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Pg 5 – From the Archives, w/ sidebar Articles spotlight exemplary instructors

By SIERRA RUSSELL

Notable instructors have been featured in the Aztec Press since its earliest issues. Many talked about how they were inspired to teach, often through the help of other teachers and students.

Math instructor Norbert Pittner and Raquel Rubio-Goldsmith, who taught history and sociology, received creative teaching awards from the Pima Community College Foundation in 1984. Both were hired as PCC instructors in 1969.

“What turned me on to math was a teacher I had in junior high; he made it all come alive,” Pittner said.

“I’m fortunate to have a job I really like,” Rubio-Goldsmith said. “PCC allows a connection between higher learning and the community.”

In the late ‘70s, an article featured Donald A. Graham, a bearded Sufi priest with spectacles and a wide smile who had earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a master’s degree from University of California, Berkeley.

Graham also taught at Yale, but said he was happy to be teaching religion and writing classes at PCC because he felt it was a part of his spiritual path.

“In reality, everything is so beautiful, shining and luminous,” Graham said. “It is only because of our limited viewpoint that we see evil and ugliness.”

He continued to explain the spiritual path. “At some point, every being will feel a sense of emptiness and will begin to seek something to fill that emptiness.”

Graham filled the empty void through the mystic practice of Sufism.

“Instead of seeking enlightenment by sitting in a cave or a cell,” Graham said, “Sufis pursue their path in the midst of human life and learn to see God in every being they encounter.”

Mentalist Ross Horwitz helped students “hone their psychic skills” in a course he taught in the early ‘90s.

“It doesn’t matter if a person has true psychic ability or if it’s just a very high power of perception,” Horwitz said. “What matters is the way these skills are used.”

The class covered such topics as the history of Gypsies and subliminal signaling.

“I went into teaching the subject because I believe that someone who is an educator should lead a student further,” Horwitz said. “I want the skeptics that join the class to leave with more of an understanding and less skepticism.”

In the fall of 1991, writing instructor Meg Files was featured because of her recently published novel, “Meridian 144.”

Files talked about the four years it took her to write the novel, including the times when she was tempted to “throw the whole thing out the nearest window.” During the editing process, she discarded her prologue and completely rewrote the protagonist.

Nevertheless, Files was pleased with the final results and said she learned a lot from the editing process.

Her advice for the unpublished writer: “Read and read, and write and write.”

Another article from 1991 featured instructor Helena de Crespo, who taught Speech 105. The course primarily helped students interested in drama, singing and public speaking but was open to anyone.

Topics included hip and abdominal exercises, plus jaw, lip and tongue movements. Students also received instruction in panting and controlled breathing.

“Breathing is everything,” Crespo said. “You must learn how to latch onto your voice and use it.”

FROM THE ARCHIVES 1970s saw influx of Vietnam vets

By SIERRA RUSSELL

In 1975, Pima Community College officially observed its first Veterans Day celebration.

Festivities included live music, guest speakers, a flag raising ceremony and a shrine to honor Col. Gutterson, a former POW.

The Rincon Exchange Program donated the Freedom Shrine, which featured a variety of commemorative plaques including 28 documents ranging from the Bill of Rights to the World War II treaty.

Aztec Press reported in Fall 1975 that colleges across the nation were experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of veterans enrolling. “Nowhere is this more evident than in the community college,” staff writer Eddie Terrell observed.

Then, as now, PCC had the highest vet enrollment of any college in the state.

A 1977 Veterans Day celebration offered advice from officials who could answer questions about disability claims and dishonorable discharge. There were also doctors present to talk about drug abuse, rehabilitation programs and counseling.

“We’re encouraging vets to come meet these people,” Veterans Advisor Mike St. John said. “A lot of the problems vets come to us with are beyond our scope. This will give them a chance to find out what to do to solve them.”

Proper use of GI Bill funds was a major topic in the late ‘70s. Stories reported cases of fraud, as well as a general sense of confusion and frustration.

By Spring 1978, signs of improvement were becoming evident. VA administrator Max Cleland and a Veteran’s Affairs Committee began working through previous problems by keeping in close contact with the education community.

In 1979, the newspaper interviewed Vietnam veteran James E. Kruse. He joined the Army in 1967 after a Las Vegas judge said charges for possession of marijuana would be dropped if he joined. He was 17 at the time. Within a year, he was in Vietnam.

“I was brought up believing that our government could do no wrong, as taught in history books and projected by the news,” Kruse said.

After serving 18 months in Vietnam, Kruse returned “disillusioned with the country, full of questions and not getting any answers from the government regarding moral issues.”

He searched for answers among the many movements surfacing, and experimented with drugs.

“We did a lot of acid in those days,” Kruse said. “Many people in the Army got into heavy drugs.”

Eventually he left the party scene.

“I didn’t find any fulfillment in drugs either,” Kruse said. “Inside I had a yearning to accomplish something.”

Kruse was working as a hospital orderly and continuing his education at PCC. He said the youth of his generation were looking for something to live for, something to fight for.

“They started waking up to a more active way of thinking,” he said. “They demanded facts instead of just submissiveness. They weren’t going to take the ‘moon is made of green cheese’ attitude anymore.”

From the archives: Satanic rituals common in 1990s

By SIERRA RUSSELL

Satanism and witchcraft were popular topics in the pages of the Aztec Press 20 years ago.

