The
COURIER
VOL. 64. NO. 14
PASADENA CITY COLLEGE, PASADENA. CALIFORNIA
MAY 28. 1987
Still Another Plan
Takes A Chance At
Parking Problems
By Mark McElrea
Associate Sports Editor
The ongoing effort to create a final
solution to the PCC parking woes
reached a new milstone. The Board
of Trustees unanimously ap¬
proved a trial period for a new parking
plan. The plan has been dubbed “The
Svonkin Plan’’ in honor of its creator,
former Student Trustee Scott Svonkin.
The building of a new parking struc¬
ture to increase student parking by as
much as three thousand spaces is the
plan’s ultimate goal.
The changes proposed by Svonkin
and a host of others that made up the
Parking Committee deals with raising
the necessary funds to initiate a project
that could cost as much as 23 million to
complete.
The key to raising the needed funds
involves increasing the sales of day and
evening parking permits from their
current level of three thousand permits
to nine thousand per semester. This
projected increase will result from
offering an unlimited number of per¬
mits to the student body.
Under the new rules, students with
permits can park free of charge in the
pay lots located on the west side of
campus. The pay lots will still remain
open to individuals that choose to pay
on a daily basis. Tuesday and Thursday
permits will no longer be issued.
“The selling of an unlimited number
of permits is not without precedent,”
said Philip Mullendore, director of
college safety. “Several community
colleges already do this. Santa Monica
is a good example.”
The Svonkin plan was two years in
the making and was already received
favorably by over 80 percent of the
1,500 students polled in the early part of
1986. It was this favorable response
from the students that prompted the
develpment of the original idea
presented to the Board of Trustees on
Oct. 23, 1986.
“The students have to assume an
unselfish attitude for the plan to work,”
said Svonkin. “At this time students
are not guaranteed a spot. The changes
in parking should not be as disruptive
as first imagine.”
In a “best case scenario” an in¬
crease in revenue of over $100,000 per
semester is anticipated.
Svonkin feels this number could be as
high as $200,000 if the $100,000 gener¬
ated from faculty permits were in¬
cluded in the plan’s projected revenue.
“In a ‘worst case scenario’ we could
lose up to $100,000,” Mullendore said.
“Its really impossible to project what
will happen.”
It is hoped the increase in money
generated by the sale of permits will
offset the deficit incurred when permit
parkers usurp spaces in the pay lots.
If any profit is generated by the
changes in parking, it will be placed in
a fund to be used to obtain a loan to
build the parking structure. “We need
to show that the money to pay off the
loan can be generated,” said Svonkin.
“If all goes as anticipated it should only
take a couple of years to demonstrate
this ability.”
Obtaining the neccassary funding
through the sale of permits is not the
only source of income being sought to
get the project off the ground. Both the
school district and surrounding com¬
munity offers potential avenues for
exploration, if the project is to be
initiated.
The ideas range from an outright
grant of money from the district, or an
annual commitment from the Board of
Trustees, to a bond that would result
from a general election in which
2/3
of
the city would approve a tax override.
Certificates of participation from the
business community surrounding PCC
will also be sought.
“The community has a stake in this
also,” said Svonkin. “Our parking prob¬
lems affect everyone.”
By offering paid parking during such
activities as the Rose Parade, the
Parking Committee feels a new struc¬
ture could also be counted as an addi¬
tional source of income.
Svonkin feels that only a combination
of two or three of the seven proposed
ideas to generate outside funding is
needed to get the project under way.
Starting the project has been on
Svonkin’s mind since he first took
office as Vice President of Student
Services in 1985.
“The students have written well over
500 letters concerning this issue each
semester that I have been here,” said
Svonkin. “But finding a workable solu¬
tion has proven much more difficult
than identifying the problem.”
Professor Gets Award
A Sporty
Seasonal
Wrap-Up
Page 3
Summer Registration
Starts Monday, June 1
Permits Available In D200
Teachers,
A Breed of
Their Own
Page 4
Bravender— Top Educator
PCC professor and Outstanding Art Educator of the Year for LA
County, Suzanne Bravender works with students to bring out their
individual artistic talents of expression. Courier photo by Alan Duignan
“strives to open up students and help
them find their own individual ex¬
pression. I’ve had students in her
classes pull me aside and tell me how
she has helped to make them aware of
20th century art and opened them up to
new styles of personal expression.”
Last year Malm had the opportunity to
evaluate one of Bravender’s classes
and noticed that “everyones paintings
were different from the next.”
A “practicing artist” Bravender has
been teaching here since 1964. Her
speciality is painting and drawing
though she has taught the 2— D design
class. In 1974-1975 she received a
Fulbright Scholarship to teach in Eng¬
land for one year. “There, I taught all
the art disiplines including art his¬
tory,” she said.
Bravender is very involved with the
college, students and art. According to
Malm, Bravender was commended at a
recent faculty meeting for her work in
organizing the studio aspect of Nathan
Oliveira’s visit. Oliveira was PCC’s
first artist in residence.
Bravender recently sponsored the
“Still Kicking” ceramics show in the
art gallery. She has also worked on a
number of videos either documenting
college programs or exploring an ar¬
tists work. She enjoys taking her stu¬
dents on field trips to art galleries and
museums. “A tremendous amount of
encouragement happens outside the
classroom.”
Bravender’s field trips have taken
her classes as far as San Francisco.
Now she plans to take a group of
students to New York City to tour its
galleries and museums.
By Jennifer Landis
News Editor
The L. A. County Art Education Coun¬
cil singled out PCC art professor
Suzanne Bravender as an Outstanding
Arts Educator. She recieved the award
during a ceramony held last night.
Bravender also is a contender for
PCC’s Outstanding Teacher of the
Year, (the Risser Award) was nomi¬
nated by Linda Malm, art department
chairperson.
“I am thrilled especially since there
were a large number of applicants,”
Bravender said. “It’s an honor to be
selected from the entire L.A. County
area.” Early in her career Bravender
taught at Valley College, L.A. City
College and at Otis Art Institute.
According to Malm, Bravender
GLSU, Prey of Vandals
By Maureen Magee
Staff Writer
The PCC Gay and Lesbian Student
Union (GLSU) has been the victim of
“persecution” and "prejudice” accord¬
ing to Cliff Hengst, GLSU president.
For the past semester, the GLSU has
been unable to keep announcements
concerning the union posted on cam¬
pus. The club continues to post signs on
campus and the signs continue to be
destroyed.
“I would like to say it’s no big
deal— it’s just a poster. But, it should
be a big deal. This is prejudice and
persecution— not against a poster but
against a cause,” said Hengst. “This
prejudice really surprises me coming
from such an open-minded campus.”
Connie Hurston, student activities
adviser, said, “This is unacceptable
and inappropriate behavior. But it does
not surprise me with all of the
homophobia around.”
Neither Hurston nor the GLSU know
specifically who is responsible for the
negative actions directed against the
GLSU.
Hurston said, until the party respon¬
sible is identified and a complaint is
filed, student discipline may not be
enforced.
Dave Johnson, GLSU vice president,
said “just the idea that someone is
trying to stifle us is disturbing. There
should be a strong penalty.” Both
Hengst and Hurston agree that the
issue is not a vindictive one for dis¬
cipline but a strong need for accep¬
tance and tolerance.
The GLSU maintains the posters are
not intended to antagonize other stu¬
dents. The club needs the signs to
inform people of the organization’s
existence.
Because of this problem, the GLSU
has not been reaching all of its mem¬
bers. The club gives members an op¬
portunity to discuss current issues and
meet other gay people. Johnson said,
“This does not mean meeting people
like in a bar. It's a chance to discuss
and deal with issues and problems.”
Hengst added that “AIDS has ac¬
tually affected the union in a positive
way. We have banded together trying to
fight this problem.” He also said the
club “would like to break through the
AIDS hysteria and become recog¬
nized.”
Toward the end of this month, PCC
will observe AIDS Awareness Week.
Hengst hopes this will help people
understand that AIDS affects everyone
and hopefully stop the fear people have
of groups like the GLSU. Hurston is
also hopeful that AIDS Awareness Week
will “enlighten people."
Overcrowding in the Library has long been a problem. Library Director Joanne Kim has proposed a plan
to renovate Harbeson Hall into needecl library space. By adding Harbeson Hall’s 4,000 sq. feet to the library
it will be able to add approximatly 80 new study spaces. The proposed addition of Harbeson Hall is only
a temporary solution. The real solution, according to Kim, is to build a new structure. A committee is now
working on this plan. Courier photo by Alan Duignan
