CO U R I ER Pasadena City College
Serving PCC Since 1915
OCTOBER 29, 2015 VOLUME 112 ISSUE 08
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM
LOCAL LATINO PRIDE Latino Heritage Parade and Grand Fiesta at La Pintoresca Park celebrates the local Latino community / pg. 6
Samantha Molina/Courier Bill Nye, CEO of the Planetary Society, hosted “More to Explore: A Space Celebration” at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Saturday, October 24.
Pasadena launches Planetary Society
Monique A. LeBleu Staff Writer
A full day culminated in the celebration of 35 years for the Planetary Society last week with a combined dedication of their new facility in Pasadena, now open to the public, and a star-studded evening variety event complete with entertainment and the love of all things science. The building’s dedication ceremonies included words from Congresswoman Judy Chu, Planetary Society board members, and The Science Guy himself, CEO Bill Nye. Once underway, the event included a facility tour, discussion panels and exhibits, a Theremin
demonstration, Sci-Fi authors and Planetary Society co-founder Lou Friedman on hand to discuss and sign their new books. Donning his signature bow tie, Nye welcomed the eager public with assurances that the new space would fulfill all expectations that a society built on the love of science and space exploration should bring. “I feel it finally has that ‘this is a space-enterprise’ feel. We’ve got glass! And metal! An mid-century style futuristic bridge of the Enterprise furniture!” laughs Nye. “It’s a futuristic space that’s based on the foundation of celebrating the joy of discovery. And that’ really why we explore space is to feel that joy
of discovery. And I hope that when you are in the building that you feel a little bit joyful!” The new interior’s customized space renovation features an open foyer that includes artwork, archive memorabilia, and audio and visual displays that are open to the public. The central working space opens to modular cubicles and fishbowl offices of the staff that are personalized and adorned with their own science collectibles and memorabilia. A mural depicting a planetary skyline overlooks a state of the art kitchen. Facing it, a large idea white board has been christened by staff with statements of welcome and marker art, and the public was
encouraged to participate. Jonathon Martinez, 5, of Sierra Madre Elementary, came with his family and was among the first to enter the new facility and decorate the whiteboard with his art among the plethora of words of admiration, inspiration, and thanks already expressed. When asked what his favorite subject in school, Martinez responded, as if he really had to be asked, “Uh…space!?” Martinez was also impressed with a unique feature nestled in an old bank vault space in the building. Adorned with planet frescos,
PLANETARY PAGE 2
New PR director hired to revamp image John Orona News Editor
Working with the backdrop of PCC trying to get out of accreditation probation, under the direction of a new president and new academic senate leadership, Alex Boekelheide, PCC’s newly hired executive director of the recently rebranded Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing, is setting the stage to cast the school in a more positive light. Boekelheide, who originally studied theater at USC before being recast in the world of public relations, comes to PCC after serving as the executive Director of communication for UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs. Before that, he served as the director of online and print communications at USC’s Annenberg School of Journalism. “Alex will be tasked with developing a comprehensive external and internal communications and marketing plan to serve the ever-expanding needs of our campus,” President-Superintendent Vurdien said in an email. The Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing brings all of the school’s media resources, such as photography, social media, and the PCC website, together in one place. “The Public Relations Office was under-re-
sourced and under-staffed in the past,” said publications supervisor Gilbert Rivera. “With the retooling of our area into Strategic Communications and Marketing, we’ll hopefully be able to address those issues.” According to Boekelheide, one of the goals of bringing these departments together is to provide
Keely Damara/Courier Alex Boekelheide, the new executive director of Strategic Communications & Marketing, stands in the PCC Sculpture Garden on Monday.
