ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM
September 5, 2013
The independent student voice of PCC. Serving Pasadena since 1915
PASADENA CITY COLLEGE
COURIER
VOLUME 108 ISSUE 2
WHAT’S INSIDE: IN THE MAILROOM
NAVIGATING WITH STICKERS Antonio Gandara/Courier The Quad is one of several spots where the new informative “campus compass” stickers are placed. The stickers inform new students the facilities location around campus.
PREREQUISITES
System glitch leads to major prerequisite predicament
Emily Chang-Chien Staff Writer
Take a look inside the workings of the college’s delivery system.
“AD” - ING IT UP!
A malfunction in the LancerPoint registration system allowed students to enroll in classes without taking prerequisite courses at the beginning of the fall semester, forcing hundreds of students to be dropped from classes they never should have been allowed to take, officials said.
Associate Dean of Counseling Cynthia Olivo said that a flaw in LancerPoint caused the widespread registration problem. “There were some glitches such that students were able to access registration to classes that they didn’t have the prerequisites for,” she said. Senior Vice President Robert Bell echoed Olivo’s statement. “Clearly, it was a system error
and should not have occurred,” Bell said. “It was an anomaly in the system, which is not unusual for any implementation of a new computer system—these kinds of things happen. It’s unfortunate obviously, and it’s not something we want to do because it makes it that much more cumbersome for students.” Olivo estimated that the prerequisite flaw has affected
SMOKING
CENTER
New advertisements on campus hope to bring in more students.
SPEAK OUT! Do you think the administration handled the prerequisite issue properly?
Vote at PccCourier.com
approximately 500 students. According to her, very few students have met with her in regards to the issue. Jessica Cavallarin, psychology, lost two classes because of the malfunction. “My issue is that LancerPoint let me add the classes and then dropped me from [them] a week later—a week after I paid for PREREQUISITES page 6
Center for the Arts opens new horizons at PCC
Campus to go smoke-free
Christine Michaels Editor-in-Chief
Paul Ochoa Staff Writer
Sliding glass doors open, revealing a pristine corridor lit through skylights three floors above that bustles with arts and music students moving to their next destination in the newly opened $33 million building. Welcome to the Center for the Arts. Spanning more than 83,000 square feet, 20 brand new classrooms hold the newest technology left for the hands of arts and music students to create and broaden
their understandings of the arts. Two rehearsal halls, which together seat over 120 students, await musicians to practice in. Students practicing their scales will break in 11 brand-new, hand-made Steinway baby grand pianos, costing more than $1.9 million all together, according to PCC Board of Trustees reports. The faculty and staff of the Visual Arts and Media Studies and Music and Performing Arts divisions are still settling into their new offices, equipped with continued on page 4
Daniel Valencia/ Courier
SATELLITE
Board approves new satellite campus Christine Michaels Editor-in-Chief
The Board of Trustees approved a new satellite college in Rosemead so that it can offer more classes to meet state requirements to receive funding at its Aug. 21 meeting. The new satellite facility, which costs
The Board of Trustees has approved a proposal by the Health and Safety Committee that will make the campus smoke free beginning on Jan. 1 of next year. According to Jo Buczko, coordinator of student health services and a Health and Safety Committee member, any student caught violating the new smoking policy will be fined and must pay the fine within 21 days. “If a student is caught smoking they can pay a $25 fine or enroll in and complete a smoking ces-
$325,000 per year to operate, will begin offering classes in October, according to the Board report. The large investment for the college, however, was not brought to light until Trustee Jeanette Mann pointed out that the item was buried deep in the 187-page SATELLITE page 7
Posters informing of the decision has been placed all over the school and here is one that has been torn down near the Shatford library. SMOKING page 7
2 COURIER
Police Blotter July 15
A woman reported her locker broken into and her purse taken out of a secured locker in the women’s locker room of the GM-building. Officers arrived on the scene to get a statement from the victim and take photographs. The estimated total loss of the property was $172. August 23
Staff reported a man following women at the Community Education Center. The subject was reportedly following women by the men’s first floor restroom and loading dock areas. Officers responding checked the areas, but were unable to locate the subject. August 24
Staff reported an unauthorized man swimming in the pool. Officers warned and escorted the man off campus. August 25
Staff called and reported a male subject inside the pool area collecting recyclables that were being saved for fundraising purposes. An area check was conducted with negative results. Compiled by Daron Grandberry
NEWS
September 5, 2013
School spends tens of thousands on tent Samantha Molina Staff Writer
The huge white tent erected in front of PCC for the Week of Welcome came with a hefty price tag: $47,000. The tent was rented for three weeks and used for Staff Development week, Welcome Day and the Week of Welcome hosted by Student Services and the Associated Students. The total cost of the tent and activities held inside was around $80,000 according to Robert Miller, Assistant Superintendent and Senior Vice President of Business and College Services. During Welcome Day and Welcome Week it served as a central station where students could go for help. Inside the tent they had access to student services including Counseling, Admissions, Financial Aid, the Health Center, the Learning Assistance Center and assistance using the new LancerPoint system. In addition to Student Services, the Associated Students handed out academic planners and promoted clubs and events. “Week of Welcome was a very fruitful event with lots of innovative and informational
John Novak/Courier The tent outside on the campus’s main lawn on Wednesday.
