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Lancer squad takes down LA Southwest, El Camino
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The independent student voice of PCC. Serving Pasadena Since 1915.
Online edition pccCourier.com Facebook PCC Courier Twitter @pccCourier January 17, 2013
New chief of police is selected PHILIP MCCORMICK Staff Writer
The Board of Trustees was scheduled to approve the hiring of a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s captain as the new campus chief of police on Wednesday. Don Yoder, a 28-year-veteran of the department, has served as the chief of police for the City of Victorville, which contracts with the sheriff’s department for law
enforcement services. “The [administration] had me on the short list the first time around,” said Don Yoder, referring to the selection of a new chief less than one year ago. “I was one of the top three candidates selected for the job. “I was notified in November that the position could be opening up,” said Yoder in an interview on campus Jan. 10. “I’m looking forward to continuing [former Police Chief Stanton]
Perez’ great work that he has done with the department. Yoder is set to replace Perez, who left the position late last year due to eligibility issues with his retirement program. Yoder will be the fourth head of the PCC Police Department in the past two years. “I plan on being here for at least five to 10 years,” said Yoder. “First, I plan to get to know the campus and community and after that, we’ll have to
see.” Yoder said that he had just given notice to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, but was still acting as captain until getting replaced. “I’m going to officially be starting on Jan. 26,” said Yoder. According to the Victorville Daily Press, Yoder formally announced his retirement from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s department at a meeting on Wednesday.
www.VVDailyPress.com Newly selected chief, Don Yoder.
Hearings held in two bribery case lawsuits NICHOLAS SAUL Editor-in-Chief
Buren Smith / Courier A gathering of student protesters makes its way towards campus during a demonstration on Jan 10.
Group protests against administration’s actions EMILY CHANG-CHIEN Staff Writer
A crowd of students and faculty protested on Jan. 10 against campus mismanagement and complication of student education plans because of calendar changes, expressing anger at what they saw as a climate of fear on campus. Social science Instructor David McCabe said that PCC has adopted a
culture of people being fearful of the administration. “There are a lot of unhappy students [and] there are faculty that are not tending to family issues at home because of their commitment to the students here,” said McCabe. “[The faculty] all are here; we’re happy to be here, but it’s not without cost. There are consequences.” Languages Instructor Melissa Michelson expressed her concern with
the college work environment. “I am sad to say I work in a climate of fear and distrust,” she said in a speech. According to Michelson, colleagues had informed her that they would attend the rally, but would not speak. Psychology Instructor Julie Kiotas echoed this sentiment and solemnly admitted that faculty members were petrified. She added that this fear
An initial lawsuit filed against the district concerning two fired school officials’ bribery scandal was dropped on Jan. 10, but it could be amended and refiled. The complaint stemmed from allegations of bribery solicitations in excess of $250,000 against former Vice President of Administrative Services Richard van Pelt and former Facilities Director Alfred Hutchings. The two men are currently being investigated by the District Attorney’s office. They were fired in June after the investigation was announced. District representatives challenged the legal sufficiency of the complaint, with the court agreeing and giving the plaintiffs, LED Global, LLC, 10 days to amend their complaint. The complaint alleges breach of contract as well as negligence relating to the bribery scandal. “In simple terms, we won this morning and knocked [the plaintiff’s] entire complaint out of court,” said Gail Cooper, the school’s legal counsel. “They get a second chance and we will go back to court to move to knock it out again.” Separately, LED Global — a lighting firm that lost a contract to install energy efficient lighting on the campus — and it’s two principles Robert Das and Saila Smith filed a similar lawsuit against van Pelt and Hutchings in which they claim the two men solicited bribes, made a host of hedonistic requests and demanded a first-class excursion to India in exchange for the $5 million lighting .”
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Newly appointed Board president optimistic about future CHRISTINE MICHAELS News Editor
It was 1981, and PCC Trustee John Martin had been elected for his first term as president of the Board of Trustees. At the age of 26, he had been an oddly young
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candidate for the position. His first meeting did not go completely as he planned it, with his eye on the Rose Court princesses during the meeting’s social hour, and a sore case of laryngitis that kept him from not only talking to them, but also from speaking
loud and clear about his hopes for his first term as the president. But despite his sickness that evening in ’81, Martin kept his goal of holding PCC up to the high standards it carried during his first term as president, and the ones that followed.
Newly re-appointed Board President Martin for 2013, now in his fifties, sat with his hands calmly folded on the table recently, and explained why he was looking forward to another term as president. Continued on page 6
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Police Blotter January 4 An unknown Rose Parade grandstand construction employee damaged shrubbery and the water line when they drove a vehicle over the Lot 1 west side curb. An officer conducted an investigation by taking photographs of the damaged area and filing CHP accident and incident reports. A man and a woman were reported to be involved in a fight in Lot 10. The man was reported to be holding the woman against the fence. An officer counseled both parties and later released them.
