PCC Courier, February 19, 1987

VOL. 64, NO. 1 PASADENA CITY COLLEGE, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA FEBRUARY 19, 1987 Students Oxford- Bound for Diverse Education As the participants of PCC’s second annua! Spring Semester Aibroad in Oxford England prepared to board the plane, student Maxanna Brooks hugs her son William Erik good bye. The students will spend the next four months studying the culture and traditions of England as well as 16 units of transferable credit. Courier photo by Jeanine Graham KPCC Awarded 'Golden Mike' By John Willis Feature Editor “Absolutely delighted” was how KPCC News Director Larry Mantle described his reaction to the news. “I had hoped our entry would be of suffi¬ cient caliber but didn’t expect this kind of recognition.” The recognition referred to was KPCC’s second Golden Mike award in the last three years. The award, which was presented at a banquet in January honored the station’s Evening Edition news program. The Golden Mike, Southern Califor¬ nia’s most highly prized award for broadcasting excellence, is given an¬ nually by the Radio and Television News Association (RTNA) of Southern California for excellence in reporting, news writing, production and overall skill. The winners are selected by secret ballot from voters competing in divisions other than their own. KPCC’s recognition came in the cat¬ egory of Best Broadcast News over 15 minutes. Evening Edition is a half-hour local newscast which emphasizes cov¬ erage of the San Gabriel Valley. The program airs week nights from 5:30 to 6 p.m. “A member of the RTNA board indicated to me that the judges raved about our entry and said that it far surpassed the competition,” said Man¬ tle. Mantle credited the Evening Edition staff with the award. “We are for¬ tunate to have an outstanding group of community volunteers and students,” he said. He also referred to them as “intelligent, loyal and skilled.” The Evening Edition staff includes Kathy Lambros as assistant news director, sports editor Clark Macy and staff members Matt Wright and Jeff Ryder. An additional reason for the honor is due to the recent revamping of the program. Evening Edition is a maga¬ zine-style news program which has aired for the last ten years. Staffers felt that the show wasn’t living up to its full potential and brainstormed some format changes, the most noticeable of which are musical transitions between story segments. This new and im¬ proved Evening Edition premiered last June. By Jennifer Landis News Editor The overwhelming sentiment at Los Angeles International Airport last Thursday was joy. For 44 passengers on TWA’s flight 770 it was the beginning of an adventure of a lifetime. The 44 PCC students were heading for a four-month study program in Oxford, England. This is the second year PCC has sponsored this Spring semester abroad. The students, although not studying at the famed Oxford University, will be taking a heavy academic load of 16 fully transferable units. English professors Phyllis Mael and Joe Sierra, along with social science professor Kay Dabelow will be in¬ structing the students in English, his¬ tory and the humanities. Mael will spend all four months in England while Dabalow and Sierra will each spend seven weeks there. Sierra, the first seven weeks and Dabelow the second. The semester will not be all work and no fun for the students or their professors. Excursions to London, Bath, Stonehenge and the Lake District are planned. Last year, after observing the students interest in Tintern Abbey, the locale of a Wordsworth poem, Sierra plans to spend extra time at this exciting location studying the poet. Sierra was not officially involved with the program last year but was in England on sabbatical at the same time. In London, according to Sierra, the students will be going to many plays such as the Merry Wives of Windsor as well as seeing a new play starring Maggie Smith. The excursions and plays are meant to supplement what the students are studying in class. Six to eight special lectures have also been planned. An expert on Avebury and Stonehenge, as well as Oxford professors and possibly Shakespearean actors have been booked. Last year the students talked with a member of parliament and a “bobby” (a police¬ man). Mael, Sierra and Dabelow are planning to sit in on lectures at Oxford University. Each student will learn much about English culture and traditions while living with English families. According to William Goldman, act¬ ing vice president for institutional ad¬ vancement and assistant to the presi¬ dent, Oxford organizer and former instructor in the Oxford program, the community is aware of PCC’s presence and welcomes us. Goldman said, “Before we left for home last June, 10 to 15 of the Oxford families wanted PCC students in their homes again this year.” The students will have their own bank accounts with automated teller cards for easy access. They will also have access to the Oxford Polytechnic library with check out privileges. Ox¬ ford Polytechnic is England's equivalent to Cal State Northridge, not the historic University itself. Oxford is a manufacturing community with an auto factory and a population of 92,000. This year’s students range in age from 17 to mid-thirties. One student is a mother of two teenagers. Before leav¬ ing, many of the students said they were “nervous and excited. " Parents often said they were “jealous and wished they were going.” One mother said that this trip will forever change her relationship with her daughter be¬ cause of what she will experience. When asked what they would miss most, some students said quacamole and In “N” Out Burgers, while others said America itself. One student said, “All of a sudden I will miss what I am used to but I’ll try to appreciate the differences.” Many students said that the ex¬ perience is an “opportunity to grow up ... but not too much” and have the “freedom to express and learn about themselves.” One fellow smiled while saying he has “no idea what’s going to happen,” while others are looking for¬ ward to living with their English fami¬ lies. Some had already contacted them before leaving for Europe. Some parents, though not worried about letting their children live in England for four months, were ap¬ prehensive about their children travel¬ ing throughout the rest of Europe. Recent terrorist actions in some areas have caused some parents to be a little concerned. Spring break will see many PCC students traveling throughout Europe. For two weeks the students are on their own, able to travel whereever they want. Many plan to go to France, Germany, Moscow, Sweden or to Spain to see the running of the bulls in Pamplona. According to Goldman, the group is a microcosm of PCC itself. With people of all nationalities, ages and back¬ grounds. More than 25 percent of the students are covering all or part of the $2,995 cost with financial aid. Those who ordinarily qualify for aid can use it to cover the program’s costs. “Oxford just happens to be a PCC program overseas,” said Goldman. Many students from last year’s pro¬ gram have transfered to four-year uni¬ versities such as UC Berkeley and UCLA. An art student from last year’s program is now attending an Austrian school of the arts. Hi-Tech Computer Grant Goes to Disabled By Natalie Shore Staff Writer The Chancellor’s office and the State Department of Rehabilitation have jointly awarded PCC a $19,122 estab¬ lishment grant to provide a new hi-tech computer instructional program to its disabled students. One of the 23 com¬ munity college sites selected, PCC will soon house the state’s most advanced technological ec jipment and software adapted to suit the learning needs of the disabled. “The program will provide informa¬ tion access to students with all types of disabilities,” explained Emy Lu Weller, director of the learning dis¬ abled students services. “We will have specific technical equipment for stu¬ dents who are blind, hearing impaired, physically disabled, learning disabled and brain injured.” The grant will add two IBM PCs, one IBM XT, one Apple He, two Toshiba printers, and one IBM printer to the existing hardware in C108’s disabled students’ computer center. It will also provide the latest software specially designed to teach skills in reading, writing, vocabulary and mathematics. Some software packages even cover material directly related to some ma¬ jors. The program was first developed and tested at Monterey Peninsula College, one of California’s leading two-year schools in its design and implementa¬ tion of instructional programs for the disabled. Monterey’s program will serve as the models for the new com¬ puter centers at all 23 other colleges. The Community College Foundation, the grant’s supervisory fiscal agent set up by the Chancellor’s office and the Department of Rehabilitation, sent written confirmation last Tuesday that PCC had been selected as one of the sites. Because the program is set up on a “match grant” system, colleges were required the come up with 20 percent of the funds during the application proc¬ ess for the program. PCC collected $3,800, $3,368 which came from the PCC Foundation ac¬ cording to Robert Cody, assistant dean for instructional computing. When the state awarded the grant, it matched the remaining 80 percent to come up with the $19,122 total. PCC was also a leading contender due the space the college had already allocated to house the existing equip¬ ment. “The grant criteria required the college to have a separate facility of at least 300 square feet,” according to Dr. John Tulley, dean of psychological services who headed the college’s ef¬ forts to obtain the grant. “C108, where our computers had moved last Septem¬ ber, was already wired and set to go.” Tulley, whose duties include oversee¬ ing 008, is pleased with the steady growth of computer center. “The pro¬ gram started with a couple of Com¬ modores, then the Lyons Club donated an Apple.” The computers moved to C108 when their 033 location became too crowded. Funding to expand the comupter learning center is PCC’s second assist¬ ance program obtained from the De¬ partment of Rehabilitation. At the be¬ ginning of the 1985-86 school year, the Department funded the campus for a Workability II grant which provides on- campus job developers who help the disabled students find employment. Tulley expects the new additions to the disabled students computer center to be operational by mid March. The state intends to expand the program beyond the first pool of 23 community colleges after July. Instructional Aid, Jesse Garcia, assists a student working at the computer in the present computer learning center. The center is the recipient of a $19,000 grant that will provide new computer equipment. Courier photo by Vern McGuire fSLINES - NEWSLINES - NEWSLi In a performance that will benefit the PCC music department swing great Woody Herman arid his big band the “Young Thundering Herd” will play live in Sexson Auditorium on Sunday Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. Herman is well known on campus as well as to music students. His swinging big band hits can often be heard on KPCC. Some of these hits include Apple Honey, Woodchoppe rs Ball, Caledonia, Early Autum, Northwest Passage and Wild Root. The $10 ad¬ mission also includes a jazz clinic prior the concert from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Tickets are available at Ticketron, Teletron or at the PCC music department in K101. Anyone wishing further information may call (818) 578-7124. □ A lecture sponsored by PCC’s social science department will feature Dr. James M. Rosser, president of Cal State L.A. Dr. Rosser will speak on “The Humanities in an Age of Technol¬ ogy,” Wednesday Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. in the PCC Forum. According to Rosser, “It is important that we understand not only the technological changes but also the more timeless disciplines and truths that enable us to adapt to this rapidly changing world.” The lecture is free and open to the public. □ The Pasadena Medical Auxiliary is sponsoring a lecture Aids: Facts and Fiction with Dr. Alexandra M. Levine, a professor at the USC School of Medi¬ cine. The lecture will take place at the Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E. Colorado on Monday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. For reservations call (818) 793-8361 or (818) 449-3569. Admission is free. □ This is the last week to view the Lenard Edmundson Retrospective in the Art Gallery. The gallery is open Monday thru Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. □ Keep healthy, your blood is needed. Nurses from the American Red Cross will be set up on Feb. 25 and 26 in the student lounge of the campus center from 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Juice and cookies will be served to those who give blood. Donate blood and help save a life. Sign up today in the campus center. □ Help plan activities and events for Womens Week, March 9 thru 13. Attend the “bring your own lunch” meeting today at noon in the A.S. Boardroom in campus center. Coffee and punch will be provided. □ Spend the summer enjoying the cool sea breazes and earn a few extra $$ at the same time. Catalina Island Marine Institute is offering summer jobs, for more information or to sign up for an on campus interview go to C236. □ February is Black History Month and many of the cultural events and cele¬ brations have already taken place but many still have yet to take place. A Legacy in Film sponsored by the Black History Festival Committee is Pasadena’s “First Annual Black Film Festival.” Classic films staring Sidney Poiter and Richard Pryor as well as recent films such as A Soldiers Story and The Color Purple will be featured. The screenings are scheduled for Fri¬ day Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. and Feb. 21 and 22 at noon. The festival will be held at the Pasadena Civic Center Little Theater, located at 300 E. Green St. Tickets may be purchased at the box office on the days of the event. For more informa¬ tion call (818) 798-0865. □ On Feb. 20 the American Association of Black Students in Science and PCC’s Black Students Union are cosponsoring a Unity and Harmony Dance. The dance which features a D.J. will have five solid hours of music and partying. The dance will begin at 8 p.m. in the student lounge of the campus center. It is open only to PCC students with proper I.D. and one guest. Tickets are $4 but those with a student benefits sticker may enter free. □ Acting, singing, dancing and poetry will be featured at A Conscious Review today at noon in Harbeson Hall.