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Volume 114 - Issue 8
President returns; sets 1st Town Hall
A FIRST AMENDMENT PUBLICATION
One copy free, each additional copy 50¢
May 4, 2011
Kat Mabry/ Roundup Following a three-month hiatus, Pierce College President Kathleen Burke-Kelley returned to campus this week to prepare for the first ever Town Hall on Thursday during which she plans to address proposed budget reductions threatening the 2011-2012 academic year. The meeting will begin at 12:45 p.m. in the Great Hall and is scheduled to end at 2 p.m. Faculty, students and the community are welcome. The proposed budget reductions facing the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) for the fiscal 2011-2012 year will also affect 112 other colleges statewide. Burke-Kelley began her presidency at Pierce College Aug. 1, 2010 and left to serve Los Angeles Mission College on Feb. 1, six months later. She officially returned to campus Monday, May 2. During her absence serving as Mission College interim president, Burke-Kelley sent out an email April 4 to faculty and staff, announcing her official return to Pierce College. Included in the email was a three-page newsletter, written by Burke-Kelley. The purpose of the newsletter was to discuss the breadth and depth of the expenditure reductions that must be considered to ensure that the college remains fiscally solvent, according to Burke-Kelley. There are three possible scenarios, according to Burke-Kelley. A five percent reduction would be the bestcase scenario; the 15 percent reduction is what is referred to as an ‘All Cuts Budget,’ and the worst-case scenario is an 18 percent reduction. “This presents the college with a number of very difficult decisions,” said Burke-Kelley in her newsletter. It’s possible that 700 Full Time Equivalent Students (FTES) would need to be cut from each primary term, spring and fall, to achieve the best-case scenario. This would mean reducing each semester by 175 sections. That is the best that can be hoped for. “In addition to the cancellation of classes as a means of reducing expenditures, the college is reviewing the possibility of freezing all hiring to save salary and benefit costs,” said Burke-Kelley in her newsletter. However, the governor is still exploring other options to avoid an all cuts budget scenario and intends to place new taxes on the November ballot through the initiative process, according to Burke-Kelley. The LACCD’s District Budget Committee met April 6 to discuss the proposed tentative budget and how the cuts would impact the district in 2011-2012. During the most recent Pierce College Council (PCC) meeting on campus, Kenneth Takeda, Pierce College vice president of Administrative Services discussed two (of the three) possible scenarios. Takeda confirmed that there would be no winter session next Jan. and 50 class offerings will be cut. Governor Jerry Brown’s January budget proposal recommended reducing support to the 112 community colleges statewide by $400 million. Increasing tuition from $26 to $36 per unit was intended to alleviate some of that reduction. This would cut the original reduction of $400 million to $290 million system-wide. “[The state] assumed that the $10 increase would generate an additional $110 million in new revenue state-wide,” said Takeda. The LACCD will finish finalizing the tentative budget for the fiscal year by the end of May. Gov. Brown will also release his revised budget, that includes the additional revenue paid through income and property taxes at the end of this month. “With no clear pathway to raising additional revenues colleges statewide are bracing for the doomsday scenarios that involve closing the budget deficit through cuts only,” according to the newsletter. Additional reporting by Lorrie Reyes/Roundup
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Jose Romero/ Roundup
GRATITUDE: Pierce College Criminal Justice major Geo Castaneda, Army Specialist Veteran, walks by a sign which reads “Thank you USA Osama DEAD” at the Winnetka entrance to Pierce College on Monday.
