Share: A red, rectangular piñata that reads “PCC 100” hung outside the bridge between Lancer Pass and the Quad inside Pasadena City College. Children lined up in a single file to pull down the piñata with thinned strings instead of a bat, with each child pulling a string one at a time for the trap door to open. As the bottom fell out, the children ran towards the floor to pick up as much candy as possible. “This is Latin Heritage Month as well. So …
Forgive us journalism, we have sinned!
Share: As the Courier celebrates 100 years of service to the community, it is a time to look back upon the many moments that have shaped the lives of the campus community. Some of those many moments showcase the best things about journalism. But this story isn’t about the best moments. This story is about some of the worst. Follow:
Lakers, Lancers, Legends
Share: Michael Cooper, former member of the infamous Los Angeles Lakers “Showtime” team, at one point it seemed unlikely that he would make it to the NBA after he failed a junior college English class. Faced with such a challenging situation, Cooper’s humility came to the fore when he persevered and exhibited many champion-like qualities that allowed him to successfully overcome this lesson that had a profound impact not only on his education, but also in his life and career. Follow:
Print to digital
Share: Print is dying. Digital is the future. At least that seems to be a common topic of discussion these days among journalists. Media has come a very long way since the first printed word, and drawings on cave walls have transformed into Facebook posts on iPads. Follow:
A photo story
Share: The journalism department at Pasadena City College didn’t always include photojournalism classes. Initially, the Courier newspaper students relied on art photography students to provide images for their stories. When Mikki Bolliger was hired as a faculty adviser for the student newspaper in 1972, she said that working with students from a different department was often trying. Follow:
Riots, thefts and murder
Share: 8 – Escaping the Riot Alfredo Santana, a PCC student who immigrated to America from Mexico, thought he wouldn’t make it home that night. Driving to drop off magazines at a 7-11 in Inglewood during the L.A. Riots of 1992, Santana was terrified out of his mind when he was stopped by a group of men in the road. The men proceeded to jam a large metal flag into his windshield, kicked open his rear window, and dragged him out of the car. He …
An adviser’s legacy
Share: She arrived on campus at Pasadena City College during the early morning and had no clue where she was going. No schedule and absolutely no information on hand that could alleviate her anxiousness. To gain some knowledge of where she needed to be, she proceeded nervously into the human resources office. Shortly after being accompanied to her new office, she received a call from the campus print shop asking about the deadline for that week’s paper. Having no retort, she continued onward to meet …
The digital editor’s daily beat
Share: Reporters will get through any barrier as long as it means getting the story. However, it’s the editor-in-chief who is always one step ahead of the game in order to keep the attention of multi-tasking readers. Being ready for anything would be the one necessity all past editors-in-chief of the Courier can agree on. Since its inception, the purpose of the Courier has been to deliver news to students written by PCC’s next generation of young journalists. Follow:
Cataloging civil rights
Share: Over the course of a century, the Pasadena High School Chronicle, now the Pasadena City College Courier, has seen multiple social paradigm shifts. As the decades passed, the social attitudes of the general public, and by extension the Chronicle/Courier staff, changed as advancements in civil rights were made, most notably with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which brought an end to segregation and made institutional discrimination illegal. Follow:
