PCC Courier 11/01/12

Goal!

Water polo goes .500 in tourney Page 7» Volume 106, Issue 9

COURIER Pasadena City College

The independent student voice of PCC. Serving Pasadena Since 1915.

Dead men walking

Online edition pccCourier.com Facebook PCC Courier Twitter @pccCourier November 1, 2012

New law’s impact will transform college life Stricter fee waiver rules among big changes on tap ANTHONY RICHETTS Online Editor

Concepcion Gonzalez / Courier Chris Jones channels his inner zombie in the Associated Students-hosted ‘PCC Run for your Lives’ event on Tuesday at Robinson Stadium.

Zombies make students ‘run for their lives’ PAUL OCHOA Staff Writer

The living dead looked all too alive on Tuesday during the first ever “Run for you life,” a zombie-themed obstacle course held in Robinson Stadium.

The event was put together by Associated Students Vice President for Campus Activities Fernando Becerra with coordination from several clubs.

“It was vivacious and I had a lot of committee members helping me out.

Overall it was awesome,” said Becerra.

Participants in the run had to sign a liability release form before being able to participate.

“Because this event is somewhat of a contact [event] we have [participants] fill out a liability release form so that we are covered,” said Paul Tran, a volunteer at the event.

Participants were then able to decide whether they wanted to be “zombies” or “survivors.” The “survivors” were given a belt with three flags, which

“zombies” throughout the course were trying to snag. The “zombies” had their faces touched up with makeup to give them that living dead look.

Karla Jovel, who is part of the Graphadena group, was one of those volunteers providing the “zombie” makeup.

“I’m doing some of the cosmetic work today. I am kind of into zombies so that’s why I [decided to do it],” said Continued on page 6

Bribery investigation of fired officials continuing NICHOLAS SAUL Editor-in-Chief

An investigation into two fired school officials who are accused of soliciting bribes is ongoing, according to officials in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.

Former Vice President of Administrative Services Richard van Pelt and former Facilities Supervisor

Alfred Hutchings were fired in June after the school found out that the two men’s homes and offices were searched by investigators from the DAs office on suspicion of ‘conflicts of interest.’ “[The case] is still open,” said Dave Demerjian, the head of the DAs public integrity division, in a telephone interview on Monday. “Because it’s an ongoing case, I can’t share much more

than that.”

Michelle Gilmer, the attorney assigned to the case, stated that they are currently investigating and compiling evidence for the case. “I will construct a case when the investigator determines whether there is enough to make a charge,” she said.

While details of the investigation, as

Stricter rules on fee waivers, new registration priorities, and different funding criteria will be coming to community colleges under a new state law, officials said.

With Gov. Jerry Brown signing into law the Student Success Act of 2012 last September, California community colleges will have to make an effort to boost graduation and transfer rates.

In a recent interview, Acting Chancellor of California Community Colleges Erik Skinner and Vice Chancellor for Students Services Linda Michalowski, both members of the task force that wrote the SSA, described some of the changes on the way.

The Student Success Act was drafted in response to a 2010 law, SB 1143, according to Skinner. SB 1143 changed how California community colleges would receive funding, basing it on students completing courses and the colleges’ graduation rates, he said.

“With that bill the Legislature was essentially stepping up and saying that [they] wanted to see us do a better job in helping our students succeed,” said Skinner. “It initiated a conversation between the community college system and the Legislature about this completion agenda and a shared desire to have more of our students complete their educational objectives.”

Eligibility for fee waivers will be one of the major changes. According to the new law, students applying for fee waivers will have to meet minimal education requirements to be established by the community colleges’ Board of Governors.

While the requirements have yet to be finalized, and will not be implemented until fall of 2014, Skinner and Michalowski, provided some of the recommendations that the Student Success Task Force made for the requirements. To get fees waived, students would have to have a 2.0 grade

Continued on page 7

Trustee honored by the NAACP with community award PAUL OCHOA Staff Writer

Board of Trustees member Jeanette Mann recently received the Community Award from the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

The award is given to those in the community who improve the quality

Speak out!

When do you believe raising taxes is justified? vote at pccCourier.com

of living for African American’s.

Mann recently received the Ruby McKnight Williams Award by the Pasadena branch of the NAACP, for her work in improving the lives of African-American students.

Mann, who is an advocate for social justice, said she has been doing her best to improve the quality of living for people of color since her days as the

special assistant to the president for equality and diversity at CSU Northridge.

