to help control the 39-year-old build-ing’s temperature.

Proposition 39 was approved by San Francisco voters in November 2012 and gave the college $900,000 to pay for the project and other campus needs.

“People need to, really need to think about the quality of education in terms of what the classroom temperature feels like,” Pacific Island Studies professor David Palaita said.

“The temperature in the rooms really affect the way teachers teach and how students learn. It jeopardizes participation.”

Fluctuating TemperaturesBatmale Hall’s broken chillers and boilers, which control how hot or cold the building gets, are the root of the problem, said Paul

Wilhite, architectural associate for Facilities Planning and Construction.

“This is a pretty big project for the school,” Wilhite said. “The whole purpose is to improve the ventilation for the building.”

The project began on March 19, and the department had an opportunity to speed up the process over spring break. Since the building was not in use, they shut down the power to replace the old boilers, Southland’s Project Manager Dan Goodman said. However, the new chillers will not arrive until June.

The second floor of Batmale Hall gets even warmer than usual during San Francisco heat waves, and the majority of the classrooms have no windows or ventilation.

Palaita has been teaching in the building since 2007, and this project gives him a sense of relief. He uses a fan to keep his students and himself from overheating. During colder days the fourth floor gets so cold students must bring extra layers of clothing.

Walk-ThroughA DFPC person and PG&E representative Kathrine Long conducted a walk-through on April 6. Long, who is new to the project, came to assess energy efficiency and progress with DFPC’s timeline.

The walk-through began at 11 a.m. and

proceeded from outside Batmale Hall’s third floor to the compressor area on the rooftop.

“Everything has been pretty solid as far as we’re concerned,” Wilhite said. “The ulti-mate goal is to be energy efficient. We’re upgrading all of our basic infrastructure.”

Eighty-five out of 100 thermostats have

so far been changed, Goodman said. “This will help improve energy efficiency and occu-pant comfort,” Goodman said.

The department aims to finish their Year One project by the end of July, and will be working on Year Two, the infrastructure of the Art Extension building next.

Kathrine Long (left), Paul Wilhite (center), and Dan Goodman (right), review City College's plan for Batman Hall on April 6, 2016. (Photo by Gabriella Angotti Jones/The Guardsman)

By Margaret Weirmweir@theguardsman.com

A study done by the Wisconsin Harvesting Opportunities for Postsecondary Education (HOPE) Lab found that half of all commu-nity college students have reported mental health issues in the past year and less than half of those are receiving treatment, Inside Higher Ed reported in March.

About 88 percent of community colleges do not employ a psychiatrist or another version of a mental health professional. Luckily, City College is not part of this statistic.

“We definitely have licensed mental health providers here, a psychologist and licensed clinical social workers,” Student Health Services director Becky Perelli said.

Accessing Treatment“We screen everyone for depression, and if in fact they have a high level of depression, or were concerned they are at risk, we will have them see one of our mental health providers right away,” Perelli said.

Between eight to 10 percent of commu-nity college students have sought treatment through their schools by talking to a psychol-ogist, according to Felicia King, a social worker at City College.

“I don’t think we’re as well-utilized,” King said. “I think part of it is just plain not know-ing the service is there, and we talk about that ad nauseam, about how we can get the word out.”

Awareness is a key factor in City College’s efforts to aid in mental health.

Stigmas toward mental health care play a role in the lack of treatment students are receiving. Both King and Perelli said that people often think there has to be something wrong with them to seek counseling, and people don’t want to think of themselves that way.

King and Perelli also agreed that cultural background and religion played a role in people’s decision to look for help.

“We want students to know that we want

them to ask for treatment,” Perelli said.

Limited ResourcesThere’s a delicate balance about raising awareness. City College’s Student Health Center is 100 percent funded by the $17 health fee each credit student pays at the beginning of the semester. There is no state money coming in because they are not a state-mandated program.

“We are very concerned about the budget, because there are less students enrolled so we get less funding,” Perelli said.

The student health fee covers faculty and staff, supplies and equipment, and contracts. They’re looking into possible grants, espe-cially ones for mental health.

“The last thing we want to cut back on is people,” Perelli said.

While the health center would like to provide services to everyone, there are simply not enough resources to do so. If too many people utilize the health center, they won’t have the money to take care of people any more.

Because the state doesn’t mandate health programs like they do for Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) or Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), many community colleges do not offer them.

IssuesA report published by Health Services Association of California Community Colleges (HSACCC) says stress is the number one cause of academic underachievement, with depression fairly close behind. Students are often affected by their mental health both in and out of class.

