PCC Courier 10/22/15

CO U R I ER Pasadena City College

Serving PCC Since 1915

OCTOBER 17, 2015 VOLUME 112 ISSUE 07

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM

PCC flea market: Bargainhunting done right Rachel Ho Staff Writer

The Rialto gets jazzed up

pg. 7

Monique A. LeBleu/Courier The Vista Dance Company performs at the South Pasadena Rialto Theatre for the landmark’s 90th Birthday Gala on Oct. 17.

$2.5 million helps Pathways grow Monique A. LeBleu Staff Writer

PCC has just been awarded $2.5 million through the Title V Grant for the next five years, with the first year of funds received earlier this month enabling the Pathways program to move forward with their second year program.

The Title V Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education comes as PCC has been identified as an Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) —a college that serves that population—where the current Pathways programs is in place to help serve that demographic need.

Dr. Brock Klein, associate dean of

Pathways and professional learning, is eager to help further what started as a pilot program last year for second-year Pathways students.

According to Klein, to qualify for Pathways, high school students have to be at or below a certain income level. The additional grant funds specifically focus on supporting Pathways students who face new challenges in their second year, many of whom are Latino students.

“We continue to grow and we continue to innovate and the district funds are not enough, so we really rely on the grant money,” Klein said of the first $525,000 in funds received.

The funds will help the program provide the students support through

encouragement by engaging them in volunteer service—both on and off campus—through workshops, and in leadership roles. Through additional available tutoring, coaching and other resources and services, the students will work to complete a contract-based commitment designed to propel them toward their goals and get them beyond their first year.

“We are working closely with folks on campus to develop an internship-externship job shadowing program that would give students opportunities to think about their experience at PCC, connect with their major, and be able to apply what they are learning to a real-world situation,” said Klein.

By year two of the grant funds,

Klein feels they should have something in place. With these initial funds, investment in personnel is key.

“With large grants, personnel are typically a large expense,” said Klein.

“We need people thinking, working, researching, planning, implementing, evaluating, so these innovations take place with grants.”

Involved for nearly five years with the first year Pathways program, Javier Carbajal-Ramos provides outreach at the high school level. The outreach extends to all in-district and some out-of-district high schools, which amounts to about 30 schools total.

VGRANT PAGE 2

PCC talks Slut Walk and sexual violence Amber Lipsey Staff Writer

Mary “Unique” Spears had just left a relative’s funeral and arrived at the Joe Louis Post rental hall on Detroit’s east side to continue celebrating his life with other family members.

According to the Huffington Post, Spears was stopped by a 38-year-old male who asked for her number. She refused, stating that she was in a relationship.

The man continued to harass Spears, 27, throughout the evening. When she attempted to leave the event, the man grabbed Spears and hit her.

Spears’ fiancée intervened and a fight ensued.

The man pulled out a gun and shot Spears once.

She tried to run and he shot her two more times in the head, killing her. Spears’ story is one of many examples of violence against women in the U.S. Amber Rose’s Slut Walk in downtown LA’s Pershing Square on Oct. 3 was organized with the goal of combatting this type of sexual violence, victim blaming, derogatory labeling and gender inequality.

CNN reported that Rose has faced criticism for her event, ranging from those who feel she exposes herself too much, to those who feel that the event was simply for her own promotion.

However, Rose spoke to the attendees at the event to explain why she chose to put it on.

“It’s important for me because I deal with

it every day,” she said. “I deal with it via social media, people out on the street. I feel like women deal with that constantly on a daily basis, and I’m sick of it.”

The PCC community is no stranger to issues of sexual violence and victim blaming. PCC student Shantel Rhode, who attended the Slut Walk,

Amber Lispey/Courier Actress and philanthropist Amber Rose announces the next event at her Amber Rose Slut Walk in Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 9.

said that she’s been derided for how she dresses.

“I’m a woman. I get catcalled. I get shamed for being a big girl,” she said. “I should not be looked at disapprovingly because I’m showing my stomach. I should be respected for who I am.”

PCC Feminist Club President Julia Swart thinks that Slut Walks are “extremely valuable, especially on campus.”

“The word slut carries so much impact and I think it’s important to take that word back and empower women,” she said.

PCC Dean of Student Life Rebecca Cobb stated that PCC offers on and off-campus referrals to offices or agencies that can assist students in coping with the aftermath of their experience.

“It is important for anyone subjected to sexual assault, harassment, sexual or gender-based misconduct to be heard and for us to assist in making sure the student feels supported,” Cobb said.

Based on the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization and Title IX, PCC offers workshops and events to educate and inform members of the campus community on a range of related issues, including sexual assault, harassment, sexual misconduct, domestic violence, stalking and dating abuse.

Events include “Yes Means Yes” workshops covering the topic of affirmative consent, which convened Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 this year.

A panel discussion called “A Conversation on

SLUTWALK PAGE 2

This year, PCC dethroned the reigning Rose Bowl Flea Market to earn the title of Best Flea Market in Pasadena Weekly’s “Best of Pasadena 2015” list.

“I think it’s pretty exciting because we are such a small market compared to the Rose Bowl [Flea Market],” said acting hourly flea market coordinator Lindsey Reed.

“It’s a huge honor and it makes us excited to work more for our customers to have a great place to come on Sundays and for our vendors to take pride in the market that they sell at.”

