PCC Courier 04/21/2016

CO U R I ER Pasadena City College

Serving PCC Since 1915

APRIL 21, 2016 VOLUME 113 ISSUE 07

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT PCCCOURIER.COM

Accreditation update leads to positive outlook John Orona Managing Editor

Rockin’ Record Store Day Pgs. 6 & 7 Eric Haynes/Courier A poster decorated with beads and a message to the customers is set up under the stairs for Record Store Day (RSD) at Amoeba music store on Saturday.

Free textbooks coming soon Kristen Luna Editor-in-Chief

The Academic Senate is expected to adopt a resolution in its next meeting that would make PCC eligible for an Open Educational Resource (OER) grant that could replace pricey textbooks with free online resources for students in some courses.

According to PCC Online, “the OER includes teaching, learning and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and repurposing by others.”

With this grant, textbooks would not be mandatory for students, who would instead have free access to the online materials including “full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, videos, tests, software and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support open access to knowledge.”

The decision on whether to implement OERs in the classroom will be left to the discretion of the professors to choose the resources that would most benefit their students. Instructors will be allowed to alter materials to best meet the needs of their students by using the most up-to-date technology and

multimedia content.

When an instructor chooses to implement OERs they must assess the resources to ensure the technology is accessible for people with disabilities.

According to assistant professor of social sciences and Faculty Accreditation Coordinator Lynora Rogacs, the grant from the state of California would allow faculty to be trained on how to make the shift to open educational resources. Training will be offered over the summer in the hopes of going live with the process in the fall. And as of now there are roughly 50 different course sections that will be adopting OERs. AB 798 is the College Textbook Affordability Act of 2015 and would create the OER Adoption Incentive Fund (AIF), which would help finance and accelerate the adoption of OERs on campus.

“The grant process requires a resolution from the Senate (which was approved on 4/11) and a broad Professional Development plan, which also has to be approved by Senate,” Academic Senate President Valerie Foster said in an email to faculty.

If approved by the Senate, the campus would be eligible for an initial AIF grant. Then each year the campus will receive an AIF grant for

meeting established performance standards.

Susan Bower, chair of the faculty development committee, presented at the EOR forum on Tuesday to the campus community.

One of the downsides is that not all courses have an environment or course conducive to OERs, and even courses that could benefit from OERs may not have sufficient or satisfactory online materials available.

At the accreditation forum held last Friday, Rogacs and Scott spoke on OERs including what they anticipate for the future, and stated that PCC estimates the grant to be around $50,000.

“I’m shifting to OER in the fall so I need about a year to figure

out what’s working and what’s not before I can feel comfortable advertising it to students,” Rogacs said.

There are already instructors implementing OERs in their courses including social sciences, psychology, sociology, political science, critical thinking, and math.

“We’re trying to hit the areas that are most in need based on high demand courses. We can start offering them there and then trickle down from there,” Rogacs said. “But like I said, that’s a lofty goal that is way down in the future. We’re really happy just to get this ball rolling.”

“The idea is five years down … if you have a BOG waiver, you can basically take that class without having

Last week the school’s accreditation work group held a forum to update the campus on the school’s progress in completing the nine recommendations given to PCC by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) last year. If the school does not comply with these recommendation by the time the team submits their follow-up report in September it faces losing its accreditation.

The most drastic and on-going change the school faces comes from a recommendation the college was given over six years ago in its previous accreditation visit: to tie its budget to program review and to improve of its planning processes overall.

To accomplish this, the school has designed the Annual Update, a yearly program review, and the Integrated Planning Model (IPM), a process for budget development that incorporates the Annual Update and shared governance review.

Both processes will be reviewed and revised yearly, and after one cycle within this new structure the college has already begun gathering

ACCREDITATION PAGE 2

Senate re-elects executive committee John Orona Managing Editor

EBOOKS PAGE 2

The faculty reaffirmed its support for the current Academic Senate leadership as it re-elected the incumbent slate in a decisive victory against their challengers, a slate which included former two-time senate president Eduardo Cairo, who has campaigned for the senate presidency each of the last four years.

The final vote tally released to faculty last Thursday showed all winning slate members received at least 59 percent support of the voting faculty. The same slate won the presidency by only four votes in last year’s election.

Faculty voted last week to retain the senate executive committee of President Valerie Foster, natural sciences; Vice President Shelagh Rose, languages and ESL; Secretary Stephanie Fleming, performing arts; and Treasurer Jay Cho, math and computer science. “[W]e believe we have made significant progress in helping PCC

Illustration by Katja Liebing

SENATE PAGE 2

NEWS

2 COURIER

April 21, 2016

Students to represent PCC in Germany and Japan

All three students were ecstatic when they found out they were selected for the exchange program. “[My parents] were super excited,” said Ochoa. “Just because your parents didn’t go to college doesn’t mean that their kids can’t achieve their dreams.”

Ochoa has been learning German at PCC, but she knew that the classes could only take her so far.

According to Ochoa, the opportunity to be in an environment where everyone speaks German will help her hone her own language skills.

Like Ochoa, Chang will also be going to Germany. However the California State University Fullerton alumna almost missed out on her chance to travel to another country.

“At the time I couldn’t actually apply because the age limit was 25,” said Chang, who is 28 years old.

Chang had an ally, though, in Olivia Bueno, the president of the

Germania Culture Club, who relentlessly worked to make sure that the age limit was raised to 30.

The decision was made because although PCC students below the age of 25 couldn’t apply for the exchange program, the German students who came through the exchange program to America were often older than the previous age limit.

“I was limited by the age group,” Chang said. “And then to apply and get in was just ... it was pretty surreal.”

Chang learned German when she was at Fullerton, but what rekindled her passion to relearn the language was when Chang was visiting Korea.

At a water park she overheard two men speaking German.

“I was trying to talk to them and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Chang said. “I had forgotten everything.”

For a while, Chang tried to study herself, but realized that she needed the help of others to really grasp the language. That’s when she decided to enroll at PCC. “I just wanted to take classes to improve the German that I knew and I started looking for opportunities,” Chang said Chang attributes her participation in the exchange program to the German professors she’s had at PCC and to Bueno.

Sebastian, like Chang and Ochoa, applied for Germany.

“They only choose two candidates per country,” Sebastian said,

who applied to go to Germany because she has an associate’s degree in German. Sebastian also wanted to travel to the country because she’s a dance major and she wanted to explore Germany’s rich dance culture.

However, she was chosen to go to Japan instead.

Sebastian was a little bit disappointed since that was not where she had originally wanted to go, but her perspective about the situation has changed. Sebastian is uncertain about her upcoming trip to Japan, but is eager for a chance to, according to her, “dive in cold water.”

Ironically, Sebastian has a sister that is studying Japanese and is picking up a few phrases from her sibling to use when she is in her host country.

Sebastian plans to explore her environment when she is in Japan.

She wants to visit Mt. Fuji, see the Sakura blossoms and eat a lot of sushi.

Like Ochoa and Chang, Sebastian is also a part of the Germania Culture Club and, like Chang, Sebastian has found Bueno to be a positive influence in her time at PCC. “I love the movie nights that they do,” Sebastian said. “It kind of trains my German a little bit since there’s no one speaking it at home.”

Bueno deserves the praise by her fellow club members. When she became the president of the Germania Culture Club she realized what a resource the PSCC would be for students. With that in mind,

she approached the PSCC and got involved.

Bueno was impressed with how long the PSCC has worked on making sure that exchanges between the U.S. and other countries were fostered.

“This relationship with the Pasadena Sister Cities has been going on since 1948,” Bueno said.

After World War II the citizens of Pasadena prepared care packages that they sent to Germany to help the citizens whose homes were obliterated in the war. In the process, the Pasadena residents wrote their names on the care packages and messages to the Germans who would be receiving their contributions. The citizens of Germany replied to the messages and a committee was formed to strengthen ties between the two countries.

“We’re talking about two countries that were enemies and our citizens opened their hearts to help them,” Bueno said.

Bueno is amazed that there are families in the host countries willing to open their doors and their homes to PCC students for four to six weeks.

“In that way students do not need to pay for a hotel or lodging or food,” Bueno said.

Bueno is is delighted that Chang, Ochoa and Bernadette were chosen to travel to another country.

“They could have spent their summer here, but no they are going abroad,” Bueno said.

the student services department were either interim, acting, or vacant, leading to a recommendation for “stabilizing its administrative organization structure.”

Now all but the special services’ department have permanent directors or deans, and the process is continuing in other areas as well.

“We’re currently hiring five academic deans. All of those interviews are in process,” said Accreditation Liaison Officer Kathy Scott. The new deans are a result of the college moving from a school-based organization to the 12 divisions that it previously operated under.

In addition, the school has updated its organizational chart and is creating VP-level positions for Instruction, Human Resources, and Business and Administrative Services.

One of the more ethereal recommendations from the ACCJC had to do with collegiality, ethics, and “transparent participatory processes.” Although they accounted for two of the nine recommendation, the “issues involving governance were at the heart of many recommendations,” according to the follow-up report draft.

Across campus the school has been revising its governance policies throughout shared governance groups to encourage inclusiveness, openness, transparency, and collegiality.

Thanks to more frequent and informal conversations, communication between the Academic Senate and Board of Trustees has improved as well, an area specifically mentioned in the recommendation report.

“Coffee chats with the Board of Trustees… and open office hours with Vurdien and that’s a great

opportunity to sit down informally, have a cup of coffee and let the president know what our concerns are as a campus community,” said Faculty Accreditation Coordinator Lynora Rogacs. “Having their concerns being heard in an informal environment as opposed to formal meetings.”

The campus-wide effort has carried over to ethics recommendation as well, now that the ethics committee is fully staffed.

“Ethics training campus wide will become available in the fall of 2016 where we will have professionals in education and ethics come to campus to lead these training sessions.

We thought it was important to bring someone from the outside in to train us in these various ways,” Rogacs said.

School officials are feeling optimistic about the work they’ve done, with the accreditation work group finishing its follow-up report and the draft making its way through the requisite shared governance committees seamlessly. It has already passed the Planning and Priorities committee and the Academic Senate, and has been read through by the Classified Senate and Associated Students.

“We’re anticipating that by the end of the semester it will have passed through all of those groups.

We wanted to present where we were at this time so people have an overview and as we complete the semester they know where we stand and feel confident about what’s happening with the accreditation recommendations,” Scott said.

The Board of Trustees will need to approve the follow-up report during its Aug. 3 meeting before it is sent to the ACCJC.

SENATE

election,” mathematics instructor Matthew Henes expressed his hope that “a perceived mandate from a minority of voters would not interfere with the focus and collegiality that we were supporting in voting for the incumbents.”

“It is my sincere hope that you will find ways to channel your well-intentioned energy into continuing the healing process we have been enjoying,” Henes wrote.

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges in their accreditation report last June recommended that the school “model collegial communication, specifically among the Board, President, and Academic Senate,” an issue that was at the heart of many other accreditation recommendations.

Foster in her email said that her slate would reach out to the opposing slate this week.

“Our goal is to move forward as a unified faculty, so I think it is important for our groups to meet to discuss our different perspectives,” the email read. course registration fees,” Olivo said.

“Qualifications for BOG is based on federal poverty guidelines and this is an indicator to us at the college that our students need us to continue to figure out how to go beyond financial aid to help students afford the costs associated in achieving your goals.”

The PCC Student Equity Committee has been working on this since the Chancellor’s Office announced the opportunity in the fall.

“This opportunity will once again bring people together to collaborate to help students, teachers, librarians, Information Technology Services and Students,” Olivo said. “Projects that bring people together are a wonderful way to create a very supportive environment for everyone involved.”

Eric Haynes/Courier Minerva Ochoa and Jenny Chang have been selected to do a six week exchange program in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Hannah Gonzales News Editor Minerva Ochoa’s parents didn’t go to college, but that didn’t stop her from pursuing an education at Pasadena City College. What was once a pipe dream for the young woman from the city of Calexico is now a reality. This summer, Ochoa will join fellow students Jenny Chang and Bernadette Sebastian in an exchange program with another country.

Offered by the Pasadena Sister Cities Committee (PSCC), the exchange program offers students a stipend during their stay in their host country. The only thing that students have to pay for is a ticket for the airplane. This semester Ochoa and Chang will be traveling to Germany while Sebastian will be going to Japan.

ACCREDITATION

Continued from page 1

feedback.

According to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness’s budget retreat survey, even after the budget retreat in which members of all shared governance groups learned about and participated in this new process, 46 percent of survey respondents were still “unsure” if the IPM was transparent. However 86 percent did say they at least had a better understanding of the budgeting process.

Budget retreat participants overwhelmingly identified the need for more time in evaluating and prioritizing budget requests as the most important change for the next retreat.

One anonymous attendee questioned, “If the task doesn’t depend on us finishing the work, then how much is the allocation really going to depend on the engagement of that group?”

They also noted the need for clarity in the rubrics for scoring requests, and more information in each request.

There was a survey on the Annual Update, and although the response rate was very low (32.5 percent), it definitely revealed some trends. The results showed respondents had the worst satisfaction rating for how well they understood the resource allocation process.

However, the highest satisfaction rating was for the availability of support to help those who are struggling with the process.

When the accreditation visiting team came to PCC, about half of the top administrative positions in

Continued from page 1 move forward by encouraging diversification in shared governance, improving collegiality, and addressing the accreditation recommendations to get PCC off probation.

We are honored to be awarded the opportunity to continue this work,” Foster wrote in an email to faculty on Monday.

Their opposition was a slate that fielded Cairo, social sciences, for president, Dave Cuatt, engineering and technology, for vice president, Tim Melnarik, English, for secretary and Lauren Arenson, social sciences, for treasurer.

In an email after the results were announced, the challengers thanked their colleagues who voted for them and vowed to continue working toward a senate that is “responsive to faculty,” adding that their support in a losing effort gave them a “mandate” to do so.

In a response addressed to “those who did not win the Senate

EBOOKS

Continued from page 1 the fees associated with it and then they’re all free in terms of the textbook requirement,” Rogacs added.

Faculty Association President and associate professor of social sciences Julie Kiotas was introduced to EORs over a year ago, and after assessing the resources available she decided to implement it into two of her courses.

“I knew how good it would be for my students,” Kiotas said.

According to Associate Vice President of Student Services and Affairs Cynthia Olivo, OER is extremely important as it levels the playing field for students who cannot afford books.

“Of our 28,000 students, 22,000 students utilize the Board of Governor’s Fee Waiver which covers the

OPINION

3 COURIER

Editorial: Students demand clarity The Courier Staff

PCC has one of the best collegiate reputations in the state, including state-of-the-art facilities, great teachers and a challenging curriculum. But none of this means anything if students don’t feel the Board of Trustees (BOT) and the administration are very forthcoming with the student body.

