PCC Courier, January 31, 2013

Polaroids Instructor's art chosen for exhibit Page 6» Pasadena City College Online edition pccCourier.com Facebook PCC Courier Twitter @pccCourier Volume 107, Issue 3 The independent student voice of PCC. Serving Pasadena Since 1915. January 31, 2013 Alumnus i Richard Quinton / Courier Former Lancer receiver credits PCC for success Philip McCormick Sports Editor PCC alumnus David Reed, former wide receiver for the Lancers who will play in Sunday's Super Bowl, said in an email received by the Courier on Wednesday that he gives credit to his time at PCC for his successful career in the National Football League. "[Former] Offensive Coordinator Marguet Miller and [former Head] Coach Kenny Lawler, [deserve cred¬ it]," said Reed. "Those guys stayed on top of me and made sure I stayed on a straight path. I love those guys, and I give so much thanks and credit to those guys. Miller is that guy." While at PCC in 2007, Reed broke records for both receptions and receiv¬ ing yards for community colleges nationwide, with 111 catches and 1,661 yards. He was also First Team All- Conference and First Team Junior n Super Bowl XLVII Courtesy of the Baltimore Ravens Top left, wide receiver David Reed plays during his record-breaking 2006-07 sea¬ son at PCC. Above, Reed now plays for the Baltimore Ravens. College Gridwire All-American. This week, this former Lancer finds himself playing in Super Bowl XLVII with the Baltimore Ravens. "Everybody has a route to get to the NFL," said Reed. "And my route to get here was just a little bit tougher than others." Reed was drafted by the Ravens in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was drafted as a wide receiver and explosive kick returner. Reed also set a franchise record his rookie year for the Ravens with the longest kick-off return with a 103-yard touchdown against the Houston Texans. Reed said that he still keeps in touch with his former coach¬ es. "Actually, [Offensive Coordinator] Miller has two players in the Super Bowl right now. [Myself and] Delame Walker from the 49ers," said Reed. -Additional reporting by Andrew Salmi Academic Senate plans for 1 6-week calendar Anthony Richetts Online Editor Academic Senate President Dustin Hanvey confirmed that the college will remain on a 16- week semester for the 2013-14 aca¬ demic year at the Senate meeting on Jan. 28. There has been consider¬ able talk of a 17 or 18-week semester, but Hanvey said courses will still have to be scheduled to fit 54 hours of instruction. "It was brought up in the town hall meeting last November and the consen¬ sus was not there," Hanvey told the Senate, referring to the discussion of the Carnegie Hour at a meeting held by the Senate on Nov. 29. "So therefore the focus of the Ad-Hoc Committee [on Scheduling] has changed." The newly formed Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Scheduling will grapple with classes overlapping and finding locations to hold courses, especially those that require special¬ ized classrooms, such as chemistry or automotive courses. "The committee will be focusing on what is called "block scheduling" and fig¬ ure out how we can better schedule our classes within 16 weeks," said Hanvey. "No cutting of the number of hours, no additional weeks to the semester, just trying to find a way to make it work." In an interview on Wednesday, Hanvey said his understanding is that Continued on page 7 New dean ready to tackle multiple challenges Luis Rodriguez Features Editor Just as students begin to settle into routines at the college, so do faculty. Among them is new Dean of Academic Affairs Ofelia Arellano, ready to tackle the unique challenges presented to her. Arellano said she has adjusted to the job well after leaving Santa Barbara City College because of restructuring that eliminated her division. "People are just so welcoming, friendly, helpful and I'm learning a lot. Everyone's been really helpful, from the president, the vice presidents and the staff," said Arellano in a recent interview. Faculty also is enthusiastic about the new dean. "I've found her very open and she's made a lot of suggestions that have been helpful," said Dustin Hanvey, president of Academic Senate. "My first impressions of her are a good solid addition to the administrative team. She is sophisticated, very well thought of, obviously a lot experience. And she knows how to deal with very complex issues in a way that make sense." Arellano is filling a newly created post. "It is a new position. My primary responsibilities are to really work on the schedule of classes to ensure we have a schedule that students can use and schedule classes that they want," she said. "Г11 spend time working in collaboration with the deans and the Continued on page 7 New legal developments in bribery probe cases Two more hearings set, another possible lawsuit is in the works Nicholas Saul Editor-in-Chief Two new hearings in lawsuits related to an ongoing bribery investigation of two fired school officials have been scheduled. Meanwhile, a wrongful termination claim filed against the District by one of the men was denied by the Board of Trustees at its Jan. 16 meeting. The bribery investigation by the Los Angeles District Attorney's office of former Vice President of Administrative Services Richard van Pelt, and former Facilities Supervisor Alfred Hutchings is continuing, officials at the DA's Public Integrity Division said this week. In one of the lawsuits, the plaintiffs, LED Global LLC, and its two principals Robert Das and Saila Smith allege that van Pelt and Hutchings solicited bribes to the tune of $250,000 in exchange for a campus-wide lighting contract. The contract was eventually awarded to another company, Seesmart Inc. LED Global representatives later claimed to be the initial whistleblower that prompted the DAs investigation into van Pelt and Hutchings. LED Global is also suing the District for negli¬ gence and breach of contract. The complaint was initially dropped when the school challenged the legal sufficiency of the document, but has since been amended and is set for a court hearing, according to the school's general counsel Gail Cooper. More recently, Hutchings filed a claim for dam¬ ages from the District in excess of $10,000, alleging "wrongful termination, unpaid wages, failure to return personal property, and defamation," according documents on the Board agenda for Jan 16. The claim, a legal step required before filing a suit in court, was denied by the Board. In the initial lawsuit, Hutchings and van Pelt are accused of soliciting bribes, cigars, limo service, prostitutes, and a first-class excursion in India in exchange for the $5 million lighting contract for the school. In turn, van Pelt and Hutchings filed a cross¬ complaint against LED Global, alleging conspiracy to commit fraud and to slander them. That com¬ plaint was eventually dropped without prejudice in an earlier hearing because their representatives were failed to reply to motions made against them. A new hearing in the LED Global suit against van Pelt and Hutchings is scheduled to take place on Feb. 27. In the second case LED Global filed against the District, a hearing has been scheduled for March 12. Justin Clay/ Courier Dean of Academic Affairs Ofelia Arellano goes over notes in her office on Wednesday. Arellano is in her first semester as Dean of Academic Affairs, an entirely new position on campus.