Volume 114 Spring 2011 Roundup Issue 3

ROUNDOUNDUP UP

Soto/ Roundup

Rentable fences guarding construction areas are visible almost everywhere at Pierce.

In the next week, more fences are likely to be present on campus with construction now active in Parking Lot 1 since Friday and beginning in Parking Lot 8 very soon.

Jim Allison is an employee of Swinerton, a construction company responsible for most of the renovations on campus, and serves as the project manager in charge of both lots.

Work on Lot 1 began Friday, leaving the lot physically closed on Monday.

“We are installing two rows of photovoltaic arrays like the ones in Parking Lot 6,” Allison said.

Although construction on Lot 8 was scheduled to commence Monday, the date has been postponed.

Pushing students to the limit

Students rally together in fear of losing access to higher education

“Enough is enough, stop the budget cuts” was the chant heard throughout Victory Boulevard Monday as students took to the streets to protest budget cuts and unit fee hikes in the Los Angeles Community College District.

The protest, which was titled after the first half of the aforementioned chant, was organized by the Associated Student Organization (ASO) and attracted hundreds of students to its cause.

The event began at 10:30 a.m. with a sit-in around the Brahma Bull statue, and continued an hour later with a march across the Mall and out to the intersection of Winnetka Avenue and Victory Boulevard.

Members of the ASO were present for the duration of the protest, with about twenty members working alongside police officers to keep the crowd under control.

“Legislators need to understand that [students] are watching them, and we’re going to hold them accountable for anything they do,” said ASO President Daniel Axelrod.

Professor James McKeever was present at the event, using a megaphone to encourage students to continue fighting for their education.

The protest was made possible by a special event permit acquired from the LAPD by ASO Senator Jonathan Fackler, which made him liable for any altercations that might have taken place during the protest.

“I understand the legal consequences, but this is important to me because I’m fighting for something bigger than myself,” said Fackler.

Students attending the event to protest held posters with messages ranging from “You’ve gotta fight for

Whatʼs

tion layout forces students to circle around campus in order to get to the opposite side, and he thinks that more construction could really impact students.

“Students have a greater chance of being late to class because of a lack of parking; this could even affect someone’s grades,” said Andrade.

According to Nieman, Pierce College is concerned with trying to maintain safe paths of travel for students while changes continue on campus. He added that maps are available to those who require them and questions regarding present activities are being answered as well.

According to Allison, work on both lots is scheduled to go on until mid August.

your right to study,” to less playful sentiments like, “It’s easier to buy a gun than an education,” for passing cars to see.

One unique example of student activism present at the event came from Emily Jackman, who is a linguistics major and covered her mouth with tape displaying the message: Don’t muzzle my future.

In spite of the mixed messages presented in their signs and attire, most students involved in the protest expressed unity by wearing green armbands.

“I felt as if, during the event, there were at least 500 people present,” said David Bromberg, who is an ASO senator and chairman of its scholarship committee. “We gave out 400 armbands, and there were still many without bands at the event.”

According to Sgt. Thomas Mason of the LAPD, there were approximately 200 protestors present when the demonstration moved across Victory Boulevard to Mason Avenue.

Though the event was aimed at addressing student needs, some students had differing views on the event.

“It’s a good way to get out there and spread awareness, but do I think it’ll do anything? No. It’s not going to fix the budget cuts,” said Andrew Kitchen, a 20-year-old history major who claims he was unaware of the event before arriving on campus Monday.

Just as with students, many faculty members on campus disagreed with the execution of the demonstration.

“I don’t know if [publicly protesting] is the right or wrong way, but I think it’s an effective way,” said Fernando Oleas, who is chair

of the modern language department and claims his classes were cut in half by the protest. “If the students are silent, no one will listen to their needs; silence doesn’t carry a good message overall.”

Richard Skidmore, who is an instructor of business administration, questioned the methods of the protest.

“There are different ways of protesting; one is the community meeting with the legislature responsible for fees and the quagmire that California is in,” said Skidmore.

Most of the promotion for the event took place via Facebook; however, Dean of Student Services Marco De La Garza sent a school-wide email to inform students of potential traffic difficulties stemming from the event that also spread awareness of the event.

The turnout for the event never exceeded the 500 students estimated in the special event permit, but members of the ASO were satisfied with its results.

“I think the most important thing is that it sets a precedent for the future,” said David Bromberg,

an ASO senator and chairman of its scholarship committee. “We’re going to come back bigger, louder and angrier if those fee increases go through.”

In addition to Monday’s protest and a candle light vigil for the death of education that took place later that day, the ASO will send delegates to speak with legislators in Sacramento on March 21. Additional reporting done by Mayra Bocanegra and Rodrigo Carbonel.

now open at both

The wagon is owned and operated by Tony Thomas, who notes that students have reacted well to it during its three weeks on campus.

“I really enjoy the chili on my hot dog; it’s very good, and it tastes freshly made,” said Rebeca Mejia, a 20-year-old Pierce College student.

The menu varies from hot dogs to cheeseburgers, as well as tacos and quesadillas. They also carry fries and bags of chips to supplement main courses. To quench your thirst, they carry sodas and lemonade.

The operators of T’s Chili Wagon are always open to comments or

Paul Nieman, the vicepresident of Administrative Services and director of plant facilities, said it was likely that construction on Parking Lot 8 would start next week.

Maura Salinas, 18, uses Parking Lot 8 frequently and finds its future construction inconvenient.

“It sucks; in the mornings when I have class, it’s hard to find a space in Parking Lot 7,” said Salinas. “I park [in Parking Lot 8], because nobody parks here.”

Emric Andrade, 20, is already unsatisfied with the way the present construc-

“There will be between 15 to 20 people working on both lots,” Allison said. Gabriela Moctezuma, 17, finds it difficult to study on campus.

“It’s noisy everywhere you go,” Moctezuma said.

Even though Moctezuma has been affected by the noisy atmosphere on campus, she believes that it is worth going through some disturbances because in the future students will benefit from the new facilities.

“There’s going to be new classrooms and buildings that I will get to use,” Moctezuma said.

As students rallied by chanting “enough is enough” on the corner of Winnetka and Victory, Pierce College’s interim president, Joy McCaslin was waiting to share her thoughts on the walkout while in a meeting.

Acknowledging the student government’s efforts for hosting the ‘Enough is Enough’ rally, McCaslin was pleased that the Associated Students Organization (ASO) were doing their job.

“The student government role is to bring issues to the student body,” McCaslin said. “Anything they can do to bring awareness is a good thing and I support their right to do that.”

After an automated mass email was sent Friday, March 11, McCaslin had contacted Kathleen Burke-Kelley, Pierce’s president and Los Angeles Mission College interim president, to inform her on the happenings at campus.

After several attempts to reach Burke-Kelley, no response was gathered from her on her thoughts and feedback on the protest. Still, McCaslin continued to show her support of the rally.

“We, the admissions, are doing everything we can to protect classes and do as little cutting as possible to classes,” McCaslin said. “We don’t have control over the fees, that is set by the state, but we will do everything we can to protect the schedule.”

McCaslin persisted to share her thoughts on duties being upheld on campus. While the staff is fighting to keep the course offerings consistent, it is still important for students to be aware of what can be affecting them.

“This is certainly an issue that affects and is important to students,” McCaslin said. “When it has to do with cutting classes and fee increases, I am glad to see leadership there.”

suggestions from students.

“We are taking suggestions from students as well, in case you don’t see something you want here,” said Thomas.

They also have specials, for example, during this week there was a special featuring an Albacore salad wrap with fries and a soda for $6.

Jose Romero / Roundup

CHARGE: David Bromberg, ASO senator, firing up more than 300 students, faculty and staff at the “Enough is Enoughʼ rally Monday.

Crystal Endless/ Roundup

LISTEN: Emily Jackman, linguistic major, demonstrates the power of silence in a crowd.

junk that make the city look dirty and unclean.

Taggers that get paid to put up nice murals are artists.

Being mad at the world does not give anyone permission to go out and cause acts of destruction.

It doesn’t solve problems; it only creates them. People think it’s cool. Would it still be cool if they did it on your home?

It becomes annoying in that it’s everywhere.

Alexis Antoniadis / Roundup

Express yourself by way of graffiti

Freedom of expression does not exist in this country. Expression is merely a trend of what is acceptable and what is not.

To majority graffiti is not acceptable.

We live in a country that boasts about our freedom of this and that. However if you read between the lines you notice that there are a handful of restrictions that contradict our country’s first amendment.

Graffiti is art. It’s an expression of ones feelings, and it anonymously delivers a message to whoever is open to receiving it. It’s an artistic outlet that is discouraged by majority of the public.

It makes me wonder if Vincent Van Gogh decided to create one of his famous paintings on a bridge instead of a canvas would it still be considered a masterpiece?

I am not saying that all graffiti is a Van Gogh masterpiece, the words that are scribbled over murals is nothing but a child’s first grade spelling test, and that should not be classified as graffiti or art.

Dozens of graffiti artists get recruited into groups that are filled with criminals and menaces to

society.

How is it that people expressing themselves through art are on the same level as a person who killed another human being?

Graffiti is stereotypically related to gang violence and opts as a red flag to communities that gang violence is present.

Even if that may be true,

Graffiti is also a political statement, a story into someone’s life, or even beautiful mural that is created for the enjoyment of the human eye.

By taking art off the walls doesn’t solve our failing economy, crime rates, or the publics overall health.

The Graffiti Control Amendment Act implemented in 2009, section 195 of the Crimes Act 1900 provides for up to five years imprisonment for maliciously damaging property.

Graffiti artists are facing five years in prison for expressing themselves artistically with markers and spray cans.

What about the real criminals who are eligible for parole in three years even though they committed actual violent acts?

I would much rather have my tax dollars go elsewhere, instead of housing these artists for art that is questionably dangerous. If America is so riled up on paintings on walls, where is the heat when it comes to video games?

Don’t get me wrong I am a huge fan of them, but there are red flags, and violence that stew up in games just as much or even more than graffiti.

The British American Journal released studies that shows that violent video games can be related to violent crimes such as school shootings.

For instance, a man who “slapped” his partner’s 15-monthold daughter because she interrupted his Xbox game, and as a result the infant died.

This goes to show that there is no escaping crime no matter what we restrict.

Violent criminals are out there, no matter how many markers or spray cans we take away, or how many artists we lock up violent people will always be out there. djohnson.roundupnews@gmail.

Graffiti is a form of vandalism. Not only does it decrease property value, but it costs money to paint over it, while it also raises the crime rate and hurts businesses. It takes a significant portion of our tax money, being that it costs the city hundreds of thousands of dollars to remove it.

—EDITORIAL—

Is California next?

With the earthquake in Haiti, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and earthquake, New Zealand earthquake and recent Japan tsunami and earthquake and a possible nuclear meltdown, are we ready for a disaster?

Japan is the most prepared nation in the world for tsunamis and earthquakes and look how fast it struck.

Last year an alarm went off at the Student Services Building; no one responded, and everyone just stood there.

The students and faculty of Pierce College are not prepared for man-made or natural disasters.

What would happen if there was an earthquake, or if a truck pulling toxic or nuclear waste tipped over on the freeway near Pierce, or any other unpredictable situations where peoples’ lives would be in mortal danger?

What would happen if a shooter, gang or terrorist group took control of the Pierce College campus? Would people run toward the sound of gunfire or away from it?

We are not prepared?

This inevitable situation is not being taken too seriously.

On a recent Pierce visit, Homeland security took a 360-degree video of the campus.

“Katrina was a wake-up call,” said Brian Keith, who was in charge of the group.

He expressed concern over Pierce’s readiness in a time of crisis.

He suggested having enough food, water and bedding for the entire campus to last for at least 72 hours.

What about the surrounding community? Would Pierce be used as an evacuation center in case of a catastrophic earthquake?

Student’s faculty, guests and employees need to be better informed. We need evacuation drills.

Each class should take the time to go over basic steps needed when

such a situation arises.

Recently, there was an article in the Los Angeles Times about using millions of dollars in bond money that had been misappropriated on the Los Angeles Community College District’s (LACCD) build program. It would take a minimal amount of money in comparison to make students at Pierce ready for any disaster.

Another thing is it makes streets look dirty.

Graffiti also instills insecurity in communities by encouraging youngsters to get involved with gangs.

The messages that gangs put up usually tends to invoke violence.

“Graffiti ruins society and there is no point of painting the streets,” said criminal justice major Turan Solares.

In addition it puts taggers lives in harms way, when it comes to their health. Inhaling the toxic fumes that emit from the spray cans have caused many to fall from ladders as they tag billboards and freeway signs.

Many people defend graffiti by saying that it’s a way of expressing their ideas, but there are other, less destructive ways to do that.

One mad-at-the-world tagger doing graffiti can not help anyone or make a difference in any way.

Taggers that think they’re expressing themsleves by tagging are not only incorrect, but, may have a screw lose as well.

Don’t get me wrong there is some nice murals around the city, but, there is more ugly, horrific

Honestly, no one really cares, when someone sticks a note on a street sign saying “Hello My Name is: Uselesstagger,” with those fancy graffiti letters, of course.

Graffiti and taggers are like a kitchen with cockroaches, but the difference between cockroaches and taggers is that cockroaches do the damage to survive not because they are not accepted or not easy to get along.

College buildings are public property and they set an example and graffiti painted on it is unacceptable.

Graffiti is damaging and Godawful when it’s done on a brand new building or project, like that of the recently installed Brahma statue.

Graffiti does not promote peace and the reaction is repulsive. It is the opposite of progress, it is offensive and disgusting by morality and decency.

In reality graffiti is a cancer that kills our morals and sets free too much liberty within our mind.

Liberty that only generates hate and misunderstandings, destruction and drawbacks.

People that do graffiti try to be someone to everyone, but they end up being nothing to all of us.

Graffiti is like hate, whoever does it is just wasting their time.

People that do graffiti dare authorities and try to go above the law, good thing that in the end the bad boys never win.

ncarrera.roundupnews@gmail.com

This is an opportunity for the Pierce community to make a meaningful and lasting impression on the surrounding community.

Director of Plant Facilities Paul Nieman said the students’ need to be responsible and prepared.

“You have to be interested in your own personal safety, know your surroundings. Everyone has to take responsibility for themselves; don’t rely on someone else telling you what to do,” said Nieman.

It is a challenge to get to class with all the construction on campus. The blocked areas are constantly changing, too. The faculty should regularly brief their students on the maze of new footpaths around the construction.

“A lot of thought and planning has gone into being prepared and is constantly being worked on and updated,” said Nieman. “Every classroom has an emergency procedures booklet with evacuation routes. Stay calm, respond when notified about an evacuation, stay with your group, and go to the zone you are directed to.”

Students must take it upon themselves to prepare for such events. Faculty must be informed and stay updated on any changes in evacuation plans. The administration must put our own employees, students and visitors’ safety first.

It is your choice: hysterical confusion, death and destruction; or knowledge, preparedness, and safety.

This is the best investment of resources.

Medical personnel should hold forums to inform people of basic maneuvers that could save lives until the proper personnel arrive.

Stockpile food and water. Every student should be informed of the proper area to go to in case of such an emergency. People should have blankets, water and imperishable food in the trunk of their cars.

We must act now!

Expect the unexpected. It is not if it will happen, it is when it will happen.

Nelger Carrera / Roundup

Maria Salvador/ Roundup

Maria Salvador / Roundup

Graffiti is not art, it never has been

Itʼs not if, itʼs when; LETʼS GET READY NOW

Not guilty after 17 years

Freed man speaks out after wrongfully accused

After being sentenced to the electric chair, the inmate walked the stage at Pierce College.

Juan Melendez was sentenced to death on Nov. 2, 1984, after being wrongly accused and convicted of murder and armed robbery by the state of Florida. He was incarcerated for 17 years, eight months and a day.

It was 16 years after his conviction that evidence implicating the real killer surfaced. The evidence was in the form of a taped confession, and it was later discovered that the prosecutor had knowingly withheld this proof.

On Jan. 3, 2002, Melendez was released from Union Correctional Institute with only the clothes on his back and $100 as compensation from the state. He still hasn’t received an official apology from the state of Florida.

His March 15 presentation commenced with a screening of the trailer of “Juan Melendez 6446,” a documentary that recounts his true story by way of accounts given by Melendez, his mother, lawyers and friends.