Founded in 1977 by brothers Tom and Tim Selinske, the Flea Market draws approximately 3,000 to 5,000 shoppers to PCC each time it takes place on the first Sunday of every month. Among the thousands of attendees is a diverse audience that includes people from other states as well as other countries.

The PCC Flea Market is not only the largest nonprofit flea market on the west coast but it is also student-centric: all proceeds go toward funding student programs and student scholarships. At least $30,000 worth of scholarships is given away

FLEA PAGE 2

L.A. Children’s Orchestra Susan Pascale’s Orchestra performs at the 21st annual Pumpkin Festival at the Children’s Museum / pg. 6

Carnegie Observatory 14th annual open house offers Pasadena locals a chance to interact with astronomers. / pg. 6

NEWS

2 COURIER

October 22, 2015

Shakeout: When the ‘Big One’ Comes Kelly Rodriguez Murillo Staff Writer Pasadena City College joined the 10.4 million Californians who participated in the Shake Out earthquake drill event on Thursday that simulates the proper response to a devastating quake.

On the morning of the Shake Out drill, PCC students in the Shatford Library were instructed to duck down under a table, cover their heads and hold on—“duck, cover and hold.” Some students did follow instructions but many others ignored them and continued the

SLUTWALK

Continued from Page 1 Domestic Violence” will be held Oct. 20 at noon in the Creveling Lounge. A healing art workshop is scheduled on Oct. 22 at noon in the Circadian for those who have experienced Domestic Violence” will be held Oct. 20 at noon in the Creveling Lounge. A healing art workshop is scheduled on Oct. 22 at noon in the Circadian for those who have experienced trauma and abuse.

“The goal of these events is to begin re-educating all campus pop-

normal pace of their lives.

Student Adela Gamboa, who was in the library during the drill, was unimpressed with the response.

“I don’t think PCC would be ready when a real earthquake arrives, no one took this seriously, ” Gamboa said.

A lot of staff and students failed to take part in the drill, which left professor Bryan Wilbur concerned.

“I don’t even think many of your readers even have an earthquake kit prepared,” said Wilbur. Wilbur emphasized how crucial earthquake kits are for surviving the aftermath of a quake.

When earthquakes hit, debris

could plummet everywhere, leaving people vulnerable to get trapped in places like classrooms and houses.

“Classrooms in particular are especially dangerous because [there’s] so much loose material,” said Wilbur. “Ideally you just want to be under he biggest most sturdiest object you can find, but personally I’d like to be in an open plain with no buildings or large objects around.

Air borne debris is what is the most dangerous.”

Randon Flores, a PCC geology student and tutor, predicts “that roads and paths that are used to bring resources like food could be destroyed” during the earthquake.

So having a lot of water and plenty of high calorie, non-perishable food in your earthquake kits can increase chances of survival.

Issac Park, another geology student, believes it would also be convenient to have a hand-cranked radio for communication and heavy-duty gloves “just in case someone is stuck under rubble and needs aid and a first aid kit.”

Wilbur recommends having identification with you and a change of clothes and shoes.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the likelihood or probability of an earthquake in the Los Angeles area

with a magnitude of at least a 6.7 is 93 percent within the next three decades.

ABC News reported that scientists are expecting damages that are “on par with the Sept. 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina” in the event of a major quake.

Wilbur suggests mapping out your home so you can shut off gas valves in an emergency.

“San Francisco’s fires from the 1906 earthquake were caused by the gas valves,” he said.

For more information on earthquake safety and a further extensive list for items recommended in your kit, visit earhtquakecountry.net.

ulations on these issues in order to create a healthier and safer campus community and society overall,” Cobb said.

While these events are a step in the right direction, some students are skeptical of the messages being sent and say they still don’t feel comfortable with the processes in place to report sexual assault.

Feminist Club member Charlotte Swart questioned the victim blaming mentality that she sees on campus.

“I just thinks it’s sad that we’re putting all the responsibility on the victim saying that to not get

raped they should be wearing more clothes and watching where they go at night,” she said. “Obviously you have to be safe but then again women have been getting raped since the beginning of time.

Women who are completely covered are raped and still called sluts.”

In the PCC Police Department’s CLERY report, which regularly aggregates and reports crime statistics, they list tips to avoid assault such as, “Do not allow your date an opportunity to become physically or emotionally abusive toward you.”

How potential victims are expect

ed to “not allow” assault is unclear.

PCC Queer Alliance member Suzanne Thompson has all but lost faith in the system to protect her or others after an experience where she supported someone who was raped by someone else on campus.

Thompson said the experience led to her distrust of authority.

“I just think that people who are victims have such little support and then the people who claim they’re gonna be there and be support and know what to do, are often not that,” she said. “They’re gonna be on the side of the perpetrator or on

the side of doubt.”

Thompson further explained that the channels that must be taken to get an incident officially documented are traumatizing for all, but especially for the queer community.

“If you go to the police you’re gonna be harassed so why would you wanna go in there and get harassed again after you’re traumatized from being abused or harassed or raped,” Thompson continued.

“Then to just have your story questioned over and over again and have your whole character questioned for reporting it?”

VGRANT

first year students engage with second year students.

