Share: Michael Cooper, former member of the infamous Los Angeles Lakers “Showtime” team, at one point it seemed unlikely that he would make it to the NBA after he failed a junior college English class. Faced with such a challenging situation, Cooper’s humility came to the fore when he persevered and exhibited many champion-like qualities that allowed him to successfully overcome this lesson that had a profound impact not only on his education, but also in his life and career. Follow:
Print to digital
Share: Print is dying. Digital is the future. At least that seems to be a common topic of discussion these days among journalists. Media has come a very long way since the first printed word, and drawings on cave walls have transformed into Facebook posts on iPads. Follow:
A photo story
Share: The journalism department at Pasadena City College didn’t always include photojournalism classes. Initially, the Courier newspaper students relied on art photography students to provide images for their stories. When Mikki Bolliger was hired as a faculty adviser for the student newspaper in 1972, she said that working with students from a different department was often trying. Follow:
Riots, thefts and murder
Share: 8 – Escaping the Riot Alfredo Santana, a PCC student who immigrated to America from Mexico, thought he wouldn’t make it home that night. Driving to drop off magazines at a 7-11 in Inglewood during the L.A. Riots of 1992, Santana was terrified out of his mind when he was stopped by a group of men in the road. The men proceeded to jam a large metal flag into his windshield, kicked open his rear window, and dragged him out of the car. He …
An adviser’s legacy
Share: She arrived on campus at Pasadena City College during the early morning and had no clue where she was going. No schedule and absolutely no information on hand that could alleviate her anxiousness. To gain some knowledge of where she needed to be, she proceeded nervously into the human resources office. Shortly after being accompanied to her new office, she received a call from the campus print shop asking about the deadline for that week’s paper. Having no retort, she continued onward to meet …
Cataloging civil rights
Share: Over the course of a century, the Pasadena High School Chronicle, now the Pasadena City College Courier, has seen multiple social paradigm shifts. As the decades passed, the social attitudes of the general public, and by extension the Chronicle/Courier staff, changed as advancements in civil rights were made, most notably with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which brought an end to segregation and made institutional discrimination illegal. Follow:
Pasadena’s own four sport legend
Before becoming a pioneer for equality throughout professional sports by breaking baseball’s color barrier in 1947, Jack Roosevelt Robinson was a successful four-sport athlete at what was then called Pasadena Junior College. Known for his athleticism and prowess on the baseball diamond, Robinson was also a prolific scorer on the hardwood while also playing football and track for the Bulldogs.
The first years of a legacy
Share: More than 100 years ago, one student at Pasadena High School had a dream of a student-run newspaper. He began discussing his plans with teachers and students who were interested. Kenneth Fuessle’s dream not only came to life, but it now carries on a 100-year-old legacy. Follow:
Rust Never Sleeps
Share: In addition to international war coverage, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and interviews with notable diplomats and world leaders for 35 years, PCC Distinguished Alum of 2010 David Rust has also garnered two Emmy Awards, been the subject of book interviews, and has had a CNN exhibit of his own personal collection and archive of memorabilia, artifacts and historical documents gathered during that time. Follow: