OPINION
FEATURES
SPORTS
SHANNON FAULKNER GIVES WOMEN
RIGHT TO ATTEND CITADEL
Her departure reveals that women
continue to struggle for equality in the -
military. 2.
DR. DAVE, GEOLOGIST
The 1995 Risser Award winner
reminisces about the days when
he was a student at
PCC. 3
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
GEARS UP FOR 1995
SEASON PLAY
Returning players expected <
to lead team to playoffs. (
NEW FACES AT PCC
• TRUSTEES AGREE TO CHANGE RULES
SAMUEL HERNANDEZ AND MARTIN VAN PER VEEN THE COURIER
A digital marquee and football team guided by a new head coach, are couple of the changes happening at PCC this fall 1 995 semester.
• CLAIMS OF ALLEGED RACIAL DISCRIMINATION MAY HAVE TRIGGERED RESIGNATION
Routine resigns, Robinson takes over
By RAY ARMENDARIZ
Courier Staff Writer
The PCC athletic department has
a new director as a result of the
surprise resignation of Ernie
Romine, who left the college in July.
Former golf coach Skip Robinson
has taken over for Romine.
Three claims filed by faculty
members against Romine for alleged
discrimination based on race may
have influenced his decision to step
down. However, Romine said the
claims were just a minor factor in his
decision to leave. He said he quit
because he wanted to be near his
family and that it was the time to
move on.
“1 had planned on leaving for a
while now,” Romine said.
On the ad¬
vice of his law¬
yer, Romine
would not com¬
ment further.
The claims
were filed at a
Board of Trust¬
ees meeting in
July by physical Ernie Romine
education instructors Grace Apiafi,
Jessie Moore and Magee Baker. Each
is claiming $500,000 in damages.
The Board of Trustees, however,
rejected their claim, as recom¬
mended by the district’s claims ad¬
ministrator, Keenan & Associates.
“If the district feels that a claim is
unquestionable, say someone is in¬
jured as a result of our negligence,
then the district will try to settle,”
said Jack Scott,
superintendent-
president. “But if
the claim is ques¬
tionable, they
deny the claim,
as the board did.
The person then
has the right to
file suit,” Scott
The instructors did. As a result of
the board’s rejection of the claim, the
instructors have now filed suit against
the college. Scott said there is no
court date set at the present time.
Apiafi and Baker refused to com¬
ment on the case, and Moore could
not be reached.
When asked what Romine had
done that might be considered racial
discrimination, Baker only said, “Just
look around.”
Not only did Romine’s resigna¬
tion come as a surprise to faculty,
but some said they were unaware of
the claims against him. “I was really
surprised,” said Greg Smith, head
coach of the women’s basketball
team. “He had just come back from
vacation and then he resigned. I
didn’t expect that at all. Of the
charges against him, no, I wasn’t
aware of what was going on.”
Smith said that although he can¬
not speak for other instructors, he
never saw Romine act in any way
that would be considered racially
motivated.
With Romine’s departure, the
Board of Trustees appointed Skip
Please see ROMINE, Page 5
Skip Robinson
said.
AS presidency
position cut to
two candidates
By GILBERT RIVERA
Courier Staff Writer
The Board of Trustees, in an ef¬
fort to settle a dispute over who will
be this year’s Associated Students
president, has agreed to bold mea¬
sures, including a special two-candi¬
date election set for Sept. 6 and 7.
The dispute stems from last
spring’s AS presidential election, in
which runner-up Kris Le was handed
the presidency after the top vote-
getter Roldan Herrera was disquali¬
fied by the election committee
(Herrera won by a slim 29-vote mar¬
gin). Two students, one of them a
candidate for coordinator of campus
activities, filed three complaints
against Herrera, claiming that he had
violated election bylaws on voting
days. The committee, coordinated
by the Office of Student Affairs,
upheld those complaints.
Over a period of a month, Herrera
and several of his supporters ap¬
pealed the disqualification to the
trustees, calling the election
committee’s decision “a clear and
definite violation of the election pro¬
cess.”
“The complaints brought against
Herrera were brought not by student
co-workers but by students who were
opposed to Herrera. That is not con¬
stitutional,” Darrell Price, a Herrera
supporter, sajd.
The AS executive board, how¬
ever, voted to stand behind the
committee’s decision and to recog¬
nize Le as president.