“We just requested student funds to create more events for game night, dodge ball night, movie night—things like that—to get more engagement between the students in a more casual environment,” she said.

As first year Pathways students have the College I course to assist them, second year Pathways is looking to incorporate a similar modul. The program will also help students create an e-Portfolio as well toward success outside of PCC, said Vergel de Dios.

“The e-Portfolio is an online resume that showcases/highlights their educational career,” she said.

“We’re finding more and more that universities want and are requiring e-portfolios.”

According to Carbajal-Ramos, “learning the language and culture of college” and time management are the biggest challenges for new college students who’ve just come from a culture where their time and curriculum are laid out and managed for them.”

“We measure our success rates not based off of graduation. Some students are very content with having an associates degree or certificate or just some credits for work,” he said. “So if you’ve reached your goal, that’s what we consider a success story.”

Toward such success, the goal with the Title V grant funds is to increase the second year numbers by at least half or more from the larger number that is currently enrolled in the first year program to help eliminate dropouts. About 2,200 students are in the first year program now, with about 750 students in the current second year.

“I would love all of first year to become second year [Pathways]. But that’s probably not going to happen.

And there will be a tipping point at some point,” said Klein. “But if we’re at 1,500 second year students, that would be awesome.”

First year Pathway students can find out more about the second year program in a conference on Nov. 19 in the quad.

FLEA

Continued from Page 1

annually. Admission is also free, which sets it apart from most flea markets in the region.

“Another thing that makes our market different is that we’re strictly antiques and collectibles,” Reed said.

“We try to discourage the sale of mass-produced items.”

Each Flea Market has 450 vendor spaces, 362 of which are reserved for regular vendors. The other 88 spaces are for non-regular “oversell” vendors, who have to join a waiting list that opens two months in advance.

Although most of the vendors are antique sellers, the Flea Market also hosts food trucks and pet adoption drives from the Pasadena Humane Society. At least one pet gets adopted at each Flea Market.

Out of all the different kinds of collector’s items available, the hottest items at the Flea Market are, without a doubt, vinyl records.

“We have record collectors that come from all over and we have one entire ramp in the parking structure that we devote to records,” Reed said. “People come and they say this is one of the best record selections because [the vendors] don’t mark it up to crazy prices and they’re really good quality records.”

Apart from vendors, PCC student clubs also frequently participate in the Flea Market. One such club is the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society, which has given out food and drinks to shoppers at the Flea Market for the past few years.

“While we contribute to the Flea Market, we increase the club’s interaction with not only the local residents but also residents from other parts of Southern California,” said AGS marketing director Brandon Ma. “[It gives us] the chance to meet different kinds of people and introduce our club to them. The visitors are supportive of and enthusiastic about our club.”

Even though the Flea Market only takes place 12 times a year, work does not simply begin and end on the day of the event for its staff. From liaising with hundreds of vendors to promoting the Flea Market, the office staff work around the clock to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

Eagle Rock resident Terri Smith was impressed by how well organized the Flea Market was when she attended it for the first time.

“Most people I met and talked to there were very warm and friendly,” Smith said.

Smith’s favorite part of the Flea Market were the pottery and glassware items. “I liked the quality of the merchandise and the fact that there was a wide range of items and prices,” she said. “I found a couple of [pottery and glassware] that were reasonably priced and I am very happy with those purchases.”

It is also not uncommon to spot a celebrity or two at the Flea Market, as stars like Arnold Schwarzeneg-

ger, Diane Keaton and Alison Sudol have been sighted browsing through the unique collection of items in the past. Hollywood set designers also frequent the market for antiques to use as props.

In the year and a half that Reed has worked with the Flea Market, she has found that it continuously grows and adapts to the ever-changing landscape of the community and society. It has increasingly made use of technology to organize its vendors and to promote its events.

“We’ve really got our social media advertising off the ground,” Reed said, crediting the Flea Market’s new social media presence with the Best Flea Market win. Newer efforts to promote the Flea Market include giving away free tote bags to customers who follow its Facebook page.

“We try to adjust and improve the market each month,” Reed added. “We have goals that we want to achieve for the market, both short-term and long-term goals.”

The next Flea Market will take place on Sunday, Nov. 1 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Daniel Valencia/Courier Child mannequin at the PCC flea market at parking lot 5 on Sunday, Oct. 4.

Continued from Page 1 Working with the High School Relations office, staff is trained to be ambassadors for PCC and each targeted high school is visited at least once monthly.

After completing an application and fulfilling requirements, students go through an info session, a scheduling workshop, and a summer orientation called Jam. Once at PCC, they work through an outlined program designed to get them through the first year and toward a goal.

Carbajal-Ramos has already encountered one success story. During an outreach event, a first year Pathways student he had coached went on to transfer to a university during her senior year at PCC. Volunteering at the Burbank High School event, she was there to share with and encourage other students.

“It was very emotional for me, the idea of having recruited this actual student,” he said. “And now she is acting as a recruiter.”

Vir Vergel de Dios, a student success coach coordinator in second year Pathways program, began with the pilot program last year. Coaches, tutors and counselors there are currently working with a bare minimum of staff and equipment.

“Technically we didn’t have a pencil sharpener last year, that’s how very minimal our resources were,” she continued. “And since this is so new, we are still conceptualizing a lot of things ... with Title V we can actually have computers and whiteboards and things like that.”

