PCC Courier, September 15, 2005

Serving PCC and the Pasadena community since 1915 September 15, 2005 pcc-courieronline.com Vol. 92, Issue 4 Man Arrested for Battery in Quad Police detain suspect after verbal fight becomes physical Jennifer MacDonald News Editor An altercation in the quad resulted in the arrest of a PCC student football player who was accused of assaulting a female student in the quad and spitting in her face. Lamar Reed, 24, was arrested on charges of battery while on school grounds, after the victim accused Reed of spitting in her face and “strangling her neck.” Campus police officer Michael DeSpain was patrolling near the quad around 10:40 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 12, when he heard the 20-year-old female student scream. The suspect fled the scene but was later detained by campus police, charged and released to the custody of the California department of corrections for violation of his parole. “Once PCC police had the suspect in custody, com¬ puter records showed he was on parole for manslaugh¬ ter,” campus police Lt. Brad Young said. “We called his probation officer and he picked him up.” According to the police report, the victim said she was in the quad talking with friends when Reed approached her and the two started talking. The con¬ versation escalated to an argument and the suspect allegedly spit in her face and strangled her neck with his right hand. A witness collaborated the victim's claim that the two argued and Reed spit in her face. The victim suffered red marks around her neck and jaw but refused medical attention. As of now, Reed's parole is not being revoked because he claims he was the victim. His parole officer said special conditions have been added to his parole so he is not allowed any contact with the victim. “He assured us he wouldn't have contact with her,” said H. Dennis, Reed's parole officer. The department of corrections is conducting an investigation into the incident and “if need be we'll put him in jail,” Dennis said. Dennis explained that the decision not to send Reed back to jail is also based on the fact that he is trying to turn his life around after his release from prison in 2003. He just started attending PCC and is currently a defen¬ sive back for the football team. Head coach for the football team, Dennis Gossard, could not be reached for comment. Daniel Belis / Courier Am I the victim? PCC student involved in physical altercation explains her side of the story to campus police. Slashing on Campus Knifing incident follows fistfight at summer basketball event Keith Lubow Staff Writer A Riverside City College student visiting PCC for a basketball game this summer was slashed with a 6-inch butcher-knife by a suspect who escaped arrest, leaving a trail of blood that led police to the weapon. The 20-year-old knifing vic¬ tim received three-inch lacerations on his face and left arm, and a third laceration on his ear. The knifing took place on July 29 at an RCC afternoon women's basketball game held in the PCC gym. The victim told Pasadena city police that the confrontation began when two strangers walked by him and one of them stepped on his foot. He told the man to watch where was going, then began to argue with both men. The two men then stopped arguing and left the game, however, fifteen minutes later the vic¬ tim left the court area and encountered them in the lobby of the gym. Another argument began, which became violent when the RCC student hit one of the men about fifteen times with a closed fist, forcing the fight outside to the north side of the gym, said witness Mark Kleinpeter, who is a physical education instructor and assistant foot¬ ball coach at PCC. The man taunted: “That's all you've got?” before he drew a butcher knife from his pocket and began to stab the victim in the face with an up and down motion, said Kleinpeter. When the victim tried to escape, his attacker held him against a fence and con¬ tinued to try to cut him. The victim told police that he was able to get the knife away from his attacker and defend himself by delivering blows to the man's face and arm. Witnesses told police that the other man who had been involved with the argument (the one that stepped on the victim's foot) pulled a similar knife, but was prevented from joining the fight when an unknown bystander threw a trash can at him. He then fled in an unknown direction. Kleinpeter said that one of the victim's friends was able to break up the fight. Both suspects fled the scene separately; the knifing suspect headed toward the Shatford Library and the other had already left the scene when Kleinpeter ran to his office to telephone for help. The victim later told Pasadena police that he left the scene with his photo courtesy of PCC Police Department This is the cleaver used by an unidentified assailant in an attack on a Riverside City College student. friends, who took him to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena. PCC Police reported that Kleinpeter was able to lead them to the knife used in the assault by following a trail of blood to the west hallway of the T Building (located immediately to the north of the gym). Pasadena city police officers later discovered the knifing suspect's leather jacket near the library. Forensic officers gathered the knife, the jacket, and blood