An administration which appears to be lacking in transparency and trustworthiness is disheartening to the student body and disillusioning to those wanting to have faith that their school has their best interest at heart.

Back in February, the football team showed up to the Board of Trustees meeting to protest the replacement of their head football coach, Thom Kaumeyer. While President Vurdien said that his replacement was a contractual issue,

several players still felt that the rules had not been clearly stated and that they’d been given conflicting information about whether their coach would return the following season.

The football team, which is now on its third coach in three years, will be starting another season with apprehension, confusion and sadness for the loss of a coach that they’d grown to like and respect.

At the end of February, The Courier also reported on the decision of the College Council to no longer follow the Brown Act. Vurdien stated that it would make things easier and more flexible because they could add items to the agenda.

However, there is still some conflict on whether or not the council could legally do this.

According to the Brown Act, entities governed by the act include “commissions, committees, boards, or other subsidiary bodies of a local

Cartoon by Samantha Molina

agency, whether permanent or temporary, decision-making or advisory, created by resolution or some other formal action of a legislative body.”

Despite this, the administration along with PCC’s legal counsel, Gail Cooper, insist that the College Counsel can exempt the Brown Act. From a student’s perspective, it’s hard to fully trust their words when just last year, and in other instances, PCC was in violation of the Brown Act when they failed to discuss the retirement package of former PCC president Mark Rocha. The lawyer for the BOT stated that the board did not violate the Brown Act, but a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled otherwise.

This month the BOT drew the ire of the Veterans Club when they scrapped plans for a VA clinic that was two years in the making, causing the club members to walk out of the meeting in protest. Veterans Club president Edwin Lopez said that they were upset with the lack of transparency because they’d received no updates and were repeatedly told that the administration was working on it.

The club’s opinion was that since all of the people involved in making the clinic a reality, and they were given permission to fundraise just two months ago when the club raised $400K, the administration should have known much earlier that a clinic would not have been possible and relayed this information in a much more timely fashion.

The Courier staff itself has had

complaints regarding transparency.

Many times, when requesting interviews with administration officials for campus news stories, we’ve been deflected to PCC’s Director of Strategic Marketing Alex Boekelheide.

While the Courier understands that Mr. Boekelheide’s job is to represent and speak for the school, the administration must understand that students want to hear from them directly as well. It’s the antithesis of transparency, and journalism itself, to expect The Courier to mainly report PR-crafted responses to the student body.

When PCC was put on probation, the school made a genuine effort to repair the relationships between the administration and the faculty. The downside to this was that the students and their voices ended up being left out of the conversation.

The administration must take steps to make sure that its students are communicated with, clearly and effectively. It must do a better job at handling issues and communications in a timely manner going forward. Most importantly, the administration must not make decisions that allow it to remove levels of accountability that students have come to expect and rely on.

As long as PCC makes its decisions based on what’s best for its student body and not itself, the trust in our school and the system that governs it will be able to foster a positive educational environment.

ogist, egyptologist, until I decided upon being a large marine mammal veterinarian.

I attended a magnet school in Las Vegas which was a microcosm of hyper-stressed and overly competitive teenagers put into a rigorous set of courses that mimicked a regimented college career. I studied veterinary medicine and was the top student in my field.

At an ambitious 17, I got a job at a local veterinary hospital and my life quickly spun a dizzying 180 degrees.

Panicking, I found that this was not the career for me. I couldn’t handle the sadness and potentially life-ending decisions that veterinarians had to make. I turned in my scrubs and left a solid nine years of my life behind, knowing I wouldn’t miss the surgical steel tables and ever-present smell of peroxide.

With a little optimism, I realized that it was now time to explore my other passions that had been pushed aside to accommodate seven science classes and a full-time hospital job.

This was actually pretty exciting.

I decided I was going to be part photojournalist, part documentari-

an, specializing in travel and animal rights.

This feeling was completely freeing until my father’s words attempted to shake me, “you’re not going to make any money.” I realized I didn’t care.

The Simple Dollar, an online financial counseling and reporting website, published an article on the worst college majors due to their poor return on investments and earning power.

Communications, my major, was number one on the list, followed by psychology, theater arts, fashion design and sociology among five others.

There is an innate feeling of mediocrity that accompanies knowing that you are settling for something less than you want or deserve, even if it makes you a little more money.

A mediocre life has never truly satisfied anyone.

Pursing your dream job gives you purpose. You become your own inspiration when you feel like you’ve defied the odds and have done what you always dreamed of doing.

Your passion will translate into monetary gain. When you are fierce-

ly ambitious about your profession, people will notice, including hiring managers and bosses.

People are drawn to individuals who know what they want. Own your degree in dairy sciences. People will admire your passion and be impressed that you know how to make cheese.

You will set an example and inspire others. Sometimes people need a push to make changes in their lives and nothing works better than a success story to put those changes into motion.

Regret is one of the worst feelings one can foster. This feeling can reverberate throughout all other aspects of your life and leave you wishing for a time machine.

Live your ideal life. Things are almost never out of reach for those who recognize their passions and pursue them. Stories never end with characters doing anything other than what the author intended, so be your own character and write a life you will enjoy living. Make your grandfather and yourself proud.

Find and become your own orange jelly bean.

April 21, 2016

VOICES

Did you choose your major based on your passion for the career or for financial security? Why?

“It’s my passion for my career that I want to go for it, my major is neuroscience.”

Harry Akhrazyan, neuroscience

“Passion, straight up. There’s no money in my career. Animals are my life, literally my entire life.”

Alana Lee, animal science

Students must pursue their dream major Erin Dobrzyn Staff Writer

I once sat in my grandfather’s office, sinking into the tanned-leather cushion, my naked feet dangling inches above crème-and-sugar carpeting. My blonde hair up in a ponytail resembling a whale spout, I used my fingers to trace the teal paisley pattern in the wallpaper while my grandfather hummed to Andrea Bocelli.

My grandfather was an incredibly intelligent geologist, a former Dickinson University professor, and I revered him. Even as a 4-year-old I wanted to impress him so when he asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I sat up straight, bared my snaggle-toothed smile and declared, “I’m going to be an orange jelly bean.”

My grandfather thought that was a great idea and that I would be the best jelly bean in the bag. He picked me up and we went to get some ice cream.

Over the next ten years, my goals shifted into more composed professions: Pokémon trainer, paleontol-

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

Serving PCC since 1915

Asst Opinion Editor Daniel Larson

Online/Features Editor Monique A. LeBleu

Sports Editors Ahmad Akkaoui Christian Rivas Scene Editor Hazel Paiz

Asst Features Editor Erin Dobrzyn

Design Editor Samantha Molina

Online Photo Editor Eric Hayes Asst Lifestyle Editor Taylor Gonzales

Staff Writers Irma Carrillo, Peter Chao, Julius Choi, Lilith Garcia, Timothy Mably, Kelly Rodriguez Murrillo

Staff Photographers Guadalupe Alvarez, Kelly Rodriguez Murrillo 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.

“Kind of both. I know computer science is a career that is pretty lucrative, and has a lot of opportunities. But I also like it because I like math and computer science has a lot of math.”

Alex Gammell, computer science

“I want to be an author of science fiction and fantasy, so passion.”

Benjy Kwong, English

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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.

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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

“My major is pre-vet. I chose it because I enjoy doing it, not for financial stability. It’s something that I don’t mind putting work in for.”

