Carlos Tuazon, Kaitlynn Sutakajana and Sherin Ballutay sit with second-year student Angela Figueroa at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Aug. 26, 2024.
Melanie Jurado / Roundup News
Karla Villacorta / Roundup News
Delilah Brumer / Roundup News
Moses Murga / Roundup News
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Letter from the editor: Adding a new chapter to a 70-year legacy
“Hi, my name is Delilah Brumer and I’m a student journalist at the Roundup News. It’s so nice to meet you.”
If you ever see me around campus, this is how I’ll introduce myself, almost certainly smiling and speaking really quickly.
That role I introduce myself as — student journalist — means a lot to me and to all of us at the Roundup. I’m always proud to say I’m a student journalist, because my title carries with it the privilege and responsibility of informing the Pierce College community.
At the Roundup, we strive to fairly report on the issues affecting students, faculty and staff and we do so while holding ourselves to professional ethical standards. This means we’re here to cover everything important
to the Pierce campus. It also means that while we thoroughly work to ensure our coverage is accurate and balanced, we’ll always own up to our mistakes.
I hope that as you flip through the Roundup, you learn something new. I also hope you see the diverse experiences and perspectives of your community represented.
These 16 pages constitute the first issue of the Fall 2024 semester — and the newest chapter in the Roundup’s 70-year legacy. This is us introducing (or re-introducing) ourselves to you. We publish weekly in print on Wednesdays, but we also hope you’ll read our work at theroundupnews.com or on social media @roundupnews.
Even though I’ve been a journalist in one form or another
for nearly six years, it’s still a lot of pressure leading this newspaper. But I believe in the capabilities of the Roundup staff — and in the importance of our work.
Our relationship with the Pierce campus does not only go one way. If you ever want to share a story tip with us, please send an email to newsroom. roundupnews@gmail.com. Don’t ever hesitate to ask us questions, tell us about an event or let us know how we can improve. You’ll often see us out on the Mall and we’d love it if you say hello.
Thank you for entrusting me to serve this campus as the Roundup editor-in-chief. It’s so nice to meet you.
Editorial: From the desk of the Roundup
By Delilah Brumer Editor-in-Chief
For the love of lit: Pierce should host a
College life can be monotonous. Book fairs offer a welcome distraction from academics. These fairs typically create an environment of entertainment, meeting authors and the opportunity to enjoy books and reading. Pierce should consider hosting a book fair. Reading may seem like a chore to some people, but there are some benefits that most people enjoy. According to an article in Education Week, “book fairs help engage students in recreational reading, which research has shown can improve reading scores.”
A well-planned book fair at
Pierce would also provide a fun atmosphere and enable students and faculty to socialize.
Long Beach City College has held an annual book fair for the past seven years. This event is for all ages and “features books and authors, music and entertainment, food, and activities for the kids.” The Festival of Great Reads was held on April 27 of this year.
Pierce can invite alumni who may be writers as well as renowned authors hoping to publicize their works. This will inspire students and visitors to think about literature as a possible career path as well as increase their interest in reading.
A look into the archives:
70 years of the Roundup
On Sept. 13, 2001, the Roundup published a special edition, two days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. The issue included articles on the timeline and fallout of 9/11, which occurred 23 years ago on this day.
One of the few special editions in the Roundup’s history, the front cover of Volume 95 Issue 2 featured a photo of the flags on the Pierce College campus lowered to
half staff, as well as a photo illustration.
Within the pages of the newspaper, articles covered the Pierce community’s grief and reactions to the attacks. The Roundup also published information about crisis counseling available at Pierce and a campus blood drive scheduled to support the people wounded by the attacks.
Copy by Delilah Brumer.
Beginning in 1996, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, held annually at the University of Southern California, is known as “one of the world’s most significant literary gatherings. This celebrated event presents various authors representing diverse genres, from established literary figures to emerging talents each year.”
Book fairs offer many educational as well as entertaining activities.
According to USC’s L.A. Times Festival of Books website, “Attendees can engage in panels and discussions, facilitating enriching exchanges among fellow book enthusiasts, authors,
book fair
scholars, and thought leaders. From storytelling sessions to book signings and interactive exhibits, a wealth of experiences awaits visitors of all ages.”
