PCC Courier 11/05/2015

CO U R I ER Pasadena City College

Serving PCC Since 1915

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM

NOVEMBER 5, 2015 VOLUME 112 ISSUE 09

PCC offers classes at Muir H.S. Kristen Luna Editor-in-Chief

Photos courtesy of Facebook campaign pages Newly elected district four Board of Trustee member Hoyt Hilsman and Tom Selinske, who was ahead of James Osterling by three votes for the district two seat as of Wednesday night.

New board member(s) elected

John Orona News Editor

Both district board candidates that the PCC Faculty Association have endorsed for the two open Board of Trustees seats are leading in the polls, with one district confirmed and the other too close to call in Tuesday’s election.

Author Hoyt Hilsman has usurped the twoterm incumbent trustee Bill Thomson for the district four seat, nearly doubling his total votes, 1,414 to 778, marking the first time an incumbent has lost in this district since 1983.

“I think the community began to realize what PCC students and staff knew for quite a while -- there is a vacuum of leadership at the board level,” Hilsman said. “I think the voters got the message and they delivered.”

In a forum attended by all candidates early last month, the discussion focused on the need to change the campus climate and establish a more collegial relationship between faculty and administration.

“I’m hoping some problems from the past can be addressed and there will be a more open conversation. That’s my goal,” Hilsman said. “I’m

optimistic it can be done but I know it won’t happen overnight.

The seat change comes during some major challenges and changes for the college, including placement on academic probation and a new president-superintendent and Academic Senate leadership.

“I’m extremely disappointed and surprised by the results,” Thomson said, who plans to continue his serving the PCC community through other venues such as the Pasadena Education Foundation. “A negative campaign was run and I think it caught the attention of voters.”

In the district two race to replace the retiring trustee of 32 years, Jeanette Mann, PCCFA choice Tom Selinske holds a slight edge over educator James Osterling of just three votes, 1,721 to 1,718.

“Selinske brings eight years of experience on the Pasadena Unified School District board,” Thomson said of the district two results. “He knows how to work with people and that will be the major challenge—how effectively the board can work with the college as a whole and with administration.”

Selinske, a small business owner and former

PCC student, stressed the need for patience in a race so close.

“It’s hard to know [what the final vote will be].

It sounds like there’s 500 votes that still need to be counted,” Selinske said. “It looks like more people voted by mail this year than in person.”

Although all 16 precincts in the district have reported results, there is a three-day grace period for mail-in ballots postmarked by Nov. 3, according to the LA County Registrar-Recorder office, meaning the results may change.

“We need to restore collegial relationships innthe school and help students get a two-year degree in two years,” Osterling said.

Selinske, Osterling, and Hilsman all said they hope to focus their tenures on bolstering the counseling office so that students know what classes they need and increasing access to classes without raising class sizes.

“We need to look at the core mission of the college,” Osterling said. “We should be focusing on getting student degrees, vocational training, and life-long learning.”

The elected candidates will be sworn on Dec. 9 during the board’s annual organizational meeting.

Starting this spring semester, PCC will offer dual enrollment courses at John Muir High School to allow students to complete college courses while still attending high school.

This comes as a result of Gov. Jerry Brown signing Assembly Bill 288 (AB288), establishing the College and Career Access Pathways Act. The dual enrollment program allows high school students and the public to take the college courses offered. This will give people in the area who have no means of traveling to PCC’s main campus the opportunity to still take classes.

PCC currently offers dual enrollment programs at other high schools in the surrounding districts but, according to Kathy Scott, associate vice president of academic affairs, John Muir High School will be the first school to offer concurrent enrollment courses and after school college courses.

When it came to deciding which courses would be offered, Scott worked with a number of groups on campus in putting together a list of high demand general education courses.

“It’s a collaborative effort between PCC and PUSD,” Scott said.

MUIR PAGE 2

Homecoming court chosen by lottery

Christian Rivas Staff Writer

In deciding who would become Homecoming King and Queen this year, gender was no longer a consideration and voting was done away with too.

AS decided that this year students could enroll in the homecoming court with the gender they identify as, meaning a man could be crowned homecoming queen and a woman could be crowned homecoming king.

While this idea was popular among students, it wasn’t the students who got to vote.

This is the first year that PCC students didn’t get to vote for the homecoming king and queen.

Student Affairs Adviser Carrie Afuso thought the idea was fresh and wanted to challenge the status quo of homecoming being nothing more than a popularity contest.

“It’s always been a popularity contest,” said Afuso. “This year we wanted it be more about who rep-

resents the spirit of PCC, whether it’s in the community or on campus.

We wanted someone who shows what it means to be a Lancer.”

The homecoming court process was treated like a scholarship this year. Students submitted a threepage application and a resume explaining why they felt they should be homecoming king or queen.

The homecoming committee, composed of about “three or four” students, would then have to choose 15 out of the 30 applicants to go through an interview process to be considered for the homecoming court.

Once the interviews were complete, the homecoming committee decided the court would be narrowed down to just four kings and four queens.

Those chosen to be on the court received a scholarship of $150 and also got the chance to be the homecoming king and queen.

