PCC Courier, November 04, 1977

VOL. 44, N0.11 PASADENA CITY COLLEGE, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA NOVEMBER 4, 1977 Senate Board Votes Faculty Approves Film By Steve Johnston and Kathy Prohs The Faculty Senate Board Monday overwhelmingly approved a recom¬ mendation that the November 15 Tuesday Evening Forum on South Africa be presented as scheduled. The program, a film-lecture presented by Allen Hubbard, titled “The Beauty of a Jewel Under the Southern Cross— South Africa,” has drawn criticism from some students, faculty and members of the com¬ munity who feel it is a misrepresenta¬ tion of life in that country. By a 13-1 vote, the Faculty Senate Board approved a motion, submitted by communication instructor Joseph Probst, which stated “Be it resolved, that the Faculty Senate Board recommends to the administration and the Board of Trustees that the Tuesday Evening Forum presentation on South Africa remain on the program. The feeling of the Faculty Senate Board is that a change in program would be a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution and would constitute prior restraint.” A letter presenting the Faculty Senate Board’s position on the film was sent Wednesday to Manuel Perez, chairman of the Forum Advisory Committee and dean of Extended Campus Programs. Fay Chandler, vice-president of the Faculty Senate Board, presented the recommendation to the PCC Board of Trustees last night. Single Opposing Vote The single opposing vote at the Faculty Senate Board meeting on Monday came from James Clayton, The Board of Trustees decided last night to present Allen Hubbard’s film “The Beauty of a Jewel Under the Southern Cross — South Africa” on November 15. They also voted 5 to 2 to add to the program a second film “The Last Grave of Dimbaza.” librarian and assistant professor of library service, who is the only Black member of the Faculty Senate Board. Two members abstained from voting. Crayton said his objection to the motion had to do with the film not presenting a true picture of South Africa. “My concern is that as educators we have a responsibility to truth,” he said. Crayton also suggested that the Faculty Senate Board had a duty to “support committees who have responsibilities to make decisions,” referring to the Forum Advisory Committee which last month unanimously recommended that the program be withdrawn. Infringement of Freedom In defending his motion, Probst suggested that changing the Forum program would set a precedent of infringing on freedom of speech. “Do we stop with the film on Poland, or the film about Sweden because they have sexy pictures?” he asked, referring to future programs in the Forum series. Manuel Perez, dean of Extended Campus Programs and director of the Tuesday Evening Forum, said earlier that several students and faculty members came to him with concerns about the South African film when the 1977-78 Forum schedule was first published, months before the most recent wave of political activity in that country. That concern led late last month to the unanimaous recom¬ mendation by the Forum Advisory Committee to withdraw the film. Community representatives presented their objections to the film to the Board of Trustees. Alternate Film Prepared If the Board of Trustees decides not to show the film on South Africa, Hubbard will present another film, “A Saga of the Incredible Incas of Peru.” Responding to reports during the Faculty Senate Board meeting that there is community pressure to with¬ draw the film, physical sciences in¬ structor Richard MeKee said he did not think such pressures should have anything to do with the decision. “I think the issue is free speech,” he said. Robert Carter, associate professor of library service, referred to a section in the PCC Faculty Handbook covering academic freedom and controversial issues, then noted that the Board of Trustees would have to reverse itself if it withdrew the film. Controversy an Educational Tool The section of the handbook which deals with controversial issues (page 40), approved by the Board of Trustees in 1971, states, in part, “Higher education flourishes in settings where conflicting points of view can be ex¬ pressed. Intellectual competency emerges out of such circumstances. Thus, controversy becomes a major educational tool. It need not be eliminated or avoided,” Chrystal Watson, Faculty Senate president, commented later that “the Senate felt overwhelmingly that page 40 of the Faculty Handbook should be taken seriously. Education must train the student to handle controversial ideas. That cannot be accomplished unless the student is exposed to con¬ troversy.” Campus Figures React By Kathy Prohs Managing Editor The recent recommendation of the Faculty Senate Board concerning the presentation of the controversial film, “The Beauty of a Jewel Under the Southern Cross— South Africa,” has provoked faculty and staff reaction. When asked earlier this week why a representative from the Pan Afrikan Students Alliance (PAS A) was not asked to present PASA’s viewpoint before the Faculty Senate Board voted Joseph Probst, communication in¬ structor, commented, “The Faculty Senate does not represent students. We represent the faculty. “Also, the motion was an emergency type of thing. We didn’t have time to think about contacting them. It probably would have been nice if we had, but they didn’t invite us to their meeting when they decided to