SPHERIC

Red, White & Blues

695 Park Avenue
Room 207TH eZ 12°
New York City 10021 1124219

Spheric is all things except square.
Spheric is kinda happening, kinda now, kinda with
it, kinda wow! Too didactic? We aim dialectic, not

dyspeptic, Sphvric is made from au natural fibers,
as in naked - maybe sacred, as no one gets paid.
Spheric is all booty and then some. Spheric is a
SLAM! Jam - All power to the people. Much Love.

The Ring of Fire

Staff & Contributors

Roger Bonaire-Agard ~ Poetry Editor
Keith Mitchell-writer Asif Ullah

Suheir Hammad - Poetry
Editor

Fred Zabinski - writer
The Hunter Envoy: equipment
Chris DPay- writer Jed Brandt
Sandra Barros = writer

epiphany praxis- cover haiku

Miguel Tavares -[hastrations

Ersellia Ferran-photography Editor
Jeremy Landess-writer
Lenina Nadal-cartoon Zach ary

Razel Remen-writer Arcidiacono
Juliette Consigny-photos

Heidi Chua-writer, Will Kopp-Distribution

).S. March- writer, Brad 5.- Distribution

jShoutOutsFrom
TheMouthOfMadness!

To all our families born and chosen; Much
love to the whole SLAM! crew; under water
love to the bhudda-fly gotz me high, Suzan;
to Lechona, the ghost haunting my house;
What's up Suheir? You getting there sister -
we love you more than you know, Congrats
on the publications. All readers must
check out Bom Palestinian, Born Black and
Drops of This Story; Keep strong Mumia -
our day will come; To the New Caucus: we
await how New you will be; Joshua & Sky:

ood luck on the your union-may

lessed; to the Sacred Circus and the LTB; to
the Mahavishnu Orchestra and their
delicious Apoco-lips Kissing; to Brother
Bubble himself, Blan-Lo on the Down Low;
Whattup Moon Boot Lover?; To Jack Travels:
I'm always with you; RIP Biggie - thanks for
watching out for my mama back on St.
James and may we get some more Live =
Peace and a = : less Rest In Peace; Yah,
too sep ie; Special bra? to Juel;
Mama Miteh Il for letting Baby Mitchell ts
up late; Much Love to Glen, Zo-E, She-
moan, and Scratch - y‘all crazy, man, crazy.

SPHERIG

Volume X, Number 4:

Red, White & Blues

The recent shooting death of a notorious BUG. from
the hip of rap, Brooklyn, blew up a very particular
American dream.

The Lyrical Spherical Commando Squad set out io
te-examine a situation in which one small Biggy brashing
tis teeth some Saturday morning realized what it meant
for him to be American — “Get Money.”

Biggy’s epiphany was the celluloid romp of one
brother in his particular set of circumstances. Many
Americas are moulded in the lives of immigrant cab-
drivers in D.C, Jamestown descendants in Boston, sons
of plantation slaves in Brooklyn - rapping about getting
paid, laid and betrayed.

America is, after all, the land of slaves and slavemas-
ters, cowboys and Indians, cops, robbers and Las Vegas
Weddings. It can be as vicious as the use of atomic
weapons and as blissed out as free love.

Spheric embraces the hopelessness of containing
America in any border, from the color line to the Rio
Grande. America’s perfection lies only in its impertec-
tion, in some of its people's fervor to redraw, rewrite,
redefine America day by day.

Maybe America is the terible tension of cash
vs. liberty, of a historical utopianism vs. every ghetto
wall. The American experience is, if we're allowed to
shoot aphorisms, only its grand fractal.

America is a struggle — a tragic joy and a dark
longing, As these pages unfold, the voices of America in
a North Eastern pocket of its land, in a City University
progressively chopped on by the administrators of this
country — the struggle of the American experience
CORES alive. There is.an element of hope in this phan-
tasmagora that Biggy lamented in his first major
release, “ it was all a dream.”

America [S$ Fohn Coltranesdead steel mills+ the Carmine St. Feastexilesatomic bombs*Freedom of Speech


SPHERIC

Red, White & Blues

page 3

the aftemath of the Persian
Gulf War, the city of Chicago
threw a giant victory bash: on
Michigan Avenue, one of the
city’s main thoroughfares.
Under star-spanghed pendants, a
million cheering faces saluted
the returning troops.

Chants of “USA! USA!"
boomed clear ever the cemented
prairie as brothers fram the block
dood next to off-duty cops. “USA!
USA!” and on the corner, a man stood

holding a sign on which she had

printed in small letters “people

have died.” She was evan, She had
been covered in urine bry an enthusias-
tic patriot. “USA! USAP

After the crowds wert home,
there tives. were no doubt the same as
the day before. Ino loryger kreew how

bo Hive. Maybe it's mot cleag, but in
the joy and pride of my neighbors |

etals could plan and execute thetr
war didn't surprise me, it was the
lowe they were given for their

whekedness that broker me.
The parade left me hyper
sensitized to misery, Every
time | left the howse the
sample farce of my stock-
bey job and the arbitrari-
ness of wealth filled im

the pieces. I Mine pa Babylon.

Maybe I didn't know how ugly
the rest of the world could be.
Maybe, as teachers and judges had
explained with patience or nt, Thad
taken my freedoms and usual
lack of hunger for granted. But
it was never clear, to me, that
America is something to take
pride in, something beautiful

Pledges of allegiance and bills of
Fights never prepared me for what |
saw just walking down streets which
became borders dividing neighbor-
hoods, cities, nations. These

divisions plawed garish, casting the
vitality and strength of America in
queer light

The healthy became sick in my
eyes, Suburbs were prisons in reverse
and the mad flow of cash bought and
sold the love of women like cars or
terms shoes. Nothing was spared. A
nation that once fomgha for indepen-

dence had now raided the world and

troops deopped bombs painted with a
flag of liberty,

| didn’t eave home much, for it
was there I found some peace in the
love of a beautihal young woman. We
were free in the simplicity of our pri-
vate world Qur roommate played gui-
farand we would sing oF dance aroured
the living room drinking wine and

A nation that
once fought for
independence
had now
raided the
world and
troops dropped
bombs painted
with a flag of
liberty.

laughing at the ritaads of the workd.

We were, to we another man's
words, a nation of hwo,

Chicago winters were brutal and
spring felt like iron chains oat after a
long bondage. One day, just as the
season was changing. my lover and |
went for a walk along Lalor Michigan
to take in the sweet air and wach the
last chunks of ice melt off the cyan
surface of the water.

“Tver been thinking about you,”
the skid sitting down on the concrete
breakers which hem the lake. “You're
happy in mind and heart, but here,”
the sad jgeratly placer her harec| cr rery
stoenach, “here you ape always she *

Forever thankéul

for the love we

shared, it was
her clarity

A Coming of Rage

lw it was time bo pa, Feeder con
maever be perivate

1 dicn’t kono where | was to gD,
only it had to be somewhere [ hadn't
been, filled with people! didn't
know and far enough away that |
couldn’: comme tal 4 home to the
private, familiar world that had not
fallin thee Probe ir envy jp

A, tew friends had been out to
Cali and raved beatific. | figured it
was. o better bet than Alabama, ao |
act to working my ads off and got up
some money to hit the noad

The day bedore | teft, an middle-
aged man at work gifted me an ald,
leather-bound copy of Walt Whit-
man's Lames of Cora, J thought it was
too 19th century for me, but the
thought was kind and with book in
hand 1 caught the Geryhound across
the fat belly af North America,

Two years had passed since the
end of the Gulf war, but tattered
yellow ribbons still clung to some of
the wooden telephone poles that
measured the bength of the endless
comfields between Chicago and the
Pacific.

The Nebraska sky scared me. It
was so big I could see the storm:
bouldering over the plains a hu
dred miles away. Flashes of light-
ning curled round the very edge of
the earth.

‘The bres trip was over filty heurs
and the conversation rarely
asking where the farmer on smd ace nent
seat was going. | reached into my bag
and pulled oot Leres.of Gres.

The night was hard black
strobed by lightning. [clocked on the
overhead light and read a poem
called A Womae Watts for Me, not
sleeping until the sun hinted into the
pitch of night beyond city.

San Francisco doled ont all the
youthtul decadence | needed. It's a

litthe city wrapped
in vineyards and
redwood forests.
“lt didn't come
here to party,” I
reminded myself. It
4 was Whitman's
Leaves that gave me
pause,

I don't remember
sy many tines oF
stanzas, only thal
somewhere in his
lyrical badlands 1

-

——
————

Leaves of Grass*Liberian Rubber Plantations«yuppies*Biggie RIP*a matrix of fetishes*Porgy & Bess+botincas


page4

SPHERIC

Red, White & Blues

EE ameninn

Red, White & Burnt

= eer

® By Fred Zabinski

ne more be

onceal the evi

fi sine makes
fy while. Now for those
eves — the
" pothead
has Vcr STH,
and it takes several days off the stuff
to make them go away. However,
they can be hidden with a cosmetic
called concealer. The two things to
mind ate mot to use too much, and to
blend the edge of if into the nest of the
face 20 it looks natural. | dalb my little
finger with saliva, and gently follow
the curve of the eve socket

This may seem like elaborate
trickery, but these days.one can’t be
too careful at work. The hippaes af the
sixties now held management posi-
toma, and they recognize the signs of
MarqMana ust,

Pertect. Totally natural locking
I have gotten so practiced af this rit-
dal it takes meno more than a
minute. I'm all ready to go and even
have a few minutes to pick apa
snack at the shore by the subway:

each eye pe
dark circles under the
mark of the
They darker as sc

I'm temping, doing graphics
work af a cosmetics company. lis my
second week, and I'm rather indiffer-

ent as t
lone
else. Most af the w

tantly, the pay
make tedium pa

Hiding ther Er:
Suhel, the art director, had mentioned
ving me a photo reioact
yesterday. “Have you ever rete
a face?” he asloed met. “Sune,” I saad.

The truth is, my andy such expe-
rence wad at a student-run mewspa-
per at my old college. They had me
give Govemor Pataki a black eye and
stamp his forehead with the word
“chump.” My work was crude, bul
the lefties lowed it, and | was seine that
naw, a Year later, | could do a mach
better job, eo Twas ready to try amy-
thing Mel wanbed to assign se.

He seemed dowbthal of my abili-
ty, though, as be explained the task:
the company had shet some “Delon”
and “alter” photos, and the diterence
between them needed to be
ated. | was a bit shocked at Mel's
complete lack of embarrassment in
asking me fo help the company com-
mit fraud: be spoke as if bt were the
most everyday kind of work. Not that
it bothered my conscience any; all 1
owas thinking was “at lac, somethang |
can sink my teeth into! Maybe | can

remaemabey that

pela portialia piece out of iL” Bull

a -_

Mel said it had better wait tl temer-
row, as Ef be expected it to taloe Pacers.
hours making oormsctions to the oom-
pany's catalog, a project that began
befor: | was assigned here and which
shows no sign of ending any time
soon, | print out all fifty pages and
tale them to Mel's office. “Thanks,”
he bleats from bis chair, “1 look chem
over and give them back to-you."
“OK. Say, what about that
retoue hing Pret You were telling

SAYING “NO” WON’T
GET YOU HIGH!

A message from Potheads Against Tyranny and Boredom.

mie about?”

“Oh wes. Let me lind the pic-
tures” He produces two color laser
Prins, closeups of a model'seves. “Do
you know wha conoraler is?” he asks,

“Comcealer? Uh, no,” | answer,
hardly believing my ears.

“Vell, it's a coametic that covers
up bags and dark circles under the
eyes. Now, these photos ane supposed
fo Bhow the effect 0 concealer.
This is the ‘before’ and this is the
after.” As you can see, the difference
between them isn’t dramatic enough.”

“Ves, [see." Truth be told, | can
hardly see any difference at all. This
Sure if some averpriced shit whet re
hawking. The model should have
wor the brand | use, as long as the
company's willing to misrepresent
ther merchandise, Seok

befone the shoot 4 have been 2
ppood idiea, boo.
“So you want me to darken the

bags in the “before” and lighten them
in the ‘alter’?

“Exactly. Do you think you can
don?

“Mel, ever thent was a man for
‘this jaws, i

“Great t
SpQwest. Let me know when you

have scenerthinig rm

Now, wher 1
Pataki shot last year, | made the
sit amateur Phoiothopper’s mastakat,
attacking the image directly with the
Palnting tools

Pyeriw maybe a shalled painter of
photo retoucher can get away with
that, but if you need to be able to

Nothing Like a Hard Day’s Work in Advertising

th the musk channel to if. It's rather
like completing a pencl drawing arid
then mking it in.

ame: | open the first image and tap the
Q key to enter the Quick Mask Mode.
Here, paint appears as translucent red
over the full-color image. I begin to

By 4:00 or
even 3:30 the
other workers
begin calling
out the time
every few
minutes.
“Fifty-five
minutes fo
freedom!”

paint the area thal needs darkening. |
strength. paant

tap the 0 lary to get f
and with & hard~ntg c
the edge between the eye and the low-
ef lid. Next] use a soft-edged brush to
Paint the bottom of the area, where the
bags biend into t
paint imensity with the 5

rest Of the face, 1

lower t
heey and hharther salten this edge.
Tiga ne<

CRETE OF My MTN
ng ritual, guided by tir same princi-
ch paint blend it iri
ne face, 60 it looks mat-
following the

to the resto
ural, brush gently
he eve socket
With the Channels palette 1 hide
—

*brooklyn girlsenick & dimes ‘R us*unabombersNBC*efficient agriculturesCenitral Park*Attica Brothers


Red, White & Blues SPHERIC eS

Brothers Keep Me Up

by Suheir Hammad

is your skin still soft are you soft still
here feel mine a shine
of survival those who would
kill you send my way
feel you left me i'll tell them they
wet love dried on wrong you ain't no boy
thighs still you man
aching said you were enough to get up every
sore after the last morning despite a reality
time are you still created against you
man enough to resist to
you broke heart and fight man enough
out i still light to break
candles for heart fully and without
your safe journey to looking back

the COMmMer pray your
flesh won't be too brown __ i believe in love and
today your beauty got my own back
too offensive
: writing this and you
i fear for your life though don’t care. you’ve moved
no longer in it on and away.
wrap arainbow serpent _ still keep me up.
round you to keep
harm at arm's length after us is gone
icharm gods tokeep you our temples bombed
safe tilrevolutionis people killed
EE i'll pray for strength and
whether or not i getit
no longer lay beside me rebuildachapel strong

and still keep me and for good to house
up at night love and freedom
brick by brick blow
is your skin still soft trumpets to herald
our new day
not your fingers’ long
strokes or tongue’s honey
insistent even if we don’t
welcome keeping me up your children and mine
will
the statistics know each other in

promises that you won't love indignity
live to see 30
let them talk
how many incidents since about getting over you

we last kissed getting over revolution
don't believe in this i believe in love

world so i fight strugele by day and

so you'll live to sometimes lay

love free who you want awake at night wondering
i know that’s not if you ever wonder if

me soidon’t call my skin is

don't write take your still soft
space your love back

baby be safe in it

got you 86-82296
i got your back even

as i watch my own from

the hurt left behind

Dallas Cowboyseel nortesbadlandselives of quiet desperation*kkk*Jack Reed*chino-latino*Norman Rockwelle