On homecoming night, the names of the students chosen were put into a bag and picked at random. Afuso felt this was the most

MIA YAMAMOTO Transgender lawyer talks about the continuing struggles for civil and human rights

Monique A. LeBleu/Courier Homecoming King Keno Deary Jr. and Queen Maria Rodarte at the halftime parade for the Homecoming game at Robinson Field on Saturday. fair and inclusive way of picking a king and queen.

“It was a way of acknowledging everyone and the hard work they put in,” said Afuso. “Any one of the students could have represented our

school very well, so we thought that everyone deserved a fair chance.”

The first name picked out of the hat was Keno Deary Jr. “Being the homecoming king was

HOMECOMING PAGE 2

SUGARMYNT GALLERY South Pasadena gallery celebrates one of John Carpenter’s cult classics, “Halloween.”

NEWS

2 COURIER

November 5, 2015

Foster grant may bring in over $1 million Alex Chhuon Staff Writer Pasadena City College was notified they are intended to receive part of a grant that divides $15 million among ten schools to help foster youth pay for their educational needs.

The grant, called the Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program (shortened as CAFYES), is supported by the Student Services and Special Programs Division of the California Community College Chancellor’s Office.

The grant was established by the California State Senate in 2014 as a necessary means to encourage current and former foster youth to complete their education.

However, the exact amount the college will receive for the grant has yet to be determined.

“It doesn’t mean that each school will get that [$15 million] divided by 10,” said Nancy Roberts, a grants specialist at PCC. “It depends on the services offered and how many students we’re serving, and that’s part of what I imagine will influence negotiation.”

The final approval date for the ten colleges receiving the grant is

HOMECOMING

Continued from page 1

an awesome experience and I am grateful for the opportunity given to me to represent all of PCC,” said Deary Jr. “Seeing all the successful alumni, I am glad to be in the mix and hope in the future I can be one prominent alumnus.”

The second name pulled from the hat was Maria Rodarte.

Nov. 17 and then negotiation of the exact numbers will begin.

In their proposal, Pasadena City College has requested $2,004,896 over three years.

However, while an exact amount is not set, the total, regardless, will be significant.

“They indicated that they will award 3,000 to 5,000 dollars per student,” Roberts said.

The amount of money is rather noteworthy as many foster youth grants are rather modest and this grant would provide a large pillar of support for students to lean on.

“In the past we’ve been able to get these little grants to do activities.

Once the funding is over, it’s done.” said Niki Dixon Harrison, the acting director of Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOP&S) and foster youth programs. “This is institutional; this funding will allow us to institutionalize ongoing support and monitoring of the foster care students here at PCC.” Harrison noted that the money would allow them “to implement an actual program to provide ongoing support services, retention strategies, academic support, transfer support, and assistance for them to complete their educational goals.”

In PCC’s proposal, they expect to serve 200 students by the third year.

“As of fall 2015, we have 163 current and former foster youth here at the college,” Harrison said. “Based off of the grant funding requirements, there’s about 100 students that qualify.”

According to the Senate Bill 1023, the student must “be a current or former foster youth in California whose dependency was established or continued by the court on or after the youth’s 16th birthday” and “be no older than 25 years of age at the commencement of any academic year in which he or she participates in the program.”

PCC indicated in their proposal that they intend to pay for books, meal tickets, transportation, caps and gowns, provide some support for those in need of housing, offer childcare assistance and plan events that will ultimately support students in their graduation.

Surrounded by a sea of white papers in her office, Harrison hopes to build a center for the EOP&S and foster care students so that students will have a place to turn that’s not just the cramped room in L107.

“They’ll have a home,” Harrison said.

Kristen Luna/Courier Niki Dixon, Director of EOP&S, at the CalWorks and EOP&S office in L108 on Wednesday.

“I am very happy and humbled to have been chosen as a role model, and I hope I can inspire present and future students to get more involved,” said Rodarte. “ Winning wasn’t important just being chosen was a great experience. I also liked how I wasn’t required to promote myself for votes. It definitely saved me time to focus on homework and my extracurricular activities.”

While both the king and queen represented the genders traditionally tied to their crowns, Afuso was happy knowing that the option was

there.

“Even though we didn’t have any cross-gender applicants, we’re happy knowing students have that available to them,” said Afuso. “We live in a different world and I’m glad our school embraces our students the way they are.”

The idea of the lottery system was brought to the homecoming committee’s attention by one of their interns from Georgia who explained the way his homecoming was.

Initially, the idea was rejected by

the committee, but then endorsed by vice president of campus activities, Eric Ojeda.

Ojeda wanted this year to be different from all of the other years.

“We wanted to give people an incentive to apply,” said Ojeda. “We wanted this to be fun but also help students out with a scholarship.”

One of the applicants, Samantha Maurice-Africa, thoroughly enjoyed this year’s homecoming process.

“It’s a great opportunity,” said Maurice-Africa. “I definitely feel like PCC is known for being a place of

MUIR

Continued from page 1 Brown signed the bill on Oct. 8 and praised it in a letter to the members of the California State Assembly.

