LOCAL LATINO PRfDE
Pa
sadena
G
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ollege
ity
OCTOBER 29, 2015
Serving PCC
Since 1915
VOLUME 112
ISSUE 08
Latino Heritage Parade and
Grand Fiesta at La Pintores-
ca Park celebrates the local
Latino community
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pg. 6
Pasadena launches Planetary Society
Monique A. LeBleu
Staff Writer
A full day culminated in the cele¬
bration of 35 years for the Planetary
Society last week with a combined
dedication of their new facility in
Pasadena, now open to the public,
and a star-studded evening variety
event complete with entertainment
and the love of all things science.
The building’s dedication ceremo¬
nies included words from Congress-
woman )udy Chu, Planetary Society
board members, and The Science
Guy himself, CEO Bill Nye.
Once underway, the event
included a facility tour, discussion
panels and exhibits, a Theremin
demonstration, Sci-Fi authors and
Planetary Society co-founder Lou
Friedman on hand to discuss and
sign their new books.
Donning his signature bow tie,
Nye welcomed the eager public with
assurances that the new space would
fulfill all expectations that a society
built on the love of science and
space exploration should bring.
“I feel it finally has that ‘this is
a space-enterprise’ feel. We’ve got
glass! And metal! An mid-century
style futuristic bridge of the Enter¬
prise furniture!” laughs Nye. “It’s a
futuristic space that’s based on the
foundation of celebrating the joy
of discovery. And that’ really why
we explore space is to feel that joy
of discovery. And I hope that when
you are in the building that you feel
a litde bit joyful!”
The new interior’s customized
space renovation features an open
foyer that includes artwork, archive
memorabilia, and audio and visual
displays that are open to the public.
The central working space opens to
modular cubicles and fishbowl offic¬
es of the staff that are personalized
and adorned with their own science
collectibles and memorabilia.
A mural depicting a planetary
skyline overlooks a state of the
art kitchen. Facing it, a large idea
white board has been christened bv
staff with statements of welcome
and marker art, and the public was
encouraged to participate.
Jonathon Martinez, 5, of Sierra
Madre Elementary, came with his
family and was among the first to
enter the new facility and decorate
the whiteboard with his art among
the plethora of words of admira¬
tion, inspiration, and thanks already
expressed.
When asked what his favorite
subject in school, Martinez respond¬
ed, as if he really had to be asked,
“Uh. . .space!?”
Martinez was also impressed
with a unique feature nesded in an
old bank vault space in the budd¬
ing. Adorned with planet frescos,
PLANETARY PAGE 2
New PR director hired to revamp image
John Ororia
News Editor
Working with the backdrop of PCC trying
to get out of accreditation probation, under the
direction of a new president and new academic
senate leadership, Alex Boekelheide, PCC’s newly
hired executive director of the recently rebranded
Office of Strategic Communications and Mar¬
keting, is setting the stage to cast the school in a
more positive light.
Boekelheide, who originally studied theater at
USC before being recast in the world of public
relations, comes to PCC after serving as the
executive Director of communication for UCLA’s
Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Before that, he served as the director of online
and print communications at USC’s Annenberg
School of Journalism.
“Alex will be tasked with developing a com¬
prehensive external and internal communications
and marketing plan to serve the ever-expanding
needs of our campus,” President-Superintendent
Vurdien said in an email.
The Office of Strategic Communications
and Marketing brings all of the school’s media
resources, such as photography, social media, and
the PCC website, together in one place.
“The Public Relations Office was under-re¬
sourced and under-staffed in the past,” said
publications supervisor Gilbert Rivera. “With the
retooling of our area into Strategic Communi¬
cations and Marketing, we’ll hopefully be able to
address those issues.”
According to Boekelheide, one of the goals of
bringing these departments together is to provide
Keely Damara/Courier
Alex Boekelheide, the new executive
director of Strategic Communications &
Marketing, stands in the PCC Sculpture
Garden on Monday.
Scene: Ghouls, monsters,
and the macabre take over
the city of Pasadena
/
pgs.
4 & 5
the school with a unified, strategic vision of how
it wants to present itself internally, to the com¬
munity, and to current and future students.
“There’s so much good going on here,”
Boekelheide said, “but we can’t have it all just
land in the crowded media environment of
Pasadena.”
Boekelheide first got interested in public rela¬
tions reflecting on the way institutions can affect
a city’s image, development, and how people
see themselves in relation. PCC was an exciting
example of that effect to him.
“PCC has been part of the Pasadena culture
for the past 90 years. You can’t have Pasadena
without PCC, you can’t have PCC without Pasa¬
dena,” Boekelheide said.
“We have an excellent reputation within the
community, and moving forward we would like
to continue to keep that reputation intact,” Rivera
explained via email.
With the office restructuring, the school
hopes to get away from any negative image it
has developed from accreditation probation and
conflicts between school leadership and faculty.
The school’s previous public relations head, Val¬
erie Wardlaw, left the college in September 2014,
months after presiding over the school’s response
to the commencement speaker controversy
PR PAGE 2
FA backs
candidates
in board
election
John Orona
News Editor
The PCC Faculty Association
has endorsed Tom Selinkse for the
district two seat and Hoyt Hilsman
for the district four seat on the PCC
Board of Trustees.
The PCCFA voted to recom¬
mend the candidates after they
responded to a Faculty Association
questionnaire, expressed their views
on issues facing the district at a can¬
didates’ forum on Oct. 6, and met
with the association.
“Tom Selinske’s understanding
of the needs of students and the
contributions faculty, staff and
administration make in meeting
those needs, made a convincing case
that he’s the candidate of choice,”
PCCFA president Julie Kiotas said
in a press release.
The Faculty Association joins
Congresswoman Judy Chu, former
PCC president and state senator
Jack Scott, Assemblyman Chris
Holden, and retiring district two
trustee Jeanette Mann in endorsing
the educator, small business owner,
and PCC alum.
Also vying for the district two
seat are USC adjunct professor
James Osterling and social scientist
Martin Enriques.
Osterling, who teaches finance
and real estate, is endorsed by over
ENDORSEMENT PAGE 2
■ ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM
Samantha Molina/Courier
Bill Nye, CEO of the Planetary Society hosted "More to Explore: A Space Celebration" at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on
Saturday, October 24.