PCC Courier 04/30/2015

VOLUME 111 ISSUE 12

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April 30, 2015

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EDITORIAL The Board has yet to give the campus reason to respect it

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$400,000 DEAL DENIED Court finds Rocha’s severance package in violation of openmeeting laws

Philip McCormick Editor-in-Chief

Former president Mark Rocha’s $400,000 severance package was nullified by a Los Angeles County Superior court judge on Wednesday when she ruled that the Board of Trustees broke open meeting laws in the

negotiation process.

Superior Court Judge Joanne O’Donnell ruled that the board and Rocha didn’t properly list the negotiation of his severance package on the closed session agenda last August and states that the board is to reach a new agreement with Rocha that complies with open-meeting laws.

Californians Aware, a nonprofit organization, originally filed the suit against the board in September. Kelly Aviles, Californians Aware’s legal representative in this case, said that she

was pleased by the outcome of the case.

“We can only make sure that PCC follows the right process,” Aviles said. “Far too often are these decisions made without properly disclosing what the closed session items are. That is usually because the organization wants to do this without anyone knowing.”

“The Board is aware of the Court’s ruling and is considering next steps,” board president Berlinda Brown said in an email to the Courier. “The Board cannot

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comment further as the matter concerns pending litigation.”

Trustee Anthony Fellow, who was board president when the severance package was voted on, said that he was “out of the country when the vote was taken” and couldn’t comment further on the matter.

Aviles said that it was “alarming” that it had to come to this.

She said that Californians Aware had sent the board a warning telling them they were out of compliance with open-meeting laws and to conduct the process

pcccourier .tumblr.com

File photo Former president Mark Rocha.

ROCHA page 2

Cosmetology gets cut for Fall Senate has ‘no confidence’ in Board Philip McCormick Editor-in-Chief

Daniel Valencia/Courier Stephanie Layton, a former cosmetology student, styled this mannequin head for the Junior Style Stars Competition and is currently in the cosmetology room at the CEC. Matthew Kiewiet News Editor

PCC’s school of cosmetology has been suspended indefinitely and no classes in the discipline will be offered in the fall as administrators decide on the future of the program.

With the U building still awaiting repairs, space is at a premium for PCC. As a result, the cosmetology school is being forced out of its home in the Community Education Center (CEC) to make way for the soon-to-be accredited nursing program.

I N S I D E

The department, which comprises one full-time faculty member and six adjunct faculty members, found out the news via email from the dean of Career and Technical Education Paul Jarrell.

“I can’t believe they did this,” said Gloria Vizer, the program’s only full time faculty member.

According to Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Kathleen Scott, there had already been discussion about moving the cosmetology school out of the CEC, but space issues and the forthcoming retirement

of Vizer accelerated the change.

“It is not our intention to cancel the program,” she said.

“There is more planning that needs to be done.”

Scott explained that the ultimate plan was to get the program situated into a storefront that some schools such as Santa Barbara City College use so that there would be more interaction with the public.

Jarrell is currently off campus and did not respond to an email requesting comment on this COSMETOLOGY page 2

SOUTHERN

DROUGHT

A musical performance that gives you an American experience

How PCC is doing its part in helping conserve water

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The Academic Senate all but unanimously voted to deliver a vote of no confidence to the Board of Trustees at its next meeting after the board selected Fullerton College’s Rajen Vurdien and not interim president Robert Miller as the next president at PCC. Two senators abstained from the vote.

The result of the vote at the senate’s regular meeting Monday was met with applause from all senate members. It is the fourth vote of no confidence against the board in three years.

“The board didn’t listen to the PCC community,” senate secretary Pat Rose said at the meeting.

“I was shocked in the boards’

decision that Miller would not be the next president. I’m wondering what the purpose was for all those interviews the board had with different campus members during the process.”

Board president Berlinda Brown said that she and the board was “disappointed” with the senate’s vote.

“The Board is disappointed that the Academic Senate has chosen to question its decision for the new Superintendent/ President by a vote of no confidence,” Brown said in an email to the Courier. “The decision was not easy or lightly made. The Board considers the selection of the Superintendent/ President as its most important SENATE page 2

File photo by Erica Hong Academic Senate executive board members Pat Rose, left, Manny Perea, Kris Pilon and Eduardo Cairo.

