PCC Courier by PCC Courier

CO U R I ER Pasadena City College

Serving PCC Since 1915

DECEMBER 1, 2016 VOLUME 114 ISSUE 07

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM

Administration continues to fail at transparency page 3

Board tables ‘controversial’ media measure Amber Lipsey Managing Editor

In a move that “hit a nerve” across campus and the Pasadena community Wednesday, the Board of Trustees tabled a vote on a measure that would have effectively silenced themselves from openly speaking with the media and their constituencies. The measure called bylaw 2771, written by trustee Anthony Fellow, stated that its purpose was to “protect the integrity of the institution,” and therefore have the board act as “one body, one voice.” The bylaw would mean that all board members would adhere to protocols such as making the board president the official spokesperson for the Board of Trustees, requiring any board members to inform the president of any information requested by the media, referring all media inquiries to the board president for “controversial” topics and informing the president about any media contact regarding “non-controversial” issues before responding. Trustee James Osterling was a vocal opponent of the measure stating that it has dangerous ramifications for the first amendment, and that he

was unsure what the deficiency was for the current bylaw 2715 which already covers media inquiries. Osterling was joined in his skepticism by Trustees Ross Selvidge and John Martin. According to board agenda documents, “The bylaws were compared to model bylaws provided by the Community College League of California and reviewed by the Board of Trustees subcommittee on Accreditation/Board Policy Review.” Upon review, there do not appear to be any model bylaws from the Community College League of California (CCLC). The only relevant section from the CCLC Trustee Handbook states, “The board has legal power only as a unit: trustees represent the board and have no authority as individuals. Therefore, a board member’s public comments should represent board decisions and policies, even if the trustee did not vote for a board decision.” Even if the board wanted to add bylaws that reflect the trustee handbook recommendation, it’s already covered. PCC already has Board bylaw 2715 which includes the following: “7. Understanding that the Board can legally function only as a group,

Katja Liebing/Courier Board of Trustees President Linda Wah speaks with Superintendent-President Rajen Vurdien during the Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday night in the Creveling lounge. each member should exercise appropriate care to speak as a member of the board and accurately represent board policy to the community. Personal opinions should be identified as such.” There is also a question about the legality of the bylaw. Peter Scheer, Executive Director of the California First Amendment Coalition told the Courier by phone that this would boil down to a first amendment

issue. “If the measure passes with a majority and the members who vote in favor want to censor themselves they have that right,” Scheer said. “However, if the measure passes and some members of that body don’t wish to abide by the bylaws and attempt to speak out to the media anyway … if they face any negative actions up to and including censure, removal from committees

or removal from the board, they have a first amendment right of action, and could get a court order to override the governing body and prevent them from further enforcement of the policy.” Trustee Selvidge spoke to the Courier before the meeting and said that failure to abide by this measure, should it pass, would result in sanctions for the member.

outward perfection of foods. These standards create an environment where food waste is condoned and accepted.” From there, Lisboa and several of her peers from the class were inspired to found The Food Recovery Network club at PCC, a national organization across colleges and universities that unites students to fight food waste and hunger. The club took part in several projects and events that involved giving back to the homeless, but the club board realized that there were homeless students at PCC that needed to be taken care of, too.

“It really hit hard when I started to learn that some of my own peers are homeless or can’t afford food,” Food Recovery Network board member Roseanne Rivera said. “Here we are complaining about how hard our classes are, and most of us like to snack while studying, but homeless people are more worried about their next meal. Food shouldn’t be the number one thing on their mind. It should be their classes, and the entire board knew we had to do something about that.” The Food Network Recovery Network visited Fullerton College

in September 2015, noticing that the school had a food pantry and PCC did not. The board members later put Lancer Pantry to work. Rob Johnston, expert in catering to low-income students in college, came over to speak at PCC two months after the visit to Fullerton College. He asked immediately, “Does PCC have a food bank?” “The timing was just right for him to ask us that,” Milne said. Milne, along with other faculty a part of the advisory committee, explained that they were just in the

BOARD PAGE 2

Lancer Pantry promises resources for those in need Emeline Beltran Staff Writer

In order to relieve the ever-present struggle of hunger that many students face, PCC will soon be implementing a free food supply program known as Lancer Pantry for those in need. Back in Fall 2014, professor Derek Milne centralized his cultural anthropology class around food, discussing topics such as food waste, food insecurity, food culture, and so forth. A Lancer at the time, Rafaela Lisboa did research on the

social constructs of what made food edible, how those social constructs also define food waste, and its correlation with food insecurity. Lisboa’s research impressed Milne when it was presented at the annual Honors Transfer Council Conference (HTCC) at the University of California, Irvine, in March 2015. “I learned so much from that class, one of the biggest lessons in regards to food waste is how societies view foods and how the outward form of a food is valued more than its nutritional value,” Lisboa wrote in an email to staff. “Some cultures [such as] Japan aim for this

