Volume 113 Fall 2010 Roundup Issue 3

ROUNDUP UP

Student Store losing revenue on books

James Hermon/ Roundup

Dustin Johnson/ Roundup

The Pierce College

Academic Senate approved a task force at a recent meeting that will investigate possible solutions to increasing the revenue of textbooks sold on campus, as well as the revenue lost from the lack of book sales.

While the Pierce College Student Store is not the only student service affected by budget cuts, it seems to be the most apparent.

According to the a recent Pierce College Budget Commitee minutes, the statements from the book store’s 2009-2010 fiscal year show a loss of $25,039. In anticipation of a loss in the college general fund, Pierce also transferred an additional $253,000 from the Bookstore’s ending balance, creating a loss of $278,039.

There has been a 40 percent increase in textbook prices over the last four years, according to Larry Kraus, associate vice president of Enterprise.

Currently, the book store’s prices are approximately 10 percent higher than publishers’, and over 20 percent higher than prices that may be found online.

Part of the high prices can be attributed to frequent releases of new editions, which leaves students no choice but to purchase a new copy of a textbook

“When a student can’t afford a textbook, this really hurts their chance of success,” said Kraus.

Many students have found that they can pay less for textbooks if they purchase them online.

“I buy my books online because I can rent them; I don’t think I’ve ever bought all my books from the Bookstore since I’ve been a student at Pierce,” said Fenela Pahed, a psychology major.

Renting books allows students to pay a fraction of the actual cost

Transfer made easy

New laws change CSU admission requirements

of their books in exchange for the obligation of returning them at the end of the semester.

Other students are also finding cheaper books at outside vendors.

“I get the majority of my books from Woodland Textbooks because they are cheaper,” said Aurial Granger, an undecided major.

However, not all students are purchasing their books online or off-campus. Some still prefer the convenience of buying textbooks on campus.

Madison Bell/ Roundup Kat Mabry/ Roundup Bryan Melara / Roundup

Applause and cheers echoed through the Campus Center at Los Angeles Mission College as two suited personal security guards escorted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on stage to sign two historic bills Monday.

In ceremonious fashion, approximately 350 audience members consisting of students, faculty, state legislators and supporters gathered to witness the signing of Senate Bill 1440 and Assembly Bill 2302.

SB 1440, amended by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) guarantees students a sure transfer to any California State University after obtaining an associates degree from any California Community College.

Prince Young, a sociology major, still prefers to purchase his textbooks from the book store.

“It’s very easy to buy them at the book store on campus,” said Young.

“The only problem with buying from the book store is managing to come up with the money to purchase them.

“I spent over $400 on textbooks this semester,” he added.

The book store has also lost a great deal of its revenue due to the drastic number of class courses that have been cut, according to Bruce Rosky, associated vice president of administrative services.

“The college now has fewer students and courses offered, which reflects the fewer books sold in the book store,” concluded Rosky.

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The two bills will save community college students, taxpayers and schools approximately $150 million by eliminating students completing unnecessary coursework before transferring.

“I have a little bit of my own experience with community colleges,” said Schwarzenegger during the signing ceremony. “When I came to California I enrolled at Santa Monica Community College.”

SB 1440 gives students a clear path to transferring by setting up direct guidelines for CSU’s to agree upon, according to Schwarzenegger.

“It’s not just an articulation agreement with one community college to another CSU,” said Jack Scott, chancellor of California Community Colleges. “It means a system-wide transfer.”

However, faculty members are skeptical on how legislation plans are getting all CCC’s to agree upon one set standard.

“They’re making this huge assumption that all CCCs will agree on what this degree will look like,” said Elizabeth Atondo, articulation officer.

For now CCCs are waiting on the statewide academic senate to guide them in implementation of the bill, according to Joy McCaslin, vice president of Student Services.

“Statewide, (between) 120 community colleges, one issue is that it calls for a new AA

degree that encompasses transfer reform,” said McCaslin. “Should each college decide their own degree, or should there be one statewide degree?”

AB 2302, amended by Assemblymember Paul Fong (D-Cupertino), follows legislation

SB 1440. It sets the groundwork for CCCs and CSUs to work together collaboratively to influence the UC system to participate in simplifying admission for transfer students.

“This is about students,” said Scott. “This is about making it easier and more efficient and not having roadblocks that stand in your way when you have that desire to get that bachelor’s degree.” SB 1440 and AB 2302 make obtaining

Mystery fire in Village restroom stirs curiosity

Sienna Jackson/ Roundup

A large boom caused by a trashcan fire rocked the men’s bathroom of the Village 8200 building Friday, according to sheriffs and Los Angeles Fire Department officials.

The fire occurred at roughly 12:25 p.m. while classes were in session, but no injuries have been reported.