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SENATE Continued from page 1

function. The board took the process very seriously to select the candidate who the board believes will be able to best serve and advance the College for the benefit of students.

Brown said that the board appreciates that the senate may have favored Miller, but that in the end it was the board’s decision to make.

“The Board asks that its decision be respected and that Dr. Vurdien be welcomed and respected as the new Superintendent/President,” Brown said.

Rose said that you couldn’t imagine what the board was thinking when it hired a new president during the complicated accreditation process.

“This might not change the decision they made, but I think we have to make a public statement that this board does not represent shared wisdom and

will of its constituents on this campus,” Rose said.

Some members of the senate felt disheartened about PCC’s future with the current board.

“I believe that it’s never going to get better,” said Jane Hallinger of the Visual Arts and Media Studies department. “The board has put up a dam and they are sitting on top of it and they control things their way. The board is supposed to be open with us and yet they will not talk with us.”

Hallinger, who has been teaching at PCC for over 25 years, said that she was here when Trustee Jeanette Mann was elected, but that she had lost her way.

“Mann started out as a board member trying to listen but has veered away from that and has become very controlling,” Hallinger said. “Through her support, I think she is controlling the board and through that we have lost the support of all but one or two board members.”

Mann did not reply to several emails requesting comment on this story.

Bianca Richards, a PCC counselor, said that the senate had to get this information about the vote of no confidence out to the board’s districts so that the public could replace some board members in the next elections.

“There is an election coming up in Mann’s district,” Richards said. “We need to give support to the candidate running against her.”

The vote of no confidence also addresses other issues the senate has had with the board in the past year, such as the board striking down a calendar that had a winter session and the pending lawsuit against the school alleging Brown Act violations.

Senate president Eduardo Cairo said that he would be reading the senate’s resolution to the board on Wednesday at its meeting.

April 30, 2015

ROCHA Continued from page 1

properly, but the board didn’t respond.

Aviles said that Californians Aware would seek reimbursement of legal fees from PCC. Rocha and the board both denied any violations and claimed in February that they were able to use the term “anticipated litigation” when discussing his deal last August during closed session because there was a threat of litigation.

“The subject matter of the Board’s meeting relative to Rocha was not compensation, but

COSMETOLOGY Continued from page 1

story.

Vizer has been with the program for 41 years and plans to retire after this year. She said that she and her colleagues sensed trouble was afoot at the beginning of the spring semester when they were alerted that no freshmen were being accepted into the program for the spring or summer terms. They were then promised a big freshman class in the fall, she said, to compensate for the hours missed in the spring and summer before the suspension of the program was revealed.

“This really hurts the program, students, and our clients,” Vizer said.

Lynn Lawrence, who sits

rather, negotiated terms for a settlement which would include his retirement and a general release of claims,” the Board stated in its answer to the suit. “At all times during these precedent negotiations, with the threat of litigation, Rocha was represented by counsel as was the Board.”

Rocha’s attorney, Michael M. Amir, did not immediately return a phone message requesting comment on this story.

The college had announced Rocha’s retirement in late August, saying in a statement that he would receive $403,826, plus up to $16,000 in “reasonable” legal expenses from the District. on the advisory board for the cosmetology program and owns one of the largest hair salons in the area—Lawrence and Colbert Salon—expressed great concern at the Academic Senate meeting on Monday.

“I have 20 chairs to fill,” Lawrence said. “There isn’t another cosmetology program between Pasadena and Citrus.”

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April 30, 2015

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 ValenciaPP Scene Editor Keely Damara Design Editor Samantha Molina 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, 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

‘No Confidence’ a theme for board

Relentless with their brash yet divisive decision-making, the Board of Trustees went ahead and voted in Dr. Rajen Vurdien as president of the college, a move that has sparked outcry from faculty, including a vote of No Confidence from the Academic Senate.

The Board’s response, in a nutshell, was that the board always has the final say and the community should respect its decisions. While the new president hasn’t directly made any negative impact on PCC, other than the fact that he won over the college favorite Dr. Robert Miller, perhaps the new Superior Court ruling can shed some light and act as a precursor for what can follow if the board doesn’t listen to its constituents.

It really does beg the question: Why should the shared governance bodies on campus respect the authority of the administration and the Board of Trustees when the judicial process has ruled that it is the higher-ups

who violated the law when it paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to former president Mark Rocha.