“My job was to develop programs which would diversify the students and faculty. I developed a faculty diversity program where, in one year, we hired as many faculty of color [as] we had hired in the past five years,” Continued on page 6

Night Owls

Hairdos

Character of campus is entirely different after hours

Students rock cool, whacky, and inventive hairstyles

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Continued on page 7

Trustee Jeanette Mann was honored by the NAACP for improving the quality of living for African Americans Justin Clay / Courier

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Courier 2011 JACC General Excellence Award Winner Editor­in­Chief Nicholas Saul Managing Editor Nicholas Zebrowski Online Editor Anthony Richetts Opinion Editor Christine Michaels Assist. Opinion Editor Benjamin Simpson Arts & Entertainment Editor Paul Ochoa Features Editor Emily Chang ­ Chien Assist. Features Editor Shelly Maldonado Sports Editor Philip McCormick Assist. Sports Editor Karla Sosa Photo Editor Buren Smith Assist. Photo Editor Antonio Gandara Online Photo Editor Teresa Mendoza Scene Editor Max Perez Staff Writers: Alfonso Ardon, Ander Arostegui, Raymond Bernal, Geness Gilkey, Alan Lopez, Mary Nurrenbern, Elizabeth Piedra, Amanda Pimentel, Luis Rodriguez, Mykeisa Willis Staff Photographers: Cicely Chisholm, Justin Clay, John Garcia, Wendy Garcia, Concepcion Gonzalez, Gabriela Gonzalez, Jordan Harris, Makoto Lane, Triana Melendez, John Novak, Anar Nyantaisuren, Patricia Reyes, Daniel Valencia, Alexis Villanueva, Ryan Yamamoto

November 1, 2012

Opinion

Courier

Editorial

Voting green, red, purple or blue... the decision is entirely up to you On Tuesday, citizens of the United States will go to their local polling place and punch in whom they think should be our country’s leader for the next four years.

Not only is voting for who will be our president important, but for those who favor neither Republican Mitt Romney nor Democrat Barack Obama, third party candidates and their propositions for change or reform can be accounted for with a vote as well.

Whether or not you are for

greener energy, a free market not closely run by government, or even want your tax rate reduced, you can pick a candidate with a check in their box on the voting slip.

Voting for a third party member such as Libertarian Gary Johnson or Green Party member Jill Stein allows for their values and ideas about government to be heard.

While the likelihood of either winning is slim, a voter’s support reaches out to what that third party candidate stands

for, be it a less intrusive government, or an alternative energy supply.

Listening to alternative points of views other than the traditional blue and red sides gives you the opportunity to expand your knowledge on political, social and economic issues and how they can be handled.

By hearing third party candidates out, especially if you are a voter who feels stuck by deciding to vote for the lesser of two evils, consider voting for some-

one whose values better align with yours, and whose goals will move forward these values, be it a political agenda more focused on cleaner energy, or a plan that lessens the government’s interaction with the economy.

So get out to the polls, and vote for whom you believe should really be the leader of our nation, be it someone who supports green, red, purple, or blue.

Proposition 38 fails all public schools PHILIP MCCORMICK Staff Writer

When you find yourself in the voting booth on Tuesday and are checking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the propositions, take a second and think about this: Proposition 38 has the potential to hurt PCC and other community colleges.

Proposition 38 claims it would make getting money to schools and early childhood programs a priority and improve educational results, but it would do so at a terrible cost to the low income and middle class.

If you make $17,346 or more in income, your taxes would

VOICES:

increase under Proposition 38 and this wouldn’t be able to change for 12 years.

Californians would have their income tax raised by as much as 21 percent on top of what they already pay the federal government, according to Stopthemiddleclasstaxhike.com What the proposition tries not to let you know, is that it would not only force a $6 billion educational cut this year, but it would also cut the school year short for kindergarten through 12th grade. With school funding having already taken a big hit, does California’s youth really need this?

The tax won’t help school performance either. The money could potentially go to administration, pensions or benefits, never having reached the needs of students in the classrooms. “[Proposition 38] pours more money into a system that is failing out kids without requiring improvements in outcomes for students,” said opponents on Stopthemiddleclasstaxhike.com Proposition 38 would create $120 billion in higher taxes, but has nothing in it that requires the funds to go to help reduce the deficit. We could find ourselves stuck where we are for quite some time.

On top of everything else, the money might not get to the schools for possibly another year or more. Schools probably won’t receive money until late 2013 or the beginning of 2014 if the proposition were to pass.

So the questions come down to this: Do you want to pay higher taxes for 12 years? Do you want to see the summer semester practically wiped off the school calendar due to a huge educational cut? If the answer is no, then answer the same about Proposition 38 when voting on Tuesday.

Is voting important? Why or why not?

Faculty Adviser Warren Swil Photography Adviser Rachel Fermi Advertising Coordinator Anthony Richetts The Courier is published weekly by the Pasadena City College Journalism Department and is a free­speech 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.

“I didn’t read the ballot and you shouldn’t vote with out an educated opinion.”

Aimee Scholz, art

“I’m not a citizen so I can’t vote, but I would if I could.

Voting lets everyone be heard.”

Bill Moravon, fire technician

“It’s important to vote, especially if students want access to things like financial aid.”

Kelsey Green, liberal studies

“We should vote because most people our age don’t vote, they procrastinate.”

Alia Bolton, photography

“Yes you should vote. It impacts our lives in big ways.”

Ricardo Delgado, psychology

“My father has been pressuring me to vote, so I’ve decided not to.”

Brittany Lara, vet medicine

“It is important to vote. You are given a right and you have a choice.”

Kahalio Abdullah, mechanics

“Hell yeah it’s important to vote! You should make a choice and read the ballot.”

Raymond Lee, lab assistant

“You have an opportunity to have your voice heard, you should vote.”

Stefon Bryan, undeclared

“If you don’t vote, you aren’t doing anything to change.

