Jacob Matthes
Staff Writer
Rolando Bugarin
/
Courier
Jalessa Jimenez , 19, undecided, and Luis Zuniga, 20, psychology major,
voted for Obama because they did not think picking McCain was an
option. They said voting is important and makes a difference.
The most powerful nation in the
world has elected its first African
American President, and PCC stu¬
dents seem thrilled.
Barack Obama, 46-year-old son of
a father from Kenya and white
mother from Kansas, will become
the 44th president of the United
States of America.
“I can’t believe it. I’m so happy it
really happened. The country is
finally going to change,” said Tim
Ronk, music major.
This presidential race started
more than 20 months ago. In a little
less than two years, the nation has
had the chance to give itself a com¬
plete social renovation.
A nation that has seen a wide
ranging spectrum of racial intoler¬
ance in its past has, for the first time,
elected an African-American to the
country’s highest office.
Many PCC students reveled in the
occasion.
“It’s a sign of immeasurable
change. I couldn’t help but cry when
I learned he was going to win. It is
Rolando Bugarin
/
Courier
Jae Chun Lim 21, kinesiology major, supported Obama but could not
vote because he is not a citizen.
something minorities around the
nation probably never even thought
about just a few years ago,” said
Chelsea Warth, a 20-year-old art
major.
To other students it represented
another chink in the armor of the
nation’s potential.
“Obama winning worries me. I’m
just afraid he’s going to split the
country,” said James Lux, music
major.
For California voters the election
of a president wasn’t the only deci¬
sion they had to make.
More campus
reactions on page 4
“I’m pleased Obama won, but
Proposition 8 passed and
Proposition 5 didn’t, that’s a little bit
of a let down,” said Warth.
The passing of Proposition 8, the
reversal of a California Supreme
Court ruling legalizing same sex
marriage, seemed to be a splinter in
many students’ happiness about the
election.
Continued on page 4
R Building Loses Water
After Accident Breaks Line
Rodrigo Mejia
Entertainment Editor
The R Building turned dry on Monday as
water service to the whole structure was shut
off following a severed water line.
“There was a valve that was underground,
protected by a sleeve that went up to the sur¬
face. A piece of equipment ran over the
sleeve, severing the water line beneath,” said
Richard van Pelt, director of facility services.
The break was caused by construction on
the west side of campus as an excavator
pinched and broke the protruding sleeve.
“In order to mitigate the problem, the
source of the water had to be shut off, which
resulted in the R Building losing water pres¬
sure, as it was upstream of the break,” said
van Pelt.
Barnhart Construction, the company
assigned to manage both the new Industrial
Technology Building and a retrofitted
Campus Center, is held responsible for the
occurrence since the break occurred on its
site, explained van Pelt.
“It was absolutely an accident,” said Jack
Schulman, director of Measure P projects.
Schulman explained that though the com¬
pany was at fault, they readily cooperated
with the campus to rectify the problem.
This is not the first time there have been
complications with the construction and the
campus, van Pelt explained.
“We did have a very similar incident a
number of months ago, which resulted in the
installation of more isolation valves to avoid
having the entire campus lose water — which
did occur in that instance,” said van Pelt.
Concerns with the aging infrastructure in
and around PCC arose once more during the
two-hour restriction.
“There is always a concern with the age of
the infrastructure on the campus, but in this
case, the failure was a construction incident,”
said van Pelt, as he explained that similar pre¬
cautions taken after the campus wide loss
would not be needed.
The episode warranted a response from the
Alert-U campus notification system and
cadets were dispatched to ensure no one
entered the restrooms in the R Building.
The alert was issued to each person who
has signed on to the program at 12:20 p.m.,
around thd time facility services was made
aware. Water was restored at 2 p.m.
Judge Denies Continuance
In Student Homicide Trial
Barbara Beaser
Staff Writer
A witness for the defense in the pend¬
ing murder trial of former PCC student
George Pigman failed to appear in
court for a hearing on Monday. Last
week, the court refused to grant a con¬
tinuance for the defense, and ordered
the witness, a psychiatrist evaluating
Pigman to appear. The Public Defender repre¬
senting Pigman, Jose Colon, said he did not
know where his witness was.
“This case is three years old,” Judge Schwartz
said, her frustration evident. “Why hasn’t your
witness been subpoenaed?”
“We don’t have control over our witnesses,”
Colon said. He went on to say the subpoena had
been issued but that as far as he knew the wit¬
ness had not been served yet.
At last week’s hearing, Alhambra Deputy
District Attorney Teresa Sullivan argued that the
repeated postponements were putting an emo¬
tional and financial strain on the family of the
victim, who live in Japan. Schwartz had agreed
and told Colon he would need to get ready.
“The court is willing to work with you, but
only so much,” she told Colon. “We need to get
this case moving.”
At the hearing on Monday, Schwartz
reminded Colon that the court had
found no good cause for a continuance,
and pressed the public defender for
more details regarding his absent wit¬
ness, and the subpoena Colon said was
issued.
“If the subpoena was served and
George Pigman accepted by someone, I can issue a war¬
rant,” the judge said.
Throughout the exchange, Pigman sat hand¬
cuffed and silent in the jury box. He is charged
with the murder of Eimi Yamada, his alleged
girlfriend, who was found dead in May 2005.
Temple City Sheriff’s homicide detective
Joseph Sheehy was initially responding to a dis¬
turbance call when he found Yamada in the
bathroom of her San Gabriel apartment. The
Japanese native was naked and had suffered
multiple stab wounds. A pair of barbecue tongs
was found near her body.
Pigman was discovered nearby on a rooftop,
pacing and making noises, also naked and cov¬
ered in blood. The police discovered a driver’s
license and PCC student ID card both belonging
to Pigman inside Yamada’s apartment.
In Oct. 2006 he pleaded not guilty by reason
of insanity.
For exclusive stories and photos check out the Courier on the web @ pcccourier.com
Pasadena City College
Volleyball Wins
two straight
matches to
bolster playoff
resume.
Check it out on
page 12
Volume 98, Issue 1 1
“The Independent Student Voice of PCC, Serving Pasadena Since 1915.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Campus Elated Over Vote
Students and
staff speak out
on monumental
election results
