Share: A new style of art is being created in Pasadena City College’s sciences division, just out of our field of vision. The dynamic duo of professors Nick Schultz and Jillian Blatti are using fluorescent microscopes to show students the beauty and intrigue of a world usually too small to see. Under the polarized light of the microscope, students are able to capture images of very tiny samples of their choosing. The resulting images are then colorized using Photoshop, creating what the professors call “microscopy …
Next student president opens up about family, AI, and the saxophone
Share: In middle school, Alfredo Martinez Sandoval had a dream that he was playing the saxophone. In high school, the saxophone became his connection to the city of Pasadena through the Tournament of Roses parade, which set his path in motion to broke l become the incoming president of the Associated Students of Pasadena City College. “I fell in love with saxophone,” he says, sitting on a shady bench in front of the Shatford Library. “I had a dream about playing it one time, and …
Wi-Fi Lounge looks radiant as ASPCC hosts ‘Valorant’ tournament
Share: The student lounge was transformed on Monday. The normally bright lights were dim, accompanied by a pulsing RGB glow. The furniture was completely rearranged, with tables clustered in the center surrounded by ten students, staring intensely at laptops, barking brief, cryptic messages at each other. Another dozen students sit in chairs in front of a projector screen, laughing in excitement as the screen cycles through the action from each laptop, watching as digital avatars duck in and out of smoke clouds and dodge virtual …
With book banning on the rise, California risks following suit
Share: While Pasadena is pushing back on book censorship through participation in events like Banned Books Week, Huntington Beach, Fresno, and other cities across California are becoming the target of efforts to ban books in libraries and public schools. These cities are following a wider national trend in states like Florida, Texas and other predominantly conservative areas. “Book bans are incredibly effective,” said young adult author and national leader of Authors Against Book Bans (AABB) Maggie Tokuda-Hall. “They target places where books are most accessible—in …
AI in the classroom? Policy is still up to professors at PCC
Share: Throughout 2023, educators saw an incoming boom of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools and discussed how to prepare for its impact on their classrooms. Now, as we reach the end of the first full school year since AI came on the scene, PCC instructors have had to adjust their preparations in real-time. “It’s bad out there,” said Dr. Liesel Reinhart, who teaches Visual Arts & Media Studies at PCC. “We are getting a tremendous number of assignments turned in that use various types …
PCC’s Associated Students seeks candidates for upcoming election
Share: The student governing body, the Associated Students of Pasadena City College (ASPCC), is currently accepting applications from students who intend to run in the upcoming election that will select the members of ASPCC’s Executive Board for the 2024-2025 school year. “Personally [ASPCC] has been one of my most valuable experiences at PCC,” Yurika Espinosa, current Vice President of Communications on the Executive Board said. “There’s also a stigma of people not wanting to run because they feel they aren’t qualified, but I genuinely believe …
Softball hunts for sport, finds second win instead
Share: Lancers softball was hungry for a win this week. In the players’ minds, they deserved it. During their recent string of losses, head coach Audriana Gutierrez has been focused on teaching the team to keep a strong mindset. The results were on full display this Tuesday when the Lancers blazed past local rival Glendale College, smashing their way to a convincing 11-3 victory. “Today felt 100% better,” Breanna Negrete said. Negrete was the first Lancer to score during the game, erasing Glendale’s initial lead …
‘The First Omen’ delivers damn-good body horror
Share: Winter is over, and it’s time for Hollywood’s tortured and undying horror franchises to shamble their way into theaters one by one. Studios could have stuffed the spring schedule with series filler, but “The First Omen” brings a screaming start to the year, revitalizing the franchise with an experience that is visceral and shocking. Released last Friday, the feature-length debut from director Arkasha Stevenson is both a prequel and reboot. It knows when to foreshadow the Richard Donner original and when to ignore it …
Lancers improve defense, but can’t fly higher than Hawks
Share: Before the April 2 game against the LA Harbor Seahawks, pitching coach Austyn Helmuth was feeling confident. “Oh yeah. We got here super early,” she said. “We’re ready to roll.” Since their victory last Monday at Citrus, the Lancers hadn’t won a game all week. But then, neither had the Seahawks. One way or another, a losing streak was ending that afternoon. For five innings, both teams struggled to put together an offense. But a late rally by Hawks in the eighth and final …
Antisemites must not be allowed to co-opt Gaza conversation
Share: As the movement for Palestinian liberation gains popular support around the globe, it becomes ever more imperative to keep that movement focused on peace and not retaliation. A complaint from the Anti-Defamation League against Berkeley Unified School District made news at the beginning of March, accusing district teachers of building an atmosphere of antisemitic bullying. Last week, the Courier reported on efforts by PCC clubs to support the BDS movement against Israel’s apartheid. In that story, we wrote that the ADL — which opposes …