PCC Coutu&v
Vol. 11, No. 1
Pasadena City College, Pasadena, California
September 23, 1959
Local population swells to 9215
Night tlasses note
heaviest intrease
Just as sure as death and taxes, the population of Pasa¬
dena City College has risen again, according to figures just
released through the office of John B. Weldon, dean of admis¬
sions and records. However^ contrary to past precedents, the
biggest increase did not come in
day class enrollment but in the
extended day program. As of last
Friday, the current enrollment of
day classes was 5210 while the
extended day crowd numbered
4005, making a grand total of
9215.
Of course, there are always a
number of late entries and the
final total will not be available
for at least another week.
PRESENT ENROLLMENT fig
ures compared with an identical
period last year show an overall
population increase of 715 stu-
PCC mourns loss
dents. At this time in 1958 there
were 5100 signed up for day
classes while the nocturnal sys¬
tem had attracted 3400. Simple
mathematics shows that the ex¬
tended day influx accounts for
605 of the total 715 increase and
further manifests the heavy em¬
phasis being placed on education.
With the college facilities al¬
ready taxed to the limit, the new
increment will hardly serve to al¬
leviate the multitude of problems
arising from the crowded con¬
ditions. A vast number of stu¬
dents were rightly annoyed to
find that parking locations were
all snapped up by the third day
of school.
OVERCROWDED classrooms
are also very much in evidence
which adds an extra burden on
instructors and students alike.
Some popular and demanding
courses can show an average of
nearly 100 students per class.
Other points of congestion
around the campus include the
canteen and surrounding eating
establishments during the heavy
noon hour traffic and thfe halls
and stairs during the interim be¬
tween classes.
RELIEF IS ONLY a year away
if all goes well .with Pasadena
High School’s shift to Victory
Park. At first it was thought the
Bulldogs would be settled in their
new location in time for the sec¬
ond semester but this plan went
awry. It is nowjioped, and pros¬
pects at this time do look bright,
that the high school will be open
for business in their new site by
the start of the next school year.
Naturally the population of
PCC is expected to rise even more
than usual but definitely not
enough to offset the entire enroll¬
ment at PHS.
City Schools
head speaks
at assembly
Various views on college life
will be presented at tomorrow’s
school-wide assembly in Sexson
Auditorium. Superintendent of
schools, Dr. Robert E. Jenkins,
and Dr. Robert Freeman, a mem¬
ber of the Board of Education
and a former PCC student, will be
the featured speakers.
The Crown City school system
chief will address the Lancer stu¬
dent body on how a school super¬
intendent views life in the insti¬
tutions of higher learning. Dr.
Freeman will then present the
views of a former student on col¬
lege life.
Pasadena Cit^ College presi¬
dent, Dr. Catherine Robbins, will
also be featured on the assembly
program. She will deliver a few
general remarks before Doctors
Jenkins and Freeman present
their various views on college
life.
The A Cappella Choir, under
the direction of David Thorsen,
will make its 1959 debut before
the gathering with the singing of
the Alma Mater. Students will
be asked to join in the singing in
order to become acquainted with
the lyrics of the school song.
Student body book
sales lag behind
1958 selling pace
As usual, the new clansmen at
PCC, often called freshmen, are
leading the older hands, referred
to as sophomores, in the sale of
1960 student body books.
According to Commissioner of
Finance Dave Smith, over 1500
books have been purchased
through the school bank, with the
freshmen holding a definite edge-»
in class sales. Although the cards
are selling at a fair pace, they are
still over 400 behind last year’s
record.
Spouse cards, a new innovation
in PCC ASB books this year, are
reported to be selling at a slow
rate. However, Smith pointed out,
“We didn’t expect to sell a great
many of them. We added them as
an extra service for the students
at the college.”
Besides the free admission to
all ASB activities, a discount price
to other college affairs and the
right to “vote, the book also offers
students the chance of obtaining
a discount card to all Fox-West
Coast Theaters.
