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2001 Fall
Fashion
Report
see page 2
‘Jeepers
Creepers’
Review
see page 5
Daytime
Football
see page 6
COURIER
Since 1915
VOL. 87 n6. 2
www.pcc-courieronline.com
SEPTEMBER 6, 2001
Students are the
targets of campus
scam artists
By Aaron Harris
Staff Writer
Con artists are once again on the
prowl at PCC. No, not another
credit card or fake parking permit
scam, but something new that could
cost students more than just a few
dollars; it could cost them their
entire savings.
The scam has already been per¬
petrated on one student. He was
able to escape the situation with his
bank account intact, but police con¬
tinue to search for other victims
who may not have been so lucky.
Rodney Bonwell, a member of
the Lancer football team was
arrested and charged with fraud
and attempted extortion. In the case
that led to Bonwell’s arrest, the sus¬
pect approached the student while
on his way to class.
Details of the scam and how stu¬
dents were targeted came from
Please see SCAMS, page 4
Cesar Macias
/
Courier
Annual Traffic Crunch
The fall semester kicked-off in familiar fashion with nightmarish traffic and park¬
ing conditions. The accident above occurred during a botched student pick-up on
Colorado Boulevard. Campus authorities have assured that relief is near, citing
that the congestion tends to loosen up after the first couple weeks of the semester
For related story, see page 2
Student's Complaints Dismissed
Investigation concludes that student was not a victim of racial discrimination
By Vincent D’Orazi
Managing Editor
PCC has officially dismissed a
student’s allegations of racial dis¬
crimination against his world his¬
tory instructor after a 90-day
investigation into his complaints.
The resolution, handed down in
mid-July, stated that “no discrimi¬
nation nor harassment based on
race” had ever taken place against
John Patton by his teacher, Eloy
Zarate.
Patton, who said he is dissatis¬
fied with the college’s investiga¬
tion is considering taking legal
action against the school, not on
grounds of discrimination, but of
slander.
The investigation was conduct¬
ed after Patton filed a written com¬
plaint about Zarate, which alleged
that the instructor had expressed
“an aggressive attitude in his
teachings, and discriminates
against certain groups of people.”
The initial complaint also stated
that Zarate “continuously sepa¬
rates the Caucasian class from all
other ethnic and racial classes and
then verbally discriminates against
them.”
Patton was outraged after
Zarate approached him about the
complaint, since he believed that
school officials had assured him
that he would remain anonymous
throughout the proceedings. Patton
also claimed that Zarate inflicted
psychological harm on him, after
the instructor privately compared
him to a former student who had
plotted a massacre at DeAnza
College.
In a written summary of the
probe, Sandra Lindoerfer, dean of
human resources, thanked all those
who participated in the investiga¬
tion for their “cooperation and pro¬
fessionalism.” The investigation
was divided into three categories,
all of which resulted in “no dis¬
crimination.”
The first allegation was that
“Zarate had created a hostile envi¬
ronment based on race in the class¬
room.” The second: that “the
District retaliated against Patton
by disclosing that he had filed a
complaint against Zarate.” And the
final charge was that the instructor
had permitted student Mary
Fitzgibbons to make a presentation
to his class opposing the complaint
filed by Patton. The investigation,
conducted by area investigator
Norman Traub, included inter¬
views with 13 witnesses, including
Patton, Zarate, Dr. Michael
Finkenbinder, former interim
dean of the social sciences divi¬
sion, vice president of instruction
Dr. Jacqueline Jacobs, and nine
other students. Patton, however,
felt that the investigation wasn’t
fair to begin with, considering
Traub was being paid by the
school, and therefore wouldn’t
want to find against them.
Patton also felt that only inter¬
viewing nine students, and not
including key witness Mary
Please see PATTON, page 4
Erika Sanquist
/
Courier
PCC’s new vice president of
administrative services, Peter J.
Hardash, is enjoying his new job
keeping the campus in order and
handling college finances.
Hardash, who replaces Dr.
Rodney Fleeman, was offered a
one year contract after a unani¬
mous board of trustees vote on .
June 6. He left behind his position
as vice president of business serv¬
ices at Cerritos College.
Hardash considers himself a
problem solver. He doesn’t like to
think of problems as problems, but
just as issues that need to be
resolved as soon as possible, so
that students and staff will have a
good learning and teaching envi¬
ronment. “1 like to get things
accomplished,” he said.
Hardash, who has 19 years of
experience in public education,
spent many of his earlier years in
the Beverly Hills, Downey and
Glendale Unified School districts.
He said that K-12 and community
colleges have similar administra¬
tive posijions, but the job is done
differently because the students are
different.
Hardash prefers working with
older students. “I like the interac¬
tion with the students,” he said.