January 17, 2013
Officials plan for full summer CHRISTINE MICHAELS News Editor
About $4.4 million in new state funds will be used to add classes to the summer sessions after the Board’s approval at the December meeting. At least 750 classes are planned for the summer term, according to officials. If the college receives its deferral check from the state in May as expected, this summer will offer the most courses in recent PCC history, according to Director of Institutional Effectiveness Crystal Kollross.
The majority of classes being considered are required for certificate transfer degrees, or general education certification (IGETC), according to Kollross. The counseling and enrollment management teams worked closely together to create the courses planned for summer, as well as some more to be added to this semester, according to Dean of Counseling Cynthia Olivo. “We try to make sure that the goals that students are aiming to achieve are offered [with class availability],” said Olivo. Since the Board meeting, when
no language classes were planned for summer, more language classes requested by faculty have been added to the proposed summer course list, according to Kollross. Various levels of Chinese, Spanish, and Japanese, as well as Italian for students who wish to study abroad. “We looked at students who transferred to UCs that we could find and then we looked back at what languages they took here, and predominantly which languages they took, we added to the summer list,” Kollross said With the new analytic informa-
January 6 A verbal dispute between mother and son was reported when she asked her son and his friend to leave the area of Lot 5, level 3D. An officer responded and reported the son leaving the area on a skateboard.
Associated Students to present town hall
January 7 A staff member’s vehicle sustained slight damage when the Lot 1 gate arm closed on her vehicle. January 8 A man was transported to the student health center after an officer responded to a report of a student not feeling well. He was found in the restroom on the fifth floor of the R Building where he reported that he had a cold. January 9 A student reported that she felt threatened after a note was found on her vehicle in a parking lot. The note stated that her car would be “axed” the next time she parked in two spots. A woman was transported to Arcadia after being reported to have a dislocated knee at the CEC campus, in the cosmetology room. An officer responded and the Pasadena Fire Department was notified. A hit and run driver left a student with scrape on the right rear bumper of their vehicle in Lot 5, level 3E. A cadet was radioed to the Lot, but the driver’s vehicle was gone on arrival. A student was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital after being found lying on the floor of a classroom. Staff reported that a student might be losing consciousness. Compiled by Madison Miranda
tion system (AIS) Banner on its way, students and faculty alike won’t have to request which classes need to be planned and offered for transfer, according to Olivo. “I am looking forward to our new program, Banner, because then it will not be individual people saying what classes are offered, it will be Degreeworks. In the future, all you have to do is run a report [for] what courses are left for the students to take. It gets a little tricky when you have people informing what classes should be offered,” she said.
BENJAMIN SIMPSON Staff Writer
Jaime Morales / Courier Students wait patiently for discounted bus passes in long lines wrapping around the CC Building on Jan. 8
Long wait for low-cost bus passes JONATHON BILES AND PHILIP MCCORMICK Staff Writers
Students waited in long lines on Jan. 7 and 8 that snaked all day around the Campus Center building for up to two hours to get their bus passes at Student Business Services. “I’ve never seen it as long as it is today,” said Campus Police Officer Mike De Spain of the PCCPD. “But I guess these students will have to wait in the line if they want their [bus] passes.” Students speculated as to whether or not the Student Business Services office was understaffed. “I was wondering how many people were working,” said Alexis Rodriguez, music. “But all the windows are open.” Other students thought that there were “a lot” more people getting bus passes this year than last year, as the line hugged the
CC Building and went down the stairs next to the clock tower elevator. “It’s worth it for the pass,” said Harlan Cheer, computer science. “But I have never seen it go down those stairs. I waited a little more than an hour.” The common denominator with the queuing students is that they can only get what they need from this office. Erica Perez, child development, joined the line minutes before talking to the Courier, but this was her second day of waiting. “It’s pretty dumb but I have to wait here for a $2 voucher that I need for photography supplies,” Perez said. “This is my second day of waiting I can only buy the equipment from the school and I can’t get this voucher anywhere else on campus.” Dean Chen, undecided, is new to this waiting experience. For more details, visit pcccourier.com
The Associated Students will hold a town hall meeting Jan. 24 to discuss student problems with transferring credits to colleges after the elimination of winter intersession, and the feasibility of changing the smoking policy on campus. The 6 p.m. open meeting will be held in the Creveling Lounge. “Ideally the first half will focus on the transfer issues, the smoking issues,” said Simon Fraser, president of the Associated Students. “Afterwards we will open up to anything [students] have a problem with on this campus … this is your [venue], in a safe space, in a safe environment.” The elimination of winter intersession, and the change to a three-semester calendar has created problems with students in transferring credits to universities. According to the University of California website, five out of nine UC campuses do not allow summer courses to be transferred into the following fall admission. “We are working behind the scenes right now to get students transfer guarantees,” said Fraser. “We are not there yet, so hopefully I will be able to say on Thursday, this is what the administration has done to [ensure] that you will transfer if you take that summer class.” There is discussion on campus, according to Fraser, about making the campus into a smoke-free environment. “We need to get as wide an opinion from students as possible, start looking at health and safety concerns, start looking at enforcement of the current policy,” said Fraser. “The goal is, in April, to present to the Board of Trustees [a recommendation from the] Associated Students.”
