VOLUME 108 ISSUE 4
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM
September 19, 2013
COURIER
The independent student voice
of PCC. Serving Pasadena PASADENA CITY COLLEGE
since 1915
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Electron microscope
blows up education
opportunites
Matt Chan/ Courier
Left, PCC chemistry student Paul Priego preps a sample tray before placing it into the Pro X desktop scan¬
ning electron microscope. Middle, A sample viewed on screen by the electron microscope, which can
magnify up tp 100,000x. Right, a brand new $1 30,000 Phenom Pro X electron microscope.
Benjamin Simpson
Staff Writer
This semester PCC chemistry
students wiH be building particles so
small that they change color.
For instance, gold actually ceases
to have its signature color on the
nano scale. Instead, it’s red.
All of this is thanks to three new
nano particle machines purchased
with the $5 million Science, Tech¬
nology, Engineering and Science
(STEM) grant.
One of the reasons for acquiring
the new equipment, according to
Professor Jared Ashcroft, is to con¬
nect students with science.
“What if we make chemistry kin-
da cool,” Ashcroft said. “I wanted to
bring [in] more modern technology.
Instead of trying to force students
to do well, what if we try to moti¬
vate them to like it.”
“If you can get the students cool
instruments, cool stuff that they
can use, hopefully students will start
liking science.”
The three new machines are a
Phenon ProX Scanning Electron
Microscope (SEM), an Atomic Forc¬
es Microscope (AFM) and a Nano
Particle Size Analyzer.
The SEM, which costs $130,000
can magnify samples up to 45,000
times, has resolution down to 40
nanometers.
There are one billion nanometers
in a meter.
Despite the amazing amount of
magnification, the machine itself
looks like a nondescript computer
tower.? The bottom half opens and
a prepared sample inserted.? The
image comes up on a screen next
to the microscope, where it can be
zoomed in and out, printed and
molecularly analyzed.
The Atomic Forces Microscope
(AFM), which costs $25,000, looks
like a small scanner. ?It works on
the principle of the atomic, or
molecular forces that hold together
particles.
It has a tip that is two nanome¬
ters wide, smaller than what can be
viewed in the SEM.? The tip moves
up and down with the different
positive or negative charges in the
sample.? The scientist receives a
3D image on the X, Y, and Z axis
which can be used to create a visual
representation of the length, width
and height of the sample.
The Nano Particle Size Analyzer
ELECTRON page 6 ^
Delay in
benefits leaves
some veterans
in dire straits
Raymond Bernal
Staff Writer
A certification paperwork backlog in the Admis¬
sions and Records Office (ARO) has caused a delay of
benefits and put hundreds of student veterans in dire
straits, school officials said.
Some student veterans said these delays in benefits
left them homeless and without food, forcing them to
live out of their cars with no money to pay for classes,
textbooks and other course materials.
The Post-9/ 1 1 GI Bill provides a benefit of finan¬
cial support for education and housing for veterans
who are eligible and certified, according to the United
States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website.
The financial benefit is about $2,100 a month. More
than 630 veterans currently attend PCC and about
300 utilize this benefit, according to Patricia D’Or-
ange-Martin, Veteran Program Coordinator at the
Veterans Resource Center [VRC]. “I’m eligible for
this benefit but because of the certification backlog in
that office [ARO] as of now I’m not receiving these
benefits so I’m basically living in my car,” said student
veteran Dexton Kotora, political science.
Justin Clay/Courier
Student veteran Dexton Kotora, forced to live in
his car while awaiting Post
9/1
1 GI Bill benefits, at
PCC's Parking Lot No. 4 on Wednesday.
VETERANS page 6 ^
Three candidates running for Area 1 Board seat
Philip McCormick
Managing Editor
Three candidates are running
for the Area 1 Board of Trust¬
ees seat and have begun cam¬
paigning ahead of the election
scheduled for Nov. 5.
Three new candidates — Di¬
anne Philibosian, Alex Keledjian
and Ross Selvidge — are vying
for the open seat currently oc¬
cupied by Geoffrey Baum, who
will not be seeking reelection.
Philibosian has 40 years of
experience as a university ad¬
ministrator and professor in the
CSU system and said she would
like to see more PCC students
university bound.
“During my 14 years of
service on the PCC Founda¬
tion Board, I developed a deep
appreciation of the true gem
we have in our community,”
Philibosian said. “PCC offers
private school quality in a public
setting. My primary commitment
will be to continue that legacy
for generations of students
bound for university and for the
workplace.”
The candidates have all stated
that they intend to help the stu¬
dents as best they can.
“We need to maintain the
current quality of education at
PCC,” said Selvidge, who went
to PCC when he was younger.
“Students have to be able to
concentrate on classes. I hope it
gets better.”
Keledjian, 1 8, who is the
youngest applicant running
for the seat by far, said that he
believes that being a student
currently at PCC gives him a
tremendous advantage.
“It’s a huge plus,” said Keled¬
jian. “I’m the only candidate
who has been affected by their
winter intersession cut, by the
budget cuts, by the protests.
All of that has affected me as a
student. I’m bringing a different
type of perspective and a differ¬
ent pair of eyes and a new way
to try and think about what our
30,000 plus students need.”
Student Trustee Simon Fraser
said that he hoped whoever wins
will be prepared to collaborate
with students.
“They will be responsible for
setting policy that will be effect¬
ing 30,000 [students.],” he said.
“I look forward to working with
whoever is elected.”
Left, Dianne Philibosian, middle, Ross Selvidge, right, Alex Keledjian
