CO U R I ER Pasadena City College
Serving PCC Since 1915
MARCH 24, 2016 VOLUME 113 ISSUE 05
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM
$1.4 million settlement reached for winter Kristen Luna Editor-in-Chief
After eight months of negotiating the loss of wages for faculty that were affected by the removal of winter intercession in 2012, the Board of Trustees, Pasadena City College Faculty Association (PCCFA) and administration finally reached a settlement at last week’s board meeting which will cost the district a total of $1.4 million. The settlement comes as a result of the July 30 ruling from the Public Employment Relations Board, which found the district had violated the law four years ago by eliminating winter intersession from the academic calendar and not negotiating with the PCCFA before taking action. According to Senior Vice President and Assistant Superintendent for Business and
College Services Dr. Robert Miller, “214 individuals were named in the settlement and a $100,000 was set aside for additional payments as needed.” Each affected employee is to receive $4,672 from the district including worker’s compensation and Medicare with state and federal taxes deducted from the payments. In addition to getting compensated for all losses suffered during the last three years, the settlement included a 21 percent interest rate, which was the total of a seven percent interest rate per year and amounting to a total of $1,051 for each employee that was affected. The interest rate will be compensated in a separate check with no tax deducted. Since the session was eliminated in 2012 there was no 2013 winter class schedule to work from in determining who among the
The Deal’s Cold Hard Facts
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Ahmad Akkaoui/Courier PCC Faculty Association President Julie Kiotas at the Board of Trustees meeting on March 16.
Graphic by Katja Liebing
I-TAP hits a roadblock between Metro and PCC Erin Dobrzyn Staff Writer As of the 2016-2017 school year, PCC students will no longer be able to purchase I-TAP cards in order to receive discounted fare on Metro transit services. Rebecca Cobb, the dean of student life, wrote in an email that by that by the end of July 2016 the I-TAP cards will no longer be offered to students who rely on the
reduced Metro fare to commute to school. The decision to discontinue the program stemmed from a disagreement between PCC and Metro as to which students on campus would be entitled to purchase I-TAP cards. PCC originally worked in combination with Santa Monica College and Metro to establish a reduced fare I-TAP card agreement. According to Alex Boekelheide, the executive director of strategic communications and marketing at PCC,
“the agreement worked for a while, but the school wanted to open the I-TAP cards up to all students, not just full-time students, and Metro had some issues with that arrangement.” From Boekelheide’s understanding, Metro was more comfortable with giving passes to full-time students because students who may be only taking one class could get discounted fares to Metro’s services, which would not be beneficial to Metro.
Hannah Gonzales/Courier The Metro Goldline train approaches Allen station in Pasadena on Wednesday. PCC and Metro will not be renewing the I-TAP card for full-time students for the 2016-2017 school year.
“So many of our students are part-timers, and that is where the impasse has become,” Boekelheide said. “PCC pulling out of the I-TAP program is not an accurate way to describe [the situation]. What is happening is that there are some disagreements going on right now over how the I-TAP program has been arranged, and we are trying to work that out with Metro.” However, PCC and Metro are working to come to an agreement over the situation. As part of this agreement-in-progress, the California State Assembly has been working towards passing Assembly Bill 2222 (AB2222), spearheaded by Assemblyman Chris Holden (D- Pasadena). According to the office of Assemblyman Holden, “the bill would take $50 million of revenues from California’s Cap & Trade carbon auctions and use them to provide subsidized transit passes for college students. Community Colleges with a strong transportation plan would be able to seek the funding from Caltrans to provide the passes [to students].” Garo Manjikian, press aide to Holden, explained that it would take “about 8-9 months from the bill’s introduction until the Governor decides to sign or veto a measure.