“I am not a killer,” he said as he began his narrative. “My momma didn’t raise a killer.”

For a large part of his presentation, Melendez gave a first-hand account of what it felt like to be constantly reminded, through the dwindling numbers of fellow prisoners, of his then-impending fate.

“You knew the exact moment that someone was being executed because the lights would flicker on and off,” he recalled.

He also talked about his feelings as he was led out of prison and his conflicting emotions in leaving behind over 17 years worth of friendship and

brotherhood with his fellow convicts.

“I was saved not by the system, but in spite of the system,” said Melendez, a devout Catholic. “I was saved by the grace of God.”

Melendez and criminal defense attorney Julie Caruso jointly answered questions from attendees in a short question-and-answer portion following the presentation.

Many student attendees voiced their appreciation for the event.

“A lot aren’t aware of the legal system and how its works,” said 52-year-old criminal justice major Carole Michaux. The event was headed by Four Corners Co-op, a Pierce College club dedicated to bringing awareness to students on issues concerning social justice, environment conservation, and overall health and wellness.

“This is the kind of thing that our club stands for,” said club president Kyle Morris.

Refreshments worth a dollar each were sold by the club throughout the entire event.

“Part of the proceeds will be donated as part of Melendez’ honorarium,” said Four Corners Co-op co-founder Nam Tran during a recent club meet-

Professor honored

Leo Sirakides, an overall joy to be around and an educator who truly devoted his life to his students died Monday, March 21, 2011.

Sirakides served as what is the equivalent to a contemporary Dean of academic affairs at Los Angeles City College and as vice president of student services at Los Angeles Southwest College before coming to Pierce.

He stepped down from his position as dean to focus on his students.

Sirakides joined the computer application and office technologies department in the 1970s on campus.

“This is the kind of guy where people just loved to take his classes,” said Bob Lyons, fellow instructor at Pierce and long time friend. “He was dedicated to his students.”

He will be missed.

Services were held for friends and family Monday March 14 at the Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

Tsunami aid relief

The EAO (Emotion Abuse Organization) is holding a Tsunami Relief in front of The Great Hall helping the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

“We raised $80, pretty good on the first day,” said Mark Mendoza “We are advertising through flyers and through Facebook.”

ing.

Tram added that though Melendez originally asked for $250 to speak, he did agree on $175. The club wanted to give at least a $200 stipend.

“Kathy Oborn, an advisor for the club, is donating $100 for his payment,” he said. “And the French Club is also chipping in.”

When questioned about the honorarium, Caruso readily explained its necessity in Melendez’ and her pursuit of justice in the legal system.

“It’s literally just the two of us,” said Caruso. “There isn’t an organization of any sort backing us up whenever we do these events.”

She added that the honorariums are “the only way they are able to survive,” and that they are currently looking for a private sponsor to back them up financially.

“It would be great to have somebody of influence helping us with our cause,” she said.

Are you protected?

As part of Pierce College’s HIV/AIDS Awareness week, the Student Health Center and Bienestar are providing free and confidential HIV/AIDS testing in front of the Student Services building until March 24 from 2 to 7 p.m. The testing was conducted by Bienestar, a mobilized testing clinic funded by the U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health.

Students waited patiently outside the mobile, where counselors filled a table with HIV/AIDS pamphlets, condoms, lubricates and business cards.

Signing up was easy, waiting for results proved to be the tough part.

“The most nerve racking part is getting the results,” said Nursing major, Rene Lexus. “But this is so convenient, it only takes 20 minutes”.

Lexus heard about the testing through last weeks HIV positive speakers from the “Being Alive” organization where speakers spoke about their life with the disease.

Henry Walk, a Marketing major, also became aware of the event through a guest speaker in his health 2 class with professor Diane Kelly.

According to Margaret Babb, a phlebotomy technician and HIV counselor for Bienestar, the test are 99.9 percent accurate, and you have two options of testing: a saliva swap or blood test.

“HIV doesn’t favor any age that you are or whether you are male or female,” said Babb. “That is why it is important to get tested”.

Bienestar provides a variety of services to those who are infected by the disease such as housing, support groups, treatment and counseling.

“Once we know the client tested positive we do a confirmation test,” said Babb. “We send that to the lab for three days and they send us back their findings and confirm our readings”.

With more than one million people living with HIV in the USA, it is important to get tested, according to counselors.

“ A lot of it depends on sexual appetite,” said Babb. “Once a year if you have one sexual partner, every six months if you have five to seven partners and every three months if you have a very active sexual life”.

bocanegramayra3@gmail.com

Sheriffʼs blotter

3/14/11 - Hit and Run - A silver 2004 Honda Civic was rear-ended by another vehicle, which fled the scene. The incident was reported at 10:30 a.m.

3/14/11 - Student incident - A male student grabbed a female student’s shoulder inappropriately. The incident occurred at 5:45 p.m.

3/15/11 - Vandalism - A door in the Art building was marked with “supervisors” crossed out. The incident was reported at 12:25 p.m.

3/15/11 - Misc - A forklift was driven into a roll-up door in Auto-Tech. The incident was reported at 6 p.m.

3/17/11 - Student disturbance - Two students had a verbal altercation in the CopyTech. One of the students pepper-sprayed the other student. Both students were detained, neither was booked on charges. The incident was reported at 9 a.m.

3/17/11 - Vandalism - There was an altercation over a student not being dropped off at the student drop-off area. A water bottle was thrown at one of the vehicles causing a dent. The incident was reported at 1:30 p.m.

