CO U R I ER Pasadena City College
Serving PCC Since 1915
FEBRUARY 25, 2016 VOLUME 113 ISSUE 03
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM
Football players suffer biggest defeat yet Ahmad Akkaoui and Christian Rivas Staff Writers
Despite pleas from PCC football players to retain their coach during the Board of Trustees meeting yesterday, the board unanimously decided to name Fullerton quarterbacks coach Tom Maher the new head coach of the Lancers football team. Members of the team gathered in the Creveling Lounge to show support for their now former coach Thom Kaumeyer. Maher would be the Lancers’ third coach in two years, marking yet another questionable offseason. Speaking on behalf of the team was freshman linebacker Daniel Wire. “I believe this is a very unfair and unprofessional move,” said Wire. “They opened the job on the Pasadena website for a new head coach … but then after Tom Maher applied,
Katja Liebing/Courier The football team reacting to the board approving the hiring of the new head coach at the Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday.
Seeing a better future for visually impaired students on campus
Ahmad Akkaoui Staff Writer
Brian Chernick Staff Writer
Irma Carrillo/Courier Lancers’ starting point guard Judith Espinoza flashing a big smile after Wednesday night’s win against Rio Hondo College with a final score 65-54 in the Hutto Patterson Gym. in the third quarter,” Espinoza said. “We were just focused and today we really pumped each other up and the coaches helped too. We just knew that we couldn’t let them come back in the third quarter because this is a really important game. Everyone gave it their all and we did what had to be done.” The Lancers got into foul trouble early in the second half and had the Roadrunners at the free throw line. Unfazed by the comeback attempt, they kept their foot on the gas by playing detailed on the offense and defense. The Lancers were able to close out on the shooters and kept Rio
COACH pg. 2
Katja Liebing/Courier The footbal team arguing against the removal of their football coach, Thom Kaumeyer, at the Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday.
Women’s basketball advances
The women’s basketball team got over the hump that was Rio Hondo’s late-game push and defeated the Roadrunners, 65-54, in coach Joe Peron’s 50th playoff win to move on to the next round of the SoCal Regional playoffs. Coming into the game, Pasadena knew Rio Hondo shoots the ball at a high level from behind the arc, averaging 31 percent, and were able to limit them to seven made three-pointers in 30 attempts. Pasadena did much better in the third quarter of the game, scoring 18 points, compared to last game when they only scored two points. Point guard Judith Espinoza finished with 17 points and nine assists. She averaged just below five turnovers a game during the regular season but had zero turnovers this game. “During halftime, he was just saying we knew coming into today that we had to come out really hard
they closed the applications.” Superintendent/President Dr. Rajen Vurdien explained the legality of this procedure when it was called into question. “Once there is an internal candidate, that is interested in the position, then no outsiders, according to the faculty contract we had, no temporary person or outsiders are considered for the position,” said Vurdien. Players also said during public comment that Kaumeyer applied for coaching position but wasn’t given fair consideration. According to Vurdien, Kaumeyer was notified that after his one-year, temporary contract, he would be unable to re-apply for the head coaching position. “We do not keep temporary coaches for more than one year. That was made very clear,” Vurdien said. Wire’s teammate Joey Gregory went to the podium to express his concerns on the hiring
Hondo from making easy baskets. Forward Ilianna Blanc sat out the first half last game with two early fouls and wasn’t able to establish a presence. Blanc dominated in the paint and finished with 17 points on 7 for 11 shooting paired with 5 steals and 3 blocks. “I think we took that to a big advantage to get it to the post because we had game film on them and we knew they didn’t have a big presence so we knew that we needed to work the inside out,” Blanc said. “We knew they are a shooting team so our first goal was to not let
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Students have been putting up with antiquated and inaccurate braille signs throughout the older buildings on campus for years and now campus clubs and the administration are finally coming together to build a stronger, more accessible campus for current and incoming disabled students. The level of inaccessibility throughout parts of the campus became apparent for Students Unlimited president Roger Martinez after his friend and Access Technology president Philbert Tjong, who is blind, asked Martinez where the C Building bathroom was located. Martinez realized then that Tjong had been making an extended trek over to other buildings just to use the bathroom. Tjong has been working on a computer science degree and because of the complexity in some of the math classes he would forgo a
bathroom break altogether to avoid missing any bit of the lecture. When Martinez examined the bathroom braille sign he was shocked to find that not only had the braille sign lacked a gender specification, but the sign had only the room number printed on it. “Wouldn’t you want to fix that?” Martinez asked. Now the Students Unlimited and Access Technology clubs have set out to do right for their fellow students by working with the administration to make the campus more accessible than ever before. Tjong is not the only student affected. Jane Suh and Joseph Duncan, also members of Students Unlimited, have experienced the lack of accessibly and consistency in the signage throughout the building. “There are signs everywhere,” Suh said. “But I don’t know which side the door is on.” Suh and Duncan pointed out that
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NEWS
2 COURIER
February 25, 2016
Platform of solidarity for Senate nominees
current board needs to change in order to better address the issues on campus, such as accreditation and new faculty hires. Cairo, as well as the other nominees, want the AS to be more clear on what role they play in accreditation and how the process is going. Cairo previously served as AS president before he was defeated
in elections last year by current president Valerie Foster. Current board members Foster, vice president Shelagh Rose, secretary Stephanie Fleming, and treasurer Jay Cho are running for reelection. “I think that the general sentiment on campus is things are better,” said Foster who has had several
faculty members tell her that the board has been doing a good job. The challengers are also concerned about the discussion the AS has been having about an additional 50 new faculty members. “If we are going to be discussing 50 additional faculty, is the college prepared to have 50 additional offices, or who are these people going to
be sharing an office with, and that’s a concern,” said Cairo. According to Cairo, the current senate leadership has taken the AS in the wrong direction. “There’s a lot of topics, such as [accreditation and new faculty], that we should be discussing to have a better college atmosphere,” said Cairo. Cho disagrees with the notion that the board is doing a poor job in their leadership. “I feel that last year we had good dynamics and a common goal to work together,” said Cho. “So I think it was a kind of productive year.” Arenson believes that faculty isn’t being heard and there has been an atmosphere of contentiousness at past meetings. “We want to bring back the idea that your position may be different from mine, but I still respect you as an individual and that’s something that’s been lost,” said Arenson. Election results will be announced April 18.
presenting. Board member Jim Osterling praised the team’s effort, despite the hiring results. Wire came to the meeting equipped with a petition signed by 129 student-athletes in an effort to emphasize the importance of the student voice on PCCs campus. “This is the third coaching change in the last two years and negatively impacts the student-athlete body, who seem to be an afterthought when these decisions were made … ,” the petition reads. “We, the student body of Pasadena City College, are concerned citizens
who urge our leaders to act now and allow that all potential coaching candidates experience true equality within the hiring process.” The specifics of the contract were not disclosed, but Executive Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing Alexander Boekelheide reiterated the complexity of the situation. “I think the president (Vurdien) made it pretty clear,” Boekelheide said. “We work within certain boundaries that are set by our contracts by the Faculty Association or other organizations we work with so that just sort of sets the playing
field for us.” According to the faculty collective bargaining agreement, in order for an employee to internally transfer, they must “meet the minimum qualifications, or the equivalent, for the position.” Once a transfer candidate applies, “a selection committee with a maximum of five members, composed of the division dean/administrator serving as the chair” will vote to accept or reject the transfer by secret ballot before outside candidates are interviewed. The committee met with Maher, a PCC kinesiology instructor who coached the PCC football team
from 1996 to 2004, on Jan. 29 and voted to approve the transfer request. Maher declined requests for interviews until the board’s vote was complete. Despite trying to understand the unfortunate circumstances, Wire and the team were disappointed in the result. “I wish the board would look at more than just statements and bylaws,” said Wire. “I wish they would look at what people do and what they accomplish off the field.” The team expressed their plans to continue and seek for answers to their burning questions.
number,” Martinez said. “But the braille just mentions the number.” But that doesn’t matter for the Sexton Auditorium, because the braille has been scratched off the sign. “I can read the print,” Suh said. “But it just says 230.” “If only they would put the name of the auditorium it would help a lot of students,” Martinez said. “Or even in print!” Suh exclaimed. Students Unlimited discussed the inadequacies with the braille signs throughout the C Building, and after performing a walkthrough of the building—mapping out each and every opportunity for improvement—they began brainstorming bigger ideas. Some of the ideas expressed by Martinez, Suh, and Duncan involved safe spaces for the DSPS students during active shooters, a text messaging service for those who might otherwise have difficult accessing the situation, and signage that can be read during such an event.
Dr. Kent Yamauchi served as the Associate Dean of Special Services for over 25 years. Until the administration can hire a replacement, which they are in the process of doing, Dr. Cynthia Olivo, VP of Student Affairs, has stepped in as the interim. Olivo is spearheading collaboration between multiple departments within the administration to address the concerns. To Olivo’s knowledge, these issues had not been brought to Yamauchi’s attention. Olivo is ecstatic that these two clubs have come together, not only with each other but with the campus to right the wrongs. “I love that the students are working with the college to create solutions that meet the student’s needs,” Olivo said. Olivo met with Martinez and Tjong to listen to their concerns and receive feedback on some ideas the administration has been considering to improve disabled students’ lives on campus. One administrative proposal
is to work alongside the Design Technology Fabrication Lab and local 3D printing and “hackerspace” Deezmaker to develop a three-dimensional tactile map. This map would allow hard-ofseeing students to get a literal feel for the campus, making a better experience for current students, but particularly new students. PCC and Deezmaker worked together in 2014 to create an aid for the visually impaired by designing and 3D printing a braille-laden map with both the birds eye view and the legend being tactile for students to feel their away through campus. The project turned out so well that the team was invited to CSUN for a conference to present their work. Another proposal is to establish a peer advisor who would work as a go-between with students and the DSPS office. “In counseling we’ve created this position called an academic coach,” Olivo said. “The bridge between a student and a counselor. This really
helps out in our first year pathways program. The peer advisor could be the bridge between [DSPS students] and DSPS.” Olivo expressed that the idea behind this is so there is a closer connection for the students where the advisor works as a more personal coach that is looking for them. Tjong could see the opportunity. “A peer advisor could help fill in the gaps of DSPS,” Tjong said. Having someone who cares about their success. That goes a long way, I think.” “It’s a different bond,” Olivo said. “Looking out for them, care for them.” It’s hard to argue that the meeting wasn’t a success. However, both parties understand that this is just the first step and improvements are still a bit away.
Hannah Gonzales News Editor
Several Academic Senate (AS) representatives were nominated for the 2016-2017 executive board this past week and the nominees said they plan to pursue the executive board positions together due to their shared values of solidarity and student and faculty success. Social sciences professor Lauren Arenson is nominated for treasurer, social sciences associate professor and former AS president Eduardo Cairo for president, engineering and technology assistant professor David Cuatt for vice president, and English assistant professor Tim Melnarik for secretary. The nominees are running as a slate against the current board. Cuatt stepped down from the election and nomination committee to run for VP. “So I am a firm believer that faculty needs to represent the voice of faculty and I’m running because I want to bring back stability to this campus,” said Arenson. The nominees believe that the
COACH Continued from page 1 process. “We’re all here because we really care about coach Kaumeyer,” said Gregory. “This isn’t a matter of favoritism of one coach. We’re going to respect whoever comes in here. We just saw the change in the culture of the program and we believe he deserves a fair chance.” During Vurdien’s response to the players’ comments, a number of players, including Wire, were eager to object to the policies Vurdien was
BRAILLE Continued from page 1 there is no consistency in which side the door will be on. Even worse, in some cases the signs will be next to a door that is no longer in service. However, that out-of-service sign is typed or handwritten, leaving Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) students in the dark. While established students might have already found their way around campus, new students might find it particularly difficult getting use to the lay out of the campus and buildings due to flat printed maps. “This is a printed map of all the important rooms,” Martinez said, referring to the C Building directory. “I wouldn’t know that,” Suh said, running her fingers over the flat surface. This is problem for students when professors instruct them to go to the auditorium. “They don’t usually give us the
Eric Haynes/Courier Eduardo Cairo, Dave Cuatt, Lauren Arenson, and Tim Melnarik stand in the hallway of C building on Wednesday. These four senators were nominated to challenge the executive board for the 2016-17 academic year.
POLICE BLOTTER Monday, Feb 15: An instructor reported a loud piercing sound around 7:30 a.m. near the eastside of U Building and suggested the noise originated from a failing generator. An officer discovered the alarm coming from chemical storage room. A message was left for Supervisor of Facilities Services Sarah Flores to assist with alarm.
Tuesday, Feb 16: Around 2:30 p.m. a student reported their cellphone had been stolen from the third floor of the library. Wednesday, Feb 17: The Pasadena Police Department (PPD) and Pasadena Fire Department (PFD) were alert to a MTA bus driver being assaulted at 3 p.m. after multiple calls made to campus police. The suspect was last seen near
Carl’s Jr. off Colorado Boulevard. The PDD is current handling the issue. Thursday, Feb 18: A student reported their car stolen from level 4 of Lot 4 after losing keys on the way to class and returning to find the car missing. Due to the lack of cameras in the area no surveillance footage was immediately available.
Friday, Feb 19: A report of a PCC check being misappropriated was reported and is pending a follow-up investigation. A bicycle was reported stolen from bike racks located on the north east of Annex around 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb 20: At approximately 11 p.m., Officer Chan issued a citation for possession of an open alcoholic container
and drug paraphernalia in a vehicle on the fifth floor of Lot 4. Sunday, Feb 21: Shortly after midnight multiple individuals were cleared during a traffic stop by Officer Chan after reportedly eating in a vehicle. There is no indication it is connected to the previous citation issued regarding drug paraphernalia in preceding hour.