I-TAP pg. 2
Bond refinance saves taxpayers millions John Orona Managing Editor In a move estimated to save taxpayers over $7 million, the Board of Trustees adopted a resolution last Wednesday to refinance some of the school’s 2002 Measure P bonds in order to take advantage of lower interest rates. These savings will be felt via lower taxes for Pasadena Area Community College District (PACCD) residents, with the average taxpayer, based on median home values, saving $35.23 Approximately $150 million in general obligation bonds intended to fund repairs and rehabilitations to the school facilities were approved by PACCD voters in March 2002. Some of that money has since gone to projects like renovating the Campus Center and building the Center for the Arts and Informational Technology building. Of the original $150 million, $37 million worth are able to be refinanced from a 4.94 percent interest rate to an estimated current market rate of 2.38 percent. The interest rate change will be the only part of the bond modified during the refi-
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nancing, and all other payment terms and schedules will remain the same, according to Trustee John Martin. “Its $7 million!” Martin exclaimed. The $7.19 million, or 16 percent, in savings is expected to accumulate over the 15 years of the bond life. The initial cost to issue the refinancing will be just over $150,000. Rueben Smith, executive director of facilities and construction, said the change will not affect any facility plans.
Katja Liebing/Courier John Martin at the Board of Trustees meeting in the Creveling Lounge, Pasadena, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015.
should be compensated. According to an email from the PCCFA to the faculty and administration, “the two parties agreed to look back to winter 2011 and 2012 to determine who might have been likely to teach in a robust post Proposition 30 winter intersession, with the agreement to include the most faculties possible in the remedy.” They also agreed that it would be, “speculative to attempt to determine what classes any individual instructor would have taught. Therefore, the parties agreed to treat all indi-
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viduals equally for the purposes of the settlement.” As directed in the email, if some faculty members find themselves not included on the list they will have 60 days “from the execution of the settlement by the Board of Trustees,” to present substantial evidence they should have been incorporated into the list of faculty who may have taught. Including “those who lost travel deposits or were forced to drastically alter their curriculum as a result of the cancellation of winter should come forward in the 60 day appeal period with convincing proof.” When the board voted to eliminate winter, they argued that there
was no winter intersession before 2004 and that a trimester system would increase the district’s revenue by $600,000. However, aside from the elimination of winter altogether, part of what the district found was the board had violated the law by not negotiating with the PCCFA before taking action. “This award is a sea change in the faculty relationship with the district,” said the PCCFA in the email. “The faculties are full participants in the governance of this great college.” The PCCFA will be holding a special meeting today at 12 p.m. in C333 for any faculty who have questions regarding the settlement.
I-TAP
The state assembly will evaluate AB2222 in the next few months. “AB2222 will face its first Committee hearing in early April. From there the Appropriations Committee in the Assembly will weigh in on the use of the $50 million,” Manjikian said. “If we can survive that big hurdle the bill will go to a full floor vote in May and then hopefully off to the State Senate to do it all over again this summer.” Holden was unavailable for comment. Other bills, including AB2222, are being lobbied.
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March 24, 2016
The bill would then become binding law January 1, 2017.” Ricardo Patlan, the student vice president of external affairs, has been working with PCC to resolve this issue with Metro and to promote the passing of AB2222. “We are working with Metro to get a new program implemented, both a PCC specific program and a countywide universal program which is still very preliminary,” wrote Patlan.
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OPINION
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Editorial: Advisers inspire JACC wins
March 24, 2016
VOICES
Pacesetters of The Courier speak praise for Advisors Nathan McIntire and Tim Berger
Photos by Courier Staff The award winning Courier Staff at the JACC State Conference at the Marriott Hotel in Burbank, Friday and Saturday. This past weekend the Courier staff attended the Journalism Association of Community Colleges State Conference (JACC) in Burbank, where we not only attended panels and workshops but also competed in State Publication contests and On-the-Spot contests. We did extremely well individually and as a whole, winning a total of 19 awards including the Pacesetter Award, which is given to the top four student publications in the state. Here at the Courier we could not be happier about our performances and know that we would not have done as well without the constant support and encouragement we get from our two advisers, Nathan McIntire and Tim Berger.
