CO U R I ER Pasadena City College
Serving PCC Since 1915
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM
APRIL 7, 2016 VOLUME 113 ISSUE 06
Germania Club brings their history back to life Katja Liebing Staff Writer
Cartoon by Samantha Molina
Local businesses pay the price for gentrification pg. 3
School scraps VA clinic plans Kristen Luna Editor-in-Chief
At last night’s board meeting, numerous members of the Veterans Club confronted the board about the failure of the administration and board to foresee the cut of the proposed Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic on campus that they fought so hard for over the past two years. With over 10 public comments from the Veterans Club, the board chose not to respond and the veterans left the meeting in protest. “As veterans we know what leadership looks like and we know what the opposite of leadership looks like,” said Veterans Club Adviser Harold “Doc” Martin. Over the past two years, members of the Veterans Club have been working with Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, and Sons of The American Legion along with school officials and others in the community, relentlessly trying to build a VA clinic on campus only to find out recently that it was actually never going to be possible. “It’s still unclear to this day why it’s taken so long because I do know the reason why they’re not doing it anymore and it has to do with legal issues,” said Veterans Club President Edwin Lopez. “But if it were legal issues then either the VA or PCC’s lawyers, should have known at least somewhere in the beginning but we didn’t find out until two and a half years later.”
Many in the Veterans Club are upset with the administration and their lack of transparency during the whole process. “We didn’t receive any updates that whole time. They [would] just kind of say, ‘Well, we’re still working on it,’ and that doesn’t mean anything,” Lopez said. Two months ago the club was given permission by the board to fundraise, which resulted in them raising over $400,000 in donations from private donors, clubs and individuals in the community. With those donors invested in a clinic, Lopez is left having to give answers he doesn’t have. “Everyone was waiting for an answer and the pressure came onto us and we had to do something about it and that’s what we did so we asked the questions,” Lopez said. “These are all questions that are still being answered and basically our mission right now is to get some answers. For example, where does the money go? I’ve heard [from Superintendent-President Dr. Rajen Vurdien] we can just give that money back but it doesn’t work that way because these people who donated the money have lost time and interest and who’s responsible?” Lopez is referring to the last president’s forum when several members of the Veterans Club addressed their concerns about the clinic to Vurdien and were finally met with answers. “The college through its legal
Monique LeBleu/Courier Veterans Club member Mark Castanon and club adviser Harold ‘Doc’ Martin at the Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday.
counsel was working with the VA’s legal counsel and the final report that came out indicated that the college can work with the VA if certain things are met,” Vurdien said. Vurdien described three reasons from the final report as to why PCC would not be able to work with the VA. The first reason he stated was in regards to a joint powers agreement, meaning that PCC and the VA would need to implement equally all powers that are common to each of them for the purpose of achieving specific goals, and according to Vurdien, “the VA’s legal counsel don’t do joint powers with colleges and universities.” The second reason he stated had to do with a joint use agreement, which is a formal agreement be-
tween PCC, a state agency, and the VA, a federal agency, establishing the terms and conditions for the shared use of the clinic. According to Vurdien, “the VA’s counsel said ‘no we don’t do joint use agreements because whatever we do we run by ourselves.’” The final cause he stated had to do with the VA wanting a revocable license agreement, and according to Vurdien, “the state of California and federal law do not allow for community colleges to enter in revocable licenses with any federal agency.” Not only was the community on and off campus in full support of the clinic, several congress members, including Congresswoman Judy Chu, were in favor of PCC
VACENTER PAGE 2
“Suddenly, I woke up in the middle of the night from a horrible commotion. I thought someone had fallen down the stairs. Gretel proved me wrong. It was actually an air raid and it was really close by in the forest. 9 bombs had fallen as we learned the following day. Well, that was a close call.” Last summer two women from the Germania club took up the colossal task of translating a diary kept by a 17-year-old German girl during World War II, along with poetry she had written during the 1940s. Suzy Moser, a San Marino resident and the daughter of the diary’s author, Marlis Haas, was never taught German by her mother. So when she discovered a handwritten diary and poetry after her mother’s death, she couldn’t read the thoughts and memories her mother once brought to paper during a time of war in Germany. Moser wondered who could help her with the task at hand and while browsing the PCC website she came across the Germania Club. When Olivia Bueno and Laura Benitez were first approached by Moser, they were initially apprehensive and thought the task was out of their league. Benitez and Bueno presented the project to other club members, who backed out when they heard all the material was in German cursive handwriting, which is notably difficult to decipher for the untrained eye. However, Benitez and Bueno could simply not let the opportunity pass by. “We met with Ms. Moser and we’re getting excited,” Bueno said of their initial meeting. “We are touching the material and we are seeing the quality of the paper and we are realizing ‘This is history!’ And while taking pictures, we are saying to ourselves, ‘Wait a minute, only scholars get an opportunity like this.’”