Esmeralda Ramirez, pre-veterinary sciences

Reporting by Erin Dobrzyn Photos by Kristen Luna

OPINION

4 COURIER

April 21, 2016

Donald Trump: byproduct of a broken USA Daniel Larson Assistant Opinion Editor

In June 2015 when Donald Trump announced his bid for the Republican nomination, he was the laughing stock of liberals and conservatives alike. What seemed like a sick joke quickly evolved into the most dangerous threat to liberty America has ever faced.

Trump, who would otherwise be written off as a farce, gained legitimacy from the deplorable state of American politics. The “Trump Phenomenon,” as it has come to be known, is a historical recurrence that wields consequences too detrimental to ignore.

In the past seven years the U.S. has become vulnerable, both economically and physically. The country has been subjected to chaotic changes in its already hectic political and sociological climate.

In addition, the Republican Party has failed to lobby for their constituents in congress. As a result, much of the party feels delegitimized and disenfranchised.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the employment-population ratio has dropped from 62.9 in 2008 to 59.8 in 2016. The unemployment rate doesn’t take into account people who have stopped looking for work.

The fabricated number that Obama brags so much about neglects that the labor force participation rate, which is how many people are working or trying to find work, has dropped 3.3 points since he took office.

The reality is people don’t have jobs and the economy is not

“bouncing back.” Regardless of the propaganda being shoved down their throats, Americans are struggling to provide for themselves and their families.

Trump capitalizes on these struggles all too well, playing GOP voters for fools.

When he shouts about America needing to beat countries like China and Japan in trade, he’s plucking strings right at the heart of the GOP base.

Americans are afraid, around the world our enemies grow bolder with every passing day Obama is in office.

The president’s foreign policy is weak. America’s allies no longer have faith that she will be there to protect them while ISIS and the Iranian government taunt the west.

Americans now face new threats from a terrible nuclear deal with Iran, and for no reason other than Obama and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry wanting to play diplomat. U.S. News reported that in March Iran tested two new ballistic missiles that the United States

claimed violated United Nations restrictions on Iran’s missile program.

But the nuclear deal may make it, “difficult, if not impossible” to stop Tehran’s ballistic missile ambitions.

incident, world powers don’t respect American military power.

The Hill reported that Trump feels the nuclear deal with Iran is so bad, he is close to wondering whether it was done poorly on purpose.

“I can’t believe they didn’t walk from that negotiation,” Trump said.

“People want, not that phony Obama change, people want strength, they want competence.”

Trump talks a big game when it comes to asserting American military power and Obama’s laughable foreign policy gives him the contexts he needs.

The lame duck Republicans who control congress right now strengthen Trump’s anti-establishment appeal.

After taking control in 2014, grassroots Republicans expected to see at least a little push back against Cartoon by Samantha Molina the liberal agenda that had been runGOP voters are tired of not ning wild for the past eight years. feeling safe and the U.S. failing to Such was the case when presidential have a strong military posture. After hopeful Ted Cruz introduced Kate’s Obama’s feeble intervention in Law, which was blocked by DemoLibya that resulted in the Benghazi cratic Sen. Harry Reid from Nevada.

describe the ways different cultural groups have contributed to western civilization to eliminate racism,” wrote Richard Morgan on EdChange.

John Hopkins University recently published a study stating that white teachers are 30 percent less likely than black teachers to think a black student will graduate college. White teachers are also 40 percent less likely to expect a black student to graduate from high school.

“Our families have to figure out a way to advocate better for children, to really sort of transform the landscape,” said Charles McGee, co-founder of the Black Parent Initiative, in an interview with The Atlantic.

It must be taught in schools that ethnic or cultural backgrounds cannot define a person. It would be a false assumption to say that all white American teachers think black students have the same chance of success as other students, despite the values of a culture that advocates acceptance and equality.

No one is a perfect amalgamation of his or her ethnic or societal upbringing.

Those who were the first to graduate in their families are having children of their own. Times are changing, and this progression should carry over to the classroom.

“All black and Latino college students aren’t necessarily the first person in their families to complete college. I am a fourth generation college graduate,” wrote Danielle Moss Lee, the Chief Executive Officer of the New York YWCA on Edutopia.

If public schools focused more on education and inclusion, there would be a heightened concept of equality and belonging among students. Schools should encourage unity and growth, not division and digression.

The public education system must put preconceptions of students in the past and begin educating about the cultures of the world in an honest and more positive light.

Trump is the unfortunate overcorrection being made by the Republican base that experienced the past seven years of loss after loss in the political theater. From the Affordable Care Act to the President’s recent unilateral action on gun control, GOP voters are tired of losing.

The current chaos of the GOP is what makes Trump such a threat to American liberty. In the past, fascist dictators have used chaos to their advantage just as Trump is doing now.

Trump has no regard for freedom of speech or press, a staple of American liberty that has defended it from tyranny in past, which is absolutely one of his more menacing attributes.

At Trump rallies he pens up the press in boxes that hinder their ability to accurately report what is happening and if anyone presents an opposing view he quickly has them removed. Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski has even been charged with battery of a reporter who writes for Breitbart News, a traditionally conservative news source, and Trump stands by him.

Donald J. Trump is the biggest threat to national security, not ISIS or Iran or even climate change.

The Republicans and the American people deserve a better front-runner than Trump. It’s time for people to understand how critical the situation has become, and that the manifestation of the “Trump Phenomenon” did not happen by chance.

Educational racism is a travesty against students Timothy Mably Staff Writer While it is an American belief that all people are made inherently equal in worth, many teachers continue to demean and underestimate students of color in the classroom.

Some naively think that a “color blind” approach would resolve such issues. However, if educators were to acknowledge and take advantage of the diversity offered in classrooms instead of neglecting it, there might be a more positive change in school districts.

Last month, a white high school teacher in Texas was arrested after a video showed her hitting a black student as she called him an idiot and accused him of preventing another student from graduating.

Several similar incidents have occurred over the years.

These teachers have misused their authority as leaders and educators in the classroom. An intolerant mindset burdens the ability of those whose responsibility it is to teach and encourage young people.

This bias against students of color is a reflection of stereotypes presented in the media. Categorizing an entire group of people into acting and thinking a certain way has always caused ignorance and offense.

If curriculums incorporated accurate representations of various cultures throughout history, there would be less room for preconceived ideas and stereotypes to overshadow truth.

“Some believe that the curriculum, through its texts, ought to

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Record Store Day (RSD) w

joint effort between record

laps in the world of an ind

This past Saturday marked

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come from independent a

Guadalupe Alvarez/Courier Matthew Hernandez is searching for records at Canterbury Records located in Pasadena on Record Store Day on Saturday.

Eric Haynes/Courier Used rock music section at Amoeba music store

Guadalupe Alvarez/Courier Mark and Matteo Baker are looking at records at Canterbury Records located in Pasadena.

Patrick Morales, resident of Pasade Day on Saturday.

Eric Haynes/Courier Rebecca Salinas and Valeria Roa are ‘crate digging’ through records at Amoeba music store.

Recording artist Dylan Gardner pe land Park.

ENE

RECORD STORE DAY April 21, 2016

was born on April 18, 2008 and conceived a year earlier in a

d store owners and their employees, a group that often over-

dependently-owned business.

d the eighth year of celebrating independent record stores.

mpassing Canterbury Records to the more niche, experimental

o-Bah Records, Pasadena and Los Angeles had you covered

looking for.

Store Day organization website, 60 percent of RSD exclusives

artists and labels.

Brian Chernick Staff Writer

Kelly Rodriguez Murillo/Courier ena, browsing at Canterbury Records for Record Store

Guadalupe Alvarez/Courier Patrick O’Driscoll and Roman Mora visitng the Canterbury Records Store located in Pasadena.