“Having Nathan and Tim as my advisers and being part of the Courier has been the best experience in my life and one I will never forget.” – Kristen Luna, Editor-in-Chief
Some of us have been on the paper for years and others have just started, but the one thing that remains constant is McIntire and Berger’s passion and enthusiasm for teaching Journalism. Coming from all different paths in life, each of us have found our own way into the newsroom and it has forever changed our lives. As a staff member of the Courier one must be ready to dive in, work hard and take on more responsibility than any other class. But it’s with the help of our advisers that we are able to take on the tasks given to us weekly and learn how to become better writers, photographers and reporters. Their dedication to the Courier and their passion for the field of Journalism resonates through us as students whenever we successfully complete an assignment or any of us are recognized for the work that we do on the paper. They are always willing to help at any given moment while offering endless words of encouragement along with constructive advice on how to improve, which drives us to continuously do our best and make them proud. One of our favorite moments from our experience at the JACC conference was seeing our adviser McIntire, cheering for us and beaming with pride as we won award after award. We not only strive to do well to get a good grade but so they can be proud of us and the work that we produce. When we win, they win, and our success is a true testament to the commitment they both bring to the program and us as students. We are extremely happy with the success we have seen and even more so, we are proud to work with two instructors who are not only our advisers but also our mentors. We are forever grateful to both of them and believe that their lessons will take us all further than any of us could ever imagine.
- The Courier Staff
Snyder contaminates office of governor
Brian Chernick Staff Writer
The Declaration of Independence, which lays out a thoroughly detailed list of inalienable rights endowed upon all people also includes a short-list: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If any of these three are to be violated, obstructed or denied, the people have the right to alter or abolish their government. Such is the case in Flint, Michigan. The governorship and state officials have been in complete dereliction of duty by failing to protect their constituents’ water supply from lead contamination. Not only has the Gov. Rick Snyder been slow to act on this state of emergency, but he and his office have both failed to disclose the severity of the situation and to uphold the guarantees of the three essential rights. More over so the people have been denied one of the most basic tenants of human life: water. The crisis in Flint, which started over a year ago in April 2014, began when the city was switched over from the treated Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to Flint River water, a source which, due to crumbling infrastructure and lack of treatment, had become contaminated with lead over time. State officials received notification
COURIER Editor-in-Chief Kristen Luna Managing Editor John Orona Photo Editor Katja Liebing News Editor Hannah Gonzales Asst. News Editors Brian Chernick, Angelique Andrade Online/Opinion Editor Amber Lipsey
Photo courtesy of Keoni Cabral (Flickr/ Creative Commons) of the possibility of contamination but waited months before informing the public. This is a human rights issue above all. The people of the United States have come to expect drinkable water as it is a right, not a privilege. However, negligence, mismanagement and greed have denied the residents of Flint this right. Before this catastrophe, residents were already paying astronomical prices for water, the most expensive in the country. The average household was paying $864 per year, double the national average. According to Boing Boing writer Cory Doctorow, the high water prices
Serving PCC since 1915
Asst. Opinion Editor Daniel Larson
Online/Features Editor Monique A. LeBleu Asst. Features Editor Erin Dobrzyn Online Photo Editor Eric Hayes Sports Editors Ahmad Akkaoui, Christian Rivas
Asst. Lifestyle Editor Taylor Gonzales Scene Editor Hazel Paiz Design Editor Samantha Molina Staff Writers Irma Carrillo, Peter Chao, Julius Choi, Lilith Garcia, Valerie Kesachkian, Timothy Mably, Kelly Rodriguez Murillo
were a result of corruption and misallocation of money. “The price rose to its heights when Flint’s corporate manager — appointed by Republican governor Rick Snyder, who gave the CEO the power to override elected officials — illegally imposed a new tariff on the city’s water bills,” Doctorow wrote. Over five years ago the United Nations (UN) adopted a resolution declaring drinking water and sanitation a human right. The resolution called to attention that approximately 884 million people who, at the time, were deprived of safe drinking water. Based on the UN’s report, “approximately 1.5 million children under
Staff Photographers Guadalupe Alvarez, Danny Heng, Kelly Rodriguez Murrillo, Russell Latiolas, Alex Stallworth Faculty Adviser Nathan McIntire Photo Adviser Tim Berger Advertising Manager Daniel Nerio
The Courier is published bi-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.
