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Pasadena City College
Kicks on Campus
Students show
off their
shoes
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Volume 101, Issue 14
"The Independent Student Voice of
РСС,
Serving Pasadena Since 1915."
Thursday, June 10, 2010
New president picked
Board unanimously
approves Mark Rocha
of West LA College.
Catherine Sum
Staff Writer
West LA College President Mark
Rocha was unanimously selected
as the new president/ superin¬
tendent of PCC by the Board of
Trustees on Wednesday.
The board also unanimously
approved his contract, effective
July 1 through June 30, 2014, under
which he will be paid $230,000 a
year.
"I'm absolutely thrilled, excited
and can't wait to get started. If the
board had given me a ten-year
contract I would have taken it — I
was clear with everyone that this is
my last stop," Rocha said in a tele¬
phone interview after the vote.
"On a personal level this is a
dream come true. I plan to retire
from PCC."
Rocha was not present at the
meeting, but will be formally pre-
Rocha's contract terms
detailed — Page 7
sented to the campus and sur¬
rounding communities during the
regular board meeting on June 16.
He has been president of West Los
Angeles College since 2006.
The current search process for
PCC's new president /superinten¬
dent, which included finalist
Desdemona Cardoza of CSU Los
Angeles has been more inclusive
and inviting to the campus than in
the past, a number of key players
said.
Glenna Waterson, president of
the Instructional Support Service
Union, was a member of the candi¬
date screening committee and feels
the board welcomed campus
involvement.
"[This process] was much better
than the last time. I've pretty much
moved on," she said, adding that
much of the campus has come to
terms with the finalists. "A lot of
people have been here for many
years. One president won't ruin
us. We will get through it."
Robert Cody,
assistant dean of
computing serv¬
ices, agreed the
process was
clear, and that
the board fol¬
lowed the
guidelines it
agreed upon at
the outset of the search. "The deci¬
sion is at the discretion at the
board [though] I would have liked
to see more than two candidates,"
Continued on page 7
Mark Rocha
NBA champion
discusses campus
sustainability
Woman hurt in wreck
Steven Valdez/Courier
A woman was injured in a car accident on Hill Avenue early Wednesday morning. Witnesses said the
driver was coming up Hill when she bounced over the curb and hit the lamppost, turning the car on
its side. Firemen used the Jaws of Life to cut the roof off the car to get the victim out. Early reports
say her injuries were not serious.
Veterans Resource Center moves forward
Natalie Sehn Weber
Staff Writer
After months of anticipation,
veterans received notice on
Monday that PCC was approved
for a Veterans Resource Center
pilot program.
The pilot program includes
computer equipment, software
and ongoing training for the VRC
staff and veterans from the
California Community Colleges
Chancellor's office. PCC is one of
just 12 colleges chosen to partici¬
pate in the program.
"The VRC will provide a central
entry point for veterans as they
navigate the civilian and academic
worlds," said Veterans Club
Program Director Patty D' Orange-
Martin.
"The overall goal is to deliver
tools and services to optimize aca¬
demic success," she said. "This
effort will involve collaboration
between many services on cam¬
pus.
"The VRC will provide comput¬
ers and assistance for veterans
with Traumatic Brain Injury
(TBI)," as well, said D'Orange-
Martin.
Veterans will receive academic
Continued on page 2
Allan Santiago
Contributing Writer
In a semi-impromptu fashion,
retired four-time NBA champion
John Salley made an appearance
on campus to discuss how he can
help with students' sustainability
efforts on Monday.
Salley met with members of the
Sustainability Committee and
Students for Progress — the
incoming Associated Students
slate — who guided him through a
tour of the sustainable gardens on
campus.
Salley was receptive and readily
shared his own experiences and
thoughts on matters of sustainabil¬
ity and plants.
"I did [gardening] my whole
life," said Salley. "My mom made
me work in her garden, and not
play basketball." He did, after all,
find time to play basketball but
quickly became skilled in the gar¬
den as well as on the court, he said.
In Salley's NBA career he played
for the Detroit Pistons, Miami
Heat, Chicago Bulls, ending with
the L.A. Lakers.
The tour started at the vegetable
garden — southwest of the L
Building — which is delayed in
development, as it depends main¬
ly on the work of students.
Salley, much like his tour
guides, sees PCC as an institution
that can lead by example.
Hypothetically, Salley said,
should he appear on a morning
talk show answering as to why he
Daniel Lottes/Courier
NBA champion John Salley takes
a tour of the campus sustainable
gardens on Monday.
is helping PCC he would say: "I'm
tired of talking to dumb adults. I
want to talk to kids who are
smarter than their parents, who
want to save the planet."
"I want to help those who want
to change the world," Salley
added.
Hanna Israel, associate member
of the Sustainability Committee, is
the link between Salley and PCC.
"A friend of mine got me in
touch with [Salley] because he's
vegan and he promotes sustain¬
ability," said Israel. "We're work¬
ing together to help him develop
his vision into a website."
Continued on page 7
Catch our summer issue:
The next issue of the Courier will
appear on stands July 15. For
breaking news visit pcccourier.com.
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Bands:
Outdoor concert
fills air with emotion
and melodies.
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