protest the showing of the film.” He also said that “the Faculty Senate has the same right that PASA has to present its feelings to the Board of Trustees. “The vast majority of faculty members whom I have spoken to support the motion. It’s not an issue of what the man (Hubbard) is saying, but conforming to the rules of bringing a speaker to the campus. Decision Not “Objective” Isaac Richard, one of the members of PASA’s steering committee, said that the first time anyone from PASA heard about the motion was after it was passed. He asked, “How can they make an objective decision? Richard said that PASA was “thoroughly offended” that it was not invited to discuss its point of view before the Faculty Senate Board and that the decision to support the film was made “behind our backs. We weren’t even called. We, of course, denounce the resolution.” Hubbard Comments Hubbard, in a letter to Perez, says: “This (South Africa) truly is a magnificent country. Its Blacks are an underlying reason why it is magnifi¬ cent, but the film does not take issue as regards the political aspect. It presents, in pictures and words, as honest a profile as it can, showing the country primarily as a desirable place for the tourist to go as would a presentation on Spain, France, etc. “What the film does, I think, is to awaken an awareness in the minds of Americans — Black and White — that South Africa has, as it is true with most countries in the world, problems to solve which they are facing. The film shows the beauty of the cities and the countryside, the strikingly strong and capable Bantu (Blacks) and how they live as the tourist would find them. No one, Black or White, viewing the film without prejudice, will find that any attempt has been made to influence an opinion. It will, however, allow him to learn much more about a country Continued on Page Six wu 1 —Courier Photo by Blake Sell BARGAIN CORNER— Salesman Glendon Ingman of PCC’s Jr. Execu¬ tives Club manages to read the morning paper while keeping an eye on the merchandise during a slack period at Saturday’s Flea Market. Turnout of vendors and customers was low throughout the day. Senate Checks Accounts Proposed Budget OK'd Still exercising its power of checking the spendings of the accounts within the budget, the Senate voted to ap¬ prove the original ASB Board proposed budget. The move was made with the stipulation that five committees present the Senate with an itemized list of expected spendings. Inter Club Council (ICC), Pep A career workshop on entertainment and broadcast journalism will take place next Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the Campus Center lounge. The event is sponsored by PCC’s Asian-American Affairs Office and is free to all students. Attending the workshop will be KNBC news reporter Tritia Toyota, television journalist Mario Machado and actor Jesse Dizon who appears on the television series “Operation Petticoat.” Todd Mizuki, student assistant in the Asian-American Affairs office, saicL, the purpose of the workshop is to get students to think in terms of a career. “Students can get lost in books and examinations. We hope the workshop will provide some direction through the academic maze,” he said. Vickey Furuya, acting adviser to Asian-American Affairs, said the professionals attending the event represent minority ethnic groups, “So that students from such backgrounds will realize that opportunities are available to them.” “But the main purpose of the workshop is to give all students first¬ hand information on careers,” she said. “Most people get started in COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ELECTIONS PCC certificated employees, in¬ cluding instructors and counselors, failed Wednesday by two votes to avert a runoff election in voting for a collective bargaining representa¬ tive. The vote count ran as follows: PCC-PTA, 152; Faculty Senate Association, 29; no representation, 125. In a simultaneous election, classified employees opted for no representation in voting for a collective bargaining agent. The no representation category received 95 votes, to 80 votes for the Association of Classified Employees. Commission, Associated Men Students, Publicity, and Associated Women Students were required to present their budgeted plans yester¬ day. “We finally brought the board to terms with what the rules are,” said Senate President Steve Lambert. According to Finance Commissioner careers through personal contact with people already in the career. We want to facilitate that ‘personal’ element,” she added. The Asian-American Affairs office plans to sponsor other career workshops later this semester. Ms. Furuya mentioned business, com¬ puters and health as possible topics. Next Monday marks the beginning of PCC’s annual International Aware¬ ness Week. A variety of activities has been scheduled, including slide pre¬ sentations and talks by faculty members, exhibitions of traditional dances and displays of cultural ar¬ tifacts in showcases situated through¬ out the campus. The Foreign Student Office, which coordinates many of the week’s activi¬ ties, hopes to encourage awareness of foreign nations and cultures by spot¬ lighting PCC’s foreign students as well as faculty members who have traveled abroad. On Monday, Dr. John Risser, PCC psychologist, will give a slide and lecture presentation on New Zealand. The show, “New Zealand: A Photographer’s Paradise,” features material