resources to help the students and answer their questions,” Jordyn Orozco of the Associated Students said. “We were able to help students understand what they need to do to complete financial aid, secure a seat in a class, understand the new LancerPoint system, ensure they were enrolled in a transferable class needed for their ed plan, discuss educational goals and the steps to achieve success and promote resources to students who would
have otherwise not known about them,” Cynthia Olivo, Associate Dean of Counseling, said. Miller said that due to its location near the mirror pool, large space, easy access to staff, and air conditioning, the tent attracted a large amount of students. “Anecdotally speaking, we had more students than previous years who were able to drop in for a dedicated conversation with a Student Services employee or an Associated Students officer in a casual, open access,
technologically connected, private environment,” Olivo said about Week of Welcome attendance. “We could have done more to promote the Week of Welcome better but student turnout was still good,” Orozco said. This was the first year that the tent has been used for Staff Development Week, Welcome Day and the Week of Welcome. “The tent brought a positive experience for both staff and students,” Miller said.
Associated Students left with vacant executive seats Philip McCormick Managing Editor
After a series of resignations, the Associated Students has found itself going into the fall semester with three vacant vice president positions and a newly appointed president. “I’m excited to start the year off on a progressive note,” said Jordyn Orozco, President of the Associated Students. “I’m
hoping to restore a collectivistic environment on campus.” Orozco took over as president shortly after John Fraser resigned to pursue other goals. Orozco said that Fraser left to become a Governance and Policy Senator for Region VII of the California Community Colleges. The AS lost the three vice presidents due to similar opportunities to move on to bigger things, such as university transfers or the pursuit of
employment elsewhere, said Vice President for Student Services Miranda Alvarado. “I was definitely shocked and saddened at the fact that we’d be losing such great VPs,” Alvarado said. “Yet I also knew that these VPs had better things in store for them and needed to move on.” The seats for VP for Internal Affairs, VP for Sustainability and Chief Justice of the Supreme Council won’t be vacant long
though, Orozco said. “By September 13, we will have someone for each position,” he said. Despite the vacancies, things have been running pretty smoothly for the AS, Alvarado said. “I think we’re doing great,” Alvarado said. “[Student Trustee] Simon Fraser has done an amazing job with Club Week, and I have full faith in the board’s capabilities to run with a
few vacant seats.” Fraser has been taking on some of what would have been the VP for Internal Affairs’ responsibilities in overseeing the various clubs on campus. “We have come together to support each other and help each other out when we need to,” Orozco said. “Everyone is working cohesively and they are an amazing group of people.”
Student Trustee Prepares to Take on Statewide Responsibilities Justin Clay Staff Writer
PCC student trustee and former Associated Students President Simon Fraser has been elected as the student trustee of the California Community College Trustee Board. Fraser learned of his election to the CCCT Board during the Community College League of California’s conference in August. Fraser was grateful to receive the news of his election. “I’m thankful for the student trustees of California, who put their trust in me to represent them and their interests. Not only their interests, but the interests of the students in every one of our 72 districts,” Fraser said. The CCCT is an organization that works within the Community College League of California, a nonprofit public benefit corporation whose membership consists of the 72 local commu-
Daniel Nerio / file photo Student Trustee Simon Fraser.
nity college districts in the state. The CCCT Board is composed of 21 members and a student trustee who meet approximately six times a year.
The CCCT student trustee is elected during an annual student trustee orientation workshop held by the CCLC. PCC trustee Linda Wah is also
on the CCCT Board. Many members of the PCC community are excited about Fraser’s election to the CCCT Board. “It’s definitely an improvement to our state trustee board, and I’m really hopeful that he’ll move our state into a direction that helps and benefits students most importantly,” said Jordan Orozco, current AS President. “It gives us an opportunity to help students across the state of California to improve their education and academic success.” Members of PCC’s Board of Trustees are also very pleased to hear of Fraser’s election to the CCCT Board. “Simon is a passionate advocate for students at PCC and across the state,” said Geoffrey Baum, PCC trustee and Vice President of the California Community Colleges Board of Governors. “We are fortunate to have him join trustee Linda Wah on the CCCT board and advance
PCC’s tradition of leadership among community colleges statewide.” Fraser is optimistic about his new duties and is ready to push the student agenda on a statewide level. He feels that his experience at PCC has prepared him for his new responsibilities. “This is where I’ve had a lot of that experience, and so I will go in there with knowledge of what districts deal with on a daily as well as on a long strategic basis,” he said. As excited and humbling as this experience may be, Fraser understands that there is still a lot of hard work ahead of him. “I never feel like it’s enough and so I keep going. And as quickly as people can appreciate the work that I do, if I slack off, it’s very easy for that appreciation to go away, and I want to do a good job for people and make sure that I am doing the right thing.”
