PCC’s Stem Gala was a semi-formal event with an elegant ambiance that set the stage for PCC’s brightest minds to shine through when networking with professionals in the STEM industry. One such professional was Donn Silberman, an optical engineer, who described how he found out about the event through the head of the program. “The program here at Pasadena City College is run by a very good friend of mine, and I heard about this Gala event because I’ve done a lot of these outreach …
State of California will no longer fully fund U-Building project
The progress to get work done on the Armen Sarafian Hall (also known as the U building) has been dealt a number of blows in recent weeks. The full support of the project from the government has been derailed, and the school is hoping that the state will change its mind before the May Revise when the governor’s proposed budget from January gets an update before it is signed into law by the end of June.
PCC lacks cultural awareness, not diversity
A typical day on campus can include the sound of rhythmic salsa music as couples shake and shimmy their way through the quad in the afternoon sun;. a celebration of culture. In the same day, one could also catch a viewing of The Vagina Monologues, a production aimed at deconstructing and subverting traditional notions of gender.
Black students redefine academia
With over 500 chapters and 16,000 members, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) offers the largest student governed organization for black STEM students. This year, eight students from PCC will be attending the NSBE conference in Pittsburgh. The NSBE was established in 1975 by seven black students to create a community that was nonexistent during this time. Kevin Scroggins, a former PCC NSBE president, started the chapter on campus in 2016. Scroggins stated that when he started the chapter, PCC had only 2% of …
Taking the ‘W’: Why students choose to pull out and withdraw
Students line up in a crooked manner, one by one, waiting for their questions to be answered. Some choose to sit down on the connected seats, waiting for their name to be called; while the seats remain filled, others opt to stand near the wall and use their smartphones to kill time. Multiple counselors walk out the door, either engaging in a friendly chatter with colleagues or welcoming the students inside what remains of their encounter.
Lack of black leadership on campus prompts outrage
A growing rift has opened between the PCC administration and black faculty, staff and students over recent decisions to remove black faculty from long-held positions.
College One: the track to triumph
They step foot into the widespread, grassy area where wood-like sculptures are reflected throughout the campus entrance. As they enter the building division, the brown, wood-like doors lurk through the new students’ eyes. Confused on which room to enter, this is just one of the many obstacles they face as “froshes.”
Shifting priorities in the honors program
He dresses in a formal business attire and dawns a black dress shoe, while carrying a bag filled with his planners and notebooks. Inside his planner consists of day-to-day activities that range from grading class assignments to business-related duties. His demeanor, likewise, is a caricature of other professors who dress professional by society’s view of an authoritative figure.
$70K grant grows STEM program
Following the Board of Trustees’ (BOT) decision to accept a grant awarded to Pasadena City College, the college was given an estimated $70,250 for 2017-2018 which will fund the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program, a STEM-driven group that focuses on disadvantaged students and their needs.
Pathways paved for third-year students to thrive
After six years of helping first and second year college students successfully transition from high school to college, PCC Pathways will be extending its services to provide extra support to third-year students starting fall 2017.