3/17/11 - Burglary - A vehicle was broken into in Lot 7. A Apple laptop was stolen. The incident was reported at 2 p.m.

The event is going on Monday-Friday from 9am to 6pm all donations are welcomed clothes, money, and canned food and all donations will go to The American Red Cross.

“I’m telling my friends so they can tell their friends and we are advertising through posters and going to classes asking for money,” said Jennifer Ortiz.

Dancing to victory

The street dance club at Pierce College competed in 18 events and won 16 awards during the High Desert Dance Classic, in Lancaster.

Several members also won awards during individual competitions in which male and females made random pairings of dance partners

The dance team plans to attend the upcoming salsa congress in April as well the LAPD and the Swing Diego dance competition.

Compiled by: Bryan Melara / Roundup

Jose Romero / Roundup

Speaking: Guest speaker Juan Melendez speaks to a crowd gathered to listen. Students voiced their appreciation during the question and answer segment.

Clubs 4-1-1

Groups offer students a place to call their own

Aside from going to class, cramming time in to stop at the Freudian Sip and catching up with friends, student-run clubs offer another place for students to gather.

Pierce offers 45 clubs to choose from and each group can be seen hosting bake sales on the Mall, providing entertainment in the Great Hall, or having a discussion on relevent events.

This semester, the Roundup is conudcting interviews with Pierce College’s clubs to see what they offer.

This week, the Hillel and Sociology clubs are asked to share what they are about and what students can expect if they attend a meeting.

Here is an inside scoop to the two clubs:

Star bright, star light

$3

million planetarium grants access to all

An ordinary building on the Pierce College campus, the planetarium is hidden inside the Center For The Sciences building.

With the completion of the $3 million structure in the Fall, 2010, students were able to fill the theater like chairs this spring.

The purely software based planetarium, operated by Skyscan, contains 5 projectors located around the dome that create images by computer.

The planetarium allows professors to connect the lecture classes and demonstrate the things they talk about.

“It is a wonderful way to realistically demonstrate astronomy to students,” said Professor of Astronomy Carolyn Mallory.

The planetarium has both manual and automatic telescopes for student use, which makes the labs a hands-on experience for students.

The lab takes place inside the classroom, while the lecture is held inside the dome.

The astronomy classes are four units and professors answer questions such as, what is and what isn’t astronomy, what’s in the sky, the stars and the galaxies.

“I think its interesting to learn about the stars, the moon and the universe,” said Engineering major, Juan Vallejos.

Mallory hopes students can get a lot out of the class.

“I want them to feel that they’re a part of the Earth and the solar sys-

tem, that they understand the sky and get knowledge of the possibilities of getting hit by an asteroid,” said Mallory.

Walking into the dome is like walking inside a movie theater.

The ceiling extends above your head in the shape of a sphere, recreating the night sky.

The theater seats are comfortable and allow students to recline back in order to enhance your experience.

“The seats are so comfortable, they’re like Imax chairs” said Forensic Science major,Eddie Rivera.

Pierce College joins Valley College and Santa Monica College with comparable planetariums.

“Its an extra perk for the college to have,” said Mallory. “It’s a good PR for Pierce”.

The planetarium isn’t only for students, its also open to the community.

The Pierce College Astronomy Society (PCAS), lead by professor Mallory, hosts many free events for everyone to indulge on.

“We have community members coming in for our star parties where we gather and watch the stars,” said Mallory. “Anybody is welcomed to come”.

For more information on future events you can attend the PCAS meeting inside the Great Hall.

aantoniadis.roundupnews@gmail.com

Letting the voices ring

Choir students are getting geared up in the music department for the upcoming concert May 19in the Performing Arts building.

With no auditions required and all students welcome, the Pierce College Choir is the primary daytime ensemble according to adjunct assistant professor of music Cathryn Tortell.

“The choir is a great chance to learn different kinds of music,” said Cara DiMolfetto a 26-year-old music major. “Just study your music and learn the basics.”

The performance “Love and all that Jazz” will be hosted on May 19 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts building.

It will be a joint concert featuring the Pierce College Choir the Women’s Ensemble Choir and the Pierce Encore singers.

“The Choir is a great release,” said Roxanne Diamond a 44-year-old undecided major. “It’s a way of harmonizing with other singers.”

A portion of the proceeds from every concert are donated to charity. Donations from last December’s performance went to the West Valley Food Bank.

On April 16at 8 p.m. adjunct instructor of music Terry Danne conductor of the San Fernando Valley Master Chorale is hosting a performance of Saint Mathew Passion by J.S. Bach.

People should come in, it’s a great way to learn comaraderie.

The performance will be done in collaboration with the South Nevada Musical Arts Society Chorus.

Rehearsals will be hosted this August for a

Hillel offers a home for Jews

• “Our mission is to get all the Jewish students together, empower Jewish leaders, do good, and just celebrate Jewish culture,” said program coordinator Sara Kheel.

• The club meets once or twice a week and never on a set date. They usually meet at one of the members’ home or somewhere on campus. They do a lot of activities that consist of being outside.

• Aside from the outdoor activities they also volunteer at the San Fernando Rescue Mission Center and SOVA a charity organization.

• Hillel will be celebrating Camp Shabbat on Friday, March 25 at 7 p.m. It will be located at one of the members’ home. There will be a dinner, camp songs, and free kosher food.

—Tracy Hernandez/ Roundup

special performance on September 11.

The choir is still searching for a venue for the September 11concert since renovations to the Performing Arts building begin in June according to Tortell.

The entire music department is still looking for a place to host future events after construction begins in June.

