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“James Dean? He didn’t really do anything besides die young.” That’s how 19-year-old Courtney Gutierrez summarily deflates the mystical bubble surrounding “The Rebel Without A Cause” star, whose appeal is obviously lost to her. With all due respect to the denim-clad icon, on the whole, PCC students prefer their nonconformists a little more substantive. The figures they name-check are diverse and their methods varied, but the one constant is the commitment to change.

Gutierrez herself, currently undecided on a major, cites Rosa Parks as an example of a certain kind of revolutionary – the quiet sort whose humble act of rebellion reverberates on profound social level.

“Rosa Parks wasn’t any type of political figure, but she took a stand by refusing to give up her seat and made a huge difference in the civil rights movement,” she said.

Rudy Cruz, a 25-year-old business major, is moved by the no-holds-barred, socio-political spirit of the punk band The Clash. “They were pioneers of a whole movement. The sound they created, their politics – it wasn’t something that was happening in music at the time and it wasn’t necessarily accepted. It’s inspiring,” he said.

Asa Bias, a 20-year-old fire science major, is quick to bring up Malcolm X and Martin King, Jr. “Malcolm was a little more aggressive, Martin less so, but the movement needed both of them.”

Bias also admires hip-hop artists The Roots for their socially conscious rhymes. “The Roots are sick. They’re soulful, humble and write from the heart. They totally believe in their message.”

PCC alumnus Jackie Robinson was recognized by many on the campus, including 18-year-old Fredy Flores, who is currently undecided on a major. “It’s pretty inspirational how he broke the color barrier in a white-dominated sport,” he said.

As far as contemporary whistleblowers go, 20-year-old biology major Francisco Canchola feels that documentary filmmaker Michael Moore is having an impact on the political landscape. “I saw “Sicko” and thought it was really revealing, really informative. He’s doing battle with the healthcare industry, the gun industry, the president. His critics are all trying to silence him, but he’s doing well and getting his point across,” he said.

Santina Bowers, a 34-year-old English major, wishes feminists like Gloria Steinem were more well-known to this generation. “Her book was the first feminist book I received,” she explained. “It was from my mother-in-law and Steinem had signed it for me. It’s been borrowed and read many times over, so it’s in complete shambles now. Although I don’t necessarily believe in all her measures, her thoughts are certainly in the right direction”

“Toussaint Louverture,” said Breea B., a 17-year-old political science major who declined to give her last name, “was a rebel and a former slave who lead the Haitian Revolution. He went on to become the first leader of a free Haiti.”

Breea B. was among many students whose thoughts eventually turned to T-shirts that display the images of political revolutionaries and popular culture icons.

“A lot of people who wear those shirts – the ones with Che Guevara on them, for instance – don’t know what the person stood for. It sort of preserves their legacy in a way, but it also commercializes someone who was so authentic.

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