“I believe these flexible, locally based arrangements will be useful, and I encourage local governing boards to consider these dual enrollment partnerships as they work to improve student success and time to degree,” Brown wrote.

John Muir High School and other high schools in the district have recently seen a decline in enrollment and, according to PCC Superintendent-President Rajen Vurdien, this program will give PCC an opportunity to be present in the area and give students and locals access to quality education.

“The school district, the city and the college worked together because success can only happen if all the parties are interested in the development of the area,” Vurdien said.

Assembly Majority Leader Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, authored the bill and believes “students who are struggling academically and are at risk dropping out may benefit the most from dual enrollment.”

Kristen Luna/Courier Superintendent—President Dr. Rajen Vurdien at a press conference outside Harbeson Hall on Wednesday. The conference was held to highlight Pasadena’s involvement with the signing of assembly bill 288.

“Dual enrollment is not a new idea, but there is a growing awareness that low-income students and those who are first in their family to go to college benefit tremendous-

ly from early exposure to college work,” Holden added at a press conference held on campus Wednesday morning.

Vurdien said PCC has engaged

more than 500 students, giving them early access to college education.

And school districts in South Pasadena, San Marino, Pasadena, Arcadia, La Canada, Temple City and

opportunity. I was never popular enough in high school for stuff like this, so this is fun for me.”

Afuso is open to the idea of changing the process again next year, but she’s happy with the turnout they had this year.

“I just hope we’re encouraging students to be comfortable doing things like this,” said Afuso. “A lot of the times we’ve done this, people tend to vote on looks and popularity and we didn’t want that this year. We feel we got a great group of kids together and they all deserved to win.”

El Monte Union have all expressed interest in dual enrollment.

“I am able to confirm that we have signed letters of intent with all seven school districts within the Pasadena community college district area,” he said.

John Muir High School sophomore Christian Myles, 15, said the program has already helped her and will continue to.

“This program actually let me go to PCC last year … I already know that I want to go to school in Oregon so it helped me already know what I need to do in order to get there, what classes I need to take and what responsibilities I need to have,” Myles said.

According to Myles’ mother, Myisha Myles, her daughter “has excelled and is such a better student because of it.”

PCC will have their own building on campus at John Muir High School with nine dual enrollment classes offered: Graphic Design, Personal Growth and Development, Design Tech, Video Production, Psychology 1, Speech 1, two sections of Sociology 1, English 100 and Spanish 1.

Classes will start January 11, 2016.

POLICE BLOTTER Monday Oct. 26th: A student reported that her car, a silver Mitsubishi, was hit while parked in lot 5, level 4D. The report was taken and the footage needs to be examined.

Tuesday Oct. 27th: Swimming coach Terry Stoddard reported two cases of water were stolen from the office, W-105B. Stoddard sus-

pects a man that frequented the office collecting recyclables as the culprit.

A student reported that their car, a four door gray Mitsubishi, was hit while parked in Lot 3 on Oct. 13th.

The car sustained damage to the left fender and a dent with the white paint.

A female student reported that her vehicle had been vandalized. She arrived to find her car covered all over

in syrup. Officer Chan assisted by transporting her. The culprit was not found.

A father of a student stated that another female assaulted his daughter by approaching her and pulling her hair while she was waiting for the bus. on Colorado Boulevard. The daughter did not want to report this incident to the authorities.

Wednesday Oct. 28th: An incoherent person by the facilities building said he was in pain but did not want to be treated by the Pasadena Fire Department. He eventually changed his mind and the fire department was notified to respond.

The person had multiple injuries and appeared to have been recently treated at a hospital. He was then transported

to the hospital afterwards.

Thursday Oct. 29th: Jo Buczko, Student Health Services, reported that a female student in her office claimed she was sexually assaulted. Officer Arechiga reported that the student did not want to talk.

Compiled by Alex Chhuon

OPINION

3 COURIER

Doing the crime but not the time Rachel Ho Staff Writer

Imagine a world where NO crimes like child abuse and armed robbery are like a simple slap on the wrist. With Proposition 47 now a state law, that is California’s new reality.

Titled “Criminal Sentences.

Misdemeanor Penalties. Initiative Statute.,” Proposition 47 reduces the penalty for certain crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. It was enacted in hopes of increasing public safety as resources tied to minor misconducts would be freed up, allowing more resources to be allocated towards more dangerous crimes as well as to cut incarceration spending.

The first thing to note when evaluating Proposition 47 is that inmates by the thousands would be eligible for early release. This means that people who have committed a wide range of crimes from armed robbery to child abuse would walk free from prison.

For many of the crimes covered under Proposition 47, criminals are entitled to a misdemeanor sentence instead of a felony sentence as long as the damage falls under $950. This can encourage firearm theft as multiple guns can typically be purchased at that price—people would take advantage of the reduced penalties to steal firearms for other crimes.

In the first six months of 2015, overall crime in Los Angeles rose by 12.7 percent, with noteworthy increases in violent and property crimes.

“We had 10 years of crime reductions, we were at 50-year lows in many areas on crime statistics, and all of a sudden, right after November when 47 kicked in that changed and fairly dramatically, very quickly,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell told the Associated Press in

July. While the impact Proposition 47 has on gun violence is extremely important, its effect on other crimes such as abuse and rape must not be overlooked. Among the inmates who are qualified for resentencing and early release are criminals who have committed arson, date rape and assault, among other crimes.