OPINION
September 5, 2013
Courier
2012 JACC General Excellence Award-Winner Editor-in-Chief Christine Michaels Managing Editor Philip McCormick Online Editor Madison Miranda Social Media Editor Concepcion Gonzalez Asst. News Editor Tiffany Roesler Opinion Editor Raymond Bernal Asst. Opinion Editor Aubrey Quezada Features Editor Emily Chang-Chien Lifestyle Editor Luis Rodriguez Arts & Entertainment Editor Paul Ochoa Sports Editor Andrew Salmi Photo Editor Antonio Gandara Online Photo Editor John Novak Scene Editor Matthew Chan Chief Photographer Benjamin Simpson Staff Writers: Bryan Acosta, Justin Clay, Daron Grandberry, Tiffany Herrera, Talia Karaalp, Samantha Molina, Benjamin Simpson
COURIER 3
Can America afford Obama Phones? Talia Karaalp Staff Writer LifeLine is a service that has been around for many years, but has only just started making headlines, with President YES Barack Obama’s reform to this program that was first established under former President Ronald Reagan. Reagan first introduced this program to help low-income families with their house phone bills, cutting the bills down to more affordable prices. As the times went on, and technology became more of a basic need, it became clear that just helping out with landlines wasn’t enough. Obama hit the nail on the head when he said at a middle school address, “We can’t be stuck in the 19th century when we’re living in a 21st century economy.” He decided to take LifeLine one step further by providing free basic cell phones to qualifying low-income individuals. This is an advantage in today’s society because with the job market being what it is, it looks highly unprofessional to not have any phone number to list or to be only checking e-mail sporadically. Brent A. Wilkes, executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, agrees saying in an interview with NBC Latino that the new LifeLine
program “could bolster employment rates along those (Latino) communities.” This could be a huge advantage to the economy since there will be more citizens creating revenue, boosting our economy as opposed to dragging it down. Not only does it provide opportunities for jobs, it also comes in handy with emergencies and other situations in which a phone will be necessary to save your life or another’s. The program won’t cost as much as people think it will. The estimates have been placed between $2 to $6 billion, when in reality, it will only cost taxpayers a grand total of $1.2 billion. This does not require any taxes to be raised. The plan is to merely take the money from the Medicaid and food stamp programs, as these are two of the many requirements you have to have in order to qualify for the “Obama phone.” If your grandmother fell down and you needed to call an ambulance but couldn’t because you don’t have a phone, where would that leave you and your family? The LifeLine program can be something that will help Americans as a whole if people would be more willing to accept it as such instead of trying to fight it. All it takes is for Americans to see the bigger picture of how this program will help.
Bryan Acosta Staff Writer Free phones are costing the government billions and coming out of the average Joe’s pocket. The California NO Lifeline program, also known as “Obama Phones,” is a program that gives away free mobile phones to low-income residents. According to Progresstexas.org, in order to be eligible for the program applicants must make under $11,170 per individual, $23,050 for a family of four. Applicants can also be enrolled in programs such as Medicaid, Supplemented Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The purpose of the “Obama Phone” is to give low-income families access to emergency services, jobs, healthcare and social services. However, according to Congressman Tim Griffin’s (R-AR) article on griffon.house.gov, this is not the case and the Lifeline program has been plagued by waste, fraud and abuse for years. “The evidence is stacking up,” said Griffin. “Dead people are receiving free cell phones in the mail, eligible and ineligible individuals are obtaining more than one, and electronic kiosks have been
Cartoon art by Aimee Scholz
Staff Photographers: Bianca Kruspodin, Rene Henriquez, Theresa Mendoza, Mary Nurrenbern, Anthony Ricardo Reyes, Rene Rojas, Meg Symanow, Caitlin Thompson, Daniel Valencia Faculty Adviser Nathan McIntire Photography 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 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 Email: pccCourier@yahoo.com The first copy of the Courier is free. Additional copies are $1 each. © Copyright 2013 Courier. All rights Reserved.
VOICES:
stationed in convenience stores to spread the word about this “free” opportunity.” According to progresstexas.org, “Poverty has increased substantially, from 12.5 percent in 2007 to 15.1 percent in 2010, resulting in more households qualifying for the program.” Even though the purpose of the program was to get families out of these types of situations, it seems the hole is only being dug deeper. Also in that time the program has grown to cost the government $2.2 billion as last recorded in 2012 by the Federal Communications Commission. The trick to the “Obama Phones” is that the government is not actually taxing the American people directly. Instead, the program is funded by the Universal Service Fund (USF), which receives its resources from a fee that most telephone users unknowingly pay. The billions of dollars that get put into an obviously wasteful program could be much more beneficial to the American people if used towards educational programs, as stated on mccaskill. senate.gov by U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO). A better program, like the ConnectED initiative, is trying to use existing funds to connect 99 percent of students in the U.S. to internet and educational technology in classrooms. “The ConnectED initiative has incredible potential to improve the lives of young folks around the country-especially students in lower-income and rural areas,” said McCaskill. “It’s common sense that we concentrate existing money on the program with promise, and eliminate the one that’s proved to be obsolete and a target for fraud and abuse.” The logical thing to do now would be to shut down the program for good and hang up on “Obama Phones.”
How do you think the college is handling the prerequisite glitch?