Arrested protester will get his day in court ANTHONY RICHETTS Online Editor
A former student who was arrested at the Aug. 29 Board of Trustees’ meeting will get his day in court. Lawrence Gandara, 25, received the date for his trial by jury at a pre-trial hearing on Jan. 2 in Pasadena Superior Court. At the hearing, Gandara said he had a good feeling about the trial and believed he has a good chance at being acquitted. “I would like [the trial] to get settled quickly,” said Gandara, “but if it would help my case, then more time would be great.” Gandara did seem to be in good spirits, especially when a small group of seven PCC students arrived at the
hearing to show support. The group, in high spirits and confident that their friend would be successful in court, chatted with Gandara before the hearing as if it were any other day, making breakfast plans, discussing issues on campus, etc. During the hearing, the group was passive, watching silently as their friend goes through the motions of the criminal justice system. “You seem passive and you hope that everything will turn out ok, but you don’t want to get your hopes up,” Said Sarah Belknap, one of the students supporting Gandara. During the hearing attorney Nicholas Hnatiuk of Anderson & Associates Law Firm, who is representing Gandara during his pre-trial
hearings, asked for a brief continuance of the trial and presented video evidence to the court. Gandara was arrested while protesting the cancelation of the winter intersession at the board meeting at the Community Education Center. He was involved in a scuffle when he got between another protester and campus police trying to escort that protester out of the building. Campus police have claimed that during the incident Gandara physically struck an officer, and was charged with battery of a peace officer, a misdemeanor. Gandara will have another pre-trial hearing on Feb. 1. His jury trial will begin on Feb. 19.
Amber Lu / Courier Former Lancer Lawrence Gandara protests at a rally about the school budget cuts in March 2011.
January 17, 2013
Courier 2012 JACC General Excellence Award Winner EditorinChief Nicholas Saul News Editor Christine Michaels Online Editor Anthony Richetts Opinion Editor Emily Chang ‐ Chien Assist. Opinion Editor Raymond Bernal Arts & Entertainment Editor Paul Ochoa Features Editor Luis Rodriguez Assist. Features Editor Shelly Maldonado Sports Editor Philip McCormick Assist. Sports Editor Benjamin Simpson Photo Editor Buren Smith Assist. Photo Editor Matthew Chan Chief Photographer Justin Clay Online Photo Editor Antonio Gandara Assist. Online Photo Editor John Novak Scene Editor Concepcion Gonzalez Staff Writers: Jonathan Biles, Aerika Dave, Tiffany Herrera, Teresa Mendoza, Madison Miranda, Vivan Meza, Adam Mitchell, Tiffany Roesler, Andrew Salmi, Karla Sosa
Opinion
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Fiscal cliff, or fiscal fiasco? Budget, tax deal fell short of Enough with the artificial crises; fixing the federal deficit problem Congress simply must do its job TIFFANY HERRERA Staff Writer
The deal made in Congress may be better than going off the fiscal cliff, but it doesn’t even begin to fix the giant mess the country faces. For decades, the government has been spending more money every year with no accountability. According to the U.S. Treasury website, the federal debt is at $16,432,680,097,613.85 and growing. Higher taxes are not necessarily bad for Americans. What is bad is taking those taxes and not compromising with spending cuts where there is waste and mismanagement. According to the House Budget Committee website, spending is leading us down a problematic road. “For [the fiscal year of] 2012, total federal revenue was…$2.45 trillion, but total federal spending [was] above $3.5 trillion, giving us the fourth straight year of more than $1 trillion deficits,” says South Dakota Sen. John Thune’s website. The power point from the HBC website, Spending is the
VOICES:
Problem, explains that as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2006, tax revenue was about 18 percent and spending was only slightly more at 20 percent. In 2011 the tax revenue was 15 percent and spending was about 23 percent. According to another power point from the website, House GOP's [Fiscal Year] 2013 Budget Charts, in 2012 the U.S. debt held by the public as a share of the economy was 100 percent. If we continue on his path, it is projected that it will be at 850 percent by the year 2080. This is not an issue Democrats and Republicans should be fighting about. The facts show that raising taxes without spending cuts and reform is counterproductive when trying to lower our debt. There are so many ways we can make the future America a better place. If you want a mess like Europe, don’t do anything. But if you want to get back jobs and a better economy, urge your Senators and Representatives to do the right thing and work for spending cuts. Tell them to work across the aisles and set aside politics for the greater good.