5 years of age die and 443 million school days are lost each year as a result of water and sanitation-related diseases.” This is an inexcusable travesty in our modern era. And so is the situation in Flint. The Flint water crisis is said to add upwards of 12,000 children to the list of casualties from the contaminated drinking. Speaking to WNEM 5 in Michigan, United Way CEO of Genesee County, Jamie Gaskin told reporters “between 6,000 and 12,000 kids, somewhere in there, have been exposed in this period of time to lead.” Worst of all, due to the fault of the state, the residents are most likely to be picking up the bill. Gaskin went on to state that it will take an estimated $100 million to help curb potential health and developmental issues. His organization is working on raising money to help support the people affected and mitigate the cost that will potentially be passed down to Flint taxpayers. Snyder and his office have thrown their own people into peril due to severe administrative negligence, and should be held responsible through impeachment and removed from office.
“I can say without qualification that any success in writing and reporting I’ve had so far, and any modest success that I may have as I continue to pursue a career in Journalism is a direct result of Nathan’s support, encouragement, and guidance.”
– John Orona, Managing Editor
“Taking time out of your busy day, to teach us and to be here on production days, has shown me how much you care about teaching us how to be photojournalists to the best of our abilities.” – Hannah Gonzales, News Editor
“Without Nathan and Tim’s wise oversight for the newspaper, students would suffer. The Courier’s two advisers are more than what any student can ask for.”
– Ahmad Akkaoui , Co-Sports Editor
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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
The Courier staff endeavors to ensure accuracy in all aspects of its reporting. If you believe we have made an error, please contact us at (626) 585-7130 or via email to luna.courier@gmail.com
Phone: (626) 585-7130 Fax: (626) 585-7971 Advertising (626) 585-7979 Office: 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., CC-208 Pasadena, CA 91106-3215
“When they teach you, you can see they love what they do, and it inspires me every day to keep pursuing my dream.”
– Irma Carrillo, Staff Writer and Photographer
The Courier Staff
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Eric Haynes/Courier Students from community colleges all over the state attend a student meeting at the JACC state convention in Burbank on Saturday, March 19.
Katja Liebing/Courier Opinion Editor Amber Lipsey interviews Palmer Bailey, assistant manager at Guns Direct, in Burbank on Friday, March 18.
Eric Haynes/Courier Award plaques given out to schools for Newspaper and Magazine General Excellence on Friday, March 18.
Katja Liebing/Courier Kristen Luna, the Courier’s Editor-In-Chief, takes a selfie with Angelique Andrade before the awards dinner on Saturday, March 19.
Photos by Irma Carrillo/ Courier ABOVE: Courier staff members, Brian Chernick, Angelique Andrade and Kristen Luna, play a round of Twister in the JACC student lounge on Saturday, March 19. RIGHT: A variety of community colleges from across the state attend the awards dinner at the JACC state convention.
FEATURES
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March 24, 2016
Veteran of the month: Joseph Amador Irma Carrillo Staff Writer
Joseph Amador, a history major, served four years in the Navy as an aviation ordinanceman also known as “mag rats.” His job description involved building bombs and rockets, while also maintaining torpedoes, aerial mines and missiles. Spending most of his time on the USS Abraham Lincoln CVN 72 below the water line in the ship, he was unable to see the light of day for long periods of time. “I worked with kind of ‘it all,’” Amador said. “From small arms to the 50 cal, M240, and the smallest bomb being around 500 pounds [to] probably the largest bomb being 2000 pounds.” It was definitely a game changer for Amador, dealing with the military mindset and rules put him in different positions. Overwhelming was how he put it, and the first day he stepped onto the ship wasn’t off to a great start. However, with focus and support he came out strong. Amador definitely found it to be a learning experience that molded him into a better person with a better grasp on how to handle any condition he’s faced with. “’It was the best of times and the worst of times’…but, at the same time I think I’ve seen some things that people will never see in their lifetime,” Amador said. “I learned what hard work really [is].”