The fire alarm on the outer wall of Village 8300 began to sound moments later, causing many of the classes adjacent to the restroom to evacuate.

“We didn’t see flames, the plastic bag inside the

trashcan was melted,” said Justin Ramos, a security officer who was called to the scene in response to the alarm. When officers arrived on the scene, water flooded from the bathroom’s automatic sprinkler system. Neither sheriffs nor LAFD officials know what caused the fire.

However, it is alleged by officials that a lit cigarette is the most likely explanation.

“We won’t ever know what was in there unless somebody comes forward,” said Mike Shultz, another sheriff security officer.

Jennifer Penton, a full-time professor of cinema,

was in the middle of teaching when the alarm sounded, and her class evacuated from Village 8300.

One of her students, Melissa Bruner, a child development major, smelled the burning plastic.

“It was this really nasty smell, like rubber or gas,” said Bruner.

A campus plumber shut off the sprinklers around 12:40 p.m., and the alarm stopped ringing 10 minutes later.

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a bachelor’S degree even more possible by enforcing a widespread transfer curriculum, according to Charles B. Reed, chancellor of CSU.

“We have to make those four-year degrees easier to obtain, and not by lowering the standards, but by terminating the bureaucratic roadblocks that are standing in our students’ way,” said Schwarzenegger at the signing ceremony.

These bills will save students money by establishing a specific amount of units that students will need to take in order to avoid taking unnecessary courses, according to Reed.

SEE NEW BILLS ON PAGE #3

SIGNING: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs SB 1440 at Los Angeles Mission College Monday.

Amber-Rose Kelly / Roundup

FIRE: LAFD and sheriff security officers investigate a fire in a Village restroom on Friday.

OVERSTOCKED: Textbooks line the shelves of the Pierce College Student Store as students are finding cheaper alternatives to buying books on campus.

When a student can’t afford a textbook, this really hurts their chance of success

-Larry Kraus Associate Vice President of Enterprise

Our bathrooms need a bath

We are adults and adults clean up after themselves

While Pierce College is celebrating the opening of the new Center for the Sciences building, a brand new walkway as well as large advertising screens, much is left to be desired in the ways of sanitation.

Three weeks ago, it was reported that the newly renovated South Gym was infested with cockroaches. Some were even seen crawling around the case displaying memorabilia that belongs to our athletic department. Right next door in the North Gym, a large ceiling pipe compromised the walkway for students trying to walk through.

Within the same area, more problems with leakage in the Village’s restrooms have generated an extremely foul smell that nobody wants to deal with on the way to class.

Two weeks ago, most if not all bathrooms were out of order on Pierce’s campus. In place of sanitary bathroom facilities, students were made to use portable toilets in 95 plus degree weather.

Aside from the Center for the Sciences building and the Student Services building’s facilities, the bathrooms are usually far from clean in the first place. Come late afternoon, most stalls lack toilet paper which leaves students who

take night classes at a great disadvantage.

On top of this dilemma, some bathrooms have stalls that remain out of order for weeks, such as the third stall from the left in the Great Hall women’s restroom, and there are even entire bathrooms that have been closed.

Why is it that the student’s facilities pale in comparison to the spotless restrooms

—COLUMN—

Forget private tutoring

Judicial bodies

The media doesn’t know how to appreciate looks

teachers and faculty enjoy in the new Student Services building?

The real question is do we have enough janitors to cover the rest of the campus, or if it’s the students who are too careless to clean up after themselves?

Don’t get us wrong; the new buildings are beautiful and will provide students with great services and opportunities to excel their education, and the new signs help with advertising clubs and campus events.

Here’s a few ways we could attempt to fix our maintenance mess.

During the first week, on consecutive days, out of the 19 custodians assigned to the A shift less then half reported to work.

If students were to give an additional dollar each semester that would go towards not only maintenance supplies, incentives to increase our janitors’ attendance, our college could have about 25,000 dollars to aid in the cleaning effort. If this does not affect their attendance, we should use our resources to find people who are willing to work for their pay. As students, we could do our part as well. We all have to remember to flush, and though it seems some of us think the floor resembles a trash bin, we must keep in mind that there is an actual, physical trash can in each restroom.

The Center for Academic Success can provide all the help you need, for free

know, then shame on you. It’s a free tutoring center on campus offered to Pierce College students. Yes, that’s right, I said free. So that Forever 21 dress you have been lusting after is now within reach since you’ll be saving money on tutoring. Another perk of this center is that you can walk-in or make an appointment at your own convenience.

Madison Bell / Roundup

You’re sitting in class with 45 dreadful minutes left to go. You have no idea what the lecture is about. The teacher begins to ask questions. You either look the other direction, pretend like you’re intensely engaged in your notes, or you start shuffling through your belongings like you’re looking for something of extreme importance; your stomach drops as you hear your name being called for the answer.