the school with a unified, strategic vision of how it wants to present itself internally, to the community, and to current and future students. “There’s so much good going on here,” Boekelheide said, “but we can’t have it all just land in the crowded media environment of Pasadena.” Boekelheide first got interested in public relations reflecting on the way institutions can affect a city’s image, development, and how people see themselves in relation. PCC was an exciting example of that effect to him. “PCC has been part of the Pasadena culture for the past 90 years. You can’t have Pasadena without PCC, you can’t have PCC without Pasadena,” Boekelheide said. “We have an excellent reputation within the community, and moving forward we would like to continue to keep that reputation intact,” Rivera explained via email. With the office restructuring, the school hopes to get away from any negative image it has developed from accreditation probation and conflicts between school leadership and faculty. The school’s previous public relations head, Valerie Wardlaw, left the college in September 2014, months after presiding over the school’s response to the commencement speaker controversy
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HALLOWEEN IS NEAR! Scene: Ghouls, monsters, and the macabre take over the city of Pasadena / pgs. 4&5
FA backs candidates in board election John Orona News Editor
The PCC Faculty Association has endorsed Tom Selinkse for the district two seat and Hoyt Hilsman for the district four seat on the PCC Board of Trustees. The PCCFA voted to recommend the candidates after they responded to a Faculty Association questionnaire, expressed their views on issues facing the district at a candidates’ forum on Oct. 6, and met with the association. “Tom Selinske’s understanding of the needs of students and the contributions faculty, staff and administration make in meeting those needs, made a convincing case that he’s the candidate of choice,” PCCFA president Julie Kiotas said in a press release. The Faculty Association joins Congresswoman Judy Chu, former PCC president and state senator Jack Scott, Assemblyman Chris Holden, and retiring district two trustee Jeanette Mann in endorsing the educator, small business owner, and PCC alum. Also vying for the district two seat are USC adjunct professor James Osterling and social scientist Martin Enriques. Osterling, who teaches finance and real estate, is endorsed by over
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NEWS
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Learning signs of domestic violence Ericka Bernabe Staff Writer
October is the month of domestic violence awareness and it’s important for everyone, especially women, to be aware of the signs of domestic violence and raise awareness to combat this problem. A workshop was held at the Creveling Lounge on Tuesday afternoon by Shepherd’s Door, a domestic violence resource center. Linda Offray, founder of Shepherd’s Door, greeted the room of about a dozen attendees and played a documentary she produced with stories from domestic violence survivors, which includes a former student of Pasadena City College. The documentary lasted the majority of the workshop. “The purpose of having this workshop at PCC is to raise awareness about domestic violence and because of the statistic rate with domestic violence amongst college students. I think the information is very vital for them to have,” said Offray. The documentary informed everyone about the different types of domestic violence such as emotional, verbal, financial, and physical. It’s important for people to know the signs and be careful with victims because in many cases it can be dangerous. Shepherd’s Door was founded in March of 2000 and is a program that focuses on helping victims in crisis with a domestic violence system. Their mission is to break the cycle
PLANETARY Continued from Page 1 spaceships, and displays from the Planetary Society’s recently successful LightSail mission, the space is the new home to the audio-visual department. Planetary Radio producer and host and the evening’s show announcer, Mat Kaplan, was on hand for the day to show their department’s new digs. “We’ve already gotten some good use out of this new little studio. I’m very much looking forward to us doing some love web cast broadcasting out of here,” said Kaplan. “We are regular customers at KPCC … they do our planetary radio live show there. But we also look forward to doing smaller scale live updates, I hope, in this studio.” From black tie to blue hair, attendees donned their best for the society’s 35th Anniversary Celebration Gala “More to Explore” variety show later in the evening. Fans of both science and of SciFi filed in to see stars such as Jeri Ryan, Robert Picardo, and Lt. Uhura herself, Nichelle Nichols, of the Star Trek universe. “The Martian” writer Andy Weir, Deputy Administrator of NASA Dava J. Newman, National Geographic Channel’s Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey star and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, and the staff and board members of The Planetary Society were also
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of domestic violence through relationship education, youth violence prevention awareness, financial empowerment and direct rescue intervention. Shepherd’s Door holds workshop projects called “healing art” where people choose drawings that relate to their emotions as a victim. “This is a healing workshop. It allows for women to express how they feel. It brings things out. At the end they get to share what they’ve done and helps the other woman as they go around the room,” said Shirley Jackson, a Shepherd’s Door volunteer. Learning the signs of domestic violence is helpful. One can’t always look at a person and identify that they are a victim. “I’m a domestic violence survivor. I know that all the things that they teach, I’ve never experienced anybody helping me cope with whatever feelings that I’ve had from my past abuse in the way of healing art,” said Yuritzi Morales, another volunteer. The audience was provided with a domestic violence wheel, which shows a wheel of equality and a wheel of violence. All of the information given was recommended to be share with others. “It’s always a pleasure to spread the word of domestic violence. When we talk about these things, we talk about all relationships, “ said Offray. “Domestic violence happens in all walks of life, so this information is very vital to all people, male and female.”
in attendance. An agenda highlight was a presentation to popular science personality deGrasse Tyson with the Planetary Society’s Cosmos Award, which is presented annually to individuals for Outstanding Public Presentation of Science. This year, the award was presented by Nichols whose presence and warm words filled the room with regal grace and elegance. Charmingly star struck by his presenter, deGrasse quickly recovered to express his thanks.
“I am just deeply honored in what is now my almost 20 year association with the planetary society,” said deGrasse Tyson. “I say to myself, ‘I am coming to reveal the geek underbelly.’ And that geek underbelly in almost all cases leads to ambitions about what tomorrow might bring, and the only people thinking about tomorrow are the engineers, the scientists, the science fictions writers, and the actors in those dramas.” Newman, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics and
Angelique Andrade/Courier Shepherd’s Door director Linda Offray in the conference room of the organization’s office in Pasadena on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
engineering systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, spoke passionately with Nye on NASA’s plans for the future of human missions to Mars. Coming on the heels of newfound evidence of water imbedded in the polar icecaps on Mars, Nye and Newman talked of the now even more plausible future human travel to the red planet, which is at the point where special walking suits are in the works to accommodate the planet’s 40 percent gravity. With now five rovers on Mars
Samantha Molina/Courier Host Bill Nye, CEO of the Planetary Society, and astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, recipient of the Cosmos Award for Outstanding Public Presentation of Science, speak about the Planetary Society at “More to Explore: A Space Celebration” with Bill Nye at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Saturday.