Samantha Molina/Courier Student and veteran Navy aviation ordinance bomb and rocket builder, Joseph Amador, stands in front of the Veterans Memorial Wall on March 17. Prior to Amador’s move into the Navy, this was something he’d always wanted to do. Growing up, he was a very patriotic kid who did whatever he could just to salute the flag – both with joining the Boy Scouts and the Sea Cadets in high school. Being a part of the Sea Cadets also gave him the opportunity to work on a naval base with sailors almost every summer. Right out of high school he decided to enlist in the navy. “I got a good sense of the military lifestyle and that’s what pushed me to
go into the military,” Amador said. And he has done just that. After his four years were done, Amador had to transition back into the civilian world, which wasn’t easy. Now at PCC for two years, when he first started he was a bit shy and didn’t take much interest in attending the Veterans Resource Center or club meetings. Things slowly turned around when he decided to have his lunch at the Veterans Club meetings. He still didn’t say much but it was a start, and as oth-
er vets started to notice him, Amador became more open and involved with the club. For someone who may look big and intimidating, he is actually very amiable. He speaks with such compassion about others as if he’s known them for so long. Never complaining about what he’s done or gone through, he uses it as a learning experience. Now he serves as a communications officer for the club and more. He reaches out to other vets and clubs on
Lilith Garcia Staff Writer
to be honest? They are cool plants and they are nice to look at and made out of things you don’t want that are just sitting there until the next time you recycle and it ends up being good for the environment,” said Macias. A project they are currently working on is the modular planters, where they create different types of planters based on where the plant is going to be, such as indoors, on an office desk or outdoors. What the group mainly wants to focus on is having planters for indoor environments and build off that idea. “We kind of want to build something that people can actually feel and have in their office,” said board member James Verdesoto. “Because usually when you’re in the office you’re there all day and sometimes you just need a breath of fresh air.” By having a plant indoors, the group wants to give options to people who do stay inside all day and don’t necessarily have the time to be outside to have the opportunity to still have a little bit of nature with them wherever they are. “You can always have a planter right next to you. It’s always nice to take care of it, and it’s also really therapeutic to take care of a plant,” said Verdesoto. The process in how they create the modular planters is that they first begin their design and work on it for a few days. Once the design is done they send the design to the laser cutter to bring the design to life. Once that piece has been laser cut they sand the piece or choose to leave it. And last, they assemble the piece altogether. President Edgar Vivanco explains that another fact of modularity is that from the extra pieces that are not used they can reuse those and create something else. “The other part of modularity is that you can compile a bunch of the
campus, participates in all the events and makes sure the Veterans Club is being heard. It was an easy decision to make for Club President Edwin Lopez. From the moment the topic came up, Lopez knew it was going to be Amador with no doubt. “We need someone with a voice like his,” Lopez said. “He likes to talk with people. Very charismatic and a hard charger as well.” Amador is well known and loved by his fellow vets. He has a spark that brings out dedication and passion. Veterans’ Club treasurer and Amador’s good friend Mark Castanon is glad that Amador was the first choice for veteran of the month. “He is a great leader…he has helped the club with volunteer work, fundraisers and won our shirt and logo design contest,” Castanon said. “He is a great asset for us veterans and the school as a whole.” Amador was involved in the thought process of having a veteran of the month once again. He suggested a few ideas in the beginning but never thought he would be chosen. “I was excited about it and grateful that they chose me,” Amador said. Amador now wants to continue his education in history and hopes to transfer to Texas State University to study marine archaeology, because he can’t stay away from the water.
