Journalism Doesn't Stop at Newspapers

Community Pressure Will Keep Mural Renovation Alive

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:10:00 -0700

The mural at La Peña Cultural Center will incorporate new images while keeping the original design intact. Photo Einar Sevilla

El Tecolote

By Einar Sevilla

Amid a growing controversy to replace an existing mural that welcomed patrons to La Peña Cultural Center, a compromise has been reached that incorporates some new images while keeping the original design intact.

Months ago, the 37-year-old Berkeley cultural center initiated a fiscal campaign called “2nd Skin” to revamp its historic 1978 mural titled “Song of Unity,” because it had deteriorated over the years.

But when efforts from the artist collective Trust Your Struggle to create a new mural got underway, a surge of public outcry to save the painting flooded La Peña.
“I would never have imagined that I would have to be in this fight to keep the mural,” said Lisa Milos, a Chilean-American and member of People United to Defend the “Song of Unity/Canción de la Unidad” Mural, which was formed in response to La Peña’s 2nd Skin campaign.

“It seems like we, as a staff and board, were not able to put out a clear message with a clear purpose of what the mural is, and what the mural is going to be,” La Peña Publicity Coordinator Fernando Torres said.

ARG Conservation Services conducted a mural condition assessment and made four treatment recommendations in June 2008, including one that called for saving the mural.

According to the ARG report, “None of the artists present felt that it was necessary to retain the original mural.” In fact, the artists saw no problem in replicating it.
The report also stated that the current mural needed to be taken down because of structural damage to the wall that it sits on.

Ray Patlan, one of the original mural artists, has taken on the task of creating a replica of the current mural, which will incorporate some new images while keeping the original design intact.

Patlan is working with members of People United to Defend the “Song of Unity/Canción de la Unidad” Mural, which has convinced La Peña to do a replica rather than a completely different mural.

ARG Conservation Services set the price for a restructure of the wall and painting of a replica at just over $81,000.

This seemed to be unrealistic to a cultural center facing financial difficulties. With a rebounding economy, many non-profits have been forced to compete for funding and grants, and La Peña has been losing revenue since 2009.

Meanwhile, there is a growing effort between second-generation La Peña supporters to revitalize the center. The Second Generation was formed about a year ago and consists mostly of the children of former Peña employees, volunteers and board members, most of whom are in their late 20s and early 30s.

Immigration lawyer Jorge Rodriguez said the mural and the cultural center don’t belong to anyone and that people need to be informed about what is happening so that there can be a process, rather than simply being told what was decided.

Transparency has become a growing issue being expressed by concerned long-time La Peña followers who want future board meetings open to the public.

Young Dominicans Dream of Big League Baseball

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:08:00 -0700

Still from the film Pelotero. Courtesy Makuhari Media.

El Tecolote

By Einar Sevilla

Young men in the Dominican Republic strive to become great baseball players, in hopes of getting signed to the major leagues and escaping poverty. What we don’t hear about are the obstacles they are faced with, such as accusations of fraud.

“Ballplayer: Poletero” is a documentary that explores this untold story by giving two firsthand accounts from Juan Carlos Batista (16), and the country’s top prospect Miguel Angel Sanó (15).

Directors Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin and Jon Paley are huge fans of baseball, who noticed Latinos coming to the forefront of the sport–especially those from the Dominican Republic.

“[These] kids [began] playing street ball on a dusty Dominican street with balls made of socks and bats made of sticks,” Martin said. “You get no sense of the process that leads them to become these superstars.”

In 1962, the San Francisco Giants were the first U.S. team to have four Dominican players: Felipe Alou, Matty Alou, Many Mota and Juan Marichal. That team would make it all the way to the World Series, but ultimately lose in seven games to the Yankees.

After seeing this success, other teams began recruiting Dominican players–a trend that has only increased over the years–and now rosters are filled with big names like Vladimir Guerrero, David “Big Papi” Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez and Robinson Canó.

According to the film, 20 percent of MLB players are Dominican.

Eager to join the Major Leagues, many of the young men drop out of school, launching themselves into intense training, waiting for the International Major League signing day, which falls on July 2.

Batista left home when he was only 13 to train with the well-known trainer Astín Jacobo. The son of the MLB’s first scout in the Dominican Republic, Jacobo became a father figure to Batista.

The MLB has mandated that players be 16 years old to sign with a big league team. This causes some of the players to lie about their age and even their identity.

If their age is in doubt, players face investigation and a possible one-year suspension if found guilty of identity fraud. Sanó experienced this firsthand.

“The biggest surprise [while filming] was learning about the investigation process,” Martin said.

While Sanó was known as the country’s top prospect and had been expected to break all previous records for the largest signing bonus, his accreditation was disputed, which caused him to be devalued.

Sanó was originally expected to earn somewhere near $6 million when he went pro.

Rene Gayo, the director of Latin American scouting for the Pittsburg Pirates is seen in the film telling Sanó’s family that if he signed with the Pirates for a significantly smaller figure, the investigation would be over.

