Dumb phone, dumb life: I felt stupid without my smartphone

Share: From having #FOMO to doom scrolling to now brainrotting, the social media lexicon continues to grow, and the buzzwords that float around social media begin to signal that something is wrong. As dramatic as it sounds, it’s a well known fact that social media is destructive to our health. It’s attacking our self esteem and body image, our attention span and critical thinking. These attacks place future generations in a vulnerable position.  Just this past week Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law that …

‘Megalopolis’ is a crime against humanity, but watch it anyway

Share: Drugs are bad kids, but if you’re Francis Ford Coppola, you take them to come up with something as batshit insane as “Megalopolis.” I can barely even bring myself to call “Megalopolis” a film. It is truly its own beast. I wouldn’t argue with anyone who thinks that this is the biggest piece of shit to ever come out in the history of cinema. If someone went into the cinema expecting “Megalopolis” to be the next “Godfather,” then they would be sorely disappointed. And …

Colin Farrell’s ‘Penguin’ makes Oswald Cobb a charismatic criminal to root for

Share: Though it exists in the same universe as Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” HBO’s new show “The Penguin” starring Colin Farrell is very decidedly not a superhero show. Instead of Batman fighting bad guys, “The Penguin” focuses on the gritty underworld of Gotham city. In fact, it feels a bit more like an homage to “The Sopranos” than a comic book show.  Colin Farrell’s performance (as well as the prosthetics) make him nearly unrecognizable. Instead of a handsome, charming Irishman, Farrell transforms into the power-hungry, …

‘It feels like the world is calling me’: International students cut through red tape to study

Share: As the weather changes and summer comes to an end, students trickle into PCC for the fall semester, a picture of diversity and inclusivity. As the new school year comes to a start, students from different parts of the world arrive in California to attend PCC as part of the international student program. According to the International Student Center, these students come from countries such as Armenia, Italy, China, El Salvador, France, Mozambique, Korea, Myanmar and more. A few of these students explain that …

‘Marvel Vs Capcom’ retro bundle brings out the kid in all of us

Share: The days of slotting coins down an arcade machine are long gone. The historic fighting games of the “Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics” have officially reached a new generation of gaming platforms.  Of the six games that are being released as their original arcade selves, one stands out amidst the crowd of classics. “The Punisher” is the only non-fighting game in the bundle of games. While its brutal side-scrolling beat ’em up style is enjoyable for the first couple of minutes, the …

Extreme heatwave across L.A. County leaves our unhoused population at risk

Share: Temperatures are dropping fast, so it’s tempting to forget that just a week ago the greater Los Angeles area was experiencing a record-breaking heat wave, with temperatures reaching as high as 119 degrees in some neighborhoods.  For the majority of Californians, the heat is a minor inconvenience. 75% of Californians owning an air conditioning system, and the majority are lucky enough to shelter at home during this unprecedented heat. However, with our state’s continually rising homeless population, it begs the question, “What is Pasadena …

I couldn’t stop bugging out watching ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’

Share: After 36 years, the juice is loose in the new sequel of Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice.” Bringing back Winona Ryder’s character Lydia Deetz as an adult to deal with her trauma of Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice while attempting to try and bond with her daughter Astrid Deetz portrayed by Jenna Ortega after a death in the family. To start off it was a good sigh of relief, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” didn’t tone itself down since nowadays a lot of movies and tv shows tend to do that …

Every 15 to 30: A step-by-step guide on how to take the PCC shuttle

Share: Despite the slew of parking lots, Pasadena City College offers students and staff a free shuttle service which connects the Foothill, Rosemead, and Colorado campuses, as well as the Allen Avenue A Line Station. With shuttles running every 15 to 30 minutes, the service is a practical solution for managing your commute to campus. Here’s how to take advantage of this free service.   1. Understand the shuttle schedule The PCC Shuttle operates every 15 to 30 minutes. It services four locations: Foothill Campus, …

In your PCC era? Practical pro tips for new students

Share: The parking lots are overcrowded, the bookstore line is zig zagged, and you can’t figure out the order of room numbers fast enough. Whether this is your very first time on a college campus or your very first time on PCC’s campus, we went ahead and created a new student guide with the help of some returning PCC students. This guide is filled with some small tips to make this transition a bit more bearable.    Best study spots: PCC offers many options around …

Sabrina Carpenter’s new album ‘Short n’ Sweet’ left me craving more

Share: Sabrina Carpenter secures her spot as the hottest pop artist with her brand new album, “Short n’ Sweet”. Released on Aug. 23, the “Espresso” singer dropped her 6th studio album which includes 12 songs that are nothing short of sweet. She has increased her popularity from being an actress on the hit Disney channel show, “Girl Meets World” to opening for Taylor Swift Era’s Tour in the summer of 2023. Due to Taylor’s crazy fan base and audience, it is no shock that they …