Dumpster diving for green art The campus U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) non-profit organization student group sketches, designs and constructs products and items from recyclable materials to create new items for new functions and tools. They find recyclable items by looking around campus and looking for anything they can use, such as collecting water bottles. Another way they find items is by dumpster diving. When they do, they look for reusable wood, plastic or recyclables, and they go anywhere, the club Vice President Jacky Cheng explained. “We go anywhere, if we see material we’re like, ‘Let’s go!’” said Cheng. By reusing recyclable materials to create new functions, they not only help the environment by recycling but create art as well. By collecting these materials they plan to create a wooden table out of reusable wood, modular planters, signs made out of cardboard, and have even used water bottles to put plants in. “It’s kind of just turning trash into art,” said Cheng. Group member Marielen Macias explains that everyone should be doing this because it’s fun and is helpful to our environment. “Why isn’t everybody doing this,
Modular planter pieces created by members of the USGBC.
Photos by Lilith Garcia Modular planters created by members of the USGBC using recycled and remodified disgarded items. same design together and create a latest structure,” said Vivanco. Once pieces are assembled, the PCC Flea market comes around, the group displays their work for sale and shows the many environmental ways they are helping our planet, one step at a time, while creating useful everyday functions, as in the modular planters. Another project USGBC is working on is the vertical garden. The vertical garden idea came into progress when the group met with local gardeners in the Pasadena area. “I was in contact with a couple of gardeners in Pasadena and then one of them asked our group to create a vertical garden for them, so we created a design and presented it to them,” said Cheng. For the two current projects, the group wishes to integrate them to have easy access to both. “We are going to try to integrate the modular planters and the vertical garden so it’s easy to access in and out,” said Cheng. The USGBC student group meets in IT 230 on Fridays from 2-3 p.m.
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LIFESTYLE
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March 24, 2016
Big Bad Wolf enchants Descanso Erin Dobrzyn Staff Writer
Nestled between flowered trees, white blooms trailing like delicate lace, and the quiet lily-padded ponds of Descanso Gardens unfolded the first of many performances, straight out of a child’s book: “The Autobiography of the Big Bad Wolf.” Performed by the Ensemble Shakespeare Theater returning to the gardens for the second run of their show, the “Autobiography of The Big Bad Wolf,” chronicles what the actors would like to be known as the real story of the Big Bad Wolf that so many have grown up with. A play that incorporates three different glue-stick-and-felt sets, the autobiography begins with the narrator named Eugene detailing his youth crying “wolf ” and effectively aggravating his village peers, until the story takes an unusual turn. While not spoiling the plot, written by Jeremy Radin, the narrator himself becomes the wolf when the village witch has had enough of his compulsive lies and casts a spell on him, transforming him into the infamous Big Bad Wolf. While the story of the Big Bad Wolf has been exhausted throughout many generations, this rendition is a bit wittier and incorporates characters from other well-known fairytales. The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood with her grandmother in tow, and another wolf named Duane all make appearances in the play. With a cast of about eight actors, each do a charming interpretation of the many characters they portray. The Three Little Pigs are no longer timid and trembling, but become
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Hazel Paiz/Courier Red Riding Hood slowly learns about her Grandmother’s true identity as part of a ‘Stories Under the Oaks’ performance named “The Autobiography of the Big Bad Wolf” performed by the Ensemble Shakespeare Theatre in Descanso Gardens on March 19 in La Canada Flintridge. wizards with berets and bowler hats, speaking in rather convincing German, French, and Old-English accents. The story of Beauty and the Beast also becomes intertwined with the tale of the wolf, leaving the audience with a nostalgic and satisfying denouement. The play, running for a solid hour, is child-friendly, the audience brimming with strollers and sippy-cups. This does not mean that parents and other adult attendees will not find a chuckle within the well-written play. As a refreshing departure from the classic stories, the play is humorous and the wolves don’t devour any well-meaning forest-goers, keeping things G-rated. As the audience relocates a short distance between
three small sets, the play is just the right length of time as to not lose the attention of the audience who has mostly just learned to walk. A day at Descanso Gardens will undoubtedly include strolls among lush garden trails, stops amid shaded groves canopied by towering trees, and maybe even a ride on the Enchanted Railroad. “The Autobiograpy of the Big Bad Wolf,” should be included into a day at the gardens even if to only satisfy the children in the group, or the child within the adults as well. “The Autobiography of the Big Bad Wolf ” will be running to Descanso Gardens on March 20, 25, and 26 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information visit Descanso Garden’s Website.