“I try to do a lot of reach work every year,” said Tortell. “People should come in, it’s a great way to learn camaraderie.”

Tortell also works with a volunteer choir group, the Pierce Women’s Ensemble. She hopes that the volunteer program will eventually become a class.

Choir students who work with Tortell have great things to say about her and the choir.

“It’s a great experience and the professor (Tortell) is inspiring,” said Diamond. “I could speak wonders about her.”

kreynolds.roundupnews@gmail.com

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Sociology club aims for change

• The club talks about issues that affect everyone, such as student tuition increases, politics, racial differences and other controversial matters.

• Sometimes, the club hosts protests in order to get more students involved and encourage people to be aware of what is on the students mind.

• Students will find themselves in a safe space to have debates, become involved with their community and can orgnize demonstrations in order to share their opinions.

• Any student of staff memeber is welcome to join. The club meets every Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in room 1302 by the Botanical Garden.

Kevin Reynolds/ Roundup

Alexis Antoniadis/ Roundup

UD / Roundup

WISHING ON A STAR: Astronomy students relax as their lesson plan, created by assisant physics professor Lee Loveridge, is projected onto the inner dome of the newly-opened planetarium at the Center for the Sciences.

-Cathryn Tortell Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music

Devon Trammell / Roundup

Prof: Professor James McKeever protests tuition increase.

Fanny Cano/ Roundup

Cesar Monge / Roundup

Coffee: Pierce Jewish club held a meeting at Freudian Sip

Behind the curtain

Music professor orchestrates noon concerts

While managing his title of Associate Professor at Pierce and Santa Monica Colleges, working as a professional musician, he finds time to coordinate the Thursday afternoon concerts.

Jim Bergman has several roles that he assumes interchangeably, but finds exposing his students to classical music via the afternoon concert series to be the most rewarding.

Bergman was born in Pennsylvania, but moved to New York to study music at Juilliard.

“While there [at Juilliard] I studied the string bass and would pick up freelance gigs before I joined a band,” said Bergman.

Bergman and his wife moved to California where he became a member of the San Jose Symphony.

“When we moved out here I played around in the Bay Area with the symphony before they went bankrupt,” said Bergman. “My wife got a job offer out this way [in Los Angeles] and so we moved again.”

“The concerts are apart of the Music 111 class, and I want my students to be exposed to some of the best out there,” said Bergman. “You have to see the best so that you can form a sound opinion.”

The Associated Students (ASO) sponsors the afternoon concerts.

“Its great that ASO is able to give what they do,” said Bergman.

“The hard part is that it doesn’t’ always work out the way you plan it when you are booking professional musicians for little or no money.”

Many of the musicians who perform at Pierce are current or former UCLA students.

“The Gluck Foundation pays for UCLA musicians to perform here,” said Bergman.

Although he teaches a classical music course, Bergman is conscious of his students when it comes to selecting performances.

“I want to be sensitive to my students, I am aware that many of them are beginning music students; you wouldn’t start beginning math students with calculus,” said Bergman.

Bergman finds it most rewarding when his students let him know they have a new found appreciation for classical music.

“I received an email from a former student that said ‘I now listen to classical music’,” said Bergman. “It would be great to have a full audience with students, faculty and staff from various academic backgrounds attend the concerts.”

One challenge he sees in the near future will be the closure of the Performing Arts Center for renovations.

EXCLUSIVE: Jim Bergman sells and plays classical music, but also finds the time to run the Thursday noon free concerts.

Bergman has been teaching music at SMC for five years and at Pierce College for four.

“I saw an ad for a music teacher at Pierce, and I applied but never heard anything back,” said Bergman. “It was not until I performed at a gig with [Pierce’s] chairman of the music department, so I cornered him in and put a face with the name.”

This is his third semester of coordinating the afternoon concerts.

Concert series continues

no anxiety before taking the stage. “No nerves from here,” said Lent.

What’s Next For

“Once the theater closes, there is supposed to be a large tent set up for performances, but we’ll see how that goes,” said Bergman.

Bergman wants his students to be impressed with the quality of the performers and hopes to provide them with a new perspective about classical music.

“I consider myself to be a salesman of classical music,” said Bergman.

jhermon.roundupnews@gmailcom

Four musicians visited Pierce and performed music by Beethoven and Max Bruch at Thursday’s concert at the Performing Arts Building.

Violinist Lindsey StrandPolyak opened the concert with Fantasie No. 4 in D major for Solo Violin without bass by George Philip Telemann.

Polyak is a graduate student at UCLA and has played violin for more than 20 years. This was her first performance at Pierce.

“I think you always get nervous,” said Strand-Polyak “I’m just waiting for the day when I don’t get nervous.”

Pianists Dr. James Lent and Henry Shin, however, showed

Jacquelin Chen continued the concert with Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No.8 in G major, III. Presto.

Elliot Ephrati and Lent performed La Campanella by Niccolo Paganini.

The fifth performer was Margaret Judith Wu who played Violin Sonata No.4 in E minor III. Finale: Presto ma non troppo.

Wu admitted to feeling very happy before hitting the stage.

Concert Dates

3/17 Pierce Student Concert

3/24 Brad Dutz/Chris Wabich

3/31 No Concert

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Lent accompanied her on the piano.

The next performer was Annamarie Arai with Lent. They performed Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy, Op 46 Movement II (Scherzo. Allegro).

“I’m really excited and I just hope everybody enjoys it,” she said with a positive attitude and a friendly smile.

The 21 year-old is currently attending the University of California Los Angeles.