ENDORSEMENT
Continued from Page 1
50 business, government, education, and civic leaders including Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek, district one trustee Ross Selvidge and several city council members. Enriques has been following board issues and PCC news for “a third of a century” and has lived in Pasadena for over 50 years. He also has given an endorsement of his own, writing an op-ed to the Pasadena Star-News where he described district four incumbent Bill Thomson as “the best trustee to represent area four in the last 40 years” and praised his efforts in raising over $1 million for student scholarships through the Pasadena City College Foundation. Thomson, the former mayor of Pasadena, has served on the board of trustees for the last eight years and is endorsed by two former PCC presidents-superintendents, Dr. Jack Scott and Dr. James Kossler, as well as his colleagues on the board, Berlinda Brown, Anthony Fellow, and Jeanette Mann. However, the PCCFA has endorsed author and former PCC journalism professor Hoyt Hilsman in his bid
to unseat Thomson. “We believe that Hilsman will strongly advocate on behalf of students, faculty and the community on the Board of Trustees,” Kiotas said. “Based on his representations regarding planning, communication, and transparency, Hilsman appears to have the vision necessary to effect sorely needed change in the district during these challenging times.” Hilsman is also endorsed by Assemblyman Chris Holden, Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek and Temple City Mayor Tom Chavez. Former student trustee Marshall Lewis, while lacking the endorsements and accolades of his competitors for the district four seat, has promoted his active role on the PCC campus. During his time at PCC, Lewis has served as the president of the Veterans Club and Omicron Mu Delta, an honor society created to recognize students and faculty who have given distinguished all-around service to the college, and held positions on the lobby, calendar, and Measure P committees. “Primarily we were looking for a candidate who is open to discussion,” said Faculty Association director Mary-Erin Crook. “At times the discussion on this campus has been difficult.”
PR
Continued from Page 1 involving alum and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black. The college described her departure at the time as a “private personnel matter.” “It’s been a rough couple years and the campus is ready to turn a page,” Boekelheide said. “The quality of the instruction and the enthusiasm the community has for PCC is top notch. Seeing that and being able to build on it is really exciting.” One cosmetic way the school is trying to change its public image is through a long-promised website redesign. “It’s big,” said Boekelheide. “We’re basically looking at the entire website and reimagining it from the bottom up.” The new director is in the process
and 50 years in the making, the near-future “journey to Mars with humans starts at the international space station,” said Newman, where she expects continued and increased international community relations and involvement in order to make it happen. “There’s a good chance, that at my age, that I won’t be asked to be a Mars astronaut,” quips Nye. “But there are kids in the audience tonight who very reasonably may be among the Martian astronauts.” A moving video Beyond the Horizon was shown on the citizen-funded project LightSail, the solar powered space data collector and early brainchild of late co-founder of “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage” star and science personality Carl Sagan. Financed by the society and its members, this year saw its launch and deployment into space. A video presentation weaving educational and inspirational archive science videos from of Nye, deGrasse Tyson, and Society members, created a catchy rap-style music video. A universal feeling of those in the room was best expressed by deGrasse Tyson in his acceptance speech that evening. “I don’t think that I would ever want to live in a world without people dreaming about what the future may bring,” he said. “We know that the future of our species must include some ambitions that reach for the stars.” of holding content workshops with departments to determine their needs for their respective department sites. The goal is to turn the unwieldy 38,000 page website into a more easily navigable tool for students to find information, and for departments to effectively communicate and broadcast their resources. “I sort of see some of what I do as putting on a show: highlighting characters, crafting a big story,” Boekelheide said. “One of the most untold stories on campus is the success of our students,” he explained, ”both in terms of who they are when they get here and what they’re doing while they’re on campus—not just in their classes—and where do they go from here. What does PCC mean to them after they step out the door and what services and value do we provide to them.”