WW2LETTER PAGE 7
MASTERS OF TASTE
Homeless services to receive benefits of Taste PAGE 5
NEWS
2 COURIER
April 7, 2016
STEM program supports science and students Erin Dobrzyn Staff Writer
PCC, in conjunction with California State University Los Angeles (CSULA), has been awarded more than $450,000 over three years for its work to provide at-risk students with specialized programs to help them succeed in STEM fields. The STEM Education Consortium (SEC), and its subsequent FITW initiative which awarded PCC the grant, is a program funded by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and is designed to support students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through plentiful resources and more highly individ-
ualized instruction from professors. Staff associated with STEM disciplines and FITW initiatives are provided training, as well as developmental resources such as the Investing in Innovation Fund and Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow. The First in World Initiative (FITW) supplements the SEC by awarding universities grants to fund the furthering of instruction and retention of students in these fields. PCC and CSULA applied for this grant last year, and the colleges are now being awarded for their participation in this program. According to the department’s website, the 2015 FITW program included two competitions. The
first was for Development, which awards colleges for piloting STEM programs and to test its strategies, while the second, Validation, awards grants to allow colleges to continue the use of these techniques in the classroom. To fulfill the goals of this grant, PCC will be working with CSULA and other local universities to increase the transfer rate of students to continue their education and to “pursue study for transfer and eventually to pursue careers in STEM.” The FITW Initiative will focus primarily on students coming from low-income backgrounds, students of color, students with disabilities, and first-generation students. However, all students are encouraged
to explore classes in STEM fields to assess if they would like further purse a degree. According to Alex Boekelheide, executive director of strategic communications and marketing, PCC’s share in the STEM program is about $150,000 per year for three years. This money will be used to improve education in STEM areas of study and to budget for more personalized instruction for students. Dr. Jessica Igoe, professor of microbiology, will be heading the STEM initiative at PCC, along with many other professors of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. PCC’s eSTEM website details
upcoming projects, goals, opportunities and professors involved in the initiative. The natural sciences department has already begun implementing the FIWT initiative. Classes in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geography, geology, microbiology, physical sciences, physiology, and physics are all part of the STEM instruction. By using the eSTEM website, students can find “roadmaps” to help them choose the right classes to successfully navigate a degree in STEM fields, such as biology, chemistry, geology and pre-health sciences. Representatives from CSULA’s STEM program were unavailable for comment.
stolen at 8 a.m. At 9:30 p.m. a student was found unresponsive at Lancer’s Pass and transported HMH.
in the parking lot of the Rosemead campus. The Temple City Sheriff Department responded to the scene, but the car was gone upon their arrival. Police cadets reported that at 7 p.m. a campus police golf cart was stolen while it was parked in the quad. Officer Chan and cadets searched the campus, but came up empty-handed.
Samantha Molina/Courier PCC Veterans decal outside of the Veterans Resource Center on Tuesday.
POLICE BLOTTER Monday, Mar. 21 An unconscious woman was reported to be in the restroom of the first floor of the Information Technology building around 11 a.m. Upon contact with police, the woman was found conscious and breathing. She reported that she was suffering stomach cramps and was transported home by a friend. Facility members reported
narcotic paraphernalia in the men’s restroom on the first floor of the Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium. Three students were escorted out of class after a professor reported them being disruptive and failing to leave upon request.
(HMH) after falling and breaking her ankle on the walkway north of the E-building.
Tuesday, Mar. 22 A female student was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital
Thursday, Mar. 24 A cellphone left unattended on a desk in the library was reported
Saturday, Mar. 26 At approximately 10 a.m. an unidentified student reported observing two male subjects in a black Nissan Sentra, one of which was placing a gun in his backpack
VACLINIC
in and I urge each and every one of you to think about this and place this on your agenda.” The board did not respond to Villalobos’ comments or request. If PCC’s legal counsel and the VA’s legal counsel were able to work together and build the clinic, it would be the first VA clinic on a college campus. “We would’ve been the first ones … it would be the first time ever a college would establish such a thing and so that would’ve made PCC look great,” Lopez said at the forum. “You probably want to question their leadership at this point because that doesn’t make them look good … we have addressed and overcome many obstacles to make this a reality. Unfortunately there are members of this administration that do not support the clinic but know very well that the community does.” Before the club fundraised the money for the clinic, the school had funds for a separate project relating to the Veterans Resource Center (VRC) but put that on hold when they started pushing for the clinic. “I want to reassure the veterans that we have money set aside to work on the area where the veterans resource center is so that area is going to be slightly expanded and
the services there will be significantly improved once everything at the college is done and taken care of so we will be working on that,” Vurdien said at the forum. “We will be expanding that area, renovating it and making things happen for all the veterans because we believe in the services you have rendered in this country. We want to provide you with the best support, the best mentoring we can provide you because we don’t want you to stay here forever.” Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Cynthia Olivo was quick to jump to Vurdien’s aid and remind the veterans of all the programs, services and positions the school has created the past eight years in support of the veteran students. “We have since 2008 created a new course, Boots to Books; we have a veteran’s resource center, which we didn’t have eight years ago. On top of that we have a classified staff position, which is a permanent position, we have reassigned
time for your counselor at 50 percent reassigned time to coordinate the VRC. We created a veterans resource collaborative, which includes sections of courses. The board of trustees approved a $250,000 annual operating budget,” Olivo said. “I’m saying all these things to demonstrate the commitment this college has to you veterans ... if we couldn’t get this to happen, it’s not because we didn’t try. We tried very hard and the community supported it by putting forward donations.” In an interview, Lopez spoke proudly of the increase in veteran membership, which was at seven when he started two years ago and is now at 30 members, and the fact that even though they’ve hit a roadblock, they will continue working to bring more aid to not only veterans on campus but off campus as well. “We’re not giving up on the dream or vision of having some form of VA clinic somewhere here in Pasadena,” Lopez said.
Continued from page 1 being the first college with a VA clinic. “The VA is fully aware of it and the VA fully understands that this cannot be done,” Vurdien said. “Congresswoman Chu was appraised of all this. Her office understands it and we have put congresswoman Chu’s office in contact with Pasadena, and the city is working with Congresswoman Chu’s office to identify a location that can be used to address the concern that you just raised that is to provide some type of medical services to veterans. This is where we are right now.” At the last board meeting, veteran Christopher Villalobos spoke on behalf of the Veterans Club before the board and insisted they consider putting the clinic on the agenda and vote, which would make it the last step they would need in order to turn their dream into a reality. “I can urge you that this clinic is in favor not only for the soldiers, the sailors, and the marines, for every student on campus. This creates something to take even more pride
Wednesday, Mar. 23 A report was made at 2 p.m. of a wallet stolen from a student’s purse.
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OPINION
3 COURIER
High rents pushing students out
Brian Chernick Staff Writer
The double-edged sword of gentrification has become a fact of life for long-time residents and community college students of Pasadena over the past few years. While San Francisco, New York City and Downtown Los Angeles might get the lion’s share of media attention for the cost of renting an apartment to astronomical levels, the generally quiet town of Pasadena has come close to entering California’s top 20 list of most expensive places to rent in recent years. Without an affordable place to live, students of PCC and their parents, whom they might often live with, could end up finding it difficult to stay in the city, eventually becoming displaced and taking the
community out of PCC. According to online apartment listing services Apartment List and Rent Jungle, the average cost of a single-bedroom in Pasadena rose 18 percent in 2014 and another 10 percent in 2015. There is plenty to blame for the rising cost. For one, the 2008 recession didn’t help. As the initial waves of unemployment came crashing in it became more difficult to pay rent in the already expensive city. When combined with a stunted housing development, the situation makes for a supply-demand relationship that benefits those who have a larger disposable income. Much of the increase can be attributed to the steady spread of gentrification throughout the city, a phenomenon that has slowly snuck into people’s neighborhoods and consciousness over the past few
years. The practice of renovating an area to appeal to middle-class taste has seen its fair share of praise and denouncement. Although gentrification is often heralded for fostering business growth, bringing in revenue and cleaning up cities, the side-effects of rapidly transforming municipalities has also spurred criticism. North Pasadena and West Altadena residents have expressed feelings of alienation, devaluation and displacement when long-time businesses that use to cater to them have to shutter their doors after landowners seized on the opportunity to increase their own profit. The basic practice of raising rent isn’t the problem. The bigger issue is that Pasadena stands as one of the few California cities to lack proper rent control. This allows for
owners to increase rent with very limited restrictions. The lack of rent control affects both businesses and residences. When individuals with deep pockets start showing interest in untapped Pasadena areas, the current residents are at the mercy of their landlords in hopes that they don’t try to cash in. What ends up replacing familiar places are new, trendier, often times more expensive alternatives. As students and their families are both culturally and financially pushed out of surrounding areas, it has the potential to change the make-up of the community and by extension PCC. If community members are pushed into other neighborhoods, attending PCC might not be a sure bet as other, colleges might seem more reasonable alternatives.
