PCC Courier, October 19, 1989

CO URIER VOL. 60 NO. 4 PASADENA CITY COLLEGE, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA OCTOBER 19, 1989 ROSY LANCERS- PCC students Joanne Ward and Kristin Blake Gibbs are two of the seven Pasadena- area young women chosen to be on the 1989-90 Tournament of Roses Royal Court. The Rose Queen will be named on Oct. 24 at 9:30 a.m. at the Tournament House. Voters Need Good Public Education, Brown Says Enrollment Grows 4 Percent in a Year Palermo Now 'On-duty' with CampusPolice David Sands Staff Writer Vince Palermo, a former detec¬ tive for the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department, is now on duty at PCC, serving as a sergeant with the Campus Police. Palermo has been involved in law enforcement for the last 22 years and his colleagues believe that he is emi¬ nently qualified for the position he now holds. “He brings to the college a unique blend of investigative skills, patrol experience and excellent people skills,” commented chief of Cam¬ pus Police Phil Mullendore. Palermo began working for the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department in 1967 as a deputy sheriff. Less than four years later, he was pro¬ moted to work with an elite team of detectives. While ideas flourished and ambi¬ tion beckoned, Palermo bailed out of the detective division in San Ber¬ nardino County to open his own private investigation services, which put many criminals behind bars and proved to be a lucrative business. “In those days, the District At¬ torney’s office did not have investi¬ gators, so I rendered investigative services for criminal and civil com¬ plaints,” said Palermo. In 1984, he returned to duty in San Bernardino working with homi¬ cide identification. Palermo visited PCC for the first time in 1984 and enjoyed the serene atmosphere of the campus. His res¬ ignation with the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department was certified on Sept. 5, 1989, and official duty at PCC began the following day. “The campus police here at the college is an extremely professional organization. The opening was avail- Please see PALERMO, page 6 Vince Palermo Tim Frank Staff Writer “There are talented people who hold public office all over this state, but in many cases they are not as talented as they should be because the demand by the voting constitu¬ ency has been so low, so insignigi- cant and sometimes so indifferent to the people they are electing. Public education can resolve most of that, ’ ’ Willie Brown Jr., speaker of the California Assembly, told a rapt audience in PCC’s forum last Fri¬ day. As speaker, Brown appoints all assembly committees. He also routes all bills through the committees. Brown decides, for instance, when and whether the banking committee or some other committee will delib¬ erate on a particular bill. Once a bill is sent to a committee, it must pass that committee to be considered the full legislature. Otherwise a bill is said to die in committee. “The governor cannot get what he wants without getting it past Willie Brown and the committees that he appoints,” said Sam Soghomonian, social science instructor. * ‘Brown is the second most powerful man in California. According to Soghomonian, “when you want the votes for edu¬ cation, you can go to Willie Brown. He has always been a friend of pub¬ lic education. ’ ’ Every penny that the state of California spends must be appropriated byh the legislature. PCC is getting funding for a new Willie Brown, Jr. library because the state legislature decided that PCC deserved one. There was some wranglingabout the library because of a technicality regarding the use of state funds for parking facilities. However, the is¬ sue was quickly resolved by PCC’s friends in the legislature, people like Pat Nolan, who came to PCC last year to look at the library sight. Brown understands the need for friends in the legislature. He also knows how to cultivate those friends. Brown came to campus because of a chain of events that started when Brown gave some advice to Nino Valmassoi, associate dean of Com¬ munity Education. Brown was the keynote speaker at a national conference on continu¬ ing education chaired by Valmassoi in 1987. During a conversation be¬ tween the two at the conference, Brown offered Valmassoi some advice. “He said, 'get your legislators on campus,'” Valmassoi said. “I said, 'How would you like to talk at PCC. ’ He said, 'sure.' It has taken two years to fit it into his schedule.” Please see BROWN, page 6 Joe Yobaccio Staff Writer The total number of students at¬ tending PCC grew to 21,242 this se¬ mester, an increase of 972 from last fall. In the last two years, the number of students coming from areas out¬ side the PCC District have increased 49 percent. Part of the reason for the increase is PCC’s outstanding repu¬ tation as a learning facility, said Dr. Stuart Wilcox, associate dean of ad¬ missions and records. “PCC stresses strong academics and has a good transfer rate.” Wilcox said that there is no way to track every PCC student who trans¬ fers, but Cal State and UC schools send PCC statistics on the number of students who transferred from PCC. Maha Karam Staff Writer The lab center in the basement of D building at PCC is not the only place that houses computers, and it is not the only place where students may enter to work in their field. For 20 years, the lab, located in the basement of the К building, has provided new technology for the music students, like video programs and audio and ear training tapes that include drills and listening exercises. In addition, it provides students Tim Frank Staff Writer Six Forensics team members fought their way to the final rounds of a tournament held on the week¬ end of Oct. 7 and 8. Four members brought home trophies. ‘ ‘For a junior college competing against four-year schools that is exceptionally good,” said Christal Watson, director of forensics. “Four- year schools are always hard for us to beat early in the semes¬ ter because they start practicing in the summer. We are catching-up,” Watson said. Teams from 45 schools partici¬ pated in the weekend tournament. Those statistics include current and pastGPA’s. “There is a slight drop in the grade point averages at the upper division, but that’s normal,” said Wilcox. The drop in GPA by former PCC students was less than that of transfer students from other Califor¬ nia community colleges, he said. There has also been an increase in the female, Asian and Hispanic population in PCC. Females repre¬ sent 45.6 percent of the 21,242 fig¬ ure. While Asians and Hispanics represent 4 1 .9 percent. The largest number of first-time students come from Arcadia, Pasad¬ ena and Temple City high schools, respectively. A high percentage of PCC ’ s students also come from John Muir and South Pasadena high schools. individual sound-proof rooms in which they can practice musical in¬ struments during their assigned time. But this semester, something else is offered at the music lab. New software programs for the Macin¬ tosh and Apple 2 GS are available to music students for composing or recording. The lab offers a variety of pro¬ grams to improve musical skills and specialized equipment that should help the students progress in their artistic field. Please see MUSIC, page 6 “When we get into the elimination rounds with the four year schools we know we are in good shape to com¬ pete against the two-year schools,” Watson said. Paul Stewart and Stephanie Rudin took fourth place in junior CEDA, cross examination debate associa¬ tion, team debate. The cross examination debate association debates value issues. Each year the CEDA coaches from all over the nation vote to choose a proposition to debate. This year's CEDA proposition is: “Violence is a justified response to political op¬ pression.” To win a CEDA debate, contest- Please see FORENSICS, page 6 Music Lab Offers New Computers Forensics Team Wins Four Awards LITERARY INGENUITY Submissions are now being accepted for the 1990 edition of Inscape. Inscape, which provides students with the opportunity to get published, is PCC’s annual literary magazine. Inscape needs short stories, poetry, black and white art and photographs. These submissions can be fiction or non-fiction. All submis¬ sions should be turned in to any English teacher or in the English Department office, C217, no later than Nov. 20. Name, address and telephone number should be included in the entry. Inscape is printed by PCC’s print shop and is usually ready for sale in the bookstore by the following April. KPCC FUND DRIVE Did you know that PCC has a listener-supported radio station? Some of the best music, news and information is provided by KPCC 89.3 FM. The semi-annual on-air fund drive will begin Nov. 3 and will run until Nov. 13. All funds will pay for advertising, press releases and equipment. A donation of $30 will provide a patron with a monthly program guide which will include all pro¬ gramming-music, news and information. •A CHRISTMAS CAROL' Charles Dickens' classic, 'A Christmas Carol' has been chosen for the fourth annual Christmas performance, to be presented by PCC's Music and Theater depart¬ ments. Auditions will be held on Oct. 26 from 7 to 10 p.m., Oct. 27 from 5 to 10 p.m. For children’s auditions and call¬ backs, auditions will be held on Oct. 28 from noon to 5 p.m. This year's performances will also include carols of the season, to be accompanied by the J. Ross Reed Wurlitzer Theater Pipe Organ. Inside It's 'Hay Fever' Season Noel Coward's comedy, "Hay Fever," opens tomorrow. Please see Page 3 INDEX Opinion 2 Arts & Entertainment 3 Features 4 Sports 5 News Features 6