Sanó ended up signing with the Minnesota Twins for $3.15 million because they were the only other team that wanted him.

“I think the greatest aspiration is that we can get as many people [as possible] to see the film and raise public awareness,” Emmy-nominated producer Isaac Solotaroff said. “I think it will impact the way people watch and understand the game.”

La Peña Plans to Redress Historic Mural

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 11:14:00 -0700

“Song of Unity” Mural. Photo Einar Sevilla

El Tecolote

By Einar Sevilla

A Berkeley cultural center has begun efforts to create a mural to replace its 34-year-old existing mural, which is greatly significant to the community, but has deteriorated over time.

La Peña Cultural Center kicked off its 2nd Skin campaign to save the “Song of Unity” mural, which has been outside its front wall since three years after La Peña opened its doors.

“[La Peña] promotes peace, social justice and cultural understanding through the arts, education and social action,” according to its website.

“Song of Unity” was the first 3D collective painting in the Bay Area—adding more history to the famous mural.

The mural symbolizes the values of the center and was painted to reflect Central and South American adversity, triumph and art.

“The mural is the graphic representation of our mission,” Publicity Coordinator Fernando

Torres said. “In consultation with the original artists, we are working on a project to paint a new

mural.”

La Peña had hoped to raise $17,000 by July 2, but was able to fundraise a little over $10,000, which was matched by the East Bay Community Fund.

The Fleishhacker Foundation also awarded La Peña a $20,000 grant to support its efforts to give the front wall a “second skin.”

The new mural will be designed and painted by Trust Your Struggle “an artist collective of visual artists, educators and cultural workers dedicated to social justice and community activism through the medium of art,” according to its website.

“I think La Peña, for us, is a really amazing symbol organization that is very parallel to our mission as a visual artist collective,” TYS artist Cece Carpio said.

“[The mural] is a land mark right now in South Berkeley and North Oakland,” Torres said.

The community has supported La Peña throughout the years, which is why it will try to preserve the original mural.

“The new mural will be created in an attempt to bring the same message with a new skin and feel, for the next generation of Berkeley residents,” Carpio said.

“We are hoping that the new [mural] becomes what the old one was: a symbol,” Torres said.

La Peña will host open community forums on July 22 and Aug. 4 to discuss the design of the new mural and plan a “take-down ceremony” for the current one.

If you would like to help La Peña or attend the forums, visit their website lapena.org or call (510) 849-2568.

Latino Male Shot at Folsom and 24th Streets

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 12:46:43 -0700

Sgt. Rodgers stands at the scene of the shooting as the police attempt to gather more information. Photo Einar Sevilla

El Tecolote

By Einar Sevilla

An argument between a small group of men on the corner of 24th and Folsom streets ended Tuesday, July 10 with a gun drawn, three shots fired and one person in the hospital.

At around 4 p.m. a group of three or four men in their early 20s were seen arguing around the corner from Phillz Coffee, which lead to one man pulling out a gun, said Sgt. Matt Rodgers who was on the scene.

Another man ran when he saw the gun drawn and was shot in the buttocks. The victim would later make his way to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening wounds, Rodgers said.

The suspect, believed to be African American, was last seen driving off in a green Lexus, according to Rodgers.

The victim was described as a Latino in his 20s.

Criminalization of Truant Students Reaps Inconclusive Results

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:23:00 -0700

El Tecolote

By Einar Sevilla

Truancy levels have gone down in the Mission District, but it is unclear if schools are better serving students and families or if fear of legal action is the only motivation behind the improvement—students and their families can be charged with a misdemeanor and face up to $2,500 in fines if the student is chronically truant.

A truant is defined by the city as any student who is more than 30 minutes late for class or misses their classes completely on more than three days.

Before leaving the Mayor’s office, Gavin Newsom teamed up with the District Attorney’s office to crack down on truancy citywide—a collaboration that lead to the creation of the Truancy Assessment & Resource Center, an intervention program that SFUSD uses as their goto resource for assisting truant students.

Both TARC Director Tacing Parker and program advocate Lisa Mejia expressed excitement at the number of students they were able to directly assist through the program.

“This year alone we [helped] over 200 [students],” Mejia said.

“And last year we had over 300,” Parker added. “[The TARC] started in May of 2010, and within a year, we did get the news from the district that truancy levels had decreased on all school levels.”

Students may be labeled as chronically truant if they miss more than 10 percent of their classes without an excuse, while a habitual truant is one who continues to miss school after multiple attempts to reach out to the student and their family.

SFUSD schools send letters home once a student is absent more than three times, and students are generally forced to create an agreement with the school and their parents to attend classes regularly. If the truancy persists, families are sent a second and then a third and final warning letter.

After that, the school district and District Attorney’s office are notified.

“The letters can be some what intimidating,” said Elsa Gamino, attendance liaison for John O’ Connell High School. “Howeverwhat I like about the letters is that they specify the dates of tardiness and absences.”

