PCC Courier, March 09, 2006

Serving PCC and the Pasadena community since 1915 Daniel Bells / Courier Keeping Watch: Due to the recent rise in bike and locker thefts, cadets have been stationed at high-risk areas. Thefts Still A Problem Melissa Kohler, Sandra Orth Staff Writers Bikes and lockers have become a target for thieves on campus. Within the last month, at least six bikes have been stolen and three lockers have been broken into at the college. Cadets have become much more aware of the situation, patrolling both bike racks and taking daily walks through the locker halls. Teachers and coaches have warned students to lock belongings safely and securely. However, there still is a high chance of their belongings being stolen. One concern that has been raised is how spread out the bike racks are throughout the school. Two bikes were taken from the north side of the forum in one week and another by the E building. One student says he "feels better when there's a bunch of bikes on a rack, versus one or two. You just have to take the risk and lock it properly." Student Joanna Monhollen only rides her bike when she is running late to class. "My lock was about $30, but it's well worth it," she said. Most thieves target wire locks and are able to cut through them easily. Student Humika Watanabe, says, "The best way to lock your bike is from the back tire through the wire with a metal bar lock. It has a better chance of being safe." [see Thefts, PAG E 3 ] Courier PASADENA CITY COLLEGE Silkscreen Guru Page 8 March 9, 2006 pcc-courieronline.com Proposes Candidate Dean Lee News Chief Community college students may turn out to be the big winners in this year’s race for governor as candidates discuss several proposals dealing with tuition, including one that would make all 109 community colleges free for all Californians. Democratic candidate Steve Westly outlined a tuition debt forgive¬ ness plan for community college stu¬ dents on Tuesday during a town hall forum in Santa Barbara. “Instead of turning away thou¬ sands, let’s welcome millions,” Westly said. “Here’s my plan for how to do that: make community colleges free for every Californian but ask for responsibility in return. While touring San Diego City College on Feb. 27, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his plans to help students by giving $130 mil¬ lion to community colleges in impov¬ erished areas around the state. This will be the first part of a proposed bal¬ lot measure by Schwarzenegger that would provide a total of $3.767 bil¬ lion for California community col¬ leges over a 10-year period. Under Westly’s plan, students would take out a loan for the $26 per unit fee for the entire time they are enrolled in a community college. After successfully completing a two- [see Westly, PAGE 3] Free Tuition MYsPace Creates Frenzy Steve Carrillo / Courier Campaign Trail: Ninety days into his campaign, Steve Westly proposes a new plan that will allow students to attend community colleges through a loan forgiveness plan. This will render community college education essentially free. Author Octavia Butler Dies, Leaves Legacy Jasper Yangchareon Staff Writer During a recent explosion of media coverage from practically every news outlet on the planet, the website MySpace has taken the brunt of con¬ cern surrounding personal safety on the internet from predatory behavior. A survey done by the Courier showed that 14 out of every 20 stu¬ dents at PCC have a personal space on the website. Almost every student surveyed has at least heard of the site. This popular website has outper¬ formed Google as far as internet web¬ sites go. According to ABC News, the site has two and a half times the traffic of the search engine many users use a default page. MySpace first appeared in 2003 as a website that allowed members to make personalized user profiles. Once a person signs up, he or she can send messages to other users, post public comments on other profile pages, and search for users to add to their “friends list.” Why does MySpace continue to grow in popularity each day? The site has had a history of events that have [see Myspace, PAGE 3] New Dean Appointed Vol. 93, Issue 3 Nathan Solis Staff Writer PCC alumna and Pasadena native Octavia Estelle Butler, 58, passed away on Feb. 24 outside of her Seattle home after falling and hitting her head. Butler received an Associates of Arts degree from PCC in 1968. The alumna was one of the first female, African-American authors to break into the sci-fi genre. Her first book, ‘Kindred,’ was published in 1979. The book tells the story of a modern-day woman who is trans¬ ported back to the era of slavery in the South. The novel was a first to explore Black culture and slavery in the science fiction genre. Her writ¬ ing was more social science fiction as her topics dealt with women’s rights and black culture. As an award-winning author, Butler’s science fiction was far ahead of its time. She began writing at age 11, when the genre was predominately male adolescents. At the time Rod Serling popularized sci-fi with “The Twilight Zone.” Butler had a difficult upbring¬ ing. Her father, a shoe shiner, died when she was a baby, leaving Butler’s mother to support the fam¬ ily while working as a cleaning lady. She retrieved books from the garbage and brought them home for Butler to read. Butler escaped reality through books. “The public library had been my second home since I was six,” said Butler in her essay “Positive Obsession.”, “I owned a number of hand-me-down books. [see Butler, PAGE 3] Santana Artist Visits Campus By Board Nathan Solis Staff Writer After months of careful screening, a hiring committee has selected a can¬ didate for the dean of student affairs position. Scott Thayer of L.A. Southwest College was approved to fill the position at the March 1 board of trustees meeting. The selection of a suitable candi¬ date was a lengthy process that spanned six months. The hiring com¬ mittee, composed of PCC staff, facul¬ ty and other appointed members, fil¬ tered multiple candidates through three levels of interviewing processes before singling out the right one. A blanket of relief now covers the new dean’s’ office as Thayer’s name spreads throughout the student affairs office. “It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Rebecca Cobb, student activity advi¬ sor. “But it feels good that it is all resolved.” Cobb and Thayer served together on PCC the Association of Black Employees (TABE) at PCC, of which Thayer was president at the time. Thayer, who was in charge of the Upward Bound program at PCC two years ago, is excited to be coming Health Insurance to Cover All Californians Will Stifel Staff Writer The League of Women Voters presented an advocacy forum March 2 at the Community Education Center. The forum discussed the newly authored California Health Insurance Reliability Act, SB 840. The bill, authored by State Senator Sheila Kuelh, a Democrat from California’is 23rd district, seeks to create non-profit health insurance that will cover all Californians for all necessary health care. A crowd of about 100 people attended the forum. Those speaking in reference to SB 840 were Emily Gold, the field representative for Senator Kuehl, Dr. Robert Tranquada, Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Public Policy at USC, Dr. Takashi Wada, health officer at the Pasadena Public Health Department and Sarah Olivia Mercer, senior program manager for the Latino Issues Forum. The major¬ ity of those in attendance were senior citizens and representatives of the League of Women Voters, as well as a representatives for both assembly¬ woman Carol Liu and congressman Adam Schiff. It is important to note that while all were in attendance, all were not necessarily there to show official support for the bill. The California Health Insurance Reliability Act is a response to con¬ cerns both lawmakers and the gener¬ al public have had for California healthcare. The biggest reasons for a change in California’is health care [see Insurance, PAGE 3] Stephner White Staff Photographer Mike Roman, silkscreen artist for Carlos Santana, was invited to present a free lecture to art stu¬ dents yesterday. On that morning, Roman treated the students to a lecture and demonstration of what he called “a spontaneous type of silkscreening” in the T building. “The event was breathtaking,” said Natalie Perez, an aspiring artist. “Mr. Roman’s work is an [important] part of culture and it is a big honor just to see him.” Roman brought a blend of Latino and African-American cul¬ ture to students at the event. According to Roman, his pictures blend culture and social concerns with music. “He knows the precise place¬ ment of color and design and has an artistic conversion of that place¬ ment,” said Kris Pilon, associate professor in the engineering and technology department. At the event, Roman provided his own designs for the students to work with. These could be seen all over campus by the end of the day. Participants were very impressed with Roman’s hands-on technique and personal approach to teaching. Santos Screen Master: Mike Roman, silkscreen artist for Carlos Santana, demonstrates the silkscreening process to student John Miner, with help “I like the interactive-ness; visit¬ ing artists don’t usually interact with students,” said silkscreening laboratory technician John Miner. “They usually' lecture or provide a show and tell thing, I like being able to interact with the artist.” Mike met Carlos Santana while from professor Kris Pilon. in New York. He had worked on a number of projects in the commu¬ nity that included churches and community street events. “Carlos turned my head around about art,” [see Roman, PAG E 3 ]