Job Center closing its doors after 20 years A program that has helped students nd work for more than two decades is closing

Brent Spector bspector.roundupnews@gmail.com

Pierce College will be closing the Job Center March 30 after an analysis between the functions of the Job Center and Career Center showed the Job Center to be an “unnecessary unit.”

Pierce College president Kathleen Burke-Kelly ordered this decision due to lack of funding. Burke-Kelly was not available for comment.

“The Job Center is very useful, especially the website,” psychology and art major Willie Rogiro said.

“Where else are [students] going to find a job? They don’t have much of a chance [without it].”

The Job Center provides employers a way to connect with students easily, and provides students a way to access those opportunities and prepare for the interviewing process with free professional development services.

Instructor of business administration Richard Skidmore has been director of the Job Center since 1998.

During his time as director, Skidmore modernized and expanded the capacities of the Job Center to help make servicing students more effective.

Once the Job Center closes much of his work will be gone as he and the rest of the staff in the office are relocated to other positions in the school and any services saved will be moved to the Career Center.

“The people we have working here with us are on a federal work- study program,” Skidmore said. “The Financial Aid Department will find new positions for them, however, our partnerships with the community will be ended.”

Another change that came before the order was the removal of Aaron Chan, a valuable staff member on a joint assignment between the Job Center and Cooperative Work Experience sections of the office, to the Office of Academic Affairs.

“[The closing of the Job Center is] very disheartening,” Chan said.

“Where will students get these services now?”

Bree Bogart, a theater major who works part-time at the job center, feels her experience at the center was invaluable to developing skills.

“I got to meet a lot of interesting people here,” Bogart said. “I used to be a short tempered person, but now I have more patience for the people working with and for me.”

There are countless ways for the college to make up some of the slack that the state budget cuts are causing the school.

The administration should find ways to continue providing classes and services for students to help them on their way to their future.

Tuition fees keep rising and the number of classes offered keep dropping and what is our college doing about it?

Nothing, it seems.

The truth is the college is doing things to bring in revenue but the question becomes is it enough?

Pierce College receives $25,000 to $30,000 dollars annually from the youth soccer players that use the lawn near the campus entrance on Winnetka Avenue and Victory Boulevard.

They also allow movies, television shows and commercials to be filmed on campus, which according to Larry Kraus, associate vice president, brings in anywhere from $15,000 to $70,000 a year.

This is great.

However, the campus has been receiving this money since long before the budget cuts became a problem.

In this time of budgetary crises more needs to be done to help students.

Pierce College is home to many functional facilities that could be used to bring in more money for classes and student programs.

This college has a $3 million planetarium in the Center for the Sciences facility with reclined seating.

This space could be used much like the Griffith Park Observatory once did with their planetarium to host laser light shows while playing synchronized musical soundtracks. They could host these events during the weekend while classes are not in session.

Granted the college cannot use Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin like Griffith Park due to copyright issues but they could use it as a tool to make even more profit by selling spots to local musicians to feature their music.

The college could also take advantage of the farm on campus by allowing them to invite children onto campus during the weekends and charge for horse/pony rides.

The college has an obligation to help students on their path to an education.

Food trucks have become a reliable source for food and the disappearance of some of them has students resorting to grabbing lunch from vending machines.

About a year ago, the cafeteria closed down for construction and has now been put on hold due to budget cuts.

Since then students have been given limited options for food and have to plan ahead, working around their busy schedules in order to eat.

Food trucks have been a great addition to the campus because they have flexible hours and can be distributed around campus.

According to Associative Vice President Larry Kraus, the food trucks haven’t been generating as much revenue as they would like to in order to sustain a permanent schedule, which is why many of them have left campus.

College students depend on things that are quick, economical and most importantly fresh, and the food trucks offer all of the above with a variety of food to satisfy everyone’s tastes from meat lovers to vegetarians.

Another option is the Freudian Sip but who has the time to wait in line for a sandwich that has been sitting in the refrigerator all day?

Remembering that one has to eat is hard enough for college students let alone having the time to do so, the equally distributed food trucks around campus save students valuable time that can be used to study.

It is definitely worth spending the few extra bucks for a fresh and tasty meal since many are not able to go home for lunch or even dinner.

Many people can argue that a five minute drive out from school can also get you a good meal that would probably cost you less and taste even better, but given the parking situation on campus giving up the spot you spent an hour searching for is like waiting in the sip only to get to the front of the line and find out they ran out of the freshly squeeze orange juice that you really wanted.