It is usually only in extreme cases of truancy or absenteeism that students or their families may be taken to court.

According to the District Attorney’s Office there were only 50 individuals or families whose truancy case reached the courts last year, and only 115 cases have been reported in the past four years.

Truancy was one of the problems facing the Mission District in 2010 when the SFUSD chose to create the Superintendent’s Zone, which is divided into the Bayview Zone and the Mission Zone—together they have the two highest rates of truancy in the city.

According to the SFUSD, 23.1% of students in the Mission Zone were chronically absent during the 2008-2009 school year, compared to only 13.4% from 2011-2012.

The Mission Zone consists of: Bryant Elementary, Cesar Chavez Elementary, Leonard R. Flynn Elementary, John Muir Elementary, Everett Middle School, Horace Mann Middle School, Mission High School and John O’Connell High School.

According to SFUSD spokesperson Gentle Blythe, George Moscone Elementary is excluded from the Mission Zone because it has a history of high academic performance.

Honoring a Legendary Luchador

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 21:30:04 -0700

El Tecolote

By Einar Jose Sevilla

Mil Mascaras, one of the most recognized professional wrestlers in the world, made a recent surprise visit to the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts as part of a promotion kicking off “La Quebradora,” an exhibit honoring Lucha Libre.

The 17-time champion signed autographs, took photos with fans and served as the celebrity guest for the exhibit’s unveiling.

Born Aaron Rodriguez, July 1, 1938, “The Man of 1,000 Masks” made his wrestling debut in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1965—47 years later he would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2012.

“[As a youngster] I lifted weights and did amateur wrestling, as well as GrecoRoman [wrestling],” Mascaras said. “I also did Judo, so logically with that I was drawn towards professional wrestling.”

As a heavyweight, Mascaras dazzled audiences with his high-flying moves, typifying the Mexican Lucha Libre style that would inspire many wrestlers who followed him; his long and successful career changed the face of professional wrestling worldwide.

“At the beginning of my career I preoccupied myself by going to the gym to be completely different from the rest, including designing my masks,” he said.

Little did he know that while he was striving to be unlike any other wrestler, future wrestlers would mimic his style.

The ancient Greeks may have invented wrestling, but modern Mexicans like Mascaras have undeniably transformed it.

In an interview with the Miami Her ald before Mascaras’ WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony, wrestling superstar Rey Mysterio—who still wears a traditional luchador mask—acknowledged the legend’s pioneering career.

“Not only did he revolutionize the sport in the United States, but also in Japan and in Mexico,” Mysterio said. “You would never see that man wear the same outfit twice. His style in the ring, his presence, the designs on his masks—everything was so different every time.”

Mascaras took his acrobatic moves and unique masks around the world, particularly in the United States and Japan, where he began to make his impression on the professional wrestling world.

Mascaras is humble about his influence, but he can easily see the mark he has left on wrestling in new champions like Mysterio.

“I wouldn’t say that they are my copies, but what I did in the gym, what I invented in the gym, [other wrestlers] are doing it now,” Mascaras said.

In 1972 Mascaras was the first masked wrestler to compete at Madison Square Garden, because of a law that banned hooded wrestlers from competing—one that was lifted specifically for the Mexican luchador.

At age 49, he won the WWA (Mexico) World Heavyweight Championship in 1991 and held it until 1994.

Mascaras has no immediate intention of retiring, and he considers induction into the Hall of Fame a feat for retired wrestlers, but he said he is still honored.

“To go to [the Hall of Fame] means that you are someone, and that you’ve accomplished something,” he said.

Aside from his wrestling career, Mascaras has also had a career as a movie star—appearing in 21 films during his run as a famous wrestler.

Meanwhile, he continues to wrestle and sign autographs wherever he goes, and he recently teamed up with El Hijo Del Santo and his brother Dos Caras in Mexico.

Art and Wrestling Tagteam Mission Gallery

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 21:20:00 -0700

El Tecolote

By Einar Jose Sevilla

The Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts opened an exhibit celebrating Mexican professional wrestling—Lucha Libre—and its significance to its home country and the world.

“La Quebradora: Lucha Libre in Contemporary Mexican Art” will be running from June 6 until Aug. 4, under the watchful eye of curator Amy Pederson.

“I’ve been an art historian for quite a while, but I’ve been a fan of Lucha Libre for almost the same amount of time,” she said. “I guess it was sort of fortuitous that I found some chance to bring these things together.”

The exhibit opened June 6 with an appearance by perhaps Lucha Libre’s most famous star—Mil Mascaras—who revolutionized the sport during his 47-year career as an international luchador.

Tattoo Artist, Sal Cortez, said Lucha Libre inspires him creatively and that he was thrilled to meet Mil Mascaras.

“To shake the hand of a legend [and] listen to the knowledge he has about his life

is pretty extraordinary,” Cortez said.

For the opening, Promo Lucha Azteca set up a ring in the MCCLA’s theater and put on two tag team matches. The first featured “The KKK” vs. “The Black Panthers,” with The Black Panthers taking the win.