Although there are exceptions when offenders of the crimes covered under Proposition 47 will not receive its benefits due to their criminal history or the severity of their crimes, it still gives them a lot of leeway and encourages illegal behavior.

“Prop. 47 coddles sexual predators, increases the prospects of addicts continuing their addictions and committing crimes to feed their habits, eliminates current gun-theft deterrents and puts an enormous burden on small business by going easy on petty theft and fraud,” wrote Santa Ana’s former Chief of Police Paul Walters in a Facebook post.

Money is unsurprisingly one of the main driving forces behind the widespread acceptance of Proposition 47. It inarguably saves the state hundreds of millions of dollars in costs and resources that could be used to tackle more severe crimes, fund other programs and for crime prevention.

However, when social costs clash with economic costs, like in the case of Proposition 47, one should choose the lesser of two evils. Even though the crimes protected under the state law do not result in the loss of human lives, they can have psychological impacts on victims that can haunt them for the rest of their lives. Taking care of the people and ensuring their safety should always be a government’s first priority and a government should strive to achieve it no matter the financial cost.

Arielle Taccad Staff Writer

A year ago, California voters passed PropoYES sition 47, an initiative that re-classified certain low-level, non-violent felonies such as drug possession, petty theft, shoplifting, forging or writing bad checks, and stolen property, as misdemeanors.

Now, police and prosecutors are linking increases in crime to the proposition. While it is true that there has been an increase in crime, it does not necessarily mean that the proposition is the cause of it.

Proposition 47 has a lot of good points and they simply cannot be ignored. Overcrowding in jails is one of the key problems that California is going through. It also exemplifies the fact that we have a broken prison system.

Proposition 47 is helping to fix this problem. And in just a year we can already see some tremendous changes. Jail populations have decreased by 11 percent, roughly by 8,600 people, according to the Sacramento Bee. This decrease in jail population could save the state about $93.4 million a year and counties $203 million a year, according to KPBS. Savings can then be put to good use. The reduced incarceration costs, for example, could then be spent on school truancy and dropout prevention, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and victim services.

Proposition 47 was also meant to help low-level offenders find housing and work after release.

“This law gives the ability for people to turn their life around,” said Brendon Woods, a public defender for Alameda County, told Oakland North. He had a previous client who shoplifted. “This woman once had a drug addiction and was sentenced to county jail for stealing

a sandwich from Walgreens,” Woods said. “After serving her time in prison, she went to rehab for her drug addiction but still could not find a job with a felony on her record.”

Under proposition 47, she was able to clear her record and start a new life. Going back to the increase of crime, apparently California is not the only state experiencing it. Cities such as Milwaukee, St. Louis, Baltimore, Washington, New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City, Dallas, New York, and Philadelphia, also saw increases in crime in the past year.

If these cities that are not affected by Proposition 47 at all are experiencing increases in crime, then the problem does not solely lie in California but the whole nation itself.

The argument that crimes are increasing because of Proposition 47 can be put to rest simply because there is no data that supports it. If there is no evidence, then why keep on blaming the proposition?

Proposition 47 is doing its job by decreasing the jail population and saving the state hundreds of millions of dollars. Good changes have been made but it’s still too early to tell if the increase in crime has something to do with the proposition.

“Crime trends fluctuate frequently and widely and it is challenging to pinpoint specific causes,” the Public Policy Institute of California posted on Friday. “There is no evidence that realignment led to more violent crime, and the only uptick that can be attributed to the reform is auto theft,” the PPIC continued.

“We urge against drawing any firm conclusions about Proposition 47’s impact on crime.”

Because there is no data that proves the increase of crime is linked to the law, we should not make any assumptions just yet.

do you feel about the HomecomVOICES: How ing king or queen being picked from a

November 5, 2015

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 Editors Erica Hong and Nagisa Mihara Design Editor Samantha Molina Staff Writers Ericka Bernabe, Anthony Carter, Alex Chhuon, Julius Choi, Melody Congote, Lilith Garcia, 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

The Courier is published weekly by the Pasadena City College Journalism Department and is a free-speech forum.

lottery?

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.

“I think it should be the student’s decision to choose who represents the school.”

Benito Rodriguez, photograhpy

Be Heard

“I understand them wanting to encourage students to make an educated vote, but I still think voting should have been open for everyone.”

Garrett LaSource, theater

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

“I don’t think enough students know each other to vote for each other.”

Breanna Volk, nursing

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

“I think anyone should have the opportunity to be homecoming king or queen.”

Gabby Juarez, psychology

Phone: (626) 585-7130 Fax: (626) 585-7971 Advertising (626) 585-7979 Office: 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., CC-208 Pasadena, CA 91106-3215

“It’s better for people to know who they’re voting for and seeing their face.”

Oralia Ordaz, media desgin

Reporting by Christian Rivas Photos by Irma Carrillo

Cartoon by Mick Donovan

SCE

4 COURIER

Monique A. LeBleu/Courier Freshman defensive lineman Jaren Jackson fights for position with the Bulldog’s offense on Saturday.

