The Return of Drama Productions

The pandemic put a roaring stop on drama productions throughout the state, as folks could no longer gather to watch and be entertained, but Gerry Large wants it to make a comeback. Large, Whatcom Community College’s Visual & Performing Arts Department Lead, had decided that this quarter his actors would…

Whatcom County Introduces New Alternative Policing Programs

Whatcom County has implemented two new crisis response systems: the Alternative Response Team (ART) and the Sheriff Co-responder Team. These programs, introduced at the beginning of 2023, aim to enhance the handling mental health emergencies by involving behavioral health specialists. According to a study by the Treatment Advocacy Center, “People…

Tenant Protections in Whatcom County

A Brief Look Into Rent Control, Assistance and Landlords by Sorrel Thoerner, Simon Shultis, and Ian Degnin. Renters in Whatcom County are collectively exhausted with the cost and quality of their rental units. Prices of units are on the rise and the quality of units is steadily decreasing. Rent control is…

ChatGPT: The AI That Took the World by Storm

Since ChatGPT’s release, it has gained global popularity, with around 100 million users using it monthly. Schools around the U.S. have implemented policies regarding using generative artificial intelligence tools for schoolwork.  OpenAI released ChatGPT on Nov. 30, 2022, as a successor to InstructAI, their previous AI model. ChatGPT unlocks new…

Volunteers Aid Students in Their Goal to Learn English

By Nathan Welch and Miles Vander-Vennet An English-Language Learners class led by Catalina Hope ended in celebration, as students and ELL volunteers alike came together after the class successfully completed their English assessments for the quarter. During the class’s celebration, students spoke amongst their classmates, family members, and instructors, eating…

Community Garden to Make a Return in Spring

As spring slowly enfolds this year, WCC’s community garden is in the process of being transformed from a nearly barren space to a vibrant collection of plants. According to James Spaich, a professor in WCC’s English department and co-founder of the community garden, “Last year was the first year for…