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Eric Haynes/Courier PCC’s freshman sprinter Alexander McElwee waits for the whistle to be blown by assitant coach Pat Williams for take-off during practice on Tuesday. Daron Grandberry Staff Writer
With a rare combination of raw athleticism and persistent determination, freshman sprinter Alexander McElwee has already marked his territory as one of PCC’s most notable sprinters. In only his third year running track competitively, the Arcadia High School product has already made a name for himself and the Lancers’ in both the 200 and 400-meter races. “Alex is a very hard worker,” first year assistant coach Mikele “Miki” Barber said. “He’s very dedicated and disciplined. When I first met him he
was kind of rough and tough and just very determined and I didn’t know that he had just started running track about three or four years ago. Some people just have it and Alex has all the tools to be a successful runner. He’s very dedicated and that’s what I like about him.” McElwee made a name for himself early in the season with two first place finishes at the Cerritos Invitational in February. McElwee raced a 48.51 time to win the 400-meters, which was the fourth fastest time in the state at the time. His first place in the 200 was the region’s top mark (fifth in the state) at 21.65. “From the first day Alex came in he
has been very focused,” head coach Armand Crespo said. “He already had his mind made up as far as getting a full ride scholarship. As coaches we try to motivate him and keep him going. He’s improved tremendously but it’s really just the work that he’s done in the off-season. That was the most important thing, he came to PCC in great shape and was ready.” A former high school cornerback, McElwee attributes his athleticism and performance to a very disciplined regimen and diet, which includes a routinely healthy breakfast of egg whites, MCELWEE page 6
Little to no progress has been made by PCC in filling the 36 new full-time faculty positions—a number that was agreed upon back in November—as the software being used to collect and evaluate applications, Cornerstone, has been automatically rejecting applicants due to a number of severe glitches. “A system like this should have never been launched with this number of applicants,” Interim Superintendent-Pres- Interim ident Robert Miller said. “But, President in the PCC way, it happened.” Robert Miller The main problem that applicants are running into is as that they will submit their application and then never receive a confirmation email. Then they will receive a notification that their file has been closed. “There are some very angry applicants,” said Faculty Association Grievance Officer Suzanne Anderson. Cornerstone is also allowing major security breaches. When an applicant fills out an application, the software saves their information to the computer that the applicant is applying from. In other words, anyone can access said applicant’s information if they have access to their computer. HIRINGS page 2
Campus reacts to the state’s accreditation exit report
Kristen Luna Managing Editor
A state accreditation team recently provided their exit report regarding their four-day site visit including overall comments, five commendations, and seven possible recommendations. Stephanie Fleming, accreditation faculty coordinator and Kathleen Scott, accreditation liaison officer, reviewed the exit report and presented it to the board at last week’s meeting along with a preliminary plan to address those recommenda-
I N S I D E
tions that were given. “They made clear that they evaluated the institution as a whole using the accreditation standards and it was very important for them that we understand that,” Scott said. “The recommendations that were made were based on the standards and whether we met those standards.” The school will receive the final results after their meeting in June and he final decision is expected in July. Overall, the accreditation team said that the campus “has
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an excellent learning environment, dynamic programs and vibrant community,” said Scott. Some of the successes the accreditation team highlighted were distance education, the professional learning opportunities provided for teachers in the online environment, the school’s commitment to student success, many of the Pathway’s programs, and the welcoming and inclusive environment that’s been created on campus. Additionally, they commended the school’s many services that are offered
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to students such as the Child Development Center and the workforce grant that helps train students in the child development program. “They were very impressed with the many things they saw here,” Scott said. “They made clear the need for the campus to become more familiar with the accreditation standards and that will be something we need to work on going forward.” Max Zeronian/Courier The team also provided sevAcademic Senator Melissa eral possible recommendations Michelson addresses the senate that will be formalized in the regarding the accreditation report ACCRED page 2 on Monday.