Areas such as Greasewood Park near Pima Community College West Campus, Peppersauce Canyon and Picacho Peak were notorious for occult activity.

Many satanic ritual sites were found around Halloween, according to officials.

“We’re in the field a lot and stumble across rituals. An officer can be in considerable danger,” said Tim Baumgarten, program coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish department. “By killing a police officer, they would gain a lot of strength in that ritual.”

A November 1991 story followed the case of former PCC students who appeared on a controversial cable show, “The Great Satan at Large.”

Host Louis Perfidio dressed like the devil while drinking beer and cursing frequently in a guttural voice.

The program opened with a shot of a U.S. flag with a swastika spray-painted on it. During the show, violent and sexual images flashed on a screen.

The show was cancelled after only a few episodes and sparked a debate over free speech.

Michael Sherman, “The Sexecutioner,” and Thomas Ferguson, “The Jester,” faced four felony charges for obscenity. Perfidio was indicted for presentation of obscene materials and commercial exploitation of a minor.

The minor was Kerie Ann Francis, “Morticia the Limitless Sex Slave.” She was 17 when the shows aired, and married Sherman several weeks later.

“They’re saying I was sexually exploited by my husband,” Francis said at her arraignment. “I am not a victim.”

Sam Behrend, executive director of Tucson Community Cable, called the case “a classic issue of when rights collide.”

In October 1992, PCC student Diana Vicari was murdered. Her severed arms were found in a dumpster. Although there was no evidence linking her death to cults, satanic symbols were discovered near the dumpster.

A December 1992 issue covered a seminar on satanic cults and rituals. One speaker was Deb Kirk, a therapist and specialist in sexual abuse who worked with survivors of cult-affiliated abuse.

“You can’t protect yourself or your family if you don’t recognize that there are people who want to exploit and hurt you,” Kirk said.

The article warned that satanic followers are not always stereotypical characters.

“You wouldn’t know if your neighbor or the person next to you was in a cult just by appearance alone,” Kirk said.

Kirk warned desert enthusiasts to be aware of fire-rings and symbols such as pentagrams and ancient scripts, and encouraged students not to let fear or anger control them.

“Take power back by making constructive changes in your behavior to help keep yourself safe,” Kirk said.

A 1991 Halloween issue reported that a doe’s severed head had been found in a mailbox.

“All the brains were gone, the right ear was cut off,” Tucson Police Department officer John Burrow said. “It was kind of jagged and rough but it was clean cut, like you cut out of a jack-o-lantern.”

An Aztec Press staff writer questioned Wiccan religion members of the Desert Henge Coven.

“Witches are so anti-killing,” high priestess Jane Dark Wynd said.

High priest Rik Johnson explained, “Wicca is a nature religion with teachings designed to keep people closer to nature.”

Coven members participate in rituals, many of which are performed naked in remote sites, Johnson said, but the rituals are not violent.

“We go in to the Red Cross and we donate blood, that’s how we do blood sacrifices,” Johnson said.

Groups seek alternative to Columbus Day

By SIERRA RUSSELL

In the early issues of the Aztec Press, Columbus Day was mentioned almost as rarely as the observance of Halloween.

In the decades that followed, Halloween gained popularity and eventually earned annual recognition. This is not the case with Columbus Day, which is featured only a handful of times in the pages of October publications.

An article from 1979 outlines the history of the holiday, taking note of both the 300^th and 400^th anniversaries of the initial arrival of Christopher Columbus on American soil. The earliest celebrations of the holiday were generally honored by Italian Americans.

In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation encouraging U.S. citizens to “cease from toil and devote themselves to such exercises as may best express honor to the discoverer and their appreciation of the great achievements of the four completed centuries of American life.”

Many students, from yesterday and today, know that Columbus “sailed the ocean blue” in the year 1492. Few students are aware of the controversy that is associated with the holiday, yet that is changing.

This controversy is reflected in the pages of the Aztec Press, particularly in an article from October 2000. The article covered the 2^nd annual Celebration and Remembrance of the Children of the Sun, which was also referred to as Counter-Columbus Day.

One of the organizers of the event was a Native American, Roland Goodbird Salinas.

“Counter-Columbus Day is an educational day to inform people that Christopher Columbus didn’t find America,” Salinas said. “And to teach people that our people did.”

When Columbus arrived in the Bahamas on Oct. 12, 1492, he thought he had reached an Asian spice island.

It wasn’t until his third voyage to the Americas that Columbus realized he was not exploring Asian territories. Instead, he was venturing into a “new world.”

For centuries Columbus has been credited with “discovering” a land that was already inhabited by various tribes.

The indigenous people of the Bahamas were forced into slavery by Columbus and the settlers who followed him. Some tribesmen and women were brought back to Europe as slaves or trophies.

The dark details of exactly how Columbus “discovered” America have sparked much opposition to the federal holiday.

One opposition group is the Transform Columbus Day Alliance, based in Denver. The alliance organizes rallies and events to help spread awareness about the meaning of the holiday.

Their principles are explained on their website, transformcolumbusday.org.

One statement reads, “The destruction of the indigenous peoples of the Americas and Africa is considered to be an acceptable cost for the construction of the current settler societies of the Western hemisphere. We denounce these theories and practices.”

Other societies that have attempted to transform the holiday include South Dakota’s Native American Day and Hawaii’s Discoverer’s Day.

In 2002, Venezuela changed the name of Columbus Day to Dia de la Resistencia Indigena (Day of the Indigenous Resistance). Many other Latin American countries observe Dia de la Raza (Day of the People/Race) instead of Columbus Day.

Despite the differences of name and meaning, most celebrations offer similar events ranging from pow-wows to parades.

At the 2^nd annual Counter-Columbus Day, dancers for Mexica, also known as the Aztecs, performed dances such as The Dance of Rain (Tlaloc), The Dance of the Ancestors (Chi Chi Mecca) and the Dance of the Four Directions (Naui Ollin).

 “We do the dances to honor the different spirits and elements of the universe,” dancer Ella Zepeda said. “The reason we offer prayers through our dances is to remember our people and remember the struggle and sacrifice our ancestors went through, so we can make sure they live on in balance and in harmony with the elements in the universe.”

Costume winners display creativity

A Halloween cartoon from a 1976 issue of the student newspaper.

By SIERRA RUSSELL

Over the past 40 years, Pima Community College students newspaper have chosen Halloween costumes ranging from Strawberry Shortcake to Morticia Addams.

Costumes were rarely featured in early issues of the school paper. The only mention of the Halloween holiday was found in occasional cartoons, one of which featured President Richard Nixon as Frankenstein’s monster.

A 1980 fall issue covered a Halloween event on West Campus that served “southern fried human legs.” Costumes donned at the time included the Mad Hatter, Strawberry Shortcake, zombies, ghouls and psychotic clowns.

During the ‘80s, Halloween costumes became a more popular topic in fall issues. This was partially because the photography quality of the school paper was improving.

In 1985, a blood drive was held in conjunction with the annual costume contest. The costume winner that year was Dracula’s bride.

Two years later, the contest winner donned a freakish mask, plaid pants and a tie. Other contestants included a nun, witch, jailbird, French maid and Morticia Addams.

A 1988 article encouraged students to take a creative and economical route for costumes by searching attics, basements and thrift stores. Costume suggestions included Paul Bunyan and Rambo.

A year later, the top three contenders in the costume contest were an old Chinaman, the Pokémon Blackthorn dragon and Raggedy Ann.

A 1993 issue spotlighted theater department costume skills. Students used makeup to create Marilyn Monroe look-alikes, Neanderthals and Japanese samurais.

The following year, a cave woman took first place in the costume contest, and “brontosaurus burgers” were served. Little Bo Peep and Elvis Presley also made an appearance that year.

“Nightmare on Congress Street” was featured in 2000. Students photographed in that issue included a burly man dressed as Tinkerbell with a cigar dangling from his mouth.

In the same issue, students were asked their opinions about the best and worst Halloween costumes.

Cassandra Posing said Cleopatra was one of the best costumes, but also one of the hardest to pull off well.

Kerri Lichtenberger thought Teletubbies were the worst costumes, while Janet Gallegos said, “I think the best costume is always the original one.”

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Features spotlight fall fashion trends

By SIERRA RUSSELL

Fall fashion trends have been a common subject in many September issues of Aztec Press.

In 1983, Georgeanne Fimbres of Pima Community College’s fashion design and clothing department predicted a nonromantic or practical trend.

“The computer age, math and high technology will all affect fashion trends,” she said.

Almost three decades later, many students are happy to leave behind the polka-dots and ruffles of the ‘80s. Others confidently reinvent styles donned in previous decades.

From the same 1983 issue, a headline reads “Preppy style dominates fall scene.”

Writer Cindy Roedig wrote about the “elegant tailored look of the 1890s” and said “preppy” and “new wave” styles echo fashions from the late 1800s.

“This style is found mostly in blouses, and characterized by this ‘leg of mutton’ sleeve with a buttoned collar and neck bow,” Roedig wrote.

She also mentioned the comeback of the cowl neck.

“Men’s fashions, as a whole, have changed little,” she added. “We should still see clothing similar to last year’s styles.”

Writer Lisa Pawley asked six students about clothing choices.

Only one, Shawn McHugh, was male. “I’m not a very fashionable man,” he said. “I usually look for comfort, a good fit.”

Monica Nafarrate was another student seeking comfort.

“I look for something I can live in,” she said. On West Campus, she wanted clothes that allowed her to “walk around in, walk upstairs in, especially with all these stairs.”

Other students discussed the “new wave look” and listed garments such as cut-off sweatshirts, geometric prints, sleeveless T-shirts and painter hats.

A featured photo showed two students walking down a hallway wearing jeans. The caption read, “Two Pima students cross the West Campus in the longest-standing clothing fashion, jeans.”

Denim has withstood the test of time since Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss patented blue jeans in1873.

Jeans have changed shape, color and design over the years, but remain popular.

Aztec Press photo by Sierra Russell.

’80s reporter covered Mexico City earthquake

By CHELO GRUBB

aztecpress@pima.edu

Almost all equipment needed to produce a newspaper has changed over the last 30 years. Newsrooms used to be littered with pica rulers, proportion wheels and Exacto knives.

Nowadays, all that is really needed is an Associated Press stylebook and a computer equipped with word processing and page design software.

However, one constant remains: journalists.

Twenty-eight years ago, Pima Community College student Jim Posner joined the Aztec Press staff. During his time on the paper from 1983-85, Posner wrote about everything from political candidates to enjoying the taste of beer before noon on Sundays.

Posner’s biggest story was brought on by a natural disaster. In September 1985, a devastating earthquake hit Mexico City.

U.S. Sen. Dennis DeConcini, D-Ariz., presented PCC with a list of 143 names. The people on the list had been in Mexico the day of the quake, but had not gotten in touch with their Tucson connections since the event.

The college handed the list over to the newspaper as information for an article.

Posner went to Mexico City, enlisted help and began making phone calls, searching for the missing people.

The Aztec Press reported that Posner found five families during his first night of calls.

DeConcini thanked Posner aloud in Congress, so that his efforts would be recorded in the Congressional Record.

While he was in Mexico, Posner put together an article on what Mexico needed to heal. He also composed a photo essay illustrating Mexico City in the weeks after the earthquake. The package was printed in the Aztec Press on Oct. 23, 1985.

Posner got his start in journalism while enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, writing for Center Air Material Area Europe. He wrote music reviews, plus stories on newcomers to each unit and on the air police.

At PCC, Posner left in mid-semester during Fall 1985 to pursue career as a photojournalist.

He remembers a slightly different journalism program than what exists today.

In 1983, the Aztec Press published every week. The newsroom was about 75 percent smaller, students bought personal ads in the paper and there were weekly Friday morning meetings.

While working at the paper, Posner’s titles were in sales, distribution and office management.

Posner, who is now retired, recently returned to PCC to speak with current staffers.

“It’s been about 25 years since I’ve been gone,” he said. “It’s kind of like an anniversary.”

From the Archives: 1981 editorial called for stricter gun laws

By CHELO GRUBB

aztecpress@pima.edu

Over the past 40 years, the Aztec Press has published many articles and editorials regarding state and national gun laws.

In April 1981, staff writer Kate Faggella wrote an editorial listing then-recent gun-related deaths or accidents. She wrote:

• Last July in Tucson, a father accidently shot and killed his 14-year-old son. He thought the boy was a burglar.
• In January 1980, a man accidently shot and killed himself while demonstrating the safety features on his pistol.
• In December, singer John Lennon was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman.
• Last week, the president of the United States was shot by John Warnock Hinckley Jr.

“All these guns were apparently easily and legally purchased,” Faggella wrote.

In 1981, Arizonans needed only a driver’s license to buy a handgun.

Faggella’s editorial called for stronger legislation. “Handgun legislation may not reduce crime in America, but handgun legislation would certainly reduce the deaths from this all-too-common weapon,” she wrote.

In the last 12 years, there have been 18 mass shootings nationwide, including those at Columbine, Virginia Tech, Fort Hood and Tucson.

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence cites the following statistics:

• Thirteen of the 18 mass shootings have been in states with lenient gun laws.
• Zero of the shootings were stopped by a pedestrian with a handgun.
• Arizona had 15 gun-related deaths per 100,000 people in 2007, when the national average was 11.

After the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, the federal government set out new laws for gun sales.

Anyone purchasing a gun must undergo a background check and fill out a 4473 form that registers the weapon’s serial number. A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives form asks about citizenship, plus criminal and mental history. Lying on the 4473 is a felony.

States are required to report to the national background-check system the names of anyone deemed mentally incompetent or committed for mental-health treatment. People on the list are not permitted to own a gun.

However, records provided by the Arizona Department of Justice suggest that only about one-third of the names that should be reported are on the list. Some lawmakers say that at least two million dangerously mentally ill people are missing from the national list.

In Arizona, three pending bills would allow guns on college campuses for instructors and others over the age of 21, as long as they have a valid permit. (See related story, this page.)

Despite Arizona’s reputation for being a gun-friendly state, a 2008 public radio poll found that 73 percent of registered Arizona voters opposed allowing people to carry concealed weapons in bars or on college campuses.

However, others feel that allowing guns on campus would make schools safer.

Jordan Condra, a Pima Community College journalism student, is a gun advocate who supports the idea of students and teachers being able to carry weapons on campus.

“You know when you walk on campus and it says ‘gun free zone?’ Is a criminal or a crazy person going to see that sign and say ‘Ugh, guess I can’t do what I came here to do?’” Condra asked. “The only people that really hurts is the law-abiding citizens.”

Condra carries a .22-caliber handgun that her father gave her.

“I carry it everywhere I’m allowed,” she said. “It makes me feel so safe because I’m such a tiny, not so strong, person. A gun is really my only means of defense.”

Condra doesn’t think extreme cases should taint gun ownership as a whole. “It just makes me sad that these isolated events overshadow all the good people who have guns,” she said.

She believes criminals will find a way to access guns despite tightened regulations, and wants to be able to defend herself.

“I know that I feel a lot safer knowing I have my gun with me,” she said.

Quality notes help ensure success in the classroom

By CHELO GRUBB

In February 1979, the Aztec Press printed an article prompting students to make their time in class “note-worthy.”

The article gave tips for taking worthwhile notes during class, such as writing in shorthand and attaching contact information in case of a misplaced notebook.

While note taking is still a vital part of a successful education, modern students are presented with additional challenges.