page 6 3 SPHERIC 3 Red, White & Blues
Smoking Gun Still Smoking

leaving the building, [ heard Jose $00 million aceite
1 puses. They were working ona pro lea iding, I hea a pear,
oy a eo eee = ae posal that would attach a fee between Elique comment to Martin Rodini in this time of supposed austerity.
Public Safety Director as well as his $5,5100 to $7,500 whenever the SAFE that “He isin for a surprise, and he With the fiscal problems facing
Deputy Martin Rodini. Since his T2™ #8 dispatched to a campus (in ti ae ee fo gens on campus, palate pmlarwering
arrival Jose Elique has never dis- "*SPOnS* eae of eae porngepes. | tallied a soon apemes cha
layed qualities | felt fog President). That to me was censor- members did bring weapons with of jobs by tenured faculty members you
et a epee i fed ship, a violation of the Coretitution of them on Monday, 11/06/95" established the position of Lieutenant Jose Elique
iecial, P F LHe ‘oh, the US, and ran contrary to every- After describing the events of (Requiring only a GED) with the top
d use of profanity at directors ‘hing! believe in- justice, honesty Nov. 6, Burrows writes Elique and salary of $82,000 more than a tenured comment that
ne eg ny og lames and fairness. While at that meeting | Rodini informed him he was fired — pridessor witha PhD. earns.” ‘He is in for a
mere. in the presence of came ta the conchasion that although I from his position as Queens Borough The big speaks for itself,
females | ‘ead pa 2 and very TY Sometimes disagree with stu- Coordinator of CUNY Security: Someone with an inside view of SU rise, and
uunprofescional. [t demonstrated » Sees! Will never et myself be a part “The reason they gave for CUNY security operations confirms he tter get
Lee vreral and ethical chernte. of any such evil and illegal action as . removing me had nothing to do with what students and faculty have fig- ge
“I decided to lave CUNY after W2S proposed by Jose Elique and my performance as Borough Coordi- ured all along. What CUNY Security used to guns
ding th ity di d his! Martin Rodini.* nator. Their slatement tome was “You is all about is squelching student 7
en 2 Neweubes S-Ki ao Burrows then described the are nota team member, an you did — activism and free speech. ; on campus.
mestng jose Elique anf Martin Rodi- events af Nov, 6 at York, including the not get involved as Thmothy Hubbard Furthermore, that usurpation of Two SAFE
nil « appacenlly sill aed shar SetPEmeOE Work College made with 62" his reference wante ty College: rights includes 2 lop-ciown violation
F ae Thats York President {Pi SAFE Team three days before. Security Director and Manhattan bor- of CLIN'Y’s own protocol: that only Team members
ing, acted According to Burrows, Elique and ough Coordinator Timothy Hubbard the President of each campus can did bring
Thomas jo senk tthe collage ba Rodind, whom Burrows calls "two of Who armsted a student who grabbed — decide when gun may be allowed on
‘November 6 1998 They made the fsi- the most morally bankrupt persons | him by his collar during ademonstra- campus. Hut even thal protocol is sus- weapons with
i Ewch Oey nas have met," violated chat agreement: tion that took place at City College, pect as it puts in the hands of a single them on
ed béadkia saree to give you and "Minter informed both Jase Apparently Jose Elique and Martin person, who on many campuses have
be 7 g ln Elique and Martin Rodini that he did Rodini wanted a confrontation to take long histories of anti-student actions, Monday.
cuca to speak on CUNY easm- not want any SAFE Team member ta place [at York on Now. 6)..” the ability to pot thousands of peapile
pace Inhis concluding salvo Burrows in danger
s * .
Revolutionaries Like We
Roger Bonair-Agard
Until the philosophies Tupac on the front page vietnam spawned SWAT teams
which hold one race inferior on a public opinion stage to blow Black resistance to bits.
and another... Your rons fits >
... Superior Revolutionaries like We a oi you'll receive.
is finally spread truth like fertilizer You'llbelieve =. -
and permanently watch anger abundant in Revolutionaries Like We :
and abandoned deliver blows to the earcl t fefrorista:. c-
well everywhere is war... es ——— Brow hat—__..__—

You ask me for my passport - USA. rs

uyver like

bring their weapon onto the
on Monday 11/06/95. As they were

ain a oe ta
‘re thinkd :
but Revolutionaries Like them too for the
come under cover of night become
behind deception of flag Revolutionaries Like We
waving red white and blue
bleeding black all the while

campus pointed out to Reynolds that CUNY



$400 Tuition Increase? Budget

Attack at CUNY!

SLAM! Calls for Student Fightback!

While colleges were closed for winter
break Governor George E. Pataki proposed a
$00 a year increase in tuition for CUNY and
SUNY students, as well as cuts in the Tilton
Assistance Program (TAP) and offer shadent
aid. The proposals, i! enacted, are likely to
have a devastating eflect on CUNY students.
Before classes have even started on several
CUNY campuses. a broad range of shudlant
activists has already begun io organize oppo-
BON 2nd) regeetanoe fo he propoead fumion
hike and ad cuts.

What the Cuts Will Mean

The Governor's proposal is only the laiest
round in what has been a long series of
altacks on CUNY thal have driven the costs
of going to college beyond the maans of an
increasing number of students, in 1995,
whon tuition al CUNY was raised $750 CUNY
lost an estimated 6,500 students. as a nesull

Since CUNY primarily serves poor and
working Glass: New Yorkers if is unlikely that
many of those students were hee to find an
affordable education elsewhere. Thousands
ol students were efectively thrown out of
school because they could no banger afford
an education at a university that twenty years
garter charged no tuition al all

The proposed tuition hike and aid cuts will
ootlainly pul higher education beyond the
each of thousands more students.

For the 85,000 students who rerelve Pell

Student

grants and the 72,000 thal receive TAP awards
fhe $400 tuition hike will be supplemented cuts.
in their aid. Pataki is proposing a $175 million
cul in the TAP funds and changes in how TAP
ehghidlty & dotormened and how avards ay cat
culated. TAP was orginally created when buiion
was instituied af CUNY in 1977 to engure that
fhe poorest! students would still have aotess to
higher education

Foe many shadents TAP covarad all of thea
tuition. In 1995 thea Governor successfully
moved to lower the masimum mand bo 90. per
can! of tulion, This consttulnd an efipctive $320
buition hike for students recieving TAP. The Gow-
enmor's proposals this year will have a similar
affect. The Govemor hes also proposed thal the
many students recehve from Pell be courted
against them in debermining their TAP awards

The tuition hie amd aid cuts aren't the ony
things forcing poor students out of school. Many
CUNY students are also recipients ol public
asdisiance. Tha recent Federal worktare bagicia-
fon mandates thal many of these students must
now perform workfane to reoaive heir benefits.
This requirement will malce it eflectively impossi-
bie for many of these students to stay in school.

in addition to the students who will be com-
pletely forced oul of CUNY ll is probable that
thousands mone will ba forced bo lempthan thear
stay af CUNY by atiending part-time or drapping
Gul a Semedter here of hore to eine mordy bo
finish school

Many of those whose dreams of going to

collage are nol destroyed will see them
deferred. And of course every single CUNY stu-
dent will be made at least $400 poorer every
‘year, For those students the tution hikg wil be
paid in a matsed meal here, a jumped humstile
there, oF gelling through a class without one or
hwo of the assigned books

(On top of the tuition hike and aid cuts there
6 every reason to expect thal CUNY Chancellor
‘Wynetka Ann Pieynoids will continua her assaull
on Ihe general quality of CUNY, Chancelior
Rieynelds has responded to every single atiermpl
fo cut the CUNY buniget in the same way.

First she carries out a highly pulicized but
Guls. She also ieues a bunch of press mieases
emphasizing how important it is that CUNY stu-
dents regesier Io vole. Then she turns aroured
end uses the threat of cuts to dectane a “finan-
Gal exdgency” in ordier bo force through her plans
for restructuring CUNY over the heads of the
faculty govemance bodies of the various CUNY
colleges. Last yaar, when the outs in fact did not
pass the begisiatune, Reynolds ued the threat ol
them to forve the layotts of about 150 CLINT fac-
ulty members and to hire roughly the same
number of new securily olficars. Sha also
Sought to foros through the elimination of vati-
ous programs on differant campuses, including
the ethnic stuches departments af City CoBege.

Chancelion Reynolds has also used the
warlous budget crees lo force through @ piece
meal dismantling of the SEEK program. The

Liberation Action

SEEK program which quanantees remedial
classes, tulofing and olher services lo eu-
dents who have neceved inadequale collage
preparation from the New York City public
schools, is the cornerstone of open edmis-
shone at CUNY — the policy thal eflectively
opened OUNY to lange numbers of Black and
Latino stucants ini the 1970s

Students will also pay for the cuts in the
form of shorter library hours, lower classes.
more crowded classrooms, lawer building
repains, ouldaled equipment and the cound-
less other mnconvermences thal, taken togeft-
er, dramatically degrade the quality of our
education. Students who atlanded CUNY
balore previous bucigel cuts can ieslify to the:
sagnificant effects of these sorts of changes.

fig impossible to prechct all the social
costs of the proposed tuition hike and abd
outs. But there is litte doubt that they will con-
tinue the process of commding he city's poor
O61 and moe! oppnesbed communities.

For hundreds of thousands of people
(CUNY is currently their only possibhe ticket oul
of the poverty and misery of dead end jobs or
no jobs at all Snatching that hope from peo
ples hands wil probably have difterant elects
on differant people, Some people will
undoubtedly decide: thal this sysiem has noth-
ing to offer tham and thenelore dedicate their
lives to fighting It. But many others are lusty tp

Movement



Just the Facts, SLAM!

What Exactly Do the CUNY Budget Cuts Mean?