Katja Liebing/Courier Lancer Marching Band and cheerleading squad kick off the Homecoming celebrations in the quad on Thursday, Oct. 29.

ENE

November 5, 2015 5

Lancer Marching Band performs a James Bond set at halftime at Robinson Field on Saturday.

Monique A. LeBleu/Courier

Monique A. LeBleu/Courier The Lancer Marching Band perform a James Bond set at halftime at Robinson Field on Saturday.

Monique A. LeBleu/Courier Featured soloist Hansuk Cho in a Spectre themed costume and the Lancer Marching Band perform a James Bond set at halftime at Robinson Field on Saturday.

FEATURES

6 COURIER

November 5, 2015

Mia Yamamoto on race and gender identity

Amber Lipsey Staff Writer

Born in an internment camp during World War II, Mia Yamamoto knew oppression from the very beginning of her life.

“I was born doing time,” she joked.

It would seem she was destined for life as a criminal defense attorney due to her passion for working to help those whom the rest of society would have given up on.

Mia knows about having people give up on you. Her older brother hasn’t spoken to her going on eight years because she transitioned from male to female. Mia Yamamoto is a transgender woman.

“My brother is like those old soldiers still holding out on the islands 50 years after the war has ended,” she said. “Unfortunately, he just can’t accept me for being my true self.”

According to the New York Times, 0.3 percent of the population currently identifies as transgender. An Asian-American woman, Mia Yamamoto exists at the intersections of race and gender identity.

Yamamoto spoke in the Creveling Lounge on October 27th hosted by the Social Sciences division, the Cross Cultural Center and the Asian Pacific American Association.

Born as Michael, Yamamoto served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, then attended

Eric Haynes/Courier

Mia Yamamoto giving a presentation to students in the Creveling Lounge on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

UCLA Law School. She co-founded the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, worked as a public defender, and then opened a private practice.

Yamamoto achieved all of this while struggling with gender dysphoria, and hoping to find a “cure” that she later accepted was nonexistent.

After a series of surgeries in Thailand in 2005, Yamamoto had fully transitioned. Many people from all over the world come to Thailand for the same reason. This was when she realized being trans-

gender was not a choice.

“We all started recognizing it at five and six years old and we fought against it,” she said. “I realized that gender identity disorder is an organic phenomenon--it was not an aberration.”

When Yamamoto decided to come out, she called another lawyer in Maryland and asked her what it’s like.

“She said to me, ‘Be prepared to lose one-third of your clients, one-third of your family, one-third of your friends and all of your professional contacts,’” she said.

na City College describes his first children’s book that was picked up for publication just before the fall semester.

Romero didn’t just write the book for children. Everyone has a “Want Monster” and if they don’t learn to tame it before adulthood, things could get very bad.

“I feel like adults Want Monsters are more dangerous,” Romero said.

“Because of want, we all sink.”

Romero moved to L.A. from El Salvador to pursue a career in acting.

He realized that being in front of the audience wasn’t his true calling.

He currently lives in a house owned by a Buddhist temple near the L.A. River where in exchange for the cheap rent, he helps out with some of their classes. In turn, this gave him the idea for his first children’s novel.

“I help the meditation class for kids,” Romero said. “We call it Dharma for Kids.”

He never saw himself as a children’s author, but he was unable to fight the calling.

“The idea kind of demanded to be a children’s book,” Romero said.

“It couldn’t have been anything else.”

Getting published is no small feat, especially in your third semester of school.

“I did a complete unsolicited submission to five agents and publishers that I knew would be interested because of the theme.” Romero said. “Three or four of them were like ‘Oh, we really like the art, good luck, we’ll pass’” Weeks after submitting it, he heard from Shambhala Publications.

They were starting a children’s book department and his work really resonated with their themes.

English is his second language, but Romero only writes in English, and he loves to write.

“This is definitely my thing,” he said. “I’m going to do children’s books forever. And on the side is where the play writing comes in, the short story writing and fine art.”

Every now and then, hints of his Latin heritage pop up in his writing.

“They definitely come like little surprises,” Romero said. “It’s not something that I’m necessarily doing intentionally, but when they’re there I embrace them because I feel that makes me, me.”

Despite some difficulties breaking the barriers of the English language, English Professor Kathy Kottaras says his work is vivid and unique.

“He has a sophisticated outlook

While her family’s reaction was much more mixed, her clients were very accepting. She sat each one of them down and told them she would be transitioning and going to court as a woman instead of a man.

“Every single one of my clients stood by me,” she said. “After that, I was ashamed that I’d had so little faith in people and expected the worst from them.”

Although she is a Vietnam veteran Yamamoto realized how stringently anti-war she was.

“When I first came out of the military, it was extraordinarily unpopular, but I thought I was doing my duty at the time,” she said. “One thing it did teach me is that war is evil, war is wrong completely.”

This newfound belief is what made Yamamoto commit to non-violent conflict resolution.

“Non-violent conflict resolution is ten times harder than violent conflict resolution but it’s twice as spiritually evolved,” she said. “It’s the only way we make progress into the future and to a more civilized and peaceful society.”