Tutors and coaches are also available to help assist at-risk students, especially students who may be on academic probation.

“If it’s been a year, they may be at that stage where they might be dismissed. So we do workshops to reach out and figure out how we can help [the student] get on track again,” she said.

Additional funds from other sources have been requested as well to help

OPINION

3 COURIER

Editorial: Who’s to blame for rape?

In her book “The Beauty Myth,” Naomi Wolf famously said, “Beauty provokes harassment, the law says, but it looks through men’s eyes when deciding what provokes it.”

Clothes, alcohol, drugs and circumstances are not responsible for rape. However, our patriarchal culture frequently puts the responsibility for rape and assault on the victim.

According to the Association of American Universities, one of the largest-ever surveys on campus sexual assault, 23 percent of female college students said they experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact—ranging from kissing to touching to rape—carried out by force or threat of force, or while they were incapacitated because of alcohol and drugs.

Our society does little to combat these stigmas that promote rape culture, and instead we exacerbate it.

“What were you wearing?” “How much did you have to drink?” “Did you lead him on?” are questions frequently asked of victims of sexual assault.

At PCC, our own campus Clery Report suggests ways for potential victims to avoid assault such as, “take self-defense classes,” “control

your alcohol” and “do not allow your date an opportunity to be physically or emotionally abusive.”

The report does not list anything directed at potential perpetrators for how to treat their fellow students, or how not to behave.

According to Dean of Student Life Rebecca Cobb, the school is offering workshops and events to educate and inform members of the campus community on a range of related issues, including sexual assault, harassment, sexual misconduct, domestic violence, stalking and dating abuse.

However, more needs to be done.

At present, the PCC curriculum does not offer any classes in gender theory in the categories of psychology, philosophy or sociology.

In fact, PCC’s Gender, Ethnicity, and Multiculural Studies degree only offers two classes addressing women’s studies—Women in American History and Women in Literature.

The issue is bigger than just rape.

Women are also the targets of street harassment on a daily basis.

Street harassment is largely defined as unwanted comments, gestures, and actions forced on a stranger in a public place without their consent.

Street harassment includes unwanted whistling, leering, persistent requests for someone’s name, number or destination after they’ve said no.

ThinkProgress reported that in one week, two women were violently attacked in episodes of street harassment.

One woman was shot and killed for refusing to give a man her number, and another woman had her throat slashed for rejecting a date with a man.

There is currently a Tumblr blog called “Women Who Refuse” filled with stories from women who have been violently attacked for refusing a man’s advances.

While the campus policy for handling issues of harassment and sexual assault looks good on paper, some students feel it’s not enough and do not trust the process.

The administration should take steps to offer more gender focused classes. The aforementioned workshops and events should be a campus staple every semester and be updated to reflect the current issues students are facing.

Additionally, specific workshops should be focused on men, and teaching them about consent, mu-

tual respect and consequences for violating policies and laws.

In “We Should All Be Feminists,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie stated, “We teach girls shame. ‘Close your legs. Cover yourself.’ We make them feel as though being born female they’re already guilty of something.

And so, girls grow up to be women who cannot say they have desire,” she said.

“They grow up to be women who silence themselves. They grow up to be women who cannot say what they truly think. And they grow up—and this is the worst thing we do to girls—they grow up to be women who have turned pretense into an art form.”

Violence against women and girls is endemic worldwide. Female genital mutilation, honor killing, child brides, trafficking, grooming, rape and domestic violence are rampant in societies in which women are classed as second-class citizens.

While the U.S. may not experience the most extreme of these practices, our record of protecting victims of sexual violence is still abysmal, and something must be done, starting with our college campuses.

October 22, 2015

VOICES

Do you think there is enough dialogue on campus between staff and students on how to deal with sexual assault situations?

“Yes, if you go to the health services office they tell you more about it.”

Cole Terrazas, Music

“I have been here for three years and none of my teachers have said one word about sexual assault.”

Emma Moreno, Biology

Cartoon by Mick Donovan

New voting act drives citizens to vote Alex Chhuon Staff Writer

Voter apathy has been at an all-time high for years. To be frank, nobody feels as if their votes actually matter.

They reduce themselves to one in the millions of votes, so therefore, what would happen if one does not vote?

Nothing, at first, but as more people buy into this philosophy, the farther away the true opinion of the public is skewed.

Two weeks ago, Governor Jerry Brown signed off on a bill called The New Motor Voter Act in hopes of increasing voter turnout.

“State election officials estimate about 6.6 million California citizens are eligible but not registered to vote,” reported KPBS. The New Motor Voter Act would simplify voter registration by automatically sending a citizen’s data

COURIER 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

from the DMV when they register or renew their license.

While this process is streamlined and efficient, it is not exactly automatic.

Unlike the automatic voter registration in Oregon—the only other state with this type of policy—Californians simply have to tell the person at the DMV’s desk that they do not want to be registered.

While the ability to exclude voter registration seems like it makes the policy a moot point, it will still increase the number of citizens registered to vote and voter turnout by association as many will be too lazy to ask.

The main group that would be most affected by this bill are fresh 18 year olds and other college aged citizens.

Personally speaking, registering to vote is not undesirable, but is far from easy. It’s just that filling out a form that feels over a foot long and seems longer the closer the

pen is to the bottom is a daunting waste of time for the right to vote, something most students do not particularly care about.

