Meet the conductor behind badminton’s dominance

Share: Badminton head coach Jennifer Ho has been a fan of sports all of her life, which is what led to her choosing the career that she currently has. The only box she can’t check off is playing them. Despite that, she decided to be a kinesiology major. “I wasn’t born or raised here, so I didn’t get a chance to play sports,” Ho said. “I always wanted to be a kinesiology major because I loved sports so much,” Ho said. As of Apr. 15th, …

What’s in a name…change? Pride Center clinic helps students legalize identity

Share: On Monday, April 8, at Pasadena City College, as many students are contemplating what their plans are during their spring break, other students, specifically trans and non-binary, have plans that are beyond spring break and more personal in nature. It is day one for them to change their name and also their gender marker. Trans and Nonbinary students are at the Pride Center to take the first steps of participating in a workshop to go over just how laboring the process is in changing …

Traditional music meets modern beats at Getty College Night

Share: Against panoramic city views and the stunning architecture of the Getty Center, thousands of students mingled as a symphony of electronic Cherokee and Muscogee music filled the air. This was no ordinary night at the museum; it was Getty College Night, a night for students from colleges and universities across the region to come together in celebration of art, culture, and creativity with a plethora of activities, live performances, and art exhibitions. The event alternates between the Getty Villa and Center each year, this …

‘Musical Postcards From The East And West’ showcases the best music has to offer

Share: Audience chatter echoes throughout the Sexton Auditorium. Members of The Pasadena City College Community Orchestra are all seated as they prepare to perform the last half of their concert aptly titled “Musical Postcards From The East And West”, a program that celebrates symphonies from different cultures, and different walks of life. Their instruments shriek as they check to make sure their instruments are in tune. The conductor Henry Shin walks on stage and introduces himself to signal their start, announcing their next symphony: “Piece …

Former PCC counselor returns as trustee: ‘Community college saved my life’

Share: Decades after his boss at Lucky Supermarket told him he wasn’t “worth a shit,” James Aragon found himself working in higher education; an unlikely spark that changed the trajectory of his life. Newly elected Trustee James Aragon, who’s taking over Area 2 from Jim Osterling, has worked in higher education since that fateful day his journeyman dreams were shattered. Twenty-six of those 30-plus years were dedicated to Pasadena City College, where he was a full-time counselor and associate professor of college success courses. Now …

For the first time ever, Area 6 gets a new board member

Share: Inaugurations for office can be an elaborate all-day affair but for the newly elected Pasadena City College Board of Trustees members, they took place in the early afternoon in a small conference room of the Jack Scott Building. The event was done before the bellowing lecture a floor above them wrapped for class. New board member Ryan Liu walked in wearing a commuter black backpack and a suit, smiling as if excited for the first day of school. But this time it’s to be …

‘The Book Club Play’ cast and crew write their own chapter in PCC’s theater department

Share: On the opening night of the theater arts department’s spring main stage show, “The Book Club Play,” actors of varying backgrounds and experiences were surrounded by an audience in PCC’s CA Theatre. The audience wrapped around the disk-shaped seating area, on the stage was a carefully constructed set modeled after a modern home, further immersing the actors into the private world of a tight-knit group of friends. A little over a month before working together, all six main cast members waited in line for …

Overbearing landlords leave tenants feeling ‘isolated, alone, harassed’

Share: With an increase in housing issues like higher rent prices, residents in Los Angeles County are facing the possibility of being unhoused. The Pasadena Tenants Union (PTU), was formed the same year a real-estate tycoon was elected president. Funded entirely by members’ dues, this grassroots organization protects Pasadenans from controlling landlords and other issues that pose a threat to people potentially losing their homes. The union strives in many ways to protect residents by providing a sense of community in Pasadena. The PTU notably …

Farm workers’ union president sows seeds of leadership with PCC Equipo

Share: In August 2022, the United Farm Workers Union marched from Delano to Sacramento, following the same path labor leader Cesar Chavez took in 1996. Inspired by Chavez’s achievements, this 335-mile march was held in hopes of passing the California Agriculture Labor Relations Voting Choice Act Assembly Bill. This bill would create more ways for farm workers to vote on union elections without pressure from growers or supervisors. Marching in the heat of summer along those farm workers, for the second time, was the president …

Local Muslim community balances joy of Ramadan with sorrow for Gaza

Share: As Ramadan continues, Hedab Tarifi finds herself struggling to observe the holiday as she ordinarily would. Tarifi is an active member of her community, a devout Muslim, and the first woman on the boards of the Southern California Islamic Center and the Muslim Public Affairs Council. However, as a Gaza City native, her anxiety is centered on home as war is waging and her people are dying. “It’s the month that we focus on spirituality; it’s a month that cleanses the body and soul, …