A mass movement that sprouted from a mobilizing conference at UC Berkeley four months ago manifested as one of the most widespread and organized protests in recent memory on March 4.

Students, educators, organized labor and concerned citizens took to the streets across the state and demanded an end to budget slashes crippling California’s once robust public education system.

Read extensive coverage from rallies at City College, San Francisco State University, UC Berkeley and Civic Center Plaza inside this special full-color pullout section of The Guardsman. Longer stories, slide shows, video and interviews are available below:

City College: http://theguardsman.com/2010/03/march4-ccsf/

San Francisco State: http://theguardsman.com/2010/03/march4-sfstate

University of California: http://theguardsman.com/2010/03/march4-ucberkeley/

Civic Center Plaza: http://theguardsman.com/2010/03/march4-civiccenter

Oscar Grant Memorial: http://theguardsman.com/2010/03/march4-oscargrant/

By Greg Zeman, Tania Cervantes and Robert Romano
The Guardsman

Anthony Meade , Air Force veteran and City College student poses in dress uniform. Meade only received G.I. benefits after Dianne Fienstien and her office intervened on his behalf. ROBERT ROMANO / THE GUARDSMAN

The GI Bill, the United State’s promise of support to its returning veterans since World War II, is not serving the needs of all student veterans in a timely fashion.

According to the City College Veteran’s Educational Benefits Office, approximately 400 City College students are relying on the Veterans Administration to pay for their education and housing expenses through Chapter 33 of the GI Bill — called the “Post 9-11 GI Bill.”

“The big difference in this new GI bill is money is given according to zip codes and students that attend City College receive more money as San Francisco is a more expensive city,” said Fay Caroline, a counselor with the City College veteran’s educational benefits office. “What we are now seeing is a big influx of students under the 33 chapter that have chosen City College because they will get more money.”

She added that the massive influx of students has caused Chapter 33 benefits to kick in late — often six to 10 weeks behind schedule.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America reports that more than 1.7 million veterans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, which could explain the large number of veterans seeking GI Bill benefits.

Student veterans have faced additional difficulty due to extensive budget cuts to public education.

In order to receive GI Bill benefits, veterans must be enrolled in approved classes. Those unable to register for classes or those who have had their classes cut are left without any money.

Because summer semester has been canceled, veterans seeking benefits during summer semester will have to attend another college, possibly one that qualifies them for less benefits — or they may not receive benefits at all.

Jordan Towers is a City College history student who joined the Marines after graduating high school.

“I wasn’t ready for college and I needed funds,” Towers said. “Money is a huge reason why people join.”

Towers had to wait three months to obtain his benefits during his first semester at City College.
“They provide, but they are really slow,” he said.

Some student veterans like Anthony Meade have faced eviction because of these delays in payment.

“I received the benefits only with intense hardships,” Meade said. “I did get them, but only after Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office intervened to the Veterans Affairs on my behalf, and that was really the reason I got paid.”

A veteran who who will be referred to as George because his claim with the VA is still pending, , said he is tired of waiting.

“They keep telling me, ‘just a little longer,’ but my landlord doesn’t want to hear that anymore,” George said. “It’s not like I’m asking for a handout. I was promised these benefits when I enlisted.”

George said when he was in boot camp, he was required to set up a checking account with either the Pentagon Federal Credit Union or Bank of America. George chose Bank of America, which denied his request for a loan to make up for late VA payments.

“It’s not like I even want to take a loan when people owe me money,” he said, adding that nobody is answering his calls at the national VA education office in Omaha, Neb. and that he keeps getting a recorded message.

Nobody could be reached at the national VA office for comment. A recorded message explained that the office was, “getting an unprecedented number of claims.”

Not all student veterans have faced such difficulty. Moe Awobo, a City College dance student and seven year Air Force veteran, said that being in the military helped her overcome personal obstacles and get an education.

“My life was not going in a direction I liked. I was in a rut, my life had stalled,” Awobo said. “Now I’m definitely getting school paid for. It’s nice to be able to study what I love.”

