Iran opens first domestic nuclear power reactor

Iran’s first civilian nuclear power reactor opened in Bushehr on Aug. 21. The reactor is being loaded with low-enriched uranium, which was supplied by Russia. The plant will be under United Nations monitoring and could start producing electricity later this year or early next.

The Obama administration said the plant will serve as a solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute: Iran will benefit from the nuclear energy it is entitled by international law and since the fuel comes from outside sources it will negate Iran’s need to produce its own uranium rods, which can also produce highly-enriched uranium for nuclear bombs.

The Iranian government is planning to build at least 10 more nuclear plants like the one in Bushehr.

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Pakistan flood aid not enough

Pakistan is seeking aid from the international community following massive flooding that has swept through one fifth of the country. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. will help provide aid for the nearly 20 million displaced Pakistanis. Currently the U.S. has donated $96 million, while Great Britain and China have pledged $50 million and $9 million respectively. The United Nations has also pledged to raise $460 million in relief, but have only raised 70 percent of that amount so far.

While pledges have been made to aid Pakistan, it will not be enough to cover the billions of dollars needed to repair the country.

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Skepticism over peace talks widespread in Mideast

After nearly two years, a new round of peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders will resume Sept. 2. While the Obama administration heralds the new round of peace talks between Israel and Palestine, others remain skeptical.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will face opposition from coalition and party members if he agrees to some of the compromises the Palestinians expect from peace talks which include an Israeli pullout from Jewish settlements.

Palestinian officials said talks with Israel have been more difficult in recent years but believe peace is possible if the Israeli government were more willing to negotiate. The U.S, Russia, United Nations and European Union have declared support and hope that a settlement will be reached.

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Parcel tax could raise funding for City College

City College is exploring the idea of a parcel tax to help generate additional revenue for the college to cover operating expenses, building upkeep and school programs. It has not been determined exactly how the funding will be used.

The Board of Trustees approved a resolution to contract Godbe Research to conduct a public opinion survey to assess if San Francisco voters would oppose or support a parcel tax as well as determine the feasibility of a parcel tax that voters will approve.

By Don Clyde
The Guardsman

Students are encouraged to attend a May 5 meeting at the state Capitol to testify about student fees.

The California Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance will hold hearings beginning at 4 p.m.

City College representatives will take a 12:30  p.m. train from the San Francisco Ferry Building to Sacramento.

By Ramsey El-Qare
The Guardsman

A district-wide emergency evacuation drill will take place on a random day and time during the week of May 3.

Everyone on campus is expected to stay calm and evacuate the campus in a safe and orderly manner at the first sound of the alarm. Building monitors, along with faculty and staff, will be present to help people leave through the appropriate evacuation locations.

Personal belongings should not be left behind, and traveling against traffic in the stairwell is not advised.

All injuries should be reported to building monitors or emergency officials.

For an evacuation map visit http://www.ccsf.edu/News/EmergEvacBook_v1.pdf, or for more information call the campus police 415-239-3200

Number of classes greatly diminished from 2009 level

By Don Clyde
The Guardsman

A Board of Trustees resolution from the March 25 board meeting indicated that there will be a 2011 summer session, but only about 40 percent of the 2009 number of classes will be reinstated.

“It’s not even an option about having a summer,” Chancellor Don Griffin said about the 2011 term. “Without the summer we cannot generate enough enrollment in fall and spring to maintain the solvency of the college.”

City College eliminated the 2010 summer session due to massive budget shortfalls.

Veterans Center Update

City College is planning to open a new Veterans Center by fall 2010.
Three focus group meetings will be held to give veteran students an opportunity to offer suggestions about how the center will be organized.
Meetings will be held Feb. 18, 9 to 10 a.m., Feb. 23, 1 to 2 p.m. and Feb. 24, 1 to 2 p.m. All meeting will be held in the Wellness Center, room 111.
Call 415-239-3293 to reserve a space. Participation is limited to 15 student veterans.