“I’ve been going to class“I think it’s just another es and letting the students thing that adds onto the know … It’s a good way to administration’s gap in operate to let them know knowledge and lack of there is an issue.” caring for the students.” Joseph Futtner, Visual Felicite Shulkin, business Arts and Media Studies administration Dean
“[The administration] should have definitely notified students about the problem.” David Zepeda, Associated Students Vice President
ONLINE POLL RESULTS Online, we asked: What do you think of the new Courier look? Results as of 5 p.m. Wednesday: Yes! It’s hip and modernized: 51% It’s all right; it could be better: 24% No, the old look was more traditional: 16% There’s a new look? I never noticed: 8%
Vote at PccCourier.com
“There’s going to be glitches, but if the college knew about it in advance, they should have notified students.” Morrigan Bratcher, accounting
“We recognize the college is going through a welcome technological transition. There’s bound to be glitches.” Simon Fraser, Student Trustee
Reporting by: Christine Michaels, Photos by: Anthony Ricardo Reyes
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 raymondjbernal@ gmail.com Corrections The Courier staff endeavors to ensure accuracy in all aspects of its reporting. If you believe we have made an error, please contact us at (626) 585-7130 or via email to michaels.courier@gmail.com
SCENE
4 COURIER
September 5, 2013
Center for the
COURIER
Continued from page 1 fresh paint and 3-D printers.
Arts building
Matthew Chan / Courier The Pasadena City College Center for the Arts building officially opened on the first day of fall classes, August 26, housing the schools music and art classes.
Benjamin Simpson/ Courier
Benjamin Simpson/Courier Benny Upchurch and Pamela Klein relax on the third floor of the new building with the U Building, library and San Gabriel Mountains in the distance, on August 27, 2013.
Light fills the corridors in the new Center for the Arts building at PCC on August 27, 2013. The building officially opened on the first day of fall classes, August 26, and will house music and art classes.
And that’s just on the first floor. All together, a lecture hall seating 122 students, a jewelry lab, electric piano lab, photography lab, three custom-designed computer labs, over 1,200 square feet of sound-proof practice rooms, drawing and photography studios, and a 900-square-feet rotating music library are now at the fingertips of Pasadena City College students starting this fall. It’s been a project of epic proportions in the making, taking well over three years to complete, but costing over $20 million less than planned, according to Robert Miller, senior vice president of business and college services. The project hit a major obstacle when the original construction company, Edge Development, went bankrupt in 2012. Miller explained the bankruptcy was problematic, but was also a blessing in disguise. Through the college’s construction insurance, a new company, Kemp Brothers, came on board for the completion of the Center. According to Miller, the original cost of the building dropped from more than $58 million to a little more than $32 million. Another upside was the building would be somewhat back on track to open for the fall 2013 semester.
Caitlin KellyThompson / Courier The photo stockroom is now inside the new building.
“We got Kemp Brothers, [who] promised to have the building ready on time for the fall term,” he said. “Even though it’s been a great deal of effort in the last few months, the Center will be student ready.” And it is, for the most part. Despite the hard deadline of the first day of school to complete the main building, the college kept its promise of opening the classrooms in the new Center on time. According to Director of Facilities Rueben Smith, because the college had to switch construction companies, some exterior properties of the Center are still being built. Two major parts of the Center are still under construction: the Black Box Theater, which will seat over 90 people upon completion, and the main recital hall, which will seat 220 people upon completion, according to Director of Facilities Rueben Smith.
Caitlin KellyThompson / Courier The George and Ruri Sugimoto Family Metals/Jewelry Studio located on the 1st floor inside the new building.
“We plan to have an event in the new recital hall when it is done,” Smith said. “Probably right before Thanksgiving.” The theater and recital hall are scheduled for completion in late October, according to Miller. “I can’t wait to see the main recital hall when that’s finished,” he said. For now, music students will still use Harbeson Hall and the Sexton Auditorium until the new Center sections open. “Something had to give in order for the main parts of the building to be ready in time,” Miller said.
Matthew Chan / Courier Previously located in front of the U building, the famous Banana tree is now planted in the north side of the Center for the Arts building.
While the Center for the Arts still has construction workers hammering away on new additions to the multi-million-dollar project, many faculty moving in agree the wait for the building is worth it.
Matthew Chan / Courier The front entrance of the new art building in the west end of the building allows plenty of natural light during afternoon hours.
Joseph Futtner, interim dean of visual arts and media studies, believed that while the construction completion was delayed several months than originally planned, the end product is mind-blowing. “Look, nobody who has ever done anything remotely like this without issues,” he said. “[But] when we saw the new building, all issues and complaints fell away.”
Matthew Chan / Courier Staircase access is conveniently located all throughout PCC’s new building.
Performing Arts Dean Jim Arnwine was ecstatic to move to the new building. His office still has unopened boxes, but the move is going well, he said. Matthew Chan / Courier Brand new telivisions have been placed all throughout the corridors inside the building.
Matthew Chan / Courier No longer in the R building, drawing classes are now taken place at the Center for the Arts building inside well lit rooms equipped with brand new drawing horses.
Background image credited to Pasadena.edu
Caitlin KellyThompson / Courier The new darkroom lab has been relocated from the aged E building into its new home inside the Center for the Arts building.
The Center for the Arts is bringing both music and art together in one place for the first time. “To bring that all under one roof is nice,” Arnwine said. “To see and hear art can only broaden a person’s perspective of the arts.” Smith is proud of the building and believes the community will be proud of the finished product as well. “This is definitely a gem for not only PCC, but for the city of Pasadena,” Smith said. “I’m very proud of this building.” The official opening of the building will be in late January to early February, according to Miller.