“No matter how you look at it,”
commented Smith, “buying an
ASB book is a good investment.”
And it certainly is — so buy now!
Construction job
costs five million
A women’s gym, campus center
(formally known as student uni¬
on), and service center will be the
first three buildings to go up as
part of Pasadena City College’s
new five million dollar construc¬
tion program.
However, groundwork won’t be¬
gin until at least next year when
the high school moves to its new
location in September.
Master plans for the massive
program have already been drawn
up but architects still have the in¬
finite details to iron out before
submitting them to the State
Board of Architecture.
The Courier will run a detailed
description- of the plans and lay¬
outs in a later edition.
of Philip Ramsey
Pasaftena City College’s bookstore, enjoying a
THREE’S moment of calm during the storm, was the scene
A CROWD; of frenzied student activity last week. Studious
SOMETIMES Lancers crowded the campus dwelling in a mad
rush to buy textbooks before their instructors
started delivering work assignments in earnest.
New dean boasts
wide background
During the summer Pasadena
City College lost one of its fa¬
vorite teachers through the death
of Philip Ramsey of the Language
Department. His loss is deeply
felt by all those who knew him
as an instructor or as an associ¬
ate.
Earl W. Holder, business assist¬
ant at PCC, attended PHS with
Mr. Ramsey and recalls the ath¬
letic prowess of his classmate.
“Phil Ramsey,” he explained, "was
one of the all-time great athletes
at PHS. He was one of two men
who played on both a lightweight
and varsity team in the same
year.”
Pasadena City College’s new administrative dean for in¬
struction is Armen Sarafian. Sarafian is currently, enjoying
his second educational position in the Pasadena City Schools
system as a member of the PCC front office. He previously
was employed in the Crown City
during the years 1947-50 as a
teacher at Muir College.
IN ACCEPTING his new posi¬
tion, Mr. Sarafian takes over the
desk of Dr. Catherine Robbins,
who was appointed president of
the college last May.
The new dean has spent all of
his adult life in the field of educa¬
tion and has an overflowing cache
of prerequisites pertaining to his
post. Before starting out on his
teaching career, Mr. Sarafian re¬
ceived his bachelors degree from
La Verne College in 1940 and his
masters from Claremont in 1947.
While at La Verne Mr. Sarafian
compiled the highest grade point
ratio ever achieved by any grad¬
uate at that school. He hopes to
complete his PhD at Southern
California this year.
SINCE HIS FIRST teaching job
at Union Joint School in 1940, Mr.
Sarafian has not only been a con¬
scientious instructor but has in¬
volved himself in numerous pro¬
fessional and civic activities. For
example he has done extensive
work with workshops in various
SoCal schools; is a member of the
Pasadena Area Committee on
Children and Youth; adviser to
Pasadena Area Youth Council;
member Pasadena Chamber of
Commerce; and is a member of
the State Central Committee on
Social Studies.
SOME OF THE awards and
honors that have already been
bestowed upon PCC’s new dean
are life membership in the Cali¬
fornia Scholarship Federation and
full tuition scholarships to both
La Verne and Claremont Colleges.
As mentioned before Sarafian
is not new to Pasadena. Besides
holding a teaching job at Muir
College he has been coordinator
of secondary education in Pasa¬
dena since 1951. He has also
served as consultant to 13 teach¬
ers’ institutes in the past.
To accomplish this feat, Mr.
Ramsey, after playing on the var¬
sity team in 1926, trained down
his weight in order to play quar¬
terback in the championship con¬
test. As a result PHS beat Glen¬
dale, 3-0.
“Phil was very friendly and
well-liked by all his classmates,”
continued Mr. Holder. “He’ll be
missed by many friends as an
athletic great who exemplifies the
many fine qualities of a sports¬
man.”
ARMEN SARAFIAN
_ _ _ . ... assumes new role
602591