Tag: Pima Community College

Ducey Stresses Importance of Flu Shot during COVID
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Ducey Stresses Importance of Flu Shot during COVID

By JOE GIDDENS Originally for www.tucsonlocalmedia.com/ This summer while two hurricanes grew in the gulf, the nation’s disease experts planned for another set of storms as the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to overlap with flu season. At an Aug. 31 press conference, Gov. Doug Ducey described this combination as a “perfect storm.” “We aren’t taking any chances,” Ducey said, encouraging Arizonans to get a flu shot to help mitigate the burden on the state’s healthcare system. “More than 4,000 people are hospitalized in Arizona with flu complications and tragically in our state about 700 people die from the flu each year.” The Governor’s Office’s goal is for a flu shot to be available for everyone who wants one, including the 700,000 uninsured Arizonans.  For this flu season, manufacturers ...
Pima College Suicide Prevention Event
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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...
PCC adopts virtual learning methods
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PCC adopts virtual learning methods

Photo courtesy Drug Addiction Clinic Vita By ELLIANA KOPUT   Speculation of Pima Community College’s potential closure began to brew prior to spring break, about March 10.    This came following an uproar of campus closures throughout the United States, including announcements from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University.    “While I definitely think the measures PCC has taken are with our best interests, and theirs, in mind ... it definitely hasn't been smooth,” said Vin Solewin, a cyber security and cyber forensic major. “It’s doubly hard as I’m a student tutor, so I have had two aspects of my life switched from in-person to on-computer.”   Omar Martinez, a business entrepreneurship major, agreed with Solewin.   “I think the local community communi...
Lambert continues to rack up miles for Pima
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Lambert continues to rack up miles for Pima

By JOE GIDDENS In 2019, the chancellor took 39 trips totaling $50,392.48. So far, in 2020, he has spent $10,214.94. Pima Community College has suspended international travel except to Canada and Mexico until further notice according to an all employee email on March 3.  International travel by Pima employees is a fairly common occurrence for example between May and the end of 2019, Pima Chancellor Lee Lambert spent $29,882.22 on domestic and international travel.  This brought his total expenditure on travel for 2019 to $50,392.48 for a total of 39 trips. The Pima Board of Governors also voted in February to make Lambert’s automobile allowance $2000 a month.  Since Jan. 1, Lambert has been on seven business trips at the cost of $10,214.25. Most of that amount comes from attending the C...
Fifty years expose need for campus facelift
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Fifty years expose need for campus facelift

Photo and story by KEVIN HARTUNG If the Pima Community College West Campus lacks a certain prestige, a close look provides the answer. Walls in need of paint, carpets needing replacement, bathrooms needing repairs, and outdated elevators demand attention.  Revitalization of student and faculty enthusiasm compensates for the remodel. If you want to celebrate PCC’s 50 years, maybe start by giving the West Campus buildings a fresh look.   PCC is doing a great job enriching its academic infrastructure. The Aztec College program, designed for high school students to earn concurrent college credits, has been quite successful.  Raylee May, Vail Early College Coordinator for the program, affirmed in a Dec. 16, 2019, article for AZEDNEWS that “Of the last cohort (of students), 90 percent continu...
Sports

Mens Soccer season comes to an end

By COREY MCMULLEN The Aztecs’ soccer season came to an end in November, finishing with a 15-4-2 record (12-3-1 regular season) and being ranked sixth in the nation. The Aztecs were bounced in the second round of the regional tournament by Arizona Western. The game came down to penalty kicks, where the Aztecs fell to Arizona Western 6-5. Thinking the season was over for the Aztecs, the team received one of the four at large bids for the NJCAA Division I National tournament in Tyler, Texas. The Tournament started Nov. 18 and went through Nov. 23. The Aztecs entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed. This was the Aztecs’ third straight year to the NJCAA tournament and their sixth appearance in nine years. In their second-chance game, the Aztecs fell 1-0 to Eastern Florida State in double o...
Sports

Women’s Basketball wins 3 of 5. Mens continue to underwhelm

By COREY MCMULLEN Women’s Basketball Pima Community College women’s basketball team continues to roll, winning 3 of its last 5, including a big win over Scottsdale. The Aztecs are currently ranked No. 11. Dec. 9: PCC 72, Arizona Western 67 The Aztecs defeated the Matadors (Division I) 72-67. The Aztecs trailed 30-28 at halftime but opened the third quarter on a 16-5 run in almost seven minutes to take a 44-35 lead. The Aztecs outscored the Matadors 29-11 in the quarter to take a 57-41 advantage. The Aztecs were outscored 26-15 in the final period. Sophomore point guard Alyssa Perez stole the inbound pass and was fouled. She drained her free throws to put the game away. Dec. 7: PCC 83, Scottsdale Community College 70 The Aztecs bounced back with a big win over the Scottsdale Community C...
‘AP’-style basketball at Pima
Sports

‘AP’-style basketball at Pima

Story by COREY MCMULLEN Photos by JOE GIDDENS For most teams, losing a leading scorer is a setback.      With Pima’s all-time scoring leader Jacqulynn Nakai gone, the Aztecs were without a point guard unless you asked head coach Todd Holthaus, who knew he had someone ready to take over. That person is Aztecs’ point guard Alyssa “AP” Perez. Perez, entering her sophomore season for the Aztecs, has been the leader the Aztecs needed for this year’s young squad, which is returning only four players from last year’s No. 5-ranked team. Perez started playing basketball in the seventh grade. She wanted to try it out because her dad played in high school and they would go play at the park. Perez, an only child, was born and raised in Tucson. In her free time, Perez and her family love to go to...
The Pima College Foundation has big anniversary plans
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The Pima College Foundation has big anniversary plans

By JOE GIDDENS Two years ago, Pima Community College and the Pima Foundation separated. “The most important difference between the old foundation and this one is that the new foundation is not essentially part of Pima,” Pima Foundation Board member Pat Houston said. “It’s its own entity external to Pima.”  A major reason for this amicable divorce is to have 501(c)(3) status in order for charitable gifts to the foundation be recognized when people file their taxes. Donations can go from small gifts up to very large contributions with this new setup.   “That same separation happened at the UA about 30 years ago,” Pima Community College Foundation President Marcy Euler said. “It’s just the right way to manage the philanthropic arm of the college versus the business and academic side of the...
Tucson looks to help residents thrive
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Tucson looks to help residents thrive

Photo and story by JOE GIDDENS The “Thrive in the 05” initiative was formed last fall to revitalize the Oracle corridor, an area from the Pima Community College Downtown Campus going north to Miracle Mile and bounded by I-10 to the west.  It’s an area that is steeped in indigenous history with some of the Pascua Yaqui’s Tribe’s earliest residences.  The area saw a boom with the advent of the automobile’s arrival in the American West as the northern gateway to Tucson. The route followed Miracle Mile; then turned on Oracle Road; then turned onto Drachman Street and went Downtown before exiting the area on South Sixth Avenue.  The completion of Interstate 10 in 1961 left residents facing a number of challenges with their customers routed elsewhere. Presently, this area of Tucson has roughl...