Share: On the sleek and spacious stage of the Westerbeck Recital Hall, an actor playing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. makes a number of flirty advances towards a young woman who is not his wife. Soon the actor playing the young woman begins to talk about the speech that she would make if she were in the shoes of Dr. King as he listens intently, encouraging her to share it with him. Follow:
Understanding the etymology of ‘Latinx’
Share: Five large, unblemished pieces of paper hung on one side of the room, framing the seated audience. The papers are stark and barren except for a single term written across the tops of each page, a term denoting some demographic of the Latin American community. Follow:
English professor clings to Spanish language roots
Share: When PCC English professor Bryan Gonzalez walks into his office in the C building, he enters the room smiling. For those that do know Gonzalez, he is a very happy and charismatic English Literature professor who always makes people smile. He is first generation born in the U.S. Follow:
Alum’s books help small fish swim in big pond
Share: Chelo Manchego saw his home country El Salvador as “another world”. His family lived in a gated community due to the dangers in his neighborhood, however, he had his own ways of escaping reality. He spent hours in nature with his friends and loved to be outside as much as he could. In El Salvador, there are earthquakes constantly, so he would make a tent outside because he was convinced it was safer than being inside a building. His family was always supportive of …
Mirror Pool Stoners: ‘Don’t hide the weed, divide it’
Share: Names marked with an asterisk were withheld for privacy reasons. Written by Grace Pickering and Mandie Montes In the days since the rain poured over Southern California, the once dead grass on campus has become luscious, providing a haven for students to practice tai-chi, bask in the sun, or hang around the mirror pools – a spot where students regularly consume cannabis. Students are seen often huddled together in various groups scattered around the edges, standing around and smoking a bowl or two while …
Breathing and existing through mindful meditation
Share: On a warm day, atop the grassy patches near the library and C building, sits Samantha Salomon adorned with flowers while sun rays beam off of her. As her portrait is about to be taken, there is a wave of unexpected heat, that is quickly masked by the wind causing the flowers sitting in between her arms to fall nonchalantly into place. Salomon is no stranger to the outdoors, as she enjoys spending her time outside, especially now that spring has rolled around on …
Behind the words of Ana Castillo
Share: Esteemed writer Ana Castillo began to write as a young activist in the 1970s. She used her poetry as a form of social protest by exploring the political and ethical implications of her personal experience. Her work seeks to challenge notions of not just Latinos and Latin culture, but ideas about gender roles, sexuality, spirituality, family and culture. She was recently hosted by the PCC English department for an evening of reading and discussion in the Creveling Lounge where students, faculty and staff gathered …
Lancers’ Lives: A music professor, her harp and Hollywood
Share: When she’s not busy playing at prestigious Hollywood parties or photobombing Mariah Carey’s paparazzi pictures, award-winning harpist, Dr. Alison Bjorkedal, spends most of her time teaching music at PCC or performing for others. Follow:
Nurturing Latinas’ futures at PCC conference
Share: When my sister, Becky Montes was a mere two years-old, my mother, Teresa Montalvo, introduced her to advocacy for other Latinas—my sister just didn’t know it at the time. They lived in a tiny, beige apartment across Pasadena City College (PCC) and my mother, an immigrant from Mexico City, had been living in the United States for 11 years. Follow:
Award winning ESL professor teaches through tech
Share: As a college professor and a mother of a 10 year old daughter, Catherine Datko understands how important technology is. From having to use a typewriter to write her papers in college, to now having a cellular device where papers can be written from one’s fingertips, Datko has witnessed the constant improvements technology has had within the past decade. She has always been passionate in helping people which is why she became an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, and through her testimonies …