A similar event at Pierce can be cost-neutral. Pierce would incur some cost for security, maintenance and other staff, which would be offset by income generated from book sales, other merchandise and food and beverage sales at the cafeteria or invited food trucks.
Some other local book fairs are usually held in April. Pierce should consider hosting the event earlier or later to avoid conflicting with the other fairs.
Two archived pages of the Sept. 13, 2001 special edition of the Roundup, laid out in the newsroom on Sept. 3, 2024. Photo by Delilah Brumer.
Should Pierce offer more Friday classes? Longer
Additional options would give students room to breathe
By Erica Logan Reporter
Including more class availability at Pierce College on Fridays would not only offer students more flexibility within their hectic schedules, but an extra day of classes would create more balance on campus overall.
Walking onto campus the first few weeks of school can be a lot on its own. Stopping by the financial aid office with important documents or seeing a counselor to make sure all your ducks are lined up can be overwhelming. These lastminute campus errands, coupled with new semester anxiety, long
of “Tetris” with classes due to conflicting time slots. This extra day could alleviate the pressure of prioritizing classes and prevent burnout from packing everything into two or three days.
While Pierce offers flexibility with classes such as asynchronous or synchronous schooling, not all students benefit from taking classes in this way. A lot of students benefit more from physically walking into a class and learning in a traditional classroom setting.
Friday classes do have their pros and cons, as an article in The Hill News explains. According to the article, having ample Friday class offerings can lead to a “more evenly distributed”
weekends would improve students’ health
By Oscar Silva Reporter
Proposals to extend the weekend to include Friday offer significant benefits, especially in terms of mental health and productivity. Pierce College should change scheduling to minimize Friday classes, allowing students to have three-day weekends.
sleep,” according to an article in the Orange County Register.
Having an extra day off can lead to improved efficiency and job satisfaction. Students are better able to manage their personal and professional responsibilities when they have sufficient time to recharge.
How do you plan your class schedule?
congestion. This is not only stressful for students but can also overwhelm campus staff.
Increasing the availability of Friday classes would lead to less foot traffic in offices, classrooms and smaller course waitlists. Not everyone has their schedule lined up perfectly at the start of the semester, leading to a lot
Some classes are hybrid and still require students to come in person each week. For students who have part time jobs, an already packed class schedule or familial obligations, this extra day of classes can give a lot of students some room to breathe. needed flexibility for students, according to Keystone Education
Offering more Friday class options at Pierce would relieve pressure from crowded office visits, packed classes and neverending waitlists. For most, it would free up weekends, mornings or afternoons for work, internships or other obligations.
More Friday classes would create a better balance between school and social life, benefiting students’ mental health and emotional well-being.
A primary benefit of a threeday weekend is its positive impact on mental health. According to an article in the Daily Tar Heel, “Friday classes are bad for mental health” because they often lead to increased stress and fatigue. The article highlights that students face significant challenges in balancing academic demands with their personal lives, leading to a heightened risk of burnout. Extending the weekend to include Friday could relieve some of these pressures, allowing students a lot of time to relax and recover.
According to an article in Neuroscience News, having a three-day weekend can “improve sleep duration, increase physical activity and was associated with overall healthier behaviors.”
Incorporating Fridays into the weekend offers clear benefits improved mental, spiritual and physical health and increased productivity. By extending the weekend, Pierce can create a more balanced and effective approach to both work and academic life. The potential impact of this change is positive, making it a compelling consideration for future schedule reforms.
A longer weekend provides students with additional time to manage stress, engage in leisure activities and maintain a healthier work and life balance. This extra day off could be crucial in reducing the mental strain associated with a compressed academic schedule.
Three-day weekends can lead to “increased daily movement, less time sitting and improved
Carnival comes to campus
LEFT: A Ferris Wheel from the Guadagno & Sons Carnival set up behind the Equestrian Center parking lot at Pierce College in Woodland Hills Calif. on Sept. 5, 2024.