New voters at the age of 18 would be more inclined to try voting if the process was simpler.

While they do not care too much, those fresh from government class will be more likely to use the voting polls at their schools knowing that all they have to do is walk in.

Furthermore, if these new voters start voting from the beginning,

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

“I’ve never heard a professor talk about sexual assault, well at least not on this campus.”

Amanda Cerda, Communication

“No, I never heard about sexual assault on campus. I don’t think it really is a current issue on campus.”

Roman De La Cruz, Business

Serving PCC since 1915

Online/Features Editor Mick Donovan News Editor John Orona

then it may become a habitual ritual that may carry on through the years, thus increasing voter turnout for the future as well.

The New Motor Voter Act will not double voter turnout. Far from it, it will slightly increase the number of voters as most of those that do want to vote already are.

It simply makes the act of voting more accessible by removing an unnecessary form the size of parchment.

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

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 Community College District. The Courier is written and produced as a learning experience for student writers, photographers and editors in the Journalism Department.

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“Recently, the second year I was here, a professor did bring up the buddy system on how to walk at night to our cars.”

Audrey Martinez, Biology

Reporting by Anthony Carter Photos by Anthony Galindo

4 COURIER

SCENE

Eric Haynes/Courier Valerie Reyes, 25, nursing.

Eric Haynes/Courier Malin Dorris, 18, photography.

Eric Haynes/Courier Samantha Carter, 20, art/graphic design.

Angelique Andrade/Courier Anthony Cee, 30, architecture.

Eric Haynes/Courier Natalie Ramirez, 26, sociology/ environmental science.

5 COURIER

October 22, 2015

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LIFESTYLE

October 22, 2015

Carnegie Observatory opens space to public John Orona Staff Writer

When the stars align just right, if the smog is swept away from the San Gabriels and the sky isn’t too bright to look toward the mountains, you can catch the silhouette of the Mount Wilson Observatory from the wide-windowed library of Pasadena City College.

That famous observatory, now hindered by light pollution, acts as a beacon calling both amateur and professional astronomers to Pasadena. Professionals are lured by world-class facilities and prestige at area institutions like CalTech, JPL, and the Carnegie Observatories.

Amateur astronomers and science enthusiasts are drawn to these same institutions for their openness and public availability, which drew record numbers to JPL last week and brought curious onlookers to the Carnegie Observatory 14th annual open house Sunday afternoon.

“It’s very easy to look at the sky and wonder,” staff scientist at Carnegie Gwen Rudie said, explaining the public interest in science and space in particular.

Rudie, like many of the researchers at Carnegie, hopes to learn about the early beginnings of the universe’s formation. To do this she studies cosmic gas, the building block to forming stars and eventually whole galaxies.

“The gas we detect is just the tip of the iceberg,” Rudie said.

The gas that is detectable is observed using a “cosmic flashlight” from nearby stars and recording the shadows from the gas.

Trying to piece together the beginnings of the universe is clearly an endeavor that captivates many of the Pasadena area public, and the Carnegie Observatory helps quench everyone’s scientific curiosity by providing an open space for all who care about cosmology to have their fill.

During the open house, visitors toured the machine shop where the latest instruments are made to painstaking accuracy, explored the Hale library where the discoveries of Mt. Wilson Observatory founder George Ellery Hale were on display, and posed for photos along the “Redshift Carpet.”

One particular attraction that had the 49 person capacity auditorium fully booked for the entire four-showing program was the “Lives and Deaths of Stars” Science Talk.

Post-doctoral Carnegie Fellow Jennifer Van Saders discussed the life cycle of stars and the new ways astronomers are able to research the most distant stars using sound waves.

This new technique, called astroseismology, is “incredibly difficult” according to Van Saders, akin to trying to find the beam of a flashlight among the lights atop the Luxor Las Vegas hotel.

The auditorium filled with the low rum-

Keely Damara/Courier Ethan Smilivoci of Sherman Oaks views spots on the sun through a telescope as his friend Brandon Esebag asks Mount Wilson executive director Tom Meneghini about the surface of the sun at the Carnegie Observatory open house on Sunday. blings of the sounds of the sun made audible to the human ear as Van Saders demonstrated the way sound waves could be used to learn of the inner workings of otherwise impenetrable stars.

In the second half of the presentation, Princeton-Carnegie Fellow Benjamin Shappee talked about the death of stars and the program he created to track very bright supernovae, the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN).

The ASAS-SN program utilizes two sets of four 14-cm robotic telescopes in Haleakala, HI and Cerro Tololo, Chile. The telescopes are fully automated and strategically placed on the globe to take a survey of the entire sky and provide data whenever one part of it gets noticeably brighter, possible evidence of a supernova.

“It scans the entire sky both the northern and southern hemispheres for places that got brighter or dimmer,” Shappee said in his presentation. “If there’s a problem they send me a text in the middle of the night to go fix it, which wakes my wife up and doesn’t make her very happy. But then I can fix the problem— both those problems.”

From there, Shappee can determine from the images whether the objects detected warrant further investigation from more advanced telescopes, as the ones used on ASAS-SN

initial search are no more than what most of the public may have to view the night sky.