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8 COURIER
SPORTS
March 24, 2016
Cancer can’t keep Kaiser from his dreams Kelly Rodriguez Murillo Staff Writer With shoulder-length, stallion-like blonde hair and a robust build, it is unimaginable to believe PCC offensive lineman Ben Kaiser was once battling cancer while still clinging onto his dream of playing football. Kaiser, who was born in Boston but raised in Switzerland until the age of seven, knew right away that he wanted to play football for a living. He then moved to South Pasadena and attended PCC because he felt that the two years would help him pave the path he needed to achieve his objective. “When I came here, I was a kinesiology major,” Kaiser said. “Everything was for the main goal of playing football. That’s what I wanted to do — play football for a decent school.” But despite having a very healthy physique, Kaiser was diagnosed with testicular cancer when he was 19 years old in the summer of 2013. There was a pain in Kaiser’s testicle and he noticed something growing in it, which was then confirmed by a doctor as a tumor. Lucky for him, it was caught early on, but it didn’t take away from the fact the risk still lived inside him. “Before then, I didn’t really have a path,” Kaiser said. “I thought I had time to achieve my goal, like there’s no rush to do anything, but then I got testicular cancer. It really changed my work ethic.” Kaiser explained that his perspective on things flipped entirely. More than ever, he was driven to work harder to get back on the football field. “Every time something happened that pushed me away from my goal, yeah it was frustrating, but I had that motivation to keep going, and push through that,” he said. Kaiser strived to maintain his positivity in
the situation. He explained that after hearing the confirmation from the doctor that he had cancer, he immediately began to plan for the future, asking the doctor questions like how long until he can go out and play football. He admitted that it was really easy to get stuck in self-pity, but he was grateful for his family, girlfriend, teammates and coaches who kept him busy and away from that thought process. “They were really supportive to get me back on the field. My teammates and my coaches really got my mind off the cancer,” he said. Quarterback Marc Peart, one of Kaiser’s teammates, could not believe that Kaiser was battling cancer. “I found out through Facebook when he announced he was cancer-free,” Peart said. “I was shocked. I mean I just saw him yesterday and he was repping 405 pounds squatting. I’m glad he was able to get back on the team. He’s a very good contribution.” Peart remembers when he would skip practices for check-ups. He would still let the coach know he would be going to the gym and try to work on his exercises as much as he could. Former head coach Thom Kaumeyer, one of the coaches Kaiser relied on for advice on how to stay in shape for football, thinks Kaiser’s persistence will bring him much fortune when getting recruited. “I think with him, he’s looking at it like a second chance to really play a sport that he loves,” Kaumeyer said. “I think that gives him a little more incentive to work harder in the weight room, conditioning and be set to go so that he can learn his techniques and take off. I think he’s going to be rewarded for his efforts.” Though Kaiser was relieved to find out his tumor markers returned to their normal levels, his rigorous work ethic remained. “I see a lot of students in classes not doing
Hannah Gonzales/Courier Offensive lineman Ben Kaiser conditions with the rest of the football team at the Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium on Jan. 20. things with a sense of urgency, and I don’t think that necessarily is the good way of doing things … People see the 10 games in the fall, but there’s more than that,” Kaiser said. “In those times when you’re not getting recognition for the things you do, it’s a lot easier to work hard knowing that any second that
opportunity could be taken away from you.” Kaiser has been accepted to the University of Tulsa and invited to play for their football team. “This is definitely a great opportunity,” Kaiser said. “An offer I will certainly strongly consider.”
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