I am voting.”

Nicholas Phelps, business

The Courier is written and produced as a learning experience for student writ­ ers, photographers and editors in the Journalism Department.

Phone: (626) 585­7130 Fax: (626) 585­7971 Advertising: (626) 585­7979 pccCourierAds@yahoo.com Office: 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., CC­208 Pasadena, CA 91106­3215 E­mail: 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: Who will you vote for in the presidential election?

Results as of 5 p.m. Wednesday: Mitt Romney: 32 percent Barack Obama: 68 percent

vote at pccCourier.com

Reporting by: Mary Nurrenbern, Photos by: Connie Gonzalez, Ryan Yamamoto

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 e­mail to michaels_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) 585­7130 or via e­mail to saul.nicholas@yahoo.com.

November 1, 2012

Election Special OpEd

Courier

3

Should ‘Three Strikes’ be amended?

Y E S

Proposition 36 N would return logic and reason O

LUIS RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer

RAYMOND BERNAL Staff Writer

In the Middle Ages one would be thrown in the dungeon for years just for stealing a loaf of bread. In some Third World countries today you would get your hand cut off for a similar offense.

In this modern age, in this beautiful state we call the Golden State, the gold has been tarnished.

We are no different than people in the Middle Ages or Third World countries because, if you steal a loaf of bread today, the state of California could put you in prison for life and throw away the key.

Proposition 36 will do what Proposition 184, the three strikes law, intended to do back in 1994 when it was passed.

Proposition 184 was sold and packaged as a method for keeping repeat violent criminals behind bars for life after committing three “violent” or “serious” offenses.

It was in response to the public outcry of the kidnapping and murder of 12-yearold Polly Klaus.

Without doubt, violent repeat offenders

should be kept behind bars for life and Proposition 36 will still ensure that rapists, murderers and all other repeat violent criminals stay in prison for life.

But, Proposition 36 would stop the illogical and unreasonable practice of imposing life sentences for extraordinarily minor third-strike offenses like stealing a loaf of bread or a pair of socks.

If this isn’t cruel and unusual punishment, I don’t know what is.

The state of California is the only state in the nation that allows for a life sentence for a non-violent felony on a third strike.

A survey conducted by The Three Strikes Project at Stanford Law School showed that more than 4,000 inmates in California are serving life sentences for nonviolent offenses under the current three strikes law.

It costs the state of California over $100 million a year to house these offenders, money that could be used elsewhere, for education perhaps.

On Nov. 6 Californians can right a wrong they made in 1994 and vote yes on Proposition 36.

Proposition 35 counters modern day slavery TIFFANY HERRERA Staff Writer

It is vital that when you head to the polls on Tuesday, you mark yes on Proposition 35. Human trafficking is a modern day slavery that largely targets minors and minorities. People are captured and forced into labor or prostitution.

According to the Office for Victims of Crime’s website, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: “[There] are as many as 27 million men, women and children in forced labor, bonded labor, and forced prostitution around the world.”

If Proposition 35 is passed, according to the summary prepared by the attorney general of California, six parts will be put into effect.

The first part is an increase in criminal penalties for human trafficking. That includes prison sentences from 15 years to life in prison and fines up to $1.5 million.

According to the analysis of the proposal, the current law states that the penalty for labor trafficking is five years. If the proposition is passed, the penalty will be raised to 12 years.

Current law for sex trafficking of an adult by force is also five years and would be increased to 20 years.

Current law for sex trafficking of a minor without force is not defined as human trafficking but the proposition would redefine it as human trafficking and the penalty would be 12 years. Sex trafficking of a minor by force is currently eight years but would be increased to a life sentence.

Sentence enhancement under current law states six years for

Freeing prisoners could be recipe for disaster

great bodily injury but none for prior human trafficking offenses.

If the proposition is passed the penalty for great bodily injury will be increased to 10 years and five years for every prior conviction.

The fine of $1.5 million is for all human trafficking offenses, which will be an increase from $100,000 in fines for only sex trafficking of a minor.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, an estimated $9.5 billion is generated through all trafficking activities on an annual basis.

The second part in the summary says that the fines collected will be used for services provided to the victims and towards law enforcement.

The analysis says that 70 percent of the funds would be given to public and nonprofit groups that provide direct services to the human trafficking victims. The remaining 30 percent would go to law enforcement and prosecution agencies to be used for prevention, witness protection, and rescue operations for human trafficking cases.

The last points of the summary are people convicted of trafficking will register as a sex offender, registered sex offenders will have to disclose information of their Internet access and their online activities, and mandatory training for police officers on human trafficking.

Human trafficking is a serious offense and current law is not tough enough. Human traffickers prey on the weak and young. If rapists, child molesters, and other sex crimes are being cracked down on, so should human traffickers who make money off of others pain and abuse.

In 1994 California voters passed Proposition 184, also known as the “Three Strikes” law and saw an overwhelming positive effect. The modifications to this law proposed in Proposition 36 on the November ballot would effectively change the law for the worse. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

According to californiachoices.org, “Proposition 36 would reduce some prison sentences served under the three strikes law by mandating resentencing for non-violent felonies.”

