Wurlitzer
Organ
Plays On
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March 18 is the Last
Day to Apply for
June Graduation
Hoopsters
May End
Season
Page 4
COURIER
VOL. 66. NO. 2
PASADENA CITY COLLEGE, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
FEBRUARY 25, 1988
Regional Center
Sets Precedent
By Coleen Meyers
Editor-in-Chief
PCC now has the opportunity to
set “precedents and procedures”
for the rest of the state, since it has
been designated as a regional center
of the California Humanities
Project, said William E. Goldmann,
executive assistant to the president.
As a regional center site, PCC
will serve as a clearinghouse for the
Pasadena area community college
district high schools, local com¬
munity and state colleges and uni¬
versities for information relating to
integrating Women’s Studies into
curriculum. In addition, the college
will provide information on team-
taught/interdisciplinary studies.
Goldmann, Kathryn Dabelow,
professor of social science, Laura
Davis, associate professor of social
science, Dr. Lisa Davis, professor of
social science, Dr. Phyllis Mael,
professor of English and other fac¬
ulty members will set out to develop
a partnership with instructors at
different schools to end the artificial
barriers that exist between teaching
at the different levels, said Gold¬
mann.
Those involved in the program
will now be able to “reach-out” and
unite local feeder high schools and
area community colleges.
The center will conduct con¬
ferences/institutes for faculty of
area schools and disseminate in¬
formation. It will also share in¬
formation and mailing lists with the
humanities prdject.
PCC initially drew the attention of
the project due to the expansion of
several innovative humanities pro¬
grams such as integrating Women’s
Studies into the college curriculum
and implementing team-taught, in¬
terdisciplinary studies (Humanities
Block) programs.
These programs encourage stu¬
dents to integrate ideas from a
variety of academic disciplines in¬
cluding English composition, hu¬
manities and social sciences. Seven
faculty members from five different
disciplines team-teach the courses
in this 10-unit block program which
stresses critical thinking and writ¬
ing.
In its first year, the center will
require PCC to contribute $2500 to
the project. This funding was ap¬
proved by the Board of Trustees on
Feb. 18.
The humanities project will also
provide PCC with assistance in de¬
veloping grant proposals for ex¬
ternal funding.
So far the college has received a
total of $75,000 in outside funding for
these staff and curriculum develop¬
ment programs; $7,000 from the
Ford Foundation, $57,000 from the
National Endowment for the Hu¬
manities and $11,000 from the Cali¬
fornia Community College Fund for
Instructional Improvement.
PCC will host its first conference,
The Western States Project on
Women, on May 19-21.
Courier/Kathleen Miller
Jerome Jordon plays with a popoid at the Child Development Center.
Day Care Center
Gives More Help
By Coleen Meyers
Editor-in-Chief
PCC students with children can get
some additional help with child care in
the afternoons while they work or study
now that the Child Development Center
(CDC), located at 325 S. Oak Knoll, and
the Early Childhood Education pro¬
grams have merged.
It used to be that the CDC could only
help a parent-student with child care
while the parent was attending classes.
All that has changed.
“We changed our philosophy. We
took a look at the extra space and
openings that the center had in the
afternoon and thought why not make it
available for parents who needed care
for their children while they worked or
studied,” said Linda Stroud, instructor
in the social sciences department who
teaches Early Childhood Education
classes.
The goal of the CDC is to enable
parent-students “to continue their
education,” as well as to provide early
childhood instructors and students with
a “hands-on learning site,” said Stroud.
Using the center as a learning site
has been a gradual transition. In 1986
the social science department took
over the directing of the center thus
allowing the integration of the two
programs.
Since then the center has enabled
early childhood instructors to provide
direct input into their student’s ex¬
periences. “It’s similar to learning to
drive a car. You have to get behind the
wheel first,” said Stroud.
ECE instructors Mary Beth Lakin
and Shirley Kittiver often turn the
center into their classroom. Giving
students the opportunity to observe the
children’s behavioral patterns. They
even video tape their work with the
children to later critique their per¬
formance.
Students majoring in early childhood
are required to work in the field 15
hours a week. All students are required
to plan a curriculum.
The center provides care for up to 34
children at one time. There is a waiting
list for care in the morning hours but
openings for afternoon child care are
available.
