Collegian Los Angeles
The student voice of Los Angeles City College since 1929
Wednesday December 4, 2013 Volume 171 Number 6
NEWS BRIEFS
Civilian Gun Ownership
Workshops Teach Stress-Reduction Techniques
By Michelle Berry
Associated Student Government Health & Nutrition Committee is hosting workshops promoting stress reduction and healthier student lifestyles Dec. 5, 12-2 p.m., on the second floor Conference Room of the Student Union Building. Exercise and nutritional tips will be included.
SOURCE: Small Arms Survey (2007)
India: 46 million
Dance Works Featured at Studio Hour
4 guns per 100 people
LACC’s Dance and Physical Education departments will present Studio Hour, Dec. 6, at 6:45 p.m. in the Women’s Gym, Room 202. Performances include student choreography, tap dance, urban cha-cha and belly dance, as well as pieces from Mandala Danceworks, an award-winning tribal-fusion belly dance troupe. Admission is free.
United States: 89 guns per 100 people
Textbook Buyback in Full Swing Sell your textbooks at the Cub Store in the Student Union Building, Dec. 9 - Dec. 13. Hours of operation are Monday - Thursday 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 3 p.m.-7 p.m., and Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Get Extra Help for Finals Tutoring for finals is available to students who sign up in the Office of Student Life, located on the second floor of the Student Union Building. Students are advised to make an appointment to avoid long waits.
China: 40 million 5 guns per 100 people
Germany: 25 million 30 guns per 100 people
Pakistan: 18 million
Music Dept. Hosts Final Free Concerts for Fall The fall semester closes with five free music concerts to be held in SU-3F MPR at 7 p.m. See LACC Orchestra & Percussion Ensemble, Dec. 4; An Evening of Singers & Songs, Dec. 5; Solo Guitar Recital, Dec. 6; Applied Music Recital, Dec. 10; and Singers Showcase (Commercial Voice), Dec. 11.
12 guns per 100 people
Image courtesy of New Hampshire Gun Violence Prevention
District Approves Gun-Free Campuses By Diana Nakayenga Following a mass shooting at Santa Monica College in June where six people died, a gun-free resolution was passed banning firearms on the Los Angeles Community College District’s nine campuses. The Board of Trustees of the LACCD wanted to establish a policy that eliminates the presence of firearms on campus to the maximum extent allowable by law, according to the resolution. “It is our responsibility to provide a safe environment for our students, allowing them to feel secure and able to totally focus on their academic goals,” said Board of Trustees Vice President Scott Svonkin. Despite the passage of the policy, California remains a “may issue” state, where a campus president can issue written permission for a person to carry a weapon at school. Liberal arts major Indynesia Cooper questions that option. “I don’t think anyone should have that authority,” Cooper said. “There’s no reason for any student to have a gun on campus. I don’t know why a person would need it if they’re not protecting anyone.” Keeping guns off school campuses is an increasing concern for both students and law enforcement. A January 2013 Campus Safe-
ty opinion survey reported only one in four police officers is prepared to handle a mass shooter on campus. Recent incidents demonstrate the growing problem. One person was shot early November at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. On Nov. 20, University of California, Irvine, police reported a student on campus with a gun. A campus-wide emergency notification system informed Yale University students of a gunman on campus last week. The potential for violence reached close to home last month when a shooting occurred only a few feet from the LACC campus. Some critics of such gun-free policies point to exaggerated coverage of gun crimes as fueling the debate. Statistics seem to agree. According to the National Center for Education statistics, fewer than one percent of student homicides and suicides take place at school. In 2010, the odds of a student being the victim of a school-associated homicide was one in 2.5 million. However, most school-associated student homicides do involve firearms, often weapons readily available in the perpetrator’s environment. The National Association of School Psychologists reports that the weapons were obtained from home in 80 percent of schoolassociated firearm-related homicides or sui-
cides. And according to the Pew Research Center, 35 percent of Americans age 18-29 live in households with guns, and 16 percent personally own guns. While the gun-free campus policy is being enforced at some colleges, the policy is not universally accepted on campuses across the nation. In the United States, 49 out of 50 states have concealed carry weapons laws. Of those states, 22 ban the carrying of a concealed weapon on a college campus, including California, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, while many other states allow colleges to set their own policies. Eleven states now allow guns on campuses. Supporters of the new LACCD gun-free policy are not alone. More than 350 of 4,150 college presidents in the country have signed a letter in opposition to campus carry laws. And students seem to agree. “Gun-free should be the way,” said undeclared major Jeffrey Estrada. “Do people think otherwise? I think it’s the right thing to feel safer. We have enough guns on campus already with the sheriffs.” LACCD’s policy is a step toward ensuring the safety of its students, faculty and staff. “[Students] must never be fearful about setting foot on one of our campuses,” Syonkin said.