At this point you have three options: You can pay for a tutor, which means you will have to sacrifice buying the latest pair of Nike shoes, you can do nothing because your social life is more important than passing the class, or you can go to the Center for Academic Success.

What is the Center for Academic Success? If you don’t already

When it comes down to it, I am truly an advocate of this center. I was stuck in a statistics rut last semester, and I was sick of throwing a hundred dollars a week away on tutoring that wasn’t making a difference in my understanding of the subject.

The Center for Academic Success offers a center for math and general tutoring. The general tutoring center offers many different subjects that range from anatomy (skeletons included) to microbiology, and even Spanish.

Why waste another semester sitting in the same class all because you didn’t get the help you needed?

Not only do you have to pay for the units all over again, but you’re also partially to blame for the recent class-crashing epidemic.

It is hard enough to add into classes these days, and when students have to retake courses it only adds more fuel to the fire.

Do you really want to show off the same Forever 21 dresses over

Mandi Prince/ Roundup

If you really knew me, what you would know is that I wanted to hug my TV a few weeks ago, and then I wanted to scream at it and cry. No, not because of the Dodger game, but because of America’s Next Top Model and the Wendy Williams Show, both for the same reason: body image.

On Wednesday Sept 15, Tyra Banks eliminated hopeful model Anamaria Mirdita, a 19-year-old girl from Queens, New York, because she was too skinny. Hallelujah, it seems we are making progress with the media. However, don’t applaud just yet because the very next day Wendy Williams became the fat police and bashed Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi from the show Jersey Shore, stating, “I know when you’re a celebrity, you eat a lot of creamy, good meals, and all I’m saying is you could stand to lose a few pounds.” Now I’m crying.

What kind of mixed messages are we receiving?

We as college students don’t have control over much, but what we do have control over is our body. Whether you want to believe it or not, we are defined by the way we look and we judge based on the way others look.

Take a look around you, in your classroom for example; I’ll bet that you have judged at least one person in that room based on the way they look because there is always that one person who is overweight,

for

and over again? People do notice, so you repeat offenders should watch out.

I had never considered going into the Center for Academic Success because I figured a bunch of student tutors would not be able to help me; boy, was I wrong.

Math has never been my subject, but after going to the center not only did I pass the class, but I was pulling off A’s and B’s on every test. I even felt comfortable enough to help my fellow classmates with problems. I no longer felt ashamed when the teacher passed back tests.

I only wish I took advantage of this center sooner in my education.

I would have saved enough money to go on a serious shopping spree at Neiman Marcus.

These tutors may be students, but they know their stuff. Not only are they trained, but they also have to get an A in their relevant subject areas, along with being referred by their teacher.

The center serves approximately 4,000 students per semester, according to Kathleen Boddicker, director of the Center for Academic Success. Be one of the 4,000 students who are making a proactive approach to their education by getting involved with your academic future the smart way.

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I believe it’s safe to say that I’m not alone in thinking that a fee increase from $26 to $40 is outrageous.

I understand that colleges across the board are suffering due to budget cutbacks. I even understand that to a degree that suffering gets passed down to the students, but a fee increase of $14 per unit is astronomical.

A five-unit class currently costs $130, and after the fee increase, the same class will cost $200. That doesn’t even include the cost of books and supplies.

It has been argued that paying less will cause more classes to be cut and that we as students will pay more by going to school for longer. However, paying more over a span of time is easier than paying more all at once.

The average community college freshman can barely afford the cost of classes now. If this fee increase takes effect the number of students

and that one person who is really skinny.

Why out of all people do we notice them? Because that is what we were trained to look for, by media, our peers and society. We are taught at a young age that being skinny is beautiful and being overweight is ugly. I can’t even being to explain how many times there have been reports about kids being picked on and bullied at school because of their weight.

This is becoming more of a problem than people realize.

For example, I work at an elementary school and I recently had a student come over to me to ask for help using her Weight Watchers Calculator; she needed to know how many graham crackers she could eat that would only cost her 2 points. She is only 7 years old. The worst part is the only reason she was on a “diet” was because the third-grade girls wouldn’t let her cheerlead with them because she was too “fat.”

The real underlying issue of our body image isn’t because of weight, it’s yearning to belong, to be liked and envied. The best way to do that is to take control over yourself and live your life, not the life of those who tell you how to live (except for Oprah).

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if allowed to do so

who can afford to go to college will drop significantly.

It was only a few years ago that the fee per unit was dropped from $25 to $20 because it was too high for students. Now just a few short years later, we are paying $26 instead of $25 and they want to raise the amount another $14.

