PCC Courier 04/24/2014

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The independent student voice of PCC. Serving Pasadena since 1915

PASADENA CITY COLLEGE

COURIER

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12

INSIDE: EDITORIAL

Did the District have good reasons for disinviting Dustin Lance Black?

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FAB IN DRAG

Life is not a drag at the PCC drag show.

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SPEAK OUT! Do you think your financial aid status should be factored into college admissions?

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April 24, 2014

Women’s swimming sets six records

Antonio Gandara/Courier Two-time Swimmer of the Year Shannon Cheung is congratulated by head coach Terry Stoddard after her record-setting victory in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Daron Grandberry Staff Writer

The 2014 Lancer women’s swim team made a bold statement with their impressive performance at this year’s South Coast Conference Championships, breaking several conference records. Led by two-time SCC Swimmer of the year Shannon

Cheung and freshman Connie Peng, the Lancers broke six conference records and 11 school records on their way to a prosperous meet from April 17 to April 19 at Mt. San Antonio College. “We put up a pretty good fight,” Cheung said. “I’m happy with our improvement from last year. All of our girls swam best times so that was great.”

On the opening day of the SCC Championships, the Lancers broke a 14-year-old SCC record in the 400-yard medley relay with a new conference record of 3:58.94 in the event title win. Returning sophomore Arolyn Basham and freshman Tiffany Wong paired with Cheung and Peng to become the first team in conference history to break the four minute mark in the 400.

“I’m so proud to have such amazing teammates,” Peng said. “I’m having the best time of my life swimming with such amazing athletes.” Adding to their record breaking meet, the quartet of Basham, Cheung, Peng and Wong also recorded a new SCC record in the 200 medley relay SWIM page 12

District apologizes to Oscar-winning alumnus

Governing board has final say in ‘shared’ governance

Christine Michaels and Philip McCormick Staff Writers

Philip McCormick and Justin Clay Staff Writers

The Board of Trustees apologized to Oscar winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black in a prepared statement released Monday and said that an email received by Black inviting him to be the school’s commencement speaker resulted from “an honest error.” Senior Vice President Robert Bell took responsibility for what the district described as miscommunications that led to the controversy. “Due to errors in following procedure for which I am responsible… we have embarrassed our esteemed alumnus Dustin Lance Black because of an invitation that was mistakenly delivered to his representative, and we owe the public an apology for involving Pasadena City College in a confusing situation that has unfortunately spilled over into public comment on homophobia,” Bell said, according to the statement.

An official from the Community College League of California clarified that the administration has the final say on issues that are discussed between the “participatory governance” groups at a technical visit on April 14. “Participatory governance” has been area of tension between the administration and the Academic Senate for the past few years, as the Academic Senate and Associated Students have consistently criticized the administration for not considering their input when making campus decisions. But Scott Lay, President and CEO of the Community College League of California, said that final authority belongs exclusively to the administration. “Shared governance is a general term used in higher education,” explained Scott Lay, President and CEO of the Community College League of California. “The [CCLC] and the Academic Senate refer to participatory governance to describe California’s law, as it’s about providing people affected by decisions the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process. At the end of the day, you can’t ‘share’ a decision. Someone/some body (i.e. governing board) has to make it.” The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior College’s Accreditation Standards states: “Through established governance structures, processes, and practices, the governing board, administrators, faculty, staff, and students work together for the good of the institution. These processes facilitate discussion of ideas and effective communication among the institution’s constituencies.” PARTICIPATORY page 2

Benjamin Simpson/Courier Board of Trustees President Anthony Fellow at a Board meeting on Jan. 15, 2014.

Black posted to Facepolite a final warning as I book early Tuesday, saying can offer now. Get honest, he was unsatisfied with the apologize to your students and school and make district statement. amends.” “It took the @LAtimes Black was the first of mere hours to see through eight potential candidates PCC’s dishonest, disingenuous statement. I can’t to make himself available as a speaker, but the Board imagine it will take PCC of Trustees were made students, professors or a aware of nude pictures court of law much lonof him with a man having ger,” his post reads. “Mr. unprotected sex which [Fellow], in a courtroom, evidence matters, not spin. surfaced on the internet in 2009 and he was dismissed There, you must tell the as a candidate because the truth, the whole truth and STATEMENT page 2 nothing but. This is as


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