Ultimo Tigre and Paiaso Del Rodeo teamed up against El Rudo Sancho and El Diabolico in the second match, which was a more technical bout that demonstrated the physical skill necessary for Lucha Libre.

“Thanks to one of our teammates, named Chicano Flame, we were given an invitation, and we’re here to support [the MCCLA],” Paiaso Del Rodeo said.

After the matches there was a Q&A with Mil Mascaras, and the exhibit was unveiled in the MCCLA’s gallery.

“[The exhibit is] contemporary, it has a language that’s universal, it’s our 35th anniversary and it’s my gift to the center, and to the Mission, to bring this kind of dialogue to today’s time,” Gallery Coordinator for the MCCLA Maurizzio Hector Pineda said.

There are videos playing along the walls and floor that showed wrestlers training in the gym, creating masks and performing their craft in front of a large audience.

Paintings lined the walls and explained the ways that Lucha Libre reflects its home country and the struggles its people face.

One in particular that stood out was “Santo vs. Santo” by Enrique Hernandez of Guadalajara, depicting the famous luchador El Santo—whose face was only publicly revealed twice—in a bout against himself. The painting challenges the idea of identity beyond the mask.

Pederson said that the painting and many others in the exhibit explore the “idea of looking for a mark of truth, or freedom, in society.”

“I think you can find this in the best kinds of art,” she said. “And I think you can find this in the purest forms of Lucha Libre.”

“Mascara” by Ruben Gutierrez from Monterrey, is a photo of a luchador mask made out of cocaine, representing Mexico’s long battle with drug trafficking.

Chicano Flame and the non-profit Los Bomberos, which comprises Latino firefighters from San Francisco, brought Mil Mascaras to the Mission District.

Promo Lucha Azteca will return to the Mission District Aug.4 on the final night of La Quebradora, and the exhibit will continue to have events such as film presentations and a speech with Amy Pederson and Mexican Museums Adjunct Curator David de la Torre.

If you would like to make a reservation for a gallery tour, call (415) 821-1155. For more information visit missionculturalcenter.org.

Gotta Go Fast! CCSF Track and Field Sets Sights High

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:34:00 -0700

Erica Williams trains with her coach Greg Bianchi at a track and field practice at the Ocean Campus on May 14, 2012. VINCENT PALMIER / THE GUARDSMAN

The Guardsman

Einar Sevilla

City College’s track & field team has set a goal of reaching All-American status this season. Their athletes are performing at high levels and breaking school records on their way to the state championships.

With their performance at the NorCal finals last weekend, the Track & Field team drew one step closer to their goal by having a handful of athletes moving on to State Championships.

Collegiate athletes reach All-America status when they place in the top four in a particular event at the State Championships.

Sprints coach Doug Owyang said, “to be NorCal Champion is our goal, to make it to the state meet, and to vie for All-American status… and I think we have individuals in relays that can possibly do it.”

“We’ve established that we are some of the tops in the events we are (competing) in for the NorCal Finals,” he said.

Owyang said that there are many top-level athletes on the team this season, and that Erica Williams has demonstrated that she is among the elite competitors in the state.

Williams broke a 20-year-old City College of San Francisco record by 100 points with her performance in the heptathlon at the NorCal Community College Championships in April.

She went on to break another school record with her 38.25 foot Triple Jump at the NorCal Finals on May 11 and 12.

“I worked about ten times harder this season then I ever had my entire life and it definitely showed,” Williams said.

The track portion of the team has been more successful than the field portion because of a lack of representation in field competitions. Williams has succeeded in both as a multi-event competitor Field Coach Greg Bianci said.

“On the men’s side, we’re pretty dominant in the sprints,” Owyang said. “We had the fastest time in the NorCal trials in the 4×4 (relay).”

The 4×4 relay team, comprised of all freshmen, will also be competing in the State Championship after qualifying at the NorCal Finals with a time of 3:13.

City College’s men’s team ranked fifth at the Coast Conference Championships, while the women’s team ranked fourth.

“For the first time we actually had a solid girl’s squad instead of it just being me and another girl like last season,” Williams said.

First year students Alex Foster and Jarrett Moore have proven very valuable in the team’s preliminary competitions, and have helped lead City College on the road to the state championships.

Foster placed second in the 800 meter event, and Moore placed fifth in the 1500 meter event at NorCal Finals. Both will compete in State Championships.

“The treatment you get here coaching-wise, and academically, is nothing compared to any other junior college,” Williams said.

Both Athletes and coaches athletes have worked hard all season to make it to State Championships which will be held May 18 and 19 at Cerritos College in Los Angeles.

Cafeteria May Soon Be Only A Memory

Sun, 06 May 2012 21:05:34 -0700

The City College cafeteria at the Ocean Campus, which faces closure due to budget cuts. KEVIN BROWN / THE GUARDSMAN

The Guardsman

By Einar Sevilla

City College’s renowned Culinary Arts & Hospitality Studies program is desperately trying to raise $250,000, or it may have to close the Smith Hall cafeteria.