While it is true that we in California are still paying less than any other state in the country for college fees, the fact remains that California is one of the most broke states in the country.

We are struggling all over the state. Unemployment is at an alltime high, and with doctorate’s with 30 years of experience out in the job market, the younger generation with little or no experience that are still working to earn their degrees are finding it harder and harder to find well-paying jobs.

In times of poverty and need like we have now, education is one of the most important things there is. We need educated people to help come up with ways to fix our country’s current plight.

ASO President Nick Naczinski was quoted in a previous article of the Roundup speaking out against this increase. He also commented that financial aid would still be available, but that is arguable.

If a student is under the age of 24 and their parents make above a certain amount per year, the student is ineligible for any government grants.

This economy is affecting everyone, just because a student’s parents earn a certain amount per year doesn’t mean that they get to keep most of it.

With the high cost of utilities and credit debt through the roof, many parents cannot afford to pay for the children’s education, or even help. Student loans are another problem all together. Sure most are eligible, but most people who take them spend the rest of their lives trying to pay them off. More people would rather not take a loan than have to worry about how they will pay it off once they graduate.

With the community colleges receiving $200,000 per year less then normal, I cannot argue that we as the students need to contribute, but within reason. $40 per unit is too much.

I agree that we as students need to help cover the cost and would personally be willing to agree to a much smaller increase; maybe even some form of community service being required to help the campus cover some of the costs.

Without funding a college can’t offer the services they are supposed to, the same services we students have come to rely on. I am not without sympathy to the institutions themselves. But a middle ground must be met or the number of people able to gain an education will begin to drop off.

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Give students a fair deal

Students can pay

school

Kevin Reynolds/ Roundup

Corrections:

• Page 1—Photographer Lorena Perez-Valladares took the symphony photos for the lead story.

• Page 8—The volleyball photo was taken by PJ Daroovar.

*Mandi Prince does not have a photo available*

Eli Peun/ Roundup

Cough control

Tdap vaccines are being offered

on campus

in LA County and I have made the decision to just administer the Tdap vaccine to prevent this illness,” said Beth Benne, director of the Student Health Center.

When a person has emotional and mental stress you have a breakdown in your immune system and they get physical aliments according to Benne.

Benne strongly recommends the Tdap vaccine to every adult who comes in to the Student Health Center. Tdap is a vaccine, which covers tetanus, diphtheria and Pertussis.

Several students and other staff members agree with Benne’s suggestion.

“I hate shots but I am going to get the Tdap and the flu vaccine because I can’t afford to get sick,” said Veronica McCall, a sophomore theater student.

Pertussis is more severe in children than in adults.

“What happens is that there are a lot of parents that aren’t vaccinating their kids anymore,” said

Mark Weber, an emergency room nurse at Providence Tarzana Medical Center, who also works at the Student Health Center.

This leaves children at risk for whooping cough and it is very likely they can spread it to their siblings.

“Parents get it from their children but they do not have the whoop sound to their cough like children do so they do not know they are sick with Pertussis,” said Benne.

William Lee Overvold/ Roundup

Pertussis has made a comeback in Los Angeles. Not here at Pierce College. Pertussis, a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes uncontrollable coughing.

As cases of Pertussis, more widely known as whooping cough, continue to grow in Los Angeles County. Cases of Pertussis at Pierce College have been at a zero far this year.

“There are no cases, not in this health center, in LA County absolutely they have. There is an epidemic

Kathleen Reiter-Vasquez Director of the Child Development Center at Pierce hasn’t seen, much of an outbreak with children at our development center.

“We don’t have an outbreak of Pertussis here. We have not had an unusual amount of children sick,” she said. “The number one thing as far as health is washing hands. Start habits at a young age, good and bad habits start and form.”

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Sheriff’s Blotter

9-29-10 GRAND THEFT - Suspect took another student’s laptop in the Great Hall

9-30-10 VANDALISM - A bathroom in the Fine Arts building was vandalized. Suspect drew pictures on the wall with markers.

10-1-10 MISC INCIDENT - A trash can in a bathroom in the Village was set on fire

10-2-10 DISTURBANCE - A student yelling at football players from the stands was escorted out

Legislative uncertainty

CONTINUED FROM NEW BILLS ON FRONT PAGE

“Community college students will take 60 credit hours and transfer and be admitted as juniors in the CSU and take another 60 units and graduate,” said Reed. “That’s 120 credit hours. The average credit hours that students are paying for in the state is over 160.”

However the credit process can potentially cause confusion and prolong the process for students.

“It could’ve been a good thing, but now it will be a bureaucratic nightmare,” said Atondo.

Not all students were familiar with the bills but after some explanation needed they had no opposition on the matter.