that the internal affairs investigators in how they operate above other of police departments were “like citizens simply because they carry having the fox guard the chicken a badge. house.” As Uncle Ben said in “SpiderA recent article in Police Chief man”, “with great power comes Magazine stated, “The ideal great responsibility.” The current compromise system of law en“Nobody in the world, system should forcement would essentially leave nobody in history, has ever prefer to have it complaint be, “with great gotten their freedom by investigations power comes appealing to the moral to law enforcegreat leeway sense of the people who ment profesto operate as I were oppressing them.” sionals, subject please with zero to ultimate consequences for citizen review my actions.” -Assata Shakur as needed. The Police system should allow great latitude shootings are out of control in this to the law enforcement professional country. When officers kill civilians, and subcultural structure for dealing they are rarely charged. This is due with complaints. The final impleto the fact that the corrupt grand mentation of discipline should be jury system protects them from left to the chief; that is his or her indictment by having closed door job, and it should remain so.” sessions where prosecutors act as This is the problem. The belief defense attorneys for officers, rather that the system should “allow great than advocates for the victims. latitude to the law enforcement Prosecutors protect police beprofessionals,” is essentially asking cause the mafia-like FOP threatens that police be allowed more leeway them with non-compliance during
court cases, which could cause prosecutors to lose their cases and therefore re-elections. The entire justice system operates with the most powerful protecting each other, while ordinary citizens live in fear. When officers are charged for killings, very rarely do they receive any punishment. In January, The Huffington Post reported that police fatally shoot an average of 1,000 people per year. The number of police officers who were convicted of murder or manslaughter in 2015 was zero. The number was the same in 2014. In fact, since 2005, only 13 officers were convicted in fatal on-duty shootings and the last conviction was in 2013. These numbers are not only staggering, but also proof of how rarely cops are held accountable for taking human life. Police in the US behave as if their badge and gun gives them unbridled power to do as they please, rather than as employees of the taxpayers. Former Black Liberation Army member Assata Shakur said, “Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.” Police officers in the US are oppressors, plain and simple. Law enforcement started as runaway slave catchers, and after reconstruction formed actual law enforcement agencies with the first officers being members of the Ku Klux Klan. This history of oppression has permeated through law enforcement for decades and continues today unbridled. Allowing police departments to govern themselves based on the idea that they can be trusted to do so is not only a farce but goes against all evidence that shows they clearly cannot be trusted.
April 7, 2016
VOICES
“Should PCC have on-campus housing or assist in finding housing for students?”
“Personally for me, I don’t live too close to campus. That’s something I would be interested in PCC doing.” Derek Mejia, undeclared
Oppressive police need massive oversight Amber Lipsey Opinion Editor
In 1965, New York Mayor John Lindsay proposed including civilians on a review board as a way to address complaints from minority groups about police misconduct. The move backfired, and the police union and conservatives rallied against civilian oversight. Voters later defeated the idea in a citywide vote. Two decades passed before civilian oversight was approved in NYC and during that time police misconduct and abuse soared in the city, particularly against minorities. In his book, “From Within I Rise,” T.F. Hodge wrote, “Rules, laws and codes become obsolete among the self-governed.” This is not only accurate, it is the exact reason why civilian oversight of police departments is needed, not only in Pasadena, but across the nation. A year and a half after the events in Ferguson, Mo., that started a national movement against police violence, the Pasadena chapter of Black Lives Matter is putting pressure on the city council to create a civilian oversight board for the Pasadena Police Department that will have hiring and firing abilities. While this is necessary, it has received pushback from police officers and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). NPR reported last month that officers were against the idea because they believed the boards were often politicized and unfair to them. These are simply complaints from officers who dislike the idea of being held accountable for their actions. As the saying goes, “a hit dog will holler.” In Kansas City, Mo., personal injury lawyer Sid Willens told NPR
COURIER Editor-in-Chief Kristen Luna Managing Editor John Orona Photo Editor Katja Liebing News Editor Hannah Gonzales Asst. News Editors Brian Chernick Angelique Andrade
Online/Opinion Editor Amber Lipsey
Photo illustration by Katja Liebing
Serving PCC since 1915
Asst. Opinion Editor Daniel Larson
Online/Features Editor Monique A. LeBleu
Sports Editors Ahmad Akkaoui Christian Rivas Scene Editor Hazel Paiz
Asst. Features Editor Erin Dobrzyn
Design Editor Samantha Molina
Online Photo Editor Eric Haynes
Staff Writers Irma Carrillo, Peter Chao, Julius Choi, Lilith Garcia, Timothy Mably, Kelly Rodriguez Murrillo
Asst. Lifestyle Editor Taylor Gonzales
“I might say yes because I come from an hour away. I had to find an apartment to come here.” Jenni Manetti, music major
“I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea. I’m an athlete myself. A lot of good athletes are from out of the city and out of the country.” Michael Donalski, graphic design
“I think investing in housing for students out of the area would take away from students who live in Pasadena.” Veronica Mejia, communications
Be Heard
Staff Photographers Guadalupe Alvarez, Kelly Rodriguez Murrillo 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.