On Wednesday morning, the Superior Court ruled that the Board had violated the Brown Act when the trustees had

gathered during a closed session meeting last year to discuss Rocha’s retirement and severance compensation, which includes a paycheck approaching $400,000.

The faculty was confused as to where that money would be coming from, but the board fell mum on direct answers. On one hand, the board assured the college that the payoff wouldn’t

Moving forward has been put on pause. PCC must now hit rewind.

There’s a recurring theme that’s taking place with Pasadena City College, and it’s the theme of “No Confidence.” It was once just the student newspaper that watched over conflict in the campus world, but it has now spread to larger organizations like the Los Angeles Times or state watchdogs like Californians Aware, who filed the petition against the Pasadena Area Community College District when the Rocha severance issue arose.

Is this the legacy that the board wants for Pasadena City College—a Cartoon by Mick Donovan history of polarizing decisions and controversy? We Academic Senate said it had hope not. no confidence in the board While it’s known that the after their decision to elect Dr. Board has the final say, it should Vurdien among other issues, also try to regain the trust of including the removal of winter the governing bodies and the intersession, oversight of hiring campus at large. The Board of and firing practices, and the Trustees shouldn’t be surprised removal of voter-approved plans that their decision was met with for ceramics, printmaking, and backlash. In order to move forsculpture facilities for the Center ward, the trustees should simply for the Arts. start listening.

Alex Chhuon Staff Writer

bond company, video arcade, movie theater, swimming pool, cruise ship, theme park, dog or horse racing facility, parimutuel facility, or sexually oriented business or any retail establishment which provides adult-oriented entertainment in which performers disrobe or perform in an unclothed state for entertainment, or in any business or retail establishment where minors under age 18 are not permitted.”

Okay, it makes sense that people shouldn’t spend their welfare money at strip clubs, on alcohol, or on cigarettes, but to put a ban on psychic consultations?

It leaves the impression that the bill is overly specific and petty as it attempts to curb spending in an unhealthy way.

While visits to a psychic business are rare or non-existent for many citizens on welfare, banning trips to the movie theater or the swimming pool is asinine and ultimately harmful to the

happiness of the families relying on welfare. Trips to the movies and the swimming pool are probably few and far between for these families, but there will come a day when the parents may have a day off and want to spend it relatively cheaply at the movie theater.

But wait, that’s not all.

“The law also forbids TANF beneficiaries from using their electronic benefit transfer cards to withdraw more than $25 per day in cash from ATMs,” wrote Arthur Delaney of The Huffington Post.

A daily limit of $25 is ridiculous, unrealistic, and impractical.

The card essentially becomes useless when it’s the most needed. If the rent is due, tough luck.

This money is a supporting pillar for those in need.

Although, not everybody can budget the money well, it is not warranted to enforce such extreme restrictions.

affect classes while one trustee said he was out of town when the severance package was approved.

Months later, at the dawn of a new president selection with little to no consultation from members of the college, the

Brownback bungles welfare with bill In an attempt to lift the people of Kansas out of poverty, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has signed a bill limiting where welfare money can and cannot be spent.

No strip clubs! No alcohol!

No cigarettes!

And of course no lingerie, trips to the nail salon, movie tickets, concert tickets, theme park tickets, dips into the local swimming pool, and of course psychic consultations.

No really, they’re serious.

“No TANF cash assistance,” the bill states, “shall be used in any retail liquor store, casino, gaming establishment, jewelry store, tattoo parlor, massage parlor, body piercing parlor, spa, nail salon, lingerie shop, tobacco paraphernalia store, vapor cigarette store, psychic or fortune telling business, bail

VOICES:

Not only are families barred from some leisure spending at the movie theaters, but practical uses of the money might be limited by the maximum withdrawal of $25.

“The primary focus of the bill is to get people back to work,” Brownback said, according to the Kansas City Star. “Because that’s where the real benefit is getting people off public assistance and back into the marketplace with the dignity and far more income there than the pittance that government gives them.”

Translation: we don’t want people spending the government’s money.

This is far from a bill motivating people to get back to work; it is a punishing bill that merely adds to the lists of worries to those on welfare.

How seriously are you taking the drought and what should the school do?