“I think it’s great,” said Vanessa Crespin, 29, nursing major. “It’s just the stress to get in all the classes (you need) are so crowded, that you end up taking classes you don’t need just to stay in.”

SB 1440 will go be in effect as of fall 2011, giving students and faculty a year to prepare, according to Kathleen F. Burke-Kelly.

The signing of these bills prove that legislators can work together in a bipartisan manner to get something extraordinary done for students, according to Michele Siqueiros, the executive director for the Campaign for College Opportunity.

“So, indeed the Gov. has terminated the complex maze that transfer has been and we thank you enormously for that,” said Sigueiros.

The difference between someone with a high school diploma and a bachelor degree results in 1.6 billion dollars over a lifetime, according to Reed.

“This bill (SB 1440) will significantly increase the work force for the future,” said Reed.

The bill will give more students more degrees in less time, according to Alex Padder, President for Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC).

“It’ll correct an injustice for our community colleges,” said Fong, who has waited long and worked hard to see this bill pass. “Social justice is what I’m after.”

According to Atondo Pierce has always guaranteed students a spot at a CSU as long as they had 60 units and a 2.0 Grade Point Average.

“At Pierce we were already doing that, but a lot of schools weren’t.” she said. “Pierce has always been great about that.”

Atondo feels more could have been done and she made an attempt to advocate some changes by sending a letter to Padilla’s office in Sacramento as well as physically visiting the office.

“It could’ve been a good thing,” said Atondo. “But there’s just so many ways that it can go south, that it can just not work out. I hope I am wrong.”

For questions regarding SB 1440 e-mail questions or inquirys to sb1440questions@cccco.edu

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PROGRAM

Photo Illustration by Petrina J. Roudebush / Roundup

READY?: With a growing rate of Pertussis patients, is Pierce College prepared for the complications and illness it may occur?

Drilling ʻRumorsʼ for the big day

The stage is starting to fall into place

Foundation, lights, staircases and wall-s make up the set of the Neil Simon comedic play “Rumors”. The design comes to life in the Pierce College Theatre Arts Building at Pierce College on schedule for, Oct. 22 at the Mainstage.

Michael Gend, adjunct instructor of theater, designed the stage and created floor plans that his students have used to construct the vision for “Rumors” since the first week of fall semester.

Gend’s stage-managing class meets Tuesday and Thursday afternoons where his students are given the opportunity to sign up for different jobs for each production.

“It’s always fun to create a home on stage,” said Gend.

Without the stage, there would be no platform for the actors to make the audience laugh while performing this 1988 comedy.

“The 342 students work very hard,” said John Jones, Rumors technician. “The students this semester are always eager to help as much as they can.”

According to Gend, the stage is a box set that takes place in New York in a Victorian style home, which has the modern sensibility of the 1980s. There is a humorous kind of contrast that was suggested by Neil Simon in the script when he first wrote it.

“The half art deco, half Victorian, and third half trendy [stage] is bouncing off Neil Simon’s idea,” Gend said.

The Mainstage at Pierce includes a unique wrap-around audience, which can be challenging in providing a consistent view of the scenery design to every seat.

The acoustics of the stage are designed for a concert hall, thus the arc of the audience needs to be taken into consideration.

“This [show] is actually more relaxing because we get to create one very, very fun place to spend an hour and a half with an audience,” Gend said.

The sound design is led by Ed Salas, Pierce theatre arts department technician, who brings 20 years of experience to the team.

“I create environments; as you’re looking on the stage maybe

you’re hearing a blanket of crickets and birds in the morning, and so that will go on through the whole scene,” Salas said. The technical rehearsals will begin in one week when the

lighting cues and sound cues will be assigned.

Alexandria (Allie) Burns, 18, a freshman at Pierce, is the assistant manager for Rumors. Burns comes from Gend’s Tuesday and Thursday stage-managing class and has previous experience in theatre.

Burns is no stranger to being in front of an audience though her role is currently “ behind the scenes.”

Burns brings with her eight

years of acting, 15 years of modeling, which include contributing to the Gerber baby campaign before she was oneyear-old.

“At this point I like them both [onstage and back stage] equally,” Burns said.

According to Jones, two months (roughly 100 hours) worth of work have gone into the classic two-story stage to date. The students in Gend’s class will continue working up until their deadline: opening night.

“In the end when you see the whole play come together, it’s worth it,” Burns said.

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Kat Mabry/ Roundup

Joshua Cowan / Roundup

PREPARATION: Pierce College Student Eddie Gabele (above) drives screws into the set of “Rumors” in the Perfoming Arts Building Mainstage on Sept. 29. Michael Gend, Pierce adjunct instructor (below) is holding together a wall on the set of “Rumors”.