CLASSIFIED
Beany’s Café in Pasadena is looking for a barista/team member. We seek someone who takes ownership of the job and enjoys all facets of customer service and the prepping that goes into that. Candidates should be energetic, reliable, good with people, and desire to exceed customer expectations. Please contact Kevin at (626) 548-1983 or email beanyscafe@yahoo.com
OPINION
3 COURIER
Citizens United threatens U.S. democracy
Kristen Luna Editor-In-Chief
With election day fast approaching and the amount of money being funded into the presidential campaigns increasing by the millions, it’s evident those running for office are only using those donations to make false promises and win over votes so they will have the opportunity to form policies that protect those who contributed and matter most to them: corporations, organizations and wealthy investors. According to the U.S. Department of State, one of the many goals for democracy is for the United States to “identify and denounce regimes that deny their citizens the right to choose their leaders in elections that are free, fair, and transparent.” Free, fair and transparent—that’s how it should be. With the Supreme Court’s ruling six years ago, allowing outside groups to outlandishly fund the candidates they choose to support without having to disclose their donations to the public leaves 99 percent of the public having to vote for a candidate who is ultimately influenced and bought by million-dollar donors. It used to be that a politician would run for office because they wanted to be a leader for the citizens while listening to the real concerns
of the average American and work middle class are stagnant or going hard to create policies and change. down in their income for the work That was until money started playing that they do.” a bigger part in how candidates get With a candidate like Bernie Sandelected. ers, who refuses to take money from “Almost one in five television ads Super PACS and interest groups and has been financed by dark money, has been able to raise millions of according to the Center for Respondollars from small donations made sive Politics--most of that from by average citizens, it’s no surprise the Conservative Solutions Project, that he has been able to go further a nonprofit that backs Rubio,” than anyone ever predicted. Sanders Bloomberg View wrote. has been able to resonate with the With the middle-class declining middle class and the lower class beand now representing 50 percent of cause a big part of his campaign has the population, how are supporters been on campaign finance reform. expected to cast their vote when According to Sanders’ campaign they know a candisite, “The date is bought and need paid for by one or “The need for real campaign for real finance reform is not a progres- campaign more corporate donors whose finance resive issue. It is not a consermain objective is form is not vative issue. It is an issue that to make a profit, a progresshould concern all Americans, sive issue. and then not be regardless of their political allowed to know It is not a point of view, who wish to pre- conservawhere the money came from? serve the essence of the longest tive issue. It When asked is an Ameristanding democracy in the about the court’s can issue. It world.” ruling in favor of is an issue -Bernie Sanders that should Citizens United, former president concern Jimmy Carter said, “As the rich all Americans, regardless of their people finance the campaigns, when political point of view, who wish to candidates get in office they do what preserve the essence of the longest the rich people want. And that’s to standing democracy in the world, let the rich people get richer and a government that represents all richer and the middle class get left of the people and not a handful out. All the statistics show that the of powerful and wealthy special
interests.” The connection between Sanders and the other candidates is that yes, they’re all being funded outside their own campaign. Whether it’s interest groups or individual donors, they’re all taking in money to help push their campaign forward. However, the difference between Sanders and the other candidates is that because his campaign is funded by the people, voters feel more confident that if elected he would work hard for the average citizen and not for the wealthy. In general, money should not play a role in politics, education, health care and any other system that was created to serve and help every citizen make the most of their life as Americans. Associating campaign financing with free speech is dangerous because it supports the absurd belief of corporate personhood. Having any politician in office who believes corporations are people is bound to put corporations before people when it should always be the other way around. There are those who believe that money will always play a role in politics and if that is the case then it’s only fair and democratic to make those donations transparent. Voters have a right to know who is being funded and by whom so they are able to make a fair and educated decision: a decision that should not be taken lightly.
February 25, 2016
VOICES
Should college athletes be paid to play for their schools? Why or why not?