RAYMOND BERNAL Assist. Opinion Editor
Congress finally did a tiny portion of its job and the fiscal cliff was averted earlier this month. The fiscal cliff deal was good but could’ve been better. According to the National Priorities Project website about 98 percent of Americans were helped due to Congress and The White House reaching a deal to roll back some – if not all – pending tax increases. The child tax credit, the earned income tax credit and the tuition tax credit were all made permanent. Millions of unemployed Americans had their unemployment benefits extended and there will be no immediate change to Medicare. As a result of the deal, individuals making more than $400,000 and couples making over $450,000 will see their income taxes go up from 35 percent to 39.5 percent. Investment income was also raised from 15 percent 23.8 percent. The $1.2 trillion of automatic
spending cuts due to take affect on Jan. 1, mostly on defense and entitlements were postponed with a continuing resolution. Congress will take the issue up again in March along with the new debt ceiling The deal was good but so much more needs to be done. The fiscal cliff, the debt ceiling, automatic budget cuts – aren’t we tired of these phony, manufactured crises Congress and the press tend to shove down our throats on a regular basis? We all must have heard the phrase “fiscal cliff” about a thousand times these past couple of months, though it turned out to be more like a “fiscal slope”. One would think the sky was falling. But, the media has to find a way to sell newspapers and bring in viewers and they always seem to sucker us in. U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer said it best “This is not a fiscal cliff. This is our job.” The politicians in Washington have to find a way to do their jobs without making a federal case out of each every issue.
How has the addition of 7,000 more seats into spring semester class sections affected you?
Staff Photographers: Alia Funaro, Jordan Harris, Teresa Mendoza, Caitlin Kelly Thompson, Lissett Matos, Jaime Morales, Mary Nurrenbern, Bridget Sanchez, Benjamin Simpson Faculty Adviser Warren Swil Photography Adviser Rachel Fermi Advertising Coordinator Anthony Richetts
“I’ve gotten a lot more classes. It’s only my second term and I have 16.3 units so it’s definitely affected me pretty well.” Jessie Pinon, Sociology
“It gives me an opportunity to get more classes because I couldn’t get any last semester. It’s made it a lot easier.” Princesa Gargia, Undecided
“An addition of seats? I haven’t really noticed.” Frank Murphy, Music
“It hasn’t helped at all because I’m still trying to crash classes. The tough part is finding major classes.” Khalil Jammal, Neuroscience
“It hasn’t affected me.” Aaron Lu, Biology
“I do think that it’s good though because last semester it was really crowded and a lot of students didn’t get classes.” Angie Perez, Psychology
“It has not affected me in any way because I have classes that [keep me] here until 10 p.m., so no one knew about those 7,000 seats.” Yanni Joseph, Anthropology and Theater Arts
“It’s been a lot easier to get classes, I’ve noticed. I’m on waitlists for a lot of them and I got most of them.” Caroline Sadorra, Music Production
“Well I got most of my classes through Pathways so I [was] basically guaranteed admission to most of my classes, so not very much.” Josiah Ruberry, Microbiology
“Personally it hasn’t affected me because I’ve added the classes I needed. I’m pretty sure it helped a lot of students because of the budget cuts.” Philip Taing, Business
The Courier is published weekly by the Pasadena City College Journalism Department and is a free‐speech forum. Editorial opinions and com‐ ments are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the institution and its administra‐ tion, student government or that of the Pasadena Area Community College District. The Courier is written and produced as a learning experience for student writ‐ ers, photographers and editors in the Journalism Department. Phone: (626) 585‐7130 Fax: (626) 585‐7971 Advertising: (626) 585‐7979 pccCourierAds@yahoo.com Office: 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., CC‐208 Pasadena, CA 91106‐3215 E‐mail: pccCourier@yahoo.com The first copy of the Courier is free. Additional copies are $1 each © Copyright 2012 Courier. All rights reserved.
ONLINE POLL RESULTS Online, we asked: Should the US adopt stricter gun control? Results as of 5 p.m. Wednesday: 53% Yes 46% No
vote at pccCourier.com
Reporting by: Tiffany Roesler, Photos by: Lissett Matos
Note to Readers Letters to the Editor
The Courier welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be about 300 words and may be edited by Courier staff. All letters must contain your full name and a correct daytime phone number. Letters can be delivered to the Courier office in CC 208 or sent by e‐mail to changchien_courier@yahoo.com.
Corrections The Courier staff endeavors to ensure accuracy in all aspects of its report‐ ing. If you believe we have made an error, please contact us at (626) 585‐7130 or via e‐mail to saul.nicholas@yahoo.com.