“One of my teachers recently saw some-one have a full breakdown and told them about all these resources,” City College student Tyler King said. He said he was not aware of any mental health resources on campus prior to that incident.

The Student Health Center also offers physical health services, which Perelli says are one and the same with mental health.

“Someone who comes to one of our coun-selors for fatigue may really have anemia!”

Perelli said.Two-thirds of Student Health Center

visits are to see a nurse practitioner, and the other third are visits regarding mental health. Despite that, Perelli said City College still does less with physical health than other community colleges.

“Our facility is probably the biggest in the state,” Perelli said. Orange Coast College and Santa Rosa Junior College are close behind.

She primarily credits early screening for the marked increase in students getting help from a counselor or psychologist.

Health Center Offers Students Mental Health Services

Christopher Brodie and Sam Edwards both work in City College's Health Center. Sam Edwards is a licensed therapist and helps with a variety of group counseling services on campus. March 16, 2016. (Photo By Amanda Aceves/Special to The Guardsman)

FACILITY MAINTENANCE

STUDENT SERVICES

Vol. 161, Issue 6 | Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 20164 | news

contamination,” physical education depart-ment Chair Dan Hayes said.

MGB took samples of the facility’s water sometime during the week and sent them to a lab for testing.

“My understanding is that they’re simply waiting to get the test results back, and they expect to have them back today,” Hamilton said on April 8, the day classes resumed.

Hamilton added that if the water is deemed safe for use, facility operations will return to normal. If City College does not receive the test results they want, Hamilton said, “We’d have to look again at what we’d do on Monday.”

Hayes said MBG received clear test results on April 8, with the exception of one result that was still pending. The Wellness Center bathroom doors were open April 9 with working toilets, but its water faucets, sinks and showers were still taped off.

Canceling ClassesWho canceled Wellness Center classes during the facility’s water issues has yet to be disclosed.

“I think Dan Hayes did everything he could to keep the building open. He was getting direction from his superiors—I think Ray Gamba,” men’s soccer head coach Adam Lucarelli said. “I felt disappointed

for the students.”Dean of physical education and dance

Ray Gamba was unavailable for comment.“When these decisions get made, there’s

kind of a collaborative conversation that happens. Like, (between) the dean, the facilities, and buildings and grounds people,” Hamilton said. “So it’s not like there’s this one person who just said, ‘Closed.’”

These departments are all close-lipped about the issue and what details are known or not.

Communication for SomePhysical education instructors were notified about water problems beginning Monday morning, and the City College website (ccsf.edu) was updated daily beginning late Monday.

“There was confusion about the extent of the water problem and I’d say we were never told if the bathroom, showers, and water faucets were available,” Lucarelli said.

“I don’t think the instructors were informed."

By David Horowitzdhorowitz@theguardsman.com

A Wellness Center boiler failure created a leakage that required City College to cancel more than 270 classes in the facility from April 4 to 7, and caused a communication quagmire among the departments.

The facility’s classes resumed April 8 although bathroom sinks, locker room show-ers and water faucets remained taped off through April 11. Hand sanitizers were used in classrooms and bathrooms.

The leak was discovered in a Wellness Center room adjacent to the water system and caught fairly early, marketing and public information Director Jeff Hamilton said. Maintenance, Buildings and Grounds (MBG) notified the Wellness Center faculty and staff of the water problem on April 4.

“It wasn’t damaging and didn’t cause any major problems. The leakage itself, of course it’s a problem. The building had to close,” Hamilton said. “But the leakage didn’t flood anything or destroy a classroom or cause any problems in that sense.”

Cause Reportedly UnknownMBG management told assistant Brian Tom

to direct any questions about the facility to Hamilton, who had no additional informa-tion as of April 11.

“We are unable to give a statement about the Wellness Center. The vice chancellor has instructed us to not make any information about it public,” Tom said.

On April 7, Hamilton did not know if the source of the boiler’s problem had been discovered yet. He apparently had yet to be informed what caused the boiler failure.

“I think just when this sort of thing happens, it triggers the requirement for an inspection,” Hamilton said. “Even though you don’t know whether or not there’s been any compromise of the quality of the water, you don’t take that chance. You shut it down and you have to conduct tests.”

Water TestedMBG shut off the Wellness Center water supply on April 4 and and put caution tape around water faucets and bathroom doors.

