Tag: news

News

Pima to distribute food to students in need

By Troy Hutchison Pima Community College (PCC) has put together a Student Food Pantry Box in part of its partnership with United Way Day of Caring.  The PCC is a part of this effort every November, asking its faculty and employees to volunteer their time towards different projects across all campuses. The volunteer slots to help with these projects, and the Student Food Pantry Box are all filled. However, if you have joined, you will need to go to a training course for food safety protocols to ensure the food's safety and the students receiving the food to mandate social distancing guidelines. One of the leads of the project is Rachael Lord, who has been overseeing the volunteers and the training process.  “We have been very grateful. We have more volunteers than what we can use becaus...
Opinion

Funerals in the age of COVID

Photo by Ashim D'Silva By Troy Hutchison In the last eight months, the world has gone through drastic changes to keep itself safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Events have been canceled, celebrations have been put on hold, classes gone from in-person to virtual classrooms, and these are just some examples of how society has had to adapt to the new COVID-19 world.   No matter how much society adapts to the situation we currently live in, nothing can prepare a person for a COVID-style funeral experience. When talking about this, I am not speaking just about COVID-19 related deaths; I’m talking about any death that comes during this time and the changes a family has to make to keep the funeral safe. That is something I recently went through, and it was an experience that I thought ...
News

Pima to host ‘Virtual Celebration of Life and el Dia de los Muertos’

On Friday, October 30, Pima Community College will be hosting “Virtual Celebration of Life and el Dia de los Muertos: Expressions of Love and Remembrance.” Students and community members are invited to honor their deceased loved ones with: Photos of loved ones or an ofrenda/altar, with 50-100 word description 2 minute video   PowerPoint/slide show 50-100 word commentary on local/regional traditions Submissions will be posted to the event website on October 30, while video submissions will be posted to youtube starting at 3:00 pm. The registration deadline for submissions is Tuesday, October 27. You can register your submission here. The event is sponsored by the PCC Native American Student Association, Student Life, and the Social Sciences, Humanities and Education Division....
News

Saguaro National Park vandalized

Photo by James Lee By Kyler Van Vliet Eight saguaros were found crudely hacked down this October in the Saguaro National Park. Park officials believe the incident happened on or around October 3rd.  The saguaros that were cut down ranged from 1 to 10ft in height and were located just off of the Scenic Trail.  Law enforcement rangers for the park are investigating the vandalization and are searching for the perpetrator or perpetrators that are responsible for the saguaro hackings.  “Saguaro cacti grow very slowly and hold special significance to the people who live here. A 10-foot cactus could easily be 100 years old, and it was killed in a senseless act of vandalism,” said park superintendent Leah McGinnis in a written statement this past Wednesday.  Park officials are asking for the p...
News, Opinion

Covid-19 vs mental health

By NOOR HAGHIGHI A few weeks ago, my dad came home from Walgreens where he picked up some Zinc supplements for me. Many of us, myself included, have developed a keen sense of hypochondria during the pandemic. The slightest tickle in the throat scared me into believing that the virus was coming for me. He told me that all the supplements like Ashwagandha, which helps your body relieve stress, other nerve relaxants and stomach relaxants were quite scarce. When I stopped by Target later on, his claims were verified, as the sleeping pills and Vitamin Cs had also been wiped out. It feels like everyone is on edge; that this nervousness in the air is not confined to any particular age group. It’s taken a toll on my friends and I as high schoolers; I’ve seen it ripping families apart and it’s har...
Pima College Suicide Prevention Event
News

Pima College Suicide Prevention Event

By LANISSA PATTERSON September is suicide prevention month and Pima Community College is holding a virtual event to spread awareness. The event will be held virtually over Zoom on Thursday, September 10th from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.. The Zoom code will be provided after a quick registration via this link https://bit.ly/3jvLPAG.  The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) has dedicated September 10th as World Suicide Prevention Day. According to the IASP,  “Suicide prevention remains a universal challenge. Every year, suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of death globally for people of all ages, responsible for one death every 40 seconds.” Pima Community College's Student Life & Academic Success Counselors Sylvia Loustaunau-Romero and Erika Elias are tackling this c...
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 ...
Control the Spread and the Panic
News, Opinion

Control the Spread and the Panic

Keesler personnel fill the Commissary at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, March 2020.  Photo courtesy Kemberly Groue by Kevin Hartung Worldwide, officials are scrambling to control the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) but maybe controlling the panic is equally important President Donald Trump, who had contact with coronavirus subjects, was tested and received negative results. To date, at least 30 countries have been banned from U.S. travel.   The economic fallout from the panic was instantaneous, with the stock market hitting another all-time low on March 14. Experts predict economic fallout from the coronavirus scare will be long-lasting. According to a March 17 article on the FiveThirtyEight website, five states have postponed their presidential primaries due to the coronavirus. Sta...
How to: COVID-19 testing in Pima County
News

How to: COVID-19 testing in Pima County

Photo courtesy Peterson Air Force Base By ELLIANA KOPUT   The rate of recorded COVID-19 cases in Arizona has increased exponentially over the past month. When the Aztec Press released Issue 2 on March 12, there was one reported case in Maricopa County. Now, we have surpassed 1500 cases across the entire state, with 32 related deaths. These numbers do not include those with pending tests, nor do they account for those carrying the virus who lack access to testing.    Pima County saw its first COVID-19 related death March 23. It was a woman in her 50s who likely had preexisting conditions that increased her susceptibility to the virus. The county had declared an emergency in unincorporated areas on March 19.    “It’s here. You just need to act like it’s in our community,” Dr. ...
The ‘truth’ about tobacco on campus
News

The ‘truth’ about tobacco on campus

By PARKER BROCK  Pima Community College Governing Board approved to revise current standing policies to convert the college to a tobacco-free campus on March 22 and subsequently April 11. The governing board uses two policies, administrative policy 8.07.01 and board policy 8.07, to accomplish its goal of a tobacco-free campus. The main policy detailing the usage or restrictions is AP 8.07.01, which will be the primary policy in reference The policy prohibits smoking or the use of products on college grounds including all college property, all college-sponsored events, all college owned vehicles and all personal vehicles when operated or parked on college property. However, while the policy aims to make PCC smoke-free, it lacks any form of direct enforcement and doesn’t incentivise c...