OPINION
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Homeland isn’t racist, it has Muslim friends Amber Lipsey Staff Writer “Homeland” is no stranger to controversy. While the show has had multiple Emmy and Golden Globe wins and has been hailed by critics, the show has experienced its fair share of criticism. Earlier this month three graffiti artists were hired to add authenticity to refugee camp scenes, by painting Arabic words and symbols on the set walls. In an act of protest, the artists painted the words, “Homeland is racist,” in Arabic, along with many other phrases such as “Black Lives Matter” and “The situation is not to be trusted,” as reported by The Guardian. In a statement released by the artists, they explained their reasoning for their act of protest. “We considered what a moment of intervention could relay about our own and many others’ political discontent with the series,” they told The Guardian. “It was our moment to make our point by subverting the message using the show itself.” Many who saw the show wondered how those phrases got past the production team and made it onto the broadcast version of the show. According to the artists, the Arabic script was not checked by producers at all, proving their point. “The content of what was
written on the walls … was of no concern,” they said. “In their eyes, Arabic script is merely a supplementary visual that completes the horror-fantasy of the Middle East, a poster image dehumanizing an entire region to human-less figures in black burkas and moreover, this season, to refugees.” Ever since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism roared to the forefront of the American consciousness. Suddenly, racism against Middle Eastern people became acceptable to at least half of the country, who were angry and seeking revenge for the lives lost. Studies from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the United States Department of Justice, have shown a sharp increase in anti-Muslim sentiment from politicians, an increase of anti-Muslim activity, and an increase in the number of anti-Muslim hate groups since 9/11. The openly accepted racism toward Muslim groups harkened back to the days in the U.S. when it was acceptable to put signs in restaurants, shop windows and swimming pools that read, “No Niggers, No Jews, No Dogs.” In a Washington Post piece, Laura Durkay proclaimed “Homeland” to be “The most bigoted show on
television.” Durkay opined that the show was riddled with basic errors about Islam and Muslim culture, as well as that it carelessly trafficked in absurd and damaging stereotypes. “The entire structure of “Homeland” is built on mashing together every manifestation of political Islam, Arabs, Muslims and the whole Middle East into a Frankenstein-monster global terrorist threat that simply doesn’t exist,” Durkay said. “In just a few steps, the show has neatly stitched together all the current bogeymen of U.S. foreign policy.” While we can point to post 9/11 anti-Muslim sentiment as one culprit for the racism depicted on the show, we also have to acknowledge the lack of diversity in the Hollywood writer’s rooms. Back in March, ThinkProgress reported that writer’s rooms were still heavily dominated by white men. Minorities hold only 13.7 percent of TV staff writer jobs, down almost two percent from the 2011-2012 season when they held only 15.4 percent of staff writer jobs. When minority characters and cultures are being written by privileged, racially unaware white men, it’s not hard to see where the disconnect lies. Television is all about ratings, and Homeland boasts very successful
numbers. A more cynical person might begin to wonder if the racism depicted on Homeland is partially an attempt to appeal to the fringe, right-wing, Christian conservative subsection of the viewing public in an attempt to help with ratings. While that idea may seem farfetched for some, it doesn’t negate the fact that the show clearly has a problem with accurate representation of the people it depicts. One of the series stars, Nazanin Boniadi, told the Evening Standard that the claims of racism were “simply not true.” “It [Homeland] really showed the ramifications and the human cost of war,” she said. “To say it takes a racist stance or, like the graffiti artists claimed, that all Muslim characters are shown as terrorists, is frankly not true.” Boniadi may not be the only Middle Eastern person who does not feel that “Homeland” has a racism problem. No culture or people are a monolith. However, we cannot ignore the very real and often serious impact that negative representations and stereotypical depictions can have on a group of people, especially in such a politically and racially charged climate in which we live. “Homeland” isn’t the main culprit here, but they are a byproduct of a culture that continues to sweep bigotry under the rug.
of Raven-Symoné’s controversial comment that she would not hire someone with VOICES: Inan light unusual name, we asked PCC students about their experiences with their names.
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COURIER
Serving PCC since 1915 Editor-in-Chief Kristen Luna Photo Editor/ Managing Editor Keely Damara Online Photo Editor Katja Liebing Asst. Online Photo Editor Eric Haynes Social Media Editor Amber Lipsey Online/Features Editor Mick Donovan News Editor John Orona Opinion Editor Hannah Gonzales Lifestyle Editor Monique A. LeBleu Sports Editors Ahmad Akkaoui and Christian Rivas Scene Editor Erica Hong and Nagisa Mihara Design Editor Samantha Molina Staff Writers Ericka Bernabe, Anthony Carter, Alex Chhuon, Julius Choi, Melody Congote, Lilith Garcia, Andi Harding, Rachel Ho, Erica Hong, Timothy Mably, Kelly R. Murillo, Elissa Saldana, Arielle Taccad Staff Photographers Angelique Andrade, Irma Carrillo, Nate Fermin, Anthony Galindo, Monique A. LeBleu, Alexis Luengas, Kristen Luna, Samantha Molina, Josie Rodriguez, Daniel Valencia Faculty Adviser Nathan McIntire Photo Adviser Tim Berger Advertising Manager Daniel Nerio
“My name’s spelled a little weird so every first couple of classes I get really weird pronunciations like KEE-WON.” Keywan Tafteh, English
“In high school my name was, Ariel, Angela, anything with an ‘AL.’” Anel Saavedra, Business
“People can’t really pronounce my name right, so I just say Cal. It hasn’t really affected me that greatly for me to think about it.” Calix Carrington, Accounting
The Courier is published weekly by the Pasadena City College Journalism Department and is a free-speech forum. Editorials and comments are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the institution and its administration, student government or that of the Pasadena Area Commwunity College District. The Courier is written and produced as a learning experience for student writers, photographers and editors in the Journalism Department.