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.

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“I cut back on washing the car a little bit and don’t water the lawn as much. If it got worse, I’d probably cut back on everything. “

Calvin Holzbauer, undecided

“Very. I stopped watering our front lawn.

My parents don’t like that because their flowers ended up dying but they were kind of ugly anyways.”

Amanda Lallos, undecided

“I’m trying to take shorter showers. We’re following the rules about watering the grass and plants less.”

Alejandro Aragon, nursing

“Not too seriously I guess. The school should get rid of the mirror pools.

There’s always something that can be done.”

Erica Cisneros, public relations

“Serious enough to conserve water at my house by limiting showers and not watering the lawn. ”

Preston Araki, business administration Reporting by: Luis Rodriguez Photos by: Mary Nurrenbern

SCE

4 COURIER

PHOTOGRAPHY

Eric Haynes/Courier PCC’s Track & Field freshman sprinter Alexander McElwee placed first in the state 400-meter race at 46.74 seconds.

Tiffany Yip/Courier Yami Yamauchi demonstrates origami making to visitors at Descanso Gardens during the Cherry Blossom Festival on March 22.

Shaunee Edwards/ Courier Traece Craig, 22, a photography student at PCC, uses his skateboarding skills to speed through campus on Wednesday, April 22.

Michael Osbo Takeo Drummers perform for members and guest of All Church in the parking lot during the MLK march.

Best of the

COURIE

Daniel Frankenstein, played by Alex Mashikian, stands before the monster, played by Richard is about to bring him back to life in the musical theatre production of Young Frankens formed at the Sexson Auditorium on Thursday, February 26.

Paul Whitaker of Idyllwid takes a close look at “Astra” by Roger D exhibit at The Museum at Forest Lawn Glendale on Tuesday, Mar free and the artwork revolves around music.

ENE

April 30, 2015

Mick Donovan/Courier Jackie Aguilar, Justine Zavala, Jenny Pegg, Yecenia Cardenas, Breanna Rodrigo and Coach Monica Tantlinger pose triumphantly during practice at Robinson Park on Friday, February 6.

orne/Courier l Saints

Kristen Luna/Courier Julie Edwards of Deap Vally rocks out on the drums on the Main Stage on Day 2 of Air+ Style on Sunday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

ER

l Valencia/Courier d Seymor, as he sten, was per-

Erica Hong/Courier Dean at the Revolution-2 rch 24. The exhibit is

Michelle Gonzales/Courier A solo dancer of the group Rhythm Villages performs a traditional Nigerian folk dance in the Circadian building at Pasadena City College on Februrary 10.

Nagisa Mihara/Courier Vincent Ogbehi runs the men’s 400 meter dash during the Pasadena Games on Friday, March 27 at the Robinson Stadium.

Scott Spencer/Courier Josh Gillard exhales vapor with his vape pen at Vape Mastaz in Pasadena on Monday, 13.

Max Zeronian/Courier Sophomore distance runner Kate Manzke on the bell lap of the women’s 1500 meter race at Mt. SAC, Friday, February 6.

Traece O. Craig/Courier Lancer Faruk Oyalade pushes for the basket in a home game against Mt. SAC on January 16.

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6 COURIER

April 30, 2015

A&E

Piano ensemble serenades packed house

we decided to play American music and music from Latino countries.”

Director Phillip Young said he “wanted to do something

different.”

“I was pretty proud that we’re finally getting some representation,” Benitez said. “I am Mexican so I did feel very proud

to represent my culture.”

The biggest crowd pleaser of the night was “out…standing” by composer Kevin Olson, which elicited a lot of laughter.

It featured two players in an ensemble, meaning “together” in French, but there was also another player who was standing and moved back and forth across the piano—seemingly correcting the other two.

But the award for technique and mastery of the ivories goes to Emily Su and Mikaella Nam, Grand Prize Winners of the 2015 Fullerton Piano Ensemble Festival.

Their rendition of “Variations on a Shaker Melody” by Aaron Copland was haunting and lasting and was a rare peak into Appalachian music performed on a piano.

“These are PCC products,” Lobitz said, who saw her former students perform. “It’s a testimony to the great program of music and piano here at school.”

After all was said and played, a reception afterwards in the rehearsal room allowed the artists to mingle with the audience and celebrate the end of a beautiful show.