and took photographs of the crime scene. Both suspects escaped arrest. The attacker was last seen running eastbound on Colorado Boulevard near Bonnie Street by a PCC Police Cadet, who told dispatchers that the suspect was bleeding from his head. One Day, One- Hundred Colleges Jennifer MacDonald News Editor Whether you're a student thinking about transferring in a few years, or one who plans on applying to schools this fall, University Day and other transfer fairs at PCC can help you get acquainted with colleges and build relationships with university representatives. The purpose of the fairs is to help students start planning for college as soon as possible. “Today it is so competitive,” said Dina Chase, transfer center director. “That's why it is essential for students to prepare early and to apply to as many universities as possible. They increase their opportunity to get accepted and then they can choose which university they want to go to.” Representatives from 100 Cal State, UC and independent universities will be in the Quad Monday, Sep 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., ready to answer questions about admission requirements, specific program and major requirements, housing and extra curricular activities. “It's the first step in making contact with representatives from a wide variety of public and private institutions,” Chase said. Another important question to ask is what companies and organiza¬ tions recruit graduates of the university. “Many of these representatives that they meet and who they follow up with in the transfer center are the representatives who actually read the applications,” Chase said. “The rapport students can start with rep¬ resentatives at PCC is crucial to their success. This is an opportunity for the student to know the representative and explain situations on their academic record to representatives that they other wise wouldn't be able [See Transfer, PAGE 5 Queer Eye for California? Kate Murray EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Recently, the California legislature voted in favor of bill AB 849, which would allow same-sex marriages to take place in the state. This makes the state Senate the first legislative body in the nation to allow gay couples to wed without a court order. However, to the dismay of gay rights activists, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to veto the bill. "He got elected with record numbers of lesbian and gay voters who had not previously voted for a Republican,” said Geoff Kors of Equality California, a sponsor of AB 849. “He sold us out.” According to a statement given by Margita Thompson, the governor's press secretary, Schwarzenegger is only thinking of the people of California. In March 2000, nearly two-thirds of California voters approved Proposition 22, which reads: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” Proposition 22 won in 52 of California's 58 counties, including all major metropolitan areas except San Francisco. “[Schwarzenegger] believes that gay couples are entitled to full protec¬ tion under the law and should not be discriminated against based upon their relationship,” Thompson said. “He is proud that California provides the most rigorous protections in the nation for domestic partners.” However, Thompson said, the governor believes the situation should not be determined by legislative action, but instead by court decision or a re¬ vote by the people of California. “We cannot have a system where the people vote and the Legislature derails that vote,” she said. Despite this reasoning, gay rights activists are furious with Schwarzenegger. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom feels that the bill is a necessity. “[Schwarzenegger missed] a golden opportunity to stand on history and do something that was noble and appropriate,” Newsom said regarding Schwarzenegger's decision to veto AB 849. “It disappoints me greatly, and it will disappoint literally hundreds and hundreds of thousands of San Franciscans, not to mention millions of people across the country." In early 2004, Newsom authorized nearly 4,000 same-sex marriages, which were made null and void in August of the same year. California courts ruled that Newsom overstepped his bounds as mayor and violated the law. San Francisco is home to a higher percentage of gays and lesbians than any other major U.S. city, according to wikipedia.com. PCC students are split on the question of whether Schwarzenegger is doing the right thing. “I have no problems with gay marriage," said Deven Hardge, 23, a crim¬ inal justice major. “I think [Schwarzenegger] is wrong.” Daniel Skelton, 20, supported Schwarzenegger's reasoning. “I would think that five years is too short for any prominent change to occur in the people's views,” Skelton said. “The gay guys and gals can push for it, but the veto represents the people. It's kind of a catch-22.” Although she thinks homosexuals should have the same rights as het¬ erosexuals, psychology student Melissa Cors, 19, thought that a re-vote was in order. Kevin Torres, 18, agreed. “I think it should be decided by the people, not the legislature,” Torres said. photo illustration by Santos Cortez / Courier Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is slated to veto new legislation that would allow gay marriage in the state.