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final report. Most of the recommendations were directed toward shared governance and the need for effective communication between various constituency groups, including the academic senate, administrator, faculty, students and the board. “(They) clearly conveyed the need for us to get along, work together for the good of the institution and to move forward,” Scott said. “They felt the need for systematic, transparent, participative processes and for us to use them effectively.” However, the Academic Senate met the ACCJC’s recommendations a bit more combatively on Monday afternoon. “They said very, very clearly we need to find ways to get along, to work together, and move forward, for the good of the institution,” stressed Scott. “That was their strongest message out of anything that they said.” As she read off the list of possible recommendations, one of them struck a nerve with Faculty Association president Julie Kiotas. It stated that, “Evaluation materials need to be revised for those with responsibility for learning outcomes, including faculty (both part and full time), staff, and management” “The faculty needs to be asked about the administrators. That’s not happening here, and it has never happened here,” Kiotas said. “And that is part of our real problem here. There’s no conversation. We have no say into what our administrators are doing.” Scott agreed that this was a point that would need to be considered. As she finished her presentation, Melissa Michelson shared her concern with the report, as the whole concept of “getting along” and how it related to the recommendations seemed to throw her for a loop. “What I’m hearing a lot is ‘not getting along’ and I don’t know
Stephanie Fleming
what that means,” she said. According to the possible accreditation recommendation report presented by Scott, aside from the governance recommendations, ACCJC believe that constituency groups need to follow, embrace and demonstrate the behavior outlined in the improved code of ethics. There is also a need for a comprehensive, coordinated professional development program for all personnel and the need for it to be through participatory governance and for evaluation materials to be revised for those with responsible for learning outcomes. Following the presentations of the commendations and recommendations, Fleming and Scott presented a preliminary plan to address those recommendations for improvement from ACCJC. “We had an extensive discussion on how to move forward on this,” said Fleming. “Moving on with that preliminary plan, we will also be discussing this with the board about how it is we’re going to move forward with the review of the ethics policies to implement the board education plan and the board self-evaluation, and then also so that the board is facilitating the discussions related to governance related issues.”
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Interim Superintendent President Robert Miller ended the discussion with a plan on how to implement the changes necessary and address the reality of not being accredited. On June 4, Miller, alongside Scott and the academic president, will visit the commission to present a united front about what it is that has been done on campus as of March 5up until June 4. “Then we will thank them for the accreditation process, what it means to the institution, what it means to improve and basically be very positive about the whole thing,” Miller said. “Then we’ll say goodbye and they’ll make their decision.”
Continued from page 1 The FA has filed a complaint with the Chancellor’s office and are waiting for their ruling on whether or not there has been a violation of Title 5, Anderson said. There was another instance where four applicants were contacted after experiencing technical difficulties and they were told that their spots would be held while everything is sorted out. Those openings were instead left to the discretion of the department chairs. When everything was all said and done, only one of these spots remained open, according to Anderson. Faculty Association President Julie Kiotas said that the psychology department saw a four-day period in which the system would turn on and off intermittently. Other noted glitches that were mentioned at Monday’s Academic Senate meeting included Cornerstone failing to recognize applicants’ degree completions, as well as a glitch where letters of recommendation were not showing up. “I witnessed some of these problems first hand,” said Martha House. Terry Hampton, the executive director of Human Resources, has been traveling to colleges in the area that also use Cornerstone in hopes to find a solution to these problems.
