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Pasadena City College
Wildlife
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Volume 98, Issue 4
“The Independent Student Voice of PCC, Serving Pasadena Since 1915.”
Thursday, September 18. 2008
Anti-Abortion Rally in Quad
Rosa Vazquez
/
Courier
Survivors, an anti-abortion group, demonstrates in the quad on Friday morning.
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Hearing Set in Student's Slaying
A.S. Retracts
Gun Resolution
Franco Sui Yuan
Contributing Writer
Former PCC student, Isaac
Campbell, suspected in the slaying
of Liya 'Jessie' Lu, is scheduled to
appear in the Alhambra Courthouse
today for the setting of his prelimi¬
nary hearing.
"The defense [James Duffy] has
requested the previous continu¬
ances," said Deputy District
Attorney Steve Ipson. "We may set a
Michael Rucinski
Staff Writer
Hundreds of students were
evacuated from the R building
Wednesday night after a fire
alarm was activated. Campus
police reported no injuries or
property damages.
Someone allegedly activated a
date [for the preliminary hearing]
this Thursday."
The preliminary hearing has been
postponed for the past nine months
due to the delay in finishing the
autopsy of Lu. Lu's family members
and friends are upset with the pro¬
longation of the case.
"I'm frustrated. It’s been nine
months since she died, and they
haven't set a date for the preliminary
hearing yet," said Lu's close friend
William Moo.
The coroner's report, filed in May,
“fire CP valve” on the third floor of
the R building near room 305,
according to PCC police officer Jeff
Jamie. The alarm went off at about
8:15 p.m. and lasted 15 minutes.
Police were dispatched soon
after the alarm went off and they
conducted an evacuation of all
students and faculty in and
around the R building.
stated that Lu's cause of death was
inconclusive due to the decomposed
state of her body.
The coroner's report revealed that
Lu's body was suffering greenish dis¬
coloration on the skin, disintegra¬
tion on the internal and external
organs, and brain liquification - the
process in which a solid or a gas
becomes liquid.
The report also disclosed that Lu's
body had no external or internal evi¬
dence of injuries, which increased
the ambiguity of her death.
Campbell, a one-time PCC nurs¬
ing student, is charged with first-
degree murder in the death of his ex-
girlfriend Lu, who was found in a
trashcan with kitty litter in Sept.
2007.
After a warrant was issued for his
arrest, the Minneapolis Police
Department's Violent Apprehension
Team detained Campbell in
Minneapolis, Minn, after a short
foot pursuit.
Campbell is being held at Pitchess
Detention Center in Castaic, with
bail set at $1.2 million.
Linus Shentu
News Editor
The Associated Student’s execu¬
tive board rescinded the previous
AS’s resolution supporting guns for
campus police on Wednesday.
Members of the board explained
that they were not necessarily
opposed to arming campus police,
but still need to be convinced.
“The campus police haven’t
offered a convincing enough argu¬
ment,” said Connor Lewis, vice
president of academic affairs. “I’m
open to hearing a good argument.
But at this time, based on the posi¬
tion paper, I wouldn’t support it.
The board is looking for a better-
elaborated argument. I think the
board is not generally for or against
the campus police having guns.”
The position paper, unofficially
obtained by the Courier, states that
"Due to the rise in the amount of
gang activity on and around the
campuses of the District, and the
inherent crime that exists along
Colorado Boulevard, it is highly rec¬
ommended by the Associated
Students, the Classified Staff, and
the faculty that the campus police be
armed; both on and off-duty for offi¬
cer safety and protection."
That position paper is referring to
the previous AS board’s resolution.
Earlier this year in light of the shoot¬
ings at Northern Illinois University,
the previous board of the AS
approved a resolution calling for
PCC to allow properly trained cam¬
pus officers to carry firearms.
Wednesday when the resolution
came up, Student Trustee John
Campo said, “We should rescind the
previous board’s firearms resolution
because if we keep it, it implies we
are supporting it.”
Mazen Ali, vice president of exter¬
nal affairs, also voiced his concern
about the issue. “I have a lot of prob¬
lems with the position paper. I know
a lot of us disagree with it,” he said.
Lewis agreed and said, “The
board does not have a clear united
policy.”
After the meeting Ali said the AS
is looking towards non-lethal alter¬
natives, and is still open to the idea
of supporting guns for campus
police.
Marshall Roe, vice president of
public relations, acknowledged that
there were problems with the posi¬
tion paper, but said that there was a
double standard because other reso¬
lutions were not polled. He believes
partisanship is involved in this case
because polling should be done on
all issues.
Audience member Laura
Hovelson said, “My opinion is
biased, but I believe they should
have guns because they are police.
I’ve come from a long background
of police officers.”
Six AS members voted in favor of
the new resolution, two abstained,
with only Roe voting against.
Campus Opinion
Divided on
Arming Police
BRUNA NESSIF
Staff Writer
Opinions on whether or not to arm
Campus Police are divided. This issue
has yet to come to a unanimous deci¬
sion and continues to be debated.
Bill Thomson, Board of Trustees
member and one of the key deciders
on this issue, explained that he is
“prepared to look at this issue with an
open mind and reach a rational deci¬
sion.” He is open to consideration
and has experience with this “sensi¬
tive issue” from working with the
Pasadena Police and public affairs.
Thomson offers two main reasons
to support arming Campus Police: the
fear of our small number of officers
getting attacked and knowing that
guns will not be the full solution to a
problem. This topic was brought up
to Thomson in an October 2007
Courier article covering his candidacy
where he said, “Being unarmed is an
inviting target for mischief.”
Thomson invites those who feel
strongly on the issue to write a letter
to or attend Board of Trustee meet¬
ings that address this issue on their
agenda.
Staff and faculty members differ in
their position even after a report,
composed in the summer, stated, “It
is highly recommended by the
Associated Students, the Classified
Staff, and the faculty that the Campus
Police be armed; both on and off-duty
for officer safety and protection.”
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Fire Alarm Empties R Building
1
Opinion:
Cell Phone
Law: Roads are
still unsafe.
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ONLINE POLL
Has the new cell
phone law made
roads safer?
VOTE AT:
pcccourier.com
News:
New Student Trustee:
Campo outlines his
objectives.
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Lancer Life:
Restaurant Review:
Local Taiwanese
eatery delights.
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