Share: Professor Charlene Potter teaches linguistics at PCC while also being a professional beekeeper who has recently been the recipient of the Community Excellence Grant (CEG). The CEG is a grant given to those in the PCC faculty who show innovative and creative ideas that help advance PCC’s mission, vision, and values. Potter was awarded this grant because of her initiative to make PCC’s campus more eco-friendly. “I got a community excellence grant last year in the spring to start a bee club and that …
Local artists offer insight on disability justice and ableism
Share: And just like that, PCC is humming with students and instructors again as the start of a new year hits campus. While COVID-19 continues to mutate, masks are available for everyone around campus yet only a fraction of students are seen using them as they walk into their morning lecture. “Ableism now relates to the pandemic…masks are an issue for the disabled and chronically ill community. I have disabled friends who got COVID and it’s making their chronic illness worse. That’s ableism,” explained Sasha, …
Free transportation for PCC students makes life easier
Share: For his first time attending PCC, freshman Jagger Freedberg faced some complications before he walked into his first class. On top of a part-time job and not owning a car he could use when needed, his only option for commuting back and forth between home and campus was the Metro. But when public transit is the only form of transportation, bus fares could quickly build up within a few short weeks and become another burden for full-time students. To ease transportation expenses, Freedberg felt …
Queer Alliance’s displays inclusivity with “Pronoun Showdown”
Share: Why is the recognition of peoples’ pronouns so important? What are ways that people can be an ally? What are the harmful effects of not recognizing a person’s gender identity, expression, and pronouns? Follow:
‘Coexisting with the Cougars’ webinar advises humans on adapting to wildlife
Share: Southern California harbors refuge for nearly 10 million people, yet we must not forget about the countless animal species who consider it their home too. California Cougars are a majestic breed of mountain lion that has made their home in the California foothills for centuries. They continue to dwell amongst us and coexist despite the occupation of their territory. Unfortunately there are times when coexisting does not guarantee a harmonious liaison and there have been reports of unpleasant encounters between the two. A non-profit …
Neil DeGrasse Tyson puts ego into cosmic perspective
Share: On a cold fall night in Pasadena, the audience inside the Ambassador Auditorium was engrossed within the concepts of the cosmic perspective. Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson strolled across the stage with a candor that felt more like a sit-down with a friend, rather than a lecture on science and its importance with how we function in basically…everything. The cosmic perspective is a method that is intended to knock down our egos and as Neil puts it, “feel more deeply connected to this world.” Using …
Musk’s reckless Twitter reign a major turnoff for PCC students
Share: Despite being online, PCC freshman Hayden Cole explains their lack of interest in Twitter and how their relationship to the platform is becoming strained due to one changed factor—its ownership. “Personally I don’t use Twitter especially with everything going on,” Cole said. “It definitely doesn’t encourage me to use the platform. It just looks like a platform that doesn’t suit my interests.” The “everything” Cole is referring to is the increasingly dark days of Twitter and its anticipated self-immolation by users and outsiders alike …
Foraging experts create space for women in the fungi field
Share: Bat Vardeh, the founder of the group ‘Foraging and Mushroom Hunting Women of Socal’ got her start as a foraging expert in childhood, collecting mulberries and figs nearby–spreading the fruitful news to the rest of the kids in the neighborhood. “For me, it started when I was really, really young. When I was elementary age, my favorite fruits were figs and mulberries–and you cannot always find them at the store. So, naturally, for some reason, I knew what a fig tree and what a …
Pasadena’s Measure H reins in greedy landlords, limits rent hikes
Share: On the ballot this year is Measure H, an attempt to help rent control and tenants in Pasadena continue living without fear of ridiculous rent increases. Weighing on the measure is Bee Rooney, a member of Pasadena For Rent Control, a group in favor of Measure H, who explained the group’s goals. “It’s all for the intention of keeping people housed,” Rooney said. “We want to allow people to stay at a place for a year or two or even three at a time. …
How fear feeds authoritarianism and corrupts democracy
Share: The political climate in American politics has been challenging how our democracy functions and if it will continue to function as a democracy at all. With the Republican Party using misinformation to appeal to the biases in its voting base, it has seemingly groomed them to accept dictatorial leaders as well as a draconian government. Lisa Pringle, a professor of political science at PCC, discussed how the authoritarian mentality can take over a large swath of the political spectrum and what makes an individual …