Be Heard “I used to not care before I moved here [from India] but now I really, really do care because my name is very special to me.” Devna Desai, Communicative Disorders
“I think it fits me. It’s not that common and sounds very mature. That’s kind of who I am, responsible and independent. It makes people remember me.” Hilda Candelario, Business
“My name is DaiCorri. I guess it’s just what my mom named me.” DaiCorri Briscoe, Kinesiology
“It hasn’t affected me.” Jocelyn Ramirez, CLAVE Vice President
Reporting by Christan Rivas and Alex Chhuon Photos by Irma Carrillo and Eric Haynes
Letters to the Editor The Courier welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be about 300 words and may be edited by Courier staff. All letters must contain your full name and a correct daytime phone number. Letters can be delivered to the Courier office in CC 208 or sent by email to luna.courier@gmail.com Corrections The Courier staff endeavors to ensure accuracy in all aspects of its reporting. If you believe we have made an error, please contact us at (626) 585-7130 or via email to luna.courier@gmail.com
Phone: (626) 585-7130 Fax: (626) 585-7971 Advertising (626) 585-7979 Office: 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., CC-208 Pasadena, CA 91106-3215
Cartoon by Mick Donovan
SCE
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Walt Girdner Photo Studio Gallery presents its art Dia De Los Muertos at the Zona Rosa Cafe in Pasa Katja Liebing/Courier Spooky store decoration at Spirit of Halloween in Pasadena on Friday, Oct. 23.
Monique A. LeBleu/Courier Pasadena residents celebrate Halloween through their lawn ornamentation on Monday, Oct. 27.
Zombies decorate the lawns of Pasadena residents o
ENE
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October 29, 2015
Daniel Valencia/Courier twork of various photographs representing adena on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Monique A. LeBleu/Courier on Monday, Oct. 27.
Katja Liebing/Courier A unique garden decoration for Halloween in front of a house in Highland Park on Friday, Oct. 23.
Daniel Valencia/Courier A portrait of a traditional Dia De Los Muertos face painting at Zona Rosa in Pasadena on Sunday, Oct. 25.
LIFESTYLE
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Pasadena honors Latino community Rachel Ho Staff Writer
From being a Tongva Indian tribal ground to Rancho San Pascual, Pasadena has been home to people from a variety of backgrounds. To honor its large Latino community, the city of Pasadena’s annual Latino Heritage Parade and Grand Fiesta returned for the 17th year on Saturday. The celebration kicked off with a colorful parade on Washington Boulevard that showcased school clubs, folklorico dances and musical groups. Hundreds of spectators, including families with little children and dogs, lined the streets to watch the performers march and dance their way to the fiesta at the park. “I like it. It’s beautiful,” said Giovani Chavez, a Guatemalan living in Pasadena. A second-timer at the event, Chavez was not disappointed by the array of lively performances at the parade. Following the parade was a jamaica at La Pintoresca Park. Pronounced “ha-my-kah,” a jamaica is a community festival in Latino culture. The jamaica comprised food stalls, information booths and arts and crafts stalls. At the center of it all was a main stage on which performers entertained and added to the upbeat ambience of the occasion. “What’s important about this parade is what’s important about America,” said council member John J. Kennedy. “America is a country of immigrants. All of us have come from other areas of the world to make up the diversity that exists in America. I want to celebrate that diversity and this is an opportunity for me to be a part of that celebration of what makes America great.” Kennedy has been a regular presence at Latino Heritage events since even before he became a councilmember. What keeps him coming back each year are “the smiles on the young people’s faces and the encouragement that older people can provide young people to fill and live out their full potential and their dreams.” “This is an opportunity for the community to come together as one to advance [as] one community: all of us working together,” Kennedy added. This year’s fiesta honored screenwriter Josefina Lopez and historian Roberta Martinez, who served in the parade as Grand
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Marshall and Community Grand Marshall, respectively. Lopez and Martinez both received certificates and awards of recognition from city councilmembers as well as Congresswoman Judy Chu, who made a brief appearance at the event. Also in attendance were Mayor Terry Tornek and councilmember Tyron Hampton. Food Day collided with this year’s Latino Heritage Parade and Grand Fiesta, which saw a section of the jamaica being dedicated to encouraging healthy eating habits. Armed with information about food, Pasadena Unified School District Food Services representatives educated visitors about the importance of healthy eating. By reaching out to the community via events like these, the Food Services Department can provide people with fresh new options, said food operations
supervisor Erin Dreyer. Even after more than a decade, the Latino Heritage event is still going strong. David Montes, senior community relations representative of the Human Services & Recreation Department, attributed the event’s continued success to its attendees. “It’s the community plus the diversity of everybody: blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians…” Montes added. Although the Latino Heritage Parade and Grand Fiesta only takes place once a year, the achievements and contributions of the Latino people must not be forgotten on the other 364 days of the year. The event served as a reminder of the city’s past and by reflecting on the Latino history in Pasadena, it also served as a guide for the city’s future.