In fact, in addition to monitoring some of the images more closely with more powerful telescopes at Carnegie or in space, the observatory also releases their findings to the public and amateur astrologers sometimes are used to confirm supernova sightings and are even featured in press releases.

Because of ASAS-SN’s ability to scan both the northern and southern hemispheres, it has been responsible for two-thirds of the brightest supernovae discoveries per year, including the brightest supernovae ever found, ASAS-SN lh, which is hundreds of times more luminous than the typical supernovae and is still largely a mystery to astronomers., the observatory tries to reflect the values of openness, freedom, and discovery that is essential to science on any level.

Carnegie houses about a dozen post-doctoral fellows and a dozen staff members who are free to pursue whatever research they wish with long-term support, free from the need to justify their next grant, paper, or telescope time.

The scientists choose to work on projects alone or with teams from around the world, some studying the death of stars, some studying their birth, and others building the actual instruments used in the observatory.

Perhaps the most exciting new instrument in the works and modeled at the open house is the Giant Magellan Telescope at the Carnegie Observatories’ southern hemisphere site high in the Andes.

The seven-mirror, 83-foot wide state-ofthe-art instrument will measure somewhere between the space shuttle and a Giant Sequoia when it becomes operational at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. It will be 10 times more powerful than the Hubble telescope and will allow astronomers to probe the early formation of stars and galaxies just after the big bang with “unprecedented resolution and clarity.”

Another way in which Carnegie involves the public is through its weekly colloquia.

Every Tuesday a speaker considered an expert in their discipline visits the Observatory’s Golden auditorium to keep everyone up to date on their latest research.

Although the colloquium draws crowds from neighboring institutions from JPL to UCLA, most of the public will find these talks very technical. However, the observatory does produce a lecture series each spring which is more geared toward the everyday astronomer. Next spring’s lectures have yet to be announced, but to find out more about the Carnegie Observatory and to plan a visit, go to http://obs.carnegiescience.edu/

Children’s orchestra performs at Pumpkin Festival Ericka Bernabe Staff Writer

The 21st annual Pumpkin Festival at Kidspace Children’s Museum returned this past weekend at Brookside Park in Pasadena where all children were in costume to celebrate fun fall activities and enjoy the live entertainment provided by Susan Pascale’s Los Angeles Children’s Orchestra.

Pascale, founder of Pascale Music Institute (PMI), was dressed as the Queen of Hearts and all of her student’s were in costume as well. They trailed around the booths of the park playing an introduction piece before heading onto the stage.

In 2009, The Los Angeles Children’s Orchestra set a world record for being the youngest orchestra to ever perform at Carnegie Hall and they have played there three times since. They are also one of the youngest orchestras in the country.

“My daughter was actually the inspiration for starting the program 14 years ago when I moved here from Long Island. There was no strings program here in my area of Pasadena, so I decided to teach for free to anyone willing to learn the violin,” said Pascale.

Irma Carrillo/Courier Los Angeles Children’s Orchestra cello students performing at the Annual Pumpkin Festival outside Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena on Sunday.

Pascale’s daughter recently graduated from The Juilliard School in New York and now PMI has a program where the kids spend a day at Juilliard and take lessons.

The Los Angeles Children’s Orchestra was honored to be on NBC’s America’s Got Tal-

ent for two rounds this past summer, where Howard Stern, a judge, called them a “fan favorite.” They received a standing ovation from the entire studio audience.

“It was a really, really amazing experience for the kids. We went through a very huge

audition process,” Pascale said. “We probably shot 40 to 50 hours of film. It was a very life changing experience.”

Most of the children of the orchestra have been together from the beginning and the ages of the kids in the orchestra range from 6 to 12 years old.

“I am six. I played the cello for one and a half years,” said James of South Pasadena, who was dressed as a skeleton.

Annika Gavlak, a violinist dressed as Wednesday from the Addams Family, said, “I think I’ve been in the program for eight years, yeah. I started when I was four and half years old and I just turned 13. I’m part of the Chamber Orchestra.”

The orchestra played plenty of pieces during the pumpkin festival, including a collage of holiday music and a scary Halloween piece called “Rise of Eating Zombies.”

“If you hear a beautiful sound, it’s because the kids start very young in the program starting as young as three and a half and they stay together. We go to Disneyland, we go to Carnegie Hall, we go to Juilliard School, and we go other places, “Pascale said. “Music is hard work, but the payoff is to have fun.”

FEATURES

7 COURIER

October 22, 2015

The Rialto puts a new glow on its future Monique LeBleu Staff Writer

The vibrant neon marquee of South Pasadena’s most beloved movie palace, the Rialto Theatre, awoke again for one night as it spilled its candy-colored glow across the Fair Oaks Avenue sidewalk to celebrate its 90th Birthday.

Since 2007, when its previous tenant Landmark Theatres discontinued its revival film content there, the Art Deco-styled theater born in 1925 has been waiting patiently for her time like a silent film star re-emerging from a long absence.

Batchelder tiles that are so uniquely Southern California decorate the long-quiet fountain, and a mural of gold-leaf nymphs that decorates the foyer staircase landing to the mezzanine level still shines bright.

The mezzanine was host to an assortment of the theater’s rich visual history through photos, videos, and mock-ups of future renovation plans.