Student Equity Hearings

City College trustees Chris Jackson and Steve Ngo are holding a series of student equity hearings to address achievement gaps in underrepresented groups.
The hearings will address issues identified in the Student Achievement Gap and Social Equity Report generated in October 2009.
Topics will include access to financial aid, student employment opportunities, student support services, retention programs and providing students with the necessary skills to transfer.
The meetings are being held Feb. 9, 10 and 11 from 3 to 6 p.m. at Ocean campus, in the cafe level of the Student Union building.

Black History Month

February is African-American history month, and several events have been planned at City College.

Discussion: Greening the Block and Empowering Communities of Color
with Julian Mocine-McQueens of the Green the Block Campaign, Green for All

Feb. 17:
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Southeast campus
Alex Pitcher Community Room

Feb. 24:
11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Ocean campus
Rosenberg Library Room 304

Feb. 24:
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Mission campus
Valencia building Room 109

Presentation and Talk: African-American Economics and Business
with Megel Brown, Marketing Executive, Intel and Founder of BrownRock Consulting

Feb. 18:
12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and then again at 2 to 3 p.m.
Ocean campus
Rosenberg Library Room 305

Women of Color Gathering: Women and the Environment

12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Ocean campus
Rosenberg Library Room 304

Burl Toler dies
University of San Francisco football legend, the NFL’s first African-American referee, City College alumnus and long-time employee Burl Toler died Aug. 16. The undefeated 1951 USF football team refused to leave Toler and Ollie Matson, the team’s two African-American players, behind in order to attend the Sun Bowl, so the team was not invited. The Sept. 9 issue of The Guardsman will include a complete obituary.

Gaylore Tyau dies
Gaylore Tyau passed away Aug. 5 at Coming Home Hospice in San Francisco. She worked for City College and San Francisco Unified School District for many years before retiring in 2005. A celebration for the long-time business math teacher was held by close family and friends Aug. 23.

Smoke-free campus
City College has announced that it will “work towards a smoke-free campus” beginning Sept. 1. Smoking will effectively be banned on all parts of Ocean campus with the exception of six designated smoking areas, identified with signage according to the City College Smoke-Free Wiki. “Failure to comply will be threatened in the same manner as other violations of the District Rules and Regulations and may result in progressive disciplinary actions,” reads the site’s implementation policy.
The full policy can be read at http://ccsfsmokefree.pbworks.com/Smoke-Free Policy

Gonzales honored

Publisher of the Mission District’s bilingual newspaper, El Tecolote, and City College Journalism Department Chair Juan Gonzales will be honored for KQED’s celebration of Latino Heritage Month. KQED, a media outlet for northern California, will also be honoring Leticia Hernandez of GirlSource and Saúl Hidalgo of the Jamestown Community Center. The celebration will take place Sept. 2 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at 2601 Mariposa Street in San Francisco.

Applications due soon
Submit your applications to run for Associate Student Council by March 12. Students can run independently or on a slate. Don’t know what a slate is? Stop by Room 209 in the Student Union to find out!

Recyclemania!
As of March 10, City College is beating San Francisco State University in the Recyclemania! contest. City College’s cumulative recycling  rate is 48.75 percent to SFSU’s 47.75 percent, ranking City college 13 and SFSU 15 in the general  national competition.

Student hit in crosswalk
A City College student was hit by a car while crossing the street near the northern exit of the reservoir parking lot at 1 p.m. on March 2. Read the full story.

Pell Grant to increase
With President Obama’s 2010-2011 budget the maximum amount awarded for the Pell Grant will increase to $5,550. The budget includes plans to modernize the student loan programs. For more information see http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget.

Club leaves ICC
The bureaucracy of City College’s Inter-Club Council has frustrated one student, founder of the new Media Edge club Marek  Damm, into resigning from the ICC. The club may continue to operate, but it won’t be under the sponsorship of the Associated Students. Read the full story.