As a defense attorney, Yamamoto knows what it feels like to constantly fail.

“Being a prosecutor is easy, but representing those accused of a crime—there has to be somebody in that courtroom that sees something in their humanity,” she said. “Defense attorneys have to be willing to take defeat…You have to be willing

to get your heart broken, because you’re not worthy of this court if you can’t put your heart into it.”

Yamamoto’s ultimate goal is advancing the interests of underrepresented minorities.

“The evil of the military was that it was illegal to be gay or lesbian, so they’re invisible,” she said. “That means the contributions, the sacrifices and courage of the gay and lesbian community is completely erased from history.”

The topic of her talk is liberation.

She believes that everywhere she goes should be an act of liberation.

“Every place we go to, every court house, every sheriff ’s office every jail … what we do for transgender men and women has to benefit all of society,” she said. “Every place can be free from the chains of bigotry by your example.”

When asked if Yamamoto thought she would be remembered for the work she has done, she goes silent for a moment, then gave a brutally honest answer.

“I don’t really matter … I will not be remembered in the struggle, I don’t believe I will and I don’t care,” she said. “I think that whatever ideas we can bring forward is the way to liberate oneself from archaic ideas, even if it’s just one person, one case, one act of kindness, one individual … It can make a big difference in the long run and it certainly makes a big difference in your own life.”

How to tame all those unwanted Want Monsters Mick Donovan Features Editor

“It’s called the ‘Want Monsters’ and it’s about this boy who has a very big want monster,” Romero said. “It’s an imaginary friend that follows him around and when the kid wants something, his want monster makes him want it even more...It’s really autobiographical I would say. I think we all have want monsters.”

Marcelo Romero, a third semester illustration major attending Pasade-

Mick Donovan/Courier

Marcelo Romero in the quad with two illustrations from his published children’s story “The Want Monsters” on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Mick Donovan/Courier

An illustration from Marcelo Romero’s published children’s story “The Want Monsters” depicting other Want Monsters.

on the world that is fully evident in his writing,” Kottaras said. “His gentle humor combined with serious attention to his characters make for nuanced worlds that are a pleasure to visit.”

Romero points out that this new career is a healthy one for his soul as well.

“Plays, I love plays, screenplays, short stories, poems, everything.”

Romero said. “This feels solid to me. I know no matter how much I fail in all that, which I will, there’s always this, which I’m really good at.

So it’s good for my self-esteem.”

Romero is taking three writing classes and one conceptual art class to help him with furthering his children’s book authoring goals.

He is here on a visa and hopes that he can get a recommendation to get a talent visa to stay here and to

continue writing.

It may seem like Romero had a stroke of luck and became an overnight success, but that isn’t really the case.

“He dedicates time to his art, and I think he’s an inspiration for other students to see that he committed his heart and soul to his goal, and then he also committed time and effort; he worked on the skills required to achieve his goal,” Kottaras said.

Discovering his path in life wasn’t easy for Romero, but now that he’s found his true calling, he won’t let go.

“I wish I could just sleep and wake up in my thirties where everything is settled,” he said. “Until then, it’s a lot of hustling and failing.

So just keep at it.”

7 COURIER

LIFESTYLE

November 5, 2015

Sugarmynt gallery unleashes ‘Halloween’

Kristen Luna and Irma Carillo/Courier Left: Sugarmynt Gallery owner and curator Sara Orlandini in front of her “No Beauty Without Strangeness” Halloween exhibition in South Pasadena on Saturday.

Right: South Pasadena and Pasadena residents check out photos from the original “Halloween” movie at Sugarmynt Gallery in South Pasadena on Saturday.

Amber Lipsey Staff Writer Walking up Meridian Avenue in the darkness, it was hard not to be creeped out by the sound of the Halloween theme music emanating on the night air.

The music, composed by director John Carpenter, is even more eerie as you pass the original Michael Myers house at the intersection of Meridian and Mission in South Pasadena.

Next door to the house, Sugarmynt gallery screened horror films on a makeshift screen outside on the front lawn. This was part of their Halloween night exhibition “No Beauty Without Strangeness.”

Sugarmynt gallery, founded by owner and curator Sara Orlandini, opened in June 2015.

The gallery is her passion project her real estate agent father helped her acquire. Orlandini knew on the first day that she wanted to curate a Halloween show.

“My dad always encouraged us to do some-

thing in the arts and he saw the location, he’s in real estate so he was like we’re gonna rent it out,” she said. “All I saw was Halloween. I couldn’t wait to do the Halloween show.”

Orlandini’s ability to put on the show came from a stroke of good luck. She was speaking with an artist about her love for the film “Halloween.” The artist happened to be working with Malek Al Akkad, the son of Moustapha Akkad, who produced the “Halloween” films.

A meeting was set up for Orlandini with the father and son, who put her in contact with the film’s still photographer, Kim Gottlieb-Walker.

“Kim was very eager to contribute some prints for the show,” she said. “She brought them in and she loves talking about her work so it was great.”

