PCC Courier, September 23, 1993

OPINION FEATURES SPORTS Proposition 174 would severely damage the community college system if approved. Page 2 Ron Koertge wins $2,500 poetry award from California Arts Council. Page 5 Volleyball team finishes second in Saddleback tournament , and continues win streak. Page 6 PASADENA CITY COLLEGE PASADENA, CALIFORNIA VOL. 77 No. 5 ™E COURIER Serving the PCC Community for 75 years THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 1993 College to begin parking permit sale HOWARD BURGER / THE COURIER Signs indicating the new parking regulations were posted by city officials two weeks ago. However, they said the new parking plan will not be enforced until Monday. □ Returning students carrying at least nine units will get special permits to park off campus. The $30 decals are expected to go on sale in the campus police office today. By ALFREDO SANTANA Editor in Chief After days of negotiations be¬ tween Pasadena officials and col¬ lege administrators, on-street park¬ ing permits for students to park in the residential area south campus will go on sale, beginning today. According to city and college of¬ ficials, 161 day-parking decals are to be sold at a price of S30 each. Park¬ ing during day parking hours will be 8 a.m. through 5 p.m, Mondays through Fridays. For evening parking, the same number of permits will be available for students. Within the targeted zone, parking hours for evening students will run from 5 to 8 p.m. The campus police will sell the off park¬ ing campus permits. The students who purchase the street parking permits will have guar¬ anteed places to leave their cars. However, not all students will have a chance to get the permits. Only those who carry at least 9 units, and have been attending the college for at least one semester will be able to buy the permits. They will be valid for only one semester. The city of Pasadena charges the college $ 1 5 per permit. College offi¬ cials, however, increased the cost to $30 in order to raise funds for the construction of a multi-level parking facility on campus. Permits will be sold on a first- come, first served basis. Residents will also have to pay for on-street parking permits. City offi¬ cials estab¬ lished that anyone who lives in the permit zone will have to pay $15 per each permit. A resident will be al¬ lowed to buy only onepermitpercar. John Robinson, student trustee, said he devised the plan that gives continuous students priority in pur¬ chasing the permits. “The students deserves the op¬ portunity to get a better chance to buy parking permits,” Robinson said.“Retuming students are more familiar with the campus and they know what is affecting the campus.” Once the pilot plan is imple¬ mented, permit holders will be able to find parking spots on Rose Villa Street, between Sierra Bonita Av¬ enue and Hill Street. In Oakdale S treet, between N inita Parkway and Meredith Avenue, sev¬ eral parking spots will also be avail¬ able. San Pasqual Street, between Hill Avenue and Sierra Bonita Avenue, will also have permit spots. A dead-end portion of Bonnie Street, which intersects Oakdale Street, is also being used for permit parking. A portion of Sierra Bonita Av¬ enue, between Oakdale and San Pasqual streets, has student spaces available. S e г о p D e r - Boghossian, Pasadena transporta¬ tion man¬ ager, said the city will fully implement the program on Monday, Sept 27. After that, cars parked in the re¬ stricted parking area, not displaying permits will receive $25 tickets. Der-Boghossian said residents have long awaited the pilot program . He said residents constantly com¬ plain about traffic jams in the streets around campus, trash left by stu¬ dents, and extreme noise caused by students were turning the majority of neighbors extremely angry. “It’s very difficult for college stu¬ dents to accept this program,” Der- Boghossian said. “Students are go- ‘The students deserve the opportunity to get a better chance to buy permits,’ John Robinson, student trustee John Robinson Student trustee ing to suffer, no doubt about it. But we’d like to get the students’ coop¬ eration for this program.” He added that the rationale they applied to create the pilot program is based on two fundamental factors: To liberate the area south of campus of many cars as well as to prompt the usage of different methods of trans¬ portation. “We want to bring down the amount of cars driven to the college every day,” Der-Boghossian said. “The cars around campus are only causing street jams, pollution and noise in the neighborhood.” Depending upon the outcome of the pilot plan, which will end in one year, the city council will decide whether to extend it, to drop it, or to permanently bar students parking in that area. Financial aid increases along with tuition fees □ Federal and state money for education increases as fees in colleges go up. Eligibility requirements make it easier to apply for aid. By JANETH PARILLA Staff Writer Funding for financial aid has increased this year, but the amount students receive has decreased due to the change in the Pell grant eligibility criteria. This change allows students enrolled in just six units to receive this grant. But since the increase in fees, more students have filed for fi¬ nancial aid. The state responded by