Stephen Simon of FanchonandMarco.com displayed photos featuring a history of his grandmother Fancon’s own career as a dancer and performer that began during the theatre’s vaudeville days.

The photos had recently been found in production books that were in his aunt’s attic, where the originals are now on display at The Huntington Library.

“She’s credited as the first female film producer in Hollywood,” said Simon of Fanchon of her films that stemmed from her live productions.

“So she was very progressive for her time and brilliant. She started off as a dancer and then moved to doing choreography and then doing the full productions.”

The theatre’s Birthday Gala was designed to not only celebrate its existence since its initial grand opening, but to bring attention to, and fund raise toward, the eventual re-opening planned by the tenacious non-profits Friends of the Rialto and The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation (LAHTF).

The Gala evening’s entertainment included two separate screenings of

Monique A. LeBleu/Courier The Rialto Theatre neon marquee glows for the landmark’s 90th Birthday Gala in South Pasadena on Saturday, Oct.17. classic Buster Keaton silent comedies, “The Navigator” and “The Boat,” which included live accompaniment by theater organist Mark Herman. Each screening included additional live entertainment from Conundrum Theatre Company, The Vista Dancers and a talented mix of contemporary, opera and folk singers and music.

Master of Ceremonies Levi Tinker, who works for TCL Chinese Theatre Imax for film introductions and at the hand print ceremonies, was no stranger to such festivities, but new to the Rialto. Ticker marveled at the still existing stage footlights, original proscenium curtains, and architectural detail around him.

“I love old theaters … Any chance I have to bring light and awareness to something like this, I am happy to do so,” said Tinker. “I love the architecture in here. Just the decor is incredible and 90 years later it’s still standing here.”

The Founding Director of Friends of the Rialto and Executive

Director of the LAHTF, Escott O. Norton, the theatre’s long champion, was on hand for the evening to give gala participants a unique glimpse at the theater’s still-existing beauty and into the future plans for continued life.

To help raise funds and maintain the space, Norton explained the Friends of the Rialto’s plans to create a tiered subscription or membership fee system based on the Netflix video subscription service model.

Tiered levels would determine the kinds of entertainment that most interests the patron, whether it’s movies, live shows, events, or all of the above.

“The idea is to make it super easy for people to come regularly,” Norton said. “You pay your monthly fee, and you look at the calendar, and ‘Ooh, there’s something cool at the Rialto, I think I’ll head over’ or ‘I’m going to have lunch at the restaurant, what are they showing on the screen? Oh, I’ll stay for that, because I’m a member and I can

doing a special hand signal at the same time.

What makes the salsa club more intriguing is the fact that the club brings in professional instructors from all over Southern California to teach a class.

The “house instructor” is Arlene Santos, who teaches salsa and is the main instructor for the club. Crystal Duran and Demetrio Rosario are both bachata instructors.

Because the club brings in professional instructors to teach each class, the club charges a fee after the first four weeks of the semester. Because the club does not get their ICC money automatically, they charge a fee to pay the instructors.

For the first four weeks, everyone is welcome to go and dance for free and after that, anyone is still welcome to join the club for $10.

“Whatever we have in our petty cash is how we pay our instructors.

And that petty cash comes from member fees,” Hernandez said.

“Once we get the ICC funding, then that’s when we start paying them that way.”

As the room is filled up with stu-

dents learning a new routine, people are surrounded in a circle and are partnered up ready to rehearse the steps together. After practicing with each other with a song in the background for a few minutes, each couple gives each other high fives and switches partners. They go in a rotation so eventually everyone gets to dance with one another. Because of this, it’s a great way to meet new people and have fun dancing at the same time.

“It’s a really good way to make friends,” said Jasmine Trinidad, the club’s vice president.

The salsa club attracts all types of students, some with experience in dancing in salsa and others that have no experience at all.

“I saw them salsa dancing out there in the quad and I was like ‘Hey is that salsa?,’” said student Kendall Howard. “And they were like ‘yeah,’ and I decided to join and from then on they have taught me and I’m like ‘wow! This is really fun,’ and I just got really into it and now I really like it.”

About two years ago the club started “Noche de Fuego,” an

go in!’”

In addition to audience membership, another unique subscription idea involves one that would allow content producers frequent access to the theater, based on their subscription tier, and provide their brand of entertainment.

“The idea is that we as the Friends of the Rialto are not going to be producing seven shows a week,” said Norton. “We are going to have partners or content providing members who will provide those shows. And we act as management and overseeing to make sure there’s a really diverse sampling of art and keep our audience happy.”

The process of re-opening the theatre will be in three phases, with the first involving raising enough funds just to open the doors to the public—the least expensive phase.

The next phases involve the new owner’s own time line involving exterior repairs and the city’s permitting schedule.

“If money were no object, I

think we could have this first phase completed in one month,” Norton said.

The funds raised at the gala will primarily go towards promotion of the future opening, but money was not the primary goal.

“The evening was really about raising awareness,” Norton said.

“We were not expecting to raise a lot of money. The money we raise will help us produce some additional shows.”

Norton says that plans are already underway for collaborating with the theater’s owners, and an outside content provider, for a possible holiday event towards the end of the year.

“We’d like to do another event very soon,” said Norton. “We already have a concept for something in December, and if the owners are agreeable to it, that is what our next plan will be.”