Doing so will release inmates that would otherwise be in jail back onto the streets where they will once gain commit crimes that will put them through the justice system.

The facts speak for themselves. In 1994 the Three Strikes law cut crime in half and moved California from the fourth highest crime rate in the nation to 29th, according to threestrikes.org A yes vote for Proposition 36 will allow criminals to be on the streets and only be locked up after committing a third serious or violent crime. The current law requires the offender to have been convicted of two violent or serious felonies and at least another felony.

“By changing the third strike require-

ment to also be serious or violent it not only provides the opportunity for a repeat offender to impact yet more victims, it also stops far fewer serious and violent criminals far later in their career,” says savethreestrikes.com.

There is already a system in place to prevent life sentences for those who don’t deserve to be locked up and have the key thrown away.

“Keep in mind, every ‘Three Strikes’ case is closely reviewed by prosecutors who must prove the prior convictions in court. In the event that the defendant is found guilty of the current felony offense, the judge can, and does, review the merits of the case to decide whether or not to apply the full ‘25 to Life’, or reduce the case to a second strike. On average, only one out of every nine eligible third strikers gets a ‘25 to Life’ sentence,” according to threestrikes.org California should not sacrifice public safety to save a little money by releasing criminals. The “Three Strikes” law is not an ancient Code of Hammurabi system better known as the “eye for an eye” rule.

Focus needs to be put on crime prevention, not a “get out of jail free” card for violent offenders.

Proposition 36 needs to be voted down to keep repeat offenders where they belong.

SCENE

November 1, 2012

Courier Max Perez / Courier A crowd of students in costume ghoul it up on the stairs of the C Building on Oct. 31.

Cicely Chisholm / Courier Ray Martin Herrera, pre-pharmacy, and Wilma Ko, animal science, came to campus in Street Fighter garb for Halloween.

haunts and heroes Campus community dons its creative costumes

Marlene Garcia, child development, dons a Minnie Mouse costume while leading children from the Child Development Center around campus for a Halloween event.

Joseph Garcia, theater arts, is Robin to a pintsized caped crusader outside the Wifi Lounge.

Cicely Chisholm / Courier

Cicely Chisholm / Courier

Max Perez / Courier Jeff Wong, criminal justice, is seen in his Hello Kitty costume in the Quad.

Cicely Chisholm / Courier Students in a philosophy class come together in their costumes, which included Marilyn Monroe, zombie Mitt Romney, and Sigmund Freud in the C Building.

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November 1, 2012

Features

Courier

5

Alumna triumphs despite turbulent past Trustee RAYMOND BERNAL Staff Writer

She was spat at, slapped and called a “dirty jap” by a little old lady from Pasadena on Colorado Boulevard and a group called “Ban the Japs” protested against her. But she endured it.

On Sept. 12, 1944, 19-year-old Esther Takei was allowed to enroll at PCC, then called Pasadena Junior College, as a “test case” to gauge the acceptance of people of Japanese heritage on campus during World War II. Takei was personally glad to be away from the barbed wires at the Japanese internment camp in Amache, CO., and hoped to focus on a journalism major at PJC according to the biography “About Esther Takei Nishio” by Associate Professor of Asian American Studies Susie Ling.

Takei is American born with Japanese ancestry. During World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt signed executive order 9066 requiring the mandatory relocation of all citizens with Japanese ancestry to internment camps.

Takei and her parents were ordered to leave their home and business in Venice Beach. They were first held in a staging area at the Santa Anita racetrack.

There they would bathe and sleep in the stalls that were usually reserved for horses.

The first days for Takei at PJC were relatively calm, though she did have to be fingerprinted and a mug shot taken of her at the Pasadena Police Department on her first day.

“But the next day all hell broke loose,” said Takei in an on-camera interview for the documentary “Dreams Finally Realized.”

After the campus newspaper

published an article about Takei’s enrollment, other newspapers in the area picked-up the story and the demonstrations began.

Organizations such as the American Legion, Daughters of the American Revolution and a newly formed committee called “Ban the Japs” all met with the PJC Board of Education and demanded Takei’s removal and for her to be returned behind barbed wires.

“She wasn’t a criminal, she wasn’t a spy and it was an insult to call her a test case,” said Ling, “But she was a test case and because she endured and by proving she was normal, she was going to school and not causing the end of the world, other Japanese-Americans were able to return to their homes.”

Speaking fondly of Takei, Associate Professor Dorothy Potter said, “Esther is a very dignified and graceful woman," she said. “I think how brave she must’ve been at such a young age to be the test case for Japanese-American students to return to the West Coast at a time when most [JapaneseAmericans] were incarcerated at internment camps.”

“I don’t think anyone else should have to endure what the Japanese had to endure,” said Takei.

Takei endured the best she could, but after the war -- to help out her parents -- Takei left PJC and eventually retired after a career as an executive secretary with a carrier airline. Takei got married, raised a family and still lives in Pasadena.

In 2010 PCC gave her an honorary degree. “I was there and it made me cry to see the entire graduating class give her a standing ovation,” recalled Ling.

named Business Woman of the Year CHRISTINE MICHAELS Staff Writer

Photograph courtesy of Susie Ling.