March 26, 2015
Police Blotter
March 13 A person called reporting that his/her vehicle was stolen after the person walked away momentarily from the car with the keys inside. The caller disconnected midway during the report. Officer Chan conducted an area check of the parking lots, but the reporting person was gone. The Pasadena Police Department was contacted regarding the incident but no calls were placed regarding a stolen vehicle at the time. March 14 A female at Meredith and Colorado stated she had been involved in a traffic collision between a bicycle and a motor vehicle. The woman did not require an ambulance and Pasadena Police Department were notified. ~ Compiled by Alex Chhuon
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Courier
2014 JACC General Excellence Award-Winner Editor-in-Chief Philip McCormick Managing Editor Kristen Luna News Editor Matthew Kiewiet Online Editor Justin Clay and Mick Donovan Opinion Editor Hannah Gonzales Features Editor Mick Donovan A&E Editor Anthony Martinez Lifestyle Editor Ashley Park Sports Editor Daron Grandberry Asst. Sports Editor David O’Connor Photo Editor Nagisa Mihara Online Photo and Graphics Editor Daniel Valencia Asst. Online Photo Editor Traece Craig Scene Editor Keely Damara Design Editor Samantha Molinaw Staff Writers: Ahmad Akkaoui, Daniel Axume, Nataly Chavez, Alex Chhuon, Keely Damara, Alan Flores, Monique LeBleu, Samantha Molina, Neil Protacio, Luis Rodriguez, Sammy Wu Staff Photographers: Traece Craig, Victoria De La Torre, Mick Donovan, Shaunee Edwards, Michelle Gonzalez, Eric Haynes, Erica Hong, Kristen Luna, Mary Nurrenbern, Michael Osborne, Scott Spencer, Daniel Valencia, Tiffany Yip, Max Zeronian Faculty Adviser Nathan McIntire Photo Adviser Tim Berger Advertising Manager Daniel Nerio
The Courier is published weekly by the Pasadena City College Journalism Department and is a free-speech forum. 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
OPINION
COURIER
Op-ed: Challengers make their pitch By Valerie Foster, Shelagh Rose, Stephanie Fleming, and Jay Cho
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines STRONG as “having great physical power and ability: having a lot of strength.” The current Academic Senate officers use this term multiple times in their platform statement and in their advertisement in last week’s Courier to describe their leadership. Certainly their list of self-proclaimed accomplishments invokes the image of strength. We, Valerie Foster, Shelagh Rose, Stephanie Fleming, and Jay Cho, are running in the upcoming Senate elections and we were initially impressed with these achievements. Yet, upon closer consideration, we are not satisfied. We know that a united and student-focused PCC community can do more. Merriam-Webster also defines strong as “not sick or injured.”
For us, this is where the image of strength breaks down. For us, the division among our peers has led to a fractured faculty voice. Even the incumbents recognize this divide in their platform statement. Unfortunately, they do not reflect on the role that they may have played in creating this schism. Multiple faculty, students, staff, and managers have communicated to us their perception that the current Senate meetings are a negative space where diverse perspectives are not valued and new ideas are held in suspicion. Public comments, some made by the Senate officers, have been used to criticize and malign members of the PCC community. As a result, individuals feel intimidated and are reluctant to voice their opinions. Several of the claimed accomplishments are shrouded in this negativity. We are all extraordinarily grateful for the addition of 36 new faculty. However, Senate leaders used
dubious means to accomplish their goals and asked faculty to work the bare minimum of their contract in order to strong arm the administration to hire a large number of faculty. Membership on committees, including the one that has worked on the professional development policy, was never opened to all faculty and executive appointments did not respect the statewide Academic Senate’s recommendation that “Members should be chosen for their expertise and area of responsibility, not just to represent a constituent group.” While the end result may appear positive, the path is injurious to faculty and ultimately to our students. The negative effects are not imagined. Several of our colleagues have already resigned. How can we have the united, strong voice that the current Senate leaders claim to have created when faculty no longer want to call PCC home? “Not easy to break or dam-
age” is another characteristic of strength. Unfortunately, we are weakened by the status quo. The college may have seen some accomplishments under this Senate’s leadership, but at what cost? For us, this is about more than an election. Our college is at time of great change and we have the opportunity to embrace shared governance for what it is intended to be: a vehicle for bringing our diverse voices together so that we can better our college for our students. It is imperative that this happen regardless of who wins this election. We need to move past the fight for power. Rather than focusing on “faculty primacy” we should proactively engage in the academic and professional matters so that we can better inform the conversation regarding student success. Only when we do this will we be able to define ourselves as strong.
