PCC Courier, October 15, 1992

тШММШжшшшжтШтшШШШШШШЖ- i " — . : . .. . - . . i шжтмтштттмттттттмттштттт OPINION J: ЖШ- S; i > 'If V. * '■ 1 й ЯШ к ■ ^vj|g|p, %s m 1Ц Ш SPORTS Rejecting the campus police plea for guns is off the mark. Page 2 Theater arts professor Bruce Gill is honored with national scholarship. Page 5 Football team routs Southwestern, 49-26. Page 6 | Pasadena City College Pasadena, California VoL 74 No. 4 COURIER Thursday October 15, 1992 Calendar proposal studied □ Senate says PCC needs to be in sync with the rest of the college system. By RODNEY MITCHELL Staff Writer Students and faculty overwhelm¬ ingly favored an early semester sched¬ ule over a traditional 18-week calen¬ dar when polled last semester. In response, the Faculty Senate drafted an 18-week early semester calendar, which will begin and end earlier. The proposal is scheduled to go to the Board of Trustees for approval in December. If approved, the early semester calendar will be implemented in the fall of 1993. Under the proposal, the fall semester will begin on Aug. 15 and end Dec. 22. The spring semes¬ ter will begin on Jan. 10 and end on May 21. Chrystal Watson, president of the Faculty Senate, said “there is a per¬ ception that traditional semester calendars make quality instruction difficult during the last three weeks of the fall term.” The main reason behind the proposal is that faculty and students want to end the fall semester before Christmas break. “Eighty-six out of 107 commu¬ nity colleges instituted early semes¬ ter calendars. PCC needs to be in sync with the rest of the college system,” Watson said. With the early semester calen¬ dar, transfer students would be in line with both the Cal State and UC calendar year, she said. High school students would also be able to trans¬ fer to PCC more readily under an early semester calendar. Watson said there were not any monetary benefits for the college associated with the proposal. The Faculty Senate considered adopting a 16- week calendar which is currently in use at Santa Monica College. However, Senate officials said there were “serious complica¬ tions” with a 16- week calendar. However, Watson said faculty were intrigued with the 16-week calendar because it allowed for a winter intercession during the 4 to 5 week Christmas break, allowing students time to take remedial courses. Gordon Newman, administrative dean at Santa Monica College, said they were not facing any difficulties with their 16-week calendar. New¬ man said the only drawback was that class periods were ten minutes longer with fewer sessions per week. Except for this year when the school would be changing to the new calendar, there will still be two summer sessions. Guns for police policy shot down □ In a unanimous vote, Board members maintain status quo, saying guns only escalate violence on campus. By EDWIN FOLVEN Special Correspondent The Board of Trustees unanimously decided last week not to change a policy that restricts campus police officers from carrying firearms. The decision was made in response to a proposal by the PCC Police Officers Association that would have allowed officers to carry guns between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m and during high-risk situ¬ ations. “There is a need to maintain a safe environment, but guns do escalate violence,” said Susanna Miele, board member. Other members expressed similar concerns but commended the officers for their outstanding fulfillment of their duty. The Board’s conclusion came after Dr. Jack Scott, superinten¬ dent-president, expressed administrative opposition to the new policy. The Board had previously requested he discuss the issue with the administration’s executive committee. “The executive committee unanimously voted to keep the present policy,” Scott said. “It was a difficult decision, and in no sense does it reflect on the officer’s personal attributes.” “We’re disappointed that they decided to continue a policy that was appropriate 10 years ago,” said Ralph Evans, president of the PCC Police Officers Association. “The world is a different place now, but we’ll just continue to do our jobs in a professional manner.” Scott also discussed a report on policies at other local community colleges compiled at the Board’s request. “We did research and discovered there are certain community colleges where peace officers are armed and others where they do not bear arms,” Scott said. Officers at Glendale, Citrus, Rio Hondo, Mt. San Antonio and Saddleback colleges are unarmed. Officers at those colleges are considered security and do not have sworn peace officer status. Offi¬ cers at local colleges that operate official police depart¬ ments are armed. These include Santa Monica College, El Camino and Los Angeles City College. “They we’re comparing apples and oranges,” Evans said. The PCC campus police department has been an official police department since 1981 and all officers are fully sworn. The officers had initiated the policy to provide more security for themselves and the students. Recent shootings at football games, and several other incidents involving guns on campus have raised concerns among the officers about safety in their jobs. “The guns are already here, but they’re in the hands of the students,” said officer Herman Mitchell. “Guns do escalate violence, but in the hands of a police officer, they can control a dangerous situation safely.” _ _ ‘ Guns do escalate violence, but in the hands of a police officer, they can control a dangerous situation safely.’ Officer Herman Mitchell, Campus Police Homecoming court chosen Photo by DIANA GREER / The COURIER IN THE SPIRIT : Members of the homecoming court gather for an informal portrait. The 1 2-member court consists of three couples. A homecoming king and queen will be crowned among the court members during the homecoming game against Grossmont on Saturday on Horrell Field. ICC charters two new clubs By ELIZABETH LARA Staff Writer Homecoming excitement filled the quad on Tuesday afternoon with the announcement of the homecoming court. The quad, decorated with gold and maroon balloons, was filled with people waiting to hear who the finalists were. Shontek Clay, Nicholas Ni- cassio, Christy Miyagishima, Dan Carreker, Anita Bilboussian, Chris Dodge, Tharini Natarajan, Masakela Brown, and Marie Lanoy and Francisco Carrillo were voted by the student body to make up this year’s homecoming court. The top vote-getters will be crowned homecoming king and queen. Their names will be announced this Saturday at the Lancers’ foot¬ ball game against Grossmont Col¬ lege. The game will begin at 7 p.m. on Horrell Field. Rebecca Cobb-Bailey, student activities adviser, said she is pleased with the results of the elections for homecoming court. It was a record turnout with 415 people voting for the court. Last year, there was not even a home¬ coming king because only two of the four applicants met the minimum requirements. The Lancer cheerleaders per¬ formed musical dance routines for spectators. One number in¬ cluded a routine titled “Amer¬ ica,” reminding students to vote on Nov. 3. Tomorrow, activities continue with the homecoming dance and coronation ball to be held at the Pasadena Hilton. Tickets are available at the student bank for $8.50 per person and $15 per couple. A dress code will be en¬ forced with absolutely no jeans, tennis shoes, or t-shirts. Ticket sales for the dance will be available until 3 p.m tomor¬ row. By PATRIA ABELGAS Staff Writer The Inter-Club Council char¬ tered two new clubs last week, the Middle Eastern Outreach and the College Republicans. The College Republicans, which is a state and nationally chartered organization, was accepted into the council with a 20-4 vote. Dylan Littlefield, president of the College Republicans, said that they were a fairly misrepresented group on campus. “We’re not a bunch of fascist male pigs. I feel that a lot of people don’t have the right idea what the party is all about,” Little¬ field said. The club aims to expand knowledge about the Republican Party and its can¬ didates. Little¬ field said it has taken a year for the club to be¬ come a reality. It has 15 mem¬ bers so far. The group plans to invite two GOP speakers on campus for this semester. Chris $antillan, supervisor of energy services, is their adviser. The Middle Eastern Outreach, a campus crusade for Christ, was approved for charter unanimously. Although the club is open to all students who are interested in at¬ Campus clubs tending its meetings, it has prefers members to be Christians, Eli El- bayadi, president, said. The club currently has 10 mem¬ bers, with Nancy Weigel, speech instructor, serving as adviser. Clubs that are interested in joining the Inter-Club Council must file a petition to organize. It should be signed by at least 10 students and an adviser. New clubs will be chartered into the council if they at¬ tend a meeting for approval by the other council mem¬ bers and are voted in. The ICC consists of representatives from the more than 40 clubs and organizations on cam¬ pus. Through ICC, clubs network, allocate funds and share informa¬ tion. The ICC also acts as a liaison among clubs and the Associated Students. It meets on the second and fourth Friday of each month . The next ICC meeting will be held at the AS Boardroom CC 203 on Friday, Oct.23 at noon. “We’re not a bunch of fascist male pigs. I feel that a lot of people don’t have the right idea what the party is all about.” Dylan Littlefield, President of College Republicans IN THE WORKS: Small Business Management Specialist Program: will combine computer technology with geography to study viable markets and plan business strategies. May be offered next fall. Speakers Bureau Class: One unit class planned for fall 1993 will feature experts in various business fields speaking in weekly forums on their experiences. International business program proposed By ANISSA VICENTE Editor in Chief When Don Paxton was 17, his photography business catered to his neighborhood. Today, as chairman of the business department, Paxton initiates students into a new and inexhaustible market: the world. A new business program has been designed to offer students the chance to earn a certificate as an Interna¬ tional Business/Trade 8pecialist. The proposed program will be consid¬ ered by the Curriculum and Instruc¬ tion Committee on Nov. 8. Dr. Pauline Crabb, assistant dean of instruction, said if passed, the program may be offered next fall. “Our economic market is not the United States anymore,” Paxton said. The new program will emphasize how students can succeed in busi¬ ness in the Pacific Rim, Mexico, Europe, Africa and Central Amer¬ ica. Four courses comprise the cur¬ riculum: international business law, importing and exporting, survey of international business and interna¬ tional marketing. It took Paxton and the business committee a year to plan the curricu¬ lum, studying models from neigh¬ boring community colleges. Paxton said they have fragments of an inter¬ national business program but none like the one PCC plans to initiate. The new program corners two markets: students and workers from companies and corporations looking for trained marketingpersonnel. The demand is great, Paxton said, and PCC should be at the forefront of the business. “We have to make our statement and be progressive,” Paxton said. An international advisory group of volunteers is being assembled from neighboring corporations. This new program aims to dispel the disillusionment students have about business careers and the na¬ tion’s sluggish economy. Economics run in cycles, Paxton said. “The key is to be ready and when the business cycle goes up, you have the skills. You can catch the upswing.” “I want to prepare students for reality,” Paxton said. “I want to say even though companies are closing their books and shutting their doors, they should hang in there.”