PANTRY PAGE 2

NEWS

2 COURIER

December 1, 2016

Props 51 and 55 to improve PCC campus, benefit staff Sally Kilby Staff Writer PCC will significantly benefit from the passage of two statewide propositions from the Nov. 8 General Election ballot, propositions 51 and 55, by being able to rebuild the U Building and to retain teachers. Proposition 51 will provide $9 billion for California school facilities through long-term loans. As of Nov. 28, it is passing by 54.8 percent of the vote, making PCC very likely to receive funds, according to a college spokesman. The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office prioritizes community college projects and determines which projects are awarded funds. So far, one PCC project has been prioritized by the state as highly important. “The Pasadena Community

College District has a project in our spending plan that is approximately $60.5 million,” said Paul Feist, a spokesperson for the Chancellor’s Office, in an email. “The state contribution to that would be $58.3 million, with PCC contributing $2.2 million.” This project is the U Building, Richard Storti, PCC assistant superintendent and vice president, confirmed. “The U Building at PCC is first on the prioritized list,” said Storti in an email. Funding could take place as soon as 2017. “We have submitted a request to the [state] Department of Finance for the projects approved by our Board of Governors to be included in the 2017-18 state budget,” wrote Feist. “If the projects are included in the state budget, and the budget is signed, money could be available

during the early part of the fiscal year (August 2017).” The massive 80,000 square-foot, four-story U Building located on the east side of campus near the Science Village has been vacant for years. The structure, also known as Armen Sarafian Hall, would not withstand a strong earthquake, according to inspectors five years ago. “With Proposition 51 funds, the U Building could be rebuilt within five years and resume its original function as a science building,” said Storti. Nursing, dental, biology, chemistry, and other science students could return to the building, which would be equipped with up-to-date science labs, according to Storti. The timing is dependent on the issuance of bonds. PCC would have been looking at a longer time frame for rebuilding the U Building if Proposition 51

hadn’t passed. According to Storti, it is possible that the proposition could also fund seismic retrofitting for the D and E Buildings. Proposition 55 will authorize the continuation of an estimated $14 million per year in state funding for PCC teachers’ salaries through a tax on those with high incomes. Although PCC will be receiving funds for teacher salaries every year until 2030, the college will be experiencing the permanent loss of another $4 million per year, starting Jan. 1. This is because in 2012, voters approved a temporary one-fourth cent increase in the statewide sales tax as part of the original Proposition 30 that is now being extended with Proposition 55. The sales tax increase ends this year. “The decline…as a result of the expiration of sales tax proceeds is

planned to be offset by reserves, increases in other funding areas, and reduced expenses where available,” said Storti. “Proposition 55 funds can be used only for instructional purposes—for teacher salaries, and the funds allow us to continue offering the classes that we offer.” Salaries of both full time and part time instructors “across the board” can be paid for from Proposition 55 revenues, according to Storti. However, the exact amount PCC receives is unpredictable. The income that is taxed to produce the funds varies from year to year, depending on the economy. Thus, Proposition 55 funds aren’t a guaranteed source of funds. “The challenge is planning resources to meet the needs of students and the college,” said Storti. “We don’t know from year to year what the funding will be.”

Bianca Simonian/Courier Right: Remnants of the last day of class in the U building on Thursday, Nov 17. Left: The fenced up U building. PANTRY process of putting together PCC’s food bank with the Food Recovery Network. “It should’ve happened earlier though. Food insecurity is a universal problem among colleges and universities, but Johnston was right,” Milne said. “All colleges should have one for students.” “It took a lot of time to ask so many people for permission just to open it,” Rivera added. “Luckily, we had amazing staff that gave us so much support putting this together. Dr. Vurdien is from Fullerton College so he had access to a food pantry at the time. It was a relief when he supported us.” Starting in early December, Lancer Pantry will provide one-day food packs, intended to be enough food

to eat for the day, one-week grocery packs, and hygiene products. Food will be non-perishable goods and fruits. A college assistant will also be hired to serve as a liaison between students and student services while distributing products to students. At the time, student volunteers will not be accepted to help run the pantry due to confidentiality issues. All products will be free to students since the products are funded by Student Equity, a project by the PCC Education Master Plan, aiming to bridge the gaps between student groups so everyone can all receive the same opportunities. Food will be received by several partnerships, such as Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, and staff will also be able to donate through payroll deductions.

On Nov. 19 and 20, PCC hosted “1 Million Meals Marathon,” a 24-hour food drive in Lot 1 where donated food will be stocking up on filling Lancer Pantry first and surplus items will be given to other organizations such as the Pasadena Humane Society and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. “This [event] is so important as it helps keep people and pets together and reduces the number of pets surrendered to shelters because of uncertain financial situations,” Dean of Health Science Dr. Barbara Freund wrote in an email to staff. One of the biggest challenges the advisory team faced while putting together the pantry was finding the right location before settling for CC211. “We wanted the pantry to be in

a private location because we don’t want to make it known of which students are in need of certain resources,” health coordinator Jo Buczko said. “Some don’t mind it, and some do. Overall, it’s a private issue that requires a private location.” Another challenge was getting different licenses and permissions before opening. Lancer Pantry was issued its health permit and business license on Nov. 9, and is expected a visit from the Pasadena Health Department two weeks within Dec. 1. As the name suggests, the pantry is exclusive to PCC students, but the advisory committee finds it important that students don’t take advantage of the pantry as a place for free food. “The pantry isn’t for students

to just come by and grab free food whenever they want just to save themselves money,” Milne explained. “This is for people who are low on access to these types of resources.” The committee hopes that Lancer Pantry serves as the security blanket that students who lack access to resources feel like they are missing. “There are a lot of organizations on this campus such as EOP&S and Dreamkeepers where we find students who are homeless or can’t afford to buy food,” Buczko said. “We hope Lancer Pantry will be that one universal source for all since those organizations require certain prerequisites to be in these programs. We realize that food insecurity can happen to anyone in college.”

