PCC Courier, November 05, 1992

Pasadena City College Pasadena, California VoL 74 No. 7 COURIER Thursday November 5, 1992 Bike thefts hit campus □ Campus police caution bike owners as a rash of bike thefts are committed. By EDWIN FOLVEN Special Correspondent Campus police officers are inves¬ tigating a series of bicycle thefts during October in which 14 bikes were stolen from many different areas throughout the college. Thieves have stolen as many as three in one day, and have taken one bike from a rack directly across from the campus police office, said Sgt. Vince Palermo. “They’ve mostly been targeting mountain style bikes,” he said. ‘There have been more stolen last month than we usually have stolen in a whole semester.” Despite the effort of extra secu¬ rity watching bicycle racks, the thieves have been able to quickly cut through chains and locks and make an es¬ cape. Cadets working undercover have observed at least two different individuals stealing the two-wheel¬ ers, but were unable to stop him. “They just walk up, pull out some cutters, and they’re gone in one second,” Palermo explained. “The thing about bicycle thefts is you actually have to see and be near the thief to catch them.” The campus police department purchased two mountain bikes last November and officers are using them to patrol the campus. They were able to respond quicker than they were previously able to on foot. Mountain style bicycles can be very expensive, ranging in price from $225 to more than $3,000. Palermo said those specific bikes are tar¬ geted because they are very popular and can easily be sold on the street. So far, thieves have only targeted bikes locked with chain or cable style locks, which are easier to cut or break than U-style bar locks. “They’re going through the chains like a hot knife through butter,” he added. There are one or more racks along all 36 main campus buildings, mak¬ ing it even more difficult for officers to guard against theft. When pos¬ sible, bikes should be parked in ar¬ eas where many people travel and there is adequate light, Palermo warned. He also suggests riders use a tamper proof lock or remove one wheel and take it with them. “Either lock both wheels up or take them to class,” he said. Tim Miller, manager of John’s Cyclesport in Pasadena, said the U- style, Kryptonite locks are the best for securing bicycles. “There are about a half dozen different kinds and many come with a guarantee against theft,” he said. “Because of their special design, there is just no quick way to cut through them.” The locks range in price from $25 to $50, and are available at most bicycle stores. Bike protection tips: ▲ Park your bike in areas where many people travel and there 15 adequate light. A Remove one wheel or the seat and carry it with you. A Buy aU-style Kryptonite lock with guarantee against theft, available in most bicycle stores. Lock prices range from $25 to $50. Infographic by Anissa С. Vicente Professors analyze elections NEWS ANALYSIS By BRIAN T GAUGHAN Staff Writer Gov. Bill Clinton was deci¬ sively elected President over George Bush and Ross Perot on Tuesday, Nov. 3. In California, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer made history when they were both elected California Senators. Some propositions were passed while others were not. But what do the results really mean? How do they affect stu¬ dents in the long run? Is it a bene¬ fit that Clinton will be our 42nd president? How will proposition results affect us today and in the future? To help answer these ques¬ tions, Suzanne Anderson, Francis Nyong and Sam Soghomonian, professors of social sciences, were asked to comment on the election results. Anderson said it is im¬ portant to note that Clinton did not win by a majority of the popular vote. Perot played a big part in this, she said. The people showed they want action and they want it now. The voters’ choice for the Cali¬ fornia senate was also an impor¬ tant message. “The people voted the old boys out. Now that Clin¬ ton is elected and the Democrats hold the Congress, there is a same party dominance. He’ll have an easy time passing his programs. He has no excuses and he has to make changes,” Anderson said. The propositions also out turned out the way, Anderson thought. “People don’t like them,” she said. “They see them as a failure of legislation. We were ready for Proposition 161, the Death With Dignity Act, but there were no real safeguards. Proposition 167 was so loaded that it confused people.” Anderson said that in her six Americans strike a new covenant with its new president and vice president, Democrats Bill Clinton and Al Gore (right). The former governor of Arkansas defeated President George Bush on election day, Nov. 5. America’s 42nd president PERSONA! Born William Jefferson Blythe IV in Hope, Arkansas, on August 19, 1946, Clinton is a fifth-generation Arkansan. His father died in a car accident two months before his birth and when he was 4 years old, Clinton was adopted by his stepfather Roger Clinton, a car dealer, Clinton, 46, met Hillary Rodham at Yale and married her in 1974. They have a daughter, Chelsea, 12. EDUCATION Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in 1968; spent two years in Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar; law degree from Yale University Law School in 1973. POLITICAL CAREER 1974: unsuccessful bid for Congress; 1976: elected attorney general; 1978: elected governor of Arkansas; 1980: loses reelec¬ tion bid; 1982: returned to office as second person in Arkansas history to be elected to five terms as governor. N . it fj QQOO f } IS 1 OBDOj fg ; ВВЙЙ. п.