PCC Courier, May 26, 1988

COURIER After ’While Crocodile Page 4 Memorial Day Holiday Is May 30 Meet KPCC’s Trivers Page 5 VOL. 66, NO. 14 PASADENA CITY COLLEGE, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA MAY 26. 1988 Escalante Inspires Faculty Courier/James Ojeda Jaime Escalante is a man full of motivation, strength, hope and laughter. He has changed many students’ lives and created a way of viewing teaching differently. By Sally Blake News Editor Jaime Escalante believes his stu¬ dents can do anything. Thanks to his support, they are well on their way. Ibis Garfield High School teacher was the guest speaker at the La Raza Faculty and Staff Association first an¬ nual scholarship awards luncheon last Thursday. He spoke to the faculty about his beliefs and techniques. “Education takes commitment. I go so far as to work with my students’ parents.” Escalante’s commitment is shown by his record. He has taken students from Garfield High School in East Los Angeles and proven that with motivation and in¬ spiration, students can break records. In 1975, Garfield was in danger of being the first school in Los Angeles to lose its accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. At that time, teaching standards only re¬ quired the students to take basic mathematics which placed the school in a 521 ranking on the national mathematics scale. Garfield now ranks fourth nationally. In 1979, there were five students in his class, four passed the Advanced Placement Test for math. In 1980, nine out of 10 passed the test. In 1981, 15 out of 15 passed, with two students receiv¬ ing perfect scores. In 1986, 31 had perfect scores. Because of these kinds of statistics, Escalante has been honored four times by the president at the White House. He has received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching mathemat¬ ics. PCC has awarded him its Presiden¬ tial Award for the phenomenal success rate of his students since 1978. The Nosotros organization recognized him with the Golden Eagle Lifetime Achievement Award in Education, and he won the award for the most Distin¬ guished Alumnus of 1987 by the Califor¬ nia Association of Community Col¬ leges. Stand and Deliver, a motion picture about his teaching practices, is cur¬ rently showing in theaters. Olga Lobaco, president of La Raza, said the reason they asked Escalante to speak at the luncheon was because of his message. “People need to understand the dif¬ ferences between cultures. He is aware of the differences, and gets this message across.” The luncheon raised funds for schol¬ arships that were awarded to students Wladimir Aravena, Gloria Banzali, Esperanza Candido and Veronica Gonzalez. According to Ana Ogaz, vice president of La Raza, each scholarship was worth $250. Escalante continued to talk about his accomplishments, but, refused to take the credit for them. “It is not me, it is my students. I’m like the coach. They follow my instructions 100 percent. I just keep them in school,” he said. “I’m not doing anything new. I am just helping my students. Teaching is sharing knowledge, and to me, knowl¬ edge is power. That is what we are doing at Garfield.” Escalante came to the United States in 1964 from Bolivia, where he had been a math teacher. At that time, the only English he knew was “yes” and “ok.” He got a job mopping floors in a local restaurant. He soon began to take classes at PCC. He took classes in math, physics, electronics and English. He graduated in 1970 with a double degree in mathematics and electronics. He later earned a bachelor’s of science degree from the California State Uni¬ versity, Los Angeles. His teaching techniques have af¬ fected many people’s lives. This year, 120 of his students took the A.P. test, and all 120 are expected to have passed. Next year, he anticipates that 220 students will take his class. Escalante finds teaching fun. He believes that teachers must work with students. “Put the students on your side a little bit, and you’re going to see their souls. “I tell my students not to be afraid, that successful people make mistakes all the time. But, they learn from them! “I tell them that the money is in physics, biology, chemistry. But, math is the language of these. T will teach you the language,’ I say to them.” Escalante does indeed teach some¬ thing and somehow gets the message across. “I believe my students are true dreamers. They can do anything. I teach them math. And I also teach them to believe in themselves.” All Candidates for A.S. Election Announced By Sean DuPont Associate News Editor Campus election campaigns are warming up this week following official filing and the mandatory meeting re¬ quired of all candidates for AS posi¬ tions. As directed by the new constitution, balloting for the posts of president and the four vice president will be held next Tuesday through Thursday. Thirteen candidates were present at a man¬ datory meeting held Monday for the purpose of presenting rules and eligibility requirements, deciding name placement on the ballot and assigning publicity locations. All candidates except two are run¬ ning together on two separate political slates. “Tickets are not officially rec¬ ognized by the college,” according to Connie Hurston, AS faculty adviser, “but extra time is alloted for the campaign work room for candidates who are running together.” The campaign ticket led by Jose Rodriguez is running under the slogan, “Bold Leadership — True Representa¬ tion.” The ticket includes Rodriguez for president, Martin A.C. Enriquez- Marquez for executive vice president, Regina Ringo running to retain her post as vice president of student