They posted notices on the facility’s doors stating the building’s water had been shut down for repairs and Monday’s classes were canceled, but the cancellations contin-ued through Thursday, April 7.

“I think there was word some boiler water might have gotten into the main water, and they’re checking to see there’s no

Boiler Failure Causes Wellness Center Class Cancellations

federal financial aid for students. As a result, public sentiment has been

overwhelmingly negative regarding both the ACCJC and its long-time president, Dr. Barbara Beno.

City College Political Science instruc-tor Tim Killikelly told San Francisco news

site 48 hills in Dec. 2014 that the ACCJC was “instilling a culture of fear across the state community college system” with their campaign to sanction and shutdown colleges. Speaking to the same publication, State Senator Jim Nielsen described Dr. Beno as the most “arrogant, condescending and dismissive individual” he had ever met.

Asked to comment on the ACCJC’s replacement, an employee working in the

ACCJC, who declined to give his name, refused to speak with The Guardsman as he shut the office door.

In 2012, the ACCJC tried to terminate City College’s accreditation for being in a “perilous financial position,” though the agency never found problems with City College’s academics. City College, the larg-est community college in the nation (and still accredited), suffered a plummet in enroll-ment when news of the ACCJC’s sanctions made headlines.

The ACCJC, in a 2013 lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court by City Attorney Dennis Herrera, was found guilty of “signifi-cant unlawful practices” in their attempts to terminate City College’s accreditation.

The ACCJC doesn’t see it that way, however. In an email exchange Beno said City College “was found to be in terrible condition; evaluators noted scores of defi-ciencies that needed fixing by the college. Problems included deficient student services, outdated instruction guides, antiquated computer systems and lack of fiscal controls.”

Beno said that although efforts were made by “some leaders to help City College swiftly improve, internal discord has prevented sufficient progress. This dysfunction has been documented by inde-pendent parties, including the college’s own external auditor and the state’s Fiscal Crisis

Management Assistance Team.”“The process ACCJC uses has been

proven repeatedly to be effective. Colleges improve, and tell us they are better off,” Beno added.

City College Chancellor Susan Lamb, who previously worked for a different accrediting agency, spoke in her office about the brewing discontent with the ACCJC last November.

“Accreditation is supposed to be peers coming in to evaluate [a college], and help them meet standards. The process has become less collegial and more punitive,” she said.

City College currently has a one-of-a-kind accreditation status called “restoration,” and will undergo a comprehensive evalua-tion in its application for reaffirmation of accreditation in Fall 2016. The ACCJC will review City’s progress in January 2017.

Paul Feist, Vice Chancellor for Communications at CCC, said that the Task Force’s decision scrapping the ACCJC extends “well beyond the accreditation chal-lenges that City College of San Francisco faced in recent years.”

In response to Dr. Beno’s assertion that the process ACCJC uses is proven effective, Feist said “the report of the task force speaks for itself.”

Accrediting Commission continued from page 1

As the person in charge of the accrediting process for the state's 112 community colleges, critics charge that Barbara Beno has been particularly tough on City College. (Photo by James Fanucchi/Special to The Guardsman)

Caution tape marks off Wellness Center bathroom stalls after a leak was caught in a room adjacent to the water system on april 11, 2016. (Photo by Gabriella Angotti Jones/The Guardsman)

For the full story, visit

www.theguardsman.com/wellnesscenter

Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 6 culture | 5

By Michaela Paynemichaela.k.payne@gmail.com

The new show at the photography depart-ment’s Gallery Obscura is “Space Oddity” by Heidi Judge, featuring 11 black and white images through April 30.

Judge named the show “Space Oddity” only partly after the David Bowie album with the same name. “It’s more because my show deals with negative space. I love to have (the camera) on tweaky angles. That’s my jam,” Judge said. “Negative space is such an oddity.”

All taken outdoors, the Newport Beach transplant’s images seem spacious and time-less. Some of the prints feature a Victorian facade, a steeple, people on a beach, a bird or a plane over the sea, a shirtless someone, a single branch and lots of sky. Looking much like her images, the artist dressed in mono-chrome white and black.

And classic to gallery openings, the combination of art and free beverages led to a thick crowd of at least 40 of Judge’s friends and fans. It was a boisterous and fashionable parade. “This is probably one of the more booming parties we’ve had,” Gallery Obscura curator Renee Tung said.

To prepare the show, Tung guided the artist through a four-month process of selecting her images. “Renee helped me narrow my photos down. She’s kinda the best,” Judge said. At $54 each, Judge said,

“The frames and the matting were my big spender.”