STEM Grant
City College received a two-year, $1.23 million federal grant  Feb. 17 from the Department of Education to help increase the number of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. The grant specifically targets Asian/Pacific Islanders, but all underrepresented students are eligible to participate.The STEM Achievement Program will have an Open House on Thursday, Feb. 26, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Bungalow 201.

2009 Scholarships
The Scholarship Office announces scholarships for the Spring 2009 semester. Most of the scholarships at City College are offered on an annual basis. The deadline for applications is March 27. Workshops are held each semester to assist you in determining your eligibility, filling out your applications and identifying additional information you may need for each scholarship. The workshops will be held in the Rosenberg Library R301, Feb. 23, March 6,11, and 19 from noon to 1 p.m. Scholarship listings with applications are available at www.ccsf.edu/services/scholarships

Graduating this Year?
The 2009 City College Graduation Ceremony will be held May 22, in the Wellness Center Gymnasium, Ocean Campus, at 5:30PM. For information regarding tickets and cap & gown orders, please visit the Bookstore Annex on the Ocean Campus.

GGIE turns 70
Diego Rivera painted City College’s mural as part of the “Art in Action” program of the 1940 Golden Gate International Exposition (GGIE) 70 years ago.  Soon a website will be launched to raise funds to install the Robert Howard “Whales”, another artifact of the GGIE or more commonly known as the fountain from the SF Academy of Sciences.

Come See Four Exhibitions in the Rosenberg Library
Caught Reading: The Intimacy of Books. Photographs of readers by Andre Kertesz, 4th Floor Atrium Case, through Feb. 27.
¡Juega Loteria! A Chance to Win Friends and Neighbors. How to use visual games to engage whole communities, make friends and have fun 3rd Floor Atrium Case, through March 24.

Legacy Scholarship needs help
Legacy Scholarship Fund for students at City College. Five scholarships are awarded to students transferring to UC, CSU or historically black colleges and universities. The scholarship was established on behalf of City College faculty members who paved the way for African American students. The scholarship needs contributions to continue to financially support students pursuing their educational goals. Your contribution is tax deductible. Please make your checks payable to: The Legacy Scholarship and sed to Kim Wise.

EATV
City College’s Educational Access Television 2 (EATV2) will air the 8th Annual “Aids Treatment Update 2009” live from Montreal, Canada on Feb. 11, 4-6PM. The two-hour program will summarize the conference on retroviruses and opportunistic infections, it is the pre-eminent annual international conference on HIV/AIDS.  EATV2 is aired on San Francisco Comcast Channel 75 and Astound Channel 31.

Student health fee goes up to $17
The student health fee for 2009 increased by one dollar to $17 for the spring and fall semester as well as $14 for the summer semester, after the board of trustees approved the increase last year. Sunny Clark, the Student Health Center director, estimated the cost per visit at $100, while the student fee allows for unlimited visits. The increased fee is part of an effort to offset rising costs of running health centers and purchasing supplies.

Parking fee to increase to $3
The board of trustees approved a resolution to increase the cost of one-day parking permits at City College’s Ocean campus from $2 to $3, making it the first increase since 2006. The permits are sold in vending machines in campus lots, and are the “best bargains in town” for parking, according to Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Planning and Management, Jim Blomquist.

Police Chief? Not quite.
According to acting Dean of Public Safety Rod Santos, the position of Chief of City College Police Department was offered to Gregory Murphy. But Murphy has since declined the position. Instead of appointing a new chief Santos, a civilian, will remain head of the department.

The Wellness Center door is not broken
According to the office of Office of Facilities Management, the design of the door has proven to be too large and too heavy to function reliably. The door frequently stood open and was subject to the area winds. Over the next 2-3 weeks, it will be replaced with smaller units, along with automatic control for handicapped accessibility. If the replacement is functional,  other entrances to the building  will be changed similarly.