Cary Monberg is a math adjunct faculty member at Pima Community College who initially attended college in 1982.

Monberg says students are now expected to learn at a much faster rate because so much new material has been added to the curriculum over the last 20 years.

“While I might have had six years to learn algebra, students today might have a year and a half,” he said.

Faster-paced courses aren’t the only new obstacle. Students are also faced with balancing busy schedules.

The number of college students working full-time or part-time has gone from 49 percent in 1984 to 78 percent now, according to a recent study by the American Council on Education.

In order to meet their responsibilities, many students have begun enrolling in online classes. While the classes do not have scheduled meeting times, PCC cautions that most courses are not self-paced. Students must log in frequently to keep up.

Regardless of whether a course is offered online or in a classroom, students aim to succeed.

The 1979 Aztec Press article laid out basics: Be on time, take good notes and copy everything the instructor writes on the board.

Monberg adds additional suggestions for college students: pursue a degree that interests them, take advantage of small class sizes at community colleges, get to know their instructors and write books.

When he was a student, Monberg filled a five-subject notebook in one semester with his notes from a chemistry class.

After he copied every table, rewrote the core information and tied concepts together, he was able to use his notes as a reference and sell his textbooks.

Rewriting textbooks may not be for everyone, but Monberg believes in his system. Once he adopted his method, Monberg earned 39 consecutive A’s.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Early Pima newspapers record beginning of Aztec Sports

By JAMES KELLEY

Pima Community College student newspapers and Aztec sports both had humble and confusing beginnings.

The college held its first classes in 1969 and officially opened in 1970, but the start of the Aztec Press and Pima sports are a bit more hazy.

A student newspaper named Graffiti Press started in 1970. That was the first of six names before the publication became Aztec Press in 1981.

A “Department of Mass Communications” launched a publication called Campus News in 1973. The Library of Congress believes that newspaper evolved into the Aztec Press after a few name changes, but is also unsure when publication of the Graffiti Press ceased.

In 1975, the Campus News newspaper and Pima's athletic department held a logo contest.

In the sports arena, Pima’s first athletes played on club teams.

A judo martial arts team started in 1970, and was the first Pima team to advance to Nationals. It even hosted Nationals in 1974, where it finished second.

In 1971, teams included “girls’” volleyball, men’s softball (Pima Suns) and baseball (Pima Giants.) Softball and baseball played in a city league, while against teams like Frontier Liquor and the Jewish Community Center.

Intercollegiate sports officially began in 1973, when Pima launched men’s cross country, wrestling, men’s basketball, men’s track and baseball teams.

The athletic department celebrated the 25th anniversary of Pima sports in 1995, but now considers 1973 its launch year.

A 1973 fencing team won Pima’s first trophy.

In 1974, when only men played on the golf team, coach Bill Johnson was 20 years old. He coached one player who was 42 and another who was 30 years old.

The first successful team sport was “girls’” basketball, which in 1975 notched Pima’s first back-to-back winning seasons.

During the 1970s, the Campus News played a significant role with Pima’s logos.

In a Sept. 28, 1973 story, the CN explained Pima’s logo, designed by Gill Kenny, coordinator of Communigraphics and Reprographics Services. The logo is a “stylized ‘P’” that is repeated in a circle and is used today.

In 1975, the Campus News and the athletic department sponsored a “Draw the Aztec” contest after the sports editor and Pima’s first athletic director, Larry Toledo, decided the college needed an Aztec logo to go with the standard circle “P” logo.

Pima's logo is a "stylized P," repeated and highlighted here in orange, PCC's orignal color.

The contest offered more than $200 in prizes, including a $100 scholarship.

In May 1975, judges chose a logo by design major Bob Einfrank. The multi-Aztec head was put on sports uniforms and used as the newspaper’s logo.

The athletic department drew criticism in the 2000s when it began limiting recruitment to in-state athletes, but the philosophy was not new. Pima originally recruited only Tucson athletes, though it welcomed out-of-state athletes who decided on their own to enroll.

Pima’s most recent sport – football – was almost one of the first. In the mid-1970s, it seemed likely that football would be added, but the program stalled when voters rejected a $9.5 million bond by an almost 2-1 margin. Football was eventually added in 2001.

The Campus News alternately supported and trashed the potential football team.

A 1974 column said Pima students should follow Scottsdale Community College’s lead. At Scottsdale, students voted against a football team. When the school added one anyway, students voted to name the team the “Fighting Artichokes” and make pink their color.

In the early 1970s, PCC teams didn’t have an on-campus gym or home fields. The school did have cheerleaders and song leaders, and composers were working on a fight song. Two “authentic” Aztec mascots were also in the works.

Men’s basketball got off to a grand start in 1973, hosting the International Friendship Festival Tournament that opened on (tape delayed) TV. The athletic director, Toledo, gave 1,000 free tickets to students.

The start of Aztec sports coincided with the 1972 adoption of Title IX, the federal legislation that forbids schools to discriminate on the basis of gender.

Gradually, Pima’s female sports teams moved from club to varsity status and changed their names from “girls’” to “women’s.”

Progress wasn’t immediate. In 1974, Pima’s first women’s softball team had just 12 players. Stories didn’t indicate how many outfielders the team used.