About 83 electrocutions have should work. However, the execugone haywire compared to 76 tion is lacking. not-so-lethal injections. The reason Executioners are not trained for such a high botch rate of lethal doctors. While doctors do indeed injections is the process itself. work with the executioners, many Created by Dr. Jay Chapman have strayed away from performing as a more humane alternative to the injections as it is against their electrocutions and firing squads, oath to do no harm. the current three drug combination Furthermore, drugs that were first lowers the subject’s senses with commonly used for lethal injeca barbiturate, and two drugs to tions like sodium thiopental and induce paralysis and halt the heart’s pentobarbital are in short supply beating are subsequently injected. due to Europe’s refusal to sell them While well thought out, the for that purpose. theory has not performed well in As such, some states attemptexecutions. ing to meet “The po- “As such, some states the execution tential pitfall deadline have in the original attempting to meet mixed their formula is the execution dead- own cocktails this: If the of death that line have mixed their violate the 8th barbiturate is not fully Amendment. own cocktails of effective, perAre the haps because death that violate the alternatives any the dose is better? 8th Amendment.” too low or Like the the needle lethal injection, misplaced, the inmate may still be each other methods of execution able to feel pain. If the paralyzing like hangings, electrocutions, and agent is then injected, the person firing squads each possess their will feel suffocated — but will be own flaws. unable to move or cry out, and may A hanging appears simple, but even look peaceful. The potassium according to the Los Angeles chloride will then cause an intense Times, that’s not the case. burning sensation, muscle cramp“Death on the gallows requires ing and chest pain,” said Denise a precise drop distance. If the drop Grady, a writer of the New York is too short, the prisoner will die Times. by strangulation. If the drop is too In theory, Chapman’s system long, the head may be torn off.”
Not much needs to be said about the electric chair to illustrate its issues. Despite having a lower botch rate than lethal injections, being electrocuted definitely qualifies as a cruel and unusual punishment. Firing squads have not been implemented often as an execution method in America, but it does hold its merits. It should be impossible to not execute the convict quickly while strapped to a chair with several guns loaded behind the subject. Although, the force does seem excessive. A bullet to the head would be much simpler. So is a lethal injection still the most humane? Yes, if done properly. “In later years, Dr. Chapman said that if he had it to do over again, he would probably recommend using just a barbiturate, and omit the paralyzing and heart-stopping drugs. But his protocol has lingered,” Grady said. However, until the standards for a lethal injection are changed, that is not the case. All forms of executions are inhumane by the nature of the act. Taking a life is rarely humane. And there may not be a “better choice”But, if given a choice, load the gun and aim for the head.
Shoot me: Why the bullet is more humane
Alex Chhuon Staff Writer
If given a choice, would you rather be shot to death or poisoned? A lethal injection seems much more humane compared to being a target dummy. After all, a needle is much less intimidating than a loaded gun. Lethal injections were adopted by most states because they should provide a quick and painless death. However, the transition from theory and execution is rarely without its difficulties. According to the BBC, three percent of the executions from 1890 to 2010 are botched. While three percent seems to be an insignificant and small number, that translates roughly to 270 cruel and painful executions of the nearly 9,000 leading into 2010. While cruel and unusual death can be viewed as apt punishment for convicts who have committed a felony or felonies to warrant execution, it does not make the scene any less gruesome. The BBC cites that of the 1,054 lethal injections recorded until 2010, seven percent were botched. Lethal injection was originally adopted as a more humane and safe way to execute convicts due to cries of cruelty by many about electrocution.