5
FEATURES
6 COURIER
September 5, 2013
Ad campaign appears county-wide Aubrey Quezada Staff Writer
Along the sidewalk in the blazing hot sun a Metro bus rolls by and stops at a corner of a busy intersection. As a grimy cloud of dust and hot air clears, a sign appears: “Lost? Find yourself at PCC,” it proclaims. “[The ad] definitely caught my attention,” said frequent Metro rider Luke Baffo, 18. “At first I thought it had something to do with a missing child, but after I took a better look at it, it made me think about seeing what the school has to offer.” Baffo, who recently graduated from high school, is taking a semester off school before pursuing his college education and hopes to enroll at PCC in the upcoming spring semester. “I’m from this area, so PCC is probably where I would have ended up, but it’s cool to see their advertisements up all over Los Angeles,” Baffo said. According to Juan Gutierrez, director of public relations, this is the first time since 2007 that PCC has advertised around the city. “We did the bus ads just to get around districts and the nice side
effect of that is that it goes all over Southern California and we pull 65 percent of our students from outside our district,” Gutierrez said. Along with the advertisements on buses, PCC has also used buttons on Facebook and Google AdWords to promote the recent summer and the ongoing fall terms and has advertised on such radio stations as KIIS-FM and Power 106, which are the top two radio stations for 18-to-20 year olds, according to Gutierrez. “With radio you got the air spots, you got the satellite radio like iHeartRadio, you’ve got banners on their websites, you got printed in their programs, so you got across the board. They would just smash you in there, which is great,” Gutierrez said. “We also did traditional media, like newspapers, to get non-traditional students because unemployment’s really high. Non-traditional students are older than 24 and 25 and tend to read the newspaper more, so we hit them as well,” he added. Davina Garcia, a graphic designer who was part of the team that worked on the advertisements, said that they were always brainstorming to come
Websites offer cheaper alternatives for books
Benjamin Simpson/Courier Students browse textbooks in the campus bookstore during the first week of school on Aug. 27. Tiffany Herrera Staff Writer
Every semester students scramble to find the best deal for textbooks. Some just use the PCC bookstore while others walk across the street to Book Mart. Looking at the message boards on campus, one can be sure to find two or three flyers from people selling their books. Pearl Ly, interim assistant dean of the Shatford Library, suggested a site called half.com, which is a company owned by eBay. There, you can buy or rent textbooks for under $100. According to their rental FAQ, “You can return the book for free by printing our return label and shipping it.”
Gabriel Reyna, television production, says he prefers to get his books on Amazon.com. On its website, one can save up to 70 percent. “The ones that I need…are around $60 or cheaper,” said Reyna. Another site where textbooks can be rented or bought is Chegg.com. The site says it will save buyers up to 80 percent. Chegg also offers free homework help from 2,500 textbooks. One can also purchase a Homework Help Membership, which offers textbook solutions, and 24/7 Online Study Help. Cheapesttextbooks.com says on its home page “Cheap textbooks- new, used, rental. Up to 95 percent off!” They even have a link to their blog, which compares their prices to other sites.
Daniel Valencia / Courier PCC’s ad campaign can be seen on the Metro Goldline, as well as on buses and trains, and can also be heard on the radio.
up with ideas that would appeal to potential students. “For the ‘Find Yourself ’ ads we got ideas from students posting ads on bulletin boards about finding new roommates. Students are always looking at that and we wanted something
PREREQUISITES everything,” Cavallarin said. “It didn’t let me know right away that I didn’t have the proper prerequisites. I was very irritated.” Cavallarin added that she received no notification that she was dropped from her classes. “When I found out about the classes, I scrambled through the open classes section [and] got classes I didn’t want and really didn’t need—classes that don’t really pertain to my major,” she said. “That’s what really bugged me.” Olivo explained LancerPoint used a program known as DegreeWorks, which is an upand-coming module, for the fall registration cycle. DegreeWorks operates outside of the system and was intended to function similarly to Santa Rosa, LancerPoint’s predecessor, in its ability to audit transcripts and students’ current enrollment file. “That’s the configuration we proceeded with that didn’t work perfectly,” Olivo said. According to Bell, the school is currently working to remedy the situation. Students enrolled in unauthorized classes will be contacted through email via LancerPoint, and will be administratively withdrawn from their courses. “Clearly, it’s a disadvantage to let a student enroll in a course [without having] met the prerequisite,” Bell said. “That’s setting the student up for failure, so we’re not going to do that.” Additionally, teachers and students are encouraged to work together to find substitute classes for students impacted by the
that resonates with students so our message might come across easier,” Garcia said. According to Gutierrez, in the fall of 2012, PCC had a total of 20,661 students. This fall semester, enrollment is at 23,848, a rise of more than 3,000 students.
“We’re close to 100 percent capacity and I don’t think we would have been there without being able to market and advertise in the community,” Gutierrez said. “We’re open for business. We have the classes you need, come and get them.”
Continued from page 1
system error. “We asked deans and teachers to check the students that are in [their] class and try and find alternatives for the students,” Olivo said. Cal Liedtke, speech instructor, had to inform students they would need to drop his class if they did not have the proper prerequisites. “For a speech course, you are expected to understand the English language well enough to present,” Liedtke said. “A lot of my students were international students who did not have the prerequisites, and I had to advise them to drop my class.” Problems with DegreeWorks have been present since early August, but no specific educational division has been impacted more than others. “We tried to preemptively check throughout the summer … and make adjustments as needed so students had sufficient time [to change their schedules accordingly],” Olivo said. In regards to finding classes to compensate for the now empty time slot, Bell acknowledges that this may be problematic. He encourages students to contact him and his office if classes are inaccessible, while Olivo suggests that students visit the Academic Advising in L105. Students impacted by the prerequisite predicament who are enrolled in less than 12 units will receive a smaller amount of financial aid, Olivo said. However, “late start” courses, which will be offered at the satellite campus in Rosemead, are slated to begin
in October and can restore a student’s enrollment status to full-time. Bell said that this issue will not occur again in future semesters. “We’re ensuring that the prerequisite component of LancerPoint is in fact in place—which it is now—but more importantly, that it is operating the way it should when we’re in the next registration cycle,” he said. Bell also added that beta testing will occur once the spring schedule is set in Lancerpoint. The system will be tested to see if it adequately regulates transcript and current enrollment files to ensure that students have taken the proper prerequisite course before allowing a student to register for a class. “We’ll beta test to make sure it works, that’s why I’m fairly confident now that we know where the errors were this registration period for fall, that we’ll capture that for the spring,” Bell said. “But sometimes you get anomalies—it may occur again. But, I’m very confident it will not occur again and not to the level we experienced for this current registration for fall ’13.” Olivo emphasized that week two is the last week to add classes for the 16-week semester. “I think it’s okay that this glitch occurred because we have the two weeks at the beginning of the term where students are making adjustments to their schedules,” she said. “I would encourage students to go to the classes and get add codes from teachers who are willing to accept them.”
LIFESTYLE
September 5, 2013
COURIER
7
Console war builds up hype for gamers Bryan Acosta Staff Writer
Matthew Chan/Courier Jennifer Ortiz runs the mailroom located on the first floor of the C Building on April 25.
Mailroom a hub for connections Teresa Mendoza Contributing Writer
Jennifer Ortiz operates the mailroom hub of Office Services in the C building and is in charge of connecting people with their information. The mailroom is located in the first floor--“the bowels of the C building,” according to Ortiz. In the mailroom the low ceilings open up revealing a large vaultlike space that is well-lit, picturesque and productive. Images posted on the walls and the music playing in the background not welcome visitors and draws them in. This is all Ortiz’s doing after 13 years of feeling inspired and sharing her distinctive style. “I get to listen to music, good music kiddo, anything from
SATELLITE Board report packet as a consent item on page 72. Generally, the board approves all consent items with one vote. Mann was concerned the satellite college would get approved without much discussion. “This isn’t four chairs in a basement, this is a big commitment,” Mann said. According to Robert Miller, senior vice president of business and college services, the satellite would provide more access to students, with an expected 100 additional class sections beginning Oct. 8. Trustee Baum was skeptical the college would recommend opening a new satellite in a short period of time, especially for $325,000. “You are asking us to put away $325,000,” Baum said. “Can’t we manage our schedule on the campus more effectively to expand the inventory on instructional space? Are we maximizing our current resources?” Superintendent and President Mark Rocha explained that budget cuts in recent years and scheduling issues are making it more difficult for the college to meet its Full Time Equivalent Student (FTES) quota mandated by the California Community
USC’s classical station, jazz to classic rock. Music connects to a different part of my brain so I can focus on what I’m doing,” Ortiz said. Decorating the walls are postcards of different parts of the world from friends and co-workers, pictures of loved ones that have passed, colorful graphics, and interesting photos. She points to one profile of Ansel Adams propped up on a roof of a car with his camera. “Somebody actually took a picture of him,” said Ortiz. “Things in the past that I don’t want ever be forgotten, that I feel connected to.” Besides certified mail with legal documents, payroll and financial aid checks, there are a lot of visuals and interesting articles that come through here.
Continued from page 1
Colleges Chancellor’s office. The Chancellor’s office told the college on Aug. 6 that it must meet an 18.4 percent in FTES this year. “We are running less efficiently because class sizes have reduced and made smaller causing us to run more sections,” Rocha said. “We have a block scheduling problem which we are fixing and we could fix if we use Rosemead .” Dean of Counseling Cynthia Olivo explained in an interview that the Rosemead site will allow for more student access that cannot be provided on the main campus. “[The main campus is] at 97 percent capacity right now, the satellite will allow us to provide much more access,” she said. Board President John Martin agreed that because FTES requirements are a high priority for the college’s well-being, it would be wise to vote on the satellite at that meeting. “I’m shocked that it was ready to come up now. But there were real good reasons that we need to step this up now,” Martin said. “We were on a nice slow even trajectory [for FTES goals] but the dynamics have changed.”
For Ortiz, having access to the communications--whether visual or reading--is one of the unique features of the job. “It’s always interesting to look at this stuff,” Ortiz said. In between the mailroom and the copy center, Office Services Supervisor Eladio Fernandez has his office and is quick to welcome and is hands on his job. “The flow of mail and packages can range from 300 incoming to 500 outgoing,” he said. Mailing services include Priority, Express, International, and Bulk Mail, as well as Federal Express and UPS. The mailroom is connected to the copy center that offers all the services of a Kinkos for faculty and student clubs; indeed, the precious commencement booklets are printed here.
SMOKING cessation program,” Buczko said. “If they violate it again they must pay $50 and it goes up to $75 the third violation. If they keep going they have to see the dean.” Associated Students President Jordyn Orozco said AS supports the new changes in the smoking policy and made the recommendation to give students the opportunity to avoid paying the first-time fine by completing a smoking cessation program. “[We wanted to have] an environment where students were not affected by cigarettes. We supported the new revisions in the smoking policy but we added the cessation program,” said Orozco. Campus Police Chief Don Yoder said unlike the previous policy campus police will be enforcing this new policy. “It was never enforceable so we never enforced the designated smoking areas.,” Yoder said. Yoder also says that if someone refuses to pay a fine it might go to collections. Buzcko says among the things now banned are cigarettes, cigars, pipes, bongs, and smokeless devices like the electronic cigarette; chewing tobacco, however, is still permitted on campus.
The nation is at war. Not only the nation, but gamers all over the world are choosing sides in a battle that happens every few years. News of the next generation consoles, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, is being released daily to try and capture the hearts of potential buyers. According to online tech news source ign.com, the release of the Xbox One [yet to be announced] and the PS4 [Nov. 15] is just around the corner, but the heated battle between the two has already begun. The baseline price of each system will be $499 for the Xbox One and $399 for the PS4 at all retail stores. Gaming exclusives such as Titanfall and Killzone are the bait Microsoft and Sony are using to try to reel in consumers like gamer Carroll Gray, undecided. “I’m more into it [Xbox One] for the exclusives,” said Gray. “There were issues with it at first, but it’s fixed now so it’s all good.” Shortly after the release announcement of the Xbox One at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) on June 10, Microsoft was quick to withdraw its biggest claims of the upcoming system. These claims stated that the Kinect camera that’s included with the purchase of the Xbox One would essentially always be turned on and every
game you bought from then on would have to be a digital copy. “I’m going to stick with [the Xbox One] though,” said Gray. Regardless, Microsoft remains in the race of the console wars with strong support of its loyal fans. At E3 the Microsoft team based the majority of their conference on the integrated TV, music and movies. On the other hand, Sony geared their conference towards gaming, which proved to be successful according to gamer Nathalie Torres, undeclared. “Games aren’t supposed to support consoles, consoles should be made to support games,” said Torres. Fans like Torres love the fact that the PS4 is the gaming system actually geared towards gaming. Not only that, but gamer Scott Kelly, undeclared, says there is plenty more reason to choose the PS4 over the Xbox. “There are many reasons to pick the PS4, like they are very indie [game] friendly,” said Kelly. “The Xbox One is too expensive and I don’t care much for motion gaming.” Until a verdict is reached on who wins the console war, all gamers can do is wait to get their hands on one or both of the consoles when they debut in mid-November. However, no matter which is chosen, it will be a step forward in the industry from this era of gaming to the next.
Continued from page 1
According to Buczko, the school surveyed over 2,000 students and faculty on the smoking policy during extended spring. “We got feedback from over 2,000 students and faculty, 61 percent wanted smoke-free and 72 percent wanted enforcement,” said Buczko. Buzcko says that if a student or faculty member wishes to smoke they must do so on the sidewalk but must keep moving to comply with Pasadena’s law that forbids smoking within 20 feet of a building.
David Nuno, history, disagrees with the new changes and said he feels they are unfair to those that smoke. “I think the new changes are draconian,” he said. “For a lot of staff, faculty, and students, smoking is a way of relaxing and getting away from your problems and it bugs me how all these anti-smokers who are responsible for these recent changes are saying this kind of smoking as a behavior is wrong. This anti-smoking fad is just another prohibition in another form.”
SPORTS
8 COURIER
September 5, 2013
Women’s volleyball prepared and enthusiastic for fall 2013 Daron Grandberry Staff Writer
After an amazing 2012 season, a No. 7 national ranking, and a share of the South Coast Conference Championship, the PCC women’s volleyball team is prepared and enthusiastic for the upcoming 2013 season. In his first year as interim head coach, Bill Sanchez looks to build on last year’s successful season that ended just short of a regional championship. Led by returning outside hitters Nora To’omalatai, nursing, and Thula Parks, mathematics, this year’s team will rely heavily on To’omalatai and Parks’ ability to adjust to new leadership roles, as well as the development of this year’s freshmen class. “I don’t feel my role has really changed from last year, I’m still playing the same position,” To’omalatai said. “Everything is basically the same. I’m more of the lead by example type, and I’m not that much of a talkative person so I leave that up to Thula.” With the loss of 2012 All-State Selection Jackie Valle-Acosta, and five of last year’s six starters, there’s no doubt that this young team will depend on To’omalatai’s
leadership and success. Last year the athletic To’omalatai led the Lancers (21-5 overall,13-1 conference) with 3.02 kills per set, which also ranked her third in the South Coast Conference. First year assistant coach Kari Post has seen major improvements in both To’omalatai and Parks and is eager for them to showcase their talents. “Nora and Thula have gotten a hundred times better since we’ve started training this season,” Post said. “I’m really excited for those two ladies, they just need to keep their good attitudes and keep being positive examples on and off the court.” For Parks, the more vocal and inspirational leader of the team, encouraging and challenging her teammates is something she’s already known around the courts for. “I like to talk and try to help lead the team,” Parks said. “I like to help lead the team in a way that makes everyone comfortable on the court. It helps when everyone is playing on the court together as a family.” For Parks, her production will also be relied upon a little more this year.
While only a freshman she averaged 1.33 kills per set behind a cast of all-conference hitters in To’omalatai, Valle-Acosta and Magen Callen. “To improve from last year we just have to work on our chemistry and everything else will fall into place,” Parks said. “We just all need to sustain that passion of the game that we all love, and if we keep that passion and grow together we can take this team a long way.” Both Parks and To’omalatai are expected to contribute to this year’s team, but in order for this team to make another run into the postseason, the freshmen class will have to continue to grow. “This year’s freshman class is really strong and we’re going to have a lot of new and different techniques that the ladies now know,” Post said. “We’re going to be a whole new team compared to last year; other teams won’t know what to expect.” “A lot of the freshmen have gotten a lot better since the beginning of practices,” To’omalatai added. “It’s been surprising how much the freshmen have improved since they’ve stepped on the court here.” “To improve from last year we just have to work hard as a team, become closer, and that will happen as the season progresses,” To’omalatai said. “We just lost height, but we’re still a good team.”
Football looks to rebound from lackluster 2012 season
Ben Simpson / Courier Lancers volleyball players, pictured left and right, practice during the offseason for the upcoming 2013 season`
And because of that loss of height, assistant coach Post expects this team to be very defensive oriented. “We’re a very good passing team that plays good defense, that’s how we’re going to make up for our lack of height this
COLUMN
Dodgers poised for World Series run
Philip McCormick Managing Editor
Philip McCormick Managing Editor
To say that the Lancers football team didn’t do that well last season would be an understatement. PCC finished with an appalling record of 3-7. All that being said, head coach Fred Fimbres is confident that this year’s team, a group of Lancers with a majority of returning players, will be much better. “Last year we had a team full of freshman,” Fimbres said. “Most of them were right out of high school and were probably distracted by things like school and other off-field stuff. Now that they are more experienced, I feel like this team can really contend.” The biggest strength of this team lies within the offensive and defensive lines. “We have five returning linebackers,” said defensive coordinator Carl Lopez. “We were really young last season… We are more solid this year.” The Lancers will be introducing a new quarterback, Darrian
The Los Angeles Dodgers are no joke, no fluke and are definitely a team to be reckoned with. This team will win the World Series not only because of star players like Clayton Kershaw, Hanley Ramirez, Andre Ethier, and Adrian Gonzalez, but also because the Dodgers are gelling with one another like no other team in baseball at the moment. The Dodgers are on a tear right now and have been since June 22. At that point, the team was simply a mess. They were 9 ½ games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel. Then, the team added rookie Yasiel Puig, a spark plug for the offense. Zack Greinke, who won the National League Pitcher of the Month award for August, has been pitching lights-out baseball since late June and his record is 14-3 for the season. As for Kershaw, the guy is a beast. He
Johnny Novak / Courier Lancers football continues its preparation for the 2013 season
Cazarin, who passed for 4,355 yards and 42 TDs in his last two years at Alhambra High School. “He will be starting on Saturday,” Fimbres said. “He is a freshman, but is not new to college life and that helps out a lot. I hope to see good things from him.” Returning to the offensive line will be running back Marciss Grigsby, who had 115 carries for 493 yards and three touchdowns
last season. Also returning will be fullback Steve Denov, who will be counted on to provide some key blocks this season. PCC will face its first challenge on Saturday at 6 p.m. against Citrus College. “We are going to play base defense on Saturday,” Lopez said. “We are going to keep it fairly simple for the first game. Hopefully, that will get Citrus to make a few mistakes.”
year,” Post said. “We’re going to be constantly sending the ball back over when teams aren’t expecting us to.” The women’s volleyball season kicks off on the road, this Friday, Sept. 6th against Rio Hondo College.
has a 1.89 ERA, has struck out 201 batters and is 14-8 (mostly because he hasn’t gotten any run support in those losses). All this has been done without their biggest star. Matt Kemp has been absent due to injury for the better half of the season. Without Kemp’s offense, one wouldn’t have expected the Dodgers to make it this far (and “they” didn’t), but the injury didn’t stop the team from getting to where they are now. Manager Don Mattingly has done an outstanding job with the team and deserves much respect for what he has done with it. And you can’t forget the other unsung heroes, though. A.J. Ellis, Mark Ellis and Nick Punto have been hitting when it counts. When the other hot bats in the lineup have gone seemingly cold, one of those “role players” steps up and gets a huge hit. Dodger fans have been waiting for another World Series Championship team for 25 years. This team has all the right tools to get there and win it all.