Share: Coach Daryl Taylor provides swift demonstrations for a dozen students on the proper techniques of fencing. After the demonstration, it becomes the students’ turn to replicate these moves with strength and agility. These students are members of PCC’s very own fencing club named Salle Lancier Fencing Club. Vice president Catherine Rivera became a part of fencing last year in the Beginning Fencing class. From there, she joined the club after having heard about it. Rivera spoke on how fencing benefits her. “I’m not really …
Beam me up: AlienCon attendees encounter otherworldly experiences
Share: Dressed up as little green men and stormtroopers, humans ages 0 to 100 gathered in the Pasadena Convention Center to share a collective fascination for all things extraterrestrial. There are several people who claim to have seen aliens up in the sky or theorize how these creatures could potentially look like. AlienCon is for those with an interest beyond fictional space conflicts. Held in the Pasadena Convention Center, AlienCon opened its doors to thousands of fans on March 4 and 5. Many discussions were …
PCC students build solar panel water bots for global contest
Share: It’s a quiet Saturday afternoon on campus. The empty hallways echo every footstep and the classrooms’ lights are all dark. All but one. “What do you guys think of this one?” says Thet Paing Da Na as he shows his teammates the logo the team has been working on. Across the table plumes of smoke rise from Rene Nunez’s soldering. In his hand is the circuit board for the rover’s power train. On the other side of the room, Doug Foster and Puthyrath Hy …
How volunteers and Instagram are giving hope to the rabbits at North Central Animal Shelter
Share: In 2017, when Kat Laskey started volunteering at North Central Animal Shelter in Los Angeles, she quickly realized that the rabbit room would become her second home. While working with the dogs and cats was enjoyable for her, after seeing the neglect for the rabbits and other small animals she knew that her time as a volunteer would be best spent with them. “I went in as a dog person,” Laskey says. “I very much still am, but when I discovered the rabbit room …
PCC ends Black History Month celebrations with bystander intervention workshop
Share: Allies from all kinds of identities and backgrounds gathered on March 1 to learn how to support our Black peers. Through a workshop titled “Bystander Intervention to Stop Police Sponsored Violence and Anti-Black Racist Harassment”, attendees were trained how to safely de-escalate situations involving anti-Black racism. The workshop was presented by Right to Be, an organization dedicated to educating people on creating a harassment-free environment. Right to Be educates people on how to intervene in situations in which a person of a marginalized identity …
White-nose syndrome targets bats, but humans shouldn’t turn a blind eye
Share: A bat colony prepares their hibernation in a North American cave during the cold hours of fall 2007. Until spring comes in time for insect populations to increase, these bats will remain in a deep sleep largely uninterrupted, living off accumulated fat that will last through the winter. The caves themselves drop down to temperatures as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Far too bitter for humans but ideal for bats escaping the incoming winter winds. These temperatures are also ideal for a particular strand …
We’re here, we’re queer—we’re still hidden
Share: In a small cramped area of campus near the football field lies the annex buildings. They are drab, grey portable buildings that are not very noticeable to the eye. However, on a rainy Feb. day under fluorescent lights, queer students and allies were able to bring color to the forefront. PCC Queer Alliance, a social club for queer students hosted arts and crafts meeting in the second annex meeting to paint ceramics and elect new leaders for their group. This is a space where …
Queerhcata invites PCC students to express themselves through dance
Share: Latinx music blared from a PCC conference room as students gathered together and practiced the steps of bachata, carefree of any gender norms that interfered with the expression of dance. On Mar. 12, PCC’s Puente club hosted an event with Queerchata that offered a safe space for students to embrace their culture and sexual identity. The one-time event was held at the Creveling Lounge with Latinx music and food provided, welcoming all students interested. Discovering a community or organization within a college institution that …
Instead of talking trash, LA County is talking compost
Share: On a crisp windy day, high above the Griffith Park Composting Facility off Mineral Wells road, a small group of inquisitive and observant people sat down during a free workshop sponsored by L.A. Sanitation and Pacoima Beautiful and hosted by horticulture consultant Steve List at the composting facility on Feb 11. The topic of discussion, composting. Mr. List gave a lecture to a small group of people curious about how to do composting properly but also doing typical urban gardening. These topics included tolerating …
Reach for the stars with PCC’s latest Carnegie lecture
Share: The inky night sky was slightly overcast, making it difficult to see the dancing stars up above. Still, PCC students were able to locate Jupiter via telescope, and everyone oohed and aahed as they took turns viewing it through the glassy lens. This was the after-party of the lecture “Dancing in the Night Sky – a Journey of Helium Stars”, happening at PCC’s observatory. Ylva Götberg is a NASA Hubble postdoctoral fellow at the Carnegie Observatories who spoke elegantly on helium stars. She explained …