Esther Takei Nishio at PCC commencement ceremony in June 2010.

Students express themselves through hairstyles LUIS RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer

“Wait! Stop! How do you do that?”

A normal walk to class is out of the question for Chloe Akana, social sciences, when people charge up to her and want to know how to mimic her bright purple and turquoise hair.

Akana beamed with excitement while talking about her vibrantly colored hair which she has been constantly changing since the sixth grade.

“It does take a lot of time and it’s difficult to maintain but I think

it’s worth it. I love it,” said Akana.

Her hair appears relatively normal in comparison to the outlandish hairdos sported by celebrities like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry who use wigs.

“People ask me all the time if it’s my real hair or a wig and even try to touch it,” said Akana exasperatedly.

A quick look around campus is enough to verify that students use hair as a medium to express themselves.

Another student, Jesse Gonzalez, undecided, wears a pompadour à la Elvis Presley.

“My older brother introduced

Antonio Gandara / Courier Chloe Akana, social sciences, has been dying her hair since the sixth grade. Akana flaunts her turquoise and purple hair in the Piazza.

Antonio Gandara / Courier Jesse Gonzalez, undecided, goes retro while sporting his pompadour hairstyle.

me to the style when I was 10 and I just stayed with it,” said Gonzales. “It takes less than 10 minutes.”

He was quick to point out that the pompadour is not the same style popularized by Paul “DJ Pauly D” Delvecchio of “Jersey Shore” fame who ritually maintains a “blowout.”

The effects of different hairstyles on teaching in the classroom seem to be minimal.

“It doesn’t bother me. I’m glad that people have the liberty to do what they want,” said Michelle Pedrini, languages instructor, who has a student with bright purple hair.

“My dance teacher referred to it the other day and it was embar-

rassing but no one has ever said ‘Get out of here, it’s distracting,’” said Akana.

A small but real drawback to consider is the chance that a prospective employer may not favor a carefree look.

“I don’t have any tattoos, I just do crazy hair stuff, said Akana.

“Even in the work I want to do, [makeup], I tried to get a job for a company called “Bare Essentials” and they do like more natural makeup and they advised me to dye my hair to a more natural color because ‘purple was too crazy.’”

Experimenting with the possibilities hair offers can be a fun non-permanent way to recharge a look or stand out in a crowd.

Board of Trustee member Berlinda Brown was named Business Magazine’s ‘Business Woman of 2012,’ and her dedication to the business of education has proven her deserving of that title.

With a mile-long list of awards dedicated to assisting the communities she has touched, Brown feels privileged and appreciates being able to give back to her communities. “[Currently] being elected as a Board member and given the awesome opportunity to serve and represent our students,” is what Brown finds the most rewarding of her experience as a community leader.

But her dedication to both her community and education came from a life of hard work and transformational moments.

Born and raised in Costa Rica, after attending high school and working, Brown migrated to the United States with the hopes of a more promising life.

“I came to America in pursuit of a better future. A place where I would have the opportunity to work, go to school and improve the quality of life for me and my family,” she said.

One of Brown’s first jobs was working in a convalescent hospital getting paid a mere $1.67 an hour back in the 1970s.

But she was still thankful for the eye-opening experience she gained from the low wage job she had. “[Working there] made me stronger and more determined to further my career. It made me realize that educated individuals had better jobs and finer things in life. That was my desire, and it kept me focused,” she said.

Brown received her bachelor’s of science from CSU Dominguez Hills, after graduating from a community college and qualifying to be a radiology technician.

Brown, a PCC alumna, received her masters in public administration from CSU Los Angeles. She believes her experience in California’s public education system gave her a chance to get to where she is today.

As a Board member, Brown sees it as a challenge she accepted to push students towards success.

“I accepted to share my story to encourage struggling and underserved students in my district [that] they can make it,” she said.

So far, Brown believes she has succeeded.

“I am proud to be part of PCC. I appreciate the dedication and love of faculty and staffs that work so hard to ensure our students succeed.”

For up to the minute news and sports visit pccCourier.com

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Features

Courier

November 1, 2012

Campus after hours entirely different world LUIS RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer

Students with insomnia, or even the inconspicuous vampire, may find that night classes offered at PCC are a refreshing change from the grind of a high school schedule that started too early.

From the freshman with a tough priority registration date to a full time employee balancing a hectic schedule, students who take night classes usually have a reason for doing so.

“I work full time during the day, so it’s my only option,” said Cindy Nguyen, child development. “I like it because it’s less crowded, but it also sucks at night during winter when you get out at like 10 p.m. and it’s freezing.”

The campus’ most noticeable difference at night is probably the absence of large crowds and

noise.

“It’s more relaxing to me but it gets pretty lonely at night,” said Chad Chanachok, graphic communication.

A real concern is the occasional unwanted visitor that pops up in classrooms at night.

“The night classes do have their downsides, too,” said Erika Ruvell, graphic communication instructor. “Since PCC is an open campus, sometimes we tend to get people wandering in here.

We’ve had a lot issues with people who don’t belong coming onto campus. They’re either on drugs or they’re mentally unstable and stuff like that happens. I find that has happened only in the night classes.”