I think you always get nervous. I’m just waitng for the day when I don’t get nervous -Lindsey Strand-Polyak Associate Professor of Music thernandez.roundupnews@ gmail.com

The concert ended with Mai Kurosawa and Henry Shin on piano performing Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs) by Pablo de Sarasate.

4/7 Arnold Schoenberg

4/14 UCLA Camarades

4/21 SPRING BREAK

4/28 Kanae Matsumoto-piano

5/5 Christian Nova-voice, Francis Garvey- piano

5/12 Ambrose Aubrum-violin

5/19 Music of Persia

5/26 Pierce Student Concert

Whatʼs hot ... and whatʼs not

Current fashion trends, music, and social lives are influenced by past behaviours and practices.

Hip-Hop, Vans shoes, Facebook and texting are some terms that can be associated with today’s younger demographic.

Most of the students at Pierce College admit to being partial to texting over making a phone call.

Andrew Giraldo prefers the convience of texting.

“Texting is good, especially when you’re in class,” said Giraldo.

Whether students prefer texting or calling, it’s safe to say that their cell phones are being constantly used for different purposes.

The saying goes, “To each his own,” and that can be applied to today’s young adult generation in reference to fashion and music.

Robert Navarrette, Pierce student, is persuing a music career with a band even though he knows he’s noticed the popularity in Electro.

“People are into the whole rave scene, and that kind of music but I prefer Red Hot Chili Peppers,” he

added.

Music and fashion trends are always changing, but people have their own preferences and will always choose what they identify best with.

It’s safe to say texting and social networking sites will continue to be a growing trend and will keep people entertained. Check out www.theroundupnews.com to see a multimedia “man-on-the-street seriers of interviews with student.

cgarcia.roundupnews@gmail.com

During 3rd week of performances, five musicians come together in harmony

James Hermon/ Roundup

Tracy Hernandez/ Roundup

Cesar Mongew/ Roundup

ALL TOGETHER: Violinists Elliott Ephrati and pianist James Lent showcases music from Niccolo Paganini- La Campanella.

Jose Romero / Roundup

Cynthia Garcia/ Roundup

Get up, stand up

Standing for their rights, students protest cuts, fee increases

It started as a whisper, then quickly became a rumble as Pierce students marched on Monday. The ASOsponsored “Enough is Enough” rally drew attention to growing problems within the LACCD: disappearing classes in tandem with increasing fees and tuition. Faculty, staff and students drew attention to their position by marching in a large group from the Brahma statue on the Mall, down Brahma drive, and finally spilling out onto Victory Boulevard. Sweat poured as the afternoon sun took its toll

on the band of peaceful demonstrators, leading the ASO to hand out energy drinks and bottled water. Supporters, detractors, media outlets and passers-by all caught a glimpse of the social disorder.

Police were out in force to ensure the peaceful movement stayed within the bounds of lawfully gathering, and to secure the perimeter of the rally areas for the benefit of marchers.

As the rally continued, the mob moved west on Victory

toward the Mason Avenue entrance before stopping again to reiterate their claims that the unfairness shown to students will not be silently dismissed as status quo, but rather, there are those among the students who will stand up and be counted in the fight against the current direction of the education system, not only here at Pierce, but across the nation.

Devon Trammell/ Roundup

ENOUGH: Bridget McGovern plays her recorder during Mondayʼs rally along Victory Boulevard. Students protested the reduction of class schedules and increases to tuition and fees.

Crystal Endless/ Roundup

SUPPORT: Shane Mooney, ASO senator, stands with his sign to protest budget cuts within the LACCD. Mooney helped organize the rally in the streets.

the need for change. With signs in hand, chants underway, and a heavy police detail prepared, the walkout gained media coverage.

UD / Roundup

GATHER: Students gather en mass in front of the newly-dedicated Brahma bull statue Monday before taking the ASOʼs protest to the streets.

Volleyball team off to great start

Brahmas’ young season rolling in right direction

slawski.

The Pierce College men’s volleyball team improved their record to 7-2 after winning in four sets at Santa Monica College Friday night.

“Those guys didn’t go down without a fight,” said Pierce Head Coach Eddie Stanislawski. “I was scared until they blew the whistle and the game was over.”

Pierce started off strong in the first set, and ended up winning the set by a score of 25-21.

“We were definitely leaning on

College

-Eddie Stanislawski

our middles in this game, and they did their jobs from the beginning of the game,” said Stanslawski.

Santa Monica won the second

set, 26-24, knowing that losing both of the first two sets could lead to an early end to the game.

The key set of the game was the third set, where both teams were vying for crucial momentum that would decide the outcome of the game.

The third set was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams giving it everything they had.

“I think [the third set] was a momentum changer,” said Stan-

The players also reaffirmed that sentiment during post game interviews.

“Winning the third set definitely gave us the momentum and slowed SMC down a little bit,” said Sophomore Andrew Pitters.

Pierce was down 24-23 in the third set when Hayk Sargsyan dove to the floor in an effort to keep the ball in play so that Pierce could tie the score, 24-24.

Sargsyan got the winning kill on interference by Santa Monica to win the third set 26-24.

“It was a tight game, so losing the third set definitely hurt us,”

said Santa Monica Head Coach John Mayer.

Santa Monica came out the gates strong in the fourth set to gain a 7-3 lead, knowing that they needed to win the fourth to even force a fifth set.

“The fourth was tight too; both teams knew this wasn’t going to be easy,” said Mayer.

Pierce showed their will to win the game by coming back and winning the fourth set, 25-23.

“We always have our ups and downs, but so far we have a way of coming out of these slumps,” said Pitters.