VOICES:
Do you think the death penalty should be enforced?
the Journalism Department. Phone: (626) 585-7130 Fax: (626) 585-7971 Advertising (626) 585-7979 Office: 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., CC-208 Pasadena, CA 91106-3215 © Copyright 2015 Courier. All rights Reserved.
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“In certain situations its okay, it just depended on what they did. Personally, I wouldn’t be able to sentence someone to death.”
Ghassan Kantarji, kinesiology
“I don’t think it should be legal. I’m always pro-life about everything.”
Luis Hernandez, television
“If someone had killed a person and receives the death penalty it kind of evens out but it’s also not really a win-win situation.”
“The death penalty doesn’t solve the problem, it’s more of a Band-Aid.”
Natalie Loera, art
“I don’t think it should be legal, it’s too brutal of a punishment.”
Uriel Hernandez, photography
Laura Ramirez, undecided Reporting by: Samantha Molina Photos by: Daniel Valencia
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E Visitors enjoy relaxing and playing under the large Beni-Hoshi Flowering Cherry Tre Gardens.
Tiffany Yip/Courier Yami Yamauchi demonstrates the art of origami to visitors at Descanso Gardens during the Cherry Blossom Festival on Sunday.
A visitor makes an origami box on Sunday.
Tiffany Yip/Courier
Tiffany Yip/Cour Isis Gaitan views a cherry blossom tree at Descanso Gardens on Sunday.
Erica Hong/Courier Oscar Nykanen, left, and his friend Max Cornell play near the waterfall under the spring blooms at Descanso Gardens on Sunday.
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Erica Hong/Courier A butterfly sits on the brief blooms of lilac on Sunday. The annual event celebrates the spring blooms and Japanese culture.
Erica Hong/Courier ee at Descanso
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Michael Osborne/Courier June Kuramoto performs the koto under the Oaks Theater on Saturday.
Tiffany Yip/Courier Cherry blossom flowers at Descanso Gardens on Sunday.
Descanso Gardens hosts annual Cherry Blossom Festival Story by Hannah Gonzales
Located in La Cañada Flintridge among acres of woodland is Descanso Gardens. Formerly owned by Elias Boddy, this botanical garden hosts a plethora of horticultural displays as well as the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, held from March 21 to the 22, where visitors enjoy the cherry blossoms in bloom. During the month of March, when most flowers are in bloom, Descanso Gardens opens up its gates to visitors to view its many species of cherry blossom trees and enjoy a festive atmosphere complete with origami instructors, musicians, garden tours, and a Japanese-inspired food menu. “In our garden we have organized the roses by an international concept,” said Carl Spencer, a docent for the garden. For visitors who want to learn more about the different types of species that inhabit the garden, they had an option of taking a walking tour with an experienced tour guide. Besides talking about the history of the garden, the guide led guests to all of the cherry blossom trees that are littered throughout the estate. The garden hosts several different species of cherry trees. Although most guests came to see the infamous cherry blossoms, Spencer made sure to point out other notable plants and flowers too. “One of the plants that your will see throughout the garden is the crab apples,” said Spencer, who went on to point out weeping willows, river birches, and the garden’s impressive camellia collection—the largest in North America. Spencer, as well as other docents, pointed out prime photo taking opportunities and allowed guests to linger in front of cherry blossom trees to take pictures. He was also quick to point out the work that the garden was doing to preserve its large collection of plants and to make sure that it didn’t waste water, especially since it sustains a lake and several streams.