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“Yes. Sometimes the commute to the house is far. You actually have a better chance of coming to school if you live close.” Eugenia Reyes, kinesiology
Reporting by Taylor Gonzales Photos by Irma Carrillo
SCENE
4 COURIER
Samantha Molina/Courier Momo Yamaguchi, originally from Japan, adjusts the seat of her unicycle.
April 7, 2016
Hazel Paiz/Courier A rocking horse and other children’s items waxes nostalgic at the Pasadena City College on Sunday.
The
Flea Market
of
Pasadena City College
Hazel Paiz/Courier Taxidermy and 1960’s motorcycle caps decorate a table.
Hannah Gonzales/Courier Eber Palomares, a Long Beach resident, buys records.
Hazel Paiz/Courier Pasadena local Pam Dent carts along her dog Skip while perusing some of the merchandise.
Samantha Molina/Courier Vendor Ilene Morales of Glendora sells vintage jewelry.
Hazel Paiz/Courier A table full of kitsch items on display.
Hazel Paiz/Courier Tribal figures and pottery make for an eclectic mix of merchandise. The monthly flea market boasts over 500 vendors selling a range of antiques, clothing and wares.
LIFESTYLE
Rediscover retro vids, vinyl at Videotheque
5 COURIER
April 7, 2016
Photos by Kristen Luna/Courier Videotheque is a video store that allows customers to rent or buy from a wide variety of international, documentary, rare and cult classic DVD’s. Taylor Gonzales Staff Writer In the heart of South Pasadena lies a hidden gem chock-full of thousands of films for movie lovers of all ages. Videotheque is a unique video rental store containing close to 30,000 films ranging from comedy stand-ups to Sci-fi and fantasy movies. With a variety of hard-to-find films, it’s no wonder that Videotheque has such a loyal following of customers. At Videotheque, film buffs can rent their favorite classic horror films, including those starring the legendary Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. Videotheque not only carries the huge blockbusters as soon as they
come out on DVD, but they also carry rare movies that can’t be found on Redbox or Netflix. “We also carry a lot of experimental and art films. A lot of professors from PCC come here to rent films for classes,” Mario Zamarripa said. Zamarripa has worked at Videotheque for over eight years, and noted that about seven years ago, the store relocated from a smaller space it outgrew down the street. Videotheque also carries numerous foreign titles with international films from Scotland, England, Germany and Japan. Aside from DVDs, Videotheque also carries Blu-rays, VHSs, and vinyl records. “We started carrying vinyls now, which is bringing in a new kind of
customer,” Zamarripa said. Music lovers have a wide variety of vinyls to browse through, including many selections from David Bowie. Videotheque employee of seven years, Martina Moreno, has a deep love of film and is inspired by her work environment. “I’m constantly finding things here you normally wouldn’t know about. I was a customer before I started working here,” Moreno said. The atmosphere that Videotheque provides for its customers is one-ofa-kind. There are eye-catching posters for classic movies like “Lolita” and “Citizen Kane” suspended on the deep blue walls, while overhead looms giant round lanterns. Oftentimes, customers encounter Pepe, the Videotheque dog. He freely roams the aisles of movies while
mond 1886 restaurant in Pasadena and USHS board member said of the Masters of Taste gastronomic event, “We thought this would be a perfect tie-in with Union Station.” “Leslie, my wife, and I brainstormed and came up with the idea of a food festival, and then we thought about the Rose Bowl and what a great venue this would be,” Levy said. Levy brought the idea to the board of USHS. And after having several galas previously, Levy said they “bought into it in a big way, the idea of doing something different.” “A gala is only as big as the room you are in. And this is a pretty big room!,” he said. The Raymond 1886’s chef Tim Guiltinan served up three sets of tacos for the day, with a new one each hour. The duck taco with a “fois-camolé” topping, and matching cocktail “The 1886 Saladito” with lime, honey, passilla chili infused mescal and chili salt, were served as the final set. The event was designed to appeal