City College student veteran Stuart Rhodes show four military branch emblems at a Mrach 3 meeting of the newly founded Veterans Alliance, where the club discussed designs for their logo. JOSEPH PHILLIPS / THE GUARDSMAN

According to the decision in Levy v. Brown — a 1993 case heard by the U.S. Court of Veteran’s Appeals — verbal agreements between a military recruiter and a recruit do not constitute an actual contract. Many people who speak with military recruiters on campus do not realize that, unlike their decision to serve as a soldier for eight years, promises made to them by recruiters are not legally binding.

“When I spoke to a recruiter, they told me that women don’t serve in combat and so I should not worry,” said Omaira Duran, a City College student considering enlistment in the military. “I know they sugarcoat everything, but if I actually don’t serve in combat, then I think it can be a good experience.”

Awobo said that the idea that women do not see combat is ridiculous.

“My recruiter was a female and she never told me that,” she said. “A lot of my homegirls have set foot in Baghdad and Afghanistan. Once you put on that uniform, there is no distinction. If they need a body, then you’re going.”

Campos argues policy may lead to racial profiling

By Fleur Bailey and Alex Emslie
The Guardsman

The Washington family listens as SFUSD Board of Education President Jane Kim (right) advocates for the Board of Supervisors sanctuary policy amendment at a March 1 press conference. Tracey Washington (left) and her two sons faced deportation after the 13-year-old boy (back) stole 46 cents. ICE granted them a 60-day extension on March 3. RAMSEY EL-QARE / THE GUARDSMAN

Attempts to modify San Francisco’s sanctuary ordinance, which would allow for greater protection from deportation of undocumented youth accused of criminal conduct, has stalled due to a conflict between the Board of Supervisors and the mayor’s office.

Supervisor David Campos is arguing that probation officers should only contact US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after a youth has been convicted of a felony and not at the time of booking.

Campos introduced an amendment to the ordinance on Aug. 18, 2009 and called for a public hearing at City Hall on March 4.

“I feel disappointed that we are in this position,” Campos said. “How is it that after a law was passed, we are here having to engage in a hearing? The immigration department gets it, that a procedure should be allowed. Even Washington gets it. We’re here today because the mayor’s office does not get the point.”

The Board of Supervisors passed the amendments to the ordinance for confidentiality of juveniles immigration status on Nov. 10, 2009, but it was vetoed by Mayor Gavin Newsom and has yet to be implemented.

William Siffermann, chief probation officer at the San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department, said they are only able to implement amendments to the ordinance if it complies with state and federal law, and had been advised by the City Attorney’s office that there may be legal implications in doing so.

“The department cannot modify the present practices of the policy,” Siffermann said. “We believe that modification would be breaking federal law.”

The JPD has a policy that allows its officers to notify ICE when they process someone and have reason to believe that person is not a U.S citizen, as long as that belief is not based solely on the person’s appearance or inability to speak English.

Siffermann said that officers may also report the presence of other possible undocumented youths in the area at the time of an arrest.

Campos then asked how a person would know if someone is undocumented, just from looking at them.

“Do you argue that people with Spanish surnames might be undocumented?” Campos said. “Do you see how that could lead to racial profiling?”

Siffermann said that while they provide equal treatment to all juveniles, he acknowledged that reporting immigrant youth at the time of booking could lead to racial profiling, but that this could be avoided with close supervision.

Speakers at the hearing included Charles Washington, whose 13-year-old stepson was reported to ICE after a minor bullying incident. The boy took 46 cents from another boy and under Newsom’s policy was reported to ICE immediately after his arrest. He was charged with robbery, assault and extortion, but ICE halted his juvenile court proceedings.

Washington’s wife and her two sons, 13 and five, were then to be deported back to Australia, despite the families eligibility for Lawful Permanent Resident Status. The Washington family shared their story with the press on March 1, just days before the hearing.

“I don’t think it’s fair for anyone, whether they’re American or not, to be reported for any reason just based upon the charges of something and not based upon conviction,” Washington said. “The mayor’s policy has brought unnecessary stress and hardship to our family.”

Federal authorities granted the family a 60-day extension to allow for their pending green card application on March 3. The 13-year-old boy’s juvenile case is still pending.

Gabriel Calvillo, president of the Juvenile Probation Officers Association said his officers are caught in the middle.

“No one wants to see families torn apart,” he said. “But you cannot blame the officers. If a young person is released and then later commits a crime, that officer is in hot water.”