Josie Rodriguez/ Courier Young Folklorico dancers practicing before their performance at the Jamaica Hispanic heritage event in Pasadena on Saturday.
Big Mama’s serves up soul food and family Amber Lipsey Staff Writer
Dargin McWhorter stood in the kitchen in Chattanooga, Tennessee paying close attention to the older lady’s words. Miss Anna Mae had taken a liking to him. He was 12 years old and she was another neighbor on his block in the all-black neighborhood where he grew up. Because she liked him, Miss Anna Mae decided she would share her secret BBQ sauce recipe with him, with one caveat. She would tell him what was in it, but not how much of each ingredient. All the other kids in the neighborhood always begged Dargin to make the sauce. This helped him learn to perfect the recipe, which he finally did in 1978, and it became the staple sauce of Big Mama’s Inc. Under the guidance of his mother, Emma Sue “Big Mama” McWhorter, Dargin and his wife opened their first restaurant, “Emma Sue’s Fish & BBQ” on Fair Oaks in Altadena, CA. This was the first restaurant Dargin had ever opened, but it wasn’t the first in his family. Originally from Louisiana, his mother had two restaurants previously in Chattanooga in the 1950s. Dargin’s eyes light up at the mention of his mother, who passed away nine years ago. “She was barely five feet tall, but she was a tigress,” he said. “In the 40s she used to sell pots for people to cook in, and even back then she loved to cook.” The moment you walk into Big Mamas Rib Shack on South Lake Avenue, your eye immediately goes to the huge portrait of “Big Mama” hanging on the wall above the mantle. There’s the sense that you’ve just walked into her home, rather than a restaurant.
The single room eatery has two rows of booths and several round and square top tables sprinkled around the room. A 42 inch flat screen TV hangs on the wall by the bar, showing Sunday afternoon football games. Around the room other photos hang on the walls. A black and white photo of Bessie Smith on one, an old Louisiana Jazz photo on the other. Everything has a distinctly New Orleans vibe. Although Big Mama’s serves southern style soul food, which is known to be fattening, Dargin says his mother’s recipes were made to be healthy. “Down south it was all meat in the veggies, the rice, fat back in the veggies,” he said. “Instead of using the meat to season, we use actual seasonings.” Even before opening their restaurants, Dargin said that Big Mama “would try to cook things very healthy.”
Healthy is not what you expect the food to be when it comes to the table. The smothered chicken is two pieces of their signature southern fried chicken on a bed of white rice, and covered in a light gravy. The perfectly seasoned chicken, which still has crunchy skin under the gravy, blends well with the flavors on the plate. This includes a side of warm cornbread, the smell of which hits your nose the minute it’s placed on the table. The BBQ pork ribs remind you of the ribs your uncle cooks on the grill at the family BBQ. They have just the right amount of BBQ sauce, and meat so tender that it falls right off the bone with no effort. The spiciness of the fried okra and black eyes peas blends well with the sweet flavor of the BBQ sauce. As the restaurant begins to fill up for the after-church rush, Dargin begins taking tables with his son Darron. The gentlemen at the next table order their favorite items as
Monique A. LeBleu/Courier Dargin McWhorter and son Darron McWhorter of Big Mama’s Rib Shack, whose family has owned various soul food and southern style restaurants in Pasadena, on Saturday.
usual. “We come here all the time, this is our spot,” Dwayne Moore said. “Great food and I get to relax and watch my game because I can’t do that at home,” he says with a laugh. While waiting for dessert—a smooth, delicious sweet potato pie with whipped cream—Dargin spoke more about their menu. “It’s hard to find as much as we got anywhere else,” he said, referring to their expansive menu. Dargin notes that around the holidays, their biggest seller is the pork chitterlings, or “chitlins’.”. Through the entirety of the visit, there’s never a sense that you’re eating out at a restaurant, but rather that
you’re at a relative’s home for Sunday dinner or the annual family BBQ. Even if you’re visiting for the first time, you feel like you’re spending the day with family, eating great food and having fun watching football or chatting with the other customers next to you. When asked if Dargin has a favorite story or memory of his mother, he goes quiet for a long time. He sits quietly with a huge smile on his face, but the reflection from the slight tears in his eyes explains his silence. “She was just a great mom,” he finally said. “There was no one like her … She found something people loved.”