“I just wanted earlier classes so I could have the rest of the day for myself.”
Aaron Schneider - Computer science
“I schedule two days a week so I get enough social interaction but I don’t get overwhelmed.”
Ramiyah Murphy - Law
“I prioritize the classes that require more time and just need more work and organization.”
Bianca Esparza - Pre-vet medicine
“I prioritize my major, which is art, because that’s what I want to do in my later years.”
“I take classes that sound fun but also fit my future plans.”
Tristan Chrakyan - Automotive
Interviews by Matthew Stewart
Photos by Karla Delgado
Angelina Guerrero / Roundup News
Christian Carrillo - Art
From blueprint to finishing touches
New Academic East building is part of Pierce’s construction efforts
By Daisy Aguinada Reporter
Pierce College is transforming a 20-year dream into reality by constructing a new cuttingedge building for the math, psychology and computer science departments, setting the stage for innovation.
After nearly two decades of planning and anticipation, the grand opening for the new Academic East building is set for Oct. 11, marking a significant milestone in the college’s construction and modernization efforts.
Pierce President Ara Aguiar expressed her excitement about the new Academic East building. The new facility, which will feature modern classrooms, computer labs and faculty offices, is set to replace older structures
that are slated for demolition.
“I know it’s going to be a beautiful building,” Aguiar said.
“It’s going to provide state-ofthe-art opportunities for our students, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Aguiar also mentioned that several additional buildings are planned for the near future, contributing to a significant transformation of the campus landscape.
“It’s wonderful to be able to teach in those new rooms because they’re so beautiful,” Aguiar said.
Calculus professor David Soto expressed cautious optimism about the project.
“It’s a building that has been promised for more than 20 years,” Soto said. “The only feeling that I have is that I will believe it when I see it constructed.”
Soto also noted his hopes about
the potential impact of the new building on student enrollment.
“It might help attract new students,” Soto said. “On the same token, it’s not only about constructing new buildings. It’s about promoting a culture of community among students.”
Angela Belden, a statistics and developmental psychology professor, shared her enthusiasm for the upcoming facilities.
“It’s going to be fabulous to have a newer building that people can use and teach without having to add it into a room that things don’t really fit in,” Belden said. “It’s going to be a game changer for all of us. Having a computer lab that’s functional, that’s stationary, that students can use and that faculty can teach in is going to help tremendously.”
With the grand opening just around the corner, Aguiar said she looks forward to the positive
Faculty express developmental course concerns
By Jonathan Wheelock Reporter
Faculty public commenters opened the Sept. 9 Academic Senate Meeting in Building 600—the first of the fall semester— with concerns over a decrease of student placements into developmental courses.
English professor Curt Duffy was one of three educators who spoke about the fallout of Assembly Bill (AB) 1705.
AB 1705, signed into law in 2022 and which builds on AB 705, “specifies that colleges must rely on high school coursework, high school grades and high school grade point averages when determining how to place and enroll new students,” according to EdSource. With this law, colleges cannot require students to take remedial classes or repeat courses that they have already completed in high school or college, and “any one measure can demonstrate that a student is ready for transfer-level classes and that low performance on one measure should be offset by a higher performance on another measure,” according to EdSource.
“Approximately 60% of Pierce College students would benefit from pre-transfer math and English courses,” Duffy said. “Courses that Jacqui Irwin’s AB 1705 flexibly made off-limits.”
English professor Karin Burns added to Duffy’s thoughts.
“All college students must now enter at the English 101
at Academic Senate
transfer level,” Burns said. “AB 1705 removed developmental courses like our English 28, wrongly assuming that all community colleges’ placement procedures failed them.”
Failure rates have become higher in transfer-level courses because the students have not had the appropriate developmental coursework, explained Duffy.
After the public comments, Academic Senate President Margarita Pillado introduced Pierce President Ara Aguiar, who gave the college report.
Aguiar gave a formal response as to why the search to fill a new counseling position was unsuccessful, one reason being that all possible candidates lacked the required expertises.
“I called the colleges and none of them had any CTE [Career Technical Education] or adult education background,” Aguiar said.
“The intent was that that position would be filled and paid by Strong Workforce and the Adult [Education] Block Grant so that it would not negatively impact program 100 [Communication Studies].”
Aguiar also said the Strong Workforce Program has been faced with state reductions resulting in the loss of close to $17 million, and gave an analysis of what effect that would have on the counseling department.
Throughout the past five years, there has been a staff increase in the
counseling department of a little over five full-time faculty members in order to balance the load of that department, according to Aguiar. The positions are paid for, but the source of that money has gone over budget by close to three quarters of a million dollars, money that will then have to be pulled from other sources around the college, Aguiar said.
“I just want everyone to know that I have to go back and look at that carefully in terms of how these decisions are being made to expand the department at that level,” Aguiar said.
The next Academic Senate meeting will be held on Monday, Sept. 23, in Building 600.
changes that this new space will bring to Pierce’s educational environment.
“This new building is a step
toward creating a more engaged and technologically equipped learning atmosphere,” Aguiar said.
Pierce College Council talks enrollment, safety
By Matthew Stewart Reporter
Although student enrollment numbers have not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, the Pierce College Council (PCC) revealed increased Summer and Fall 2024 enrollment at an Aug. 29 meeting.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Mary-Jo Apigo discussed that summer semester enrollment was 14% higher this year compared to last year.
She spoke about the importance of stopping fraudulent accounts from enrolling at Pierce in online classes, which has been an ongoing district-wide challenge.
“Our Fall [2023] numbers were unreliable,” she said. “That data was unreliable because of the volume of fraudulent enrollments we had.”
Previous Academic Senate meetings revealed that with artificial intelligence, bots now can submit assignments.
Despite these challenges and uncertain data, Pierce is working to grow its student body and as of the first week of the semester, fall enrollment exceeded last fall’s enrollment by 3%.
“Our enrollment picture is looking really promising and really great right now,” she said.
Pierce President Ara Aguiar updated the PCC on the current state of eight-week courses.
“We did cancel some classes that were low-enrolled,” Aguiar said. “However, we did add classes to the second eight weeks that were in high demand with waitlists.”
Deputy Isaac Jorge alerted the PCC about ongoing automobile and towing-related scams that have occurred on campus and in a small vicinity surrounding it.
“What the scam is, they come and take that car, they say they are from your insurance,” he said. “They take it really really far and they pretty much kidnap your car, they don’t tell you where it’s at and they charge you per mile.”
He concluded his report by noting that West Valley Occupational Center (WVOC), which is across the street from Pierce, has had six lockdowns in the past two weeks.
On July 23, a threat made to the WVOC campus, which was later deemed to not be credible, caused Pierce to go into a lockdown as well, which lasted 45 minutes.
Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher expressed frustration over how some staff and students have responded to lockdowns.
“When there’s a lockdown, we want people going indoors, we don’t want people jumping in their cars or roaming around,” he said. “A lockdown means that there is a potential shooter or assault happening, so we want people coming indoors.”
Aguiar also said it is important to take lockdowns seriously.
“The immediate action from people is not to take it seriously,” she said. “The kids are not listening, no one is listening.”
The PCC will hold its next Zoom meeting at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26.
A danger sign warns passersby to steer clear of the Academic East construction site at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Sept. 4, 2024.
Moses Murga / Roundup News
Angelina Guerrero / Roundup News Academic Senate President Margarita Pillado speaks during a meeting at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Sept. 5, 2024.
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
A global lesson through drum beats
Music professor performs at first ASO concert of the semester
By Ryan Kassebaum Reporter
Pierce College’s music department had its first Associated Student Organization (ASO) concert of the new school year on Sept. 2 in the Performing Arts Building, leaving the audience with knowledge about drumming from different parts of the world.
ASO Concert Director Kevin Good kicked off the fall concert season displaying various styles of drumming and incorporating rhythmic patterns from different parts of the world. Good focused on global rhythms by performing Dagomba drumming from Northern Ghana, Ewe drumming from the Volta Region of Ghana and Ritmica created by Jose Eduardo Gramani.
“I started as a drum set player, but I’ve always felt a deep connection to rhythm, not just as a musical element but as part of culture,” Good said.