“It was real eye-opening, you hear about these attacks or genocides through the news and social media, but you don’t think much of it,” said Jedd Johnston, a PCC student, about the documentary.

“When you actually sit down and watch a movie dedicated to it, it makes you think.”

The night began with anthropology professor Alexis Altounian briefly lecturing on both the history of her own personal Armenian family and background on the Armenian Genocide.

“The word broken down, genocide, literally means genos, greek for family, and cide for killing,” Altounian said. “Genocide as a term was constructed in 1944 and it was only constructed because of the atrocities committed against the Eastern European population that was the target of

the SS and the Nazi movement, and also the Armenians, as well as the Greeks and Syrians who were nearly annihilated in 1915.”

Altounian explained that when the “Young Turks” took over the country, their mission was to “Turkify” it. According to Altounian, about 1.5 million Armenians lost their lives in the Armenian Genocide.

Interestingly enough, both Altounian and the documentary believe that the Armenian Genocide heavily influenced Adolf Hitler. Both System of a Down and Altounian quoted Hitler.

“After all, who remembers today the extermination of the Armenians,” Hitler said in August of 1939.

The lack of strong responses from the world after the Armenian Genocide may have perhaps

spurred Hitler on and the genocide itself may have inspired him.

As the Turks wanted to “Turkify” the country, Hitler wanted only pure Aryans.

The lack of acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide gives power to only those that commit these atrocities. Countries that do not acknowledge the Armenian Genocide include Turkey, where it occurred, the United Kingdom, and our very own United States.

The documentary suggests that the reasons for liberal countries like the UK and the US not recognizing the Armenian Genocide are largely political. Turkey is an important ally that allows strategic advantages in the Middle East.

“There is no solid evidence that I have seen in 20 some years that the Ottoman Turks intended to destroy all Armenians,” said

Dan Burton, a former Republican congressman from Indiana.

As such, getting the Armenian Genocide recognized is an arduous road filled with hurdles and red tape that only a large collection of voices may be able to break through.

“If people, at the time, during the Armenian holocaust raised an eye and looked and said, ‘It’s happening, lets help these freaking people that don’t deserve what’s happening to them.’ Maybe the Jews wouldn’t have had their holocaust… And maybe other holocausts wouldn’t of happened,” said Shavarsh Odadjian, the bassist of System of a Down.

“Who, after all, remembers the Armenians? I do.”

Luis Rodriguez Staff Writer

Saturday’s performance of “Southern Harmony: Music of the American experience,” put on by the piano ensemble class in the sold out Westerbeck Recital Hall deviated from those in the past because it didn’t feature any European composers and relied solely on those penned in the states.

Famed American composer Leonard Bernstein’s piece “America” from “West Side Story” opened the night.

“He was one of the most famous American conductors and now he’s passed away but a brilliant composer and conductor…one of our greatest,” piano instructor Kristi Lobitz said.

The piece was notable because during the musical it is sang by a Puerto Rican, which was not lost on Edwin Castro and Victor Benitez.

“This was a new thing for us,” Castro said. “We usually play European music but this time

Tiffany Yip/Courier Katarina Butenschoen and Keith Cerrato of the Piano Ensemble and Piano Accompanying Class perform a piece during “Southern Harmony,” a concert showcasing music of the American experience, at Westerbeck Recital Hall on Saturday.

‘Screamers’ explores roots of Armenian Genocide

Alex Chhuon Staff Writer

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide this past Friday, PCC’s own Armenian Student Association, showcased the documentary, “Screamers” last Wednesday night.

“Screamers” mainly focuses on the injustice of the Armenian Genocide not being officially recognized as a “genocide,” but also advocates speaking out or screaming against genocides, holocausts, and other atrocities. The documentary also features the popular Armenian band System of a Down who are dedicated to spreading awareness of the Armenian Genocide and advocate to have the genocide recognized.

Max Zeronian/Courier Anthropology professor Alexis Altounian speaking on April 22 in C 333. Altounian told the story of her ancestors who survived the Armenian Genocide and immigrated to America.

April 30, 2015

NEWS

COURIER

School introduces water conservation measures Neil Protacio Staff Writer

Facilities services are introducing new water saving tactics to aid the college’s conservation efforts during Pasadena’s moratorium on water usage.