and render to the individuals that which is the individuals, and I made an effort to help make that distinction,” Martin said. Trustee Berlinda Brown and Osterling debated back and forth on concerns over accreditation. Brown cited previous instances in which the ACCJC stated that the board was not acting as one body, and that that was one of the reasons for the current probation, while Osterling called the accreditation reasoning a “red herring.” “Just because the accreditation commission feels that we should speak with one voice and stifle dissent does not mean that they are correct,” Osterling said. “I’m not going to take instruction from an institution that in my layperson’s opinion is unconstitutional. This

is an extremely important matter and it’s worth some discussion and some thought, I think it’s worth a review by our legal counsel. I don’t think we were presented a sufficient amount of discussion before it was placed for a vote.” Before making a motion to table the vote, Trustee Linda Wah said, “I think there has been some misinformation that has been given out to the press and it’s a credit of all the trustees that were able to engage openly and civily in discourse regarding this issue so we can speak to each other … and not try to have others fight our battles for us by trying to appeal to others come in to try and fight those battles.” President Rajen Vurdien concurred with Wah, commenting, “There is always a negative impact

to the college when we have statements like you saw in the press today about what was said about this item on the agenda,” apparantly referring to trustee Osterling’s interview with Pasadena Star-News regarding the agenda item on Tuesday.

After an hour of discussion and criticisms, Brown noted that they did not have the four votes needed to pass the measure and the board voted to table it until the next meeting. This story was contributed to by John Orona.

BOARD Osterling told the Courier regarding the measure, “I think the fundamental assumption under which the premise is based on is flawed, therefore the conclusion is flawed,” he said. “The Superintendent reports to the Board of Trustees, not the other way around. So the idea of [of checking in with the president before commenting] defies the organizational chart.” During the hour-long discussion on the measure before it was tabled, there was an attempt by Trustee John Martin to present amendments to the measure which he felt would help protect the First Amendment rights of individuals while also allowing the board to speak as one body. “Our goal here is to render to the district that which is the districts

OPINION

3 COURIER

Editorial: Board transparency fail It’s been more than a year since Superintendent-President Vurdien replaced the former president Rocha and a cloud of legal trouble settled over campus, yet it seems PCC still has more trouble in the forecast, not only following the law, but also being transparent to its students and faculty. At last night’s Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting, the board tabled a motion to vote on board bylaw 2771, which would allow the board to act as “one body, one voice,” in regards to media relations. After a large amount of pushback from the media as well as Trustees Osterling, Martin and Selvidge, the board didn’t have enough votes for the motion to pass. The bylaw would make the board president the sole spokesperson for the BOT, require all board members to inform the board president of any info requested by media, and would require members to inform the president before they can respond to any “non-controversial” issues. It’s understandable that the board doesn’t want to say anything that would paint PCC in a negative light. Perhaps, rather than passing what amounts to a gag order on themselves, the board and administration should take care to ensure they don’t operate in ways that paint the school in a negative light in the first place. Restricting access to the media at this level, which includes student media on campus, not only makes it harder for the students, faculty and the constituents in the community to get substantial news and information, but also makes it appear that there is something to hide. This further erodes the very fragile trust that is still being built between our

campus community and the BOT. The agenda noted that the bylaws were based on model bylaws from the Community College League of California (CCLC), which states in its trustee handbook: “The board has legal power only as a unit: trustees represent the board and have no authority as individuals. Therefore, a board member’s public comments should represent board decisions and policies, even if the trustee did not vote for a board decision.” PCC already has board bylaw 2715 which includes exactly that language. This makes bylaw 2771 practically redundant, which casts further doubt on the intentions of the board. Trustee Osterling, the most vocal opponent of the measure, cited the stifling of the First Amendment as the main reason for opposing the measure. the agenda item, which supposedly came from a Board Policy Review subcommittee, could not be found on the subcommittee agenda items nor as part of any meeting minutes. It reads very shady that an agenda item with such overarching ramifications for free speech and freedom of the press would appear out of nowhere, with no one able to offer an explanation of where it came from. In January, the College Council, a committee created by the Board of Trustees and therefore subject to the Brown Act, voted to “unbrown” themselves. This was done under the guise of making meetings more inclusive and convenient; however this meant that meeting agendas could change, meetings could be hidden, and minutes could be withheld. Far from being inclusive, it’s clear the effect has been to leave students

who wish to exercise their right to participate in the governance in the dark. We understand the decision to relieve themselves of the Brown Act was convenient to the College Council — as ignoring law usually is — but the College Council has not just a legal obligation to abide by it, but an ethical one as campus leaders who care about the students and school they govern. After we reported on this violation last semester, the school responded by saying they will continue to post minutes and meeting schedules. That hasn’t happened with any consistency. The Courier previously reported that attorney Terry Francke for Californians Aware stated in regards to the council dropping the Brown Act, “‘Even if it may not be an operating committee of the Board of Trustees, the College Coordinating Council is a standing committee that holds monthly meetings created by a legislative body,’” he told the Courier. “‘The fact that the college board created this body is enough by itself to make it subject to the Brown Act.’ Francke added that even if the intent was not to advise the Board directly but only the president, the Court of Appeal has held in a comparable case (Frazer v. Dixon Unified School District) that that distinction makes no difference.” Californians Aware successfully sued PCC for Brown Act violations in 2014 and won after a judge nullified former president Mark Rocha’s severance package. Frank D. LoMonte, Executive Director of the Student Press Law Center in Washington D.C. concurred with Francke’s assessment in an email to the Courier. “The fact

that the Council was created by an act of the trustees and not just by the president as a personal advisory body is very compelling evidence that the Council must comply with the Brown Act. The Brown Act applies not only to “legislative” bodies like college trustees, but also to any bodies who have been delegated authority by a legislative body,” LoMonte said. LoMonte continued by saying that if the trustees created the Council with the mission of formulating policy for presentation to the trustees, then that’s a governmental body covered by the Brown Act. He found it “amazing” that PCC would be going so far out of its way to stretch the open-meetings law to exclude the public, after the college has been burned in recent history for its excessive secrecy, noting the ruling of Rocha’s severance package. “Even if the president’s attorneys are telling him that he might have an argument for excluding the public from these meetings, why would he? Why would anyone try to hard to maintain secrecy on the campus of a state-owned, taxpayer-supported institution? The only logical explanation is that the college is doing things it does not believe the public would consider legitimate if the decisions were discussed in public,” LoMonte said. Even if the board follows the Brown Act to the writ, the fact that they deny their necessity to adhere to it sends a clear message that they believe they are above public transparency and threatens our accreditation status, as well as eroding any good reputation they have in gaining the trust of its students and community.

Amber Lipsey Staff Writer

issue. “I think it was a rookie error in teaching about race,” Ketchum said. “You go for the big term when a less loaded term would be better to make it a teachable moment.” The word racism itself conjures painful images of the country’s long, brutal, violent and bloody history of slavery, reconstruction, The Southern Strategy, lynchings and Jim Crow. This continues today in the form of continued discrimination, redlining, gentrification and mass incarceration. Instead of using the word racism, it would be better to use the term “Implicit Bias.” We think of a racist as someone who is outwardly racist. Someone who wears a white KKK robe, who lives in the south, is unintelligent and throws around racial slurs openly at every minority

in sight. The truth is not so black and white. Rather, the fact is that white Americans all experience implicit biases. Implicit bias is an unconscious, prejudice, judgment and social behavior that results from subtle attitudes and stereotypes that often operate at a level below conscious awareness and without intentional control. This means that, unconsciously, white people hold stereotypical beliefs about minority and/or marginalized groups while most of the time not realizing it. Instinctively clutching your bag tighter when a black person walks onto the elevator or thinking a black woman looks less professional/less beautiful when her hair’s in its natural state of dreadlocks or an afro as opposed to being straightened.

Other examples of implicit bias are things such as employers only responding to job applications for people with non-ethnic sounding names, charging more for products and services if a person is black or otherwise ethnic and belief that the black community is inherently more violent than white. Simply having a negative attitude or aversion to a specific group of people due to stereotypes or without a reason is due to implicit bias. As uncomfortable as it may be to acknowledge, white people absolutely have an ingrained implicit bias. This does not mean all white people are bad. This simply acknowledges that they are a product of the indoctrination and sociological conditioning that has continued centuries of genocide, colonization and discrimination.

Exploring the implicit bias of the whites Discussions centering around race are naturally hard to navigate, especially with a white person. No one wants to think that they have an ingrained flaw that they have no control over, especially one as despicable as being a racist. Last month, The Washington Post reported that a white teacher, James Coursey, in Oklahoma told his students, “To be white is to be racist period,” which caused one student to be offended and lodge a complaint with the school. The Norman Transcript reported that Paul Ketchum, a liberal studies professor at the University of Oklahoma confirmed that research supports Coursey’s comment, but that the way he verbalized it was the

COURIER Editor-in-Chief John Orona

Be Heard

Serving PCC since 1915 Features Editor Vanessa De La Rosa

Design Editor Samantha Molina

Staff Photographers Kathryn Zamudio, Veronica Barriga, Aaron Cortez, Cristian Cotaya, Erick Lemus, Will Mauriz, William Nestlehutt, Nicole Sebergandio, Bianca Simonian Faculty Adviser Nathan McIntire

