The PCC Forensics team had another successful run at the annual Phi Rho Pi National Speech and Debate Championship earlier this month, bringing home a silver medal in the mid-school division and placing twelfth in the nation.Eleven speech and debate team members journeyed across the country by plane, train and van to get to the annual four-day competition that was held at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich, Conn.

PCC’s student-produced publications, the weekly Courier newspaper and annual Spotlight magazine, were both honored with the sought-after General Excellence award at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges’ state convention in Sacramento earlier this month.

Whether you’re rushing to find a space in the parking structure or you’re alone in the dark after a night class, security cameras would be reassuring.Let’s face it, PCC is no stranger to parking lot mayhem.Fourteen car accidents within the first two weeks of March were reported to police.

Spectators grew frustrated at Brookside Park’s Jackie Robinson Memorial Field on Saturday during the 13-1 loss to Los Angeles Harbor College.”Just terrible . when you can’t hit, can’t pitch, it pretty much spells disaster,” Men’s Baseball Coach Evan O’Meara said Saturday.

The weather was overcast and muggy on Sunday but that didn’t stop hundreds of shoppers and vendors from taking part in the flea market held on the east side of campus every month.The market was abuzz with shoppers, many of whom brought their families and even their dogs for a day of deals.

Campus police are stepping up the enforcement of PCC’s smoking policy as early as Monday. In addition, state legislation that will allow community colleges to fine students for smoking violations, is pending in the legislature.

After weeks of preparing for a $5-million budget cut, PCC now faces a much deeper slash but still avoids the dreaded $16 million cut deemed the “worst-case scenario.

The Social Sciences department is offering various scholarships to qualifying students who are interested in scoring a few hundred dollars for their education needs. Money varies from $300 to $1,000. All scholarships require a certain GPA but some have stricter criteria.

A proposal to give in-district high school graduates priority registration over continuing students in the fall is being considered. The Ad Hoc Enrollment Priorities Task Team at a meeting on Friday developed the recommendation, said Robert Miller, interim dean of educational services.

Aiming to make the campus a safer place, installation of parking lot surveillance cameras is set to begin in the next six weeks.