Ahmad Akkaoui/Courier erforms for customers at Permanent Records in High-

Guadalupe Alvarez/Courier Lisa Santacroce is searching for a record at Canterbury Records located in Pasadena.

7

Kelly Rodriguez Murillo/Courier Alice Kwan is browsing at Canterbury Records on Saturday.

FEATURES

8 COURIER

April 21, 2016

Rock poster illustrator paints a bright future Monique A. LeBleu Features Editor Orange, red-violet, purple, electric blue and tangerine are the signature colors found in the quintessential psychedelic rock posters created by graphic designer and illustrator David Byrd whose powerful work was reflective of the art cultural revolution of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Byrd was part of a movement and revival in art that spanned beyond a decade, producing vibrant and moving posters that inspired the entertainment seeking public and future artists to come.

“I’m an agent from the 20th century, so I am here to tell you about the last 50 years,” Byrd said to an attentive cluster of artists and appreciators who filled room V-212 to near capacity.

Byrd’s early art deco works reflected in the local Miami Beach architecture and “tawdry resort glamour” around him, Byrd had said of his home town. He also helped bring back the curvaceous, swirling detail found in the art nouveau of Alphonse Mucha and Maxfield Parrish, artists who were contemporaries of some of the first posters ever.

“It was a big, kind of mishigas,” Byrd said of the art nouveau revival in the ‘60s. “All of the rock posters were emulating the sinuous curves of nouveau … that was part of the aesthetic of the time, and it started me looking around. The 19th century was a big influence.”

Educated at Carnegie Mellon University and taught by the same art instructor as Andy Warhol, Byrd’s early school work consisted of portraits, or “existential snapshots,” of his fellow students and friends.

“The crowd was thinner than Cheez Whiz on a Ritz cracker,” said Byrd of his first gallery showing was in New York at Brooklyn College.

But word on his work in New York soon spread thicker and quicker.

When Jimi Hendrix approached Byrd, he asked him to redo the first work presented because Hendrix

Photos by Katja Liebing/Courier David Byrd prints on display in the screen printing lab at PCC on Friday. had wished to include all of the members of his band, The Experience. Byrd had become fascinated by dot matrixes, so in the new piece he used three colors in different combinations to make Hendrix’ hair into “photons,” where each dot was drawn by hand and hand-inked.

In the history of Byrd’s collective work, the now-famous poster had only been his third.

The Hendrix Experience poster has since been featured in the “Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Victorian and Albert in London, and was chosen by Bill-

board Magazine as number eight of the ‘25 most important rock posters of all time,’” Byrd said.

Later, the poster was brought to the attention of Prince, who recommissioned it for his tour in 2012.

With his own likeness replacing that of Hendrix in the repurposed work, the glorious reds, blues, hot pinks and neon orange of the long-dormant art deco poster had been re-electrified.

“Sometimes they don’t fly, so you use the idea yourself,” said Byrd.

“Steal from yourself, don’t be afraid.

If you have a good idea rework it.

And, of course, steal from others.”

David Byrd signs his self-portrait posters printed in the screenprinting department at PCC on Friday.

Not immune from rejection, Byrd had created an exquisite poster for the 1969 Woodstock Festival. The poster features his own signature nouveau with jewel-toned, ornate flowers, hearts, nude cupids, and a nude borrowed from the 1856 French neoclassical “La Source,” but was rejected by the client for being “obscene.”

“Picasso said, ‘Good artists borrow, great artist steal,’” continued Byrd. “So, keep that in mind.

Of course you have to make it your own, or it will be too obvious. I have a post-modern concept, which is everything that’s come before me is a part of me. All the artists, and the universe, before me are in my DNA.” In addition to Hendrix and Prince, he has catered his art to the individual tastes of rock stars such as Elvis Presley, The Grateful Dead, Lou Reed, Crosby, Stills & Nash, KISS and Van Halen.

Byrd has also done years of poster art for Broadway theater hits such as “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Tommy,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” and even locally in California for the Sierra Madre Playhouse.

In 1970 another piece famous for its use of monochrome and red, the “Godspell” poster, was created for the play’s premiere. According

to Byrd, the low-budget production had commissioned the poster for just $100. Knowing that an extended run is a gamble for any new play, the caveat to accepting the low fee was that Byrd would be paid an additional $50 for every week that the show remained.

“Godspell ran for 8 years,” said Byrd. That poster would influence theater and music poster art for decades thereafter.

Now 75 years old, Byrd uses contemporary drawing and painting tools that are available to young artists today, such as Adobe Illustrator, which can make creating easier and faster.

“He has a knowledge and a background and experience that nobody else has,” engineering and technology instructor Kris Pilon said. “In 1960 no one was using Photoshop and Illustrator. They were drawing stuff by hand. Everything — lettering and all the graphics were hand done and hand colored and hand separated ...

It’s almost like a lost art.”

Engineering and technology instructor John Minor, along with Pilon and engineering and technology professor David Cuatt, frequently have guest artists speak in the colorful, poster-plastered, and well-oiled screen printing and graphics design machine that is V-212.

“These are artists that I have worked with and I just extend the invitation,” said Minor.

Staying long after the presentation to speak to students and sign the newly printed PCC graphics and screen printing collaboration project­, an art deco self-portrait, Byrd reinforced the need for them to not only practice the craft, but to research and find inspiration from all of art’s history.

“You’ve got to keep looking at all those [artists],” he said. “You might find somebody who just inspires the hell out of you. Then you do something that becomes known.”

Thorson hot classic car fundraiser for PCC Foundation

Lilith Garcia Staff Writer

Over 140 classic cars lined up, parked at Thorson Motors GMC Buick in Pasadena on Sunday for PCC Foundation’s third collaborated show to raise funds for “Student Success.”

The event included live music, In N Out Burgers, a first year raffle that had about $1,100 in prizes, PCC students and alumni and the PCC Foundation’s staff helping

throughout the day for the program.

With this year being their third time doing the car show, the first two year’s proceeds went to the “Dreamkeepers” fund.

The Student Success fund will help raise money for scholarships and student opportunities.

Some attendees were automotive students from PCC, who were there to support the Foundation as well as enjoy all the beautiful classic cars.

The students were able to meet with owners and have a learning

Photos by Katja Liebing/Courier A row of Chevrolet Bel Airs on display at the annual Classic Car Show held at Thorson Motors GMC Buick in Pasadena on Sunday.

experience where they were able to ask general questions and talk about the cars.

Wendy Lucko, professor of brakes and suspension at PCC, said car shows are a great place for her students to network with people.

“You learn as much as you want, because if you’re up asking, you can network,” said Lucko. “A lot of these guys will own their own business or paint body shop, so you can actually network with them.”

Joseph Miravite, automotive student at PCC, explained that car shows in general are a great place to learn from older and experienced people who are into cars and know the industry.

“They have the experience and knowledge,” said Miravite. “For students like me who are just starting in the industry, you want to talk to people who have gone through it and have experience.”

One automotive student, Salvador Sanchez, displayed his own 1955 Oldsmobile Super 88 car at the show, thanks Lucko who told him about the car show.

With his automotive training at PCC, Sanchez is now getting his associates degree in automotive and plans on being an instructor at PCC one day.

A 1971 Chevrolet Camaro at the annual Classic Car Show in Pasadena on Sunday.

Sanchez named his 1955 Oldsmobile “Elizabeth” and actually has her tattooed on one of his side rib cage, along with a pinup girl. For his car, the majority of his work has been on the engine.