The ʻSipʼ offers more than lattés

The on-campus cafe provides a convenient and upbeat spot with free Wi-Fi for all

ers a place to sit and talk with friends.

“It’s a chill spot,” said freshman Hasan Pressley. “We come here every day after class.”

It’s a bright blazing hot autumn day, throngs of students shuffle to and from class.

It is a day just like any other at Pierce College.

There are classes to go to and homework to be done. Seeking shelter from the sun many students and teachers alike seek out the “Sip”.

The Freudian Sip, the on-campus coffee house located next to the bookstore, has become the official hangout spot for many students and teachers alike due to its centralized location, coffee and tasty treats.

Due to the Sip’s popularity, there are plans in the making to have the coffee shop have an extension.

“In a couple years we are looking forward to have a satellite Sip on the other side of campus,” said Hogikyan.

Many people find the Freudian Sip a great place to meet and talk over a latte.

Others are more interested in hanging out with friends and find the coffee shop a convenient hangout spot.

“I often come to the Sip because it’s very close to the Special Services Office,” said Jessica Quintana, a 20-year-old child development major.

The outside patio area offers custom-

The Sip doesn’t just offer opportunities to sit and chat with friends while grabbing a cup of coffee and snack.

There is pop music streaming from the speakers, a four-person table with twice as many chairs surrounding it, students studying, and professors finishing off the last of their caffeine before rushing to their next class.

Once inside, the air-conditioned shop greets its customers first.

To the left of the main entrance is a wall lined with computers. Facebook and Google are often dominating the screens.

The Sip is staffed with friendly student workers who are more than willing to engage in a friendly conversation as an order is being placed. More than half of the Freudian Sip, bookstore and Copy Tech employees are Pierce students.

“I love working at the Sip,” said Nader Suleiman, a 23-year-old biology major and student employee. “I’ve been here since the beginning of the semester and I try to get as many hours as possible.”

Grigor Hogikyan is the Assistant Bookstore Manager, and one of his job descriptions is to oversee the Sip.

“About eight out of ten of our employees are student workers, during fall and spring semesters,” said Hogikyan. “The busiest part of the day is from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. In addition to the free internet access and WiFi, the main reason students generally like to hangout here is because of how convenient it is.”

Whether in the morning, afternoon or evening, the Sip is open and students will be found pouring over their books to study.

Some students would rather study at the Sip than in the library or at their home.

“When it comes to midterms or finals, if I leave campus, I don’t come back,” said Farhad Majidi, a sophomore.

Other students are drawn to the café

for the food and prefer it to the cafeteria or off-campus restaurants.

“I prefer to come to the Sip rather than the country café,” said Amanda Gonzalez a 24 -year-old geology major.

The Sip offers a wide variety of dishes including pizza, croissants, fruit bowls and sandwiches.

New faculty introduce their interests and hobbies

“It’s a convenient place to be,” said Garbriela Pinzon, a community coach who works at the Sip when at Pierce College.

“It’s a cool environment.”

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Coburn Palmer/ Roundup

James Hermon/ Roundup

Petrina J. Roudebush / Roundup FOR HERE OR TO GO: Amanda Gonzalea, 24, a geology major and Nader Suleiman, 23, a biology major and Pierce College Freudian Sip student employee discuss the better food options that ʻThe

Feed on the Festivities

Pierce College Harvest Festival offer entertainment for all ages from petting zoo, pony rides, art and crafts for families, and for those looking for a scare, they offer a variety of mazes to haunted houses. Also you can feed your apetite with roasted corn, funnel cakes, veggies from our

own farm. Proceeds go right back into the Pierce

farm.

very

College

(Top) Havah Stearns uses her flexibility to scare on-lookers at the Fright Factory.

Photo by: Victor Stephen Kamont/ Roundup

(Center) Jordan Allen (age 4) feeds goats at the petting zoo of the Pierce Fright Fair.

Photo by: Rick Ramirez / Roundup

(Bottom left) Daniel reaches for the paint to complete his Dracula mask.

Photo by: Lorena Perez-Valladares/ Roundup

(Bottom right) Zombie Jonathan Renolds lurks in the Corn maze.

Photo by: Lorena Perez-Valladares/ Roundup

Brahma women fight on

Volleyball team’s Superior talent overcomes slow start against Cuesta College

Coming off a tournament championship at their first annual Pierce College Invitational, the Brahma women’s volleyball team looked for an easy win against the Cuesta College Cougars (5-4) from San Luis Obispo.

The Brahmas were expected to dominate against the Cougars, but played under par instead.

They were able to improve to an impressive 13-1 record, but not without having their own issues on the court.

