Brahma pride is lacking

As I walked across the Pierce College Mall on Monday after class, I noticed a strange coincidence. While rushing across the Mall, a student wearing a UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) shirt passed by me rapidly. Nearby, another student sporting a USC (University of Sourthern California) sweatshirt talked and laughed with some friends.

Later on that day, I ran into a friend of mine on campus. To my surprise, he was wearing a sweatshirt that read “CSUN” (California State University, Northridge) in big, bold letters.

Ironically, I did not see anyone on campus wearing a Pierce shirt, sweatshirt or other clothing item that day, besides a couple of athletes in their team gear. In fact, I actually have trouble recalling if I ever have since I began attending Pierce three years ago.

“I mostly just come here for my classes,” said Ryan Jacinto, a junior graphic arts major. “I guess because I’m not very interested.”

Jacinto’s view reflects that of many other Pierce attendees. Being community college students aspiring to transfer to four-year universities, many students tend to think more about their hypothetical future in other schools than their present at Pierce.

“I mean I love Pierce, but I’m trying to get out like everyone else,” said Lee Khadim, a sophomore business administration major.

“It’s like you’re supposed to have spirit and you’re supposed to enjoy your time here, but your ultimate goal should be to get out,” he said. “You know, it’s like two years here, and out.”

Another common reason for the lack of school spirit is because many students spend little time on campus outside of the classroom.

For many, Pierce is a commuter school, a quick stop before heading to the next place on their often busy schedules.

Gonzalo Rey grey.roundupnews@gmail.com

“I just kind of come to class and go home,” said Joshua Scharf, a sophomore undecided major, who also mentioned that he has yet to attend an event on campus.

“Between work and being tired, not enough energy and time I guess,” Scharf said, explaining his lack of school spirit.

However, other students are proud Brahmas, despite it not always being physically apparent.

“Yeah, I have school spirit,” said Eric Mack, a senior accounting major. “Just the whole get down. It’s a nice school, the professors are real good.”

Mack said he attended some football games at Pierce and enjoyed the atmosphere.

“It was all good. It was awesome,” he said. “A lot of the students came out and the school gets involved with the sports and with the sports community.”

Travis Hernandez, a senior registered veterinary technology major, also said he is proud to be a member of the Pierce community.

“Yeah, [I have school spirit] and I like it here,” he said. “Just its reputation. It’s a great school and it’s famous for different things.”

Although many see Pierce simply as a stepping stone for a larger objective, I believe more students should be proud to be Brahmas and appreciate their time here, like Mack or Hernandez.

While most of us do indeed have plans involving bigger, more reputable colleges, the truth remains that we are still Pierce students. We should be proud of receiving the chance to learn and progress, and should enjoy the various events –sports, performing arts shows, art exhibits– offered by the school on a regular basis.

Despite being just a community college, Pierce is a great school – one that people all over the world would love to attend. I, for one, can say I am a proud Brahma.

By Austin Faber

Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol’

For holiday cheer, watch a free screening of the film at Laemmle Playhouse 7 in Pasadena on Dec. 15. Enjoy kicks and giggles with your family, and walk through the neighborhood eclectic shops after the show.

673 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91101

(626) 844-6500

SANTA Monica Pub Crawl www.santamonicapubcrawl.com

For good drinks, great music, and the chance to help out the local community sign up for the 4th annual event that benefits Westside Food Bank. For a minimally donation, you can experience the event on Dec. 15 beginning at 5 p.m.

Minimum donations start at $10.

(323) 330-9559

Universal Studios City Walk

For anyone who can’t decide what they want to do, head over to City Walk. It’s equipped with shopping, great food, movie theaters, and more. You can listen to great music for free on the walk’s outdoor stage, and for a few more bucks you can step it up at the Gibson Amphitheatre.

100 Universal City Plaza Universal City, CA 91608

(818) 622-4455

Woodland Hills Ice

Find your groove on ice with friends and family at the outdoor ice skating rink located in the northeast corner of the Westfield Promenade parking lot. The rink is open from Nov. 2 to Jan. 27, 2013.

6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Woodland Hills, CA 91367

(818) 854-4151

Staples Center

For concert goers and basketball fans alike, you can catch Lady Gaga, Muse, Kobe Bryant, and Blake Griffin all in one hot spot. Whatever event you choose, you’re more than likely to have a great time.

1111 South Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90015 (213) 742-7100

Candy Cane Lane

Looking for something fun and free to do? Drive through “Candy Cane Lane” neighborhood where residents have glamorized their homes with colorful lights, reindeer, and any imaginable décor. To experience the lights, exit Winnetka Avenue off the 101 North freeway, head north and turn right on Oxnard Street.

Pierce College Theatre

Starting Dec. 7 through Dec. 16, Pierce’s second production, “Art” will present bundles of laughter for all to enjoy. Come support the theater department and catch a few laughs while you’re at it.