“I ask to see a cohesive body of work, 10 to 12 images,” Tung said. “Heidi definitely took my suggestions but she had her own ideas, which is great to see in such a young person,” Tung said. The student photogra-pher indicated to her along the process, “No, I’m sticking to my ideas. I want to stay true to this,” Tung quoted.

Then “Space Oddity” went up on the gallery walls. Three of the glossy prints are square 120 mm prints and the rest are rect-angular 35 mm.

“Her eye for taking photos has gotten really good over time,” Judge’s friend and San Francisco State student Nickolas Tonn said.

Judge’s favorite images is of the Sky Glider ride at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, showing just a few high cables with dangling cars similar to a ski lift. When Judge captured this picture, she decided she wanted to put together a show and portfolio.

The photographer captured the images

By Michaela Paynemichaela.k.payne@gmail.com

No need to commit till you fall in love. Just try out a City College dance class during National Dance Week, April 23 to 28, and it might spin you head over heels.

Like falling over your feet in a tango lesson. Or trying to spin on your head in beginning hip hop. You might lose your balance and a little dignity, but you won’t lose any money because the whole week is free.

You can surely get enough practice in just six days to venture out to the clubs around town. Visitors from City College and the community are welcome to try out salsa, modern, tango, Lindy Hop swing, folk dance, ballet, African-Haitian and more in the Wellness Center on the Ocean Campus.

Dances by students, faculty and alumni of the City College dance department will kick off the week with the informal Low Tech Performance on Saturday, April 23 in the Performance Studio at Wellness Center 301.

Audience members like you will get some inspiration and/or onset of envy, then an opportunity to clutch strangers in sweaty embraces at the Saturday night salsa party from 8 to 10 p.m. in the same room. Cross your fingers this will lead to some after party at a salsa club to practice your new skills.

Love holding hands with strangers? Try the folk dance

party on Sunday, April 24 from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Social dancing is fun, pretty easy to learn the basics and you can bring the kids and great-grandparents, too.

Our renowned City College faculty dance instructors and special guests will tolerate your clumsy presence in some of their classes all week, so pick a few to attend. This is a great way to get recognized on the first day of next semester when you sign up for your favorite one. Just try to stay on your feet and attempt everything with a smile.

There’s always ice in the sports medicine office. Wellness Center, bottom floor on the west end.

This is “a chance to dance,” for you and anyone you’d like to bring along, according to the founders of National Dance Week. You’ll be tapping into a national tradition invented in 1981, and maybe tap dancing, too.

City College’s free classes are only the tip of the iceberg here in the temperate zone, during which Bay Area Dance Week will host more than 400 free events.

Just one little class could pull you into “one of the largest, most active and thriving dance communities in the country” here in the Bay Area, the hosts at Dancers’ Group claim.

To attend, consult the Dance Week schedules posted in the third floor of the Wellness Center, the dance department pages on Facebook and the City College website. The full schedule of Bay Area Dance Week events is at http://bayareandw.org/events/.

all around California while traveling, some-times alone. “I can be like, ‘I like that exit’ and no one’s like ‘We gotta get home,” Judge said.

She snapped the images in Lake Tahoe, Marin, San Diego and more. “I love California. California is great,” Judge said.

“I bring my camera wherever I go.”She used a 35 mm Minolta SRT for most

of the photos, and a medium-format Bronica camera for the three square-shaped 120 mm images. One of those vintage cameras that the photographer holds at waist height and looks down into, the Bronica came from Glass Key Photo in the Lower Haight.

“I develop everything myself in the dark-room here, then took it to Photoworks,” Judge said. On Market and Church, the photo developer offers a 10 percent student discount to scan, print and digitize film images.

All untitled, the 11 prints are on sale for $250 each. View more of the artist’s work at www.heidijudgephotography.com and on Instagram as HeidiJudge22.

“Space Oddity” will be on display through April 30 at Gallery Obscura in Visual Arts Room 160. Visitors may call the photography department gallery at 415-239-3422 for hours and directions.

Photographer Heidi Judge at her solo exhi-bition Space Oddity held at the Gallery Obscura on Ocean campus. April 3, 2016. (Photo by Franchon Smith/The Guardsman)

Tiffany Wu performs a salsa solo during the fall Low Tech Performance on Dec. 5, 2015. (Michaela Payne/The Guardsman)

By Margaret Weirmweir@theguardsman.com

City College finally got its hands on the iconic musical “Chicago” 11 years after the theatre department applied for the rights.