“They should get paid because they are giving our school a good light.” Stephanie Ibanez, business
“No. Scholarships alone are enough for athletes.” James Isip, kinesiology
“Paying athletes at a young age may not give them the right mindset. They may be motivated to just do it for the money and not for the passion of the sport.” Artis Coleman, law
NCAA athletes should not be paid to play Daniel Larson Staff Writer
With March Madness just around the corner, the debate on whether or not college athletes should be paid is heating up. And while collegiate sports bring in large sums of money every year, college athletes should in no way receive a salary. Compensation, on the other hand, is completely acceptable and, if anything, extremely necessary. The Institute for College Access and Success reported that seven out of 10 college seniors graduate with
COURIER
an average of $28,950 in student loan debt. On top of their scholarships, college athletes also receive help paying for textbooks, supplementation of the cost of on-campus living, and meal plans. Most, if not all, college athletes receive some sort of scholarship for competing at the collegiate level and that is a small burden to bear to graduate with little to no debt, especially when you consider how many hours a non-athlete would have to work to achieve the same goal. There is also no plausible source where the money to pay these ath-
Serving PCC since 1915
Editor-in-Chief Kristen Luna
Online/Features Editor Monique A. LeBleu
Scene Editor Hazel Paiz
Managing Editor John Orona
Online Photo Editor Eric Haynes
Design Editor Samantha Molina
Photo Editor Katja Liebing
Lifestyle Editor Mick Donovan
Staff Writers Irma Carrillo, Peter Chao, Julius Choi, Brian Chernick, Erin Dobrzyn, Lilith Garcia, Valerie Kesachkian, Daniel Larson, Timothy Mably, Kelly Rodriguez Murillo
News Editor Hannah Gonzales Asst. News Editor Angelique Andrade Online/Opinion Editor Amber Lipsey
Asst. Lifestyle Editor Taylor Gonzales Sports Editors Ahmad Akkaoui and Christian Rivas
letes would come from. Forbes.com reported data released by the NCAA showing that only 14 college athletic programs were making a profit. A substantially more damaging aspect to paying college athletes would be the gap between salaries for men and women’s sports. Daily Local News reported figures from the NCAA showing that 28.3 million viewers watched the 2015 NCAA Men’s Division 1 National Championship between Wisconsin and Duke and only 3.1 million viewers watched the 2015 NCAA Women’s Division 1 Nation-
Staff Photographers Guadalupe Alvarez, Danny Heng, Kelly Rodriguez Murillo, Russell Latiolas, Alex Stallworth Faculty Adviser Nathan McIntire Photo Adviser Tim Berger Advertising Manager Daniel Nerio
The Courier is published bi-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.
al Championship between Notre Dame and UConn. Based on those numbers, male athletes would be paid marginally more than female athletes. Both female and male athletes receive equal scholarships and paying them different amounts would introduce a very damaging bias into the collegiate world. Paying college athletes is too complicated and completely unnecessary to pursue. College athletes are already compensated more than enough and the idea of paying them only arises from a culture of entitlement.
“No. You go to school to get an education. If you partake in sports, it’s an extracurricular activity. If athletes get paid, so should everyone else in college. It’s not fair to exclude other extracurricular activities.” Lyna Williams, film
Be Heard
Letters to the Editor
Corrections
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 luna.courier@gmail.com
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“With their physical abilities in their given sport, they bring revenue to the school but the school does not give anything back to their athletes.” Marc Peart, kinesiology
Reporting by Julius Choi Photos by Eric Haynes
SCE
4 COURIER
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African-Americans in U.S. history. This February, Pasadena celebrates through events
Kabasa dancer Keti Ciofass
like the 34th Annual Black History Parade, the Annual Ujima Faculty Staff game, dances and spoken word performances.
-DUHG 1RUVZRUWK\ PDNHV D layup during the annual U terson hall on Feb. 18.
Katja Liebing/Courier Boys and girls from the Wilson Middle School drumline perform during the 34th annual Black History Parade in Pasadena on Saturday.
8MLPD PHPEHUV 3UHVLGHQW 7 the quad on Feb. 2.
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February 25, 2016
sa jumps in the air as part of her dance routine down the “Soul Train” line held by members of Ujima and outside students in the quad on Feb. 2.
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Katja Liebing/Courier Rajen Vurdien, President of Pasadena City College, waves to onlookers followed by students from the Ujima program on Saturday.
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Eric Haynes/Courier
Samantha Molina/Courier Guest spoken word poet Thea Monyee perIRUPV DW WKH SRHWU\ QLJKW LQ WKH :LƓ /RXQJH on Feb. 18.
Katja Liebing/Courier Girls from the Pasadena Cowgirls Drill Team perform during the Black History Parade in Pasadena on Saturday.