The Execulive Budge which Governor
George Patad proposed on January 14, 1997
calls for drastic cuts Io higher education: a
§56.9 milion cul io CUNY's operaling buciget
8 $175 milion cut ip TAP and a $400-a-year
tuition: hike. Anoording to the New ‘York Public
interest Research Group (NV PIRG), New York
hes experienced the nation's steepest
increase lin tuition for public colleges and uni-
versilies. in a nacently released study, “Cippor-
tunity Cosi§,” NYPIAG examined four-year
public colleges’ tuition rates. for fulltime stu-
dents in each of the 50 states and the District
of Columbia over the past seven years. The
‘Study found that:

shew ‘York State's average tuition and bees
increased by a staggering 154.4% (the
biggest increase in the nation), lar sleeper
than tha national average tuition increase
(59.9%) and the genoa! cost-ol-tiving as mea-
sured by the Consumer Price Index (22.5%)

“Mew ‘York State's average tuian cost of
$1,460 ranked 4th in the nation in academic
year 1989-90. By 1995 - G6, New York State's
tuition was $3,714. The General Accounting
Offiea — the research arm of the tadeval gov-
ormment — had stated thal New York's tuition
was 10th highest in tha nation

“Average tuition and taes. as a proportion
of madkan household income have grown tnoen
4.64% to 11.25%

“This report clearly documents thal New
York Stale leads the naiion in jacking up the
cost of allending college,” sald Michael
O'Loughlin, NYPIAG's Higher Education Pro-
fect Coordinator and co-author of the report
"The cost of public obllage tuition devours far

from front

be beaten down, Deprived of hope, people
Gan take oul their frustrations.on themselves,
fear ferries of thetr ooeimuurities.

Patak’s proposats will realy be paid for in
the uncounted inadenta of drug dependency,
ide that resull when people see no way out of
the rotten lie they have bean offered by this
system, The semester alter the 1995 tuition
hike and aid cuts workers in Student Senaoss
al Hunter College reported a dramatic
increase in suicide cals trom students. Those
numbers obviously doc] inciude the students
who were unable to come to school that
SRITecter

What ls Behind the Cuts?

if the tuition hike and aid cuts are going to
hawe such dawastaling consequences, stu-
dents will ba farnpted to ask, why would any-
body support (hem. Oifierent explanations are
usually ofarred. Tha first response is offen
thal the Governor, the Senate and the Assam-
bly must not know whal ihe resulls of their
actions will be.

On this basis students will often attempt to
cod, wre compet with their hegistators: to lit
them know what will happen if the cuts go
though. But the legislators have all been
through all of his before. They know what he
elfects of the culs will be. They ll nod. (heir
heads sympathetically when we tell them our
tanes. of wee. Bull that doeez’l mean they realy
cara. Like the Governor, they ara behoktan ip
fruch more powerful interests:

The first thing students need to know
BbOul the cuits is that they are nod the onby tar
pets. The assaull on education and other
Social services ig not limited to New ‘York Cay,
So. the State of New ‘York or even to the United
States. itis a global phenomenon, Political
decisions in Albany, like political decisions
‘around the world, ara made: in the interests ol

tudent

mare of New ‘Yorkers’ amity budgets than it cid
Seven years ago. New ‘York must follow Massa-
Chusets’ ined by cutting the cost of tution”

According lo the NYPIFGG report “states
have increasingly shified the cos! of paying lor
college trom broad-based public support io the
tamdies of shudents,” This has reguéled in the
modi disadvantaged stintents dropping out of
college. Until 1976 tuition at collages within tha
City University system was iree for New York
‘State reskients. The introduction of tuition has
made it almost impossible for many New ‘York-
(ors to atiand any of the CUNY collages

CUNY students who are wary disappointed
with (he governor's plans for a tuition increase
land financial aid cuts. According to many CUNY
‘Shudenis, some of them will have io leave echool
white other students will have to go to school
part-time.

“We're currenty paying the tenth highest

fudtion in the country. Hf this proposed tuition
iicrease goes through, even more of us fstu-
dents] may not be able in go Io college, insisted
Diana Fryda, apolitical scence major at CUNY.
“| cannot afford another tuilion increase and
financial aid cut.”

“i we are lomorrow's leaders, we mead tha
education io be 60” said Sam Badilio, a CUNY
‘Theater major.

“Who can afford higher tuition? These cuts,
that the governor proposes ana simply outra-
geous.” said Victoria Braxton, a History and
(Education major at CUNY. “What dors he want
us. to do, get another job? | work quite a number
of hours a5-i is”

According to the Hunter College Legisla-
tive Action Gaueus (CLAG), "Hunter Colfoga
‘Students wil jose $11 million in TAP" in a pew-
liminary analysis of Governor Pataki's expcu-
live budget, CLAC wrote: “The majority of

JOIN SLAM! AND’ FIGHT

THE CREEPS THAT WANT
TO TAKE AWAY OUR RIGHT

TO EPUCATION!

SILLY WALL STREET Exec!
PEOPLE

POESN'T HE KNOW THE

WILL NEVER GIVE UP!

a relatively gall economic elite made up of the
ceners and executives of major conporations
and Gnancial institutions.

Foe the past twenty yoars that ato hes bien
flushing a collection of economic policies. that ane
known variously a5 necHiberalism or structural
adjustment. These are really just bag words for a
war on the poor The social upheavals of the
18606 won major reforms for poor and oppressed
People all around the world

Open admissions to GUNY ware jus! one
part of a fanper package of wiclories wrested by
poor and working people trom the economic
elite, Those struggles and those gains put limits
on whal fhe aconomec elite could pel away with
and created further opportunities for us. to chal.
lenge their power, Flciling back those gains has
Dien the major propect of the ruling elite soe
the exry 1970s

This process fas been assisted by the
rapid globalization of he economy and the
development of ni communications techni
gies. As a resuil of these developments i has
become possible for comporations to move
investments and jobs around the world al
noredibig spends. This means that when peo-
ple give them trouble in one place they can
threaten to pick up stakes and mowe some-
where alse where labor. is cheaper or more
compliant. Tha consequence of thes. is that they
can etectively blackmail cities, nego, and
wholp countries inip accepting budgel cuts o

Liberation

changes: in social policias.

CUNY students haw many potential alle
workers and welare recipients in Naw York City,
SUNY students, adjuncts and othe faculty are
ObviOUS One.

We are actually fighting tha same enemy
26 auio workers in South Kona, students in Ser:
bia, and the Zapatista rebels in Manion. By mak:
ing those lirics wt educate curate abou what
we antup agains! and broaden the experiences
we Can draw on in finding ways to fight

Students Get Busy

Student acthvests (and students who have
never besan active before) ate already petting
busy organizing agains’ (his Latest ateck on
them. Th Maw York Public Imerest Riesparch
(Group (NYPIRIG) has already begun tabling on
(CUNY campuses where they have chapters [ike
Hunter. MYPIRG isis working ip educate etu-
dents about the cuts in preparation tor letter
wriling and lobbying efloris

Recently, activists with the Sturant Libera-
lion Acton Movement (SLAM!) held a stralagy
conference al Brooklyn College. SLAM! it a
ooaliion of campus-based groups acres CUNY.

The conference was attended by activists
rom City Gollega, John Jay, Hurier, BMIOC, City
Tech, Brockiyn College, the Codege of Stmten
island. tho Graduate Centar and Queens Cal-
lege. ceganizers from the Boston-based Center
for Campus Organizing, and individual activists

CUNY students aro women with Incomes
below $20,000 par year, Nearly 1% will be
aAlacted by the wellare reforms. Another 10%
will bo acvarsely affected by the reductions
in TAP. They wanl on bo Say, “A tuition
increase represents an additional financial
burden that will torce fem to leave college,
following the patie set by the 1995 - 1996
fulton increase”

“The benefits that.a university syshem lice
(CUNY grves back fo Mow York City and indesd
New York State is remendous,” said Macholas
Dunekdy.a CUNY freshman. “A reganishes the
work force with educaled people. CUNY is a
oondull for poor people in this stale io mow) up
the social ladder So this continuous afiack on
CUNY is a howribiie Shing.”

by Razel Aiemen

from Columbia, the New School and NYU
who discussed plans for the upcoming
senesior a9 well as broader saves of con-
oem to students. SLAM is preparing a rally at
(City Hall to kick off a speing offensive. Bring
frands and family:

Students are in a better position to
bea! back thes lalest attack on CUNY than
they have been in years. They have in
SLAM! an established working and democ-
ralic structure tor a city-wide coalition, In the
past precious time that could be spent onga-
nizing on the campuses has been con-
sumed reinventing the wheel by buikding
wehioht Map QOOMTIONE Gviny yaar

SLAM! is made up of now activists as
veel a5 veterans of the 1995 and earker bud-
Qet cul fights. (On several campuses indepen-
Gant activists look over student Qovamme»nts:
las! year and inroads wens made in the Lin
versity Student Senate (USS) which in the
past has obstructed the efforts of activists to
build independent mass student! demansira-
tions by demanding tha inclusion of their
favorite politicians among fhe speakers

None of the onjarizations fighting lhe
budget cuts have a calendar of events: yet, bul
(hore i5 litte doubt thal the coming semester
wall De an BOR one and there wil be plenty of
ppporiunities for students to gel active

by Chis Day

Action Movement



Who Is SLAM! ~.
What Do They Want?

