Oceanwide Plaza tagging reignites fight over LA’s cultural identity

Share: Conflict upon the Los Angeles community has arisen after over 27 floors of a vacant skyscraper have been covered in graffiti. Members of the Los Angeles community fail to meet middle ground as some believe this was an act of vandalism, but to others, a protest against gentrification.  Los Angeles presented a new “attraction” this past February as an abandoned skyscraper across from the Crypto.com arena was engulfed with graffiti. The abandoned building was a result of the $1.1 billion Oceanwide Plaza project that …

Growing up is not a ‘Bad Idea Right?’

Share: When the magic fades away, the world looks the other way. This is the case with many ex-Disney stars and how their rise to fame is flooded by criticism as they grow up and make a name for themselves away from the image attached to the company.  Olivia Rodrigo, who at 18 years old became pop’s brightest new hope. Recently she released her newest album, “GUTS” which was followed by a fair amount of indignation from parents who reject this new ‘rowdy’ Olivia Rodrigo …

‘Problemista’ is an extravaganza you don’t want to miss

Share: After being delayed due to the Hollywood-stopping WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the surrealist comedy flick with a fantastical twist, “Problemista” finally gets its well-deserved moment in the sun. It tells the story of an immigrant who jumps through expensive, time-consuming bureaucratic hoops to make it in America at the risk of losing his visa and being sent back to El Salvador. A24’s latest release showcases comedian Julio Torres’ outstanding ability to write, direct, and act as he shines in his first feature film “Problemista.” …

Courier sweep! Our state journalism awards roundup

Share: This story has been updated to include links to our award winners This past weekend, The Courier attended the Journalism Association of Community College’s (JACC) regional competition in La Jolla, California. Writers and Editors attended workshops and other keynotes to learn more about the industry and also competed in several on-the-spot competitions. The competitions ranged from timed writing assignments to wider ranging video and social media components. The Courier managed to bring home 24 total awards across 15 competitions along with a mail-in contest …

Live, laugh, literature: PCC’s favorite reads

Share: Regardless of whether you love or hate reading, everyone has at least one book that played a crucial part in shaping them into the person they are today. Books transport us to other worlds, get us out of our heads, and allow us to sit and relax for a while and just enjoy a good story. That said, here are some absolute must-reads according to some of the students and faculty of Pasadena City College. “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky A favorite of …

Tool nails a killer show at the Crypto

Share: A show full of bright lights, loud sounds, beautiful guitaring, and soothing vocals. The most memorable moment from that night was seeing 20,000 people rocking alongside each other for two straight hours. Feb. 15th stands as one of the most memorable nights of my life as I experienced one of the greatest concerts I’ve ever seen. In that moment in time, the crowd all shared something in common, a love for Tool.  Tool is a rock band that originated in Los Angeles in 1990. …

Scammy scum: Don’t get hoodwinked by online hoodlums

Share: In a time where technology is constantly evolving and scammers are becoming more adept and prevalent, the need for cybersecurity awareness and preparedness is more important than ever.  As students integrate themselves into the online world, they are inadvertently putting themselves more at risk for these various cyber threats and scams.  One of the more pervasive scams comes from hackers trying to access people’s personal information like banking info or social security numbers by pretending to be authoritative figures and then draining their bank …

‘Dune: Part Two’ leaves its predecessor in the dust as it soars to extraordinary heights

Share: Director Denis Villeneuve is known for breathtaking visuals mixed with fantastic character work to boot, and no movie gives him more of an opportunity to show this off than the “Dune” series. After a three-year-long wait, Villeneuve has returned to his Sci-Fi epic with “Dune: Part Two.” Truthfully, it’s hard to put into words how amazing this movie is, as it takes a serious step up in every department over its predecessor.    The movie once again follows Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, and …

Bad bad, not good: Don’t get stuck in Madame’s Web

Share: Sony’s latest Marvel-related film “Madame Web” came to theaters just a few weeks ago, releasing on Valentine’s Day, and was met with a heap of negative reviews from Spider-Man/Marvel fans.  The build-up and overall promo were quite bizarre ranging from things like blatant false advertising, to the weird attempts from the main cast to get people to buy tickets like Dakota Johnson’s promo video where she goes on to say, “I think you’re gonna see it twice.” Aside from all this, the trailers and …

Textbook costs empty student wallets

Share: Students are already paying hundreds of dollars for classes. So, on top of that, paying an additional amount for textbooks is not ideal. As the spring semester kicks off, PCC students are being required by their professors to buy what many people deem “expensive textbooks”. There are a couple of options to get around the expensive costs of books though, such as buying used, or even online ebooks/pdfs. “All my classes require textbooks, except for my stats class, which has an online pdf textbook,” …