LIFESTYLE
6 COURIER
February 25, 2016
Rare books fetch six figures from collectors
Timothy Mably Staff Writer
Antique book collectors and history buffs alike made their way to the Pasadena Convention Center over the weekend for the 49th California International Antiquarian Book Fair, uniting more than 200 vintage book sellers from over 30 countries. The Antiquarian Book Fair is considered to be one of the most prestigious exhibitions of literature in the world, also selling rare autographs, photographs, prints, manuscripts, restaurant menus, and maps. This year’s fair celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Lewis Carroll classic, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” and showcased various reprints as well as animation cells from the Disney film adaption. Security for the event was strict due to the value of books on sale, most being sold for thousands. “The Book Fair is all about bringing people closer to books by giving them a chance to browse, touch and even go home with items that they might imagine could only be found in a museum or special collections library,” said Michael Thompson, chair of the book fair, in a statement on the Antiquarian’s website. Among the booths was B & B Rare Books from New York City,
Monique A. LeBleu/Courier A collection of early 20th Century and pulp fiction presented by Howard Prouty of ReadInk in Los Angeles at the 49th California International Antiquarian Book Fair at the Pasadena Convention Center on Feb. 14. which specializes in British and American literature from the 20th Century. At the exhibit was one of the owners, Sunday Steinkirchner, whose business began when she started selling books at estate fairs as a way to earn extra money. “Customers would ask ‘I don’t have this book, could you get me this?’ so we started buying and selling and it became a full-fledged
business before we knew it,” said Steinkirchner. Fitting the fair’s theme, B & B’s glass case displayed a copy of the first obtainable “Alice in Wonderland” selling for $22,000. “It’s actually really, really hard to find. We’ve been doing this for 12 years and this is the first one that we found,” said Steinkirchner. “The first time Alice was published, it was
recalled. The illustrator didn’t like the way the illustrations came out so they sent all the sheets to America and rebound them. There were only about a thousand, so now there’s a lot less.” While some shops on the Convention Center floor focused on works of fiction, others were exclusive to fields of science and medicine. Visiting from Sherman Oaks,
B & L Rootenberg operates out of owner Kristina Clement’s house. B & L have had a booth at the Antiquarian Book Fair since they opened in 1970. They carry books on anatomy with essays by Charles Darwin, journals about old-fashion methods of surgery, and scientific studies by Isaac Newton dating back to 1712. At the table set up for Jeffrey H. Marks Rare Books in Rochester, Jennifer Larson displayed vintage items such as containers for grapes from the 19th century and Christmas ornaments. In a glass case was a book open to a handwritten message by Ernest Hemingway to his dentist. Larson talked about the change at book fairs over the years as people are starting to read digitally, saying that it’s made the fairs less exciting in one way, and more exciting in another. “We’re starting to bring in more ‘one of a kind’ items, non-book items, books with inscriptions in them, so to have something that isn’t readily available,” said Larson. Hosted by the Pasadena Convention Center every other year, the California International Antiquarian Book Fair continues to offer a look into the history of literature and cultures of the world.
Wrigley magnate’s mansion serves Rose Parade
The living room, the “Queens Room,” and the dining room in the Tournament House in Pasadena on Wednesday. Taylor Gonzales Staff Writer Once the home of chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. and his wife Ada, the 22-room Italian-Renaissance-style mansion is currently home to the Tournament of Roses. After Ada’s death in 1958, the Wrigley family deeded the property to the city of Pasadena with the request that it become the base of operations for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association (PTORA). The Wrigley family had been long time fans of the Rose Parade, enjoying the spectacle from their own front yard. The Tournament House welcomes members of the public to come visit the mansion and get up close and personal with the architectural wonder. From the moment guests arrive they are welcomed with a friendly smile by staff members, such as Heritage Committee member and docent Greg Jones, and given a red rose sticker that resembles a sewnon patch. The tour starts with a DVD on the history of the Rose Parade that details the event’s history and offers tourists a unique look at one of the world’s most celebrated parades. When the Wrigley family moved
out of the mansion they took most of the furniture with them. This left the PTORA with the task of re-furnishing the place. With the help of generous donors, the mansion now contains furniture from all over the world.
A rose sculpture in the Tournament of Roses House in Pasadena on Wednesday. “There are two couches that were donated by an SC school that you probably wouldn’t want to sit on,” docent and Heritage Committee member Jim Gruettner laughed. The tour gives a one-of-a-kind look at many of the rooms in the mansion including the rose room, bar, library, telephone room, living
room and dining room. Betty Smith of the Heritage Committee led a tour describing the mansion and its history, pointing out the different styles of ceilings and fireplaces in each room. Smith recalled past years of the parade and the queens who were crowned. On the tour, guests are allowed to sit on the furniture, take as many pictures as they wish and are even encouraged to play the 1,500 organ pipe originally owned by the Wrigley family themselves. “They tried to keep everything as original as possible,” said Smith. “Lighting has been updated.” The Pasadena Tournament of Roses is currently accepting applications for PCC interns. The application process is administered through the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society at PCC. Anyone is welcome to “just show up,” according to Heritage Committee member Bob Porlier. However, groups of ten or more should call in advance. Tours are offered every Thursday at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. through the last week of August. For information on booking your own tour, call (626) 449-4100.
Photos by Mick Donovan/Courier
SPORTS
7 COURIER
February 25, 2016
Students show staff up at Ujima Ball game Erin Dobrzyn Staff Writer
Katja Liebing/Courier Sao Dean attempts a finger roll while being blocked by the annual Ujima faculty and staff vs. Ujima Crew basketball game in the Hutto-Patterson gym on Thursday, Feb. 18.
