Share: PCC’s Information Technology Services (ITS) department is providing laptops for technology insecure students and faculty to loan amidst the campus’ closure, which began on March 19. During this period of remote instruction, access to technology is critical for students and faculty to resume their classes online. Students without it are faced with the possibility of having to drop their courses or revert to pass/no pass credit for the spring semester. “I was pretty stressed out at first knowing that we were moving online and …
How a journalist found the major of her dreams
Share: As a part-time volunteer in pulmonary research at USC Keck Centers, full-time journalist, photojournalist and most proudly a teen adviser at the Pasadena Public Library (PPL), Haneen Eltaib leads a very busy life. Eltaib began to give back to her community about eight years ago by volunteering as a teen adviser at the PPL Central Branch as a way to fulfill community service hours for high school. What started off as a school requirement quickly turned into a long-lasting relationship due to her devotion …
COVID-19 can’t stop PCC’s journalistic triple threat
Share: Now that she’s cooped in her house due to the quarantine, Caitlin Hernandez has to keep busy so she won’t catch a case of the quarantine blues. Whether she’s updating the COVID-19 landing page, researching for her journalism internship or photographing with her girlfriend, everything she’s currently doing has a purpose. Hernandez is the managing editor of the Courier, as well as a writer and a photographer. She covers a variety of stories, from features to breaking news. On top of all that, she …
Discord server brings harmony to online class
Share: Now that the quarantine has closed the PCC campuses for almost a month, students have been itching to find ways to communicate with each other outside of online conference classes. A group of students have found a solution, through the form of Discord. Discord is a social networking app that was originally designed for gamers, where members can chat through audio, video, and text. Over 60 students have congregated within the Center for the Arts Simulator (CAS), originally set up by student Justin Gonzales, …
PCC students petition for Pass/No Pass grading
Share: Updated: As of April 2, the deadline for a student to choose a pass/no pass grading option for spring 2020 classes has been extended to June 5. Unit limit rules for pass/no pass classes have been suspended for the time being. Follow:
COVID-19 campus closure cancels clubs
Share: Since PCC’s campus closure, its usually crowded classrooms and packed hallways are now reminiscent of a ghost town. The rooms where club officials used to meet in droves to discuss the exciting events they had planned for the semester are empty. Students who were once able to participate in extracurricular clubs on campus are now left to entertain themselves in their homes, far from the hustle and bustle that once existed. Follow:
‘Adrenaline rush’ fuels Courier’s dynamic duo
Share: James Membreno and Michael Watkins, photo editors for the Courier, began their two hour drive on a Wednesday afternoon. Membreno was feeling particularly nervous, which only worsened when he saw Watkins pull out a bulletproof vest upon reaching their destination. It probably did not help that Membreno’s expired passport later led to his temporary detainment by customs agents. For them, this was just another spur-of-the-moment adventure that they had decided to embark on. Their plan was to photograph the migrant caravan that had arrived …
Blotter: Staff injured walking down ramp
Share: Monday, March 16: A staff was injured walking down a ramp on campus. The staff was transported to the health center for assistance. Tuesday, March 17: No incidents reported on this date. Wednesday, March 18: An officer contacted a subject who was observed taking food items from Lancers Pass without paying. The subject was escorted off campus. Lancers Pass didn’t wish to prosecute the subject. A staff member reported a female transient roaming around the piazza. The transient was escorted off campus. Transients were …
Board grants emergency authority to superintendent
Share: On Mar. 18, the PCC Board of Trustees (BOT) voted to bestow emergency authorities to Superintendent/President Erika Endrijonas due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. According to Mary Thompson, Enrijonas’s executive assistant, this is the first emergency board resolution in the history of the college, which goes back to 1933. The BOT only meets once a month, and the CDC and county officials have been issuing updates of cases and guidelines at least once a week so far. “I don’t need to wait for the …
PCC’s snail email leaves students confused
Share: PCC’s email system has been staggering the delivery of important emails, resulting in some students receiving updates about changes on campus much later than they were initially sent out. This has led some students to question if PCC is properly assessing the urgent needs of its student body during this time of crisis. Due to the campus closure, the only way PCC has been able to communicate with students is to notify them through their email service. Updates regarding the college’s response to the …