“We played ugly today, we were not in tune, we made a lot of errors,” said head coach Nabil Mardini. “The numbers were not very good. The only reason we won was because our serving was on and the other team made some crucial errors.”

With direct feeds from Julianna Hicks

Brahma beat:

FOOTBALL:

and finishers like Samantha Potter and Sarah Martin, it is easy to see why the Brahmas have been dominant this season, and why they can sometimes become lackluster when playing against lesser teams.

“We need to work on our defense, sometimes we are great and sometimes we are horrible, so we need to work on that consistent motion.” said Sam Potter. “I didn’t feel the intensity. “

Last weeks tournament MVP also shared the same opinion.

“We were out of whack, we can definitely play a lot better than that.” said Kathleen Wright. “We were a little bit off and we could have played a lot harder then we did.”

The Brahmas dominated the first game, wining 25-13 but struggled in the next two games. In the second game with the score tied at 20, Pierce was able to pull away winning 25-20. They had a comfortable lead in the third game at 20-15, but let the lead shrink until finishing off the cougars 25-21 on an ace by Potter.

The 6’3”, 215 pounder from Atco, NJ took the team lead in receptions (21), touchdowns (5), and yards-per-game (89.0) after a strong performance against West LA College Saturday. Julian had 5 catches for 104 yards and a touchdown.

Roche Nystrom who is entering her 13th season as head coach of Cuesta College saw an opportunity to take the win but also acknowledged an tough Pierce squad.

“They out hit us and they did a nice job, we were hoping that our defense could outlast them.” said Nystrom. “They are solid all around; they have more ammo in each position.”

It is a team sport and the rest of the Brahmas are doing their part just as well. Spot on serves from Danielle Shoemaker and blocks from Jasmine Levi and Reanna Hill, not to mention the all around work from Kathleen Wright have all contributed to a fantastic start.

The Pierce College Brahmas will hit the road next to battle the Owls of Citrus College on Tuesday Oct. 5., at 7:00p.m.

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The Brahma football team beat West LA College Saturday night at John Shepard Stadium, 42-38 in what was a fast paced, hard-hitting, physical game. Pierce chewed up a ton of yards on the ground against the smaller defensive front rushing for 238 yards on 40 carries. It was running by committee as Clinton Granger, Josh Johnson, Daniel Lopez, Kenny Davis, and Exavier Johnson all contributed at least 25 yards each on the ground. The quarterbacks (Granger and Johnson), weren’t only doing damage with their feet. The Brahma dual threat were a combined 21 of 36 for 298 yards, and 3 touchdowns through the air. Pierce is now 3-2 on the year, and the defense will look to rebound from what was a dissapointing performance as they travel to Glendale next Saturday to take on the Vaqueros 6:00 p.m.

SOCCER:

Ranked no. 1 in southern California and no. 2 in the state, are still unbeaten, as they had wins at College of the Canyons (1-0), and at home over Valley College (8-0). During the Valley game, midfielder / forward, Ani Eishoei scored 3 times in a little over twenty minutes, and Erica Vangsness sored twice during the route. The Brahmas should challenge the top spot in the state as their schedule during league play will soften, making the possibility of an undefeated season much more likely.

Leading the offensive barrage against Valley College Friday, Ani scored 3 goals for the rare hat trick. Eishoei, out of Taft High School, has helped pace a Brahmas team that remains unbeaten (13-0-1) and is currently ranked no. 2 in the state.

This Brahma, just a freshmen, has made an immediate impact on the hardwood. The 5’10” outside hitter from Oak Park High School has been one of the teams blocking and hitting specialists, contributing to the teams impressive 13-1 record, and their no. 2 ranking in California.

Damon Julian

Rachael Band

Ani Eishoei

Julian Reyes/ Roundup

Mark Gillman / Roundup

Joe Kukuczka / Roundup

I GOT IT: Julianna Hicks (left) and Shayna Guitare (right) both attempt to dig out a ball during their home win against Cuesta College

Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger.

Sophomore forward Erica Vangsness is changing the meaning of hard work

Emily Kelley / Roundup

The fall is synonymous with change. Changing classes, changing wardrobe, changing season. Some people are afraid of change, but Pierce College sophomore forward Erica Vangsness is taking her changes in stride.

“In high school, I kinda did my thing, I was very social,” said Vangsness, 20. “I had good grades, but I didn’t have great grades. I have this focus now, of school and soccer. It’s pretty much all I do. I’m not letting anything get in the way of that right now. I’ve matured a little bit, focused up.”

Vangsness’ focus turns into intensity on the field. Despite standing inches shorter than some of the taller, bigger girls in the game, she is never one to shy away from a phyical play. Vangsness will go shoulder to shoulder to fight for the ball, and knows how to take a hit in return.

But you would guess that if you’ve never seen her play.

