Local movement sprouts up to protect endangered black walnut tree

Share: Up the tidy dirt path lined with laurel sumac and bush sunflowers that still bore a few yellow blossoms, two human-sized Mexican free-tailed bats in purple satin capes held aloft a painted paper whale skeleton and led a small parade. Accompanied by cetacean song amplified from a portable speaker, the procession of Eastside neighbors, city nature fans, land use activists, and children in paper bat masks marched up the path to the Ascot Hills Park Amphitheater in observation of the second annual Black Walnut …

Poetry fans eat up Poe at Prose Bowl

Share: Poet Olivia Gatwood got her start at the New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque. She had just started doing spoken word, but found herself competing with pony rides and pig races for audience attention. “I was in this like little place with chairs, and it was just my parents and a drunk guy, and a ton of empty chairs and it smelled like funnel cake and horse manure,” she said. “And I did my little poem and I left. They gave me 25 bucks, …

No lights, no camera, all action

Share: The Mousetrap takes place in 1950’s England. The play begins with a subtle lullaby. The lights go out and a whistle comes about. Mollie Ralston, played by Aylah Robinson, is the first to appear on stage followed by her husband Giles Ralston, played by Daniel Grimaldi. PCC fills with laughter and screams with the theater department’s play “The Mousetrap” on the evening of Apr. 25.  “I like murder” says Christopher Wren, the first guest to arrive at the Monkswell Manor guesthouse. Wren, played by …

Drag Herrrrrrrr: Queens still reign at West Hollywood bar

Share: The interior design of West Hollywood bar and grill Hamburger Mary’s appears as if the performers there designed it themselves. Pictures of drag queens cover the walls, a “free condoms here” box awaits at the entrance, and pride flags, glitter and diamonds are everywhere.  On this night, Dani Kay dances and lip syncs to “God is a Woman” by Ariana Grande and Trinna Modele dresses as a bunny and dances to “Love Again” by Dua Lipa. Sparkle Stone dances and sings “California Gurls” by …

Eclectic artists bring originality to intimate songwriter showcase

Share: “Songwriter showcase” evokes an image of a one-man band in a quiet, Dylanesque acoustic set, but PCC’s Songwriter Showcase was far from a quiet and predictable event. Hosted by the Music Entrepreneurship class, the PCC Songwriter Showcase featured original music from PCC students whose influences range from The Grateful Dead to Radiohead to Pantera and every genre and style in between on Wednesday, April 12 in Westerbeck Recital Hall. Nine acts, both solo and group, performed at the showcase: The Friendly Strangers, Rafael Hutajulu, …

Directors of ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ verse jump to PCC

Share: It was one message. In fall 2021, Haein Shim checked Canvas to find an announcement from her film history professor, Marcel Giwargis. He shared information about the Ruth Batchelor Scholarship. Presented by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and supported by Rotten Tomatoes, the award honors underrepresented voices and aspiring film critics. Born and raised in Gwangju, South Korea, Shim came to the United States in 2016 and began studying sociology and women’s studies at PCC in 2021. She is a renowned artist, published …

PCC showcases diverse cultures during International Week

Share: PCC students weave a unique tapestry of different cultures, languages and interests. To  celebrate these various perspectives, PCC hosted “International Week” which began on March 20 and came to a grand conclusion at the “International Cultural Fair” on March 28. The celebration offered opportunities to view foreign films, meet foreign language professors, and explore different cultural clubs and activities.  The week kicked off with a Foreign Languages Career talk on Monday, March 20, where professionals who use foreign languages in their careers shared their experiences. …

Five fingers, four hands, two pianists, one night only

Share: The lights dim at seven in the evening inside a sold-out Westerbeck Recital Hall just south of the Pasadena City College campus. Walking in from stage right were Dr. Phillip Young and  Dr. Jocelyn Chang welcomed with a round of applause. Dr. Young wore a standard tuxedo and Dr. Chang wore a chic gradient dress that started from black and ended in pure white. They sat down together playing on just one Steinway & Sons grand piano with Dr. Young playing on the lower …

PCC Armenian Student Association brings change and unity in regional summit

Share: Amongst the buzzing Student Success Center of the D building, Director of External Relations for the PCC Armenian Student Association Andre Dionysian shares how the purpose of the club has changed since he became a part of its leadership this past fall. “Since we’ve taken over, the Armenian Student Association has had a major refocusing effort,” Dionysian says. “In the past, the ASA at PCC and other community colleges were more focused on sharing Armenian culture with the community of the college. We wanted …