Lady Lancers softball throws it home in nail-biting win
On Thursday afternoon, Ujima students defeated program faculty and staff in their annual basketball game in the gymnasium. The Ujima program hosts its basketball game every year, perfectly coinciding with Black History Month to further enhance their program as a learning, leading, and social pathway for African American students on campus. The annual Ujima Ball is more than a typical PCC basketball game and is symbolic of what the Ujima program stands for on campus. While players on both teams take the outcome of the game seriously, it’s all in good fun and a little trashtalking is just part of the experience. Deron Wilson, a PCC student who briefly participated in the game, has been with Ujima through three of their annual games. “When I first came into the program about three years ago, it was and still is all about fun,” Wilson said. “It’s fun how we all talk trash amongst each other. I know oane of the players on the faculty team, and then you have your friends on your own team, so it’s great to play and get a little competitive.” The Faculty/Staff team is composed of teachers, counselors, administrators, and other members of PCC who participate in or support the Ujima program.
The event has become popular on campus. “I wish they would do [Ujima Ball] at least twice a year, maybe once each semester, but I think they like to have it during basketball season,” Wilson said. Jessie Grant, a PCC freshman, played for the Ujima Royalty, and enjoyed his first experience with Ujima Ball. He plans to try out for the PCC basketball team, especially with the positive experience he had with Ujima Ball. Through the Ujima program, Grant has found a sense of camaraderie on the PCC campus and among his peers and has found life lessons amidst the friendly competition. “The game reminds me of brotherhood,” Grant said. “It’s a community between staff and students, but it brings about African culture between adults and childhood. It brings about a deep purpose of showing fathers and sons how to connect and bond with one another.” The Ujima Royalty left the court with a golden trophy, and the Staff/ Faculty left with appreciation for the students they coach, counsel and work alongside.
WBBALL Continued from page 1
Irma Carrillo Staff Writer
PCC softball pulled off an intense game winning play in the last inning as Orange Coast College (OCC) tried to rally back, ending the game with a final score of 4-3 Saturday at OCC. Although the game was off to a slow start, both teams played hard on defense as there were no errors made during the first two scoreless innings. Up until the top of the third, freshman leftfielder Brenda Rivas not only hit a single to center field but stole second base and scored off an RBI produced by freshman second baseman Karina Moreno, who hit a double to left field. OCC tried to respond but PCC was quicker as they made every play without letting the ball pass them. “Don’t let anything drop … We emphasized that during the game,” Rivas said. “Just look at the coaches and try to execute what they’re telling us to do.” It certainly didn’t stop there. In the top of the fourth, sophomore first baseman Derek Blow hit a homer to right center, notching her second home run of the season. But coming into the sixth inning the momentum started to die down as OCC got two hits and one run in the fifth inning. PCC was only able to get one hit but no runs in the sixth as OCC’s pitcher was able to keep the Lancers off balance. With OCC trailing by one with hopes of getting ahead, the Lancers came back in the top of the seventh as Moreno and first baseman Karen Najera brought in 2 runs with a score of 4-1.
Irma Carrillo/Courier PCC freshman outfielder Cynthia McKeehan steals third base as OCC’s third baseman Taylor Gallo tried to tag her out in Saturday’s game at Orange Coast College. “We really had to get back down to basics, back to ball contact, hit hard ground balls,” head coach Monica Tantlinger said. “We played base-to-base and we ended up getting what we needed.” The Pirates definitely didn’t give up as they rallied back at the bottom of the seventh with OCC’s outfielder, Linnea Donahugh, hitting a home run to left field, scoring two runs, including Ariel Fernandez, who was walked by PCC’s Raeleen Fuentes. With OCC down by one, Fuentes walked another Pirate, Natalie Bramlett, who then stole second after PCC’s relief pitcher, Alyssa Madrid, stepped into the game. It became a nail bitter with only two outs and what PCC hoped to be the Pirate’s last hitter up to bat
when Taylor Gallo hit a long drive down center filed passed PCC’s second baseman Moreno, advancing Bramlett to third with Gallo right behind her. But freshman center fielder Cynthia McKeehan hustled to the ball with a strong and quick release to catcher Holly Riker-Sloan, who made a long stretch to tag Bramlett and end the game. “I had total faith in her that she was going to get the throw to me,” Riker-Sloan said. “I just knew the second that ball was hit I knew we were going to get that out…it was close, it was scary but there was no doubt in my mind she was going to get it there for us.” The Lancers travel to Mt. San Antonio College on Thursday Feb. 24 for a 4 p.m. game.
