Month: October 2020

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 women’s basketball team holds ring ceremony to celebrate championship
Sports

Pima women’s basketball team holds ring ceremony to celebrate championship

By Nate Martinez On October 4, the Pima Community College Women's Basketball team celebrated last season's Division II Region I championship with a ring ceremony. The team got together that Sunday afternoon via zoom call, organized by head coach Todd Holthaus, Athletic Director Jim Monaco and Vice Chancellor Bruce Moses, to reflect on the past season, as well as their accomplishments in their final game.  Each player received a box with the ring, nicknamed the “Infinity Stone” by assistant coach Pete Fajardo, as well as a sweater and a team picture. They were instructed not to open until the zoom call.  The Aztecs earned this accomplishment by defeating rival school, Mesa Community College by a convincing score of 76-59. The win also marks the first time in the last eight years that the...
Opinion: Trump and Biden debate, America dumber for it
Opinion

Opinion: Trump and Biden debate, America dumber for it

Photos by Gage Skidmore By Dalton Grijalva Leading up to this debate between Democratic nominee Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump, the two parties have never been more divided, at least not in modern times. At a time when we are experiencing a global pandemic and city-wide rioting, red vs blue is the understatement of the century. This wasn’t a debate: it was a shouting match between two old men. It begs the question: why exactly do we let people who are going to die soon make the decisions for our nation? What was in a lot of talking points was how Biden would handle Trump in the debate. Trump has attacked Biden for his incoherent sentences, often mocking his cognitive ability and giving him the demeaning nickname ‘Sleepy Joe.’  In turn, Biden called him a clown, which I a...
News

Arizona’s Minimum Wage set to Increase

Photo by Gage Skidmore By Kyler Van Vliet At the start of 2021, Arizona’s minimum-wage will rise to $12.15 an hour, a jump of 15 cents from the current minimum wage of $12.00 an hour. The rise in pay is due to a 1.3% increase in the cost of living over the past 12 months through August, as reported by the Arizona Republic.  The Industrial Commission of Arizona oversees the state’s minimum-wage and announced the uptick earlier in September. Arizona already has one of the highest minimum-wages in the nation after passing the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Initiative in 2016. With increase in pay, Arizona will be tied with Maine for the ninth-highest minimum-wage in the country.  As for Flagstaff, their minimum-wage will increase from $13 an hour to $15 in January.  Some workers and bus...
PCC names Jim Monaco permanent athletic director
News, Sports

PCC names Jim Monaco permanent athletic director

By Nate Martinez On Monday, October 5, Pima Community College named Jim Monaco their permanent athletic director.  The move comes after Monaco served in an interim capacity since November of 2018. He succeeded Edgar Soto, who was the AD since 2009.  Monaco has been active for many years in Pima sports, starting out as an assistant coach for Jeff Scurran. He helped the Arizona Football Hall of Fame coach to a 26-17 overall record between 2000 and 2004 and even made a Bowl game in his last year.  He returned to the Aztecs in 2011, working as the Defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator under Pat Nugent until 2013.  Monaco was named head coach of the Pima football team following the 2013 season and fulfilled that role until the program was cut to accommodate the school’s budget.  ...
News

McSally and Kelly discuss climate change, public land management in online forums

Photo by Gage Skidmore By Joe Giddens Posted with permission from Tucson Weekly. Original story can be found at: https://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2020/10/05/mcsally-and-kelly-discuss-climate-change-public-land-management-in-online-forums?fbclid=IwAR3tttQkKYOkpQ74hz8e_t5SXFA1FeJNx9NW8UyeYiso5QeP_04uXXfosJM Senate candidates Martha McSally and Mark Kelly laid out their visions of public land management for Arizona on Friday in two separate online forums hosted by the Arizona Trail Association. The online forums took place ahead of their only scheduled debate on Tuesday and today’s voter registration deadline (which has since been extended to October 23). Climate change starkly contrasted the candidates. McSally continued her rhetoric of qualifying the scientific consensus th...
Pima Animal Care Center: saving one animal life at a time
Features

Pima Animal Care Center: saving one animal life at a time

This article has been edited to clarify and correct some facts. By Mylene Roberts Mahatma Gandhi once said “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”  Homeless animals have always and will always be an issue that society faces. There are many people in the world that are making a difference in animals’ lives whether it is working or volunteering at a shelter, adopting an animal or just donating to an animal shelter.  Nikki Reck, spokeswoman for the Pima Animal Care Center, one of the animal shelters in Tucson, offered information regarding the programs that PACC has, how to volunteer and their process of adopting animals. According to Reck, the biggest difference between adopting an animal now and before the pandemic occurred is ...
Arts & Entertainment, Features

Q&A with ‘Vote Here’ filmmaker Steve Waxman

By Joe Giddens This Q&A was originally made for a Tucson Weekly Story available here: https://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2020/10/02/tucson-filmmakers-highlight-the-history-of-voting-in-new-documentary Filmmaker Steve Waxman has released his new documentary, "Vote Here", to inspire voter turnout this year and provide some historical insights into political movements wanting to engage the youth vote. What was the inspiration for this project?  I just felt that voting is the essence of democracy and I've always been big on voting. I felt that this country, if it had a little bit more of a civic background on the evolution of voting, might understand the sacrifices other people made and realize that the more people who participate, the more people who decide. What was the p...
Opinion

Op-Ed: PCC Board of Governors Candidate Catherine Ripley

By Catherine Ripley, Pima Community College Governing Board candidate My training as an officer in the U.S. Navy and as a U.S. diplomat demanded that I learn each position from the bottom up so I could better lead from top down. On a ship, the sailor turning a wrench in the boiler room is as critical as the captain steering the ship up top. With one mistake, either could imperil the vessel. So the captain must know every inch of that ship and every sailor running it.  That’s how I’ve approached my candidacy for the Pima Community College Governing Board. I’m seeking this position because, as an Adjunct Professor of Political Science for the past five years, I’ve come to appreciate just how valuable this institution is to our community. But I also believe that my unique expertise can help ...
News

Register to Vote by October 5

Every election, voter turnout among college students is poor, despite the fact that the youngest voting generation is the one that will be most affected by the decisions of our current leaders.  However, if you aren’t registered to vote yet, there’s still time. The registration deadline to vote in Arizona is Monday, October 5. You can complete your voter registration online through the Arizona Department of Transportation website here. At the end of the registration process, you will be able to decide if you want to vote in person or by mail. If you don’t know for sure if you’re registered, you can check here.  If you decide you want to vote by mail, we recommend that you drop it off to a drop-box location rather than mail it in, as ballots must be received by 7pm on Election Day to cou...