ASG Names Scholarship after Fallen Student L L A G ALLIN
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Reporters, Designers, Illustrators, Editors, Photojournalists and Copy Editors
I WANT YOU…. ENROLL IN Publication Laboratory: Journal 217 Practical Editing: Journal 218 Techniques for Staff Editors: Journal 219
SLO Process Puts Students in Driver Seat
By Denise Barrett A $250 scholarship will be renamed after Associated Student Government Senator and LACC business major Eric Cruz, who died in a motorcycle accident Nov. 11, in Los Angeles. The 31-yearold was set to graduate in spring 2014. Cruz was an eager participant
Eric Cruz photo courtesy of ASG
in many of LACC’s activities, having joined ASG in fall 2013, becoming a tutor for the Office of
Special Services, and a volunteer for TRIO, a program assisting students transition to four-year institutions. His peers recall his willingness to always help out. Linda Doo, RAISE president and ASG volunteer, first became friends with Cruz over the summer. “Immediately when I met him he was very friendly and very approachable,” said Doo. “He really
cared about being involved with people in different areas, not just academically. He was a peer and friend.” Catherine Ho, ASG president, noted some of the traits that made him a special addition to student government and campus life. “He was very persistent …,” Ho said. “He got appointed to the board late but he wanted to just jump right in. He wanted to See Scholarship Page 6
Music Department Mourns Former Professor By Richard Chang Critically acclaimed singer and LACC voice teacher, Marilyn Taylor Savage died on Oct. 27. She was 81 years old. Ms. Savage studied opera at USC and worked in New York City as a theater actor, performing as Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady,” and as Marion the Librarian in “The
Music Man.” Upon leaving New York City for Los Angeles in 1969, Ms. Savage began performing classical music as a performer with the National Symphony, the L.A. Chamber Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony and Seattle Symphony. She also performed at the Lincoln Center and various festivals.
“I always felt like it was a great honor to be singing with her,” said Wesley Abbot, adjunct music professor at LACC. “She was an incredible musician with a gorgeous voice.” In her later years, Ms. Savage worked as a private voice teacher and served on the faculty of Pepperdine University and here at LACC. “She was a wonderful lady and
lots of fun,” LACC accompanist Christian Stendel said. “I enjoyed working with her as her accompanist.” Ms. Savage will be remembered as an actress, acclaimed mezzosoprano, a teacher, a mother and a grandmother. She is survived by a daughter, a son and two grandchildren.
Nursing students took charge of expectations this semester after Dr. Francis Rice-Farrand assigned writing Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) as part of their coursework. A vital part of course planning, SLOs, are usually defined by professors, not students. The nursing professor taught students in her Advanced Medical Surgical Nursing and Nursing Leadership and Management courses to formulate SLO statements that describe what they will know or be able to demonstrate at the end of the semester. This fall, Christine Tinberg, Los Angeles City College Student Learning Outcome Coordinator, recognized Dr. Rice-Farrand for involving students in assessing their peers’ work. “She did a great job of making students aware of expectations for the nursing projects,” Tinberg said. “Students can learn more when looking critically at peers’ work. Students gain a deeper understanding of what’s expected in the nursing profession.” SLOs are required by a school’s accrediting agency and give students a clear view of what will be expected of them by a course’s completion. For community colleges, that agency is the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. Students see SLOs in every course syllabus, but some say they failed to grasp their importance before Dr. Rice-Farrand’s class. “With her method, she helped me to understand that my performance in each SLO is a much better indicator of my understanding of the material than just test scores alone,” said nursing student Lauren Clark. “For the first time, I’m put in the driver seat of my own education.” Dr. Rice-Farrand allows students to review their progress alongside their intended Student Learning Outcome. This method shows students exactly how each assignment reflects in their grades and overall performance. “The SLO for both of my courses is very practical. Hence I hand it out and have them review their daily assignments to how well they are matching the rubric grid,” Dr. Rice-Farrand said. “They also exchange with another student in class and give constructive criticism to a fellow classmate. The reason why I do this is simple: transparency and understanding.” The professor likens her teaching method to writing, alSee SLO Page 6 Visit our tumblr page at www.collegianwired.tumblr.com for access to even more articles, photos and videos of events here at City.
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