Local Muslim community balances joy of Ramadan with sorrow for Gaza

Share: As Ramadan continues, Hedab Tarifi finds herself struggling to observe the holiday as she ordinarily would. Tarifi is an active member of her community, a devout Muslim, and the first woman on the boards of the Southern California Islamic Center and the Muslim Public Affairs Council. However, as a Gaza City native, her anxiety is centered on home as war is waging and her people are dying. “It’s the month that we focus on spirituality; it’s a month that cleanses the body and soul, …

Octavia’s Bookshelf PCC pop-up celebrates diverse voices

Share: Nikki High beamed with excitement and pride as curious PCC students gathered around her popup table in the north patio of the CA building on Tuesday, March 19 to learn more about her local bookstore Octavia’s Bookshelf. Octavia’s Bookshelf is an independent bookstore in Pasadena founded by High to promote the joy and passion of literacy by sharing stories from BIPOC authors. It is named after award-winning author of New York Times Best-Seller “Parable of the Sower” Octavia Butler, who was a PCC alumna. …

8-Bit comes to life in PCC orchestra’s video game concert

Share: As the lights dimmed in the Sexson Auditorium, the bright opening titles of “The Legend of Zelda” played on an overhead screen and the dazzled audience then looked to the PCC Orchestra, walking through some of the most beloved music scores in video games. The event, held on Mar. 23, was the group’s first concert of the 2024 spring semester and focused entirely on an idea presented by students, video games. Conductor and Orchestra professor Henry Shin wanted to act on this idea for …

Latinx author guides students through generational trauma

Share: As the boisterous crowd began to quiet down and the jazz music heard outside the PCC gymnasium grew louder on Thursday, March 21, author Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez prefaced to the packed room by saying she was not looking to lecture or sugarcoat her words, which included more than a few instances of cursing. “I think it’s important to remind people that cussing doesn’t make someone dumb, that you could be highly successful and still cuss all the time and as much as you …

Queerchata moves PCC students to dance beyond boundaries

Share: Latinx music blared from a PCC conference room as students gathered together and practiced the steps of bachata, carefree of any gender norms that interfered with the expression of dance. On Mar. 12, PCC’s Puente club hosted an event with Queerchata that offered a safe space for students to embrace their culture and sexual identity. The one-time event was held at the Creveling Lounge with Latinx music and food provided, welcoming all students interested. Discovering a community or organization within a college institution that …

April Bey’s ‘Atlantica’: An alien planet with a human story

Share: In PCC’s very own center of the arts building, expression and creativity runs rampant throughout the hallways. Towards the west side of the building lies the Boone art and V gallery, where a glittery exhibit takes place. An exhibit that, on a surface level, looks bizarre, striking, and somewhat off-putting, but yet also contains deep-provoking thought behind its initial flashy appearance. Excited groups of individuals discuss the exhibit outside of the gallery, and repeatedly go back in for multiple viewings. The exhibit in question …

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 …

These guards deserve your respect: In the paint with our SCC First Team Lancers

Share: Putting in the work silently and privately so family, friends and fans can give praise loudly and publicly. While recognition from the outside isn’t the top goal, it’s never a bad thing to receive, especially when it’s deserved and sought after by many.   The All-South Coast Conference Team is one of the highest honors a California community college athlete can achieve. It’s not enough to be the best player on the team; in order to break through to this level, players must outperform everyone …

Lucha Libre moonsaults its way into Old Pasadena

Share: As the rain drizzles down on a Chestnut Street parking lot, a man dressed only in spandex trunks and a mask bursts into a sprint and launches himself feet first at a psychotic clown. The clown takes the kick to the head and crashes from his platform to the pavement below. As the clown picks himself up, he turns to the hundred-odd crowd of onlookers and shouts to them in Spanish: “¡No se puede!”, you can’t do it. The crowd, laughing, chants back at …

Lancercare Housing helps students navigate unstable living situations

Share: Phillip Moffitt, a meditation teacher and author, once said, “A house is a home when it shelters the body and comforts the soul.” For college students in California, having a home feels more of a privilege in an increasingly insecure environment every day. At Pasadena City College, there is a place where people can come to shelter the body and comfort the soul.  Lancercare is the leading resource and servicing center at Pasadena City College. Its primary function is to assist PCC’s students in …