Samuel French Inc., a company that licenses plays to schools and theatre troupes, is bogged down by requests for “Chicago.” Director Deborah Shaw and her colleagues, music department chair Madeline Mueller and director of music Michael Shahani, are thrilled to have permission at last.

“The joke was ‘What musical are you doing next year?’ ‘Chicago!’ Because we never got it,” Shaw said.

Set in its namesake during the 1920s, the show features the possibly-murderous duo Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, played by

'Chicago' Brings the Roaring '20s to the 21st Century

Swing Into Free Dance Classes At City College

Photos Hint of California’s Charms At Gallery Obscura

City College students Samantha Delucchi and Jennifer Cleary.

Both Cleary and Delucchi have partici-pated in theatre at City College before, when Delucchi played lead character Elle Woods in last semester’s “Legally Blonde,” and Cleary was in “Wonderful Town” in fall 2014.

“Chicago is relevant today because it pokes fun at corruption in the justice system and plays with the idea of celebrity crimi-nals,” Shaw said.

Chicago begins when starlet-wannabe Roxie Hart murders her lover and is sent to jail, where she meets B-List celebrity Velma Kelly. When Kelly turns down Hart’s initial offer of friendship, the two vie to garner the most media attention to each of their cases. The rivalry hits its peak when Kelly and Hart both want the legendary lawyer Billy

Flynn to defend them in court. Shaw said Bob Fosse, the original chore-

ographer for the show, is “the man.” Fosse won an Oscar, a Grammy and a Tony all in 1973 for the category of best director. He is known for his liberal use of jazz hands.

“The Fosse style is not easy!” Shaw said, and that Chicago is “sort of like the dream show in musical theatre.”

The show will run Friday nights on April 15 and 22 at 8 p.m., Saturdays on April 16 and 23 at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees on April 17 and 24 at 2 p.m.

General admission is $15, or $10 for students, seniors and Theater Bay Area members. Purchase tickets through www.brownpapertickets.com. For disability-related accommodations call the City College ADA coordinator at 415-241-2294.

Illustration by Serina Mercado

Vol. 161, Issue 6 | Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 20166 | opinion

100% Black

CIIS: URW Clarendon T, Regular, 38.75/46.5pt (kern 10pt)URL: Meta Bold LF, Roman, 34/42pt

100% White

CIIS: URW Clarendon T, Regular, 38.75/46.5pt (kern 10pt)URL: Meta Bold LF, Roman, 34/42pt

100% PMS 1665

CIIS: URW Clarendon T, Regular, 38.75/46.5pt (kern 10pt)URL: Meta Bold LF, Roman, 34/42pt

By Patrick Fitzgerald pfitzgerald@theguardsman.com

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander—or at least that’s what I’ve been told. At the heart of this idiom is the concept of fair-ness in sharing both the burdens and the benefits of any situation.

We may not be practicing fairness well when we review the current dilemma of City College. Our college is facing the possibil-ity of a faculty strike that moved one step closer to reality as of the instructors’ March 10 strike vote.

Why is the breakdown in communication happening now, and what led us down this path of confrontation? Some blame a new tack taken by negotiators away from bargaining based on mutual interest to one driven by the best bargain with its inherent winners and losers as the reason for the communication failure.

If the best bargain strategy is pursued, it may produce short-term benefits but offer long-term heartburn as resentment simmers and poisons employer-employee relations. No one likes to be unfairly used.

FairnessThe American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 2121 claims administrative salaries have

increased by 29 percent overall during the past year alone. If this claim is true, and is about increas-ing salaries rather than expanding staff , why shouldn’t faculty salaries not increase as much?

What the administration and the Board of Trustees put forward is the fact that City College’s enroll-ment has dropped nearly one-third since 2012, consequently opening a $24 million budget shortfall that made the need for a balanced budget a prime priority. However, citing this fact as the reason for withholding union members’ pay increases while increasing admin-istrative salaries is inherently a

double-dealing argument. What does this double-deal do

to our institutional morale? Could City College be entering a death spiral where cost cutting measures escalate, enrollment continues shrinking, and the budget gap is never closed?

Maybe it’s time—in fact over-time—for thinking outside of the box.

AFT 2121 President Tim Killikelly said, “San Francisco is not 26 percent smaller than it was in 2007. In fact, it has grown.” He’s right, since 2007 San Francisco has grown by approximately 100,000 people.