In a 1974 story, the Campus News revealed that both basketball teams shared locker rooms. The men dressed while the females were playing their second half, and the women changed during the guys’ game.

The Arizona Community College Athletic Conference voted in 1975 to add women’s sports.

Only a few Pima teams (cross country, volleyball and baseball) currently compete against four-year schools. In the 1970s, however, the Aztecs regularly played university club teams.

If it had added football, Pima would have played junior varsity teams from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University.

The men’s basketball team did play against JV teams, and the Campus News couldn’t resist an occasionally snarky comment. When Pima beat UA’s JV team in 1975, a cutline said the Aztecs beat the “Wildkittens” 95-71.

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Aztec Press History
Graffiti Press: 1970-1973
Campus News: 1973-1977
The Downtowner: 1975-1981
Aztec Campus News: 1977-1978
Aztec News: 1978-1981
Aztec Press (merger of Downtowner and Aztec News): 1981-1986
Aztec: 1986-1987
Aztec Press: 1987-
AztecPressOnline.com: 2010-

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Eat, drink and be merry

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Eat, drink and be merry

By SIERRA RUSSELL

aztecpress@pima.edu

As another fall semester comes to a close, the holidays rapidly approach. Students and faculty are encouraged to eat, drink and be merry, as well as focus on exams, buy gifts and determine holiday plans.

With the stress and excitement that accompanies the season, it’s no wonder that eating and drinking help many make it through to spring semester.

Hearty meals are a major focus around the winter holidays, and Aztec Press examined what is on our dinner tables from a variety of angles over the years. The student newspaper shared recipes and reviewed restaurants.

An article written in the late 1970s questioned the freshness and vitality of common foods. At the time, several students were conducting a research project on maintaining a safer diet.

A staff writer wrote that food ingredients “are largely battered, heated, frozen or pulverized out… then needled with dozens of other additives.”

The article encouraged readers to check the definitions of ingredients found in many “junk” foods, and to practice a vegetarian diet.

An article in the 1984 Christmas issue peered into the lifestyle of a person with an eating disorder. The story explained that fear and anxiety about eating lavish meals increase as the holidays approach.

The article offered advice, encouraging students with eating disorders to see the holidays as a time to seek help and return to a healthy diet.

Drink recipes have appeared in the Aztec Press, including one for Kahlua printed in 1985, less than a year before Arizona’s legal drinking age was raised from 18 to 21. The recipe increased the proof of the alcohol from the typical 50 proof to above 90 proof.

A 1987 story looked at alcoholism and its similarities to codependency. The article described four common stages of codependency, and provided relationship examples. It also listed five simple steps for independence from destructive lifestyles.

In the late ‘70s, the Aztec Press featured a “mental health quotient” asking readers simple questions about their state of mind. The questions focused on realistic goals, accepting responsibility, feelings of low self-worth and fears of the future.

Articles in the mid-1980s also reported on mental illness.

A 1984 story examined mental health programs offered to refugees living in the state. At the time, Arizona was considered to have some of the best refugee resettlement facilities in the nation. However, Arizona ranked 49^th in funding for mental health services.

Aztec Press writer Adam Stevenson wrote in a 1985 issue, “Clinical experience has proven that with proper, consistent treatment most people with mental illness can become productive, self-supporting citizens.”

This time of year often can make the soundest of minds question their sanity, as students deal with the frenzy of holiday shopping and an onslaught of finals and semester projects.

In the 1984 Christmas issue, PCC counselor Cindy Arem shared techniques to help students fend off “student burn-out syndrome,” defined as “a slow, progressive process occurring throughout the academic year and often reaching a climax… just before finals.”

Symptoms include energy depletion, irritability, daydreams, lack of motivation and pessimism. Ignoring the symptoms may result in severe illness, cheating, failing or dropping out of school.

Arem advised students to eat nutritionally, get adequate sleep, include physical exercise and use relaxation techniques on a regular basis.

She also encouraged students to talk to friends, loved ones or a counselor about their problems, to get feedback or simply to vent.

Arem stressed the importance of having time for oneself, noting that long walks and journaling can help relieve stress.

She also warned about the common practice of self-medication through use of drugs and alcohol, explaining that while temporary relief may alleviate stress, self-medication merely masks the underlying problems.

If finances and holiday shopping are sources of stress, advice from a 1979 issue may help. Readers were prompted to cut costs by giving “recycled” gifts found in closets, bookshelves or attics.

The Aztec Press quoted Elin Shoen of Ladies Home Journal: “What you are giving is something of yourself.”

The article also suggested offering services as a babysitter, chauffeur or cook. According to Shoen, home-baked items were “in” that year. Most would agree they still are.

“Be wildly extravagant with cookies,” Shoen said. “Almost anyone can afford to give them away by the thousands.”

A dream lasts as long as you will

And always another replaces the first.
-By Marcy Cagle

“Paper Snowflakes,” taken from a poetry page in a 1987 issue of Aztec Press.

Many cultures celebrate fall festivities

By SIERRA RUSSELL

aztecpress@pima.edu

The Aztec Press has reported on autumn festivities since its earliest issues.

Reporters have reflected upon Thanksgiving in a variety of ways. One called the holiday “a time to be thankful to those in our past and our present who have given us our freedom.”

A number of people questioned its origin and criticized the holiday. One staff writer quoted an anonymous instructor who called Thanksgiving a “national day of mourning” for Native American tribes.