While much is still needed, there has been some hope. On April 30 the department received $74,700 in private donations from alumni of the program, with John Konstin, co-chair of the program’s advisory board and owner of John’s Grill, contributing $60,000.

Despite these donations, the Culinary Arts & Hospitality department is still scrambling to find ways to keep the cafeteria, as well as the department, the reputable institution it has become over the years.

If the cafeteria closes, this may no longer be true.

The city of San Francisco and the restaurant community should be doing more to keep this program alive, since it provides a major portion of the city’s culinary workforce.

And more alumni should step up and give back to help save a program that has done so much for them.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on April 27 that, although the program generates $900,000 a year, it costs $1.6 million to run.

“I think what [City College is] trying to do is get a zero-cost out of the department,” instructor Vincent Patatore said.

The Culinary Arts & Hospitality Studies department teaches students to prepare, cook and serve food, and also offers hospitality services instruction.

For these students the cafeteria is a learning environment and not a profit-making institution. The cafeteria should not have to justify itself financially.

“I have a passion for cooking, and I actually looked for programs all over the country,” said culinary student Joe Lin. “And I found that this one … had the most bang for the buck.”

He says that the program “puts you above and beyond the other candidates (employers) may have for the job.”

Unlike other culinary programs in which students usually just cook for themselves and their instructors, City College’s curriculum shows students what it feels like to serve people and work at a restaurant — giving them real-world experience.

Tannis Reinhertz, Culinary Arts & Hospitality department chair, said about 80 percent of the program’s graduates leave with a job offer.

The hands-on experience provided by the cafeteria is what makes employers eager to hire City College’s culinary graduates. Eliminating this experience will put students at a disadvantage in the job market.

The cafeteria serves around 900 students a day, said Reinhertz.

“Where can I go get a protein, a starch and a vegetable for $6?” she said, referring to the lack of other healthy food options for students, staff and faculty if the cafeteria closes.

Every morning before class, I go to Smith Hall to enjoy a wonderful breakfast prepared by the City College culinary students, but now where will I eat if the cafeteria closes?

Sure, there are other places to eat around campus, but they are not nearly as nutritious or frugal, and one can only eat pizza and chinese food for so long.

The cafeteria provides cost-efficient, nutritious options for on-campus dining, which greatly benefits student and faculty patrons. But it also provides a training facility for San Francisco’s future restaurateurs, which benefits the entire community.

It is one of the most successful programs City College has to offer, and it needs to be saved.

The cafeteria is crucial to the success of the culinary program, Konstin said. Closing it, “would be a major loss for the city.”

CCSF win "plaques on plaques" at annual journalism conference for student reporters

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:36:00 -0700

The Guardsman Etc. staff after the awards ceremony at the JACC conference on Mar. 24 in Burbank, Calif. -Beth Laberge

The Guardsman

By Einar Sevilla

City College’s Journalism department snagged 22 awards in March at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges’ 57th annual state conference in Burbank.

The JACC is an educational non-profit run by students and faculty from across the state and organizes four conferences every year.

The state convention took place from March 22-25 at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel and Convention Center and brought together over 550 students from 44 California community colleges and one from Rhode Island.

More than a dozen student representatives attended the conference from City College, along with two faculty members — Tom Graham and Juan Gonzales, faculty advisors for the student run publications Etc. Magazine and The Guardsman, respectively.

Awards were submitted under three categories — mail-in: pieces published during the previous two semesters, bring-in: original pieces not previously published, and on-the-spot: work produced at competitions during the convention.

Etc. Magazine staff took home several mail-in awards, including first place for Magazine Photo by Alex Chousa and first place for Magazine Opinion Article by Isaiah Kramer.

Elliot Owen, former editor-in-chief of Etc. Magazine, said the number of awards won speaks to the both the level of student talent and the quality of the journalism department.

“I think the department is really great for providing students a foundation in the discipline,” Owen said. “The instructors are very engaging and very dedicated, and that really rubs off on the students and inspires them.”

Clarivel Fong, Guardsman multi-media editor, won first place in the bring-in photo competition for her photograph of students protesting education budget cuts at the March in March rally in Sacramento.

“It’s gratifying to know that we’re among the elite best in the state when it comes to producing a campus newspaper,” journalism department chair Juan Gonzales said.

Other Guardsman staff won honorable mentions for on-the-spot competitions, including Susan Boeckmann for copy editing and Catherine Lee for critical review.

“The awards are great recognition of what we do,” Guardsman editor-in-chief Joe Fitzgerald said, “but the news is what’s important.”

Students also attended workshops focused on topics that ranged from how to optimize internships, journalism ethics and how to become better photographers.

“I think there’s always a possibility to get better,” Guardsman culture editor Lulu Orozco said.

“I felt like there was a lot to learn, and the workshops were awesome,” Guardsman reporter Oz Litvac said. It was “a great learning experience.”

Learning Assistance Center struggles with severe budget cuts

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:30:46 -0700

Learning Assistance Center tutor, Kevin Brown [left] helps student Ronnie Robison on Apr. 6 in the LAC, which is currently under attack from budget cuts. -Donovan Yi

The Guardsman

By Einar Sevilla

Despite having to make cuts to their budget along with the rest of City College, the Learning Assistance Center staff and tutors are hoping to maintain their academic support program as a place where students can still get help.

The LAC offers peer/staff tutoring in: business, technology, science, composition, foreign languages, social science, math and engineering, as well as computer lab services and college success courses.

It serves roughly 4,000 students a semester, or approximately 45,000 hours of service, according to Nadine Rosenthal, chair of the Learning Assistance department.

“[The LAC] is a place that helps you improve your grades,” said second-year-student Isabel Zamarron who spends around five hours a day in the tutoring center.

“You get so much help from tutors because they are people in the same position,” she added, “it’s students helping students.”

“The LAC has helped me achieve not only my [academic] goals, but gain knowledge as well.” Ronnie Robison, a student at City College since 2006, said. “If the LAC closed, I wouldn’t have any place to go. I wouldn’t have anybody to work with me.”

The LAC has been able to maintain most tutoring and computer lab services despite the cuts made to faculty and staff, Rosenthal said.

“Though we have less faculty, staff and tutors, we’re still going strong,”

The LAC is now closed on Saturdays, but Math 860: Intermediate Algebra and calculus tutoring will still be offered in Bungalow 602 on Saturdays, while the writing lab is also open that day on the fifth floor of the Rosenberg Library.

When Saturday tutoring was cut, the Math 860, calculus and composition branches chose to keep themselves open because those branches were heavily utilized, and staff wanted to be able to serve students even though the LAC would be closed.

Cuts were also made by eliminating those teachers gaining extra money for tutoring, as well as by cutting part-time instructors, and full-time faculty on overload, and those teaching college success courses.

The math, composition and chemistry tutoring are the most heavily used areas of the LAC, Rosenthal said, so students may have to wait longer to see a tutor but see one nonetheless.

There is a freeze on hiring of classified staff, such as the secretary the LAC lost last semester, and there are fewer tutors throughout the academic support programs, Rosenthal said.

“The cuts we’ve sustained are pretty much average,” she said, adding that she feels the LAC has made its fair share of cuts.

Rosenthal said that the City College administration has been sustaining academic support programs by keeping them alive rather than eliminating them completely. She feels it is important that, “students know people have a place to come get help.”

The LAC summer session budget has yet to be approved, but Rosenthal said that she is hopeful that normal summer hours will be in place.

5 Murders Near Ocean Campus

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:57:00 -0700

Police stand outside of 16 Howth St, the site of a five person murder-suicide on Mar. 23, 2012 in San Francisco, Calif. The City College of San Francisco Ocean Campus can be seen in the background. Photo by Matt Lambert/The Guardsman

By Sara Bloomberg and Einar Sevilla

Additional reporting by Alex Mullaney of the Ingleside Light

Five people were found dead this morning in a possible murder-suicide that occurred at 16 Howth St., near the City College Ocean campus, according to police.

An unidentified woman, believed to be a family member, arrived at the home to find the bodies and called police at 7:45 a.m.. There were three women and two men found dead in the home.

City College crime professor and ex-homicide officer Mark Hawthorne reports that a police insider has said that the incident is currently under investigation as a murder-suicide.

All five people belong to the same family. Some of the victims are believed to have suffered gunshot wounds.

Local police are currently using City College’s Wellness Center as a command center to investigate the crime.

San Francisco medical examiners transport one of the bodies found after a five person murder-suicide on Howth St and Ocean Ave, near City College of San Francisco on Mar. 23, 2012. Photo by: Shane Menez / The Guardsman

Op/Ed: Protesters to Obama: “Let me medicate!”

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:52:53 -0700

By Einar Sevilla
The Guardsman

Medical marijuana advocates gathered outside the Nob Hill Masonic Center last Thursday as President Obama hosted a fundraising dinner. Protesters demanded that the feds recognize state laws and reclassify marijuana so that it will no longer be grouped with drugs like heroin and crack.

Before his election, President Obama had promised to respect states’ medical marijuana laws, saying “I’m not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue.”
But as president, Obama has been even more hostile to medical marijuana than George W. Bush.

According to the federal government cannabis is still an illegal controlled substance and the DEA continues to ignore California’s voter-approved Proposition 215 (1996), which legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

San Francisco has seen the DEA close down five cannabis dispensaries, with 12 more under investigation.

“He needs to stop this senseless attack on patients’ access and state law,” said San Francisco Medical Cannabis Task Force spokesperson Stephanie Tucker. “The federal government needs to reclassify cannabis completely so there can be testing and regulation allowed, not this stupid state versus federal law conflict.”

