VOLUME 110 ISSUE 8
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM
October 16, 2014
COURIER
EDITORIAL
Money isn't always
the answer
The independent student voice
of PCC. Serving Pasadena PASADENA CITY COLLEGE
since 1 91 5
PAGE
3»
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School pays Oscar-winning alum not to
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sue
Philip McCormick
Editor-in-Chief
The District paid Oscar-win¬
ning alum Dustin Lance Black
more than $26,000 so he would
not sue the school after top offi¬
cials rescinded an invitation for
him to speak at commencement
last May, according to a settle-
ment agreement.
Former school president
Mark Rocha signed the settle¬
ment agreement that paid Black
$26,050 to setde “each and every
claim, demand, and cause of
action by black” in addition to
a $3,000 honorarium on May 8.
Black signed it on May 1 2, three
days after he delivered his com¬
mencement speech.
Black had hinted at “legal
ramifications” in a letter he sent
to the Courier last May after
school officials disinvited him
from commencement when
they discovered he had been the
victim of “revenge porn.”
Interim President Robert Mill¬
er and Board President Anthony
Fellow declined to comment
on when the district decided to
settle with Black or when the
Board of Trustees approved
the settlement. They each sent
the same exact response when
contacted by the Courier.
“The issue with Mr. Black has
been resolved and the district
has no further comment at this
time,” Miller and Fellow each
wrote in emails.
In the settlement, Black
agreed to not disclose the settle¬
ment through “oral statements,
written statements, emails,
Twitter, blogs, Facebook, Tum-
blr, etc.” Neville Kiser, Black’s
assistant, did not return an email
requesting comment on this
story.
SETTLEMENT page 2 ►
Dustin Lance Black
Grab art by the horns
Rayna White/Courier
Bulls made out of “upcyded" material featured in the "Luminosity" exhibit were part of the "Light Bringer
Project at Day One" at ArtNight in Pasadena on Friday, Oct. 1 0. ARTNIGHT on Scene.
Report says
most campus
crime down
Daniel Johnson
Asst. News Editor
Newly released crime statistics published
in an annual report show downward trends
in several categories, most notably in drug
violations.
The PCC Police issued the federally man¬
dated Annual Campus Safety Report last week,
which details the number of crimes reported
to campus police for the past three years.
The report indicates that drug violations
fell from 19 in 2012 to just two in 2013, and
liquor law offenses dropped from seven down
to one in the same period. Police officials said
that there has been no change in enforcement
policy and attributed the changes to a more
visible police presence on campus.
“We’ve been really pounding the beat,” said
Interim Police Chief Steven Matchan. “Our
officers are walking more on campus. Because
we’re out there doing the direct enforcement,
people get the hint that [they] can’t do that
here.”
Matchan indicated that educating the public
about the restrictions of a medical
CRIME page 2 ►
Water polo captain shows leadership in and out of the pool
David O'Connor
Staff Writer
Women’s water polo team captain,
Stephanie Velasco isn’t driven by individ¬
ual awards or statistics. What motivates
her is trying to be the best leader in and
out of the pool, as well as putting her
team’s needs before her own.
It’s this attitude that has massively con¬
tributed to Velasco achieving numerous
personal highlights in her school water
polo career.
In 2013, opposition coaches in the
South Coast conference selected her for
the No. 1 all-star team after a lights-out
season when she tallied 63 goals and 58
steals. Velasco is also the current leading
scorer for PCC with 25 goals after nine
games this season. She had a decorated
high school career by winning two con¬
secutive CIF championships with Eagle
Rock Fligh School and was selected for
the all-star team four times.
Water polo fell into Velasco’s lap at 1 2
years of age, courtesy of her mother.
“I didn’t know what water polo was
and started playing at Yosemite park pool
in Eagle Rock over the summer. My mom
found out about a water polo program
and she put me in it,” Velasco said. “I was
always good at swimming, but I don’t like
swim team as much, as it wasn’t inter¬
active because you had to think about
things on your own. Doing water polo is
more about being in a team, I like being
in a team.”
Besides possessing a wide wing span
that allows her to tower over her oppo¬
nents to sling shots at goal, Velasco more
importantly cuts the figure of a traffic
controller who maneuvers her teammates
with her calming presence and cunning
strategic ploys.
Fellow sophomore and center-forward
Caroline Liu cites Velasco’s
VELASCO page 7 ►
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