Month: October 2018

Kratom vs. opiate addiction
Features

Kratom vs. opiate addiction

By: DANIEL VELASCO Deep in the rainforests of Southeast Asia lies an infamous plant.  With yellow flowers and evergreen leaves, kratom induces stimulant-like effects to its users, while causing opiate-like side effects to people who use it in high doses.  Kratom is primarily put into capsules and made into extracts and pills, but dried kratom leaves can be brewed into a tea. Traditionally, kratom is chewed, or in some cases eaten in food. Its side effects are where this plant gets interesting. When kratom is ingested, the chemical compounds (Mitragynine and 7-a-hydroxymitragynine) affect the brain’s four opiate receptors. These brain receptors control an array of different behavioral aspects including pain, depression, anxiety and addiction.  The most famous side effects are pleasur...
Wind Ensemble will blow you away
Arts & Entertainment

Wind Ensemble will blow you away

By ERIK MEDINA Pima Community College Music presents the Wind Ensemble, performing their first concert of the season and under the direction of Dr. Mark Nelson. The concert features selections with only single movement compositions. The newly formed woodwind ensemble class make s its first appearance at this concert. The program includes a medley of tunes from “The Incredibles” movie, “Symphonic Sketch” by Charles Carder, “Zeus” by Rob Romyn, “The Dam Busters” march by Eric Coates, “Rag-Time Dance” by Scott Joplin, and “Australian Up-Country Tune” by Percy Grainger.  
There’s gold in them there skies
News

There’s gold in them there skies

By HANK ROBICHAUD New student apartments in Tucson: A statement that will thrill some and dismay others. In recent years, an influx of student apartments have been built around Downtown Tucson, including on the University of Arizona campus. The UA, however, is not expecting an increase in enrollment, because it capped the acceptance to the university. The university is attempting to have off-campus housing but still have the college environment that are essentially off-campus apartment-style dorms. This could be taking away from some of the Fourth Avenue culture that Tucson is known for. Some of the skyscraper apartment buildings that have gone up over recent years have taken away from the view of the mountains that have been able to see over the top of the stores on Fourth Aven...
Network outages and outrage
News

Network outages and outrage

By NORA THOMPSON Just about everyone was experiencing problems with the computer network recently at Pima Community College West Campus.  According to an email that was sent out Oct. 11, the network is back up. Raj Murthy, the Assistant Vice Chancellor to Information Technology at Pima, “A part of a core router started malfunctioning and subsequently failed.” Chris Bonhorst, the director of technical services explains the problem as  “The issues impacting the wired network at West Campus have been resolved by modifying some configurations and moving important network routes from one piece of hardware to another. A replacement for the primary router at West Campus was ordered prior to these issues and will be put into service as a part of a larger redesign and hardware refresh strategy...
Letter from the editor- Felony disenfranchisement
Opinion

Letter from the editor- Felony disenfranchisement

By NORA THOMPSON Could you imagine having to pay $700 to register to vote?  No one would do it. Voting, a civil right available to most U.S. reidents, suddenly would become a luxury.  This is a devastating reality for 221,000 people in Arizona. Just as Manny Mejias said during the Restore Your Vote press conference on Oct. 3: It’s like bringing back the poll tax.  America has a long history of voter suppression. It’s unfortunately a racist system that we live under, especially when, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, 60.9 percent of inmates are non-white.  I got involved with Restore Your Vote Arizona, a project of the Campaign Legal Center. It’s a two-month campaign that’s focused on helping people with prior felony convictions get their rights returned. It’s current...
Debi Chess Mabie running for District 5
News

Debi Chess Mabie running for District 5

BY: NORA THOMPSON and JOE GIDDENS Debbi Chess Mabie came to Tucson 8 years ago, in those 8 years she worked at the Loft Cinema, was the director of the Tucson Pima Arts Council and then received a fellowship from the University of Arizona School of Social and Behavior Sciences.  She has a list of other achievements that came before her move to Tucson,  “30 years of experience in nonprofit and organizational development.” Mabie said, “but now I'm ready for the Pima Community College, Governing Board.” Mabie found her love of education at a young age. “My father taught at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. And I would go with him after school. He taught there for years and I would go with him and sit in the back of the classroom and I would do my own stuff.  But I was always impr...
National recognition for Aztecs’ Gutierrez
Sports

National recognition for Aztecs’ Gutierrez

By KYLE MCDANIEL Freshman defender Taylor Gutierrez has started every game so far for the Pima Community College Women’s Soccer team, was recently awarded the ACCAC Player of the Week. That week, she scored a goal and assisted a goal in the team’s 3-0 victory over Cochise College.  As well as helping keep the #7 team in the nation Phoenix College to a 1-1 draw. One of the best results the Aztecs have had all season. Thanks to those performances, the spotlight was shining on the Aztecs, which helped her get the national recognition.    “I think I got it because I’m a defender, and defenders don’t really score and assist goals. It’s pretty cool because as a defender when you score it’s such a big thing since we never really get that opportunity and it’s a great feeling.” Taylor was bo...
Aztecs start second half on right track
Sports

Aztecs start second half on right track

BY: ANGEL CANEZ Katherine Bruno outpaced the competition again winning her third 5K in a row. This time across state lines on Oct.12 at the Mt. SAC Community College Invitational in Walnut California, with a time of 18:13.0 seconds. Mary Siml freshmen came in fifth place with a time of 19:22.0 making that back to back top five finishes for her and third meet in a row Pimas had two women runners finish in the top seven. The Men's trip out west wasn't as fruitful, they finished the meet in the middle of the pack finishing in  6th out of 14 teams. The Men's leading runner was Freshmen Luis Tenzon, he crossed the line in 15th in the 8k with a time of 22:08.0 Oct.6 Mesa Community College Thunderbird ClassicThe Men's and Women's, Cross Country teams hit the ground running, to start off the secon...
Donuts fit for a king
Stomping Grounds

Donuts fit for a king

On the outskirts of town, near Old Tucson, lies a cleverly hidden little donut shop. A donut you may say is fit for a king, Queen Donuts. It’s basically your local ma-and-pa-owned donut shop.  There’re no bells and whistles, no crazy outside decoration to flag you down. Just a yellow sign with their name that sits atop the coffee shop. You walk inside the bell rings and notice it’s appearance is nothing special. The décor is plain, but that in itself gives it a homely feel. The walls are plain white, aside from a couple paintings of Angkor Wat, a John Deere clock and a wall by the register covered with plaques. On the counter lie some American flags and a Cambodian riel (money). Then you’re greeted by Queen Donuts owner Sal Oum, a quiet, humble man who the community adores. Oum is a Cambod...
Features, News

Finding yourself in Spanish translation

By AMARIS ENCINAS The Translation and Interpretation Studies program remains a hidden gem at Pima Community College. The program is centered at the Desert Vista Campus with Susan Kuenzler, program adviser with the Division of Communication, and Jeffrey Gabbitas, Ph.D. and lead faculty for the Translation and Interpretation studies program. The program has 90 students. Its lone prerequisite is to score above 601 on the WebCape placement test to assess the student’s language proficiency. Next, there’s an hourlong consultation with Kuenzler and Gabbitas to understand what the program is about and how it can work with the student’s career goals. From there, students will pick classes based on whether they would like to be translators or interpreters. The program’s mission is to have stude...