Staff Writers Peter Chao, Anastasia Afanasieva, Eric Alvarez, Photo Editor Lifestyle Editor Eric Haynes, Katja Liebing Taylor Gonzales Veronica Barriga, Homer Cabrera, An’tron News Editor Sports Editor Clark-Phillips, Jonathan Angelique Andrade Christian Rivas Gomez, Jason Haygarth, Sally Kilby, Nicholas Asst. News Editor Asst. Sports Editor Photo Adviser Mejia-Loza, Uyen Phan, Emeline Beltran Irma Carrillo Tim Berger Emiko Powell, Christina Rosales-Davila, Trisha Opinion Editor Scene Editors Advertising Manager Vasquez, Jessica VillareDaniel Larson Kait Davie Daniel Nerio al, Wei Xiong The Courier is published bi-weekly by the Pasadena City College Journalism Department and is a free-speech forum. Managing Editor Amber Lipsey

Asst. Features Editor Marta Valier

Editorials and comments are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the institution and its administration, student government or that of the Pasadena Area Community College District. The Courier is written and produced as a learning experience for student writers, photographers and editors in the Journalism Department.

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Corrections

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December 1, 2016

VOICES

How did you learn about racism?

“It didn’t become real until I went to Germany and visited a concentation camp. Seeing ... where their indentities were stripped” Emerson Eoff, photography

“there was this one white guy who yelled the “n” word at someone in a negative way and I didn’t understand ... my dad explained it to me.” Jennifer Davidson, illustration

“It didn’t really come to the forefront until I realized that I was in class with mostly other white people” Tyus Hafiz, African-American studies

“My dad mostly taught me about racism because he dealt with it when he was younger. He would constantly tell me everyone is equal.” Raquel Rojo, psychology

“No one’s ever explained racism to me, no one ever said ‘this is what it is,’ something just didn’t feel right.” Duresa Hinika, communications

Reporting by Angelique Andrade Photos by William Nestlehutt

SCENE

4 COURIER

December 1, 2016

LA Night Lights

Descanso Gardens & LA Zoo Lights

Nicole Sebergandio/Courier Children and adults alike jump from color-changing pad to pad at the Descanso Gardens Enchanted Forest of Light on Tuesday.

People gather to watch the water show at LA Zoo Lights.

Michael Watkins/Courier

Michael Watkins/Courier Lisa and Oliver Gantz stop to admire the scenery above their path at LA Zoo Lights on Tuesday. Nicole Sebergandio/Courier People walk through the color changing tulip fields at the Descanso Gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Enchanted Forest of Light.

A group of zoo visitors watch the lights show at LA Zoo Lights. Background photo by: Nicole Sebergandio

Erick Lemus/Courier

Spheres covered in lights hang from the decorated trees at LA Zoo Lights.

Michael Watkins/Courier A wooden walkway is illuminated by lights at LA Zoo Lights.

Zoo goers walk under a lit walkway during LA Zoo Lights.

Erick Lemus/Courier

6 COURIER

FEATURES

December 1, 2016

Former teen mom triumphs despite trials

Emeline Beltran Staff Writer

The moment she found out she was a soon-to-be mom at only 13 years old, Roseanne Rivera was convinced by her mother that her life was over. She was an honors student and cheerleader at school who damaged her reputation by getting pregnant before even starting high school. If her life was really over, Rivera wouldn’t be a student here at PCC right now. She wouldn’t be the treasurer of the Honors Club, president of the Food Recovery Network, an academic support assistant at the Social Science Center, or a member of Lancer Pantry’s advisory committee. Also, she wouldn’t have completed the Honors Program, or awarded the Juan Lara Scholarship, the Farrer Memorial Scholarship, and the Summie Nakano Scholarship in Spring 2016. Despite friend’s and family’s assumptions, she’s thriving. “I’d say the whole journey was a blessing in disguise,” Rivera said. Born and raised in Santa Ana, Rivera is the oldest of ten siblings. The environment she grew up in was an underprivileged one. “Whatever you think of when you hear ‘ghetto,’ that was all around me growing up,” Rivera explained. Rivera got pregnant at 13 years old and initially refused to have her son. However, there was a law at the time requiring parents to sign an abortion consent form if the one who was pregnant was under 18, and her mother refused. Before she knew it,