“Most of the stuff I’ve done is in the engine area,” said Sanchez. “I’ve done the carburetor, alternator, water pump, radiator, pretty much everything that will keep it moving.”

Some fun facts about the car are that the air cover for the car inside the engine was pinstriped by “Scratch,” who is famous in his collaboration on pinstriping at the

famous “Cars Land” at Disney’s California Adventure, and “Elizabeth” is able to throw out flames from the exhaust with just a switch of a button.

Overall, it was a fun-filled event with people who have a passion for beautiful classic cars while rasing money for a good cause at the same time.

“It’s a fun event…a good fundraising event,” said Kristin McPeak, PCC Foundation director of operations. “It’s good that the community gets to see us be part of something that’s very important to Pasadena.”

FEATURES

9 COURIER

April 21, 2016

Army veteran determined to educate in his native homeland Angelique Andrade Staff Writer

Katja Liebing/Courier Mark Samet and Kelvin Morales performed in Antigone in the Little Theatre at PCC on Monday, February 29, 2016.

Students earn internship at Topanga’s Theatricum

Katja Liebing Staff Writer

Following winding, tree-lined roads, an amphitheater appears nestled amongst the trees in the wilderness of Topanga Canyon. The theater is a rare haven for the art that offers a unique experience not only for spectators, but also for actors.

Students Kelvin Morales and Mark Samet were close to calling off their auditions for the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, a theater company that focuses on Shakespeare plays and hosts outdoor performances. Their audition was on the same day as the last two performances of the play “Romeo and Juliet” at PCC. “There is kind of a fear of jumping into the professional world,” Samet said. “If you’re in a school you’re kind of a big fish in a small pond. When you go into something like this there are hundreds of people vying for these roles and that

scares people. But I think the proof is in the pudding. You go after, you try something and you might get cast.”

Both students credit Will Hickman, the director of “Antigone”, the play in which each performed in, for going ahead with their auditions.

Morales said they were really prepared because of Hickman.

“He encouraged the heck out of us to go,” Samet said. “And that was I think the key thing. He worked with us and he spent the time to fix up our monologues for the audition process.”

Hickman, who has been involved as an actor with the Theatricum himself, got to know the two students well as he not only was their director of “Antigone” but also the fight scene coordinator for “Romeo and Juliet.”

“Both Mark and Kelvin are incredibly positive in their work and have a way of bringing those posi-

tive choices on stage,” Hickman said.

“Mark’s research was essential to Antigone, and Kelvin’s monologue became one of my favorite parts of the show.”

Both actors came out on top in their auditions. Morales was cast as Ziad in “Romeo & Juliet” and additionally as the understudy for Romeo. He will also play two smaller roles in “Titus Andronicus,” also a Shakespeare play.

Samet was cast as Peter, the house servant for the Capulets, in “Romeo & Juliet,” as an extra for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and is the understudy for the role of Quince in the same play.

Not only will the two perform throughout the summer at the Theatricum, but they also have claimed two spots in the theater’s acting internship program. They will take classes with professional teachers and directors amongst others in voice, improvisation, rhetoric and poetry recitation over the summer in order to develop their craft.

Morales and Samet won’t get paid in dollars, but in equity points.

Equity is the union that represents theater actors and the points will get them closer to membership.

Jonathan Blandino, the casting director for the Theatricum and the head of the internship program, had contacted Samet and Morales to tell them they were accepted.

“Both Mark and Kelvin have a simple honesty to their work,” Blandino wrote. “They don’t push, they don’t hesitate, they have great instincts and they act on them … Both take direction without judgment and have a genuine excitement to grow.”

Both actors gained valuable experience from the theater classes they took and plays they performed in at PCC and learned insights from each person they worked with.

“I’ve had a great time here,” Morales said. “All the directors that I have worked with have been great.

They each have their own style of working and it’s been really interesting getting to know each director and getting to know how they work.”

Morales, who found his passion for acting in high school, can’t see himself doing anything else.

“What I enjoy the most about it is being able to live a life that you wouldn’t have otherwise,” Morales said. “You get to be in people’s shoes that lived in a completely different world than you and different experiences than yourself.”

For Samet concentrating on acting was “a change of life decision.”

“I feel a deep compulsion to communicate profound ideas to this population right now,” Samet said.

“People need beauty. They need these ideas, that high drama, what Shakespeare represents.”

Performances start June 4, 2016.

After ten years of serving this country as a U.S. army 1-28 infantryman, PCC student Tomas Domingo has yet to stop doing everything in his power to help those in need. While working towards his degree in political science, he is also busy hashing out a plan to create a cost-free school for the children in his hometown in Guatemala, where families are stricken with poverty and the line between education and financial burden is non-existent.

Born in the United States but raised in Guatemala, Domingo returned to the states at 17 years-old with nothing and no one with him but his determination and what he could carry on his back. Since then, he’s lived in a total of six states while pursuing his goal of getting a quality education and making a life for himself.

He joined the military as an infantryman at the age of 21, serving two tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I’m very proud to serve,” Domingo said. “It’s one of those things I’m very honored to talk about.”

After nearly a year out from service, Domingo has been focusing on his studies, determined to move forward with his education as quickly as possible. By taking classes throughout his military career, he will soon graduate with his Associate Degree in political science after spending only two semesters at PCC. “I feel like I have a responsibility to my community,” Domingo said.

“Where I came from, it’s a very a difficult environment where poverty is around 24/7. I believe getting into political science will help me evolve in a field where I feel like I can make a difference in my community and other communities.”

After graduation, Domingo plans to attend Pepperdine University, where he is currently on the waiting list for admission. He plans to use his major to help as many people as he can, and perhaps become an attorney one day.

Aside from being a full-time student and family man, Domingo has also been hard at work with his own project to provide aid to those living in poverty in his hometown Zacueleu Central Zona 9 in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. He created the organization Korazon Kakao in December 2015, through which he lifts some financial burden from children whose parents are often faced with the choice between school supplies and food.

“Korazon Kakao’s mission is to provide opportunity and knowledge,” Domingo said. “It’s an opportunity to help others, mainly children, evolve and continue to pursue a way of living. I’m aware that it’s a long process, however, I know it’s not impossible. Knowing the kind of

determination that I have, it’s going to happen.”

Domingo’s main goal for the organization is to create an entirely cost-free, quality school for the children in his hometown. Now he is focusing on doing what he can to provide them with school supplies for the beginning of the school year, a costly necessity that causes many families to go hungry.

“What I’m trying to accomplish every year is to take school supplies to a lot of these kids in this community, because they cannot afford it at the beginning of the school year,” Domingo said. “It’s either they buy school supplies, or they eat. You buy supplies, you don’t have money to put food on the table. This whole project is meant to take that weight off their shoulders for a while.”

During this past December and January, Domingo traveled to Huehuetenango for three weeks to give students packs of school supplies, where he spent $4K out of his own pocket. He was able to successfully help around 300 children, though his expectations of the need in his town were fairly low and many needs were unfortunately unmet.

Huehuetenango lies in a rural area of Guatemala, which would otherwise go unnoticed by the rest of the world if it wasn’t for the ancient Mayan temples found there. The artifacts often attract tourists from all over, though the parts of the town littered with poverty are often out of sight and mind.

Growing up in that kind of poverty himself, Domingo left Guatemala for the United States with a vow to someday go back to help in any way he can.

“I didn’t get that much help when I was young,” Domingo said. “I know what it’s like. I feel that my purpose is to show people who don’t have any help that there is actually someone out there to help them in any way.”