removing the eligibility cap to receive waivers for enrollment and health fees, financial aid offi¬ cials reported. A report provided by Karla Henderson, assistant dean of fi¬ nancial aid, mentioned that there will be a shortfall in the amount of money allocated for waivers. Henderson also stated that the financial aid office is giving more money in total but students are “receiving less individually.” The financial aid office will disburse about $3.6 million in Pell grants during the 1993-94 school year. However, due to a change made by Congress, many students who qualified last year found that they did not meet the criteria to qualify this year or they qualified for less money. Those who ape having the most difficulty qualifying are single independent students and employed students who live with their parents. Henderson also reported that the average amount that a typical stu- dentreceivedin 1992-93 was $1,393. The average amount for the 1993-94 school year was not available. In order for a student to qualify for a fee waiver, the student must be a California resident, and come from a family which earns less than $22,000 a year. For other federal and state aid, financial aid eligibility is based on the cost of attendance at the college or university, minus the amount of support from the family. EOPS/ CARE has its own criteria to judge who qualifies for financial aid. The fee waiver program, also called Board of Governor’s Grant (BOGG), is another way of receiving financial aid. Both fee waivers and grants are available to eligible Cali¬ fornia residents. Henderson stated that financial aid waives approximately $1 million in enrollment and health fees alone. Other program s thatsponsor grants FACTS ABOUT FINANCIAL AID Pell grants were increased this year. Students with a belong to a family load of at least six whose gross income units are now amounts to less eligible to receive than $22,000 a financial aid. year. Eligibility is based on the cost of the college or university. $3.6 million is available in financial aid this year. and offer money to eligible students are the Cal Grants В and C, which are available through the California Student AidCommission CAL grants provide $600,000 a year to PCC students. The State Work-Study program provides on and off campus employ¬ ment, but its resources are limited to $30,000. The EOPS/CARE program also provide grants toeligible participants but this year is “the first full year of funding for CARE.” Between the two programs, $40,000 is avail¬ able in grants. Henderson estimated that the state provides $2 million in grants. The federal government provides $5.5 million. Henderson added that for those students who do not have any other source of money, the students activities office has a program that provides “emer¬ gency loans.” The Red Cross refuses to take student’s blood By REGINA PARIS Staff Writer Kevin Fullen, outspoken presi¬ dent of the Gay and Lesbian Student Union (GLSU), gained the attention of campus police, students and CBS news last Thursday morning. He was detained by campus police after he created a disturbance on campus. Protesting against the American Red Cross blood drive held on cam¬ pus last week, he armed himself with posters and hundreds of fliers, most bearing the words “The Red Cross Discriminates!” Fullen filed a grievance and ob¬ tained permission to officially pro¬ test, after being turned away by the Red Cross when he volunteered to give blood. The Red Cross stated that Fullen was rejected because when he filled in the application form given to those who want to donate blood, he stated he has had sex with another male. Because of that, his blood could be contaminated with transmittible vi¬ ruses. Immediately after being denied the opportunity to donate blood, Fuller began shouting, disturbing the other students giving blood, saying the Red Cross was biased,” said Maryann Mayer, a college coun¬ selor. “I had to physically restrain him outside of the room.” Fullen protest resumed on Friday in front of the C Building, when he decided to set up tables with posters attached to them accussing the Red Cross of prohibiting gay people from giving blood. Campus police entered the pic¬ ture when a maintenance worker re¬ ported police that Fullen did not want to remove the posters. “When we approached him, there was a small crowd around the stu¬ dent, things then escalated into a scene,” said campus police investi¬ gator Steve Lester. “Weadvised him the posters on the ground would have to be removed, and he began shout¬ ing obscenities.” When he was detained, Fuller was then taken to the campus police station, and read a section of the penal code forbidding the use of obscene language. Fullen listened with no comment, and was warned of the consequences if he continued to protest. He was advised of the possibility the possibility that he could be ar¬ rested. He then was released, with¬ out further incident, Lester said. Fullen ’s protest reached beyond the PCC campus when the KCBS news broadcasted his story on the 6 O’clock news. The story included footage of Fullen hanging posters, and an interview with a PCC faculty member. The new station requested permission to film the GLSU meet¬ ing that was held the same Friday. But a faculty adviser of the club turned down the request.