During the evening, none other than “Michael Myers” himself walked in. Tall and dressed in all black with his signature mask, he stalked slowly through the gallery silently observing the guests, while scaring others.

“Being next door to the guy, he likes to pop

in every once in a while,” Orlandini joked.

“Sometimes it’s just me and him hanging out—he’s still looking for Laurie,” she said, referencing the films protagonist.

Mt. Washington resident Maggie Arana was delightfully entertained by Myers’ presence.

“We had dinner at the restaurant across the street that was the hardware store in the film,” she said. “I already know where some of the scenes are, but we really wanted to walk to the Michael Myers house.”

Orlandini walked around the gallery pointing out the locations in Gottlieb-Walkers photos that she recognizes.

“Movies have always been a huge impact on my life, and this one being filmed where I grew up, like I can walk here, I can see everything and then you watch the movie and you get to see it,” she said. “I know every single location, it’s a home movie for me and it’s so cool.”

The name Sugarmynt has a bit of history to it as well. The building’s previous resident was a woman who ran a candy shop out of the

space for 40 years before retiring.

“I wanted to have a little homage to her and I wanted to continue the candy,” she said.

“When you’re changing the whole business people need familiarity.”

Curating the Halloween show was not just for herself, but also for the residents of South Pasadena to make their Halloween night that much more enjoyable.

“This movie is classic and beautifully done and it was a B film. It wasn’t even supposed to be this big,” she said. “People get to see an exhibition based on the movie, and we’re right next to the house, so it’s my gift to South Pasadena.”

Sugarmynt gallery is open six days a week with new shows every month. The next show will be the 60s and 70s themed “When Jupiter Aligns with Mars,” featuring 12 artists. The show will run Nov. 7 through Dec. 5, with an opening reception on the first night. Information can be found at sugarmynt.com or (626) 460-8080

Love of the macabre inspired by a Bradbury classic Monique A. LeBleu Lifestyle Editor

“There must have been a thousand pumpkins on this tree, hung high and on every branch. A thousand smiles. A thousand grimaces. And twice-times-a-thousand glares and winks and blinks and leerings of fresh-cut eyes,” wrote Ray Bradbury in “The Halloween Tree.”

The winds blew strong, rustling the giant trees through surrounding pathways, setting an eerie Gothic scene for those who waited outside the Mediterranean revival style South Pasadena library on Thursday, eager to see the 1993 animated Hanna-Barbera film “The Halloween Tree.”

Based on Bradbury’s book, the film was shown in the Library’s community room, where related artwork was displayed. The book and film center on a small group of friends costumed for Halloween, who at an ill friend’s urging visit a haunted house and the tree of the book’s title. Filled with the history and mythology that lies behind the celebrated holiday, the book and film share additional insight into the reality of death and illness.

Bradbury was twice guest at the library, once at the author’s own request for his 90th birthday prior to his death at 92 in 2012. And since then, the library has dedicated a conference room in his honor.

Director of Library, Arts, and Culture for the City of South Pasadena Steve Fjeldsted, the evening’s organizer, recalled his first experience with Bradbury’s writing as that of his most famous book, “Fahrenheit 451”—the title that is on the author’s tombstone.

“It works on different levels,” said Fjeldsted of the classic novel. “We’ve had tons of high school [request the book]. It’s maintained complete relevance today.”

The library has since featured films like Halloween Tree, and Bradbury’s own film “Something Wicked This Way Comes.”

Redesigned by architect Norman F. Marsh

Angelique Andrade/Courier Illustrations by Gris Grimly on display at a free screening of “Halloween Tree” at the South Pasadena Public Library on Thursday, Oct. 29. and Carnegie-funded like many traditional libraries in the 1930s, the South Pasadena library will also house a few mementos from the evening.

A brick from Bradbury’s recently demolished home will hang in his dedicated conference room, as well as “Print number one of the Halloween Tree cover art artwork from Gris Grimly,” said Fjeldsted.

Although the holiday that allows revelers to be something they are not for one day is over, Halloween is year round for some.

Macabre illustrator and “mad creator” Grimly, whose original work and prints lined a display wall for the event, and dark fiction writer T. E. Grau, are just two such artists.

Both spoke at the event and signed copies of their respective works that celebrate all things that go bump in the night.

There are about 20 illustrations in the 2015 Alfred A. Knopf published book, with most on display at the library. Grimly’s additional illustrative works, which include Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Pinocchio,”

and two volumes by Edgar Allen Poe, said he has always gravitated toward Bradbury’s work and had approached the Bradbury estate to propose the book initially.

“I’m a big fan of Ray Bradbury’s work, especially the Halloween centered pieces that he’s done like ‘Halloween Tree,’ ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes,’ ‘October Country,’ and ‘From the Dust Returned,’” said Grimly.

“Any short stories he’s done that has to do with Halloween and creepy things.”

Grimly’s influences include illustrators like Edward Gorey, Egon Schiele, Ralph Steadman, and contemporaries such as Jamie Hewlett of “Tank Girl” and Gorillaz fame, as well as filmmaker, animator and illustrator Tim Burton.

After two years with Disney on a Haunted Mansion cartoon that’s since been tabled, he is currently illustrating “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” for Harper Collins and hopes to do work more with Bradbury’s other books.

