Opinion – Page 9 – Pima Post

Letter from the editor: join the Aztec Press!

15May

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Features, News, Opinion

Letter from the editor: join the Aztec Press!

By ELLIANA KOPUT Since 1970, the Aztec Press has kept readers of Pima Community College informed on all grounds. With PCC-focused content, the goal has remained to provide a variety of insights and information regarding a diverse range of topics, from academics and sports to entertainment and local news. Now, 50 years later, the publication has seen its first-ever global pandemic, revoking the chance for print issues until students and staff are permitted to return to the newsroom. Still, the team has worked diligently (and remotely) to deliver relevant online content. Journalism is potentially the most experiential out of all writing-centric courses offered. Students on the Aztec Press have worked around the clock to attend events, interview members of the PC...

President Visit to Arizona Signals Reopening

15May

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Features, News, Opinion

President Visit to Arizona Signals Reopening

Photo courtesy of Shealah Craighead member of the White House staff. President Trump holding a roundtable on May 5 at the Honeywell International, Inc. plant in Phoenix. Pictured from left are Secretary Scalia, Governor Ducey, Vice President Lizer, President Trump, 2 nd Lady Lizer, Governor Lewis and Senator McSally. By KEVIN HARTUNG Air Force One touched down at 12:04 p.m. May 5 in Phoenix. President Donald Trump’s entourage included newly appointed U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia, Republican Sen. Martha McSally, and Republican representatives Paul Gosar and Debbie Lesko. This is Trump’s first long-distance trip in over a month and is a symbolic gesture to show the nation that America is reopening. Trump exited the aircraft at about 12:30 p.m. and was met on the tarmac by Gov....

15May

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Features, News, Opinion

Does Online Learning Make the Grade?

Photo-illustration of a student frustrated with online learning. By KEVIN HARTUNG There are two sides to every story and the fast switch to online learning during the spring semester is no exception. The switch was problematic for students, faculty and college administrators. Students battled connectivity problems. The faculty struggled to learn the online environment and incorporate their lesson plans. Administrators scrambled to train faculty and move classes online, even those requiring ingenuity to meet course requirements. Eliud Chuffe, a Spanish instructor, was concerned about the difficulties his students faced. Students who had not signed up for an online class experienced connectivity issues due to unreliable internet service or computer models with slow connectivity. Some stu...

Star Wars is Dead and Disney Killed It: A Postmortem

5May

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Arts & Entertainment, Opinion

Star Wars is Dead and Disney Killed It: A Postmortem

By KYLE KERSEY “The dead speak!” it says. Translation: “fuck you, audience!” The best thing I can say about the Star Wars Prequel trilogy is at least George Lucas was trying something different. Damning with faint praise, yes, but dammit, faint praise is praise nonetheless. It’s important to remember that, at his core, Lucas is an ideas-based filmmaker dedicated to thematic storytelling and technological advancement. You can see it in his first feature film, THX 1138, a dystopian sci-fi film with a relatively simple story but captivating visuals and world building. These are the very foundations that made the original trilogy a success: movies with stunning special effects and a universal but sometimes surprising story. Where he does not excel, however, is grounded storytelling and wri...

1May

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

News, Opinion

Perplexing Measures Prompted by COVID-19

Photo Courtesy of Jason Connolly / AFP - Getty Images Demonstrators gather in front of the Colorado State Capitol building to protest coronavirus stay-at-home orders during a "Reopen Colorado" rally in Denver on Sunday, April 19, 2020. By Kevin Hartung I have heard some very unusual stories regarding measures of social distancing being implemented by the stay-at-home mandates. While some make me laugh, others make me question their legality. Americans facing the fear of COVID-19 have selflessly given up freedoms to assure the outbreak is confined and ends quickly. They deserve recognition for their efforts. Still, there are some that want to push the envelope. For instance, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has incessantly added to stay-at-home measures which have sparked demonstrations ...

1May

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Features, News, Opinion

Displaying Humanity in a Crisis

Photo Courtesy of Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star Steve Tracy, Thunder Canyon Brewery co-owner and brewer, fills up 16oz bottles of locally made hand sanitizer at Thunder Canyon Brewery, 220 E. Broadway Blvd., in Tucson, Ariz., on April 6, 2020. by Kevin Hartung We often overlook opportunities to reveal our humanitarian side to others. It may be hiding somewhere under the surface, but the coronavirus is bringing it out in many. While many people reach out to family, friends, and neighbors, individuals are not the only ones to recognize the need and offer aid. A March 16 article on BuzzFeed discussed that a program, No Kid Hungry, identified a problem and framed a solution. The article stated that since the coronavirus has forced mass school closures across the country, millions ...

17Apr

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

News, Opinion

Self-Improvement in Self-Isolation

Martin Kalchev performing high kicks at home photo courtesy of wikimedia. By DALTON GRIJALVA Life is at a halt. We all have to stay home, and now it’s very easy to fall into depression, stress, fear or even go a little mad. Luckily, there are many ways to fill your day, so you don’t have to count all the holes in the wall. The first idea is to do at-home workouts. With gyms being closed, it can be very easy to fall out of a good diet and exercise regimen. At-home workouts are actually more accessible, and more importantly, free. Not everyone has access to a $1,000 home gym, and fitness equipment costs are high. YouTube has a great selection of at-home workouts. My favorite ones are boxing/M.M.A. workouts. They’re great for cardio as well as full-body workouts and a great way to stay health...

17Apr

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

News, Opinion

Getting by in Uncertain Times

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia. By DALTON GRIJALVA With the economy tanking, jobs being lost and colleges moving to virtual classes, college students are suffering. Our situation is tough at the moment, but that does not mean one cannot get a little bit of work from all this. The first and safest way is to work from home. These are often call center jobs, but they are the safest way to make sure you don’t expose yourself to COVID-19. An essential business also is a way to get a job. Grocery stores and big box stores are in a definite need of extra hands. Warehouse jobs may be hiring, and some restaurants are still open for takeout and delivery. One route that could not only help you make money, but help local businesses, is working for third-party delivery services, such as Postmates, DoorDas...

16Apr

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Arts & Entertainment, News, Opinion

I stream, You Stream.

Photo of AMC courtesy of Wikimedia. By DALTON GRIJALVA Even though movie theaters across the country are closed, the show must go on. Many believe that movie-viewing would transition to mainly streaming in the near future. The virus has sped up that process. Many movies scheduled for March and April releases have been pushed back to later dates in the fall. Big titles such as “Trolls 2,” “Onward” and “Birds of Prey” made the switch to streaming services or video on demand (VOD). The switch comes as no surprise to families that are stuck in doors. The real question is whether this be the new status quo once the pandemic is over.The answer is complicated, to say the least. Studios are missing out on box office revenue. Many theaters aren’t profiting from concessions and are struggling not to...

A Lifeboat for Arizona’s Small Businesses

10Apr

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Opinion

A Lifeboat for Arizona’s Small Businesses

By Sen. Martha McSally Small businesses are the backbone of the Arizona economy and employ over one million Arizonans. These hard-working Arizonans often put everything they have into building their businesses from scratch and provide a vast array of products, goods, and services that make our state the best place in the country to live and visit. It is crucial that we do everything in our power to ensure our small businesses, including family businesses, independent contractors, and sole proprietors, can survive the coronavirus pandemic so their businesses and jobs exist when we defeat this virus. Unfortunately, the rapid spread of the coronavirus has created massive challenges across the United States, including in Arizona. As Americans are encouraged to stay home to flatten the curve o...