Features

Pima Community College’s resident fashionista
Features

Pima Community College’s resident fashionista

Interview and photos by JOSH GRAY  Pima Community College will  holding its annual fashion show May 4 at the Fox Theatre.  Nancy Spaulding, the head of the Fashion Department, recently sat down with the Aztec Press.  Q: What is your favorite piece on display? A: “I haven’t seen everything yet, so I couldn’t say what my favorite would be.” Q:What is your favorite fashion trend? A: “Print mixing, totally.” Q: What is your favorite fashion decade? A: “I would say probably the ’60s because I grew up in the ’60s and everybody was rocking the good stuff then.” Q: What is your favorite part of working in Pima’s fashion department? A: “The fact that it is just full of creative people, and people love fashion and want to create new trends and new designs. It is  just a fun department; it...
Culture Club: free passes for Pima students
Arts & Entertainment, Features

Culture Club: free passes for Pima students

By JOSH GRAY Pima Community College has partnered with Act One to provide free cultural passes to Pima students.  Culture Passes are free admission tickets that you and a guest can get by going to your local Pima Library. Act One is an organization that helps provide art and cultural experience throughout Arizona schools. Act One is a non-profit organization that is privately funded. “A lot of it comes from donors and foundations, individual donors and foundations, corporations, that's the bulk of it,” said Geri Wright, CEO and president of Act One. Act One offers two main programs.  Its first program is the Act One field trip, which helps Title 1 schools that can’t afford to take their students on field trips. Since the organization’s founding in 2011, Act One has provided “nearly ...
MMA through the eyes of Birchak
Stomping Grounds

MMA through the eyes of Birchak

Photos and story by MATTHEW HILL     Unlike going to your traditional gym where you work out with weights and machines and run on treadmills, you can get a full-body workout learning new self-defense techniques and body-movement skills practicing jiujitsu. Located at 4765 E. Speedway Blvd., 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu is home to many practitioners who want to keep evolving and challenge themselves through this martial art. The gym offers discounts to University of Arizona and Pima Community College student first responders, as well as active-duty military and veterans. With access to over 100 gyms worldwide, there is unlimited training in jiujitsu, wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, MMA, strength and conditioning, and nutrition plans. 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu is owned and operated by A...
A blast from the Hydro Flask at Pima Community College
Features

A blast from the Hydro Flask at Pima Community College

Story and photo by JOSH GRAY This $50 hunk of tin is popular.  The trend started last year (at least that’s when the trend hit Arizona), grew, peaked and has died quicker than it started. Hydro Flask isn’t talked about as much anymore, but they are still floating about college campuses across the country.  If you haven’t heard about the Bend, Oregon-based Hydro Flask, it’s a water bottle that keeps your beverage hot or cold for extended periods. This is done by the company’s innovative insulation technique trademarked as TempShield.  “TempShield is our double-wall, vacuum-insulated technology that guards the temperature of your drink,” according to the company’s website.  Similar and less expensive brands like Contigo also keep things cold and hot for longer periods of time. “We eng...
Stomping Grounds

Beaut Burger: Beaut-y and no beast

by ALEXZANDRIA MARTINEZ Beaut Burger, pronounced b-yoo-t, is taken from the Australia/New Zealand slang for “beauty.” It also should stand for “hidden gem for vegans.”  Beaut Burger is located in the Mercado San Agustin Annex, 267 S. Avenida del Convento.  The restaurant itself is an old train shipping container on the West side of the plaza that has been re-purposed. In fact, all of the small locally owned businesses inside the district are all located in re-purposed shipping containers. The plaza is an extension to the Mercado San Agustin District. MSA Annex is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily.  The plaza was something I’ve never seen before. When you walk in, you’ll notice flag signs for each business.  Beaut Burger’s dining area offers an outdoor experience while eating, bu...
From confusion to clarity at Pima Community College
Features

From confusion to clarity at Pima Community College

Story and photos by ERIK MEDINA From Feb. 10 through 13, the annual Community College Legislative Summit took place in Washington, D.C.  This is a summit that Pima Community College has participated in for several years. This year, Pima attended the summit with two student representatives.  This issue, we’re focusing on Pima student Matthew Gowan, a Navy veteran and family man.  Matthew Gowan  Many individuals leave high school without a clear mindset of what they want to do whether it be work, college or military they can’t decide the right path to take.  This was the case for Matthew Gowan, who was born and raised in Lawton, Oklahoma. He graduated from high school in 2002, but after that, he didn’t have a plan for what to do after.  “I just wanted to make money and hang out with...
Pima’s CC geology teacher is the schist
Features

Pima’s CC geology teacher is the schist

  Story and photo by ERIK MEDINA For 16 years, John Reynolds has been teaching geology and geography at Pima Community College.  Reynolds came to Tucson because of his wife’s job at Texas Instruments transferred her. This was around the time Reynolds was retiring, so they took advantage of that.  Q: Did you always see yourself wanting to teach?                             A: “I taught when I was a graduate student in astronomy. My real love was being in industry but once I retired, I looked around, I thought ‘I am not the rocking chair type.’ I like to stay busy. I like to stay active and I like doing things that are meaningful. I remember a story back when I worked in Mobil where one of the best petrophysicists in the field retired from Mobil at his retirement party he told everyo...
Breaking norms and achieving more
Features

Breaking norms and achieving more

Story and photo by ERIK MEDINA From Feb. 10 through 13, the annual Community College Legislative Summit took place in Washington, D.C.  This is a summit that Pima Community College has participated in for several years. This year, Pima attended the summit with two student representatives.  Fatuma Salat is a first-generation college student who plans to become a dentist. Matthew Gowan is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and plans to pursue a career with the Drug Enforcement Administration.    Alongside Salat and Gowan were Chancellor Lee Lambert, Vice Chancellor Lisa Brosky  and several Governing Board members. “Fatima Salat and Matthew Gowan were extraordinary advocates and ambassadors of Pima Community College,” Demion Clinco said. “Their perspectives and generosity in sharing personal s...
Sugar Skulls take on the town; Tucson’s new indoor football team
Features

Sugar Skulls take on the town; Tucson’s new indoor football team

By Hank Robichaud   There is professional football ... I repeat, there is professional football in Tucson. The Sugar Skulls, a new Indoor Football League team based in Tucson, has started their inaugural season. The Indoor Football League is an eight-on-eight football game on a 50-yard field with walls that resemble that of a hockey rink. This speeds up the game, making it more of a backyard high scoring type of game resulting in high scores and a ton of high-contact football. It’s great for the fan experience and brings a new entertainment choice to Tucson. The Sugar Skulls look to make an impact in their opening season by going into it with very high expectations. “Maybe I’m a little too hard on myself and my players, but our expectation is that we are trying to win a champi...
Serving it up for students
Features

Serving it up for students

By PARKER BROCK   Shannon Kull and Candy Richards are two of the food service workers at Pima Community College West Campus cafeteria. Kull has been working for Follet for the last 15 years and they both sat down to talk with the Aztec Press.   Q: How long have you been working here at Pima?: A:I’ve been working for Follet for 15 years, various management positions, different campuses,” Shanon Kull, Store Manager at Pima West Campus, said. “I've been with Follet around 5 years” Candy Richards, Cafe Service Manager, said.   Q: What does your average work day look like? A: Richards- It can vary, I’m usually here most of the time now, I was going around to the other campuses. Here we are doing a hot lunch special so I’m here most of the day to get it ready. Q: When it ...