1 right of all people to
' free quality higher
education.

University that serves

We are fighting for the

We are fighting for
the immediate can-
.cellation of all bonds

9 ety in which all deci-

and’ other outstanding “sions are made by those
_» debts that drain money Who are ie them, a
2 We are 5 fighting fora fromthe Universitytosfur- society c

ther profit the rich.

the people. We want»

full and direct democratic
pte of the Univetsity by the
University community of stu-

, workers, and faculty.

Wi call for the.immediate
transter of. control of the Uni-
versity from the Board of
Trustees, which respresen ts

ods of teaching, dnd the
grading system.

t toring, and med

We are fighting for
conditions of life that
Aa le us to learn.
These in ude Ay it
food, ‘she vies
childcare, transportation,
ty

- £ E

dom of political manent

expression on campus;
including free access to the
campus by all memebers
the community and an cat
to all practices of Univers!

administration intended to
suppress political activity.

Student

* placed unde

Liberation

tling of the SAFE unit, and
for campus Security to be —

control of

the On niversity
community.

sing tthe bas

people, an to protecting

the planet we at
1 an end fo,all forms
Of Oppression and
exploitation: tor white
remacy and allforms of
ism, to the oppression

We are fighitng for

principles, For further
. information on getting

down with the SLAM!

Grew, please call:

212977294261

Action Movement



Red, White & Blues

10 SPHERIC

. AMERICAS
d

~ Guerrillas Invite Themselves to Dinner

Gums by Sandra Barros

a December 17 of last

semester, just as ste-

dents at CUNY were

cramming for finals

and dtrambling to

complete research papers. some 3500)

miles south of New York City,

approximately 15-20 armed members

of the Peruvian guerrilla organiza-

tor, Tupac Amaru (Movimiento Rev-

olucionario Tupac Amaru), gave a

whole new meaning to the phrase
“crashing a party.”

Disguised 24 cooks and waiters,
they slipped easily inte the home of
the Japanese ambaseador to Peru,
Morihita Aoki, and took hostage an
intemabonal array of 300 diplomats,
politicians and business men who
to celebrate Japanese Emperor Akihi-
to's birthday.

Who are these masked party
crashers? What do they want and
why burve they gone to such lengths
to capture global attention? The news
media has presented a distorted
image of the MILA which this article

Cops Quit

es by Rob Wallace

n Nowember 6, 1995,

(CUNY Central's palitical

police, the SAFE Team,

arrived at York College

out in Quinena, Thene the

special aquad of CUNY Security olfi-

cers set up a phalans through which

Students wishing to enter their own

campus had to pass and show their
IDs.

The reason? Nation of Izlam
speaker Khalid Muhammad was
invited by students to speak for Black
Solidarity Day. York administrators
aimed the student group that invit-
od the controversial Muhammad had
hod filled out the proper fons.

(Later, to the administrator's
embarrassment, the students proved
with photocopies of the submitted

takeover Fujimori vehemently

aifirmed that he maintained a “firm

forms, that they in fact had.)

When Muhammad arrived, the
SAFE Team barred his entrance.
Muhammad and the students
marched in protest around the
perimeter of the canpus until Acting
York College President Thomas
Minter relented and allowed the
speech to take place

In June of 1996, York College's
Director of Security Winston Burrows
resigned. The following aft excerps
from a memo attached with his letter
of resagnation from York, The memo is
dated July 4, 1996 ared is adkdiessed to
(OUNY Chancellor W. Ann Reyraddis,

“Alter 17 1/2 years of service at
‘York College I decided to resign effec-
five June 30, 1496, I did so because |
could not bet myseli become party lo
the illegal scheme put forth by City
University Director of Public Safety
Jose Elique and his Deputy Martin
Rodini. At our November /95 security
directors meeting they announced a
plan designed to deny students and
others their constitutional right of free
speech.

“My reason for leaving is my
dissatistaction with the leadership of

go to page 6

America Is jrotestani

ic*slave

mori said that he is “attacking paver from 22 percent to 11 percent of the
through several measunes.<

by the pear 2000, Fujinon

He also said that he expected = also denounced what he refereed to as

that the economy will continue to “violence” as a means to address hiy
improve and that poverty will drop ‘country’s problems. “We are not

going to liberate those terrorist
groups because of our law and
because of national security” he said.

The U.5,-backed Peruvian
gevemment has had its hands full
attempting to battle both the
MRTA and the peasant based Com-
munist Party of Peru/Sendero
Luminoso since 1980. In the face of
sunprising rebel advances, the gov-

After | i & a half emment has consistently respond-

years of service
at York College
I decided to

resign effective

could not let
myself become
party to the
illegal scheme
put forth by
City University
Director of
Public Safety
Jose Elique
and his deputy
Martin Rodini.

nity*coca

ed with broad repression thal ranks
among the worst in the hemisphere.
The mainstream press has
reported the sentiments of the Peru-
vian government. [in its first repost on
the takeover, Nightline repeatedly
referred to the guerrillas as terrorists
endangering innocent bives in order io
free their jailed comrades. ABC gor
spondent juan Quinones described
Peru's jails aa “helltholes where cold
and hungry prisoners are kept in
hoods twenty-four hours a day,
anchored with a ball and chain.” But
he qdickly added that “their crimes

merit that kind of harsh treatment.”
Quinonez's comments sharply
contradict the commitment to iuman
nights that the U5, professes fo uphobd.
eather the New York Times mor the ticke-
vision news provided the META an
so called “berrorist” actions by the
MRTA are both slanted and false,
according to Harry Redgriguez, the
chair of the Latin American and
Caribbean Studies program of Humter
thai the ‘th

illies*

of the Peruvian economy has only
benefited foreign investing.

“Increased privatization and
technology has further concentrated
capital in the hands of a very few
while 13 million of Peru's citizens live
in extreme poverty. For example in
Lima, Peru's capital, people are
forced to make their living as street
vendors and street sweepers. These
low-end workers have worlbed to take
maiters into their own hands and
have formed milk distribution and
child care co-ops. The mayor of Lira
acted quickly to remove protesting
direct workers from the city cenber,
dismissing them as lolterers and has
taken over the co-ops in onder to gain
support for the government,” Dr,
Rodriguez said.

“The META had no choice but to
take over the Japanese Embassy, The
people of Peru, including the mem-
hers of the META have no political
‘space in which bo addmess their griev-
ances. The media only presents one
side of the story and never makes the
connection between social unrest and
poverty. The META had to take dra~
matic action,” said Professor
Rodriguez. “The mews media won't
report an accurate picture on how the
government violently represses any
form of mass protest.”

Terrorisen Schrmerrociam
To understand the situation in
Peru it is important to address the

issue of The Nation, one edite

heavily criticized the repeated refer-
ence to the guerrillas as terrorists by
the U.S. media since “nota single
mention was made of the state terror-

Disguised as
cooks and
waiters, t.
slipped easily
into the home
of the Japanese
ambassador to
Peru and took
hostage an
international
array of 500
diplomats,
liticians and
usiness men.

ism that has helped fun wp Peru's
political death toll over the last
decade to more than 30,000,"

Also ignored by the mews media
are Fupimori's “auto-coup” of 1992
that shut down the Peruvian Con-
gress, and no mention has been made
of his "Decrees 25475 and 25659,
which abolished dur process, handed
extraordinary power bo the military,
created faceless courts with hooded

iage*honest


Red, White & Blues SPHERIC page 11

now Ue ibs Fuck WHEL YOU be SIRE

7

Anonymous Poster Found on
Random American Streetcorner

from last page
d allewed to dispatch,
hundreds (of Peruvian citizens} to
those medieval style prisons on the
mere suspecion of, yes, terrorism” Thr
Nahon peporied.

