Feel empowered by the roots of Black music this June

Share: Black music, black joy, black love, black excellence, what is it? What does it look like, feel like, sound like? How is it portrayed, thought of, and looked upon? Without any intention or purposeful action, success while being black has been limited to certain jobs and genres by everyone but black people. But when taking a dive into the underground utopia of black music the mind is taken to places that are vaguely familiar but aren’t often visited.  June is “Black Music Month,” and …

Next student president opens up about family, AI, and the saxophone

Share: In middle school, Alfredo Martinez Sandoval had a dream that he was playing the saxophone. In high school, the saxophone became his connection to the city of Pasadena through the Tournament of Roses parade, which set his path in motion to broke l become the incoming president of the Associated Students of Pasadena City College.  “I fell in love with saxophone,” he says, sitting on a shady bench in front of the Shatford Library. “I had a dream about playing it one time, and …

Wi-Fi Lounge looks radiant as ASPCC hosts ‘Valorant’ tournament

Share: The student lounge was transformed on Monday. The normally bright lights were dim, accompanied by a pulsing RGB glow. The furniture was completely rearranged, with tables clustered in the center surrounded by ten students, staring intensely at laptops, barking brief, cryptic messages at each other. Another dozen students sit in chairs in front of a projector screen, laughing in excitement as the screen cycles through the action from each laptop, watching as digital avatars duck in and out of smoke clouds and dodge virtual …

PCC to change sign-in page to Microsoft redirect starting in June

Share: The Pasadena City College Information Technology Services Team (ITS) has begun changing several login redirects to Microsoft in order to strengthen PCC technological security and direct all of PCC’s resources to a singular login portal.   In mid-May the PCC Information Technology Services Team (ITS) announced in an email that several PCC applications such as Google, Canvas, and Rave Alerts would be changing their login system redirects starting on June 18, 2024.  When logging into these PCC applications, users will be redirected to a Microsoft …

AI in the classroom? Policy is still up to professors at PCC

Share: Throughout 2023, educators saw an incoming boom of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools and discussed how to prepare for its impact on their classrooms. Now, as we reach the end of the first full school year since AI came on the scene, PCC instructors have had to adjust their preparations in real-time. “It’s bad out there,” said Dr. Liesel Reinhart, who teaches Visual Arts & Media Studies at PCC. “We are getting a tremendous number of assignments turned in that use various types …

‘Furiosa’: A slow burn that sparks a glorious odyssey

Share: Amidst a sea of unnecessary sequels and remakes that are being overwhelmingly released this year, director and co-writer George Miller returns to the dunes of the Wasteland with “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” a prequel to the 2015 film, “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Despite the newest installation in the “Mad Max” franchise not hitting as hard as its predecessor, “Furiosa” is a brilliant exploration of the titular character while providing a larger scope of the world in this series and delivering jaw-dropping moments sprinkled …

Swim team’s newest member makes waves in state competition

Share: First-year PCC student Michael Petersen has dedicated his life to swimming, often spending many early mornings and late nights doing breaststrokes and backstrokes, regardless of rain or shine. His ten years of hard work and perseverance finally culminated on May 2, when Petersen competed at the 3C2A State Swimming and Diving Championships in Costa Mesa. Petersen competed for PCC in the statewide swimming competition, placing 12th in breaststroke, as well as breaking older records as he completed the second fastest time for a male …

Run, don’t walk to the best secondhand stores in Pasadena

Share: Over the past few years, the interest in shopping at vintage and antique stores has increased steadily. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as vintage shopping can help people individualize their wardrobe and home decor while often costing less than brand-new pieces. And it’s sustainable!  Oftentimes people turn to websites or apps such as Depop or Facebook Marketplace for their secondhand shopping because of the convenience factor. However, many people prefer to go into an actual store so they can see the …

Culture week cookin’: Try an Italian professor’s veggie meatballs

Share: As part of International Week at PCC, Italian professor Laura Godio prepared two different recipes for her students, a classic Italian meatball dish and a zucchini-based “meatball” inspired by her vegetarian students. International Week aims to expand students’ knowledge of foreign cultures and to celebrate the arts of different nations. “I enjoy doing this for my students,” Godio said, referencing the meatball dishes she crafts for her students, “It helps them better understand vocabulary when they’re participating in something physical like cooking. My students …

How to slayyyy transferring this Fall

Share: As June approaches, many PCC students are preparing to transfer to a four-year university in the fall. Whether students are living locally or moving across the country, this is a new and potentially anxious time for many.  Amidst the excitement for change, transfer anxiety is a common companion. One of the best ways to help combat these worries is having a good community. From friends, family, or even teachers and counselors, there is a vast amount of resources and people available to help and …