Following PCC’s turbulent first week back on campus the Safe Learning Environment Committee, a subcommittee of the Academic Senate, has joined those in opposition against the college’s decision to resume in-person instruction. In an email sent out to Academic Senate President Gena Lopez and other Executive Board Members and Senators on Thurs, Jan 27, the committee outlined specific measures they hope the Senate will enact on their behalf, including demanding that PCC administration establish policy that allows faculty and students to self-determine their preferred mode …
Divided: Faculty union continues fight against in-person learning
After some faculty members and students held a demonstration last week about returning to campus, PCC welcomed students and faculty back to school this week with multiple COVID testing sites and equipped everyone with a pack of triple-layered surgical-grade masks. Over the weekend, the Pasadena Area Community College District (PACCD) and the PCC Faculty Association (PCCFA) negotiated terms about returning to campus amid a rising surge in COVID cases. According to an email sent from the district to the faculty, there were meetings on Jan. …
PCC temporarily postpones in person classes amid omicron surge
Due to LA counties positive Covid cases being at an all time high, PCC has decided to adhere to the suggestion made by the California Community college chancellor’s office’s suggestion to delay in person classes for the first two weeks of the Spring 2022 semester, with plans to resume face-to-face instruction starting on Jan. 24. “The decision to have our face-to-face classes move to synchronous online will be revisited each week,” Superintendent-President Dr. Erika Endrijonas said. “We are monitoring infection rates and local and statewide …
Students divided over public access to Shatford Library
PCC library announced the reopening of the Shatford Library to the public on October 25, 2021. The decision has the potential to impact students concerned about lack of space delegated to the students in future semesters. While others are happy to allocate the resources given by the school to the community of Pasadena. The library, usually filled to the brim with students studying for the next midterm or cracking at a 10 page paper in a time crunch is now a ghost town. With only …
Faculty vs. students: Student government blasts remote learning decision
While many students expected to return to campus this fall due to relaxed Covid-19 mandates and the PCC campus reopening in July, the Pasadena City College Curriculum Committee (PCCCC) had other plans. The PCCCC, followed by the approval from the Academic Senate, granted approval for forms submitted by faculty members to continue remote learning despite the wishes of administration and PCC’s elected student government, Associated Students. Superintendent-President Dr. Erika Endrijonas said that when they were creating the schedule for the Fall 2021 semester, they intended …
Mask on, Mask off into summer 2021
A survey regarding Covid 19 showed that the true end of the pandemic will be when 70% of Americans of all ages have been vaccinated, according to the 723 epidemiologists that participated in the survey. “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on May 10 expanded the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine’s emergency use authorization to include adolescents ages 12-15, and on May 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially recommended that the vaccine be used for this population,” said Kaia Hubbard with the U.S News …
A cautionary tale: India’s COVID surge is a warning to us all
India’s latest COVID-19 surge is spreading like wildfire after India loosened up its regulations on the original lockdown. Reports of new cases as well as deaths have increased, which will undoubtedly be a path the US will be heading down if we do not take heed of this warning. At the height of COVID-19, India prepared for a deadly virus that could potentially affect billions of people in their country. In crowded areas like Mumbai, India had prepared for the worst, but the worst never …
As COVID cases go down, we should open up
There have been good signs as of late for the United States. COVID cases are not as high as they were and positivity rates are as low as they could ever be.The state of California is at an all time low rate for the virus, with 1.3 percent of daily tests coming up positive. However, the question is should we rush to open up the country? The answer is yes and there are multiple reasons for this answer.
Vaccine fears phase out with more Lancers willing to give it a shot
It’s been a little over one year since the CDC announced the coronavirus as a global pandemic, and life as we know it was put on hold. Over 2.8 million lives have been lost worldwide due to this pandemic. Millions of people around the world have been trying for months to find a solution to the issue. But now there is finally hope in the form of three new vaccines. For the first time in a long time, the light might finally be showing at …
Former NFL star Michael Vick shows his grit in a sit down with PCC students
Michael Vick, former professional NFL quarterback, shared his experiences with resiliency in a sit down on Zoom, to encourage students at Pasadena City College to stay determined through the COVID-19 epidemic.