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Concepcion Gonzalez / Courier Yue Zhang, 24, business administration, (center) looks for a cheaper copy of his book for his Economic 1B class Jan. 11.
Benjamin Simpson The morning ritual at the start of the semester of cars pulling off Hill Avenue through parking Lot 3 into parking Lot 4, Jan 9.
Jaime Morales / Courier One option students have to get to and from school is the I-tap transit pass, which is available for full time students for a low price of $30 for the semester, Jan. 8.
Up and at ’em
Back in full swing for the spring
John Novak / Courier Brendan Mai, psychology, shows his support for reinstating winter session in front of the Mirror Pools, Jan. 10. Brendan supports winter session because it allows him to transfer earlier.
Mary Nurrenbern/Courier Students use registration computers in the L Building on Jan. 11.
Concepcion Gonzalez / Courier A white sign at the end of the line in the B Building informs students that parking permits are sold out, Jan. 10. They must purchase their parking permits online.
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January 17, 2013
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30-year IT employee, 53, suddenly dies LUIS RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer
Michael James Buckhouse, who worked at PCC for 30 years died suddenly on Jan. 6 at the age of 53. Buckhouse was the senior production clerk in the Information Technologies Division. According to Buckhouse’s brother, Thomas Buckhouse, who was vising from Oregon, Michael slumped over in his chair after dinner at his Arcadia residence and was unresponsive. Attempts by paramedics to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. PCC faculty members were shocked to hear of his sudden departure. “He was very outgoing. He knew everyone on campus from being here for so long,”
said Jo Ellyn Marie McGrath, administrative assistant. “This was his one and only job. He started as a student worker and his mother worked here. I was really surprised because I saw him before we both left before break. He looked fine.” “He ran reports for drops and adds and all the things that went along with student services and all the reports that came out of our date servers,” said McGrath. A common sentiment shared by many was Buckhouse’s passion for trains and Disneyland. “He liked trains ever since he was a little kid,” said Thomas Buckhouse, “and I know he would go to Disneyland a couple times a year.” “He loved trains. He was a train enthusiast. He was look-
ing forward to getting close to retirement. He would literally take a few weeks during his vacation to train ride across the country,” said Dale Pittmann, Director of Information Technology Services. Haroldine Gardner, Secretary of Public Relations, was a longtime friend of Buckhouse. “He was very easygoing, smiles all the time,” said Gardner. “He was a very important part of our organization and he will be missed. He was a friend and colleague. I saw him the Friday afternoon before he passed away in the Boone Sculpture Garden. We had a nice chat about several things and we were all shocked on Monday.” “He was a gentle soul,” said Leslie Tirapelle, interim direc-
Photograph courtesy of Administrative Assistant of Information Technology Jo Ellyn Marie McGrath. Michael Buckhouse in his office surrounded by pictures of loved ones and trains.
tor of distance education. “We’ll all miss him.” A memorial service is planned for Feb. 13 on campus,
according to Denise Albright, secretary of LEOP&S. Buckhouse’s brother and sisterin-law will be in attendance.
New Board president optimistic about school year Continued from page 1
dar, a reduction of course offerings, and an unpopular restructuring of the campus at large. But with the passage of Proposition 30 in November, and the $6.7 million check that should soon be coming to the college, the tables have turned at an opportune time for Martin to take his lead. A major hope with the Board’s decision at the Dec. 12 meeting to allocate $4.4 million of the $6.7 million towards adding more classes this year, is that the Board will move forward in a brighter direction from the year just passed. “We are using [the money] for classes. It’s been number one in my heart for a while … Student access is about getting you where you want to go as expeditiously as possible,” Martin said. Student access has been a major topic over the last year, and student’s success, according to Board members, goes hand in hand with accessibility to PCCs services. Newly appointed Board Vice President Anthony Fellow wishes to see more use of extended learning offerings that go beyond the limits of the main campus’s geographic location, especially with the rise of enrollment since the passage of Proposition 30. “I’m not surprised to see enrollment go up, but how do we service all of the students?” Fellow explained. “I’d like to see more of an implementation of satellite campuses.” Martin, whose area covers the outer borders of the district, and wished to see more satellite campuses as well as more online instruction. Martin explained he hoped to be a good facilitator of the Board once more with goals to work towards student success. “That is our biggest goal,” he emphasized. With his mind set of working towards serving the Board to serve the PCC community, Martin explained his role as president is in reality subservient. “[Being President] is more of a servant role. I am the facilitator for the Board … it’s time for me to step back from any personal desires I may have,” Martin said slowly nodding his head, and holding his hands out. With a small grin on his face and closing his hands together, Martin continued: “We are miles ahead of many. We are looking forward [to] how we can do even more.”
Benjamin Simpson/Courier Jaclyn Molinar stands next to her art work entitled 'Women: Many Stories” on display in the Campus Art Gallery until Jan 18, 2013. Molinar received one of the first three Westerbeck scholarships for her paintings.