SPORTS
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Women’s soccer wins third straight game Christian Rivas Sports Co-Editor
Eric Haynes/Courier Freshman forward Alexis Acosta controls the ball against an El Camino College Warriors defender during the Lancers’ game on Tuesday. The Lancers won 3-1.
Freshmen hope to carry men’s basketball Ahmad Akkaoui Sports Co-Editor The men’s basketball team will enter the upcoming season with only a handful of players that have experience on the Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium’s hardwood floor. The Lancers will be without some key pieces of last season’s team. Sophomore guard Dejon Williams was a large part of the team’s offense and averaged 15 points per game shooting 41 percent from the field, but he won’t return. “We are hoping some of these newcomers that we have step up to the plate,” head coach Michael Swanegan said. “They aren’t game-tested yet … Out of 15 people we have 12 freshmen.” Guard Jonathan Henderson and center Faruk Oyalade both played their last season of eligibility last season averaging 14 points and 7 points per game, respectively. Pasadena ended last season early with a losing record of 12-15 but were 4-4 against conference opponents. Conference opponent ELAC finished the season as runner-ups to Saddleback College. ELAC was also second in the conference to Mt. SAC, who lost only two games last season to non-conference opponents. The Huskies were the unlikely ones to make it out of the difficult South Coast Conference. Head coach Michael Swanegan says that the conference is filled with good teams that have reached at least the semifinals in the last three years. Nonetheless, they are more ready than ever.
“We’re just hoping they get the feel of the game early and be able to help us do some things we plan to accomplish this year,” Swanegan said. “Our conference is very strong in terms of depth of the teams and it just shows you the strength of our schedule. I think during the course of the conference, it’s going to be very competitive.” Sophomore forward Darrell Childs, a transfer from Los Angeles Trade Technical College who didn’t play last season, is a very vocal player on the court. Swanegan looks to him, along with their other experienced players, to motivate the freshman-filled roster. Freshman guard Todd Barnes is good piece for the Lancers and teammates speak highly of him. “Everyone has been working pretty hard,” Barnes said. “We are trying to get into a good groove where everything flows correctly by the time we get into our season. So far everything is working out pretty well.” The Lancers averaged 17.7 turnovers per game and the biggest fix for them would have to be reducing that average from last season. Freshman point guard Jonathan Ly is willing to do what it takes to help his team win. He was showing good court vision at practice. “I think we are good right now,” Ly said. “We are just trying to make sure everyone is in the right spots and trying to memorize these plays. We have to stay healthy too. Defensively, I think we are getting better.” The Lancers start their season on Thursday Nov. 5 in the Ventura Tournament at Ventura College for the weekend.
The Lancers women’s soccer team came away with their fourth win in five games against El Camino on Tuesday at Robinson Stadium. The Lancers set the tempo for the game right away at kickoff, finding the back of the net in the first 10 minutes of the game with Alexis Acosta’s goal. Typically, the Lancers have trouble getting goals in the first half but they looked strong coming out. El Camino battled with the Lancers in the midfield, making PCC fight hard for their second goal. Finally, in the 37th minute, midfielder Ani Hemelians found a gap in El Camino’s defense and sent the ball to Leila Farazdaghi, who used her speed to beat her defender off the ball and give the Lancers a 2-0 lead. El Camino responded by making a strong run at the Lancers’ goal, but the Warriors’ final shot of the half hit the crossbar and they went into the half scoreless. The Lancers looked pumped, despite only having one substitute available on the bench due to a
number of players out sick. With the second half underway, the Lancers hit the ground running. Even with El Camino’s keeper blocking two of the Lancers’ first shots, the Lancers were awarded a penalty for a hard tackle in the box. Freshman midfielder Sandra Ambrosio walked up to the penalty spot and placed it in the bottom corner, pushing the Lancers lead to 3-0. The Lancers were looking for more goals, but El Camino’s goalie was a brick wall in the second half when the keepers were the difference makers. El Camino were pressing and looking for their first goal of the game, but nothing was getting past PCC goalkeeper Natalie Martin. With a dozen shots hitting the crossbar, El Camino finally got their goal. But when the final whistle blew, the Lancers walked away with the win. It was especially promising for the Lancers because of the goals scored in the first half. “We just changed our warm up and our mind set,” said Rivas. “They’re adults. They realized that they shouldn’t keep giving up goals early in the second half.”