Full-time students who also work full time seem to not mind keeping busy.

“I don’t know how I’m taking three classes. I think it’s a lot,” said Nguyen. “I have no life on

weekends but it’s OK. I’m so drained sometimes, but I don’t miss class because I can’t.”

Even professors remark on the drive students have at night.

“Actually it’s kind of a totally different group of students that comes to night classes,” said Ruvell. “Like people who work all day and have to take night classes instead. But they have a really amazing work ethic and I find that they really push themselves for the most part.”

Two freshmen admitted they were taking a night class because of limited class options “Since I’m a morning person I just like to get it over with,” said Kristina Babakhanyen, undecided, in the shadow of the R Building.

“I was kind of disappointed I couldn’t take more classes during the day,” said Alla Aroustamian, undecided.

Even students with excellent

Zombies spread terror in ‘run for your life’ event Continued from page 1

Jovel.

“Zombies” in the event were eagerly awaiting their chance to maul “survivors” while the “survivors” tried vigorously to avoid them, knocking over obstacles and sliding across the field in the process.

“I have a craving for flesh,” said Chris Jones who participated as a zombie.

Even though the run was open to everyone, the clubs in coordination with it participated in a competition as “survivors.”

Some of the clubs participating were TROPA, PUENTE, Alpha Gamma Sigma (AGS), and Circle K, with TROPA being

the victor in the end.

“People were very intense and our committee did the best they could to regulate. All the clubs did a good job,” said Becerra.

The “Zombies” were not left out of the competition though in the end the “zombie” with the most “kills” was awarded a prize, which was kept a surprise until the end. Antonio Medina was the “zombie” with the most “kills,” with a total of 23 flags. He was awarded a Nexus 7.

“I had no idea I was going to get a prize. I just thought that it was something fun to do,” said Medina.

Teresa Mendoza / Courier Raquel White and Tanisha Bell check their text messages during a break outside the bookstore on Oct. 24.

registration dates sacrifice their evenings because they work better at late hours.

“I don’t like the hot weather and I’m not a morning person,” said Brenda Barrios, fashion. “I

like night.”

With registration coming up soon, students should consider whether taking evening classes is a real option.

Trustee receives award from the NAACP Continued from page 1

said Mann.

Social justice also played a role in Mann running for the Board of Trustees.

“One reason I ran for the Board of Trustees at PCC was because I wanted to work with the Board to make sure the students at PCC [in particular] first generation students, students of color, and low income students would have access to the same high quality academic programs as students of the top quality institutions,” said Mann.

As for Mann’s work in the community, she has been active promoting affirmative action and preventing youth violence. “[I have] been very active in the Pasadena

Community Board Task force for affirmative action and a task force for preventing youth violence,” she said.

She also works with the All Saints Church to help improve living for foster and homeless kids.

“Through the All Saints Church I’ve been involved in a ministry called the Foster Care Project and we’ve worked very hard to improve the quality of life for foster and homeless kids and a high percentage of them are of color,” Mann.

PCC President Mark Rocha commented on Mann’s award, congratulating her on her recognition from the NAACP. “Dr. Mann served as affirmative action officer for much her career. I congratulated her on this richly deserved recognition for her career of fighting for equal opportunity and access for all to quality higher education,” said Rocha.

November 1, 2012

Courier

7

Many changes on tap under new state law Continued from page 1

point average, declare a plan towards achieving a degree, certification or transferring to a university, and must have a progress rate of 50 percent of the courses in their educational plan, Skinner said.

Any student on academic probation for two consecutive terms will lose eligibility for a fee waiver.

“The goal of implementing these academic thresholds is not to exclude students from our system or to penalize them,” said Skinner. “The goal is to incentivize students to engage in behaviors that will help them succeed.”

Registration priority will also be changed. Priority will no longer be given to those who have attended a community college the longest. Those with 100 units completed will now have lower priority.

“We are trying to target are those students who are continuing to take units without a clear path,” said Skinner. “These are students who have been taking up space in classes who at the end of the day are denying access to other students who are trying to take those classes and graduate and move on.”

There will be exceptions to the rule however. Students who

have already graduated and are returning to college for job training will be exempt from the registration priority rule.

Colleges will also now have to publish on the web a student success scorecard that reports annual graduation, transfer and certification rates to the public.

According to the SSA, extra funding will be allocated to colleges to use toward counseling, advising and other educational planning services, to help colleges boost their performances in these areas.

The task force adopted recommendations in eight different areas that it felt were key to improving success rates in community colleges. The Student Success Act deals with three of those areas, according to Michalowski.

The first is strengthening support for new students to get and stay on track with an educational plan; the second is giving students incentive to do what will help them be successful; and the third is rearranging funding to provide more resources to help students reach their educational goals.

“This is a huge shift for our system,” said Michalowski, “but it will help students to understand that our resources are not unlimited anymore.”

Former school officials still under investigation Continued from page 1

well as a timetable for its completion have not been disclosed, details of the bribery scandal itself were made known in lawsuits filed against the two men and the college by the company that was allegedly solicited for bribes.

The initial lawsuit filed by Robert Das and Saila Smith claim that their company, LED Global, would be awarded a contract for lighting on campus worth over $5 million if they agreed to numerous requests.