Students receive scholarships Alumni donate $5 million to PCC for annual awards BENJAMIN SIMPSON Staff Writer
Jaclyn Molinar, visual arts, Melissa Fuentes, music, and Michaela Escarcega, theater arts, have received the first of many scholarships to be presented in the name of Robert and Adrienne Westerbeck who donated over $5 million to PCC. The award ceremony was held in
December at the unfinished Center for the Arts building, where the three students received their awards and President Mark Rocha dedicated The Robert and Adrienne Westerbeck Recital Hall due to be completed in July. Robert Westerbeck attended Pasadena Junior College (the precursor of PCC) from 1932 to 1936, before going on to work at Lockheed Aircraft. His wife Adrienne taught music classes at PCC as well as private music lessons in Altadena. Robert died in 2006 and Adrienne in 2010 at the age of 103. The Westerbeck’s donation over $5 million is the largest donation to PCC in the college’s history, according to Bobbi Abram, executive director of the PCC Foundation. The scholarship fund will make available about $120,000 per year, available to all students at PCC who meet the prerequisites of 24 credit hours completed, a minimum 2.5 GPA, minimum six current hours enrolled and two faculty recommendations. “[The Westerbeck] fund almost doubled the size of the number of scholarships that we can give away,” said Abram. Applications for scholarships are available through the PCC Financial
Aid website starting in October. While the scholarships in the future will be handled by the Financial Aid office, the first three scholarships for $2,000 each were directly nominated by faculty in the performing and communication arts and the visual arts and media studies divisions. Jaclyn Molinar, who won the visual arts award, is a fine art major and won the award for her oil and acrylic paintings in mostly feminist genre. Molinar is planning on transferring to a liberal arts college in the fall. “I have already used [the money] on books this semester,” said Molinar, “I’m taking art history, and the books tend to be really enormous books and pretty expensive.” Two of Molinar’s paintings are currently on show at the campus art gallery. Last semester Melissa Fuentes, who won the music scholarship, was a percussionist section leader in the Lancer Marching Band, and this semester will play in the concert band and is the percussionist for the spring musical. Fuentes plans to use the money for tuition and books. Fuentes has been accepted to CSU Fullerton, and plans on becoming a music teacher.
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Women’s basketball throttles El Camino PHILIP MCCORMICK Sports Editor
The women’s basketball team crushed the El Camino Warriors on Wednesday night, as the Lancers won by 31-points and came away with their 13th win this season. The final score was 72-41. The Lancers traded points with the Warriors for the first 10 minutes of the first half, but ended the half up by 14-points. “The team played pretty well,” said
Head Coach Joe Peron. “Tyler Crockom played really well out there and surprised me.” Crockom ended the game with nine points and eight rebounds. “It was a good game,” said Shay Jackson, who had an all around game with 10-points, sixassists and six-rebounds. “We played a lot better in the second half.” PCC came out in the second half with ‘great’ intensity and soon they were up by more than
20, but even with a huge lead, the Warriors never stopped being aggressive and physical. “You get pushed around a lot in the block,” said Kaitlyn Parks. “It gets tiring, but you have to push past that and play the game.” Parks had another big game for the Lancers with 18points and 16-rebounds. It was no problem for PCC to get to the rim, as four Lancer players got to double-digits in points. Sabrina Martinez had 10
points and five steals, while three-point specialist Stella Ghazarian had11 points and three assists “Our team played an all around good game,” said Ghazarian. “ We got tired towards the end, but I don’t think it showed. We are pushed to the brink in practices for this reason. It helps us late in games.” The one disappointing part on the Lancers side of the stats would have to be their free
throws. They were 11-22 from behind that line. “We’ll get better with time,” said Peron. “Just need to work on that more in practice.” The win came on the night that Peron was handed a game ball for reaching the 400th win in his career at PCC. “I’m glad this team got me there,” said Peron. “I hope I’m able to get to five or six hundred wins in the coming years.”
Suit against school may be dropped
Lady lancers can ball
Continued from page 1
Benjamin Simpson / Courier
Sabrina Martinez drives the ball forward in PCCs loss at Los Angeles Southwest College. Left: Shay Jackson drives the lane against Mecca Stribling. PCC lost to Los Angeles Southwest College 84-81 on Jan. 11.