Osama bin Laden death causes emotion on campus Staff/ Roundup
As the rest of the world reacts to the death of Osama bin Laden, those who lost loved ones in 9-11 have strong emotions resurface from that day ten years ago when a stunned nation watched as the two towers fell. Students and faculty at Pierce College had their own feelings on the historical day of triumph. Bin Laden was pronounced dead Sunday night as a result of a U.S. military operation conducted in Pakistan. The rest of the world heaved a sigh of relief. The CIA led a Seal team into a compound located in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a mission to kill or capture Bin Laden, according to the LA Times. Bin Laden, who has been on the FBI’s most wanted list since 1999, was considered the world’s most wanted criminal. He was responsible for founding one of the world’s leading terrorist organizations, al-Qaeda, responsible for 9-11 attacks on the United States. Security As a result of Osama Bin Laden’s death there is increased security at airports across the country, although passengers at LAX were not experiencing delays, according to the LA Times. The County of Los Angeles, and Pierce College is not under a specific threat according to Cristian Valenzuela, Sherriff’s Security Officer from Pierce College. However, the Sherriff’s office at Pierce College has been told to remain vigilant in their mission to preserve peace and prop-
erty and life. The Sherriff’s remain ready to respond to anything that may threaten the safety of Pierce College students. Bin Laden’s death has sparked a world wide alert for possible acts of terrorism from supporters of al-Qaeda. “Every person here has a duty to perform in an active shooter situation,” said Valenzuela.
Veterans While scenes of jubilation stream in from Washington and New York City, the Student Veteran Organization, which advocates for the roughly 500 veterans of Pierce College, thought that justice had been served, but little would change in the way of policy: Juan Pablo Sirri, said word of Bin Laden’s death was “Good news.” “It’s a good day, it’s a great day to be an American,” he said. Sirri, 24, a U.S. Marine sergeant and Iraq war veteran, serves as the SVO’s “group operations” expert. This gives closure to the people who lost their loved one,” he said. SVO president Christopher Sorbello, 30, was an Army veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom from 2001-2007. “Our main goal is that we’re not going to deter from the enemy, and that’s what [this mission] showed,” said Sorbello. But even with the death of Bin Laden, United States terror policy “is not gonna change at all,” said SVO vice president and veteran Coast Guard petty officer 3rd class Kort Huettinger, 31.
In fact, none of the SVO leaders thought that Osama bin Laden’s death would impact terror policy, but the morale of al Qaeda “was bent,” said Huettinger. Students weren’t the only ones with opinions on the matter.
Predictions for the future After 25 years of teaching, Lulu Laing, Adjunct Professor of Economics, sees bin Laden’s death as an opportunity for America to improve its economical status. Laing learned the news online from her home Sunday night and like other Americans, was excited that he had been killed. “I was happy about the news and think that it will give us pride as a nation, so that we can move forward,” said Laing. The economy has many domestic problems and bin Laden’s death will inspire people to focus on them, according to Laing. “I predict that his death will inspire people, regardless if they are Democrat or Republican,” said Laing. Some economist are predicting that within the next five years China’s economy will be the number one in the world if we do not rectify our financial problems here at home, according to Laing. “I think that his death will serve as a reminder to Americans that we can do anything, including improving our economy,” said Laing. Laing remembered where she was ten years ago, when the twin towers fell as a result of Osama Bin Laden’s world changing attack in New York.
Campus Comments: What was your reaction? “ItexistedbeforeOsama bin Laden and it will after him, so we mustcontinuetofight against it.” - Dr. Kassem Nabulsi, Assistant Professor of Poltitical Science
“Ourmaingoalisthatwe’re notgoingtodeterfromthe enemy, and that’s what [this mission] showed.” - SVO president Christopher Sorbello, an Army veteran
“I was a full-time professor at Osaka Sangyo University [a private university in Daito, Osaka Japan], my heart sunk and I was furious and wanted the government to bring us justice,” said Laing. “We are a great nation and should look forward to a bright and prosperous future.” Dr. Kassem Nabulsi, Assistant Professor of Political Science explains what he thinks the political outcome of the United States killing Osama bin Laden will be. “On an international level, one may argue that America’s accountability has been restored,” said Nabulsi. He explained how there are some immediate changes that he has noticed since the announcement of bin Laden’s death. “I looked at the Stock Market today and noticed that the American dollar has been strengthened compared to other currencies and I believe that this is an instant result of his death,” said Nabulsi. Nabulski elaborated on how his death will hopefully discourage future terrorist action. “By taking away their spiritual leader may deter their recruitment and in the long run violence will eventually decrease,” said Nabulsi. “I was extremely pleased with our President’s remarks about how our fight against extremist isn’t over, it existed before Osama bin Laden and it will after him, so we must continue to fight against it.”
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“I predict that his death will inspire people,regardless iftheyareDemocrat or Republican.” - Lulu Laing, Adjunct Professor of Economics