Hayk Saragsyan led the team

with 16 kills, and Jon Suisa had 10 kills in their win against SMC.

“Pierce is one of the best teams out there,” said Mayer, a former Pierce College volleyball player.

Head Coach Eddie Stanislawski is pleased with the Brahmas’ 7-2 start to the season, and hopes they keep it up.

“For where we are at in the season, I’m content with what we are doing.” said Stanislawski.

The Brahmas next game will be hosting Moorpark at home in the South Gym this Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

nkhoi.roundupnews@gmail.com

Navid Khoi / Roundup

“I was scared until they blew the whistle and the game was over.”

Pierce

Men’s Volleyball Head Coach

Jose Romero / Roundup

FINISH: AK Gharwal, right, congratulates Daniel Rochin, left, after his Pierce squad won match three at Santa Monica College Friday night during the Brahmas 3-1 road victory.

Defying all obstacles Pierce swimmer dominates water, overcomes disadvantage daily

—BASEBALL—

R ichard Stock Richard

Stock, a transfer from USC has been a very welcomed addition to the Brahmas already potent lineup. The sophomore from Agoura High School has compiled offensive numbers that rank in the top three team triple crown numbers: .300 batting average (3rd), 5 homeruns (1st), and 14 runs batted in (1st).

—TENNIS—

Daniel Engelberg Daniel Daniel Engelberg, Pierce College’s no. 2 tennis player defeated Ventura College’s top-seeded player last week standing out amongst his peers and maintaining a high level of consistency, according to his head coach Rajeev Datt. The Brahmas as a team would fall, 6-3, but Engelberg smashed forehand after forehand to salvage what he could for his club.

Samantha Elam can’t hear race officials say, “Go,” because she has been hearing impaired since birth.

Contagious Error bug has Brahmas befuddled, searching for cure

She looks to her right while her competition focuses on the pool to see the strobe light that signals the start of the race. None of this stops her from winning 200 and 500yard freestyle races. Excuses never get in her way of taking command of the pool during her chosen events.

She decided to join Pierce College as a Kinesiology major when the head coach of California State University East Bay’s swim team retired in 2010.

Only in her second semester, this starry-eyed 18-year-old is no novice to competition. While in her senior year at Granada Hills Charter High School, Samantha was a sectional champion in the 200 and

500-yard freestyle races.

Samantha has also competed in the US Deaflympics in 2007 and 2008, where she placed in the top eight in several events.

Samantha practically lives in the water; not only does she compete on the Pierce College women’s swim team, she is also a part-time coach at her high school alma mater and a part-time life guard at the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center.

Even with severe hearing loss, she chooses not to use sign language interpreters in her classes. She said she tried using an interpreter her first semester, but it just made it harder to keep up with lectures.

“I don’t know sign language that well,” said Samantha. “I can read lips rather well.”

Even though Samantha has not settled on a specific career goal or university to transfer to, she knows she will continue swimming competitively.

“Seeing people jump around, cheering for me, keeps me going during a race,” said Elam.

slynn.roundupnews@gmail.com

attempting to steal second base Saturday at Joe Kelly Field

The upside of Saturday’s game was definitely starting pitcher Ryan Santhon performing well, according to coach Bushart.

Costly errors Saturday afternoon led to the Brahmas sixth loss in seven games. The Pierce College baseball team was defeated by Mission College, 9-3 committing a total of seven errors in the process. Defense and pitching are the two aspects of baseball that are commonly preached by any manager, coach, or scout. Basically anyone with a clue knows that’s what this great game comes down to.

After a devastating second inning in which the Eagles batted in five runs, the host Brahma squad was unable to recover.

“We made 7 errors, you can’t win ball games that way,” said Head Coach John Bushart.

The Brahmas gave up eight unearned runs in a disappointing showing.

“We’re on a serious slide,” said coach Bushart. “Its something new every day.”

The Brahmas poor showing Saturday increased coach Bushart’s frustration as he tried to pull his team out of their current funk.

“We just don’t do all three parts of the game: pitching, defense, catch, we don’t do them together,” said Bushart.

The Brahmas started the season well winning four games in a row, but have now fallen into a slump.

Coach Bushart will have to pull his team together in order finish the rest of the season strong.

“The starting pitching is the one thing that’s been consistent,” Bushart said.

Santhon struggled to remain optimistic as he tried to look forward to the rest of the season.

“Its one game and we have 17 more, you just have to go through it and move on,” Santhon said.

The Brahmas weren’t able to pull it together after struggling through a depressing second inning in which they up gave five runs.

Pierce then failed to capitalize on their many scoring opportunities as they stranded runners in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings.

“It just didn’t seem like we were all here to play,” said Santhon.

Meanwhile, Mission College had a fantastic day, especially starting pitcher Sean Becker who dominated the game according to Mission Head Coach Joe Cascione.

“It all started on the mound, our starting pitcher did a great job,” Cascione said. “He really was in good command today and put the ball where he wanted it and got a lot of easy outs.”

The Brahmas will look to pull it together as they face a tough challenge their next game. They travel to the College of the Canyons on Tuesday for the 2:30 p.m. start.

Coburn Palmer/ Roundup

Rick Rose / Roundup

SMILE: Pierce freshmen Samantha Elam poses in the pool at the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center before she gets to work.

Evan Lipton / Roundup

HOSED: Pierce short-stop Matt Sanchez ,left, catches the ball and attempts to tag a Mission College runner

Compiled by Mark Gillman

Sage Lynn/ Roundup

Photos by: UD and Evan Lipton / Roundup