PCC Courier, October 05, 2006

The Independent Student Voice of PCC, Serving Pasadena Since 1915 Volume 94, Issue 7 Governor’s Veto Raises Concern Stacey Wang News Editor Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill last Saturday, which has resurrected the conflict over the rights of illegal aliens, particularly college students. Senate Bill 160 (SB 160), also known as the California Dream Act, was written to give undocu¬ mented aliens the right to receive financial aid. As it stands now, stu¬ dents who are in this country ille¬ gally are ineligible for financial aid. The bill was introduced by Sen. Gilbert Cedillo (D-Los Angeles), who wanted to broaden the oppor¬ tunities for students who were here illegally but needed financial help to attend college. Schwarzenegger, in his veto mes¬ sage to the California State Senate, stated, “While I do not believe that undocumented children should be penalized for the acts of their par¬ ents, this bill would penalize stu¬ dents here legally by reducing the financial aid they rely on to allow them to go to college and pursue their dreams.” PCC student Alyssa Dumont feels that it would be unfair to deny financial aid to any student, despite their status. “Yes, they are here ille¬ gally, but they’re trying to make a better life for themselves. Everyone deserves a chance regardless,” she said. Currently in California, undocu¬ mented students are exempt from paying nonresident tuition at Cali¬ fornia community colleges and Cal¬ ifornia State Universities as long as they meet specific requirements. Outlined in Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540), which became law in 2001, undocumented students are expected to attend a California high school for three or more years and must graduate from a high school in California as well. Once they have completed these two requirements, the student must then file an affi¬ davit with the college or university in order to be eligible for the in-state tuition rate. In mid-December of last year, a lawsuit was filed against the Univer¬ sity of California because of the law allowing illegal aliens to pay lower fees than legal citizens. Many out- of-state college students who were attending the University of Califor¬ nia felt that it was unfair for them to pay thousands of dollars more to attend school while students who were in the country illegally were charged in-state tuition. Daniel Belts / Courier Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed a financial aid bill for illegals. p— — - — Piano Prodigy a Student Maria Rios Staff Writer All parents want their children to be stars. Joe Astor noticed his son, Zak Rios, had the potential to be a great pianist when he was only 6 years old. So he decided to take a chance and do everything in his power to create a superstar. To play the role of a stage par¬ ent, like Astor does, is a difficult task, because not only are the par¬ ents a child’s manager, but they are also nutritionists, chauffeurs I and psychologists. Zak, 13, is a piano prodigy who has been performing for nine ; at PCC years under the guidance of his father, who doesn’t seem to fit the typical stage parent mold. Some people would say Rios is being deprived of his childhood because of the limited time he has to do other activities besides prac¬ tice and homework. “We already knew he would be giving up his childhood,” said Astor. But music is so important to Rios that he said he didn’t mind the sacrifices it took to be a star. His parents gave him different instruments as a baby, but he liked the piano more than any others. Continued on page 6 Rafael Delgado / Courier Zak Rios practiced Latin Jazz in a music room at PCC. Church in Pasadena Refuses IRS Summons Jesse Sears Staff Writer All Saints Episcopal Church Pasadena, a liberal congregation, has decided to refuse a summons by the IRS for the turnover of church financial and procedural information, bringing national attention to Pasadena over the First Amendment rights of free¬ dom of speech and religion. The government is threatening to revoke All Saints’ tax exempt status. If they succeed, it would deal a considerable blow to the church’s ability to operate. The controversy arose after a sermon given by guest preacher, Rev. George Regas, two days before the 2004 presidential elec¬ tion. In the sermon, Regas staged a mock debate between Jesus, Sena¬ tor John Kerry and President Bush. “Jesus [would say], “Mr. Presi¬ dent, your doctrine of preemptive war is a failed doctrine. Forcibly changing the regime of an enemy that posed no imminent threat has led to disaster,” Regas said from the pulpit. The IRS alleges Regas over¬ stepped the boundaries of the law preventing churches from interfer¬ ing in any political campaign, say¬ ing he “took a position in opposition Continued on page 4 International Student Woes Christine Calvo Staff Writer Many students who thought that it wasn’t a big deal to skip class and miss assignments are in for a big surprise. About 45 international students attending PCC for the fall semester are facing possible depor¬ tation because of their failure to adhere to the federal governments’ requirements. “International students cannot drop,” explained Amy Yan, assis¬ tant director for the International Students Office. The strict program requires inter¬ national students to take a mini¬ mum of 12 units per semester to qualify as a full-time student, and only allows a maximum of five absences per class to maintain a stu¬ dent visa. International students cannot drop a class if it will change their status from full-time to a part-time student. The requirements allow very little leeway for students who find them¬ selves in academic jeopardy in the middle of the semester. The ISO offers workshops to keep students informed, but, “No matter how much we try, not many students attend the workshops,” explained Yan. She suggested that the “at risk” students would understand the seri¬ ousness of program requirements had they only participated in the workshops that were created to help them. Miae Yun, a PCC international student, finds it “unfair” that she is required to enroll for 12 units and is not given better treatment. “Tuition is expensive. We pay 10 times more than the regular student,” said Yun, who pays about $3,000 a semester. For many international students, the opportunity to go to school in the United States is worth the cost of tuition, but many still can’t afford to pay for it without working. There are strict rules on students working here, and student visas do usually allow the student to work without the ISO’s permission. Continued on page 4 Art Night is coming! More than 14 museums and galleries will be open and free to all Oct. 13. from 6-10 p.m. See page 6. Oct. 14 5-8 p.m Upcoming Events Tuesday, Oct. 10 • Domestic Violence Awareness Day at noon in the Quad. • “Side by Side: A Jour¬ ney with Depression” at 12:30 p.m & 5:30 p.m. in Creveling Lounge. Friday, Oct. 27 • Fall Choral Recital at 8 p.m. in Harbeson Hall. Saturday, Oct. 28 • Swing Band Concert at 2 p.m. in Harbeson Hall.