After hearing both sides and cit¬
ing an urgent need to bring the matter
to a close, the board voted 4-3 June
27 to implement a six-part resolution
presented by Trustee Walter T. Shat-
ford. Highlights of the plan include:
annulment of the April 26 and 27 AS
presidential election, a special elec¬
tion limited to only two candidates
(Herrera and Le), and the appoint-
IHE CANDIDATES' FILES
Kris Le
Age: 20
Major: interna¬
tional business
Memberships:
AGS, Rotaract,
OMD pledge
^ _
Roldan Herrera
Age: 21
Major: political
science
Memberships:
AGS, ASIA, AS
Executive VP
(1994)
ment of an administrator outside of
the Office of Student Affairs who
would be given complete control
over the election. The administrator
would have the power to formulate
the rules and the penalties for viola¬
tions.
Trustees and PCC Superintendent-
President Dr. Jack Scott appointed
Nino Valmassoi, associate dean of
community education, as coordina¬
tor of the special election. Accord¬
ing to the AS constitution, the Office
of Student Affairs normally handles
the AS elections. The appointment
of an administrator outside that of¬
fice is unprecedented at PCC.
One of the reasons the appoint¬
ment was made was that the current
AS constitution does not address the
issue of what to do after the top vote-
getter is disqualified.
“The constitution does allow for
disqualification, but it doesn’t say
how to handle the situation after that
happens,” said Stephen Johnson,
dean of student affairs.
Please see ELECTIONS, Page 6
• MOTHER TURNS CHILD IN
• STATE LEGISLATURE SUPPORTS COLLEGE STUDENTS
14-year-old boy
accused of three
campus assaults
By RAY ARMENDARIZ
Courier Staff Writer
Campus police had their hands full over the week¬
end when three people were assaulted and robbed on
campus. A 14-year-old boy was described as being six-
feet tall was arrested in the incidents. The suspect was
turned in to Pasadena Police by his mother after she
discovered items in the house that did not belong to them.
Sgt. Vincent Palermo of campus police was pleased
that the suspect was turned in. “I think it was great that
his mother showed concern for the way he was heading.”
“Usually about 90 percent of the parents don’t keep
close track of their children. When they do find some¬
thing out they cover it up, and conceal it. That’s why
kids get away with it and don’t learn to be responsible for
their actions,” Palermo said.
In the first incident on Saturday at 3 :54 p.m., when the
suspect snatched a purse from Dung Cao, 24, then
punched her and ran off. The second assault was
committed Sunday at 11:20 a.m.. when the suspect
allegedly grabbed Keiko Kashiwbara, 45, around the
neck and stole his money.
Please see ARREST, Page 5
Fee hike avoided, college tuition stays at $13
By T AMINA AG HA
Courier Staff Writer
The state legislature has shown
its support for college students. Fee
increases for community colleges
have been avoided for this school
year. The 1995 budget also elimi¬
nates fees charged to community
college students who have a bach¬
elors degree.
For the first time in nine years,
students throughout California have
been given a break from paying
higher tuition fees.
Gov. Pete Wilson’s original 1995
budget sought to increase commu¬
nity college tuition by 1 5 percent.
Wilson’s budget, proposed in
January, sought to increase tuition
fees by 1 0 percent for students at the
Cal State Universities and the Uni¬
versity of California. Early in Au¬
gust, a revised state budget was en¬
acted and fee increases were avoided.
Dr. Jack Scott, PCC president,
was surprised at the legislature’s
move, because he thought fees would
increase. “I’m very pleased that fees
for community college students were
not raised,” Scott said. “The
legislature’s decision lifted a big
burden off students who would have
difficulty paying more.”
Wilson’s original 1995-96 bud¬
get called for increasing fees for
students of the University of Califor¬
nia by $380 a year. Undergraduates
atCalifomiaStateUniversities would
have been slapped with a yearly in¬
crease of $ 1 56 in tuition. And fees
for full-time community college stu¬
dents would have increased $60 a
year.
The final budget sets community
college tuition at $ 1 3 a unit, whereas
W i Ison’ s proposal sought to increase
fees to $15 a unit. Currently, com¬
munity college students who already
have a bachelors degree are being
charged $50 a unit. Curtis Richards,
a consultant to Assemblywoman
Denise Moreno Ducheny (D-San
Diego) said, “Democrats persuaded
the governor to let that law sunset.”
Students this fall had to pay these
fees but after this semester they will
be eliminated.
Ducheny is one of many legisla-
Please see TUITION, Page 3
THE COST OF COLLEGE IN CALIFORNIA
1989-1996
Source: Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance
