Pasadena
City
College
Since 1915
VOL. 86 NO. 7
www.pcc-courieronline .com
October 5, 2000
Briefly
■ Disabled issues
take center stage
The Helping Hands Club will
be organizing a “Disability
Awareness Week” from Oct. lb-
20. The events scheduled dur¬
ing this week include the
“Disability Awareness Fair”
which will take place on Oct.
17 in the quad. On Oct. 18, a
speaker will be holding a talk
in Harbeson Hall and
“Comedy Night” will take
place in the Campus Center
Lounge on Oct. 19.
■ AS looks to fill
empty seats
There are two Student
Government positions avail¬
able for VP for Academic
Affairs and/or VP for Student
Services. For students that are
interested in filling these posi¬
tions, applications are due in
the Office of Student Affairs on
Oct. 12 at noon. The names of
the selected applicants will be
posted on Oct. 17.
■ WebExtra
Want CD reviews? Go to
www.pcc-courieronline.com to
see what out writers have to
say about the “Dr.T. and the
Women” soundtrack and
Radiohead’s new record “Kid
A.” Maybe you’re looking to
connect with other PCC stu¬
dents online. Check out the
“Courier” message board at
www.pcc-courieronline.com
and make yourself heard. If
speaking out isn’t your cup of
tea, take our weekly “Courier”
web poll.
No butts about it, college
looks at restricting smoking
Administration: Lighting up
infront of buildings could be
banned under new guidelines
By Afni Adnan
Students who usually spend
their free time smoking in front of
buildings are now going to have to
find a new place to light their cig¬
arettes. This is because the college
will be reviewing the smoking
policy on campus after receiving a
proposal from the PCC Health and
Safety Committee, who recom¬
mended a change in the policy.
In the current policy, the state
law forbids smoking within five
feet of a main entrance or exit to a
building. But according to Dr.
James Kossler, PCC president, the
Health and Safety Committee is
suggesting that the distance be
expanded to within 20 feet of any
building.
A survey that was conducted
by staff members of the Pasadena
Public Health Department of
Tobacco Control Program showed
that nearly half of the participants
indicated that smoking bothered
them “a lot” or “a great deal.”
The survey, which was admin¬
istered in early December 1999
and January of this year, included
2,375 individuals, made up of stu¬
dents, staff and faculty. Of those
questioned, 1,873 of them were
students.
The purpose of the survey was
to identify current smoking pat¬
terns and behaviors of people on
campus and to assess support for a
smoke-free campus.
Based on the survey, half of the
respondents expressed moderate
to strong support for PCC becom-
SMOKING, page 4
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Wanda Fabregas
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The Courier
If the college approves new smoking rules, students like these infront of the R Building would have to go elsewhere.
Inside
■ Jon Heller says the
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changes
e smoking pol¬
icy will cause stu¬
dents to take action.
page 2
■ Eco-conscious stu¬
dents campaign for
more recycling bins
on campus.
page3
■ Lancer football
team stages last-
minute 24-21 come¬
back against Santa
Ana.
page 8
It’s your move
f
Matt Robinson
/
The Courier
Heath Alovera (left)and Kristofer Eslava take a break from their grueling schedule of classes to enjoy a game
of chess. The pair took shelter from the overcast weather in the patio in front of the bookstore. As
midterms approach, students like Alovera and Eslava are looking for quick escapes from the heavy workload.
New parking
structure and
field approved
By Robert Glassey
The Board of Trustees voted
unanimously Sept. 20 to build a
four-level parking structure on the
east side of campus and a multi¬
purpose athletic field at the north¬
west corner of Bonnie Avenue and
Del Mar Boulevard.
The way the project is planned,
the field would intrude into
Bonnie Avenue by about 10 feet,
and, therefore, can be built only
with the approval of the City of
Pasadena.
“If we can make arrangements
with the city to make this thing
work, it’s a very attractive propos¬
al,” said Warren Weber, trustee for
Area 5. “It’s cheaper, it’s more
attractive to the neighbors and to
the athletic department.”
Dr. Robert Matthew, vice-pres¬
ident for administrative services,
said a college representative has
already contacted the city regard¬
ing the project.
This plan replaces one
approved by the board in April
that envisioned a field on top of a
three-tier parking structure.
