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COURI
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Volume 105, Issue 8
The independent student voice of PCC. Serving Pasadena Since 1915.
May 3, 2012
The next step to recovery
Blair Wells/Courier
United States Marine Corps Veteran Jaclyn Paxton leads a discussion with a group of administrators and
faculty at the Road Home 2. 0 Conference in the Creveling Lounge on April 26.
Re-adjusting returning veterans explored
Galen Patterson-Smith
Online Editor
The second-ever Road Home
symposium at PCC taught com¬
munity college administrators
and faculty across California
about Post- Traumatic Stress
Disorder and helping veterans
adjust to student life on April‘25
and 26.
Harold Martin, a psychology
instructor, described the life of
active and reserve military mem¬
bers. Martin explained how
some veteran's participation in
wars can lead to post-traumatic
stress disorder or PTSD.
According to The Department
of Veterans Affairs, PTSD is a
mental health problem that can
occur after someone goes
through a traumatic event like
war, assault, or disaster. It can
also be described as a psycholog¬
ical conditioning to war or a
ubiquitous survival mindset.
Martin described common cir¬
cumstances of developing PTSD
as "long elements of boredom
followed by horror."
Martin, a 20-year military vet¬
eran and admittedly afflicted by
PTSD, shared stories both from
his experience and those of his
students who have suffered from
the disorder in an effort to help
the audience more clearly identi¬
fy signs of PTSD in students.
"They may think they can do
this, whatever it is, and keep
doing the wrong thing over and
over again. It's up to us to help
them," said Martin.
Daniel Chenowith, from U.S.
VETS, an organization dedicated
to helping veterans, told about
his experience as a psychologist
working with veterans often
with severe cases of PTSD. "I'm
working with a group right now
that, because of symptom severi¬
ty, are not ready to return to cam¬
pus yet," said Chenowith.
Chenowith explained that
PTSD can also come from mili¬
tary sexual trauma or MST.
MST is severe sexual harass¬
ment or rape within the military.
According to Chenowith, 15.1
percent of females involved in
current military actions have
reported cases of MST, while 0.7
percent of men have reported it.
Joseph Currier, assistant pro¬
fessor of clinical psychology at
Fuller Seminary, discussed his
Continued on page 11
Police arrest suspect in library backpack thefts
Philip McCormick
Staff Writer
Campus Police have arrested a
suspect in connection with the
thefts of student backpacks from
the Shatford Library, officials
said Friday.
The man was arrested after six
reports to police during the first
week after Spring Break that
someone was stealing electronic
items in the library and then
dumping them into trash cans,
said Chief of Police Stanton
Perez in an interview Friday.
Campus Police Officers Mike
De Spain and Tyler Robins
approached Christopher
Sanderson on April 26 in front of
Harbeson Hall. They suspected
him in connection with the thefts
and had him sit on their campus
police car, while they had the
dispatcher check him out.
Sanderson did not have any evi¬
dence on him that connected him
to the thefts, said De Spain in an
interview Monday.
"He is our prime suspect in the
theft cases," said De Spain. ""We
believe that he must have
dumped any evidence that he
had in the D Building."
In attempting the arrest of
Sanderson, Robins suffered
minor injuries and had to go to
the St. George Medical Clinic,
which is down the street on
Colorado Boulevard and Allen
Avenue, to have his injuries
treated. Robins said that Sgt.
Steven Matchan made him go to
the clinic to get checked out,
before he could resume his duty.
"The man sat down for a sec¬
ond and then bolted," said De
Spain in an interview Monday.
Continued on page 11
Key panel OKs
minor changes
to divisions
Major realignments shelved
Christine Michaels
Staff Writer
A significant committee voted
Monday to move a few pro¬
grams to different divisions and
restructure others, but no major
changes to the teaching divisions
were recommended thus far.
The Planning and Priorities
committee voted unanimously
to recommend continuing with
the interim deans in the Math
and VAMS divisions. Committee
member Ed Martinez explained
the former deans had retired. "In
the meantime, while [the college]
is deciding to restructure divi¬
sions, having interim deans
makes sense," he said.
By unanimous vote, the com¬
mittee recommended the
Computer Science program be
moved to the Math division,
while the Kinesiology Health
and Athletics Division would be
moved to the Natural Sciences
division. Architecture and fash¬
ion programs would be moved
to the Visual Arts and Media
Studies (VAMS) Division, if the
proposal follows through.
While there was a rigorous
debate at the public comment
hearing held on April 24 over
recommended changes, the com¬
mittee greatly considered the
positions of division speakers.
Visual Arts and Media Studies
division Instructor Kay Yee was
upset at the proposal to shift cer¬
tain programs into her division,
explaining that VAMS students
need transferrable units to go to
four - year universities. "Our
priority is student success and
accessibility," she said.
On the other hand, divisions
such as the Kinesiology Health
and Athletics and Computer
Science were in favor of the pro¬
posal. Athletic Coordinator John
Woods supported the sluft to the
Natural Sciences division.
Computer Science Instructor
Paul Wilkinson asked the com¬
mittee what the school motto
was.
"Student success is our top
priority," the room replied.
Wilkinson is in favor of the pro¬
posed move of the Computer
Science program into the Math
Division, since the majority of
Computer Science students are
required to take many math
courses.
"I have students taking longer
to get their degrees than it took
me to get my doctorate," he
exclaimed.
Changes in the Business and
Engineering & Technology divi¬
sions to a Business and
Workforce Development
Division, the divisions likely will
remain separate after a close
7/6
vote from committee members.
Some instructors strongly
opposed the proposal, including
Business Technology Instructor
Brenda Raynor. "A degree in the
changed division won't carry the
same weight as a Business
Continued on page 10
May Day commemorated by march
Blair Wells/Courier
Students march through the Quad on their way to the May
Day rally on immigration rights on Tuesday.
Speak out!
Should cigarette taxes be
raised by $1 per pack?
vote at
pccCourier.com
Art alfresco
Artist shares inspiration
with students during
drawing session
Page
10»
Norton Simon
Famous museum offers
students a glimpse
behind the scenes
Page
2»