Although Thanksgiving is a relatively young tradition, most cultures have celebrated the fall harvest for centuries.

For many Americans, native or not, the main focus of Thanksgiving is on food. Other underlying themes concern gratitude and fulfillment of family and culture.

A 1979 interview with Joe Begay, an adviser to Native Americans students, explores spiritual views of the Navajo nation.

Begay said three central things help a person become fulfilled: knowing where you come from, knowing why you’re here and knowing where you’re going.

Most traditional Navajos believe they “emerged from Mother Earth, are here to help others and share everything Mother Earth provides,” he said.

They believe they will return to the earth from which they once emerged, where “there is no such thing as heaven or devils,” Begay added.

The early ‘80s revealed a shift in Pima County tribal culture. Less was reported about alcoholism and bootlegging on reservations. Instead, stories focused on educational programs and cultural conflicts.

An interview with Robert Williams, then director of the University of Arizona’s Tribal Law Clinic, discussed lingering racism.

Williams encouraged readers to be aware of the idea that “white society had the right to investigate tribal customs and mandate changes destructive to tribal cultures.”

He also stressed the importance of having a thorough knowledge of history because “the effects of the past are felt in the present.”

Over the decades, other articles focused on literacy programs geared toward Native Americans of all ages. Some classes offered no college credit, but were free of charge.

Classes that help to preserve language and culture of nearby tribes have been added to Pima’s curriculum. Classes are currently offered in the history and language of tribes such as Tohono O’odham, Yaqui and Navajo or Dine.

Although native tribes have adapted to some changes, many traditions remain firmly intact.

Pima student Rebekah Fredenberg, a member of the Navajo nation, considers Thanksgiving a chance to spend time with her family and cook together.

“We’ve never talked about the meaning of the holiday because we’re so busy cooking, cleaning and looking after livestock,” Fredenberg said. “We talk politics, but the focus is usually on current events.”

She described a custom popular in many Navajo households: butchering a sheep. Although Fredenberg’s family usually bakes a traditional turkey as well, she said the process of preparing the sheep brings the entire family together.

Another member of the Navajo nation, Mallory Ashley, described the sheep-butchering custom as a time when “no verbal communication is needed because everyone knows what to do, like clockwork.”

Ashley laughs as she adds, “Even the young children can help by holding a limb steady as Grandma picks the skin off.”

Regardless of what the harvest brings to the dinner table, many cultures celebrate Thanksgiving.

The holiday may be called by different names or honored for various reasons, yet one common theme remains. It is a time to share a feast with loved ones and be grateful for the rewards of the season.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Flandrau celebrates 35 years in Tucson

Story and photo by SIERRA RUSSELL

aztecpress@pima.edu

In 1975, the Aztec Press announced the opening of the Grace H. Flandrau Planetarium. Flandrau is located on the University of Arizona’s campus, yet the entire community is encouraged to visit.

In the 1975 issue, Richard Willey, assistant director of the planetarium, called Flandrau “the UA’s biggest attempt to interpret natural science and bring these programs to the public.”

Willey stressed that astronomy would not be the planetarium’s only focus. The geology department and various theatrical groups had expressed interest in hosting shows.

A primary objective was to demonstrate the links between science and art. “We will use theatrical techniques to enhance the drama of science,” Willey said.

For most of the 35 years that followed, Flandrau continued hosting shows and events to illustrate the ties that science has with art and culture.

Shows demonstrated the effects of light pollution and offered tips on locating constellations. Seasonal programs explained the history of holidays such as Christmas.

Even when Flandrau had to close its doors in 2009 for more than a year due to lack of funding, educational events continued. Such events would not have been possible without the volunteers who participated.

David Caiz, a volunteer telescope operator at Flandrau, said that he and other volunteers were asked if they were willing to help keep the observatory open during the tough economic times.

They were given a week to learn how to handle various equipment and computer programming.

“We jumped in and filled all the gaps, because the people who were paid to do those things weren’t getting paid anymore,” Caiz said.

Although tours were no longer offered, the volunteers set up solar telescopes during the day to offer students and passersby a chance to watch the sun’s activity.

On weekends, they would set up eight small telescopes on the lawn for nocturnal viewers. The volunteers would help stargazers locate constellations, while the large telescope in the observatory was open for people to gaze at objects such as planets and nebulae.

Caiz said the planetarium itself was never deconstructed, and the equipment was used for training purposes and for various star parties around town. The volunteers strived to keep the organization active in the community, but it was not easy.

“There were times when we were wondering, how are we actually going to pull this off, and for how long?” Caiz said.

When visitors asked why the planetarium was closed, Caiz explained the loss of funding.

“Then they’d often ask, ‘Well, are you getting paid?’” he said. “I’d tell them, ‘No, I’m here nine hours a day and I’m volunteering the entire time.’”

After hearing this, many patrons would ask where the donation box was located.

Caiz credits his love for astronomy as the main reason he dedicated so much time to Flandrau. He recalls his grandfather, an amateur astronomer, giving him a copy of Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos” for his 12^th birthday.

“It was the same copy my mom had given to him 20 years before,” Caiz said with a smile.

With the support of the community and hard work from volunteers like Caiz, Flandrau recently reopened its doors. A variety of shows are currently offered, including laser light shows to Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.”