her son Anthony Cook was born on drilled herself to record three times so much in common among their July 22, 1994. Then, Rivera felt like a day how she was at feeling at work different life obstacles. she had two options left. for two months, and saw a consis“The fact that she is a woman of “I could’ve either wallowed in tent pattern of distress. She quit her minority who grew up in the ghetto, self-pity repeating about how much job, moved away from Huntington is a product of community college, my life sucked at that time,” Rivera Beach, and ended up renting a room and ended up to where she is now said. “Or, I could’ve kept is truly inspiring,” Rivera said. pushing forward. I couldn’t be “I can’t believe I finally found a star student anymore, so I someone to really relate to chose to be a star mom.” outside of my family.” When she was 14, she “Very much like Roseanne, got her first job at a flower I had other priorities besides shop and In-N-Out. She also school,” Coto wrote in an graduated from a teen parent email. “My ‘extracurricular high school named Horizon activities’ were jobs and family in three years. Rivera quit her commitments.” earlier two jobs to work at the Also, taking anthropology Orange County Assessor’s classes with professor Derek Office, then she switched Milne led to her wining a to real estate, and moved to scholarship at the Honors Huntington Beach. Transfer Council Conference, “I lived with a beachside founding the Food Recovery view, and I was making a huge Network and the Lancer Panincome, so I was so sure I try, and adding an anthropolodidn’t need to go to college gy minor. when I felt like I had it all,” Rivera is now striving to Rivera explained. “Well, so I become an occupational theraErick Lemus/Courier thought.” pist. After Spring 2017, Rivera Roseanne Rivera at the PCC quad yesterStress crippled Rivera’s life hopes to receive her bacheday. A mother at 13, she has managed when her father was murdered lor’s degree in Psychology at to win three scholarships, work with the by a woman he had four California State University food recovery program, and become the children with. Rivera took it of Fullerton, then a master’s treasurer of the Honors Club. upon herself to adopt them as degree in Occupational Therher children. from her mother’s friend in Pasadena apy at the University of Southern “I found my happy place when in December 2013, bringing along California. I was home with the kids,” Rivera her son and one of her brothers. Her ambition is well recognized explained. Rivera restarted her life at PCC in by her former professors at PCC. Rivera thought her income and Spring 2014 to be a nurse. After tak“She has resiliency that is driven children were the only things she ing an introductory psychology class by passion. Roseanne is a non-traneeded in life, but as the kids grew with professor Monica Coto, Rivera ditional student. She has significant up, her happiness couldn’t keep up. switched to pursue an associate’s family responsibilities,” Coto said. Rivera noticed during work that degree in psychology. “She left a well-paying career to she found herself in misery. She Professor Coto and Rivera saw come back to school. I know many

students may not understand the tremendous opportunity cost associated with that.” Rivera also had a great connection with history professor Christopher West. He asked her once, “what’s your five-year plan?” “Five year plan?!” Rivera thought to herself. “Who plans ahead for five years, and for what?” West then told her to outline what she was going to do in the next five years to reach any long-term goal she has. He told her to ask herself what to do to reach her goal in her fiveyear plan. Rivera showed West her plans every day and West recognized her dedication in academia. “When I first met her in my class, she was driven to succeed and often angst about ‘Was this the right choice?’ and ‘Can you do it?’” West wrote in an email. “She has over the years grown as a scholar, as an activist and as a human being.” Rivera admits that nothing ever gets easier. She still needs to study for classes, while making sure her children are OK. However, she found her path, and did not hesitate to share any part of her journey. “Someone will be reading my story right now who is going through the same thing, I need to share to let them know that whatever they may be going through is a speed bump along their road called life,” Rivera concluded. “Just keep swimming, because nothing comes to you right away, but remember that you have two options in front of you. The lazy road of pity, or the hard road of taking action.”

Students prepare for lively ‘Confluence’ dance show

Irma Carrillo/Courier Student dancers rehearsing for “Confluence: an evening of contemporary dance” this past Monday in the Sexson Auditorium. Veronica Barriga come together as one,” Shaw said. explained. Staff Writer Vanessa Martin, a returning dancStudent Danny Rico created a About 25 PCC contemporary dancers filled the stage of the Sexson auditorium last Monday evening, as Co-Artistic Directors, Robbie Shaw and Cheryl Banks-Smith looked on. “Four more minutes left for your piece!” a student shouted from the front row. This is not a performance, it’s a rehearsal. The clock is ticking and these dancers have a lot of ground to cover before the big show this weekend. Twelve separate pieces to be exact, each piece driven by its own unique flair and accompanying visuals, make up, and “Confluence.” After experimenting with various themes, it was evident early on in the semester that most students had certain notions of what they were eager to create and ultimately showcase. “So we decided to call it ‘Confluence,’ because it really seemed like it was more about how with all of our different backgrounds we could

er and choreographer, was initially focused on outdoing her celebrated dance finale from last year’s show. Martin ended up finding satisfaction by shifting into a different world of dance, a more challenging one. “[Last year] I feel like I went out with a very big bang; smoke and petals, everybody wore gold … I don’t think I outdid the piece but I’m still very content because I challenged myself to do something that wasn’t my style. Rather than doing my normal habitat, which would be modern, we’re doing a broadway, jazzy, burlesque type of piece,” Martin said. Meanwhile, Shaw embraced the opportunity to create a fresh piece which combines two of her passions, dance and film. “I’m excited this semester, my piece is called ‘Drama-Rama,’ it’s sort of like The Kardashians meets a Fellini film, [the dancers] are using an iPhone on stage and I’m live streaming the iPhone camera,” Shaw

dance piece that leads with a narrative and tells the story of someone who is bullied. In contrast, Richard Kuller, a tap dance instructor at PCC, will stick to what he does best: a full-fledged tap number. While many find it a thrill to perform in front of an audience, for dancer Lorena Rochin it’s more than that. “You have to do it, you feel like that’s where you leave all your stress—like everything you’re going through, that stays here,” Rochin said. Rochin has had a passion for dance since she was a little girl, which carried on through high school when she was part of a dance company for three years straight. “I’m in six dances. It’s been really great to come back to performing,” Rochin expressed. “Dance has always been there for me and it comes naturally … now I feel like it’s my time to show everyone that I still have it in me.”