Performing Arts Complex

6201 Winnetka Ave. Woodland Hills, CA 91371 (818) 719-6488

L.A. Live

Just across the street you can keep delighting yourself with concerts and even comedy shows at Nokia Theater. Or you can experience the ‘The Dark Knight Legend’ exhibit on the venue’s deck and encounter music’s legends at The GRAMMY Museum.

800 W. Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90015 (213) 763-5483

Together As One

‘The Nutcracker Swings’

Get in to the holiday spirit by watching a classic performance by the City Ballet of Los Angeles. Experience the show at the Wilshire Ebell Theater on Dec. 21 and 22.

743 Lucerne Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90005 www.cityballetofla.org

Plane crash hero acts out of instinct

Pierce student responds to emergency landing at CSUN

Nick McNamara/Roundup nmcnamara.roundupnews@gmail.com

Driving down Zelzah Avenue, Erick Rodriguez Jr., 20, thought he saw a remote control plane out of the corner of his eye.

But this was no model plane falling to earth.

This was real.

A Cessna 206, tail No. N5229U crash landed in a field on the California State University, Northridge campus off of Zelzah Avenue and Plummer Street on Sunday, Nov. 25, leaving the pilot and passenger with minor injuries, according to ABC News.

The plane had lost power in transit to John Wayne Airport, and the occupants, a married couple, attempted to make an emergency landing on the CSUN soccer field according to ABC.

That is where Rodriguez Jr. came in.

For Rodriguez Jr., a communications major at Pierce College, this Sunday started off in Riverside.

He had spent the night at a friend’s house and woke up at 6 a.m. to drive home after a night of bowling.

Rodriguez Jr. arrived home by 7:30 a.m. and slept for an hour before getting ready for a Sunday church service.

He and his roommate, Semaj Ray, left and were in church by 10 a.m.

corner of his eye.

“I thought it was one of those toy, machine planes that people play with that are huge but not lifesize,” Rodriguez Jr. said.

But looking again, Rodriguez Jr. saw the reality.

“It was a final destination type moment where it just came down, hit the fence, hit a tree and flipped over,” Rodriguez Jr. said.

The plane flew parallel to him for a moment before crashing, he said. Had the plane not landed how it did, Rodriguez Jr. said he thought the situation could have been quite different.

“If it wouldn’t have hit the tree it probably would’ve landed in the street and hit me,” Rodriguez Jr. said. “The more I thought about it in the days after, I was like ‘damn that would’ve hit me.’”

Out of instinct, Rodriguez Jr. and Ray decided to go help.

“There was no second thought between the both of us,” Rodriguez Jr. said.

Rodriguez Jr.’s father, Erick Rodriguez Sr., was not surprised at all about Rodriguez Jr.’s actions.

“He’s very kind and caring person,” Rodriguez Sr. said. “He’s the kind of kid that would give you his shirt, even if it was his last shirt, just because you need it.”

Rodriguez Jr. parked the car and he and Ray ran to help without even closing their windows.

The first thing Rodriguez Jr. saw was the woman’s leg sticking out of the window of the plane.

“I thought the lady was going to be in pieces,” Rodriguez Jr. said. “I’ve seen pictures of crashes and stuff like that before. It’s a very blessed situation.”

The two ran towards the plane, finding leaking fuel and flames.

“I heard someone shout ‘don’t go over there, there’s gas and fire’ but I just kept going,” Rodriguez Jr. said.

The two began knocking on the plane to see if the occupants were all right, and they responded. Before they could think of a way to pull the two from the crash, another bystander came to help.

“Me and him actually got in a little argument over some dumb stuff,” Rodriguez Jr. said.

After the church service, the two had reconciled and went out with a group of friends to the Topanga Shopping Mall and had lunch.

The group left the mall around 2:30 p.m., and Rodriguez Jr. and Ray dropped off one of their friends before beginning to head home.

The two were driving up Zelzah Avenue at about 3 p.m. when Rodriguez Jr. saw something out of the

“This guy came out of nowhere and ripped the door open,” Rodriguez Jr. said. “I don’t know if there’s a handle on the plane, but he just ripped it off with his bare hands, no struggle or anything which was pretty berserk.”

Rodriguez Jr. and the man pulled the woman from the plane and handed her to Ray and another bystander. They then went back for her husband.

Kick off the new year with style and let 2013 ring in with raving music. Although this year’s lineup has been kept tight-lipped, it’s still sure to be a smash hit.

The Shrine Expo Hall

700 W. 32nd St. Los Angeles, CA 90007 www.newyearsevela.com/2013

On the front lines and the sidelines

When athletes get hurt during games and the crowd goes silent, all eyes turn to a small team that springs into action who assess the athlete’s injuries. They are known as the Sports Medicine Department and determine whether athletes can return to their game or need care. This is just one of the many responsibilities that the Sports Medicine Department perform. Although they are a small team that consist of two instructors, one intern and five students, the whole athletic department depends on their expertise at every sporting event. The students are volunteers and don’t receive college credits, but get hands on experience. With such a small group the departments most difficult task is to make a roster of who will be at what game and the hours they would work. The 2012 fall semester became one of their busiest times with some teams going to playoffs and others playing at championship games.