For details on shows and other activities, visit www.flandrau.org.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: PCC has long emphasized Hispanic culture, heritage

By Sierra Russell

Hispanic culture enjoys a rich heritage in the southwest, and has been reflected in the Aztec Press over the past 40 years.

Topics such as immigration, border issues, folkloric dance, art and education have frequently been featured. Bilingual education has also been a major focus, especially in early issues.

A 1975 issue quoted Henry Oyama, then director of PCC’s bilingual program: “There is increasing awareness that bilingual education is in the national interest.”

At the time, PCC had one of the highest-ranking bilingual programs in the United States. In the late 1970s, a wide variety of courses were taught in both Spanish and English, including welding, electronics, art, math and psychology.

In a 1977 issue, Athletic Director Larry Toledo called the language program at PCC “the first true approach by any community college to attempt a true bilingual program.”

Throughout the ‘70s and early ‘80s, many articles were printed in Spanish. They often dealt with politics, education, art and culture.

Armando Miguelez wrote a series called “La Cultura Chicana” that highlighted literature, music, philosophy, folklore and theater. In one article, Los Murales, Miguelez took a close look at Tucson murals and explained the culture behind them.

Miguelez also wrote a series entitled “La Voz del Pueblo,” which focused on education and politics. In one article, “Los Inmigrantes: Mito y Realidad,” Miguelez examined the lives of Mexican immigrants in the southwest.

An editorial by Delfina Alvarez, “We Were Taught to Forget the Language of our Land,” described how students were trying to revive the Spanish language. She recalled that in kindergarten, “it was prohibited for us ‘native speakers’ to speak our mother tongue, even in the schoolyard.”

According to a study conducted by the Board of Education in 1969, one third of Spanish-speaking children in the United States were considered mentally challenged because they could not speak English.

The assistant dean of students in the late 1970s, Elizabeth Gonzales, said, “The child would want to assimilate into the dominant culture. Unfortunately, he would never be able to dominate either language and it would lead to emotional problems because he did not feel part of either culture.”

The language department at PCC has always considered Hispanic culture to be a valuable thread in bilingual education. This is evident in the classes taught.

For instance, some Spanish 202 classes currently use a textbook entitled “Civilizacion y Cultura” and discuss topics such as views on family life, holidays, death and economics in the Hispanic world.

Spanish instructor Aristeo Brito, now retired, was quoted in a 1977 issue. “I try to stress the culture of the Mexican-American. I want to make the students more aware of their background… bilingual education involves more than just teaching the classes.”

Over the years, many classes taught in Spanish have been dropped due to lack of funding. At the same time, language classes such as Korean, Turkish and Yaqui have been added.

PCC’s Spanish program still offers a variety of courses that focus on more than grammar. A sampling includes Latin America on Film, Elementary Spanish for Finance and Business, and Social & Cultural Spanish: Dance from Post-Colonial to Contemporary.

Dolores Duran-Cerda teaches Introduction to Literature in Spanish. “The class is taught exclusively in Spanish, and we analyze the symbols and metaphors in poetry and literature,” she said.

A tool available for every student is a language lab. There is a lab on every campus, with faculty willing to help with questions and concerns.

Bilingual education continues to play an integral role at PCC, allowing students to communicate with their neighbors and each other.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Vietnam brought influx of veterans

By Sierra Russell

Even in the earliest issues of the school paper, the Aztec Press reported about war veterans and their involvement in education.

During the years when Vietnam veterans were returning home, articles focused on how to readjust. Many vets voiced frustrations about feeling betrayed and disillusioned.

Stories frequently suggested ways student veterans could prevent or recover from alcohol and drug abuse.

In the mid 1970s, articles encouraged student veterans to join the Pima Community College Veteran’s Organization.

The group was formed partly in response to articles spotlighting student veterans concerned about continuing their education. One aim was to have a unified voice that could be heard in a time when government regulations were frequently changing.

Gil Gonzales, advisor to the association, was quoted in a 1977 issue. “As individuals, veterans have no power; nobody will protect the veterans but the veterans themselves.”

The association began as an avenue to help veterans who felt isolated and silenced. It served as “a stepping stone to bigger organizations,” Gonzales said in the article.

At that time, there were 20-25 active members and approximately 4,000 student veterans enrolled at PCC.

Today, a similar organization called PCC Student Veterans Organization exists. There are currently about 70 active members.

Adviser Tim Kelliher expects those numbers to grow over the next few years. “We take a direct role trying to get students through the paperwork of registration,” he said.

The organization also helps students with issues such as finances, stress, mental health and abuse of alcohol or drugs.

“We try to give students a direct route to outside agencies who can help,” Kelliher said.

Student Veterans Organization meetings are held at the Downtown Campus every Tuesday at noon. Board members meet on the last Friday of each month.

The weekly meetings generally serve as a forum where students can discuss problems, ask questions and talk to each other. The organization also hosts events such as barbecues and fundraisers.

Kelliher got involved in PCC Student Veterans Organization when it formed three years ago, and he continues to play an active role.

“The students really started the organization,” he said. “They needed an adviser to become a club. They knew that I was retired military and that I’m very passionate about the subject. So, we’ve just picked it up and run with it.”

For information about veteran services, visit www.pima.edu/veterans.