“The goal for me is that I’ll illustrate more of his pieces,” said Grimly. “I grew up on

a farm in a small town, which could be one of the reasons why I gravitate towards Ray Bradbury’s work because I feel that he writes so truthfully and eloquently of autumn in the Midwest and being a kid in a very simplistic and rural community.”

Grau debuted this year with his first book, “The Nameless Dark,” and describes his work as “weird fiction” in a “cosmic horror vein.”

The book features 15 of his short stories of dark and horror fiction from previously published anthologies, magazines, and literary journals gathered over the last five years. He credits his influences as “pulpists Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, Thomas Ligatti, classic horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, and of course Ray Bradbury.” The evening’s event was his first at the library and was thrilled it featured Bradbury’s work.

“This is our hometown library,” said Grau.

“Plus this is about Ray. And I feel that Ray is sort of a torchbearer for horror fiction done right.”

Attendees came dressed in the spirit and as fans of the books and of the artists who spoke. Jordan Orssell, whose costume for the event was a scarecrow, and her mother and teacher, Staci Orssell, came with a reading group to see the film.

“We have a literature circle that was reading Fahrenheit 451,” said Staci. “We just came to do this together, because it’s a Ray Bradbury thing. And I’m a fan of the artist [Grimly] as well. We did Edgar Allen Poe, and they had this book of his.”

With the close of this the most dark and grim of holiday seasons, and in the spirit, Bradbury once again said it best. “..With each slam, one more pumpkin and then another and another and another on the huge Halloween Tree snuffed out. By the dozen, by the hundreds, by the thousands, doors banged, pumpkins went blind, snuffed candles smoked delicious smokes,” he wrote.

SPORTS

8 COURIER

November 5, 2015

Women’s basketball looks to climb in standings Ahmad Akkaoui Sports Co-Editor Head coach Joseph Peron is entering his 20th season at PCC and despite the bumps in the road this offseason, he’s intent on reaching further milestones.

Pasadena is ranked eighth in the California Community College Athletic Association’s South Region Preseason Poll, where they ranked fourth prior to last season.

His team had a good season last year but they could have been better. Forward Illianna Blanc went down in their third-place game in the 1st annual Honda of Pasadena Classic in November last season with a knee injury and didn’t return. With her on the court, the Lancers played smoothly and the team was hitting their stride with time.

Peron was more critical than ever heading into the upcoming season and it might be because he’s unable to be with his team for the first eight games due to a suspension for a

housing and a recruiting violation.

“We didn’t win 20 games. You always have to win 20 games and we didn’t do it,” Peron said. “I had a really good team last year at the beginning of the season. Then I lost two stars ... This year if we can stay healthy, we will be really good.”

Two pieces from Pasadena’s previous season that won’t be returning are freshman forward Regerina Baker and sophomore co-captain Emily Thach. Baker finished her only season at PCC as a part of the All-SCC 1st team and the All-State 3rd team.

Predicting how Baker can be replaced, Peron simply said, “Illianna Blanc. Phenomenal post player.”

Blanc, a red-shirt freshman, played only four games last season and was a force on both sides of the floor. She says she is aiming for her return in the team’s first game of the season but she isn’t sure.

“I feel really excited to be back playing this season,” Blanc said. “I’ve been working really hard towards my injury. I’m really excited but

I’m mentally trying to get passed it. I feel like this season will be a good one. Hopefully by game time, I’ll be ready to go.”

Sophomore point guard Judith Espinoza played all but one game last season, averaging 16 points per game along with 8 assists and a team-leading 73 percent from the free-throw line. She finished alongside Baker on the All-SCC 1st team while also sitting second in the state, by decimals, in assists per game and seventh in free throws per game.

Espinoza is looking to control the pace every minute she is on the court and make the right decisions to make her teammates better.

She thinks her team can go the distance, as long as everyone is healthy.

“I actually feel like this season we have more speed, more depth, and I have more people I can look for on the court. I’m feeling really confident for the upcoming season,” Espinoza said.

Espinoza likes what she’s seen from the team so far.

“Practice has been really intense,” she said.

“I can already see the fast pace and our aggressive defense. I really feel that we will have more than one person who can come in and get the job done.”

Peron currently has a career win percentage of .767. Peron is also sixth in the state for the most wins and has done it in only 19 years in contrast to his counterparts who have coached longer.

The Lancers’ first game of the season is in Bakersfield on Nov. 7 against Irvine Valley College.

The women’s basketball team returns home to host the 2nd annual Honda of Pasadena Classic at the Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium starting on Friday Nov. 13 against Imperial Valley at 7 p.m.

As a sponsor of the Million Meals Marathon Food Drive, they encourage everyone who will be in attendance to bring cans of fresh pet foods to support the cause. For PCC students who bring canned pet foods to the tournament, they will be granted free entry for the weekend.

You have a world of ideas.

Let’s hear them.

Photos by Monique A. LeBleu/Courier Left: Coach Joe Peron and the Lancers women’s basketball team on Friday in the Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium. Right: The basketball team practices in the gym.

PJ L

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