According to Measure P Projects Director Jack Schulman, the simple method of reusing pool water for wash-downs would be a sustainable approach to water use.

“Normally, when we wash down the pool decks and bleachers, we use the city water only,” Schulman said, who’s taken care of the college’s swimming pool for 16 years. “This is a waste as it is a single use process only.”

The pool water would be used to wash down the decks and bleacher areas since the water is already suitable for the process and would pose no health issues.

Water from the pool’s surge pit would then replace the pool water.

And there’s strong support for the use of reclaimed water from the city higher ups.

“Pasadena Water and Power are in static about this,” said Reuben Smith, executive director of facilities services.

Facilities services would also begin walnut shell blasting instead of the conventional silica sand blasting for the removal of contaminates like graffiti removal, paint, or corrosion removal.

According to Schulman, sand blasting has its downfalls, including surface degradation “Silica sand and the associated dust it creates is also considered hazardous,” Schulman said.

“Special breathing apparatuses must be worn during use.

Additionally, after the initial use of the silica sand, the remnants must be collected and removed from site.”

Walnut shells, on the other hand, contaminate with far less surface damage and pose no health issues. After usage, the walnut shells can be left in the lawn or planters as mulch – which will help with water conservation because walnut shells will help in preserving moisture.

Gov. Jerry Brown called for immediate action in water conservation, hoping to reduce water use by 25 percent in cities all across California.

The city of Pasadena consumes twice the state average of water per capita daily at 86 gallons, serving a population of up to 165,740 people. In data collected by The New York Times, Pasadena upped its consumption by five percent in two years.

Pasadena City College, as an institution, is in the forefront of water conservation efforts, according to Sarah Flores, the energy and sustainability supervisor of facilities and construction services.

“Water conservation efforts have been ongoing for the past 10 years or so,” she said.

PCC has undergone a variety of projects, including ultra-low flow urinals, changes in landscaping, and irrigation efficiency improvement.

The campus follows water ordinances handed down from the state and the city. Pasadena Water and Power’s guidelines state that from November through April, the campus is only to irrigate once a week. From April through September, they are allowed to water twice a week.

Additionally, PCC installs xeriscaping—landscaping and gardening that reduces or completely eliminates the use of water.

In an attempt to reduce, reuse, recycle, and combat global warming, the facilities depart-

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ment also pushed forward “forever bottles” by installing water hydration stations. These Brita filtration systems are touch-free, hygienic water dispensers. The school now has more than seven filters around campus, including the library and the C Building.

There seems to be an eyesore happening in front of the Mirror Pools, however, giving the impression that PCC is irrigating during the wrong times.

“Recently, we performed major sidewalk renovation north of the campus that damaged some sprinkles, so repairs are ongoing,” Flores said. “The signage was given to us by PWP to post for public information so that the public will understand why the water is on and understand that we are not irrigating during the day time hours.”

But there’s more work to be done, and Elena Pierce, Associated Students Vice President of Sustainability, is hoping to introduce another measure.

“In the future, I am hoping to promote automatic water faucets in the restrooms to promote the conservation of water,” she said.

Pasadena has shown strong support for the governor’s call for more water conservation.

Subsequently, the city had placed ordinances long before the call for action.

In July 2014, for instance, Pasadena Water and Power introduced a Level 1 Plan, which includes 13 permanent water waste prohibitions, such as no watering during periods of rain, and no watering outdoors between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. The city is still currently determining what additional water restrictions are needed to bolster the state’s efforts.

Nagisa Mihara/Courier Students swim at the Aquatic Center on Wednesday, April 29. The pool water will be used to wash the bleachers to help with the drought.

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SPORTS

COURIER

April 30, 2015

Tri-Swimmers gear up for state PCC

track stars advance

Monique LeBleu Staff Writer

The Lancers women’s swim team is preparing for the 2015 CCCAA State Championships that begin today at East Los Angeles Community College and continue for three days through the weekend.

With a successful second place finish at the 2015 SCC Championships, SCC Co-Coach of the Year Terry Stoddard feels he has thoroughly prepared the team for the upcoming State Championships.

Going from seventh as a team in 2013 to sixth as a team in 2014, coach Stoddard wants to meet that, or exceed it.