contract. In turn, van Pelt and Hutchings filed a cross-complaint stating LED Global conspired to commit fraud as well as slander them. These lawsuits also went to court on Dec. 14 where Judge Suzanne Bruguera ruled that the entirety of the cross-complaint be dropped on account of the defendants’ responses to various motions which include antiSLAPP motions and complaint objections. SLAPP is a state law preventing frivolous lawsuits designed to discourage individuals for participating in matters of public importance. Philip Layfield, the lawyer that represents LED Global, outlined the dismissal of the crosscomplaint in the Pasadena court house. “At this point the defendants dismissed their cross complaint without prejudice,” he said. Gary Beeks, a lawyer that represents van Pelt and Hutchings, claims that the cross-complaint was dropped because they were never able to reply to motions against them. “ We never received [their answer],” he said. “That was a surprise, we have no reason to not file something
Men’s basketball team falls to No. 2 ranked Mt. SAC ADAM MITCHELL Staff Writer
The men’s basketball team came out strong but hampered by second half turnovers fell to the No. 2 ranked Mt. SAC Mounties 76-61 at home on Friday. Head Coach Michael Swanegan attributed the Lancers defeat to lack of experience. “It was inexperience versus experience tonight,” Swanegan said. “We had a lot of young guys trying to make too many plays.”
The Lancers had a fast start, coming out with tough on-theball pressure and forcing some early first-half turnovers that led to some easy baskets. Good play by both Jeffrey Dockett and Gary Matthews had the Lancers up 1914 with 7:06 to go in the first half. The lead was short lived however due to PCC’s poor transition defense and inability to rebound. The Lancers found themselves down by one, 29-28 going into the half. The Lancers came out in the
second half with many of the same problems that plagued them in the first. Nineteen total turnovers led to a lot of easy transition baskets for Mt. SAC. Poor shooting also hurt PCC with the Lancers shooting only 34 percent for the game, while the Mounties shot a blistering 51 percent for the game and 60 percent in the second half. “It was a tough second half. We had no intensity; there were heads down and we got scared,” said Dockett about the dismal sec-
ond-half performance. “We got hurt in transition, no rotation and too much gambling up top.” The Lancers used a small lineup for most of the game, starting four guards and playing them together for much of the contest. The size mismatch showed on the glass with PCC getting out-rebounded 46-31. Swanegan also noted that fatigue my have played a role in the second half collapse. “The second half fatigue cost us. We had too many turnovers. That’s not
going to get it done,” he said. It was a tough loss for the Lancers, who had high expectations going into the game with rivals. “Mt. SAC is ranked No. 2, and they played well. But we played lower than our expectations and lower than our competition,” said Dockett. The Lancers need to turn it around quickly. With the bulk of their conference schedule still to come, they are already behind the eight ball (1-1) in the conference and (5-10) overall.
Protesters kick off spring semester with campus-wide demonstration Continued from page 1
deterred students and faculty members from donning protest shirts. “It’s not a police state,” she said. Student Kelly Camacho, English and fine arts, lauded faculty participation in the protest, acknowledging the dangers that their presence may entail. “It’s really difficult and can be dangerous for them to come out.
They have families also and they depend on this job to feed [their] families,” Camacho said. “It was one of the few times that we’ve all come together like that … we had such great student and professor unity.” Community Education Center Instructor Daniel Hamman said that the goal of the protest was to raise awareness within the community. “We want the communi-
ty aware of what is going on,” Hamman said. “The mismanagement, the misuse of funds, the cutting of winter session, and the lack of access to classes for students — I don’t think the community has any idea of what has been going on here.” “[President] Rocha needs to hear the students and the faculty that are not happy here with his administration.”
The students’ and faculty members’ passionate advocacy — from vigorous chants and cheers to eager sporting of signage — was greeted with support as car drivers honked their horns in agreement with their message. “It’s good to see that people are willing to step out on the ledge a little bit and speak and we want to support that,” said McCabe. “We don’t suffer bullies.”