“We recycle all of our water,” said Spencer. “Most of that water comes from the hills.” Although guests enjoyed all of the sights, a favorite spot was by the Japanese Garden where pink cherry and plum trees were in bloom. There, numerous visitors paused to take pictures and admire the orange bridge hidden among the trees and the koi-filled stream. Also located in the Japanese Garden was the Camellia Lounge. The teahouse was opened for the Cherry Blossom Festival and served Patina’s Japanese-inspired food. The high-end restaurant group also provided drinks and desserts. Across from the Camellia Lounge was origami folding with Yami Yamauchi. Seated in front of the traditional Japanese farmhouse building, Yami, along with two other origami masters, taught children and adults several paper folding techniques. “It’s always fun and challenging to teach large numbers, regardless of age,” said Michael Sanders, one of the origami masters that worked alongside Yamauchi. “I enjoy entertaining and folding for people as much as I do teaching it.” Visitors could also enjoy music under the Oaks Theater situated across from the Japanese Garden. On Saturday, Minyo Station, a popular band, infused Western pop with traditional Japanese music to create an enjoyable experience for guests. On Sunday, June Kuramoto, a classically trained musician, played the koto, the national instrument of Japan. “I got bullied as a child for playing ‘grandma’s’ music,” said Kuramoto. “So I tried to blend Western music with the Japanese koto.” During Sunday’s performance, Kuramoto played alongside member Kimo Cornwell of Hiroshima, a Japanese-American fusion ensemble. The duo blended the koto and keyboard effortlessly, playing original compositions as well as Japanese classics that could be heard throughout Descanso Gardens.
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toast and bacon. McElwee also drinks a gallonof water every day before practice and another half gallon at home after practice. “I work harder,” McElwee said of his discipline. “I’ve been running track for a long time and he’s someone who can excel off his natural ability,” Barber added. “He has the build, he has the stamina and the speed to be a successful sprinter. I know he can be an NCAA Division 1 champion.” Although McElwee is only a freshman, Crespo believes that the athletic sprinter has the ability to compete against the best in the state. “I think that’s part of the package,” Crespo said of McElwee’s ability to make the
March 26, 2015
FEATURES state championships. “What he wanted and kind of what we like with our athletes is to not think about the title, but to think about running fast and the title will come. If he runs 45 seconds this year and he does it at the state meet, I don’t think anyone can beat him.” Earlier this month McElwee excelled at the Cal State Los Angeles Invitational where he finished first in the 400 meters (47.15), which was a state record at the time. McElwee also turned in the state’s second fastest time in the 200 as he took second place overall with a 21.21 time. Only American River’s Robert Ellis has run faster in the 200 at 21.19. Although McElwee has already excelled on the field and in the classroom, the kinesiology major continues to set his goals
fairly high despite already being one of the top runners in the state. Even with the fastest time in the state, McElwee is never content with himself and admitted to never being satisfied with his accolades. “I have to know that now I’m striving for something bigger than having the best time in the state,” McElwee said. “I want to progress my time so eventually I’ll qualify for the Olympics and stuff like that. I want to keep progressing because my ultimate goal is to race in the Olympics. This is just a little step, I have to keep going and keep getting better.” McElwee has continued to improve throughout the season and he proved he’d be a force come postseason time by breaking his previous state fastest time in the 400 meters at the Oxy Distance
Photos by Eric Haynes/Courier Freshman sprinter Alexander McElwee is the fastest runner in the state in the 400 meter race with a 47.15 time, and the second fastest runner in the state in the 200 block with a 21.21 time.
Carnival on March 13. McElwee won in a new 2015 top state time of 46.84 seconds, improving his previous time by .31 of a second in winning the event. “I think Alex can easily break his record again,” Barber said. “I think he can run a high 45.8, he can possibly make it to the U.S Championships. I see it in him—he’s a natural.” “It feels good but I know I could do a lot better,” McElwee said of running the fastest 400 in the state. “I’m trying to break my record every week. The coaching staff has definitely taught me how to come in every day and get my work done. Ever since I came here [to PCC] I really finish my workouts and progress every day because of them and the expectations they hold me to every day at prac-
tice.” Although McElwee has already recorded the fastest times in the state in the 400, both he and the coaching staff know that this is only the beginning of a very special career. “I think the goal is to break the school record, he’s that type of athlete,” Crespo said. “If he continues to improve he can go to any university because his grades are very well. That’s the most important thing that he will be able to transfer with his grades and be ready to complete at the next level.” The next big test for McElwee is the Mt. SAC relays on April 11 where the freshman sprinter will compete against university level competition.