With younger students it’s difficult
to interact with them in a construc¬
tive way.
“It’s important that I talk to stu¬
dents and that I get to know some
students so that I can serve them
and their needs,” he added.
The administrative services
division of PCC, for which
Hardash is responsible, oversees
the business and financial activi¬
ties of the college.
These duties; include preparing
the annual operating budget and
overseeing the upkeep of grounds,
buildings and classrooms. It also
involves accounting, data process¬
ing, computing services, security,
purchasing, transportation, mail
services, graphic reproduction,
risk/contract and employee health
benefit management and oversee¬
ing the operations of the Bookstore
Please see NEW VP, page 4
By Bethany Johnson
Contributing Editor
The new officers of the local
chapter of the California
Teacher’s Association
(СТА)
attempted to recruit members in
the quad Thursday amid contro¬
versy that the meeting was illegal.
The
СТА
board members lured
faculty to the “kick-off member-^
ship drive picnic” with free pizza
and iced tea.
“This is a chance for old and
potential members to get informa¬
tion that has never been given to
them,” said
СТА
Secretary
Suzanne Anderson of the social
sciences division. “We want to
get people revved up and organ¬
ized.”
The controversy involves accu¬
sations by outgoing
СТА
President
Gary Woods that the new members
violated the constitution and start¬
ed holding meetings before their
terms began.
The new board disagreed with
Woods’ assessment and held the
meeting despite his charges.
The officers hoped the meeting
would encourage recruitment of
new members. Teachers who
attended milled around the mirror
pools, talking and enjoying their
lunch.
“I’m a new member, new on
staff. I want to support my fellow
faculty and get involved,” said
Mary Huffman, a health sciences
instructor.
Raymond Puchot, a communi¬
cations instructor, attended the pic¬
nic to show his support for the
union. “I’m big in faculty govern¬
ment,” he said. “I was very sup¬
portive of the old board, but I’m
sure John [Jacobs] will do other
things. I support whoever will do
the best for the students.”
Matt Robinson
/
Courier
John Jacobs (right) tries to
interest faculty in
СТА
membership
The new
СТА
president, John
Jacobs, an assistant professor of
art, addressed the faculty. He said
his goal is for membership to reach
500 by December. “We have to
work hard,” Jacobs said. “There
has been light membership in the
past, and it has been reflected in
the union’s accomplishments.”
Woods insists that the old board
has always promoted membership.
“PCC/CTA has received two
awards in the past few years from
CCA/CTA for the most new mem¬
bers recruited out of any chapter in
the entire state,” he said. “We
always encourage members who
wish to do so... to recruit new
members.”
The
СТА
holds a membership
drive at the beginning of every
school year, according to Woods.
He said the
СТА
sends out an
Advocate to inform members
about the benefits of joining the
Please see
СТА,
page 3
Free Funds Await
Eligible Students
By Marcela Toledo-Villegas
Staff Writer
If you’re not a Big Lotto winner
or you just feel that you are not
lucky getting money, why not
apply for a piece of the $13 million
that the PCC financial aid depart¬
ment has available in scholarships
and grants this year?
The money is waiting for you
and is “available for those that
apply,” said Dr. Kim Miles, assis¬
tant dean of the scholarships and
financial aid.
If you are a citizen or an eligible
non-citizen and are at least a half¬
time student taking classes leading
to a degree or professional certifi¬
cate, you can get funds that come
in the form of grants, loans, work,
scholarships or gifts.
About 40 percent of students at
PCC receive some type of finan¬
cial aid, including fee waivers, said
Miles.
Miles explained the different
programs available to students.
Grants are funds that do not have
to be paid back. In some cases, it is
an entitlement where the family or
student has demonstrated a finan¬
cial need in order to qualify for that
assistance.
Loans have to be repaid, while
grants and scholarships do not.
There are instances where you
need more help to pay for your
education. With work-study, you
work your way through college but
the school is providing the funds to
allow you to do so.
Most scholarships are merit
based, taking into consideration
the students’ grade point average.
Also, students have to compete by
writing essays and getting letters
of recommendation.
The federal Pell grant program
is the largest, and is based on
financial need. Students can use
the money however they want.
The Federal Supplemental
Educational Opportunity Grant
(FSEOG) supplements those
expenses that cannot be covered by
Pell.
Federal Work Study offers more
help for students, and is campus-
based money. The campus receives
an allocation of funds to distribute
to eligible students.
Students can work up to 20
hours per week at a starting rate of
$6.75 per hour at different jobs on
and off campus.
The other is the Perkins Loan. It
Please see AID, page 3
Controversial
СТА
Membership Drive
Held on Campus
On Campus
Trust
No One