History Instructor Eloy Zarate expressed the importance of faculty support at the protest. “It’s very important that we are here at the beginning of the year, despite our contract, that no matter what the administration does to make our lives difficult, that we will always side with the students and what their needs are.” Additional reporting by Vivian Meza
COUR IER
January 17, 2013
SPORTS
Men’s hoops win a close home-opener JONATHAN BILES Staff Writer
After facing a double-digit deficit Jan. 9, the Lancer men’s basketball team stormed back to win their home and conference opener, defeating the L.A. Southwest Cougars 83-79. The Lancers improve to 5-9 on the season and 1-0 in conference play. The Lancers lost the lead early in the first half and finally took the lead back with 51 seconds left in the game. PCC had spurts of lockdown defense but had moments of total lapses on the defensive end. “This was our home opener so we had a little stage fright. We came out pretty nervous,” Head Coach Mike Swanegan said after the game. “We settled down in the second half and picked up our intensity as the game went on.” With Lancers leading scorer this season Mike Swanegan Jr., (the coach’s son) going 0-7 from the field and playing only 21 minutes, the scoring burden fell to freshman point guard Jeffrey Dockett and sophomore guard Evan Moore, who both scored their season high in points. Dockett went 9-13 from the field, 3-3 from three-point range, 8-10 on free throws, six assists, and added two steals. Brooks went 7-14 overall, 5-8 from three, a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line, and was one rebound away from a double-
double. “They just wanted me to find the open man and create,” Dockett said, who also contributed six assists. “I’ve had the green light from coach to score and play my game since the last tournament.” Also contributing to the winning effort was sophomore guard Steven Shares, who added great defensive intensity, accounting for two steals, and sophomore forward Alec Tatum who added seven points and 10 crucial defensive rebounds. The final scoring run started with back-to-back threes by Brooks, followed by a pair of clutch Dockett free throws to take the lead. Fouling Dockett proved to be costly and resulted in LA Southwest’s top two players fouling out and having four fouls. “I’m little and fast so I guess they felt the need to foul me,” the 5’9′ tall Dockett said. The shot clock had been turned off and there were 23 seconds left in the game as the Lancers held onto a three-point lead. The Lancers came out of their final timeout with one singular message from Coach Swanegan and his vocally active assistants. “Don’t foul,” Brooks said. “Whatever you do, don’t foul.” The Lancers played clinically efficient defense in the final moments, forced a missed basket from the Cougars, grabbed the
Jordan Harris/Courier Chris Smith whips the ball around the defender on Jan. 9, kicking it into the paint for an easy two points. The final score was 83-79, Lancers.
rebound, and held the ball until the clock ran out. “Our gameplan was to open
Softball aims to go hard for season MADISON MIRANDA Staff Writer
The Lancer softball team, according to Head Coach Brittany Williams, is shaping up to have a good season with two returning sophomores and 15 freshmen players. “I am confident going in to our game next Friday,” said Williams. Even with the new faces added to the team, Williams is not worried. It was an easy transition for the team, with the returning players helping out the new girls she said. “There is cohesion with the team. The new players fell in line. They respect the returning players. Everyone helps out,” said Williams. “They are good kids. Very, very good kids.” The players work well together and push each other to do better she says. “I think it’ll be a good year,” she added. This is her second season as head coach and her third year at PCC. When looking for players for this season, the coaches chose athletes that could play multiple positions. “We wanted to have more options,” said Williams. Ashley Shaneberger, returning sophomore and outfielder,
the floor up and play in transition, play physically and disciplined,” Coach Swanegan said.
Lancer baseball looking forward to new season ANDREW SALMI Staff Writer
File Photo Lancer Kayla Moore slides into home plate, as the ELAC catcher attempts to tag her out at Robinson Park last season.
thinks the team is looking good this season. She is not worried about the team’s ability to work together. “Once we step out on the field, everything goes away for us and we just focus on the game,” Shaneberger said. Natalie Ficocelli, returning sophomore and first baseman, is also feeling confident for the season. “We’ve had some bumps on the road with positioning, but we haven’t even hit the surface [of our potential] yet,” Ficocelli said. According to the coach, the
biggest obstacles the team faces this season are some injuries and working around academics. Williams said there are five players red shirting this season, two of which are for injuries. The other three decided to focus on their schoolwork and become stronger players. “Academics come first,” said Williams. With only a few practice days left, Williams is excited to see the team in action. “Everyone wishes for more time, but we are ready.”
“I thought for the last ten minutes of the game our intensity level was great.”
As the Lancer baseball team approaches its upcoming 2013 season, Head Coach Evan O’Meara expects the team to improve in all areas for his ninth season at PCC. After a very disappointing 2012 season in which the team finished with six wins and 30 losses, Coach O’Meara is optimistic about the starters and noted some impact players who are returning for the 2013 season “David Halstead was an allconference first baseman last year and we look for him to step up again this year. Third baseman Danny Gomez was with us last year. He’s a terrific student and is kind of the elder statesman on the ball club,” O’Meara said Also expected to make an impact on the field are middle infielders Bobby Fraijo and Josh Clark, catchers Cameron Silva and Corey Richards, and outfielder Charles Smith. “As of now we just found out who our team is since we just got down to the final cuts,” said sophomore shortstop Josh Clark.
On the mound, noted pitchers Evan Stransky, Spencer Stute and Trevor Gleason are returning and will help turn around a pitching staff that struggled mightily last season. “I’m excited. We thought we had a really good team last year too but we lost so many guys to grades, but this year we have a better infield than I’ve seen and our pitching staff is really coming around” said sophomore pitcher Gleason. O’Meara is optimistic. “The overall depth of the team is actually stronger this year than it was last, especially defensively and offensively. We’re not as deep pitchingwise as we were last year, but we weren’t very successful on the mound last year anyway so it didn’t really matter if we were deep or not,” said O’Meara O’Meara said, however that assistant coach David Walters had done a tremendous job with getting the pitchers ready for the season. The baseball team will open the season playing host to Antelope Valley College on Feb. 1.