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Famed composer ends residency on high note mind, a requirement.” After the final piece of the night, students and audience members alike waited in line for Friday night’s joint Lancer a chance to meet Ticheli, take concert band and chamber pictures with him and have their singers concert marked the end sheet music or program autoof this year’s Pamela L. Girard graphed. guest artist/masterclass series. Internationally known comDuring Thursday’s composiposer and USC professor Frank tion masterclass at the WesterTicheli, the artist in residence, beck Recital Hall, four original worked with PCC music stustudent compositions were dents over the course of three performed for Ticheli. days, from rehearsing his famous He offered his feedback on pieces to evaluating students’ what they did well and what original compositions. changes can be made to take “What I [liked] about this their pieces to the next level. residency is that it was very Among the student composcomprehensive, I got to work ers was David Garcia Saldana, with a whole wide variety of who wrote and performed students,” said Ticheli. “I loved “Chimes 1,” a … being able to “All the way through the week there percussive piece work with both for glass harmothe band and were moments, magical moments, that nium—a set of the choir, it was glasses and a bowl we had together. And then we had nice to be able moments where we worked hard and filled with varying to do both, and amounts of water struggled, and then moments that we which produce of course, then doing a discusdidn’t even expect to be just magical. different pitches sion with the That’s what I love about working with when struck by students and mallets. people,” Ticheli said. working with The inspirathe composers.” tion for the piece At the concert, held in Sexson bands Kyle Luck saw noticeable comes from Garcia Saldana’s Auditorium, the concert band changes in his students’ abilities. interest in tuning and intonation, and chamber singers performed “He’s really elevated the band, which he interacts with regularly a sliver of Ticheli’s extensive he made them play better than as part of the choirs on campus. works, such as “Fortress,” one they knew that they could. It He looked at W. A. Mathieu’s of his first compositions for was very inspiring, but the whole “Harmonic Experience,” bought concert band, “Columbine High master class series, everything wine glasses from the dollar School Alma Mater,” written he’s done here has just been store and began experimenting. in response to the Columbine remarkable. It couldn’t have “I designed this scale so it massacre for the then alma magone better,” Luck said. “This is wasn’t like a marimba or a piano ter-less school, and the explothe first time I’ve got a chance going from high to low,” he sively energetic “Vesuvius.” to actually meet Frank Ticheli, explained about his setup. The one exception to the but I’ve been a fan of his, played “I designed it around patterns, otherwise exclusively Tichehis music for years and years … so that a phrase that might be li-based concert was Leonard I don’t recall a concert where I extremely difficult on one of Mark Lewis’ “Short Stories,” a haven’t programmed one of his those instruments would be first prize winner in the Frank works. It’s sort of become, in my extremely easy for me to play on my glasses.” As with any other experiment, there were some issues that posed a threat to positive repeated outcomes; in this case, the amount of water to use. In an effort to avoid using an enormous amount of water, Garcia Saldana decided to cut out pitches from his scale entirely. He removed some on the lower end and other high pitches that used nearly no water at all. “I loaded a sound file of my scale on my phone and went to the dollar store with my homemade drumming stick and banged on every cup to find the perfect one,” he said. “People definitely stared. I actually went through two different dollar stores on one day looking for a specific note!” After performing his piece for Ticheli, and subsequently receiving feedback from him, Garcia Saldana playfully asked Ticheli if he would like to learn a phrase or two. Though he politely declined, Ticheli’s thoughtful pointers and Photos by Traece O. Craig/Courier suggestions gave Garcia Saldana Famed composer Frank Ticheli is introduced at the Composia sense of validation, which he tion Masterclass in the Westerbeck Recital Hall on Thursday, feels is the right guidance for imMarch 19, 2015. Ticheli came as a guest to listen and give feedback to PCC student-composed pieces. proving his compositional skills. Anthony Martinez A&E Editor
Ticheli Composition Contest for the 2011-2012 cycle. “It’s hard to say, [to] judge how much improvement [the band] made, we had great moments is the way I think of it, not that we were here and now we’re there,” Ticheli said while motioning his hands. “All the way through the week there were moments, magical moments, that we had together. And then we had moments where we worked hard and struggled, and then moments that we didn’t even expect to be just magical. That’s what I love about working with people.” However modest Ticheli was about the band’s improvements, longtime fan and director of
David Garcia Saldana prepares to play his piece for a Composition Masterclass in the Westerbeck Recital Hall on March 19.