It’s easy to prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries since they are all listed in the phone book and have a storefront with posted hours of operation, whereas investigating black market drug dealers actually requires work.

In 2002, cannabis patient Steph Sherer created a national organization called Americans for Safe Access in hopes of helping patients secure safe access to cannabis.

“The amount (of marijuana) you need as a patient, you just can’t get from friends,” said Sherer. “It’s weird asking some skater kid for your medicine.”

Rescheduling marijuana as a controlled substance with medical benefits would allow for scientific research which could uncover more medical uses. It would take money out of the black market and create a considerable number of jobs in a brand new industry, one that could generate billions in tax revenue.

Renowned Author Pens Second Memoir

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:47:00 -0700

By Einar Sevilla

El Tecolote

Luis Rodriguez went from being a homeless gang-member struggling with alcoholism and drug addiction to become a renowned community activist and leader with a critically acclaimed, bestselling memoir.

”It was my destiny to get my story out there, and the be the one to write it,” he said.

Rodriguez has published 15 books, including fiction, children’s literature and poetry, but he is mast famous for his non-fiction memoir “Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A.,” published in 1993.

”Always Running” has sold over 40,000 copies and is among the U.S.’s 100 most banned book, which has only caused it to gain more success.

He recently released a sequel to his award-winning memoir titled “It Calls You Back: An Odyssey Through Love, Addiction, Revolutions, and Healing,” which informs readers about his life since giving up 37 years of drugs and alcohol, and losing his son to gang life and the prison system.

Rodriguez began writing when he was in juvenile detention and had nothing better to do with his time. When he was released, he found a typewriter in his father’s garage and, using only his index fingers, began to type whatever came to him.

It wasn’t until he was in his 20’s that Rodiguez began to take his writing seriously and decided to sharpen his skills by going to night classes at East Los Angeles College.

”I don’t have any degrees, so that cut off a lot of opportunities” he said. “[But] others could see, ‘you got something here.’”

He worked as a journalist, covering the crime beat for the San Bernardino Sun and also published a Latino art journal.

He sold his first book, “Poems Across the Pavement,” out of the trunk of his car and it ultimately won the 1989 Poetry Center Book Award from San Francisco State University.

Once Rodriguez had established his literary credibility, he convinced his publisher to finance and publish “Always Running.”

He wrote the book as a warning to his son, Ramiro, who was 15 at the time and just getting involved with a gang in Chicago. It was a warning his son did not heed and, after joining a gang, he ultimately ended up in prison.

The sequel to “A;ways Running” is meant for Ramiro, who was being released from prison as Rodriguez finished writing the book.

Rodriguez has been regarded as an ethnocentric writer, but does not feel constrained by such a title. He simply writes about his own experiences, which revolve around the Latino experience.

”We need our stories out there, and I’m going to fight to do our stories as much as I can,” he said.

With Rodriguez’s success came much recognition, including many awards. The awards that means the most to him is the Ruben Salazar Spirit of Struggle Award, given to Rodriguez by the East LA group Inner City Struggle.

It was an award he won alongside Dolores Huerta, who is famous for her work with Cesar Chavez in organizing the United Farm Workers.

”That was probably the biggest, nicest one I’ve gotten, because it was the community acknowledging my work,” Rodriguez said.

Despite never having won a major literary award such as the Pulitzer, Rodriguez says the literary world has recognized his work.

”The biggest [literary award] I got was the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Writer’s Award … To me it’s important because I work really hard on trying to be a a strong literary writer,” he said. “I think I got the awards I need to be recognized for what I do.”

As Rodriguez gained fame and respect, he saw the educational and service gaps in the community, ones that he tried to fill by searching for community organizations to work with.

”I realized, I’m going to have to start them [because] they don’t exist,” he said.

Rodriguez’s success allows him to create organizations because of his new-found status as an acclaimed Latino writer. He has created non-profits such as Youth Struggle for Survival in Chicago, the Latino Writers Association in Los Angeles and Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore in the San Fernando Valley.

Rodriguez has also been visiting prisons for over 30 years, giving workshops on poetry and writing, as well as directing people away from gang life. It’s a cause that his son has taken up since realizing that gang life was not right for him, and has been speaking to prisoners about leaving gangs from behind bars since his own imprisonment.

Rodriguez i currently promoting “It Calls You Back,” but he intends to move on to other mediums in the future, such as film and theater.

”But the key is you have to try to be good in all of them,” he said.

Fighting for the Dream

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:53:00 -0700

By Einar Sevilla

The Guardsman

Twenty-year-old Raul Barrera says graduated high school with a 3.8 GPA and is a dedicated employee, but he barely makes ends meet. His City College tuition is equivalent to one month’s salary at his construction job in Oakland and he struggles to cover the rent for a room he shares with his girlfriend, Elsa Ramos. The Internet is their only luxury.

Barrera, who came to the U.S. illegally in 2007, should be a perfect candidate for the new California Dream Act. The Dream Act, made up of Assembly Bills 130 and 131, was signed by Governor Jerry Brown this year and will allow undocumented students to receive both public and private scholarships and grants.

