Share: Pasadena City College’s Geography Program was recently recognized as the best community college Geography program both in the state and in the nation, where it received the 2026 AAG Award for Community College Program Excellence from the American Association of Geographers (AAG). There are 210 community colleges in the United States that offer two year degrees in geography. Currently the program has awarded 160 credentials from 2018 to 2025 and 32 awards from the same period of time, more than any other California Community …
It’s Lance O’Lot’s time: PCC celebrates the year of the horse
Share: During the Jade Emperor’s great race to name each zodiac year, the horse placed seventh, experiencing a setback from the scheming snake who wrapped itself around the horse’s leg until the finish line, jumping out and startling the horse. Pasadena City College’s (PCC) annual Lunar New Year event had a similar experience this year–the year of the horse–rescheduling due to forecasted rain from its original date of Tuesday, Feb. 24, to Thursday, March 12, in the campus quad. Overseen by PCC’s International Student Center …
Cheese event bries a gouda time for students
Share: PCC’s Creveling Lounge turned into an international getaway on Friday, March 20, as students and staff gathered to enjoy an array of cheese from Italy, France, and Latin America. Tables were filled with platters of cheese and pairings such as grapes, strawberries, nuts, crackers, and honey, with bright-colored decorations. Organizers of the event handed out samples and chatted with cheese goers about the importance of food in many cultures and how it is a way to bring people together. The International Students Center held …
ASPCC goes to DC: Students lobby for larger loan limits
Share: Pasadena City College’s Associated Students are departing on an annual visit to Washington, D.C. to lobby Congress on behalf of the student body. The trip takes place from March 17 to 22, with a focus on making the Pell Grant, which covers tuition for low-income students, larger and tax-free. “The people that receive the Pell Grant need all the money that they get from it,” said Vice President of Executive Affairs Madalyn Lauterbach. “In order to benefit from it to the max, basically, they …
‘Smiling Friends’: For the show that left them smiling, friends mourn
Share: “I was just laying there looking at the ceiling … tears running down my face,” said Pasadena City College Film Production major Ezekiel Blakeslee. Listening to Blakeslee, one would think he’d lost a friend. In a way he did as he recalled when he first learned the TV series “Smiling Friends” got cancelled, an emotional sentiment shared by many fans who on Thursday, March 5 from 12 to 1 p.m. gathered at PCC’s Lancer’s Pass to mourn their beloved show’s death. “Smiling Friends” was …
‘We’re in a bad situation’: Equity programs axed by federal funding cuts
Share: On September 12, 2025, the Trump administration’s crackdown on equity-centered initiatives within higher education affected Pasadena City College as a letter of discontinuance from the U.S. Department of Education announced its plan to terminate the federal funding of various equitable student programs. The letter specified how PCC’s grant proposal plans to use federal funding don’t align with new policies. “[As of] the Department’s [of Education] policy of prioritizing merit, fairness, and excellence in education…Pasadena CC’s application for funding states that the project will train …
PCC against ICE: ‘It’s not too late to join the fight’
Share: As Trump Administration doubles down on immigration laws, the demand to abolish ICE has skyrocketed since the first ICE raid as Americans continue to condemn the agency for discriminatory, illegal procedures. In response, student activism has seen a new wave across the country, including at PCC. At 1 p.m. on February 26, students will host a march from the Jack Scott Building to Pasadena’s City Hall to peacefully advocate for community rights and to stand together. These students, having been personally affected by ICE …
PCC Math program on last legs after federal funding pulled, students in distress
Share: On September 10,2025 the U.S Department of Education issued a press release after ending “racially discriminatory discretionary grant programs at minority serving institutions”. Under the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has made a clear stance to get rid of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in education. Due to this, Pasadena City College, a minority serving institution (MSI) and a proud Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), has been affected as the administration has pulled Title 3 funding. The Title 3 grant is a …
New deal lets PCC students skip undergrad, go straight to pharmacy doctoral program
Share: On September 22, 2025, Pasadena City College announced the Transfer Admission Guarantee agreement it made with Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) into their Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. This agreement with KGI differs from other PharmD programs since students don’t have to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program before transferring into their program. This means students will get into the field two years faster than those transferring in from a four-year university. Community college students will also save money because they won’t need to complete …
‘Red Bike’ takes a heartfelt ride through childhood worries
Share: When I sat down to see Nicole Javier’s production of “Red Bike” performed in the Center for the Arts theater, I had no idea what I was in for. All I knew about it was the line on the poster. “Remember when you were eleven years old and you had a bike, one that made you dream about a world bigger than the one in which you live?” The lights were dim, and all strung up around the stage were artifacts – stuffed animals, …