This past trip of his to Guatemala was only the first of many. Domingo plans to go back at the start of every school year, hopefully with more resources and help from the Guatemalan community of Los Angeles.

Domingo was welcomed with open arms in his childhood community, with many of the teachers at his old elementary school, Escuela Rural Mixta Zaculeu Central, remembering him and thanking him for coming back.

His current focus is to help the students at Escuela Rural Mixta Zaculeu Central, but he hopes to soon have the means to spread the love to all of the schools in Huehuetenango, as well as open his dream school.

“If we’re fortunate enough to have food on the table and a roof over our heads, we should be able to help out others,” Domingo said.

“That is my legacy.”

Photo courtesy of Tomas Domingo Student veteran Tomas Domingo and Korazon Kakao in his hometown of Nicaragua.

LIFESTYLE

10 COURIER

April 21, 2016

Canterbury offers vintage to modern music

Taylor Gonzales Staff Writer

As record stores find themselves dwindling in numbers, one record store manages to stay in competition with the ever-changing music industry.

Canterbury Records was founded in 1956, and has been a staple in the music community of Pasadena ever since.

With fewer and fewer record stores staying in business every year, it is convenient to have one in the neighborhood for those looking to expand their vinyl collections such as Raymond Morales, who has been shopping at Canterbury since his sister discovered it back in the late 1960’s.

“I come here maybe once a month,” Morales said. “I used to come here back in high school.They have a really good selection.”

On this particular visit, Morales was searching for a Motown CD to add to his ever-growing collection.

Canterbury provides a multitude of musical genres for its customers to browse through including jazz,

rock, hip-hop, classical, and R&B. Those who are theater lovers can find soundtracks to their favorite movies such as “Great Gatsby” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” along with soundtracks to hit musicals like “Grease” and “Guys and Dolls.”

The vinyls sold at Canterbury cover decades of music and a vast variety of artists. In one quick browse one can find the works of seasoned performers such as James Taylor and Bob Marley, right along with newcomers the likes of Bruno Mars and No Doubt.

Jennifer Freedman has been an employee of Canterbury for 55 years, and throughout the decades has been exposed to tons of new music and artists. During Freedman’s time at Canterbury, she has noticed how loyal the friendly customers are, and is available to offer her opinion on what to select if someone gets stuck in the stores vast collection of music.

Although record stores don’t seem to be as popular as they once were, Canterbury employee Scarlett Cross has noticed a growth spurt in the sale of vinyls recently.

“There’s been a significant come-

back with vinyl, all genres too,” Cross said. “People who purchase vinyls are consistent vinyl purchasers. They like to buy all of their collection on vinyl, and then it also comes with a download card.”

Along with rare oldies and new hits being sold on a variety of platforms from cassette to vinyl, Canterbury also provides its customers with another rare form of entertainment film.

At Canterbury ,classic TV series from “Dusty’s Trail” to “The Buccaneers” are found in abundance.

Canterbury even offers hard to find silent films such as “The Shamrock and the Rose,” and “The Speed Spook.”

Those old enough to remember LaserDiscs are in luck as Canterbury has a collection for sale with movies such as Bruce Willis’s “Die Hard” and the classic Bond film “The Man with the Golden Gun.” Morales sums up a shopping experience at Canterbury stating, “You can’t always find what you’re looking for, but you can’t find anything anywhere else.”

masters in business at UCLA. I saw there was a need in the market because there were no chocolate and coffee shops using real ingredients.”

A year and a half ago she opened Amara Chocolate & Coffee where she serves delicate handmade pastries, desserts, truffles and a deliciously sweet assortment of chocolate drinks with imported Venezuelan chocolate.

One of the most delicious dishes at Amara’s is the Llanera Cachapa.

The patron has their choice of beef, chicken with black beans, sweet plantains and queso fresco. The Cachapa with beef boasts a wonderful flavor of the tender meat mixed with the right amount of sweetness from the fried plantain to create a perfect sugary and savory mix. All of this is piled on top of a housemade yellow corn crepe that melts in your mouth.

Amara’s has a wide variety of sweet treats from chocolate and guava croissants as well as their signature house made chocolate truffles. Perhaps their tastiest treats are the churros with dipping sauce.

Their churros are made fresh every single day and come with your choice of chocolate, Nutella, dulce de leche or guava dipping sauces.

They can also be ordered as a full dessert plate stacked with ice cream, fresh seasonal fruit or baked apple

cinnamon slices.

“We’re very well known for our churro, it’s really hard in LA to find places with churros made to order,” Barroeta said.

Barroeta’s churros are also made from a Spanish recipe with no dairy, so her churros are vegan as are their dipping sauces.

The clear standout in terms of the beverage selection is the signature espresso lattes made with coffee from Pasadena’s Jones Coffee Roasters, which Barroeta remarked was a really great partnership for her.

Even a drink as simple as the double macchiato is a step up from the mass produced fare of more commercial coffee shops. If you’re in the mood for something sweeter with your coffee, the affogato is a delicious treat of ice cream, nuts and dulce de leche in a glass with your espresso on the side to pour over top to suit your taste.

Amara’s stainless steel La Marzocco GB5 manual espresso machine is the centerpiece to craft-

Hannah Gonzales/Courier Records and CDs for sale at Canterbury records in Pasadena on Wednesday, April 13, 2016.

Amara: Venezuelan fare with sophistication and charm

Amber Lipsey Staff Writer

The smell of coffee beans, sugary treats and delicious sandwiches permeates the air in Amara Coffee and Chocolate, the tiny shop on South Raymond Avenue in Pasadena bathed in calming brown and earth tones. By far, Amara serves some of the smoothest, nuttiest and most flavorful coffee in the PCC area.

Within two blocks of campus sit two Starbucks locations; an obvious choice for a college community familiar, quick and a well-known hangout. But if you’re looking for something a bit more sophisticated, something made with hand-pulled espresso and real, smooth chocolate, Amara is far and away the best choice.

A family-owned and run business, Amara Barroeta, the proprietor, takes pride in running her shop every single day. Barroeta is a former Miss Venezuela contestant with a degree in chemical engineering and a background as a TV host and voice-over artist.

“I was first runner up in 2002 and then I started a career in media as TV host in Venezuela. I always had a dream of opening my own shop and having something of my own,” Barroeta said. “After I finished my degree I came to the US to pursue a

ing their signature drinks. A manual system to grind their coffee, tamp and hand pull the shots means more control over the quality and taste of their coffee, which Barroeta knows makes all the difference.

“When it comes to coffee, the water you get, the milk you use, the coffee you use, the grinder all of those are really important,” Barroeta said.

The Amara clientele is a diverse group from parents with their children, employees who work nearby, to students from the area, including

the college of music.

“We not only offer coffee but also we have food and we want people to experience what they’re eating and enjoying and nowadays it’s a tendency where people go to cafes and make their own offices. When you do food and put so much attention and care into it, you do want people to enjoy it,” Barroeta said. “I try to combine different ingredients that convey a message about what I love and places I’ve been so that our food tells a story and that’s what we want to offer in Pasadena.”

ASIAN AMERICAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISES, INC. A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO EMPLOYEMENT, EDUCATION, ENTERPRISE AND EXCELLENCE

AAEDE Internship Opportunity!!!

Deadline: Friday, May 27, 2016, 5:00 p.m.

Minimum Qualifications: -College students pursuing an Associates/Bachelor’s Degree in any subject.

-3.0 GPA or above -Academic students seeking professional training within an office, business environment.

-Analytical, relationship building, and interpersonal skills are essential.

-Strong organizational, written and verbal communication skills.

-Attention to detail and strong follow-through.

-Punctual, reliable and patient.

-Passionate about the mission and values of our organization.

-Flexible self-starter who can work both independently and in a team environ-­ ment with a positive can-do attitude and ability to multi-task.

-Comfortable developing resources and cultivating sustainable relationships internally and externally.

-Working knowledge of MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher and WordPress

Irma Carrillo/Courier Amara’s famous churros with a chocolate and guava dipping sauce, with three of her luxurious pleasure chocolate truffles on the side. Served with dark hot chocolate and most popular mocha.

Instructions for Applying: Please submit RESUME by Friday, May 27th, 2015, 5:00 p.m. via -Email: aaedeinfo@gmail.com Subject Line: AAEDE Internship For more information, visit aaede.org and check under internships

SPORTS

12 COURIER

April 21, 2016

Coach Miki Barber and her race to Rio

received a scholarship to attend the University of South Carolina, where she went from being an All-American runner, to a Double-A champion, to a professional athlete.

From there, she graduated with a degree in advertising and sports management, which she uses often to represent herself as a professional runner.

Barber has been a professional runner for the last 15 years, since she was 20 years old. Since then, she has had the experiences of being a signed athlete for Nike for six years, being part of three world champion track teams, and winning two world-champion gold medals.

Though she is not currently

signed with any kind of endorsement, she is looking forward to soon adding some new members of her support team as she embarks on her last hurrah as an Olympic athlete.

Barber is in her second year as an assistant coach at PCC and finds that the majority of her inspiration and motivation as a professional athlete comes from her student athletes and fellow coaches.

As the sprinting coach, Barber is a great source of motivation to the sprinters of the team.

“It’s a good experience working with her,” freshman sprinter David Purcell said in an interview. “She motivates everyone to become better. I’m blessed to have a coach that can help me to become faster and get me where I’m at right now.”

Barber’s ambition to be a part of the Rio Olympics has inspired Purcell and the rest of the team to train to be the best runners they can be so that they too can someday become Olympic athletes.

“They give me a lot of motivation,” Barber said. “I love working with them. They’re great students and I just want to show them that they have to be hard workers and that, if they want it, no one is going to give it to them. They may not go

game at 2.

Entering the bottom of the fifth inning, Holguin battled at the mound but gave up three runs, including a home run.

“Isaac has to pitch better. He didn’t pitch very good,” head coach Pat McGee said. “He struggled. He missed a few spots and they made him pay.”

From then on, the Lancers defense collapsed. They started to make small errors and let Mt. SAC take full advantage when they scored three more runs at the bottom of the seventh.

“We made mental errors,” Briggs said. “For the most part we did well, just a few things here and there.”

At the top of the ninth inning, PCC still had hope when third baseman Sean Fassler hit a triple to center field.

With two outs and one runner on-base, pressure was on second baseman Paul Christian to step up to the plate. Christian hit a single out to center field on the last pitch of the count and brought in Fassler, to tally his 23rd RBI of the season.

Unfortunately, Cage wasn’t able to push through as he struck out to end the game.

“I think the game got away from us because we didn’t play defense,” McGee said.

PCC walked away with only six hits and committed five errors.

Coach McGee said postgame that next game, “we’re going to win.”

The Lancers host Mt. SAC on Thursday April 21 at 2:30 p.m. at Brookside Park’s Jackie Robinson Memorial Field then travel to Mt. SAC on Saturday April 23 for the last game of the series at 2:30 p.m.

Samantha Molina/Courier Sophomore pitcher Isaac Holguin pitches at Mazmanian Field at Mt. San Antonio College on April 19. The Lancers lost the first of their three-game series against the Mounties, 9-4.

Photo courtesy of Miki Barber Angelique Andrade Staff Writer Though she is not currently a Lancer, assistant track and field coach Miki Barber is yet another success story to bolster the reputation of PCC as she trains for her spot on the U.S. Olympic team for this summer’s Rio Olympics.

Barber’s career as a track star began during her freshman year of high school in Montclair, New Jersey, where she first fell in love with track. What started as just an extracurricular activity to please her mother soon turned into a passion.

By her senior year, Barber had become a national champion and

to the Olympics, but every day they give 100 percent and that’s all I can ask for.”

Barber’s inspirational influence extends to her fellow coaches as well.

“Training for the Olympics takes tons and tons of hours of hard work, so it’s really a testament of her character and perseverance,” head coach Bobby Godinez said in an interview. “I think whenever you get someone with Olympic aspirations, it kind of feeds off into the group that they’re working with. Our athletes here hold her on a pedestal and really look up to her for guidance for where they want to be.”

Among her team of numerous trainers, coaches, family members and friends, Barber holds very high regard for Pat Williams, who she considers her role model and who she works alongside to make PCC’s track team the best that it can be.

“I love coming to see coach Pat,” Barber said. “He’s shown me a lot, and the students really respect him and love him. He’s been a fixture of that school for the past 30 years. That’s my main reason I love being there.

He’s helped built that whole team, so without him I wouldn’t be there.”

Another great source of support is her family of athletes, who range

“This is the way I would want to go out. Being on the Olympic team.”

— Miki Barber

from wrestlers to runners and others in-between. Her twin sister, Lisa Barber, who is training alongside for the Rio Olympics, is an especially essential inspiration.

“I’m a big family person, so the people who are there for me and support me mean a lot to me, and I mostly do it for them,” Barber said.

Barber’s main focuses are on sprinting, speed, and endurance as she trains for the Olympic trials taking place this July in Eugene, Oregon. Her performance goal is to cut down her time for the 100-meter dash to 11 seconds and remain consistent until the trials.

Thanks to all of the love and support surrounding her both at home and at PCC, Barber feels confident and hopeful for success during her last shot at an Olympic medal.

“I’ve had some injuries. I’ve had some good years and some bad years, and right now I think I’m in one of my best years … It’s been a good, long journey and I think I have a great shot at doing it,” she said.

To make it past the trials and become a part of the U.S. Olympic team to represent her country one last time would be the ultimate bittersweet ending to Barber’s career as a professional runner.

“This is the way I would want to go out,” Barber said. “Being on the Olympic team and representing the U.S.”

Baseball starts conference series with a loss to Mt. SAC Irma Carrillo Staff Writer

Coming off of a three-game winning streak against El Camino College-Compton Center, the Lancers weren’t able to keep that same momentum flowing as they lost to Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) on Tuesday, 9-4, to drop the first game of the conference series.

The Lancers started off strong when first baseman Joe Quire hit a double to right field and brought in two runs at the top of the first inning, making it his 19th and 20th RBI of the season.

With the Lancers’ energy up, pitcher Isaac Holguin was able to stress Mt. SAC at the plate, limiting the Mounties to one hit.

“When I’m on the mound, my mentality is nine on one. I’m just going to let them hit the ball and let my defense make all the plays for me,” Holguin said. “I definitely feel my defense was there for me.”

That’s exactly how the Lancers defense handled the field at the bottom of the second inning.

Though Holguin walked Mt. SAC’s first hiwtter, catcher Justin Cage made the first out when he slid for a bunt that popped up behind him.

Shortstop Alex Briggs followed with a double-play at second andfirst when Mounties infielder Esteban Ortega hit the ball down the middle.

Unfortunately, PCC slowly weakened when Mt. SAC’s pitcher made the Lancers struggle offensively and kept them from scoring any runs.

Instead, the Mounties responded with one run at the bottom of the third and fourth innings, tying the