The Lancers didn’t give up any goals in the first half with Martin in goal. Martin doesn’t usually start in goal, but several players were out sick so she got the opportunity to shine. “I’ve been looking forward to this,” said Martin. “I’ve been working really hard and our girls have been working just as hard and it showed today.” Another key component to the win was the activity in the midfield, a lot of it starting with Ani Hemelians. “Our whole set up was to get the ball up through the midfield,” said Hemelians. “We have a lot of fast girls up top so we just look to get them the ball when we can.” With only a few weeks left in the season, the Lancers look to close out the season on a positive note. The Lancers face off against East Los Angeles Thursday on their turf to try and stretch their winning streak to four. The Lancers also play Friday at Pierce College to make up a game that was postponed on Sept. 8 due to weather conditions.
enough to make up for the personal foul that set the Lancers back 15 yards to the 50-yard line at the beginning of the third quarter. “It was towards the end and someone had said something,” said head coach Thom Kaumeyer. “We got a penalty for 15-yards and instead of on the 35 they were kicking on the 15.” Moorpark took advantage of the penalty to complete a touchdown within the first couple of minutes into the second half. This trend continued with the Raiders scoring 21 unanswered points and by the end of the third quarter they were ahead by 18 points. Although the Lancers were able to score six points during the last quarter, it was not enough to put them ahead of the Raiders and the game ended with a 26-point gap. “We’ve been doing this all year where we have spurts and de-
fensively we’ve played well,” said Kaumeyer. Linebacker Jaylyn Williams, who recorded 11 tackles, and linebacker Sean Cowell who chipped in five tackles and a sack, both played well on defense. Despite the loss, the Lancers received good news this week when the SFCA announced a forfeit victory for the PCC football team from Los Angeles Harbor due to an ineligible player used by the Seahawks back on September 19. This brings the Lancers overall record to 2-6. The Lancers play Allan Hancock College this Saturday in the Homecoming Game at Robinson Stadium. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. For fans that want to celebrate both Halloween and football, come dressed in a costume to be admitted to the game for free.
Football breaks down after half Hannah Gonzales Staff Writer
A costly 15-yard penalty proved to be the beginning of the end for PCC football against Moorpark College Saturday when the Lancers blew a first-half lead and wound up losing 52-26. Pasadena started off strong in the first half leading the game 20-17 in their fourth SCFA National Northern League game since the start of the season. During the first quarter, Moorpark led by three points, but the Lancers started out strong in the second quarter when quarterback Jett Even completed a pass to freshman Adrian Fonoimoana-Hall for 9 yards, leading to a touchdown. Even was a strong presence on the field, completing pass after pass. The starting quarterback completed 22 out of 42 attempts for 219 yards overall. However, his efforts weren’t
UPCOMING GAMES October 30: Men’s soccer (1-7-1 in conference) welcomes East Los Angeles College to Robinson Stadium at 3 p.m., as they look to end their four-game losing streak. They lost to ELAC earlier this season, 1-0. October 31: Lancers football (winless in conference play) welcomes Allan Hancock College to Robinson Stadium at 4 p.m., looking to capitalize on their opponent’s three-game losing streak. November 3: Women’s soccer welcomes No. 2-ranked Cerritos College to Robinson Stadium at 3 p.m., with Cerritos looking to hang onto their state ranking and undefeated record.
Daniel Valencia/Courier Wide receiver Rasheem Whitfield catches a touchdown pass as he separates from a Raiders defender. The Lancers took on the Moorpark Raiders at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Saturday night.
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Keely Damara/Courier PCC student Antonia Barton, 19, sings with the Studio Jazz Singers and the All Star Band on Tuesday in front of the Center for the Arts building at Pasadena City College.
Jazz bands show their chops Christian Rivas Staff Writer
Jazz vocalist Guy Boles belted out “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder with the help of the PCC Jazz Big Band and Jazz Combo’s horn section, kicking off the noon performance with a large crowd gathered in the West Patio last Tuesday. PCC’s Jazz Big Band is starting their first year with new instructor Kyle Luck. Luck has been involved with the music program here at PCC for the last 10 years as director of the marching band. Many members of the band are excited to see what Luck brings to the program, including Boles. “He’s [Luck] expanding our identity as a group with things like this Stevie tune I’m singing today,” said Boles. Annais Linares provided the audience with the second and last vocal performance of the day with a
rendition of Natalie Cole’s “Orange Colored Sky”. “The crowd was super into it,” said Linares. “I think people like hearing live music when they’re going to classes. It’s something different.” For years, Andrea Baker Wilkerson ran the jazz program and encouraged more traditional jazz music. Luck hopes to expand the variety of music the band plays this year. “I like doing a lot of different styles of music and I think that’s what the audience heard,” said Luck. “We did some Latin jazz, Latin funk … I really want these guys to learn different types of Jazz music.” Both bands are getting ready for the winter concert at the Westerbeck Recital Hall in December where they expect a much larger crowd. The Studio Jazz Singers and the All Star Band also gave students a sneak peek of their own December show during a noon performance in front of the Center for the Arts this past Tuesday.
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