LIFESTYLE

7 COURIER

December 1, 2016

‘Yoga Squirrels’ yoga class? ‘Nut’ for me!

Vanessa De La Rosa Staff Writer

“Allow your breath to be heard. For yourself, but also for your neighbors around you. You may know the person sitting next to you, in front of you or behind you—you may not. The beauty is no matter what background you came from or what you do throughout your life, you all showed up today to practice focus and dedicating it to yourself.” Despite certified yoga instructor Casey Stroud’s motivational and uplifting introduction to the small yet seemingly enthusiastic yogis, all I could focus on was the undeniable fact that I was making a complete fool of myself among the experienced crowd readily following Stroud’s lead at every command. Every Wednesday night, the “Yoga Squirrels” Stroud is part of holds free community yoga classes at Patagonia in Old Town Pasadena. Patagonia has incorporated this practice at stores across the nation such as in cities like Santa Cruz, Portland, and Boston with different regional, certified yoga instructors. According to Portland store manager Aaron Altshuler in an interview with the Oregonian, Patagonia has done this at almost every location in order “to grow the type of events that reach out to athletes who use [their] products. The “Yoga Squirrels” obtained their name from their comparison of squirrels to people and the way we both coexist in the world. It is based on learning from erratic squirrels what we can do as erratic people to lead better, more carefree lives. Much like their resourceful-

ness, we too must “[get] rid of unnecessary … negative beliefs, emotions and memories which limit our faith in love and abundance. We need to lighten our load, physically, mentally and emotionally,” according to their “Manifesto” on their website. As a yoga-newbie with no experience and nonexistent bal-

ed by the personal “welcomes” and “it’s good to see you agains” that pervaded the room, the instructor continually called out yoga poses with brief, easy-to-miss descriptions that left me watching others in order to catch up. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; more power to them if they’re yoga masters. But this can be severely in-

made no difference to me though; time moved agonizingly slow, the seconds measured by the number of times I wanted to leave and never show my inexperienced face ever again. The instructor was kind, patient, and very friendly. The speed of the class was more of a reflection of her courtesy to those experienced

ance and coordination, the warm welcome translated to a hullabaloo of confusion, embarrassing poses not executed properly, and drastic increase in wanting to melt into the yoga mat. Although the atmosphere Stroud and the “Yoga Squirrels” tries to exemplify is one of “no judgment and open-mindedness,” that did nothing to deter my confusion or ease my lack of understanding. Because most people who attended the class were experienced members who regularly attend, not-

timidating for those beginners who assume free yoga classes come with the basis of understanding basic yoga poses but are thrown into the deep end not knowing the difference between a Locust Pose and a standard plank. Stroud continued the lecture with an exercise asking us to focus on our breathing, relax, and enjoy the moment in space and time. After people were given ample time to clear their minds and focus on the sensations in their bodies, the class continued on quickly. It

members whom she did not want to slow down since they compose the majority of her class. Even so, Stroud continually walked past me and others to help with posture, position, and technique. Throughout the exercises and constant lecturing, Stroud would give various examples and options for students to take; if one position was unmanageable to some they could do a different position or take breaks. “I’m doing it too, trust me, I know it’s difficult. But it gets easier,”

Stroud said as she modeled how to do the Garudasana, or Eagle Pose, in socks on a hardwood floor. One of the most relaxing (and easiest) parts of the class for me was laying on the ground with my palms up, feeling my heartbeat, and letting thoughts run through my head unfiltered in order to focus on what I really think and who I really am. The comfort and hospitality of the program could be seen when a student asked if we could turn off all the lights at which Stroud quickly bounded over to oblige. “Take a moment to be grateful for whatever pops into your mind,” Stroud encouraged. “It could be a human in your life, or something that happened today. Just let your mind be open and free.” The class itself was too quick-paced and difficult for an ignorant beginner like me to feel comfortable in, but the hospitality and friendliness of the “Yoga Squirrels” was definitely a feat to take part in and be around. Not only are the weekly classes completely free, they also offer yoga mats for those who do not have one, and healthy snacks at the end to wind down with. Another reason why the “Yoga Squirrels” call themselves such is based in their belief that people “can sometimes be a little erratic, trying to do many things at once. Take the time to stop, listen and to heed your inner self.” I will certainly heed the part of my inner self that says I am currently no good at yoga. Despite being unable to follow along with the physical poses, I was able to follow Stroud’s advice to the letter when she said “Just breathe; let whatever happens happen.”