The CDC is primarily funded through
fundraisers and grants. The cost is $4
per half day while parents are in
classes. There is a $5.50 charge per half
day for parents who are working or who
need extra study time.
It costs the center $5.50 per hour to
provide care for each child. This $1.50
difference for care while s^g^ents are
in classes is subsidized by fundraiser
monies.
Children are eligible to attend the
center from 2 and one-half years to 5
years of age. They must be independen¬
tly toilet trained.
The center is open 7:30 a.m. until
4:15 p.m. weekdays.
The CDC is located in the Com¬
munity Skills Center at 325 S. Oak
Knoll. More information may be ob¬
tained by contacting 449-5229.
Pick up the Phone. Get Help.
Math Students Can Now
Get Help Via the Phone
By Sally Blake
News Editor
For those who sit, crouched over
their math books, hoping for a miracle,
they need not hope anymore. Help is as
close as their phone. Thanks to Mary
Jane Cordon, associate professor of
mathematics, math tutoring is now
available over the telephone.
Cordon originated the concept based
on the idea that many students who
work in the aftefnoon are not able to
get the tutoring that is offered then.
She wanted them to be able to obtain
help in the evening as well. Now they
are able to.
“This is just a pilot program at this
point,” said Cordon. “We are not afraid
to try new things. We are also not
afraid to fail. If the program fails, it
fails. We are here to help the student,
here to make things work. If it works,
then we are helping the student, and we
didn't fail.”
The way in which the program works
is very simple. Any student enrolled in
math 402, math 125, math 1 or math 3
can call 578-7056, and a tutor will
answer questions. All it takes are three
simple steps.
First, students state their name,
instructor’s name, class level and text¬
book name.
Second, they state the page number,
and the number of the problem they
want explained.
Third, they ask their question. The
discussion should be no longer than 10
minutes, so other students can use the
“hotline.”
The tutor that answers the questions
is Trinh Nguyen. He is a Vietnamese
student who is presently enrolled in
Math 55, a calculus and engineering
math class, considered to be the high¬
est level math class offered here.
He thinks people call for several
reasons. They become tired at night
and are easliy confused. Also, they
panic when they know the homework is
due the next day, and they do not
understand what they are doing.
“It is hard to tutor over the phone
because my English is not very good,
and there are some terms that I do not
know,” explained Nguyen. Still, he
tries his best. “I write as I am explain¬
ing the problem. That way, I know the
student is seeing exactly what I am
seeing.
“After we have finished the problem,
I ask the student to repeat it to me, and
to explain to me what he has learned,”
he said.
Nguyen believes that if he prepares
the material well, he probably is 80
percent helpful. One thing he does find
difficult is, “explaining things at a
lower level. It is hard to make the
(continued on page 4)
The Courier/Bryant Hammer
Trinh Nguyen helps a student with a math problem over the phone.
The Courier /Kathleen Turner
Day care field practice student, An Lin, invites a student to join in fun with others at the Child Development Center.
Another Change for A.S. Board:
Coordinator Assumes Position
By Sally Blake
News Editor
Last semester the A.S. Board had
many problems and changes. This
semester started with another change.
Mario Antonio, coordinator of external
affairs, resigned at the first meeting.
David A. Santana now holds the posi¬
tion.
According to Santana, Antonio was
having some problems and decided to
resign. She was unavailable for ques¬
tions. Jose Rodriquez, A.S. president,
appointed Santana and the board voted
him in unanimously.
“This is my first semester in poli¬
tics, and I plan to become more and
more involved,” said Santana. His
duties include keeping students in¬
formed on state and federal bills that
will affect PCC. He must also keep
abreast political activities at PCC and
other local community colleges.
As for future plans, Santana could
not comment on many because of the
short time he has been in office. But, he
does have one idea.
“I am thinking of suggesting that
PCC’s tuition be increased by $5. The
money would go to the student center,”
said Santana. “It would bring a $200,00
increase a year and could go to the
improving of the center.”
Santana believes that since PCC is
ranked among the top 10 in the nation,
students would want a more com¬
fortable atmosphere. He believes that
if the students are willing to pay $50 for
nine or more units in exchange for an
excellent education, they would not
consider $5 to be too much more.
At this stage, this plan is simply an
idea. Santana needs to investigate the
situation further and suggest it to the
board.
Santana feels very optimistic about
his new position and may continue his
political career farther, “I may even
run for president and win!”