Irma Carrillo/Courier PCC starting forward Ilianna Blanc shoots a jump shot as Rio Hondo guard Alexis Hernandez contests. Blanc finished with 17 points at Wednesday’s first round playoff game in the Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium. shoot and once we shut them down, they wanted to drive. This whole week we’ve been working on defense … I think focusing on that in practice was a really big help.” Patience Madayag led the bench in points and finished with 8 points along with 5 rebounds. Ella Stepanian was the third to finish with double digits this game and paired her 14 points with 5 assists and 5 rebounds. The Lancers spread the ball well and averaged 42 percent from the field and relied more on the inside game rather than their three-pointers. Pasadena controlled the first half ’s momentum by forcing nine turnovers and extended their lead to
10 after the game was tied with six minutes to go. Though the Roadrunners trimmed the lead to single digits halfway through the fourth quarter, the Lancers kept their focus on defense. “We had that focality working. It was a lot better this game and I’m glad that we stayed with it for four quarters,” Peron said. “Our lapses were for two minutes rather than for 10 minutes. I was impressed, happy, and proud of them.” The Lancers have a chance to upset in their second round game on Saturday Feb. 27 at No. 3 Ventura College. The two teams have a split record against each other.
FEATURES
8 COURIER
February 25, 2016
Student makes Ivy League, commended by Obama
Ryan Liu
PCC Archive
Katja Liebing Staff Writer When he walked across campus at Pasadena City College for the first time, Ryan Liu never imagined that only two years later he would attend an Ivy League college and receive a personal letter from the President of the United States. Liu, who is a first-generation college student, graduated summa cum laude in 2015 and earned an Associates Degree in Social and Behavioral Science at PCC. He was the Pasadena City College Class of 2015 valedictorian and used his address to urge President Barack Obama to continue to commit himself to the promise of strengthening community colleges. Liu also sent a letter to the White House asking for further steps to make college more accessible to financially less secure students. Considering the tens of thousands of letters and emails the White House receives daily, according to the New York Times, Liu did not expect a reply. In early January Liu opened the mailbox and held a letter from the
White House, in response to his own, in his hands. “I was surprised, as it was completely unexpected,” Liu said. “It was a really inspiring note to receive, because as I was questioning whether the path I’m on is the correct route. This letter reminded me that the work I’m doing is hopefully for a better purpose beyond just me, as I’m aiming to use the education I’m receiving to build a career dedicated towards helping other people.” Not only did Liu receive a letter from President Obama for his passionate address and commitment to better the life of others, he also was the first PCC student since 2007 to receive the most prestigious scholarship available to community college students—the Jack Kent Cooke transfer scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to highly gifted, low-income community college students and provides up to $40,000 annually for two to three years, enabling them to transfer to a four-year baccalaureate institution, according to the Foundation’s website. Before receiving the scholarship Liu didn’t know if he would be able to afford going to college. While at PCC Liu was active in the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society, the Honors Scholar Program and an elective member of the Associated Students Board. Liu’s former English professor Dr. Tooktook Thongthiraj, who supported him not only in class, but also when it came to applying for scholarships, remembers him fondly. “I have been teaching English for 21 years. Without a doubt, Ryan Liu is my #1 student of all time,” Thongthiraj wrote in an email. “Be-
sides being intellectually brilliant, he is creative and socially aware. Overall, he represents the quintessential student.” Thongthiraj assisted Liu with writing his personal statement for his university application, with letters of recommendation, and advised him how best to choose the university he would transfer to. “Of course, I would have loved for Ryan to be a Bruin like myself, but who could pass up a chance to study at Yale University?,” Thongth-
iraj said. Liu accepted the offer to go to Yale and is now a junior at Yale’s Morse College, where he studies political science. Considering that Yale only accepted 24 transfer students that year, and hardly any from community colleges, it is clear how exceptional Liu’s achievement is. “I was definitely surprised that I was accepted,” Liu said, “But I was also excited for the opportunity to study at Yale, and grateful for all
those mentors, professors, family members, friends and classmates who’ve helped me come this far.” “Above all, I felt that I had a responsibility to use this opportunity to gain new insight on how to help other people gain access to socioeconomic mobility, so that these opportunities for a better life aren’t as exclusive as they currently are.” Liu plans to get a joint JD/MBA to practice corporate law and then to return to California to work in public interest law.
COME AND CONNECT WITH STATEWIDE LEADERS IN THE FIGHT FOR FACULTY RIGHTS!
Thursday, March 17, 2016 12PM Circadian
Thursday, April 28, 2016 12PM Creveling Lounge
Special Guest Speaker:
Special Guest Speaker:
Executive Director at the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges.
President of the Foothill-DeAnza Faculty Association and the California Community College Independents
Jonathan Lightman
Rich Hansen
For more information on guest speakers, please visit www.pccfacultyassociation.org
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