Although approved, that plan
got bogged down by the opposi¬
tion of three trustees and the will¬
ingness of the majority to explore
other options.
The resulting period of lost
momentum came to an end
almost as soon as the board saw
the current proposal. After
expressing guarded enthusiasm at
the Sept. 6 meeting, the board
embraced the project two weeks
later.
Once it’s built, the parking
structure will hold almost 1700
PARKING, page 4
Students throw
support behind
faculty pay raise
By Tim Alves
Ratcheting up the pressure on
the administration, students have
added their voice to the chorus
of college employees calling for a
significant pay raise this year.
Worried about possible long¬
term effects of an acrimonious
and lengthy contract negotiation
process on their education, a
group of students has banded
together to bring their concerns
before the board of trustees.
“A school that cares about its
students cares about its faculty,”
said Philip Gibson, student.
At press time, a small group of
students had agreed to join staff
and faculty at a third consecutive
demonstration at last night’s
board meeting.
The group said by withhold¬
ing an equitable and fair pay
raise, the college could be forc¬
ing qualified instructors to seek
employment elsewhere which
would directly impact student
performance.
“Part timers can’t afford to go
to three colleges a day, make the
money that’s necessary to live on
and still be able to meet with
students. They have to rush off
to their next class which could
be a long drive away. They just
don’t have time to meet. I’m
concerned that the personal rela¬
tionship between students and
teachers will be lost,” said
Gibson.
Many students said they
feared that top-notch instructors
will opt for higher wages at sur¬
rounding colleges such as Mt.
SAC, Citrus and Glendale. And
they argue the brain drain will
jeopardize a student’s education
and PCC’s academic standing
among four-year universities.
“We need the board to listen
PROTEST, page 4
MTA strike makes life tough on bus-dependent students
Three-week old walkout strands students who rely on public transportation
By Derek Blackway
Since the MTAs strike began Sept. 15,
PCC’s bus-dependent students have been
scrounging for rides to get to class, and it
has not been easy. Some have not made it to
school at all.
The number of absentees varies from
class to class with one class reporting 5 per¬
cent absent and another as much as 15 per¬
cent.
“Last week, I had a tutoring appointment
scheduled every morning at 8 a.m. Not one
of them showed up. They all cancelled
because of the strike,” said Minh Phuong,
PCC student and accounting tutor.
According to Toshiko Brown, the clerk in
charge of the sale of bus passes at the stu¬
dent bank, a total of 225 bus passes are sold
to students each month.
However, none have been sold for the
month of October.
The MTA has shut down all operations
until negotiations rectify the situation, only
then will passes be available. Bus passes
bought in September are still valid for those
few buses in service. Students who
attempted to buy a bus pass for October
were turned away.
Disabled students were among the hard¬
est hit. Many wheelchair users, deaf and
blind students were stranded in their homes
if they did not have any other means of
transportation.
“Alhambra students are totally cut
off. There is no connection at all
between them and PCC. It’s killing us
and I want the strike to end. ”
Roxanne Avalos,
transportation coordinator
Also, most affected by the strike were
those who live in downtown Los Angeles,
from there “it takes approximately two and
one-half hours travel time to reach PCC
using the Foothill Express” said Roxanne
Avalos, employee transportation coordina¬
tor.
“Alhambra students are totally cut off.
There is no connection at all between them
and PCC. It’s killing us and I want the
strike to end.”
Avalos works in the “Trolley Cart”, locat¬
ed outside the C Building. She provides bus
schedules, Glendale route maps, updates on
the strike, lists of all available lines, and
much more.
She said she receives a minimum of 10 to
15 e-mails per day regarding this crisis situ¬
ation.
Avalos now rides to school with friends.
Despite the obstacles the MTA has creat¬
ed for her, Avalos expressed her sympathy
for the drivers and workers of the MTA.
Proposals to take away the MTAs overtime
are being discussed.
Avalos feels that, “Working overtime
without being paid is not fair,” she said.
Unlike Avalos, Adriana Buenrostro, a
PCC cadet who works in the Trolley Cart
feels no sympathy for the MTA .
But not everyone thinks the strike is
purely bad news.
John Welch, a student at PCC said,
“Since the buses went on strike, my mother
MTA, page 4