To prepare for the events, Stoddard said they concentrated on resistance training and endurance work at the 200-yard level, where in previous years the concentration was on speed training.

“We really focus on detail. It’s the small things that make a big difference,” he said. “You just tune up. We’re working toward making it just a little bit better.”

For this year’s championship competition, there are four new events: the 400 individual medley, which is a 100-yard sprint for each stroke, the 200 butterfly, the 200 backstroke, and the 200 breaststroke. The championship program is “two sessions per day, beginning Thursday, with prelim in the morning and finals in the evening,” according to Stoddard.

“For the girls relay, we are positioned really well and that’s a lot of points,” he said. “Connie was second in the 100 to 200 backstroke last year. She’s seeded third in 100 back and fourth in the 100 fly.”

Hannah Gonzales Staff Writer

Shaunee Edwards/Courier Swimmers Connie Peng and Ariahn Givens at the PCC Aquatic Center on Wednesday, April 22.

Peng and Givens are two of the three swimmers named SCC Tri-Swimmers of the Year.

Of the seven member team— PCC’s largest women’s swim team to date since 1999—three swimmers are to compete in three of the new events, with five team members qualified for two events each.

Sophomore Connie Peng, economics, and freshman Ariahn Givens, kinesiology, were two of the three PCC swimmers named to the SCC Tri-Swimmers of the Year team after leading the Lancers to an 8-0 conference record and a share of the regular season title and PCC’s third consecutive year with the top swimmer’s

award.

Givens, who is fifth for both the 200 free and the 50 free, and 11th for the 100 free, made it in all three of the freestyle competitions for the conference, along with Peng. She has been swimming since she was six months old—over 17 years—and competitively since she was six.

“I won two of my events, and I got second in another event,” Givens said.

Peng, who is transferring to UCSD, is in her second year in the U.S. from Shanghai, China.

“PCC has a good swimming

team and a good academic school, so I think maybe it was a good choice for me,” Peng said. “I surprised [myself] this year. This year was harder than last season but I think it’s been a big improvement overall for the team, including all the sophomores like me.”

“They are a great group, they’ve trained very hard,” Stoddard said.

“They are mature in their thinking as athletes and they are very competitive. We’ll know a lot more on Monday.”

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Eric Haynes/Courier Freshman sprinter Alexander McElwee has been named the PCC Courier Player of the Week. Already the state leader in the 400 meters, McElwee added the SCC individual championship to his trophy case after running a 46.91 second 400 meters at the SCC Championships. McElwee also placed second in the 200 meters at 21.43 and he is currently seventh in the state in that event (best of 21.21).

Several PCC track and field athletes will compete in the Southern California championships after qualifying in the South Coast Prelims and Finals last week at Cerritos College.

Several Lancer athletes made it to the conference finals and one finished at the top of the podium.

“There’s [Chris] Miranda in the pole vaults, Shuo Yang in the high jump, Julia Sambvani in the hurdles,” said Crespo, mentioning some of the athletes that made it to finals. “Alex won. He’s conference champion.”

With a time of 46.91, Alexander McElwee placed first overall for the men’s 400-meter dash. A longtime favorite for sprints, the freshman also placed second in the men’s 200-meter dash.

Other athletes who did well were Khaleel Muhammad, who placed second in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, Yang, who placed second in the men’s high jump, and Sambvani, who placed third in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.

The men’s team was ranked fifth overall and the women were rated as sixth-best.

With the South Coast Championships now behind them, the track and field team is now setting their sights on the Southern California Championships.

“I think the ones where we can see some huge gains for Southern California prelims would be Julia Sambvani for the 400 meter hurdles and, I would probably say, Nathan [Guzman] in the 10,000,” Crespo said.

Crespo has confidence in his athletes.

“The rest of them are ready to do what they’ve been doing,” he said.

Crespo is especially sure that his relay team will place in the Southern California finals.

“We run alternates for the 4-by-1 and the 4-by-4 because we automatically qualify for the finals already,” Crespo said.

“Then we’ll be putting in the real 4-by-4, which will be Anthony Carter, [Vincent] Ogbehi, Alex [Maldonado], and Muhammad.”

The Southern California Prelims and Championships will also be held at Cerritos’ Falcon Field for the next two Saturday afternoons.