Language is a powerful tool.
Once someone is labeled a terrorist
they are immediately dehumanized
and their grievances are de-legit-
imined, whether or not their actions
actually ment the definition. Over the
“$6 Christmas holiday, the mother of

jailed Tupac Amaru leader Victor
Polay told the viewing audience of
Uninisnm, a Spanish language televi-
sion station, that the jailed rebels are
“not terrorised” buat “advocates for
Peru's impoverished masses.”

In their second communiqué,
posted on the web site of a European
based support group Are the Sport,
the MRTA asserted that the persons
being detained in the Ambassador's
home are being treated “in conformi-
ty with the standards of respect for
human dignity that had always char-

acterized our organization.” Upon
seizing the Ambassador's home on
December 17th, the MRTA quickly
released the catering onew hired for
the evenings festivities.

The Red Cross continues to
have access to the compound in
order to provide medical attention
and food as well as serving asa
source of information on the condi-
hon of the hostages. [nan anecdote
reported on December 30, 1994 by
(CNN , the rebels allowed a delivery
of dog food for Japanese Ambas-

The MRTA’s 4 Demands
1. The freeing of over 300 of its members currently
being held in Peru's military prisons.

2, Anend to the inhumane prison conditions to
which the MRTA prisoners are subjected.

3. Anend to the Neo-liberal economic policies that
exploit the already impoverished people of Peru.
4. Anend to the political repression that has
worsened since the “auto-coup” of ‘92, in which

Alberto Fujimori dissolved his opposition.
*Latin House*open mikes*ZZ Topp*barbershops«baseball caps*nothing but madness & monecy*Hwy 61

exdor Monhita Aoki's two German
Shepherds.

It is important for CUNY stu-
dents to cegard these individuals as
“human” explained Dr. Rodriguez
He also daid there ape similarities
between the economic conditions
effecting the people of Peru and those
effecting CUNY students

Increased privatication in Latin
America, bas caused mass-unemphay-
ment, disease and abject poverty.
While the conditions in Latin Aumerica
ane more severe, privatization is also

“creaking & third world in this ewan
iny, stated Dr. Rodriguez. Here the
efiects are evidenord by the cutbacks
in welfare and education, as well as
the proliferation in substandard heus-
ing and the attacks Mi Eumiagrants.
Dr, Rodriguez also pointed owt
that because private comporations con-
tinue to transfer both blae and white
collar pobs oversees where they can
pay people substandard wages (as in
the case of Peru) oar CUNY diplomas

will increasingly be worthless.

Blasphemy in Advertising

strength paint and the fifty-percent
paint is too sudden. | isolate this anea
with the Lasse tool and blur it with
the Guassian Blur filter

Looking good, looking good.
Now back to the image. Another tap of
the Q key and the area I've painted
over & selected, sunrounded by mov-
ing dotted lines. With the Levels com
mand | darken the area, making the
model look as stoned as | am. Very
good, i] may say so myself, Lopen the
second image and repeat the process
for the “after” shot, this tame moving
the Levels the opposibe way ho lighten
the bags urstil they clisagepesr

Looks periect to me. I check the
ene: this has taken me all of twenty
minutes to-do. | eo back bo Mhel’s office,

"Would you like bo check them
on the sereen before | print them
out?” | ask

“You'be already done it?”

“Yeah,” | answer, coolly enjoy-
ing his ine redulity

[bead him back to the produc-
tion room, and with Command-Z
heystrokes, puton a litte “before and
after” show myself, showing each
image in its original form, then with
my retouching, then back,

“That's amazing!” he exclaims.
“Wait, | want Mary tosee this!" [have
never seen him excited before. He
brings in first one marketing person,
than another, They all coo “Incredi-
ble "So pealiste!” and oo on.

Much as | enjoy having my ego
stroked, praise always leaves me at a
loss for words,

“Ah, it's nothing.” I aay. “fust
doang my jou."


e 12

SPHERIC

Red, White & Blues

Who Cut the Cheese
With rGBH?

he Dairy Coalition, in collab

oration with rBGH mana-

facturers and the Food and

Drug Administration, is

Poisoning our milk supply:

In 1994, the FDA warned grorery

stores mot to label tear milk cartons as

free of recombinant Bovine Growth

Hormone, a genetically engineered

drug which is inserted into cows to

Make them peodiue 1i)-27% enor mille
than usual '

The FDA has asserted for the two

anda half years since recombinant

Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) was

introduced to the market, that there is

hardly any difference between milk

from rBGH-ingerted cows and those

that have not been injected.
However, American and Euro-
pean schemtific stucties shen that rill:

from injected cows containag much
higher levels of IGF-1 (Insulin
Growth Factor), which can be respor-
sible for breast and) colon canoer, pre-
matun: erowth slamulation in infants,
juvenile diabetes, glucose intolerance
and bryperension. #BGH is banned! in
Europe and Canada.

W's US. producers are mow sell-
ing gobs of it to the southern hemi-
sphere (Brazil, South Africa, Zimbab-
we), and in the name of “economic
fairness,” the FDA has ruled that milk
conlaining BGH docs not have to be
labelled “riGH-free."

Most dairy companies won't
label their products. This presents a
problem to consumers who do not
believe that rBGH is hanmbess

Where Did This Pus Come From?

How did rBGH get passed by
the FDA? Well, the Clinton Adiminis-
tration has promised the beotechmalo-
gy industry an open door for their
mew franicenioods. and because Con-
greas has beon pressuring the FOIA to
allow the biotech companies to do
their own testing, to speed new dings
to maurice!

This is apparently with the
understood result of experimenting
von the American people because mane

of these drugs have undengone any

. When fBGH's main producer, higher

Morsanta, invested a bilhion dollars
into blogenetics, the FDA did mot do
any long term health studies (as they
did with pesticides when they came
out, and now doctors find a great bit
of (heir residues in cancer cells)

The FDA has not banned GH
even though studies published in
Cancer Research prove its lirik to can-
cer (June, 1995) and despite the fact
hat alk from tuted cows has been

rqecied by many consumers because
of its very high pus count. The pus
Comes from 2 serious infection of the
udder, called Mastitis. Cows with
Mastites have bo be treated with Lange
doses of antibiotics, which can also
sharw up In the milk.

The FDA is now composed of
Moreanto employers. Michael Taylor
is the FDA official who signed the
Federal Register notice warning gro-
cery stores not to label their milk
rBiGH-free.

He was an FDA official until
1984, when he joined Monsanto's law-
firm. He worked for Monsanto for
seven years and helped them get FDA
approval of (BGH. Then, Taylor was
neturmend to the FDA, where be acted
44 assistant commisaboner for plies,
He appointed a number of others
from Monsanto to positions at the
FDA, with Clinson's approval

Cows Moo - Media Chickens Out
‘Over 80 dairy farms which
tiatd rBGH have made complaints to
Monsanto or the FDA af having to kill
cows made sick from their over-pro-
duction of 1GF-1, and of losing hun-
dreds of dollars per farm.
Approximately 40% of the beef

Why hasn't this been in the big-
time media? In 1991, a journalism
professor at the Texas A & M Center
for Biotechnology Policy and Ethics
complained that Monsanto was tive
publicity, and that Monsanto had
gotten good at manipulating the sci-
entific press by witholding pieces of
information,

When U3 Today published an
article on Epstein's finding that r8GH

EEE CONS Sc’ Beh ea
What's Up With the New World Order?

Gee by Gustave Espherico

iting around the Spheric

office plotting to take over

ithe world, we noticed some

shadowy group had beat us

fo it. Spheric’s industrious

research staff scoured through the

halls of knowlege seeking to unravel
the spider's web of power.

Lucky for us we didn't have to
look far. Hunter College's Wbrary was
hossing outa bunch of old. onusnideston.
from the John Birch Society. This
funiky little outfit formed in the 1950's
to expose the international Commu-

America Is

fist Consperacy’s attempt to babe ower
America's mind by polluting our
‘precious bodily fhuids’ with floridat-
ed water. They wert no! successful,

Each of their little pamphlets
was crammed with footnobes reler-
ring to their other little pamphicts.
The subjects ran from from “Eisen-
lhower Dupe of the Reds” to “It's Not
Jit the Jews: A Guide to Who's Who
in the Shadow Government.”