OpportunityThe fact that San Francisco has grown by more than 13 percent

could be seen as a long-run oppor-tunity. Most businesses would be investing in a robust, interactive marketing plan that promotes the college’s strengths relentlessly.

Instead, our marketing plan is subcontracted out to a marketing firm. No on-campus marketing

department is solely dedicated to coordinating and promoting the college. Where are the stakeholders who have some skin in the game?

How about a truly aggres-sive marketing department with a vigorous, interactive plan that includes one-on-one meetings

LABOR NEGOTIATIONS

where key community organiza-tions, businesses and members are consulted and enrolled to support the college? How about holding collaborative instead of adversarial negotiations that incentivizes both the administra-tion and faculty to persistently and aggressively promote the college together?

Should administrators and union members first negotiate a memo of understanding that identifies City College’s institu-tional welfare as a priority to be handled with respect, collabora-tion and shared sacrifice? Should we be emulating our football and basketball teams who spectacu-larly exhibited these traits this academic year?

Could we think outside the box and come up with a truly innovative way to consider these issues instead of adopting the “us versus them” model? Until then, administration should in good faith drop their salary to 2007 levels, or as much as possible, until union partners can equally share these benefits.

After all, faculty are the ones on the front line every day, as much as if not more than the administrators. They deal with the stress of not only teaching but also fightinga perception of a declin-ing institution. That is hard work and they are still their producing quality results.

And, in these negotiations especially, everyone would do well to heed one more idiom too. Don’t kill the goose that laid the golden egg.

How about a truly aggressive marketing department with a vigorous, interactive plan that includes one-on-one meetings with key community organizations and community members?

A protester calls for higher quality public education through his megaphone as faculty block Jeff Sloan's office doorway, the district's lead negotiator on March 11, 2016. (Audrey Garces/The Guardsman)

Let's Start Thinking Outside the Box

Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 2016 | Vol. 161, Issue 6 opinion | 7

The Student Voting Act will automatically register students to vote when they register for classes at the UC, Cal State and community college systems. What are your thoughts about this?

Have Your Say

Reporting by Jose DuranPhotos by Franchon Smith

By Andy Baysabays@theguardsman.com

There’s a really awesome college in San Francisco called San Francisco Junior College. It’s cheaper than City College, has a ton of activities, lots of school spirit and a great location on Ocean Avenue.

The only catch is, it hasn’t existed in nearly a lifetime.

San Francisco Junior College was the name of City College from its inception in 1934 until the name was changed in 1948. But, the name wasn’t the only thing that changed.

Perusing the San Francisco History Center one afternoon, I came across a gem titled “SF Junior College Handbook,” (Fall, 1947).

This indispensable guidebook for students illuminates a time when life on Ocean Campus was almost perplex-ingly unified. For example, this passage expounds the glory that is the pole in the middle of the science building:

“The silver pole in the main lobby is the campus counterpart of the grand-father clock at the St. Francis Hotel. That is, if a student waits near the pole long enough, he will meet all his friends there… At the base of the pole in the main lobby the lifelong friend-ships formed parallel the distant view obtained from the observatory tower.”

Is this the same pole I barely notice, and have never observed people congregating near? Apparently, yes.

There used to be an Associated Men Students club, whose “chief tradition... is the semi-annual boxing carnival in the men’s gymnasium. All bouts are three rounds and effort is made to have every weight classification from flyweight to heavyweight contend-ers represented in the tournament.”

I would like to see the boxing carnival reinstated, but I’m not sure what the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) would say. Perhaps ACCJC President Barbara Beno would like to go a couple rounds with City College’s Chancellor Susan Lamb.

Not to be outdone, the Associated Women Students would hold two tea-parties per year: “one is in honor of senior girls enrolled in San Francisco high schools, the other is for freshman women in their first semester of college, which serves to acquaint the newcom-ers with the regulars.”

These two clubs would “jointly sponsor each semester a huge barn dance complete with appropriate decorations. Students dress according to the occasion with ‘levis’ and plaid shirts for the men, and cotton dresses or pinafores for the women.”

Does anything sound more awkward than a campus barn dance?

Even the most spirited, loyal Rams enrolled today probably don’t know the words to any of the two college hymns, the college cheer song, the two college fight songs or the college “High Stepping” song.

I’ll leave you with this, eternal friends around the silver pole of the main lobby, to sing to your heart’s delight.

“On a hill in San Francisco stands our dear J.C.