He displayed this love for rhythm through complex bell
patterns which is a key feature in Ghanaian Ewe and Dagomba drumming. Good explained these patterns are the backbone of many African rhythms and can provide a foundation for other elements of music.
After a brief introduction and showcase of different rhythmic patterns, Good performed his composition titled Kane, which he said refers to the Hawaiian god who represents creation, light and life. As a composer, Good created this piece as a way to allow others to find their rhythmic love and understand rhythmic cycles with their specific instrument.
Good explained how he borrowed different styles in his pieces after traveling to Ghana and learning Ghanaian style of music.
“Understanding rhythm deeply will allow you to explore various styles, whether it’s classical, jazz, or global drumming traditions like Dagomba or Ewe drumming,” Good said.
Brian Wulf, a Pierce College
student who attended the concert was intrigued by the different rhythmic patterns presented. Wulf was interested mostly in how the fluidity of the drumming is different from what people are used to in their day-to-day lives.
“Our way of timing and our way of thinking about timing and how it’s different from other
places in the world,” Wulf said.
Wendy Mazon, the department chair of music, said she really enjoyed learning more about African drumming and music.
“African rhythms and traditions have been borrowed in different parts of Western music by other composers,” Mazon said.
Music department secures equipment upgrade
By Alfonso Vargas Reporter
The San Fernando Valley has another Steinway school, thanks to a partnership between Pierce College and the musical instrument company.
By becoming a Steinway school, the Pierce music department was able to get new pianos at a discounted price. The process of replacing the pianos has been three years in the making, according to Music Department Chair Wendy Mazon.
Garineh Avakian, who is a professor of voice and choir, came up with the idea of bringing Steinway representatives to do an assessment of the Pierce pianos.
“I actually called the Steinway
pre-pandemic,” Avakian said.
“So this was pre-2019 or early 2019 and I called them out so they could come and do a free consultation and assessment of all of our pianos.”
The music department’s previous pianos were more than 70 years old, Avakian said.
The department was spending substantial funds tuning them up.
“So in the long run, we’re actually saving money by getting newer equipment and newer instruments,” she said.
Pierce President Ara Aguiar and the administration were able to help obtain funding for the music department to acquire new pianos from Steinway.
“We were able to obtain sufficient funding for the pianos, and then they gave a school
discount,” Aguiar said. “I’m thrilled that we were able to make this transition. We’re looking forward to it,” Aguiar said.
Mazon said the quality of the instruments are going to be significant to the students as they learn to be musicians.
“An instrumental class, choir, band, to our theory musicianship courses, all of those are AMP programs, so instrumental because students are going to be able to play on these quality instruments,” Mazon said. “The instruments are going to stay in tune. It is amazing and that’s very important for people’s ears when they’re learning to become musicians.”
Avakian is hoping with all the new equipment from Steinway that this will attract more students and increase enrollment.
“We’re hoping to up our enrollment with attracting quality students that are interested to continue in music and in the arts,” Avakian said. “We’re hoping to have quality performances be done and maybe even have more revenue for the college.”
Mazon is thankful to the administration’s support by helping the music department receive new pianos.
“I’m glad that we have such a supportive senior administration,” Mazon said. “With their help we were able to get these pianos, and I’m so happy that they support the arts and really saw the need and helped us to get those.”
Blotter Brahma
Reporting by Raquel G. Frohlich
Crime Log
A hit and run in Lot 7 was reported on Aug. 28, 2024.
Campus Incident
A student with a medical emergency in front of the Library was transported to a hospital for further evaluation on Sept. 4, 2024.
The crime log is made publicly available at the Pierce College Sheriff’s Office.
Pierce College Sheriff’s Office General Information 818-719-6450
818-710-4311
News Briefs
Extreme heat hits Woodland Hills
Anyone who went to the Pierce College campus during the past week was met with the sweltering temperatures impacting the Woodland Hills neighborhood and much of the San Fernando Valley. Several early September daily highs climbed above 115 degrees — and the New York Times recently named Woodland Hills the hottest neighborhood in all of Los Angeles.