In the lawsuit, van Pelt and Hutching allegedly requested an expensive trip to Mumbai for a factory site visit.

“During the course of making arrangements for the factory site visit to Mumbai, Hutchings and van Pelt began to make unusual and expensive requests,” the court document says.

The alleged requests included an excursion to the Taj Mahal, business class travel, accommodation at the Four Seasons, limousines, cigars, and the request of prostitutes, which LED Global denies providing.

On top of the hedonistic requests, van Pelt and Hutchings allegedly sought $250,000 in commission for the contract made with PCC and, after introducing LED Global to other community colleges, “to be personally paid by [LED Global] a 5 percent commission on the value of any contract entered into between LED Global and any other college in the State of California,” the cross-complaint says.

Van Pelt and Hutchings then filed a cross-complaint against LED Global for slander in which they claim “[LED Global] conspired and agreed among themselves that if they did not receive the substantial lighting contract with Pasadena City College, they would instead accuse [van Pelt and Hutchings] of alleged wrongdoing and would seek substantial damages against [van Pelt and Hutchings] to compensation for the lost contract money.”

More, recently LED Global has now sued the PCC school district, the Board of Trustees and other defendants for negligence and breach of contract.

Lancer goalie Shelby Gregg misses the ball before it hits the net at the Aquatic Center on Oct. 26.

The Lancers fought hard and won 8-6.

Triana Melendez/ Courier

Womens water polo pulls out win LUIS RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer

The women’s water polo team walked away with a win on Friday at the Aquatic Center, beating Santa Monica College 86 and lost to Los Angeles Valley College 10-3 as part of the 10th Pasadena Mini Tournament on Friday.

“What happened at the LA Valley game is that they scored on us really quick in the first quarter,” said Paloma Barrera, center forward.

The Lancer concentrated their efforts on defense and ended the barrage of goals from LA Valley and scored on them.

The Lancers kept their heads up and found success against the

Santa Monica Corsairs in a back and forth game.

Prospects were grim at the end of the first quarter with Santa Monica leading 2-0 but through the combined efforts of Barrera and Marisa Rack, utility, the end of the third quarter saw a turnaround with Lancers leading 6-5 with each player netting three goals respectively.

An important goal came from Makenzie Blank, utility, in the fourth quarter which put PCC ahead.

She shot the goal from the center of the pool in a flash. Her family went crazy in the stands.

The win was solidified when in the last minute Naoni Padilla, driver, put in the last goal with an assist from Giselle Mendieta,

forward.

“We had trouble getting organized earlier on in the season…but now we’re starting to see people emerge as scorers,” said Coach Terry Stoddard speaking highly of his team.

Goalie Shelby Gregg played an impressive game as well with a total of 11 saves.

“We knew we were going up against a good team,” said Barrera remarking on Santa Monica’s earlier win of 16-3 against Miramar College.

When the Lancers emerged from the water after the buzzer Stoddard spoke to the now refocused and confident team. Many walked away with flowers in hand.

COUR IER

November 1, 2012

SPORTS

Cross country places at SCC finals

Women’s soccer ties Long Beach

TERESA MENDOZA Staff Writer

Sophomore Diane Lombardi placed ninth at the 2012 South Coast Conference women’s cross country championships on Thursday at Griffith Park’s Crystal Springs five-kilometer course, giving the Lancers a SCC win for the fourth consecutive season.

The women’s team finished fourth with a time of 1:51:02.66 qualifying automatically for the Southern California Championships. “[For the championships] our goal as a team is to finish in the top ten,” said Lombardi.

One of the men runners, Alfredo Folgar, who usually races in the top three, suffered a hip injury by stepping in a pothole. He finished in 77th place.

“The team is depending on you to score points, so even if you are hurt you go to fight on,” said Folgar.

The women’s team is not at full strength since a couple of runners were ill and had not run for a week, but the team remains confident.

“We get to go to SoCal, we get another day to fight,” said Cross Country Head Coach Armand Crespo.

The path of the course included long straight sections of dirt and some loose sand making things difficult for the runners. “[The course was] very straight, there weren’t many turns. I felt like it played mind-games with me because [I] could see the finish line from like 800 meters away,” said Lombardi.

“I think the goal [for championships] is changed now that we won’t have a couple of women runners. So we will be relying on some of our freshmen

BENJAMIN SIMPSON Staff Writer

Alexis Villanueva / Courier Lancer Brian Sacripanti, pushes through to the finish line to try and get in front of the pack at the SCC championships in Griffith Park on Thursday.

runners that stepped up today, [Melissa] Hadloc and [Kailadnni] Chavez,” said Crespo.

The rest of the women’s team came in the following order: freshman Christina Shamirian, 20th with a time of 21:42.93, sophomores Arielle Barragan-Steimer in 26th at 22:05.19, and Melissa Hadloc in 35th at 22:50.40.

Freshmen Kailadnni Chavez 41st, 23:25.83, Linda Flores-Barillas 46th, 23:51.22 and Tanya Hossain 47th, 23:51.67.

The men’s team placed 6th in the four-mile run. Francis Lee came in at 18th place with a time of 20:43. Second for the men’s team was Juan De La Rosa who came in 38th at 21:24.

“The guys ran well today. This is one

of their better races, overall I think they stepped up,” said Crespo. “Brian Sacripanti our sophomore made top seven for us and helped us get up to 6th place because we were only 4 points away from 7th and that would have been a death sentence for us.”

“The ultimate goal is have the team make the state meet…not to focus about individuals, just want to put my heart out for the team,” said Lee. For the runners having the team at the championships motivates them to keep going forward. “We suffer as a team and we win as a team.”

Next, the Lancers will try to keep their place in the Southern California Championships on Saturday at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa.

Men’s soccer team holds East LA in 2-0 win Lancers get first shut-out of the season, after a dominating win over ELAC, 2-0 BENJAMIN SIMPSON Staff Writer

The men's soccer team's back line, Michael Alcaraz, Elio Anguiano, Christian Vasquez, and Yeyson Caballeros, held East Los Angeles College scoreless in a 2-0 home win for Pasadena on Tuesday.

"Fantastic! We had our first shut out," said Coach Edgar Manvelyan.

"Very proud, we played very, very good defense. We got two nice goals in the second half, we deserved the win.

I"m very proud of our boys."

But ELAC didn't give up without a fight, playing with four forwards for the last 20 minutes. With 15 minutes to play, they came within inches of scoring. The ball ricocheted around the Lancers 18-yard box, every foot trying to put it home or clear it away, but it fell to East Los Angeles Jimmy Espinal, who hammered it to the right corner.

It should have gone straight into

Alexis Villanueva / Courier Lancer Irving Rosales, runs towards the ball to stop it from going out of bounds.

goal, except for Vasquez standing at the far post, who headed it away.

"Our coach told us there had to be one at the first post and one at the second post," said Vasquez. "I was the one at the second post and not to move until the ball is out of there. So I stayed there, dived in, thought it was going in and got it away."

There was no scoring in the first half,

but there was definitely something going on with the Lancers. They looked more confident, more composed.

This came from the backline.

Rather than just kicking the ball forward, the defense, led by team captain Caballeros, controlled the ball and passed it forward, which gave the midfield and forwards better chances to move forward themselves.

But it was not just the defense that won the game; the two goals came from simple plays executed well.

The first was a free kick from the corner of the 18-yard box by Zachary Larson, headed in by Luis Flores at the near post.

"I stepped ahead of the defenders," said Flores, "and the keeper was at the far post, and I just put a head on it.

Luckily it went in for me, it was a perfect cross."

The second was from a cross by Irving Rosales to Brandon Flores waiting in front of goal.

"It was a cross from Irving [Rosales] and I just got to the ball and dropped it in," said Flores. "It was an exciting game, we picked it up in the second half, we did what we needed to do. We had to get a win."

The women’s soccer team had more than twice as many shots at goals than the Long Beach Vikings, but despite this, they were able only to tie 1-1 at home on Friday.

The game finished with Pasadena attacking the Viking goal over and over again. But it was just a few moments before the final whistle that summed up the game for the Lancers.

The ball bounced around the Long Beach goal line, the score tied, and out of the melee came a hard shot on goal, but it was blocked, off to the side. Instantly, almost every Lancer threw up her hands calling for handball. The referee made no call, the linesman made no call. Pasadena players called on the referee, wondering, with emotion, why no call was made.

But the play was done, no call made. Without instant replay, we will never know what really happened.

Coach Randy Lilavois discussed the disputed call after the game. “It’s hard to tell, games move so fast, whether that ball hit her hand or not,” he said. “I just think we did a great job to create those chances. That’s soccer for you, sometimes they bounce in for you, sometimes they don’t.”

The scoring was opened by Long Beach, with Rocio Hernandez knocking in a ball that was just moments earlier knocked away by goalkeeper Tatiana Sanchez. It was unlucky for Pasadena, as it went against the run of play.

The Lancers were doing a great job of controlling the ball, keeping the ball in the Vikings half. Part of the reason this was possible was the defense of Pasadena, who were able to shut the offense of Long Beach down. It was a game that felt like the Lancers should win, but they could just not get the ball into the back of the net.

In the last ten minutes Coach Lilavois sent defender Hallie White forward. White is a defender, but takes long throw-ins and pushes the ball into the box, but this time she was in there fighting for the winning goal.

White joked about this after the game. “I think it’s because we were desperate,” she said with a smile. “No, really, to change it up a little bit, to see if we could get something else working.”

Pasadena’s goal was scored just after the start of the second half, as Vanessa Capra controlled the ball just yards from the Vikings goal, dragging the players to her. Capra was able to pass it to Nancy Nunez who put it in the corner. With that goal Nunez becomes the leading goal scorer this year with 12. Capra is in second place with 11.

As of Oct, 27, Pasadena (5-2-3) is still in third place, behind Cerritos (8-1-1) and Mt. SAC (6-1-3), with Long Beach (4-2-4) suddenly closer in fourth, with four games left to play.

Jordan Harris / Courier Hallie White, left, Amanda Papac, and Casandra Orozco stand to distract the penalty kicker.