to a much “younger, hipper demographic” of foodies. Master chef items included chef Calogero Drago of Celestino’s mushroom and asparagus ravioli with a truffle sauce, chef Eduardo Pineda of Sangers & Joe’s Vegetarian Ceviche with wasabi avocado, pickled fennel, fiddlehead ferns, cherry tomatoes and fresh peas, and Redbird’s chef Neal Fraser’s fresh Ricotta Gnudi pasta with “Guanchale,” or Roman bacon. Fraser said his dish was made with parmesan cheese, eggs, semolina flour and “a big handful of love.” “That’s the most important part,” said a customer who enjoyed the freshly laid out pasta. “Yep. It doesn’t taste good without it!” Fraser said. Chef Angel Flores of Del Frisco’s Grille, a graduate of the Cordon Bleu culinary school of Pasadena, featured Ahi Tuna Tacos with his house guacamole and spicy mayo and paired it with a “VIP Cocktail” which was made with a clementine-infused vodka soaked in and pressed from a fresh pineapple. Chef Matt Bata of Alexander’s Steak House introduced his “fois-strami” taco, a fois gras and pastrami spiced beef tartare topped on a on a rye crêpe with “miso remoulade,” where the delicate caraway flavor of the crêpe complimented the taco. The Wax Paper Company brought the “Audie Cornish,” which is just one of their sandwiches that are all named in honor of National Public Radio journalists. Ramon Leon, restaurant liaison for Wolfgang Puck for events such as the Academy Awards, came to support the cause and his friends whose own restaurants donated food, their craft, and cocktails. “The food is so delicious. The
greeting people with a tail wag. Pepe’s owner, Melody Carrillo, recommends the 2008 drama “Let the Right One In,” out of the myriad amount of flicks to choose from. “I love that movie so much, the Swedish version,” Carrillo said. The employees at Videotheque are always willing to recommend a movie to those struggling to make a decision. They have a film playing in the background on a TV with the DVD case featured prominently on the counter by the registers. Videotheque offers a variety of rental packages to help their loyal customers save money. They have a pre-paid option, where rentals don’t expire and they stay on the account until redeemed. For more information on Videotheque go to www.vidtheque.com.
Pepe, the Videotheque dog, on Monday in South Pasadena.
Masters of Taste fundraiser to benefit homeless
Monique A. LeBleu Staff Writer
Filling the field of the Rose Bowl Stadium on Sunday, thousands gathered for the inaugural Masters of Taste food and beverage festival, and not just to fill their bellies. The festival raised funds for the Union Station Homeless Services (USHS) in Pasadena in their largest effort to date. 100 percent of the proceeds are to go directly to the nonprofit. The event featured over 40 restaurants and and 13 beverage vendors. Master chefs and mixologists crafted savory and sweet bites and mixed uniquely inspired cocktails and healthy juices for the event. Amanda Green, event director for the inaugural event, has been with the nonprofit through previous annual gala fundraisers, such as their Mother’s Day event last year. The goal this year was to exceed the $500,000 that such efforts have garnered and reach as much as $600,000. Rob Levy, owner of The Ray-
Mixologists of the Raymond 1886 Jesus Gomez and Cameron Madsen serve cocktails at the Masters of Taste food and beverage festival on Sunday at the Pasadena Rose Bowl.