To: Dr. Kathleen Burke-Kelly (Pierce College President)

From: Health 11 Students (Fall 2012, M-W 11:10AM- 12:30PM)

Re: Professor Diane Kelly

Date: November 26, 2012

Dear Dr. Kathleen Burke-Kelly,

While most people understand that teachers are very important in the lives of their students, many teachers don’t realize how much they can truly impact their students’ future lives. This goes much deeper than the lessons that are being taught. Health Professor Kelly is one of the few professors at Pierce Community College who has really made an important and lasting impact on students.

First, Professor Diane Kelly challenges us in ways we never imagined. She is not only a dynamic teacher, but a great mentor who makes the subject of Health, interesting and enjoyable. She has instilled in us the desire to continue learning about our bodies and the effect that people and the world have on us. More importantly, she has taught us that we have the freedom to look beyond the obvious when it comes to our lives, our bodies and the way we treat ourselves and others.

Secondly, when Professor Kelly informed us that this semester would be enlightening and empowering, she definitely did not exaggerate! She was clear and open about her desire to educate us on the “latest concepts in health, including concepts in alternative medicine and the human energy system”. This was evidenced the first day of class when she explained that this class would not be your “typical” health class. When a few students chuckled (to divert attention from a subject they were obviously uncomfortable with) she reassured us that discomfort may be a side effect for some, but if we allowed ourselves to become “critical thinkers,” this class would prove to be life altering. For the few students who may not have been as receptive toward certain topics, she made it a point to offer them an opportunity to speak with her privately in an attempt to find alternate ways for them to garner the vital health and life lessons from the class as well.

In addition, we were truly impressed with the contribution Professor Kelly has made in the field of health. Her textbooks, “Health In Action” and “What’s Up Within” have proven to be empowering and life changing for most of us - not to mention cost effective for the average struggling, cash strapped college student. Currently, students are being squeezed hard with increased tuition, limited classes, book prices and other ancillary costs. Allowing instructors the option to utilize text books they have written and students the ability to purchase them, is one area we feel colleges can perform a fairly useful service for students. What is more important, profits or the accessibility of information? As students, we still get the same quality content, written by our own professors, but at a fraction of what it costs to purchase textbooks traditionally. Professor Kelly also offered students who expressed financial hardship, a complimentary copy of the textbooks!

In conclusion, Professor Kelly has provided an eloquent and clear voice to the ideas so many of us feel but do not always know how to express. She is an example of the vast difference an instructor with deep convictions can make. She has helped us realize that we, too, can make a difference. She pushes us to dream of what is possible, rather than settling for what is.

As a result, when this semester has ended, Professor Kelly’s words and vision will represent the best of what we hope we can be. We’ve signed this letter with hopes the Academic Department truly recognizes her commitment to representing Pierce as a professional, compassionate and ahead of the times, academic establishment. In a competitive marketplace, such as the Community Colleges, loyal committed instructors are paramount in “setting the pace in community college education,” helping to ensure Pierce College continues “to be recognized as one of the most respected community colleges and transfer institutions in California”! We say “Thank You” to Professor Kelly for her guidance and “Thank You” to Pierce College for hiring passionate, caring and dynamic educators of Professor Diane Kelly’s caliber! We trust Pierce College will continue to afford her the opportunity to positively impact the lives of their future students.

Sincerely, Health 11 Students (Fall 2012, M-W 11:10AM- 12:30PM)

The following are signatures of students currently enrolled in Professor Diane Kelly’s Health 11 class (Fall 2012, M-W 11:10AM- 12:30PM) For the record, our signatures are VOLUNTARY and submitted as evidence we are in AGREEMENT with the above letter.

Ponce

Sandra Quintanilla

Pam Gochin

Pouya Lavaaldin 57. Elelfrida Sahakyan

Angeles

Blake Johnson

12. Steven Trirogoff

35. Sam Zayan 58. Michelle Rivas

13. Azita Dehghani 36. Abbasi Meraj 59. Marias

14. Kevin Santome 37. Shahira Karemi 60. Bianca Martines ****

15. Chris Hernandez 38. Hector Contreras 61. Loralei Quitos There were several (4) other signatures

16. Aldo Zamora 39. William Granados 62. Bryan Castaneda submitted, but since the names were

17. Bin Shen 40. Arisha Bano 63. Janel Leuterio not completely legible, they were

18. John Pena 41. Silvia Martinez 64. James Trieu omitted. Our sincere apologies for

19. Tran Nguyen 42. Christopher Ferguson 65. Thomas McDermott these omissions.

20. Carlos Aguirre 43. Jacqueline Jetter 66. Katelyn Bergman

21. Myles Robinson 44. Claudia Aguilar 67. Claudia Delgado

22. David Alvarenga 45. Quang Ngyun 68. Tanjim Chowdhury

23. Jennifer Sanchez 46. Salvatore Accardo 69. Paula Lopez cc: Anna Davies (VP. of Academic Affairs) Mary Anne Gavarra-Oh (Dean of Academic Affairs) Donna-Mae Villanueva (Dean of Academic Affairs)