As Woodland Hills feels the heat this summer, so do many other parts of California and the globe. International climate experts recently named Summer 2024 the hottest on record, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Pierce President Ara Aguiar reminded students to stay hydrated and remain in the shade or inside while on campus in this extreme heat.
Varios altos diarios del principio de septiembre llegaron a más de 115 grados y recientemente el New York Times nombró Woodland Hills como el barrio más caluroso de todo Los Ángeles.
Mientras Woodland Hills siente el calor del verano, también lo hacen otras partes de California y del mundo. Expertos internacionales del clima recientemente nombraron septiembre del 2024 como el mes más caluroso registrado, según el Los Angeles Times. Presidente de Pierce, Ara Aguiar, recordó a los estudiantes que deben mantenerse hidratados y estar en la sombra o bajo techo.
“Es importante estar consciente en nuestro microambiente aquí en Pierce, porque es más caliente aquí”, dijo Aguiar.
Parking passes required
En español
“It’s important to be conscientious in our particular microenvironment here at Pierce, because it is hotter here,” Aguiar said. As of Sept. 9, parking passes are once again required for all lots at Pierce College. Students can purchase a parking pass for $20 at the Business Office.
Calor extremo azota Woodland Hills
Cualquier persona que fue al campus de Pierce College durante las semanas pasadas se encontró con temperaturas sofocantes afectando el barrio de Woodland Hills y la mayoría del Valle de San Fernando.
Copy by Delilah Brumer. Translation by Gerardo Escobar.
Music professor Kevin Good performs his original piece “Kane” in the Performing Arts Building at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Sept. 3, 2024.
Delilah Brumer / Roundup News
Students Melinda Birke, Alany Solis-Coleman and Madeleine Mckay sing during musical theatre class at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on September 5, 2024.
Melanie Jurado / Roundup News
New faculty faces around campus
Fifteen new full-time staff and faculty have recently been hired at Pierce College, and of those 15, many are looking out at a long, dedicated track ahead of them. Not a running track, but a no-less-lengthy tenure track.
The departments that have welcomed new faces range from Physics and Planetary Sciences to Accounting to American Sign Language.
Learn more about some of these newest members of the Pierce community here.
Vicky Sadiq - Nursing professor
Q: What makes you passionate about teaching?
A: “I’m actually a Pierce graduate myself. I completed this nursing program and I had a really positive experience. I love encouraging [the students] because I’ve gone through it. I feel like I truly relate to what they’ve experienced. When I first started nursing school, I almost dropped out the first two weeks because it was very different from what I anticipated. The way that you study for it is very different and it was very overwhelming. So I’ve been in a very similar situation. I’ve been in their shoes and being that support person and helping them get through their struggles and encouraging them to keep going, I really love that.”
Q: What’s a fun fact about you?
A: “I enjoy going to concerts and attending music festivals.
professor
Copy by Raquel G. Frohlich | Interviews by Delilah Brumer and Raquel G. Frohlich
Photos by Karla Villacorta, Delilah Brumer, Hanna Vandergugten and Victor Montiel
Kwun Hung (Michael) Cheung Physics professor
Q: What made you want to pursue theater?
A: “I never intended to be a theater artist or film artist of any kind. I was just doing it because I hated going to high school. It was a very different time, and I was very queer. From an early age, I just didn’t feel like I fit in… But I found this children’s theater tour and I auditioned… I found this beauty and creativity in it and in myself, and I just got addicted to it.”
Q: What makes you passionate about teaching?
A: “What I found was that at a certain point, my perspective shifted from wanting to facilitate my dreams, and it started to become about I really started to love facilitating other people’s dreams.”
Q: What’s a fun fact about you?
A: “I was raised in rural Alabama, in a tiny town with only one red light.”
Q: What makes you passionate about teaching?
A: “ASL [American Sign Language] is fun to teach, and I love to see how the students start to love immersing themselves into ASL and teaching them about Deaf culture.”
Q: What’s a fun fact about you?