Photos by Hannah Gonzales/Courier Crispy pork belly crostini with fava bean and radish served by BierBeisl Imbiss & Bakery of Los Angeles at the Masters of Taste food and beverage festival on Sunday at the Pasadena. drinks are so great,” said Leon about the Raymond 1886. “And Nighthawk, their sweet potato pancake with fried chicken on top. If you have not been there you need to go!” The fare provided by Nighthawk was matched with a “cereal milk” cocktail served in a milk bottle. Sasha Reyes of Whittier danced on the field while enjoying a Kikori Whiskey blood orange whiskey sour. “Good food, good people, good atmosphere!” Reyes said. “It’s just a really cool atmosphere here to be on the football field.” Some of the “Masters of Sweets,” the dessert providers at the event, included The Butter Cake Shoppe, Choctál single origin ice cream, and Helados Pops vegan ice cream. Helados Pops featured exotic ice cream flavors like guava, cashew fruit, which is made from both the fruit and the nut, and lucuma, a fruit found in Peru, Chile and the Philippines. “It has a buttery, nutty taste to it. People say they taste papaya in it,” said Damon Pratt, serving up the refreshing lucuma ice cream.
Over 300 sponsors donated $1,500 or above. These sponsors and VIP tickets holders were given access an hour early, where they were provided dedicated cocktails and massage lounges, fruit platters, and access to special cocktails like the Celery Cocktail provided by Alexander’s Steak House. Prior to the event, Green said she looked forward to tasting local microbrewers like Iron Triangle, Indie Brewing in Boyle Heights and Golden Road in Glendale. The goal number of 2,000 attendees was nearly reached by the day’s end. “We are having a lot of fun! It is a perfect day. We couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather,” Levy said. “The fact that we are doing something good for Union Station is an awesome bonus.” For more information on how to donate to Union Station Homeless Services go to www. unionstationhs. org.
6 COURIER
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April 7, 2016
3/15/16 12:36 PM
FEATURES
7 COURIER
April 7, 2016
Samantha Molina/Courier Olivia Bueno, president of PCC’s Germania Club, and Suzy Moser look at photos of Moser’s mother, Marlis Haas, on Friday.
WW2LETTER
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Bueno took it upon herself to translate the diary portion that spanned the two weeks of vacation time shortly before Haas was drafted for “Reichsarbeitsdienst,” the Empire Labour Service. In her last year of school, Haas went on a two week trip to Austria with a friend to make the most of the last long summer holidays. Such long vacations wouldn’t be possible once she was drafted for labor service. During World War II, women over 18 had to work for a year on farms, in offices, traffic and arms production to replace the missing male workforce. For months Bueno and Benitez spent endless hours on deciphering the handwriting and giving meaning to the words on the worn pages. “The most challenging part for me was making sure I got the meanings of the poems right,” Benitez said. “For every one German word there are several different words in English that it can be translated into. I wanted to get the feeling right for each poem. I was most
concerned with the message of the poems since they are such personal words and I wanted to be respectful of what Marlis Haas had written. And I wanted to be as accurate as possible.” The war raged while Haas and her friend Gretel, both from Neureut near Karlsruhe, traveled from city to city, and Haas admired the beauty of the landscapes and the old architecture, which she describes as being stunningly beautiful in her diary and poems. But the air-raids were ever present, and at times Haas describes them almost as an inconvenience. While shopping they suddenly hear the aviator alarm and have to take cover for hours. Then life goes on and they enjoy swims in the lakes and the people they meet. Despite the horrors of the war going on around her, and having lost her father and brother during this time, in the diary she is still a 17- year-old girl enjoying her summer holidays and taking in the beauty around her. “When you are reading this information, it is like an escape,” Bueno said. “You can see her perspective for nature through her diary and
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how she is able to see all that beauty. She keeps a beauty for herself to keep her sane.” Haas tries to make sense of what is happening around her. Despite never quite being able to escape the war, she does her best to enjoy the beautiful cities she visits, like Vienna and Salzburg. “These were the last two weeks of her freedom before she had to go to this Reichsarbeitsdienst.” Haas eventually gets drafted to the labor camp near Lake Constance, but escapes with two other
girls when they steal a boat and row across the lake, according to Ms Moser. They got news about the foreign forces moving in and needed to get home before they were cut off from their families. The diary and poems hold Haas’ dreams, memories, and her loves and fears. “Laura and I had a life changing experience to do this, but we need to share it,” Bueno said. “The message is there and it relates to us young generations and to the creative minds and how she survived
tough moments in her life.” Both Bueno and Benitez describe the experience of getting the opportunity to translate first source material from World War II as life altering. Benitez learned in school, where she minored in German, about World War II and the events in Germany during those times. She said she gained a completely different perspective by studying someone’s personal accounts and learning about their thoughts. “The experience has been an amazing one,” Benitez said. “Going into it, I never imagined how rewarding it would be … We worked on this for months and all the hard work and long hours spent trying to decipher whether a letter was an e or an i, or even an l, were worth it … Ms. Moser was so grateful and that has been the most rewarding part. Helping her read her mother’s words and understand what she was going through during that time is amazing. This is something I won’t forget.” Moser was immensely thankful to Benitez and Bueno, who had “done the best job [she] ever could have expected.” She could finally read the diary and poems her mother wrote to perpetuate her memories, thoughts, and emotions. “It’s really nice to see the diary and poetry,” Moser said. “The thread that went all the way through was this creativity and this love of beauty and this desire to make it, whether it was a poem or an illustration or a beautiful home. She was always making life better and prettier and more beautiful. I think it’s a swell story.”