Diverse food market rocks Pasadena’s taste buds

Photos by William Nestlehutt/ Courier Left: Diana Joe of the Sunday Cafe cooking bacon wrapped hotdogs among other stuff at the Eventrockit food market in Pasadena on Nov. 19. Right: Kristal Espinoza of the Sunday Cafe pouring Horchata for a customer at the Eventrockit food market. Trisha Vasquez Staff Writer Paseo Colorado was flooded with people all afternoon Saturday when Eventrockit brought a culturally diverse food market to town. The plaza was filled with booths from various chefs and foods from all different ethnic backgrounds as well retail booths sellings clothes and snacks. One popular booth among many was Oono Sushi, and they were famous for selling japanese and mexican-inspired sushi burritos. They had a variety of different types of burritos for sale from a

regular California burrito to a vegan burrito for your fur-loving friends. Participants gathered around to fulfill their sushi cravings. “I saw two guys eating a sushi burrito and it looked so good I had to ask them what booth they got it from and get one myself. I ended up getting a different kind of spicy tuna burrito I’ve never seen before and it was absolutely mouth-watering. It had spicy tuna, cucumber, and avocado wrapped in hot cheetos. It sounds weird, but it tasted amazing,” attendee Saul Valdez said. Another very well-liked booth was the “L.A.B. Co.” booth or Los Angeles Burger Company.

Established in 2016 and took off from the streets of Echo Park, The L.A.B. Co. won over the hearts of burger lovers everywhere by making all of their sauces and spreads from scratch which make their burgers so distinct. Any burger aficionado would definitely have a kick out of this place. Their family business is constructed around gourmet artisan burgers each carefully designed with sophisticated flavors to make a unique-tasting meal. No two burgers of theirs tastes the same. “I ordered the Ukulele slider and it was simply amazing. You get the crunch you want from a burger with the grilled onions, a warm toasty

bun, a juicy patty and to top it all off the savory taste from the spread added so much flavor my taste buds were singing,” foodie Evelyn Chow said. Last but not least, Viva! Soul-fully Mexican debuted a new item on their menu at the event. They called it “Ceviche VIVA!” which was coconut cream, tomatillos, spring onions, cilantro, mint, and ginger served on a black corn tostada. They’re well-known for their beef tomatillo tacos and coconut horchata as they completely sold out of both last month at the Eventrockit food market. “Viva! Soul-fully Mexican food is

definitely what you call traditional Mexican cuisine with its own kick to it. It’s authentic and extremely tasty. I think it stands out because it’s not anything you would usually find at an ordinary Mexican restaurant,” attendee Alan Blades said. This month, Eventrockit attracted yet another large crowd of all ages and races, from all over the 626. It united different cultures and foods and gathered the community to experience it together. People who attended were able to hang out with friends and family and enjoy delicious foods and drinks from various vendors whose dishes make Los Angeles’ modern food scene.

SPORTS

8 COURIER

Lancers’ title hopes cut short Christian Rivas Sports Editor

After upsetting some of the finest competition in Southern California, the Lancers’ men’s soccer team finally fell to Oxnard on Saturday, 4-1, ending their three-round playoff run. In the first round of the playoffs, the Lancers were awarded a deciding penalty kick in extra time, allowing them to beat Chaffey 1-0. However, from then on the competition only got steeper. Their first real test came against Golden West College, who came into the game with a clean record (14-0-7). While the Lancers got on the board within the first 10 minutes of the game, Golden West responded with three unanswered goals. The Lancers’ defense had no answer for Golden West’s Anthony Saldana, who scored back-to-back goals for Golden West in two minutes. Down 3-1 early in the first half, the Lancers needed a goal before halftime if they wanted to mount a comeback. Before the whistle blew to end the half, sophomore forward Oscar Vanegas broke through the defense and set up teammate Artin Almary for the goal to bring the Lancers within one. Going into halftime, the Lancers put themselves in a good position to pull off the comeback. However, they did not show signs of life on the offensive end until it was almost too late. At the 89th minute, Manuel Chavez tied the game with a beautiful free kick from about 20 yards out. But with time running down, it

MEET

December 1, 2016

YVONNE!

She can set you up with a Home Equity Line of Credit and give you vintage shopping tips!

Will Mauriz/Courier Lancers’ freshman midfielder Joshua Arevalo advances the ball against Chaffey College in the first round of playoffs at Azusa Pacific University on Nov. 19. looked like the Lancers were headed to extra time for the second consecutive game. That was until Sarmeen Ibrahim ended the game in the final minute with a desperation header that somehow found the back of the net. The Lancers won 4-3. Up next was Oxnard, who took home the 2015 CCCAA Championship last year. Unlike the game against Golden West, the Lancers were slow to start and didn’t get their first goal until the 22nd minute of the game. By then, Oxnard had already piled on two goals. Oxnard ended the first half with a demoralizing third goal, giving them a 3-1 lead going into halftime. Going into the second half, the

Lancers needed a few quick goals and a strong performance on the defensive end. While the Lancers held Oxnard scoreless for a large part of the second half, they could not get anything going on the other end. Oxnard added their fourth and final goal in the 79th minute of the game. The Lancers lost 4-1. For a team that came into the season with tempered expectations after a rough 2015-16 campaign and a head coaching change, the Lancers made some noise in the highly competitive SCC North Conference. With a young team and an inspiring head coach in Henry Cabral, they have the chance to do more of the same next season.

Give Yvonne a call today at 877.297.4707

670 N. Rosemead Blvd, Pasadena CA 91107 www.mypsfcu.org

Welcoming transfer students for Spring 2017