A: “I love learning languages and have lived in three different countries: Thailand, Colombia and Spain. I know seven languages: Hebrew, American Sign Language, English, Korean, Korean Sign Language, Israeli Sign Language, Thai Sign Language, Spanish and Colombian Sign Language. From 2009-10, I used to volunteer teaching in a Deaf school in Thailand helping hearing teachers learn how to teach Deaf students properly.”
Q: What makes you passionate about teaching?
A: “For me, it is to share with students the truth of nature and practically in a way that they can fulfill their academic goals and move on in their career path. And I feel these are all very interesting to me. Yes, all very rewarding as well.” People are inclusive. They welcome me, and then they like to introduce themselves, talk to me and even the students
Q: What made you want to pursue biology?
A: “I wanted to be a scientist when I was in elementary school. I participated in one of the scientific competitions, and then I won a prize, and then, ‘Oh, that is so exciting.’”
Q: What makes you passionate about teaching?
A: “When I started the class, also the first time of full-time teaching, I was so nervous, and like a student, too. But when I started, I learned together with the students, and it was more exciting than nervous, so I became more prepared and then I really enjoyed the interactions with the students, especially at Pierce.”
Q: What’s a fun fact about you?
A: “I love to cook, especially Korean food and American food.”
greet each other, greet the teachers. Teachers greet the students and the people like to socialize with each other, to get to know each other and to help out each other to do well in the school. This is something I really like about Pierce.”
Q: What’s a fun fact about you?
A: “I’m a basketball player, I play pick up games. I don’t shoot as well as I calculate the projectiles in class. But I kind of like to play sports.”
Q: What makes you passionate about teaching?
A: “Overall, I think, big picture, that why I’m teaching ESL is because I like to help immigrant students succeed and build a life in the United States.”
Q: What are you looking forward to this year?
A: “I’m doing collaborations with [other departments] to create assignments that my students can do, where they’re able to improve their speaking skills and also find out what resources are available for them to not feel so isolated within an American college, but feel at home here.”
Q: What’s a fun fact about you?
A: I used to be a Fulbright Scholar. I did [the Fulbright scholarship] in the Philippines. It was a great opportunity.”
Q: What makes you passionate about teaching?
A: “I started at a community college. No one in my family or extended family had ever really pursued much higher education before. So, community college was really sort of the turning point for me where I started taking my education seriously. I saw all the things that I could do. That was really awesome for me. Economically, education and I think community colleges specifically really provide this sort of like stepping stone for people to get to a better place. We give them the tools to get to where they want to go.”
Q: What’s a fun fact about you?
A: “I have a lot of hobbies. I make pottery. I play baseball. I like to ferment foods. I make my own colognes and scents.”
Shmuel (Sammy) Khorsandi ASL
Russell Swift Biology professor
JP Evans - Theater & cinema professor Minhee Ko - Microbiology professor
Rachel Cerdenio-Howell Non-credit ESL professor
Student Engagement Coordinator Lara Conrady Wong, with the Brahma Bodega, helps direct a student outside of the library at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Aug. 26, 2024. The Brahma Bodega and Basic Needs Program provides students with access to food, ongoing support and referrals to educational resources.
Pierce kicks off new school year
As the 2024-25 school year kicked off on Aug. 26, the Pierce College campus bustled with students, staff and faculty.
The first week of the fall semester featured resource booths set up along the Mall, daily streams of morning traffic in each parking lot and a petting zoo full of goats and chickens ready to welcome the Pierce community. The petting zoo, hosted by the Pierce College Veterinary Sciences Club, was set up at Rocky Young Park on the first two days of class.
Peer mentors and representatives of the Associated Student Organization (ASO) sat near the Library and Learning Crossroads area throughout the week, answering questions and serving free breakfast provided by the Brahma Bodega. Copy by Delilah Brumer.
Pre-vet medicine student Luis Torres Hernandez (left) and art and animation student Madisen West (right) discuss the veterinary sciences club during the petting zoo event held during the first week of fall classes at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2024.
The petting zoo booth welcomes students on the first day of the fall semester in Rocky Young Park at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Aug. 26, 2024.
Moses Murga / Roundup News
Students walk along The Mall at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Aug. 26, 2024.