In person, Vangsness the epitome of a California girl. Blonde, freckled, sporting sunglasses and flip flops, she is calm and easy to smile. Talking to her she is just as curious about you as you are about her.

How she came to Pierce is also curious.

The Los Angeles University High School graduate previous had no plans for the fall after graduating high school, but heard about Pierce’s program and her club soccer coach introduced her to Head Coach Adolfo Perez, who invited her to train with them.

“[I came to Pierce] for the program. My home school is Santa Monica [City College],” she said. I live 4 miles from Santa Monica. So I guess I should be there but they’re not in the top 10 in the state every year, so that’s why I came here.”

Vangsness joined the team two weeks before the start of last season, and “just died on the field.”

“I came in totally out of shape,” Vangsness said. “I was barely here, I barely knew the girls.”

Last season, Vangsness scored a total of 12 goals with 5 assists. She suffered from a stress fracture in her foot the week before playoffs, among other minor injuries.

Vangsness was determined to make some changes in preparation for the next season. She attended the summer session of training, and worked hard to get better. That hardwork is already

paying dividends.

This season, she’s matched that with 4 assists in only 10 games. She’s noticeably slimmer, fitter and stronger, and is ranked as the third leading scorer in the state by California Community Soccer News.

“In soccer, goal scoring is the hardest thing to do,” said Perez. “And that’s her biggest asset.”

Vangsness is also one of four team captains this season.

“I made her a captain because of her work ethic, her commitment and her dedication over the last year,” said Perez. “She always wants to be better.”

The Los Angeles native said that she felt she was a right fit for the position and is happy there.

“I’m really proud Adolfo handed me the captaincy,” she said.

Vangsness is one of six veterans on the team, along with fellow captains sophomore midfielder/forward

Ani Eishoei and defender Samatha Tan, goal keeper Marisa Graska, forward Nicole Jovel and midfielders Brenda and Erica Ceja.

“The returners have a big impact,” said Vangsness They [freshmen] come to us if they need something. We have a good foundation for our team.”

Perez said that she sets a good example for the new players, that because she works hard, it makes them work hard as well.

Freshman sweeper and captain Jennifer Vengegas said that Vangsness’s leadership skills are her biggest asset.

“She treats every player the same. We’re one team,” said Venegas. And her soccer playing is not the only thing that’s changed since coming to Pierce.

Vangsness is a straight A student and is looking to attend an Ivy League university, and is planning to apply to Columbia University, Brown University and Boston College, among others.

“I have two more years left of soccer and I know that. So I’m gonna take advantage of that, cause who knows if I’ll have any more soccer left in me,” said Vangsness. “But at the end of the day, I know that education is the most important thing.”

She said that she has “dabbled in everything,” but is interested in possibly studying biology.

Perez said that she is bright enough to get into schools like Columbia and Brown, but that he’s also confident that she could play at that level if she continues her hard work.

“Erica is unique, because she’s left footed. Out of our 23 players, only two are left footed,” said Perez.

“That’s going to work to her advantage.”

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Vangsness has the support of her coach and team, but also her family. The second to youngest of 4 children, her parents put her in AYSO soccer at 4 years old. Her siblings all played soccer or another sport at one time, but Vangsness said she was the one that stuck with soccer.

Vangsness’ parents divorced when she was 13,

but her mother can be seen at almost every game and her father, a surgeon at USC Medical, makes it to as many as he can.

“They’ve been there through everything.” she said. “I got hurt when I was 14, I hurt my knee. I didn’t know if I wanted to play soccer again, but they helped me through it.”

Through all the ups and downs, Vangsness knows that coming to Pierce was the right decision and has helped to shape her as a soccer player and a person.

“I’m more focused, because I’m playing soccer and I’m playing well,” Vangsness said. “I’m getting great grades here, I’ve met new people. “It’s a change for me. Change of atmosphere, change of people, change of education and change of soccer.”

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BEHIND THE BRAHMA

High School: University High

Position: Forward

Height: 5’8”

Season Stats: 12 goals and 4 assists 4 Year Schools Considering: Columbia University, Brown University, Boston College, Cal State Northridge

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to AP Calculus, Calculators

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UTENSILS: A master of her craft, Pierce sophomore forward, Erica Vangsness puts her best food forward in the classroom and on the field.

“I have two more years left of soccer...so I’m gonna take advantage of that...But at the end of the day, I know that education is the most important thing”

-Erica Vangsness Sophomore forward

To follow Erica Vangsness and the rest of her Brahma teammates, log on to

Joe Kukuczka / Roundup

INTENSITY: Erica Vangsness passes the ball right by Lauren Reyes of Citrus College Tuesday, Oct. 5th at Pierce College.