services, Noel Truick as vice president of busi¬ ness affairs and Cynthia Wagner as vice president of academic affairs. “We are running with experience and knowledge,” said Rodriguez. Out of his five candidates, only he and Ringo presently serve on the board. Truick is the current president of the Circle К club while Wagner has been involved and concerned with the busi¬ ness of the board since the beginning of the school year, according to Rodriguez. This semester Enriquez- Marquez was appointed to the Supreme Council and was voted down as Rodriguez’s choice as vice president of academic affairs earlier this month. The Rodriguez ticket faces a challenge from Greg McLemore’s slate. McLemore is the sitting ex¬ ecutive vice president of the board and was appointed by Rodriguez in Febru¬ ary for the post. Besides himself, the McLemore ticket consists of Margarita Cornejo for executive vice president, Larnoe Dungca as vice president of student services, Tami Abe as vice president of business affairs and George Castaneda as vice president of academic affairs. The ticket includes three present members of the board — McLemore, Cornejo, who is now co-ordinator of cultural affairs and Abe, the current co-ordinator of special affairs, a posi¬ tion that has been eliminated by the new constitution. “We all are team players. We are committed to serve,” said McLemore, using the ticket’s campaign slogan. “Our administration will put an emphasis on service to the students. That’s what student government is supposed to be.” McLemore says Dungca is the presi¬ dent and founder of the Filipino Club and that he sees initiative and drive in Castaneda. As an independent, Kevin Forbes is running for AS president. In April, Forbes attended several meetings of the board to voice his objections to several changes in the constitution he thought unfair. In his candidate statement, Forbes promises to bring, “good common sense, fiscal responsibility and repre¬ sentative government back to the stu¬ dents of PCC.” He also says that he will publicize AS expenditures and pressure the city to change the on-street parking hours, and that he will refuse the president’s stipend. Also running for AS president is Henry Hernandez. No statement or interview was obtained by The Courier by press time. Porntip Nakhirunkanok, a former PCC student, won Miss Universe, 1988. Miss Universe Former Student Pasadena has always been known for its beautiful young women. Not only does it supply the country with a Rose Queen every year, but now Pasadena City College can be noted for educating the 1988 Miss Universe. Former PCC student 19-year-old Porntip Nakhirunkanok was crowned Miss Universe in a competition Tuesday morning in Taiwan. She represented Thailand in the competition. During the competition Nakhirunkanok was introduced to the worldwide audience as being a PCC student. She attended PCC beginning the Fall of 1986 through 1987. She also attended UCLA. Nakhirunkanok, who weighs 114 pounds and stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, wiped away tears of joy and joined her hands together in a Thai sign of thanks after winning. Nakhirunkanok who spoke almost perfect English, said she owed her English speaking ability to “a Big Bird.” She said she watched a lot of Sesame Street as a child. Black-haired Nakhirunkanok, now a Bangkok resident, won $76,000 in cash, a Maserati convertible, a mink coat and jacket. Her winnings totaled $250,000. The first runner-up was Miss Korea, Yunjung Chang. She was followed by Miss Mexico, Amanda Olivares; Miss Japan, Mizuho Sakaguchi; and Miss Hong Kong, Pauline Yeung. An estimated 600 million people in 57 countries wated the televised competition. Jesse Jackson Jr. To Campaign for Father, Will Speak on Campus By Sean DuPont Associate News Editor Jesse Jackson Jr., son of the Demo¬ cratic presidential candidate, will speak Tuesday at noon in Sexson Auditorium on issues of student con¬ cern. The event, sponsered by a coalition of student clubs, will bring the 23 year- old Jackson to PCC one week before the California presidential primary on June 7. “We’re very excited about someone so close to the campaign coming to talk to us,” said Shomari Davis, president of PCC’s Black Student Union. “This will give students and others a chance to hear the issues and to ask questions ofsomeone on the inside of the Jackson organization.” The meeting is scheduled to last an hour. The auditorium, seats 2,000 peo¬ ple, according to Maeda Hall, facilities co-ordinator. “About a month ago I talked to people in the quad with the Jackson organization about having someone from the campaign speak to the col¬ lege. The campaign office contacted us Wednesday said if Jackson Jr. could speak. He’s the next best thing to Jackson himself,” said Davis. Davis said that besides the BSU, details for the event are being worked on by the InterClub Council, and the Association for the Advancement of Black Science Students. “I think this is an important event for students to attend,” said Greg McLemore, ICC president and A.S. executive vice president. “Even if you don’t support the Jackson presidential run, I think you’ll hear some interest¬ ing ideas.” “With the current administration and its history of cutting back on student grants, Jackson will be ad¬ dressing what his father will do for students if he is elected,” Davis said. There also will be a question and answer period. Jackson’s visit will also involve the resources of the campus police, accord¬ ing to Senior Dispatcher Peggy Strong. “We will be patroling the campus and advising the Secret Service. We’ll do whatever is needed.”