One probation officer who spoke at the hearing said they have received training to ensure they conduct the process legally. She said they do not ask many questions, but they have to determine where the parents of the youth are and ask for the social security number to verify the child’s right for social services.

Angela Chan, staff attorney at the Asian Law Caucus, who has been representing the Washington family said she thinks the mayor’s policy exacerbates and compounds the existing policies of a broken immigration system.

“Until Mayor Newsom restores due process to all youth in San Francisco, many more hard-working families like the Washingtons will be torn apart,” she said.

By Bontã Hill
The Guardsman

Freshman guard Daryl Cooper brings the ball down the court during a game against Chabot College at the Wellness Center on March 6.

For a program that has set the bar high, participating in the state championships is becoming a yearly routine.

The City College men’s basketball team clinched a third consecutive “Elite Eight” appearance as they cruised to their fourth victory over league rival Chabot this season, 83-68.

“Our guys came out intense, which was the plan,” head coach Justin Labagh said. “We let them know from the very beginning of the game that they were not going to win.”

Sophomore forward Da’Ron Sims led the way with 16 points, while sophomores Calvin Douglas and Chris White chipped in with 14 points each.

Right off the bat, the Rams defense would not let the Gladiators breathe as they held them to only five points in the first 11 minutes of the game. Chabot would go on a 13-5 run to whittle the Rams lead to 22-18.

That was as close as they would get. The Rams stormed into halftime with a 14-point lead, 40-26. From that point, it wasn’t a question of if they would hold on to win, but who they would be playing in the first game of the of the “Elite Eight.”

“We weren’t shocked at all because we played hard every day in practice all week just preparing for them,” said sophomore Chibuzo Emeka. “Just going over the plays step by step, and everybody played hard during the game.”

Awaiting the Rams in their fourth round game is Irvine Valley College, a team nobody in the North Region seems to know anything about, aside from their impressive 26-4 record.

“At this point in tournament play there’s not so much you can do, since you can’t prepare for every offensive set they run,” Labagh said. “We just got to play the rules on defense, play smart and do what we do well, which is run and attack.”

Defense has been the key for any team at this point of the season, but Labagh’s team seems to have really bought into the concept, and he likes where his team is.

“We’re right there, right where we want to be,” he said.

The Rams take the court March 12 at 1 p.m. in Cal State Lutheran University’s Gilbert Arena in Thousand Oaks.

“This time it’s going to be much different,” Emeka said. “We’re more focused. We play as a team and just go harder.”

By Tania Cervantes
The Guardsman

Third semester Culinary Arts major Victor Vargus prepares a dish at the new Noodle Room as fellow major Kyle Meadows looks on, Feb 26. CHLOE ASHCRAFT / THE GUARDSMAN

The new No Name Noodle Bar, next to Ocean campus’ main cafeteria, offers a fast and casual dining style, student involvement and a low-priced menu that attracts a variety of people including neighborhood visitors.

The restaurant is part of the Culinary Arts Program at City College and recently replaced Taste Buds, also a student-run program, which served sandwiches and burritos in addition to food similar to that offered at the main cafeteria.

The noodle bar serves as lab time for culinary students who prepare and cook the food, serve, cashier and even manage. Students rotate duties each week so they all experience and learn the different positions.

Culinary student and manager of the week Patty Reilly was happy to work in the field. While she has previous managerial experience, she said for other students this is their first time in this position.

“It is definitely a huge confidence builder. We get feedback from customers as to how we are doing our job and how we can give good service and good food,” she said.

The No Name Noodle Bar, however, won’t be nameless for long. Instructors are hoping to hold a contest in the near future to determine a permanent name.

“We want student involvement. The No Name name was just for fun and we hope to get suggestions from students,” restaurant management instructor Vincent Paratore said.

The prices alone have gotten students involved. For $6.50, the Thai Style Seafood Curry just may save the day. Not only is it fulfilling in flavor but the large portion is more than enough for one person.

The spring rolls, at $3.50, are on the most-wanted list and are often the first items to sell out.

The appetizer, made of red leaf lettuce, rice noodles, carrots, cilantro and mint, is wrapped in rice paper and accompanied by a sweet, nutty sauce that truly resembles the freshness associated with the spring season.

City College student Nako Tatematsu enjoyed the spicy chicken satay, but thought the rice was too soft. This was no reason not to come back though – for the price, she said, it was actually really good and the food measured up well to its Asian style.

The menu includes a mix of meat entrees and vegetarian options, and tofu may be substituted at no additional charge. The crunchy and salty portabello fries are the perfect, guilt-free choice when craving junk food and the ponzu dipping sauce is an ideal match for them.

ESL instructor Anne Marie Fleming had the vegetable noodle soup, which she said is always comforting – raining or not.

“The food is excellent and very affordable. They give you a big portion for a very low price,” Fleming said. “Give ‘em my thumbs up.”

The Noodle Bar is open from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and proudly uses compostable tableware.

Efforts being made to remedy the ‘achievement gap’

By Don Clyde
The Guardsman

Sonja Holman speaks from the podium to (L-R) trustees Steve Ngo, Chris Jackson, Josh Nielsen and John Rizzo during an Ocean campus student equity meeting on Feb. 9. JOSEPH PHILLIPS / THE GUARDSMAN

Students, faculty and administrators from City College told a panel of trustees the problems facing underrepresented populations and put forward solutions to bridge student achievement gaps during a series of Student Equity Hearings.

Speakers directed their concerns about financial aid, student employment, student support services, retention programs and basic skills to trustees Chris Jackson, Steve Ngo and student trustee Josh Nielsen on Feb. 9 to 11, 17 and 18.

Students who identify as African American, Native American, Filipino, Latino and Pacific Islander are 19 to 21 percent less likely to complete two- or four-year degrees than their white and Asian counterparts, according to the City College generated Student Achievement Gap and Social Equity Report released in October 2009.

“Let’s face it, if you do not have a good focus of getting into the college, if you do not have your support, if you do not have jobs and financial aid, it’s extremely difficult in this world to be a successful student,” Chancellor Don Griffin said at the first day of hearings.

Financial Aid runaround
Jackson said about 85 percent of City College students qualify for some form of financial aid, but only around 40 percent apply.

Several students said the process of acquiring aid in the form of grants, scholarships and loans was too daunting due to the number of offices spread around Ocean campus.

“The paperwork is just too much,” City College student Crissy Leuma said. “My deepest concern is why can’t we have a space for all of these things to be one-stop.”

Jorge Bell, dean of financial aid, said he was working with the chancellor to establish a centralized location in the new Multi-use Facility — formerly known as the Joint Use Facility — to house scholarship, financial aid, admissions and records and counseling offices.

Others said lines at the current financial aid office are just too long and drive students away. A major concern was the lack of knowledge among incoming students about aid services.

Nielsen suggested that information about aid programs could be made available to new students during the matriculation process.

City College student Laura Medina, 20, advocated on behalf of undocumented AB 540 students.
“They’re afraid that if they speak out about their concerns they’ll be deported. They’re afraid if they ask for what they need they’ll be denied,” she said.

AB 540 students qualify for many scholarships, but are prohibited from applying for those that require U.S. citizenship or residency. Medina said there is only one AB 540-specific scholarship available.

Even more students were upset about current hiring practices for on-campus jobs due to paperwork bureaucracy and multiple tuberculosis screening procedures leading to several weeks of processing.

“New hiring has taken up to two months,” according to Tracy Faulkner, director of the Family Resource Center. “The TB process is very onerous.”

Support services covered
The number of counselors available to students has been hit hard due to California’s budget crisis.

Lindy McKnight, dean of counseling and student support, said her department, which supports incoming students, has approximately 1,200 students per counselor. After completing 23 units of credit courses, students roll over into the department of continuing student counseling.

Bill Goodyear, chair of the continuing student counseling department, said his staffing ratios were about 1,000 students per counselor. Consensus among counselors at the hearings was that about 200 students per counselor was “acceptable.”

Ngo acknowledged the current student-to-counselor ratio was “pretty awful.”

“In my department alone we lost 10,000 hours for the fall in counselor contact with students,” Goodyear said regarding City College budget cuts.

“I don’t know whether, in terms of the current fiscal crisis, much impact can be made if we cannot hire the necessary professionals to do the work,” said Robert Clark, chair of the multicultural retention services department, counselor and professor with the African American studies department.

Prerequisites criticized
Ngo said 91 percent of African Americans and Latinos are not testing into the collegiate level regarding math and English skills. In contrast, 84 percent of Filipinos test into pre-collegiate levels.

One of the major problems facing students with low-level English skills is a long series of English courses required before advancing to transferable English 1A and above, according to Bruce Smith, dean of liberal arts. He said City College has one of the longest programs among community colleges, with some students taking years just to come up to collegiate level.

He said about 14 to 21 percent of students who pass a basic English class do not opt to move into the next class in the sequence. Several students also said they wished the classes were available with a Pass/Not Pass option.

Another problem has been access to classes. Smith said about 2,400 students could not get into English classes last semester.

Dennis Piontkowski, chair of the mathematics department, also said access is a barrier to student success.  He said the elimination of 2010 summer school amounted to 56 canceled math sections, about 15 percent of a year’s total.

“Across the board from low-level math courses to high-level math courses, the success rates for African American, Filipino and Pacific Islander students are much lower than the general population,” he said. “We need to have a major initiative at this college to encourage Latino, African American, Filipino and Pacific Islander students to aim high.”

Next steps
Jackson, Ngo and Nielsen said they are compiling the testimonies of all who spoke during the Student Equity Hearings, and are working to bridge the achievement gap through new policy.

Their findings will be discussed at the next board of trustees meeting 33 Gough St. in San Francisco on Feb. 25.

By Aaron Turner
The Guardsman

Sophomore forward Cierra Foster (center) goes for a layup over Skyline guard Tina Shiheiber (left), Feb. 19 at the Wellness Center. JESSICA LUTHI / THE GUARDSMAN

It seems like a year ago since the last time the City College women’s basketball program tasted defeat.

In fact, it was last year, on Dec. 30, 2009, one game before their conference opener, that the Rams fell to Solano College in the championship game of the Gervasoni Classic. Since then, they have not lost a single game.

On Feb.19 at the Wellness Center, their historic tear through the Coast Conference was completed, as they beat Skyline College 91-59 in their regular season finale.

The win both captures City College’s first conference title since 2006-2007, and marks the first time the team has gone undefeated in conference play.

“It’s a great accomplishment,” Rams head coach Jamie Wong said of her team’s victory.

“We are excited and enjoying it but playoffs are around the corner, and we want to be ready to get the same results,” she said.

Sophomore forward Cierra Foster finished with 20 points to lead all scorers, and sophomore guards Marlee Rice and Mone Peoples scored 19 and 18 points apiece, as the Rams routed the hapless Trojans for the second time this season.

“They zoned us all night,” Peoples said. “We figured if they did that, they’re afraid of our penetration, so we were able to rely on our three point shots.”

By halftime, the Rams had already amassed a 51-29 lead.

Scoring was not a problem all night for the Rams, as they once again capitalized on their superior size and speed on both offense and defense.

As the whole Rams team turns its collective eye towards the California state playoffs, both players and coach well remember last year’s disappointment, an overtime heartbreaking loss to Pasadena City College in the state semifinals.

“Earlier in the season, coach reminded us of that game,” Peoples said. “She made sure we knew what we did to lose that game, and how she doesn’t want us to feel that ever again.”

Hayes however feels nothing but confidence as the number one ranked team in Northern California begins their preperation for playoffs.

“I have a lot of confidence in this team,” she said. “They’re experienced when it comes to playing in big games, since we have four players from last year who played in the state tournament.”

Coast Conference MVP Brittney Allen, along with all-conference sophomore Mone Peoples will get a chance to erase  last season’s playoff loss from their memory.

The Rams, who have a first round bye in the playoffs, will face the winner of the contest between American River College and Diablo Valley College.

That game will be held on Feb. 27 at the Wellness Center at 5 p.m.

By Greg Zeman
The Guardsman

It’s practically impossible to walk through San Francisco on any given day without hearing the diverse rhythms of its streets ringing from the crowded corners and echoing off of the painted walls.

Any style of music imaginable—and some which even bend the limits of imagination­—can be heard in this city, if one knows where to look and listen.

There is a unique cultural character to each of the city’s many neighborhoods, and each one has its own musical tradition and history.

The Filmore was once the creative center of jazz in the city, and a recent musical renaissance happening there could return it to its historical prominence. But the true soul of San Francisco’s timeless love affair with jazz — and all forms and movements in music which are raw and spontaneous ­— can be heard on the streets.

From instrumentalists weaving melodies with saxophones, guitars, violins and all sorts of instruments you may have never heard of to percussionists banging out intricate rhythms on buckets, boxes, trash can lids and anything else that makes a tasty noise when hit, the variety of street musicians in the city is practically unrivaled.

AIM West celebrates Liberation Day instead of President’s Day

By Greg Zeman
The Guardsman

American Indian Movement West members gather at Ocean Beach on Feb. 15. ROBERT ROMANO / THE GUARDSMAN

American Indian Movement West, one of the leading Native American activist organizations in the United States, did not celebrate President’s Day on Feb. 15. Instead, they gathered with members and supporters around a fire at Ocean Beach to celebrate Liberation Day with ceremony and song.

The purpose of the celebration was to “cast aside myths and instead raise historical awareness and provide access to networking and building alliances with and between indigenous communities, supporters and youth: connecting issues with people being directly affected by colonialism, racism and poverty,” according to an AIM West press release.

AIM West members and supporters spoke about issues ranging from environmental justice and indigenous land rights to climate change, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the incarceration of Leonard Peltier.

Mark Anquoe, an AIM West activist of the Kiowa Nation, emphasized what he views as the unified nature of all the struggles being celebrated.

“It’s one struggle. This one universal struggle will effect every single one of us; it already is,” Anquoe said. “Native people here have always said — even before the modern struggles — everything is interconnected and it has never been more apparent than now.”

The master of ceremonies for the event was Arizona AIM West activist and spiritual advisor, Leonard Foster of the Navajo/Dine Nation, a veteran of AIM West’s 1973 standoff with the FBI at Wounded Knee.

“I’m a spiritual leader and advisor for Native prisoners in state prisons and federal penitentiaries. I advocate for freedom of worship for Native Americans who are incarcerated,” Foster said. “I take the pipe and tobacco, sage, cedar and sweet grass into the prison for ceremonies. I conduct weekly sweat lodge ceremonies as a way to rehabilitate our people.”

Foster said that while Native Americans face religious persecution in all aspects of society, those in the prison system face even greater challenges.

“The prison officials are using security as an excuse to deny our people equal access to the sweat lodge, pipe ceremonies and talking circles,” he said. “Just the talking circle we had here with the fire is important. We want to be able to do that in the prison setting, to rehabilitate our own people and I find that spirituality is the key to rehabilitation.”

The event’s emphasis on spiritual awareness and ceremonial tradition was seen in pre-colonial dancing by Teokalli-Aztec. The ceremonies included baskets and shells filled with tobacco, sage and cedar for participants to put in the fire.

“Tobacco takes our prayers to the creator,” Foster said. “Sage and cedar are used for an offering to the fire and that is to seal our prayers, our thoughts and our feelings. When you make that offering, it makes a blessing. It’s an ancient ceremonial practice.”

Eileen Vigil, who identifies herself as “mixed blood from Europe and the south lands” spoke about the ravages of war and unchecked corporate greed from a mother’s perspective.

“We give birth to the fodder of war and it has to stop,” Vigil said. “I really think the mothers need to step up … we have to teach each other as women to respect one another; to stop listening to the garbage that’s out there.”

The event’s close proximity to the ocean inspired some to voice concern about its future.

“The oceans are more acidic now than they have been in 65 million years. As that continues to change, the entire life cycle of the world will change,” Anquoe said. “We can either walk the path of life or the path of death because as we let the corporations become more powerful, as we allow the climates to change, mother earth will liberate herself from us.”

City College student and AIM West activist Jose Cuellar said Liberation Day was about the tradition of struggle.

“Political, social, cultural and personal liberation and self determination are the issues that have guided the movements for liberation in the United States and around the world,” Cuellar said. “It’s about the struggle for human dignity, for justice, for the freedom to pray in one’s own style — in one’s own tradition as one is moved by the spirit.”