SPORTS
8 COURIER
March 26, 2015
Women’s swimming on road to conference title Luis Rodriguez Staff Writer
Women’s swimming eviscerated the competition at the Aquatic Center last Friday by defeating both LA Trade Tech College and Long Beach City College, extending their undefeated 6-0 record in the South Coast Conference. The Lancers trounced LBCC 173-80 and blew Trade Tech out of the water 206-45. The undefeated team’s winning streak has created buzz about the Lancers possibly winning the South Coast Conference title, something that hasn’t happened since 2003. To put that into perspective, 2003 is the same year “Finding Nemo” was the movie to see. “Hopefully we do get there,” said Jovana Meza about the now very real chance of being the best out of the 10 schools that compete in the SCC. Meza was happy to share that she beat one of her times by five seconds. “That’s a lot,” she said. “She has improved so much,” said head coach Terry Stoddard. “She made six practices and did a great job.” They won 12 of the 14 events, thanks in part to sophomore Connie Peng placing first in the 100-yard backstroke (1:02.64), the 200 butterfly (2:28.54), and the 100 butterfly (1:02.66).
Mick Donovan/Courier Connie Peng wins the 200 Women’s butterfly event at the swim meet at Pasadena City College on March 20. The Lancers women’s swim team are undefeated with a record of 6-0.
“I’m doing my best,” said Peng, who is always humble about how much she carries the team. It seems unlikely the team will lose momentum because they’re improving regardless of already blowing out the competition. Other standouts include Courtney Fukushima, Ariahn Givens, and Liza Echeverria. “Once you get 2-0 then you think maybe we can do it again and then all of a sudden you’re 4-0 and to beat Long Beach is an accomplishment and now they’re 6-0,” said Stoddard. Freshman Megan Mora fed
off the winning energy and beat her best time in the 50 Freestyle. “Coach called me a barrier breaker because I beat my best time,” said Mora. “My time was originally 30.7 and todays was 29.8. So even if it’s a little bit, it’s still a big difference.” This rang true when Fukushima lost the 500 Freestyle by less than a tenth of a second to Ashley Diaz of Long Beach, 5:42.17 to 5:42.38. “I strive every day to make hard work normal,” said Stoddard. Things went OK for men’s swimming with a win over Trade
Tech and a loss to Long Beach. Team captain Mohammad Esmaeilian stole the spotlight on the men’s side, winning the 3 individual events he competed in by securing first in the 50-yard freestyle (22.08), the 100 freestyle (48.99) and the 500 freestyle (5:08.01) “So on my 50 Free I wasn’t too bad,” said Esmaeilian. “Our relay got first place. The guys did a very good job.” Samuel Sanchez improved on the 1,000 freestyle (40 laps) by 15 seconds, (10:12.36) for the gold and won the 200 backstroke as well.
The Lady Lancers will compete at Rio Hondo College this Friday in hopes of winning their last double dual of the season and bringing their record to 8-0. “We won in 2003. That’s my only title since I’ve been here,” said Stoddard. “These sophomores have a contagious attitude. They really enjoy training hard and being their best…this is going really well.” It looks like 2015 just may be the year for PCC Swimming to bring home a title.