gathered while Dr. Risser was on a sabbatical leave. “The presentation depicts a quality of life which I think is the finest in the world,” Dr. Risser said. Dick Peirce, life science instructor, will present a slide-lecture show, “The Grenadine Islands: A Far Away Place,” Monday at noon in R108. Peirce will talk about the “human geography” of this group of islands in the Caribbean Sea and will show Stephen Skordiles, confusion over the budget could have been avoided if the budget was explained in full when it was first presented to the Senate. Skordiles was unable to attend the first Senate meeting and ASB President Elena Rodriguez presented the budget at the meeting. “There was a lot of misun¬ derstanding in the beginning about where the money went in the budget. Now things are straight. The Senate is moving in a positive direction,” said Rodriguez. A special election to amend the ASB Constitution will take place on November 29 and if approved by the student body, it will allow a member of Students Unlimited to be represented on the ASB Executive Board. Students Unlimited is a new organization on campus for the handicapped students. At the October 27 Senate meeting Chung Jin Yoon’s letter of resignation was read by Lambert. She stated in writing, “I do not feel capable of fulfilling my responsibilities simply because I do not like them.” pictures taken last year while he was on a research project. Also on Tuesday at noon, the husband-wife team of Sujata and Asoka will perform historical dances of India in Harbeson Hall. The couple has given performances throughout the world. “Rio de Janeiro: Sound and Sight” is the title of a slide, music and lecture presentation to be given by Phyllis Jackson, dean of student activities, Wednesday at 11 a.m. in C301. Ms. Jackson will talk about her ex¬ periences in Brazil and will play recorded music of that country. On Thursday at noon, Margarita Fastabend von Brockdorff, associate professor of foreign languages, will be in R122 to show slides about “mini¬ safaris,” photographed last January while she was on sabbatical leave in leave in Kenya and Tanzania. Films on France will be. featured Tuesday, 11 a.m. to noon, in C301 and also on Thursday, noon to 1 p.m.. in R102. Throughout the week, the flagpoles in the quad will display flags from 14 foreign countries, illustrating just some of the nationalities represented by PCC’s foreign students. Asian-American Affairs Holds Career Workshop International Awareness Spotlights Foreign Students Parade of Floats , Homecoming Court To Use ' Future of Education' Theme Homecoming kicks off this year at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, hostessed by the queen and her six princesses who are to be selected a week from today. A parade of floats presented by 12 participating PCC clubs and a procession of the court and campus dignitaries will precede the football game between the nationally ranked Lancers and L A. Pierce College. The floats will be judged in categories for creativity, pertinence to the theme “The Future of Education,” and humor. Winners will receive trophies and participate in halftime activities, which will feature the PCC and Pierce marching bands. Homecoming Week on campus will include consecutively Hush Day for women, Hat Day, The Fifties Day, Red, Gold and White Day and Spirit Award Day. Special pep rallies and assemblies are in planning. Senate sources expect a flying lion to climb a rope attached to the top of R Building to announce Homecoming activities. A rooting section will be reserved for alumni and their guests for the football game. All PCC alumni are invited to a get-together at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel after the game. For further information call the Pasadena Alumni Association at 578-7384. The ASB will sponsor a Homecoming Dance also after the game. Influence, Suggestions Main Job For Chancellor of City Colleges The newly appointed Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, Dr. William G. Craig, spoke before several members of the faculty Tuesday afternoon in the Forum. Dr. Craig, who oversees 104 com¬ munity colleges in California, said that his job is a political one and affords him virtually no power. His main responsibility as chan¬ cellor is to influence and suggest ideas to the state legislature to the viewpoint of the community colleges. Currently, the chancellor’s office is trying to sort out its priorities. Dr. Craig helped set up a five-year plan for the state’s community colleges. The plan covers a variety of college con¬ cerns. He said the most important point to emphasize is the need for long range financial legialation that will respond to the changes in community colleges. “We need a strong government affairs policy to make sure we are represented by strong legislature procedures through bills and legisla¬ tion. “Board members must be kept out of administration and deal only with policy matters.” Dr. Craig believes institutions must maintain diversity, to provide students with a variety of programs and vocational options. EXPLORING OPPORTUNITY — Looking toward their next campus, PCC students Terry Reed and Denise Mukai investigate the program and facilities offered at Fresno State, as explained by the school’s representative, Dick Giese. Tuesday's College Awareness Day presented a broad choice of approximately 50 advanced educational systems. —Courier Photo by Mari* Dowdy