г; r...L 1. rt n .n years of teaching at PCC, this was the first year she felt her students wanted to vote. “They are frustrated and want to do something about it. In past years they were frustrated but didn’t think they could do anything,” she said. Anderson attributes this interest to Clinton and Gore and how they brought the vote to the young people. “I’m very happy with the way the elections turned out,” she concluded. Nyong’s view focused on change. He felt that the Perot factor took the campaigning away from mud-sling¬ ing and name calling and focused them on the issues. The fact that Perot did so well “focuses on the possibility of having a third party and attempts a second era in the democratization of America. Perot was the free spirit, the everyman.” He felt Californians’ voting in Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein meant change in people’s views toward race and sex. During this election year Nyong’s students were very concerned about the future and asked many questions in order to understand the different issues and make the right decision. This was something he hadn’t seen in a while, he said. “Change is difficult, but we must have it and the best way to do this is though education,” Nyong said. On the other hand, Soghomonian was very adamant about the results. He stressed that on Tuesday, “his¬ tory was made. In many ways it was unique. Carol Mosley Brown, a black woman, was elected to the United States Senate. That’s really turning a comer. Then we elected two women into the Senate. I guess were going to have to put in a women’s restroom.” He pointed out that Clinton won by a landslide in electoral votes but not in popular votes. “Ross Perot had a lot to do with this. This was the first election the people had a real solid ‘none of the above’ and they gave it to Perot.” Soghomonian expected Proposi¬ tion 165 to go down. “It had kind of a perverse appeal — get the free¬ loaders off welfare, but it really wasn’t the substantive part, he said. “I think a lot of people saw through that. I think the passing of the term limitations is stupid. In a republic, the great feature is that we get to decide who our leaders will be. If we don’t like what they do, we vote them out. We don’t even have to shoot them, so why enter it in the constitution?” Soghomonian said his students were definitely involved in the process. “They were all in tune with this election because I redesigned my course outline so we would complete the study of the presi¬ dent and the electoral college before the election. They were well-prepared and the majority favored Clinton. This was a sin¬ gular year in terms of voting ex¬ citement.” Club calls for AS president to resign Cross Cultural Board plans ethnic program By ANISSA VICENTE Editor in Chief Citing violations and inaccuracies within student government, a club has demanded the resignation of Karen Koch, Associated Students (AS) president. The semester-old Student Involvement Club (SIC) wrote Koch a letter saying they will “not allow student government to re¬ main in chaos.” “One of our tasks as a club is to analyze student government and report our findings to respective people on campus,” Joe Meza, SIC president, said in the letter. Meza said Koch has ignored several letters and tele¬ phone calls and has refused to meet with SIC members. “In order for order to exist within student government, something must change,” Meza said. SIC officials contend that Koch violated school policy last semester by holding two positions in the AS board, by consistently refusing to meet with students, by breaking parliamentary procedure as written in the revised Roberts Rules of Order and by gen¬ erally being unprofessional. “She thinks of this as a fun thing and it’s not,” Meza said. Koch, however, dismisses the letter as an unfounded attack and said she will not re¬ sign. “I’m becoming immune to the attacks,” Koch said. “They have sent several letters throughout the semester, all of them very negative, with no evidence of any wrongdo¬ ing. It’s just attack after attack after attack. I don’t understand that kind of thinking.” Koch said she spoke with club members before but that they just asked her the same questions over again . “Г ve had quite enough of listening to them last semester,” she said. Koch, former AS vice president and presi¬ dent of Alpha Gamma Sigma honor society, assumed the presidency last spring, in the wake of former AS president Maggie Tracey’s resignation. “Karen has some weak spots but I don’t Photo by RAYMOND CHIU/ The COURIER AS president Karen Koch think she should resign,” said Shontek Clay, AS coordinator of cultural affairs. “She’s very good in her job and if she just tightens up on all of us, we’ll do fine. She just loves us too much.” “I’m confident in what I’m doing,” Koch said. “Г m not perfect, but I do know that I ’ m doing a fine job.” Meza said if Koch does not step down, SIC will work through the constitution to hold special elections which will in effect annul the present board. “We’re going to do everything in our power to get her removed,” Meza said. By GUILLERMO DUARTE Staff Writer Meet the world on campus. Exploring and learning about other cultures and cus¬ toms will be free to spectators now through Nov. 18 during International Weeks or¬ ganized by the Cross-Cultural Board in conjunction with PCC cultural clubs. The Cross-Cultural Board, a new PCC organization, is composed of 1 2 members who are interested in seeing cultural changes on campus. It was created earlier this semester to give different cultural clubs on campus an opportunity to share their culture and educate students. “Sometimes people don’t understand why someone acts or does things differ¬ ently,” said Kay Hogerty, Associated Students (AS) vice president. “The Cross- Cultural Board will help students develop an understanding about other cultures, so they can be more sensitive and under¬ stand each other better.” “This is a very necessary center to have on campus,” said Dylan Littlefield, co-chair of the Cross-Cultural Board. “Ibis is really going to make PCC a better place to be and a better place to go to school simply because students will have more understanding of different cultures.” The 13 cultural clubs expected to par¬ ticipate include MeCha, Korean, Fili¬ pino, Hong Kong and the African-Ameri¬ can Students Association. “I think that the participation of all these cultural clubs is going to do ahell of a lot of good for the campus,” said Little¬ field. Today’s Dia de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead celebration initiates Interna¬ tional Weeks. This event, which will be inaugurated by Pasadena Mayor Rick Cole and Dr. Jack A. Scott, superintendent- president, features a Mariachi band, cul¬ tural lectures, Aztec and Mayan tribal dancers, typical ethnic foods and a con¬ temporary film presentation. Please see “WEEK,” page 3 /