Cherished, loved by all comprising her large family,

San Francisco Junior College, Thee we’ll never fail,

San Francisco Alma Mater, Hail, Hail, Hail!”

per side 8.5x11” size only. One orginal only. Minimum 500 copies. No bleeds & heavy coverage. Offer good with this ad only.

One per customer please.

Black & White on 20lb white bond

3.5¢

“I think anytime you encourage citizens to be a part of the system is a good thing and voting is a theoretical power. Voting is good. I hate to see at any time that any program jumps in as a political solutions. I’m not sure that the youth votes and that disturbs me as a citizen.”

Jim Uhlman 55 Computer Science

“I believe that everyone should be registered to vote, and I think it’s convenient to be registered to vote. But, there are pros and cons to it."

Nardin Maroof 23Travel and Tourism Management

“I think we’re not being educated or informed enough about voting so I think it’s a good thing. Normally, people our age doesn’t think about voting. I think it’s good that we have something to push us into that kinda area.”

Di Tran19Marketing

“That’s really not fair, but I guess it’s something you have to do.”

Jeffrey Merat29Theatre

“I almost didn’t register to vote. I think that being registered to vote automatically when registering for classes is good. It sort of takes away that fear of not knowing how to go about.”

Jose Santamaria 33Computer Science

“I feel like being registered to vote is not the problem. But when somebody does something automatically for you without you asking for it, I feel like that’s unfair.”

Edgar Mo Lara 27Bioengineering

The San Francisco Junior College Handbook from the Fall Semester of 1947.

Let Veterans Turn Over A New Leaf

My, How Times Have Changed

By Nancy Channchan@theguardsman.com

More and more veterans are taking marijuana to alleviate the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is a concern since there are no conclusive results that reflect sustain-able positive effects.

Marijuana, like drugs so often are, can be an unpredictable substance. Quantities of its psychoactive compo-nent delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and non-psychoactive compo-nent cannabidiol (CBD) vary from plant to plant; THC and CBD concen-trations depend on cultivation method and strain.

Leafly.com, the world’s largest online marijuana resource, has infor-mation on 1,824 strains of marijuana as of 2016. Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica, marijuana’s main strains, can still be crossbred with other hybrid strains in an untold number of ways.

Both professionals and enthusiasts have reasons for developing their own ideal ounce. The possibilities seem endless.

Ironically, possibilities are mari-juana’s greatest hindrance for societal approval. The drug is classified as a Schedule 1 drug by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, mean-ing our government believes it has a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical treatment and no applicable safety standard.

Harder drugs like ecstasy and heroin are also identified as Schedule 1. The implication here is ridiculous.

Many veterans have reached a point where they feel outside approval is no longer necessary for their treatment of

choice. Marijuana’s ability to reduce acute stress, anxiety and nightmares is enough to justify its use, even though the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) acknowledges there are no studies on the number of veterans currently using marijuana or the bene-fits of marijuana for veterans suffering from PTSD.

Why not, if the side-effects of prescription drugs are known? Antidepressants such as Zoloft and sedatives such as Klonopin have decreasing effectiveness, and leave individuals feeling like zombies.

One former marine veteran, Logan Edwards, was contacted by NBC News about how marijuana saved his life.

“The first time I used it, I wanted to cry. Because it did everything for me that the Oxycontin, benzodiaz-epines and antidepressants the VA prescribed me for three years did not do,” Edwards said. He believed canna-bis allowed him to return to school and resume his relationships.

Cameron Shearer, a City College veteran who acquired PTSD from the 2014 Fort Hood Texas shooting, has a similarly positive outlook.

“When I came back from Texas, I was taking 18 different medications in a given day,” Shearer said. “But since I started smoking pot, it’s down to four. I consider that an achievement.”

Shearer admittedly enjoys the plant’s versatility. Living with PTSD doesn’t seem like such a hard pill to swallow if there are less pills involved.

“This is the choice I like. It works. You can absorb it in many different ways,” Shearer said. “I could do things sober, but you can’t stop thinking about things and tears come up to your eyes.”

Lane Worley is another City

College veteran with PTSD. His hands easily become clammy whenever he’s in a crowd or an area with a lot of people, including class.

“The thing you need to understand is prescribed drugs are meant for you and are not meant for the public,” Worley said.

Worley is not the only one aware of the stigmas. Veterans already have trouble reintegrating themselves into society, whether it’s finding employers or friends.

To that end, marijuana does have uses. But a lot more needs to be done for veterans’ sakes, including actual government studies and potential alter-native therapies.

They deserve our care.

Vol. 161, Issue 6 | Apr. 13 – Apr. 26, 20168 | sports

Sports Briefs City College Swimmer

Recruited By Mills CollegeSecond-year swimmer and Guardsman staff writer Daniela Fiestas-Paredes is in the process of being recruited by Oakland’s Mills College.

Fiestas-Paredes, a native of Lima, Peru, competes primarily in breaststroke events. Her season-best 100-yard breaststroke time of 1:11:84 qualified her to compete in state championships in the event in the second week of competition this season.

Mills athletes compete in the Great South Athletic Conference and is a member of Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Really Big RingsAthletes and support staff of the 2015 state championship football team received their championship rings on March 18, 2016.

The rings were designed by Jostens and contain feature an enamel and gold ram’s head logo in the center of the ring. Players, staff and coaches could all purchase the rings.

City College’s men’s basketball team is preparing for their commemorative championship rings as well. Sophomore guard Shon Briggs told The Guardsman with a smile, “We got fitted for our rings last week.”

Basketball Player Honored by School

City College sophomore Kelly Wong, a member of the Coast Conference champion women’s basketball team, received the 2015 Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award at the annual California Community College Athletic Association meeting on March 30 in Ontario, California.

Wong is a computer science major with a 3.92 GPA, and is the first City College athlete to receive the Scholar Athlete of the Year

award which requires a 3.5 GPA or higher in 36 semester units, sports leadership and demonstration of the athlete’s outstanding citizenship.

“This award has made me more appreciative of my expe-rience at City College and all the people that have helped me get here today,” Wong said at the awards banquet. When she completes her degree at City, Wong hopes to continue her studies and basketball career at UC Berkeley, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo or San Diego State University.

Stars of Track and FieldAs the track and field team prepares for the final meets of the season and Coast Conference championships, all eyes are on stars Kiera Simmons and Geraldo Castro.

Simmons ranks first in the Coast Conference, third in Northern California and sixth in the state for the 100-yard hurdles with a time of 14:49.

“She’s very strong in our conference. She’s our confer-ence leader by nearly a second, as well for the 100-meter at 2:05,” Rams head track coach Demarcus Williams said.

Multidistance runner Geraldo Castro ranks number one in the state for the men’s 800-yard with a time of 1:50.1.

“He’s a very versatile, wide-range athlete. He’s actually able to run the 1500-meter, which is just under a mile down, and the 400-meter which is one lap, and be very effective,” Williams said.

The team’s next track meet will take place on April 15 at De Anza College in Cupertino.

By Margaret Weirmweir@theguardsman.com

Liz Thompson is a team player. She became captain of the City College women’s swim team when her teammate Daniela Fiestas-Paredes recommended her to the coach.

“I said, ‘I think the person who would be a good captain is Liz,’” Fiestas-Paredes said.

Thompson began swimming casu-

ally when she was five, but it was after she joined her high school swim team that she decided to pursue the sport more seriously. She intends to attend a four-year school and major in environmental engineering after leaving City College.

Thompson’s event of choice is the indi-vidual medley, a grueling test of skill and strength comprised of four swimming styles. She also competes in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly.

“Swimmers can either do fast events, like sprinting, or endurance. I think I’m a better endurance (swimmer),” Thompson said as

her teammates furiously nodded in agree-ment behind her.

The team practices four or five days a week, spending two hours in water and one hour on land. Both technique and practice are really important in swimming, Thompson said.

It’s a thorough workout. As captain, Thompson motivates herself and her colleagues to get through it.

“I think people always want to kind of

cheat on practice, but I like to remind myself and everyone else that we only have one chance to do this right,” Thompson said.

“We can either have a hard practice and not have it be worth anything, or have a hard practice and be really proud of what we did. Either way, it hurts in the morning.”

Thompson is undeterred by the daunt-ing physical demands of her sport. The most satisfying part of swimming is when the coach gives them a really hard set and she manages to work her way through it, Thompson said.

Liz Thompson Swims Towards Success

“We can either have a hard practice and not have it be worth anything, or have a hard practice and be really proud of what we did. Either way, it hurts in the morning.”

—Liz Thompson

City College swim team captain Liz Thompson encourages her teammate during team prac-tice at the Wellness Center. Feb. 2016. (Photo by Cody Davis/Special to The Guardsman)

(Peter Wong/Special to The Guardsman)

(Cody Davis/Special to The Guardsman)