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SPORTS
8 COURIER
April 7, 2016
Baseball’s playoff hopes: a sinking fastball Irma Carrillo Staff Writer
PCC baseball snapped a fourgame losing streak with a 10-5 win over LA Harbor, but lost yet another conference series 2-1. At the start of the first game, the Lancers played good defense and made only one error, while LA Harbor had two, giving the offense full advantage. PCC managed to tie the game at five in the seventh inning. But their main struggle was on
the mound, where they squandered a total of seven runs at the bottom of the eighth to lose the game 12-6. “We have to do a better job of playing all three areas of the game: pitching, hitting and defense,” head coach Pat McGee said. “We’ve been putting two of three together but not all three.” Following their first loss, PCC stepped on the field at home and played a competitive game right off the bat. Although sophomore starting pitcher Anthony Mizrahi walked the
Seahawks first hitter, he redeemed himself with a double play when he dove for a pop-up hit by Seahawks third baseman Jeysen Delgado, then threw to first base to get the second out as the runner attempted to tag. In the bottom of the third inning, with two runners on base and two outs, the Lancers hit back-to-back RBIs. The sequences started with designated hitter Jeremy Conant, who hit a single to center field that brought in shortstop Alex Briggs from second base.
Samantha Molina/Courier Sophomore catcher Justin Cage slides into third base after LA Harbor College’s Jeysen Delgado makes an error at Brookside Park’s Jackie Robinson Memorial Field on Thursday, March 31.
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With energy thriving, right fielder Anthony Rabito also hit a single to center field that brought in Jacob Navarro, who advanced to third base during the previous play. “Offensively we did really well,” Briggs said. “We had guys come up big in places where they needed to.” The Seahawks trailed by two runs and started to lose their grip. Mizrahi was stressing out LA Harbor every time they went up to bat, forcing them to swing in desperation. He had a total of four strikeouts during the game. The Lancers were doing a great job of backing up Mizrahi and putting pressure on the Seahawks’ batters. “Anthony gave us great leadership. He pitched with a lot of heart,” McGee said. “He set the tempo early in the game.” LA Harbor quickly responded with two runs at the top of the seventh and eighth innings, taking a 5-3 lead. Despite falling back two runs the Lancers didn’t settle. Instead, they turned things around and rallied with seven runs in the bottom of the eighth. “We’re back on track … we put up a ten-spot compared to putting up a six-spot last game,” Conant said. Conant had three RBIs on the day, bringing him to a total of 19 on the season. Briggs was right behind him, getting two RBIs in the game, tallying 14 in total. PCC had 17 hits on the day, resulting in a win against LA Harbor, 10-5.
The Lancers definitely had better control of executing the three areas of the game McGee mentioned that the team lacked in the first game of the series. “Our guys have been showing a lot of resiliency late in games, especially offensively and we continue to do that,” McGee said. When they faced the Seahawks on Saturday, they came close to another win but didn’t follow through, losing the game 5-4. However, they played solid with a one-point deficit and finished with zero errors. The Lancers were able to hit many balls, two of which flew to the wall, and the team didn’t strike out. The defense also completed four diving plays out of the five opportunities they had. As they battled back and forth with LA Harbor in the ninth inning, they couldn’t complete the comeback. Though these close games have become a reoccurrence, the team has shown progress, making it clear that they have taken huge strides to be competitive in a short amount of time. The Lancers play another threegame conference series against Cerritos College. The first game is an away game on Tuesday, April 5 at 2:30 p.m., followed by a home game at Brookside Park on Thursday, April 7 at 2:30 p.m., and they close the series with an away game on Saturday, April 9 at 12 p.m.
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