Share: At the Hastings Ranch Vroman’s, at 9pm, 2 weeks before Christmas, a single snowflake remains on their Giving Tree. The snowflake bears the Christmas wish of a 4-year-old named Matthew who wants a gift card for clothes, shoes, lego sets, or a bicycle. For 20% off, a customer can buy Matthew his gift card to be delivered by local non-profit interfaith organization, Friends In Deed. Since 1894, Friends In Deed has operated out of Pasadena, and their main goal is to provide services to …
Christmas light extravaganza brightens up Hastings Ranch
Share: On a cold December night, off Valley View Ave. in Upper Hastings Ranch, the famous Charlie Brown house was displayed for the residents and visitors alike. Raymo Wong owns the house and loves the Peanuts gang. He and his wife, Virginia, designed the entire backyard, which consists of cardboard drawings of the Peanuts gang with a photo stand-in and a video screen playing the “Charlie Brown Christmas” TV special in their front window. People get to the Charlie Brown House by word of mouth. …
Cats and community celebrated at kitty crowning ceremony
Share: A four-month-old orange and white kitten, Parker gave a welcoming loud meow as guests entered the cafe. He’s not nominated for catnip crown today, but there is such a large commotion of people he can’t help but be excited to join in the festivities. “This is to highlight some of our resident kitties who have been here longer, a little more than we would have liked,” cafe operator Gwendolyn Mathers announced to the room of guests. “To show their great personalities and maybe a …
Pining for a fresh tree? Check out Santa and Mikey’s
Share: Selecting a Christmas tree is one of the most anticipated activities of the holiday season and Santa and Mikey’s has got you covered. Filled with friendly staff members and a very knowledgeable owner, the experience is made fun and easy. Located off Sierra Madre Avenue, Santa and Mikey’s is a small Christmas tree lot tucked away next to a gas station. Walking in, you’re greeted with the fresh aroma of pine and a variety of Christmas trees to choose from. Santa and Mikeys was …
The past, present and Futurama of professor Dunbar
Share: Reclining back in his desk chair in the large PCC radio studio, repping PCC in a large red Pasadena City College sweater, professor Geoff Dunbar reflects on his decades of experience in the radio and TV industry, as well as his time here at PCC. Dunbar has been teaching television and radio at PCC for sixteen years now but has been doing audio production and radio for well over 20 years. In the 90s, he created his own recording studio, which got him work …
Historic campus redwood chopped down, will native species replace it?
Share: Just 15,000 years ago redwood trees were common in the Los Angeles basin. The climate was cool and moist, and saber tooth cats, dire wolves, giant ground sloths, and coyotes roamed the forests. By about 1970 when the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) was planted in the quad at PCC, the climate in Southern California was considerably warmer and drier, and much less hospitable to the tree whose natural habitat is now limited to a slice of Northern California and southern Oregon where it receives …
PCC remembers former Courier editor and photographer Michael Watkins
Share: With heavy hearts, the Courier is sad to learn about the passing of former PCC student Michael Watkins that occurred last weekend. Michael was a friend, son, and mentor, and was a shining contribution to the legacy of PCC and the Courier. Being the phenomenal photographer he was, Michael moved from staff writer to photo editor for the Courier quickly in 2018 and produced quality work to a standard that would be remembered for years to come. “He found photojournalism at PCC in 2015 …
Sustainability Club plants a seed for carbon neutral campus
Share: The quad was overflowing with life last week at PCC, as student after student stopped by a small collection of tables containing the necessary ingredients for creating their very own piece of plant life courtesy of the Environmental Sustainability club. A combination of club leaders and members provided students with a variety of different seeds along with the soil, pots, and even a watering can to give their new plant its first taste of hydration. “It’s really just getting your personal self involved, you …
Education after incarceration: CORE supports system impacted students
Share: On a Wednesday afternoon, right around lunchtime, the sound of laughter can be heard all the way down the hall of the Student Services building emanating from the office that serves as a home for PCC’s CORE Program. The laugh belonged to former PCC student, Lorenzo Byers. Byers, though not currently enrolled in classes at PCC, still likes to hang out in L-106. “It’s like a very addicting place,” said Byers, “Like you always wanna be here. I would say that this is like …
PCC community mourns missing and murdered indigenous women
Share: In honor of Indigenous Month, the PCC community gathered at the quad to listen to the One Drum tribe share that Thanksgiving is not just a holiday but to mourn for ongoing injustice in society on the indigenous community, in all with songs of healing and prayers for the lost ones who are not with us. PCC sociology club and cross-cultural club hosted the event to bring awareness to Indigenous women being victims of homicide, rape, and extreme violence. And the stories of the …