Dance your way to the PCC Candela Salsa Club Lilith Garcia Staff Writer

Loud counts of “1, 2, 3,” direct a group of students learning steps to a new routine in room W102. Minutes later, they partner up and get into a big circle and start practicing the new routine with salsa music in the background.

PCC’s Candela Salsa Club teaches salsa to students of all levels. What started as a small club has grown significantly over the years.

The club’s main purpose is to dance salsa, but instructors also teach other styles of dance such as bachata.

“Our primary concern was salsa but then with the growing number of people that we have and the different interests, we started branching out,” said Jonathan Hernandez, the treasurer of the club.

They also do another type of dance called “Rueda,” which is salsa inspired. It is a form of social dancing and a shout and command dance. Whatever the leader shouts at some point in the dance, the people in the circle will follow while

Anthony Galindo/ Courier PCC Candela Salsa Club members Chris Abril and Celeste Benitez dance for her birthday at a club meeting inside W-102 on Tuesday. event that started off as a social in the spring before a winter edition, “Noche de Fuego: Frio Edition,” was added. This year it is scheduled

for the first week of December.

The club meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays at W102 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

SPORTS

Lancers honored as Players of the Week 8 COURIER

October 22, 2015

Christian Rivas Sports Co-Editor

Freshman quarterback Jett Even and sophomore linebacker Jalyn Williams were honored with SCFA NNL Player of the Week awards for their recent performances on the feld.

Williams received the Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Cerritos in week 5.

Williams was also the recipient of the award last year for his efforts against Canyons in a 20-12 win.

This year, Williams was recognized for his record-breaking play in a blow out 33-0 loss to Cerritos.

“It feels good as a player but I just try to work on getting better,” said Williams. “I played really good against Cerritos but I had a couple mistakes too. Not everyone notices but me and the coaches notice and we work on that for the rest of the week.”

William’s teammate Terry Wilson had high praise for his co-captain.

“We feed off of each other,” said Wilson. “Me and him are fellow captains out there but he just balls out [when he’s playing]. [As an opponent], you can’t do anything about that… that’s why he’s in the position that he’s in, because he can make those plays. We respect him and he’s one of our leaders. We love having him out there. Without each

Kristen Luna/Courier Quarterback Jett Even, left, and linebacker Jalyn Williams, right, at practice held at Robinson Stadium on Tuesday other we are nothing.”

The following week, freshman quarterback Jett Even was named Offensive Player of the Week for a dominating performance East Los Angeles in week 6.

“It’s a big honor,” said Even. “I was glad to get it this week because my family was down here but I was just doing whatever I could do to win the game to be honest.”

Even followed that game with a breakout performance against Ventura in which he finished the game 36/66 passes completed, a new PCC record.

“I love playing for this team,” said Even. “I came down from the bay area because of Coach Kaumeyer and I’ve loved playing for him.

I’m just happy to be on this team and hopefully we can finish the

through the second set. They went on a run that would ultimately result in them cruising through the second set 25-13.

Seemingly facing an uphill battle, the Huskies came out strong in the third set looking to make an impressive come back and upset the clearly more talented Lancers.

The game was neck-and-neck in the beginning with neither team able to pull away from the other.

The Lancers finally got things going and took a 9-point lead over the Huskies, making the game 18-9.

The set ended 25-9.

Head coach Kari Post praised her girls for “showing up” to the game.

“That team could have beaten us easily if we didn’t show up,” Post said. “The girls have been writing

‘show up’ on their tape and that’s just a reminder that if we play our game, no one can stop us.”

Post noted that middle blocker Kendra Logan had a fantastic game.

“I really just wanted to kill it in three because last week we played Long Beach and we won the first two sets and then we let the last two get away from us and we ended up winning in five,” said Logan.

Logan ended the game with a .571 attack percentage, going 14 of 21 and also accounting for half of the team’s six blocks.

The Lancers will travel to Mt. San Antonia college this Friday for thier sixth conference game of the season. The game begans at 6 p.m.

season off with three wins.”

Coach Kaumeyer and the Lancers have only won one game this season, but Williams attributes the lack of success to the timing of Kaumeyer’s hiring.

“I know they’re going to be great next year man,” said Williams.

“Coach [Kaumeyer] was hired really late and he didn’t really have time to adjust, so I know next year they’re

going to be great.”

Williams hopes to continue playing the game when he leaves PCC. “I’m currently getting recruited by a couple of schools,” said Williams “I’m gonna keep grinding and hopefully with time offers will come.”

The Lancers play Moorpark at Robinson Stadium Saturday at 6 p.m.

Volleyball smacks down Huskies in all three sets Christian Rivas Sports Co-Editor

The Lancers volleyball team extended their winning streak to two matches Wednesday after beating the East Los Angeles Huskies in three sets.

The Lancers dominated in the first set, going up 5-1 early in the game. It wasn’t until late in the first set when the Huskies reduced the gap to 10-8, but the Lancers responded by going on a 5-0 run. The Lancers won the first set 25-20.

The Huskies made it a game in the second set, even taking a brief lead early on.

The Huskies’ success was shortlived as the Lancers got hot midway

We Cater!

Katja Liebing/Courier Middle Blocker Chy’annea Hodges records a kill against ELAC at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium on Wednesday.

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