The book pinpointed an chesive
group known as the Cosinell on For-
eign Relations (CFR), whose world
headquarters is coincidentally across
the street from Hunter College.

Intrigued, | gave the CFR a call

“Hi, my name is Gustavo
Espherico, and | ge to Hunter College
across the street. | have a book here
thal says you guys are an evil organi-
mation benion taking over the workd.
Is thal trac?” After some buck-pase-
ling, | finally repeated the question to
alady up at public relations.

“We cannot comment om that,”

was her official answer. “Why not? |
queried. “Because we cannot com-
mend on that.”

This wasn't turning owt to be
much of an interview, 50 1 ven-
tured further.

“What part of the question can’t
you coeiment on? Are: you an ongani-
zation? Are you already controlling
the work? Is this madness? Are you a
human being?" | probed desperately.

“We cannot comment.”

After explaining that the book
accuses CFR of orchestrating both
World Wars, Korea and Viet Nam,
plus the “Gulf Conilict,” Somalia,
Bosnia, and so forth, resulting im han:
dreds of millions of deaths, | coun:
tered “these sound like pretty serious
charges bo me.”

“We cannot comment on that,”
the PR flack repeated for a final time,
bebore thanking me for my interest
and introducing me to the dial forse.

That's when I realined its the
PHONE COMPANY that controls
the world. Based om a true story.

injections can lead to cancer, the Dairy
Coalition (a gang of giant dairy compo
rations) met with the LISA Tinley edi-
tors and convinosd them to publish a
letter fehuting Epstein’s findings. The
letter, signed by two dairy industry
association execubves asked

The 5A Today reporter who
wrote the original artiche said, “In
general, we've found it's become
modus i for industry bobby-
ists bo try and intimidate reporters
from writing things that will reflect
badly wp on their industry.”

What Now, Brown Cow?
Consumer advocabes ane on the
verge of winning the fight against
fBGH. More and more food compa-

nies ane pehusing to use the drug.

be. Not the Rockies rising out od the
Praine, buscious, ikea woman's hips;
but the vidllence of continual birth, of
no history. America hit me [dle a fist

about the nature of the beast, its
abolitionist and saw the human
Species not a¢ mankind, but the
union of man and woman. He saw

The Clinton
Administration
has promised
the

industry an
open door for
their

new
frankenfoods.

The problem is we shill don’t
know who is using if, because of
the labelling law, Here's a list of
milk producers that do met use
rhGH: Farmland (on strike, don't
buy), Ronnybrook, Meadowbrook,
Sunnydale, Horizon, and Beyer.

7 “ng hwnd HA Nara lore


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14

SPHERIC

Red, White & Blues

ee By (vis

94 fold to Joel

come from a low-class family

in a low-class nei

on the west side of Morelia,

in the state of Michoacan in
Mexico. Most of the families living,
there are poor. Many of them have
come to the cities from raral villages,
looking for a better life and instead
they find misery, exploitation,police
bratality- all that kind of abit.

Most of friends in my meighbor-
hood were involved in cheap drags,
nod like cocaine tn the US. Cocaine is
foc expensive in Mexicn. We got hagh
on industrial glue; it's the cheapest
drug in Mexico.

Sol got started in gangs. sniffing
glue and smoking grife (marijuana). I
was fifteen years old. One day, | was
wearing 4 backpack with marijuana
in it. The cops caught me; I was under
the influence of glue. They took my
spi and took me to jail. Because my
family had no money, | had to stay
there. 1 spent eight ina lx

people. There were no and
the toilet was broken, so there was a
Jot of shit all over. The place stunk
teal bad. That place was hell.

Jailbreak

Two guys had been thrown in
jail at the same time | was. T hey
were older than me and they were
involved in heavy stuf, mot like us
teenage gangsters. They looked
around the cell and said, “Well, this
jail a picoe of cake. We've got to get
oul of here.”

They took a piece of metal from
a octling light ficture and used it with
a piece of blanket to break the pad-
lock of the back door of the jail cell.

(On the other side of the door
there was.a small sidewalk that bed to
a wall With the same piece of metal
they made a hobe in the wall.

When these two guys escaped, I
decided to escape with them. At first,
they only planned to escape them-
selves. However, by the time the job
was done, we were six! Many in the
cell stayed because they were afraid.
You see, if you escape and you are
caught by the poficia judicaal, they willl
Kill you. So more than half of the peo-

ple stayed.

‘Once we went through the hole
in the wall, we ran across a parking
lot and jumped a big fence at the end
of the lot. On the other side of the
fence was.a lumber yard. We went
into the lumber yard, and then
jumped another fence and into a murs-
ery: The six of us split up in different
directions, but the two guys who
broke us out of jail came with me
becaase they weren't from my home-
town and they didn’t know the city.
They didn't knew where to man, op |

I

We D

dn’t Cross the Border-

The Border Crossed Us

fold them to fallenw ime.

We went to my mother's house.
AL first my mother was happy. When
[knocked on the door she said “Who

from jail. f'm not free She pot real
sad because if | was in trouble before,
ro | wus lin peal iroubbe,

It was Christmas and she had
cooked a bunch of tamales, 20 she put
some in a plastic bag and gave me
some money. Me and the two purrs
walked as far away as possible from
my mother’s place. We were afraid
ithe cops world to my house.

I walled with them to the bus
station. | gave my money to the tro
guys. [told them, “I have friends here
and | have places to stay, but you
don't. Take this money and go.” When
I gave them the money, it was a very
emotional moment. They booked at
ine and said, “You know wihat, Luis,
we'll never forget this. Maybe we'll
never see each other again, but we'll

“If the cops
come here, we

are

bbe dee
a flashlight in
one hand and
a shotgun in
the other.

never forget what you did.” So they
gave me a hug and we said good-bye,
and | never saw them again.

| know a lot af people in my city,
30 I walled to a friend's house and |
told him, “You know what, | just
escaped from jail.” be said. “Oh Shit,
that's cool! Fuck the police!” | stayed
with him for one day.

Two days later, | went back to

‘visit my mother. | came thereat night
and | watched the house from a block
away fora few minutes to see Ef there

T thought you had left town.” 1
replied, “No, I just came here for a
shower and to get something to eat.”
“Why are you so stupid? The cops
were here today looking for you! Sev-
en judiciales in a truck and a cag, in my
house looking for you!”

‘They didn't ask my mother about
me ina nice manner. They cursed at
her. My mom said, “I don't know
where my son is. Last I knew he was
behind bars. Yow tell me where he is.”

Hideout

My mom and my grandma told
me I had to go My grandena gave me
some money and | took a cab to the
city limits. | waited there for a bus
and took if to my father's house far
way in the mountains,

[arrived af around two or three
in the morning. The house had no
electricity in those days, and when |
got thee it was very dark. My uncle
Lumael's dogs started barking af me.

My uncle said, “Who is it?” |
said, “It's me Luis, José's son.” He
turned on his flashlight and said,
“Welcome. What happened? You are
in trouble, | know.” “Yes, uncle.”
“What kind of trouble?” “Well, |
escaped from jail.” He laughed real
hard. “That's cool, that's cool. If the
cops come here, we are ready for
them.” He held a flashlight in one
hand aned a shotgun in the other.

I spent New Year's Eve with my
relatives. One of my cousins, Elijia,
told me, “I went to your mother's
house. The cops wene at your house;
they are looking for you, and you
know how the policia judicial are. So
listen, ina few days Fm going back to
the US. Do you wand to-come with me,
ordo you want to stay in the village?”

It's a very small village. There is

no bus, no ehectricity, mo nothing. (It's
a coal place, though.) He said, “J
have to go back to Morelia. If you
want to come to the US with me, I will

tell your mother and your grandma.”

lipo went to the city and wher

he returned to my uncle's place, he

16,000 pesos with him, which.
wag about $790 in 1982. My aunt, bee
cousins and |took a bus back to
Morelia. We went to the city dis-
fuised as campesinos (farmers), and
hats and sandals! we couldn't go

My mother and father were
waiting for us at the bus stathon. For
the first time in many years, my father
talked to me. Lip until then my father
and | didn’t have a good relationship
because | was a crazy guy and he
wanted me to go to school. Every
father’s dream is to have his sons
graduate and be somebody, and I was
somebody- a gangster.

He told me “You know what,
Luis? ‘You are in trouble, and now you
are a: man. You are a kid no more. So
take care of yourself and don’t get
involved jin any more trowble.” I said
olay: And my mother, well, you inow
how mothers are, she was crying. She
aid, “Lui, take care of yourself, and
pray” she’s Catholic, you know: "Pray
fo the Virgen Guadilupe and remember
us.” So] left my home town.

Crossing the Border

From Morelia we traveled to
Loredo, Mexico. We spent a day there,
ina cheap stinky hotel with roaches
and mice. The next day a woman in
her mid—40s took us to the shore of the
Ris Breno (Rio Grande).

There were also other groups of
people waiting to cross. It was dark,
but wer heard their voices whispering,
“Hey, don’t make any sound, [a mngrs
[US immigration police] is an the oth-
er side. And don'tsmobe!”

We stayed there uritil after dark.
Then, two coyotes (smugglers) came
with an inflatable raft, but it didn’t

| Governor Pete

Wilson, he talks
a lot of shit __
about us.I
like to see this
in the field
tomatoes.

have any air in it. We all had to help
them inflate it with our mouths! Then
they said, “Okay, you and you and you
in the front, and you and you and vou
in the back,” and they give us our posi-
Hons. There were ben of us in that raft

| was afraid, because the river
current was. so strong, and there were
whirlpools in parts of the river, and if
we got caught in one of thoue, we
would die. So I was a lithe afraid, but
at the same time | was excited. “Oh
shit,” | though, “So this is Rio Brave
and the US is on the other side?”

The two coyotes book us to the
US side and they went back to Mexi-
coup bring mone people over. Another
guy was waiting for us on the Ameri-
can side.

We walked to a house, where a
truck was waiting for us. It was a
pickup track with a tarp on the back.
We laid down in the backand they ~
covered us up. We rode like that all
the way to Houston, which was abot
a five hour drive. |i was raining and
we got wet because there were holes
in the tarp. I was tired, but on January
6, 1982, at around 8:00 AM, we were
in Hewustor.

The coyotes dropped us off in
Houston, where we paid them. It cost
$35) for cach of us. Nowadays to go
from Laredo, Mexioo to Houston iit
costs $500. | was happy because it
was another culture, there were a lot

‘America I Grossing the Rio Grande-a plastic surgery disaster-wolves»Grand Tetons+FBIBM* Mormons*


Red, White & Blues

_ SPHERIC

e 15

The Great

cpm by Asal Uliah
‘ve offen juggled with the idea of
a name change, as an eleven
year old with a non-Anglo
Christian name might under
the imperialisn of Junior high
school. The idea Keerered over me for
days that stretched out like weeks,
and weeks that yawned into years.
The origin of considering a
trade-in. could be found in the nalers
of our class who paced back and forth
like liana aenonpst timid wikletarsts.
Bored, they'd target their prey
low the day and feast on their names
as they instantly transformed into
heckling hyenas
When it was my turn to be
chewed on, they seemed to hang on
to every Last syllable of my two-sylla-
« Me name: “Haaaaa”, they'd omak for
halt the. ihatien hiss. “sassif” the
remainder. For them my name was a
real treat, it was meatier than the
names of my peers as my water eved
reaction made the process all the
macine jury.
Jenior HS was also the time of

the “great ool

the name of Joe in place of Hung or
‘Yanmni. This was especially trac tor the
Asian students whose names were
pronounced correctly a¢ ofien as the
Jotio was won.

The freal conversion left mea
bright red sone thumb blinking in the
amidlle of a highway of litte Hitler's

of white girts around, and there was

a rock'n'roll station playing 4
hours a day.

My uncle told me to go to
school, but] only went for one day. |
didn’t like it; everyone spoke Eng-
lish. found a job working ina junk-
yard, but I gol laid off and didn’t do
anything for a month.

Another guy, my cousin's
friend, had Eived in south Florida,
He told me, “Luis, 1 gotta go to
South Miami. Wanna come with
me? f got intends there and there's
lets of werk.”

Tisand okay. | told my uncle and

when | moved ta South Florida. |
‘spent 10 years there,
We Didn't Make This Border

It's so hard, it's hard to get
here from Mexico. Some

don'tever make it. They are put ina

and Gengrich’s, No one missed the
sign. But | stood (a very shaky) tall,
partially due to the death blow my
parents would strike at the mon: sug
gestion of a name change.

By the tiene I reached the foncign
land of high school I realized hut the
number-one bashers of names were

fost comaln, a grave without name.
They are buried ina common grave,
whale their family in Mexico waits
to receive a letter from them with

teachers. They were the number one
enemy, also known as the Great Satan
of non-Anglo name victims like
myself. In addition they produced a
wider range of bashing availability as
they introduced the last name con-
cept, an option unknown to freshmen.
For me this was a neincamabtion from
wildebeest to ant. The doors were
open for all to step on. And they did.

Rall call was the most dreadful
time of the day; whirhwinds of escape
routes circled im my mind. My name
was teceived mispronounced, as
always, and along with it came the
roars.

With the raving response some
teachers received, they felt it meces-
sary to do an encore, spitting my last
name out naked of the “Mr.” title:
=UUUUILLLLLLAAAAAAA AHHH,”
Mrs. Wohl, my high school English
teacher would say as if it were 4 jun-
gle term spoken in the mouths of
Mow glis.

The laughter came like a tidal
wave of roaring lans al a Chicago
Bulls basketball game spreading to
ithe outer reaches of the mom, where
tthe kids sniffing coke would sudden
ly become participants in class.

My face must've resembled
Radalph, that red nose reindeer's
blinking nose, as kids in the class-
room fell ower chairs pointing at me.

* Okay, that's it, I'm changing
my name to Alan, Steve, or Harry.
Take your pick!” | demanded to an
overly weighty version of my lather
Played by Reny my Christian Indian

* Get out! Get out! ~ he shouted
Mockingly, arowing the ring finger of

his right hand to an invisible door as
he recalled a classic performance of
Raleh Cransdien: fromm the
ens, There was noquestion about it —I
would have to resort to a physical
Facerrechesseneeses ir adkditior be the sparrha-
al refugee status dl almady eamed.
My vagrancy never escaped the
plank of my mind, but edged out
there for four tumultuous years of
high school, during which | under-
went the unsuccessful “tag” identity.
This meant having to scribble a
funny name, the tag (mines was

wave of roaring
Bulls basketba

The laughter came like a tidal
fans at a Chicago
l game, spreading

American What's In a Name Game

would be a different story. ht was.

At beast up till an encoander with
a peer whose nationality was the
same as my name, ~ As ‘if,” he pon-
dered. ° That means sorry in Arabic.”

The name my grandiather had
given me meant sorry! | was sorry I
had ewer met this guy, or that I had
such an awful name, or was ever
bom.

The on-going sel! pity gave way
toa determined, metilesoone quest to
disprove my Arab peers definition,
After almost a year ol a fruitless

to the outer reaches of the room,
where the kids sniffing coke
would suddenly become
participants in class.

Jester), on walls and trains so that a
certain caliber of recognition was
established. _

Still, everyone, including the
graffiti comrades, preferred the hun-
dreds of neanderthalish renditions
they had of my name. So it was of lit-
the surprise that by senior year the
proper name, Asif Ah-acef |, no one
called me by, became Abh-sniff-
cocaine, probably because of the head
laden lids of my eves. Whatever the
high school were long gone, College

‘aggravating search | found out that be
‘was right, I was nothing short of somy
in the Arab language.

One day it happened. | shambled
across an Aliernatine to Angle book of
names in the one shelf library of a
friend's father, My name read first in
the book { which had to be a good
omen Assif or As ‘if - prince of intel-
ligence; wise; witty, and all the good
stulf only a fortune cookie is unde of.

Yes! “ My name is Asif,” |
screamed out the window,

Sacco & VanzettieHarleys+cocainesJohnny Cash-the White Man's Ice Cube+kiss-o-mint condoms+«dying+revolution...


16 SPHE

RIC

SPHERIC SPEAKS

No, I’m not an American.
I’m one of the 22 million
black people who are the
victims of Americanism.
One of the 22 million black
people who are the victims
of democracy, nothing but
disguised hypocrisy. So, I’m
not standing here speaking
to you as an American, or a

patriot, or a flag-saluter, or
a flag-waver - no, not I. I'm
speaking as a victim of this
American system. And I see
America through the eyes of
the victim. I don’t see any
American dream; I see an
American nightmare.

Malcolm X

Red, White & Blues

never submit to the man
always submit to spheric

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