In order to qualify for the California Dream Act students must meet certain requirements. They must have attended a California high school for a minimum of three years, must have earned a diploma or GED, and must file an affidavit with their college or university stating that they intend to apply for legal immigrant status.

But when the California Dream Act finally takes effect in January of 2013 for many students, including Barrera, it will be too late.

One of Many

When Barrera was 10 years old his family life began to fall apart. With the death of his older bother Juan Carlos, Barrera began to sink into depression. By age 13 he was in a downward spiral of sex, drugs and alcohol abuse.

His uncle, who lives in the U.S. was worried about Barrera’s destructive behavior and offered him the opportunity to study in San Francisco. Now all he had to do was get there.

So in 2007, at the age of 16, he left his hometown of Vera Cruz, Mexico to come to the United States illegally.

He successfully crossed the U.S. border, but was abandoned by the “coyote” his had uncle paid to guide him.

Traveling north through the desert, Barrera was lost and desperately looking for water when an American woman found him. She quenched his thirst, but also called immigration officials who immediately arrested him.

In his cell Barrera was treated like an animal. “I lost my identity in there,” he says. He was repeatedly denied water and only given a salty cookie to eat making thirst worse.
He remembers it like this: he wasn’t seen as a human being, but as a stray dog trapped in the pound.

Returning Not an Option

Shortly after being deported to Tijuana, Barrera was walking down the street when a small group of Federals approached him. Barrera feared he was about to be arrested, but before he could react he was thrown into a cab by an unfamiliar woman.

She told Barrera that he was about to get beat up and robbed by the Federals and that by pushing him into the cab she had saved him.

She asked him if he was looking to cross the border and he immediately said yes. Within a few hours, Barrera found himself with a small group at the opening of a sewer system leading into the United States. They undressed and placed their clothing in plastic bags to keep them dry.

“It was the most disgusting experience I ever had,” Barrera said. “The water smelled like sulfur.”

But it was worth it. As he crawled through the raw sewage, Barrera thought of it as a baptism. A new beginning.

“I wanted to renew my life,” he said, looking away as he spoke.

At once point Barrera was spotted in the muck by border patrol agents who commanded him to come out. He kept crawling and eventually the border police gave up.

“They didn’t want to get their fancy clothes dirty.” he said.

He took his free pass and never looked back.

A New Beginning

Once in San Francisco, Barrera’s uncle pushed him to value education.

Barrera easily enrolled at John O’Connell High School of Technology. He only had to show his middle school transcript and get the neccessary vaccinations.
He excelled in school, graduating with a 3.8 GPA.

Since San Francisco prides itself on being a safe haven for undocumented immigrants, Barrera was never scared nor embarrassed to talk openly about being an undocumented student.

According to those who knew him Barrera was a very shy young man, but when he did speak it was profound.

He involved himself in the community. In 2008 he interned at People Organizing to Demand Economic/Environmental Rights (PODER SF) a local non-profit. This is where Barrera began to find himself, gain a sense of family, and realize his potential.

College seemed unreal to him until he sat in on a presentation explaining the possibilities of education for undocumented students. This was where he first learned of AB 540 and realized he could actually go to college.

Assembly Bill 540 allows qualified undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition, saving them thousands of dollars.

He saved money for two years as a day laborer in order to attend college at Cal Poly Pomona where he planned to major in Economics, but later decided to change majors. He came to City College of San Francisco where he hopes to transfer to San Francisco State and major in international relations

His Dream is Not California’s Dream

“I won’t benefit from the Dream Act,” Barrera said indifferently. He’s not alone.

Predictions estimate that only 2500 students will actually benefit from the California Dream Act, although many more undocumented students are in need. Not all undocumented students in California meet the stringent requirements of the Dream Act.

And of the $1.4 billion budget for institutional grants, undocumented students will only receive roughly 1%.

Those that do qualify for the Dream Act will not see any aid until it takes effect January 1, 2013.

The Activist

Barrera doesn’t let the challenges of his immigration status deter him as he strives to make changes in a country that doesn’t accept him.

Barrera was inspired by his brother, who was a politically-aware, respected member of the community in Mexico. It seems only natural Barrera would aspire to do the same here in the U.S.. As he continues his education and activism, he has become more vocal and more passionate.

He serves a dual role in his community. He teaches undocumented high school students the necessary steps to apply to be recognized as AB 540, paving their way to a college degree. At City College’s VIDA organization (Voices for Immigrants Demonstrating Achievement), he helps undocumented students of all ages fill out their paperwork.

After receiving his B.A., Barrera plans to travel to Cuba to become a doctor, stating a need to help the world in tangible ways.

He knows that there is not much work for an undocumented person in the U.S. but says “you can take those degrees anywhere.”

But if he leaves the U.S. he could face the possibility of never being able to return to his adopted home. He dreads deportation or another jail sentence.