Volume 117 Fall 2012 Roundup Issue 2

ROUNDUP

The Pierce College women’s volleyball team defeated Bakersfield College in the championship game of the Brahmas’ 3rd Invitational Volleyball Tournament Saturday in Pierce’s South Gym, extending their winning streak to 47 matches.

Pierce defeated Bakersfield 25-17, 2518, 19-25, 25-22, marking the first time the Brahmas had lost a set all season.

The Brahmas are currently ranked first in the state and viewed this tournament as their greatest achievement of the season so far.

The Brahmas defeated Saddleback College 25-11, 25-5, 25-17 on Friday, advancing them into the semifinals of the tournament Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore outside hitter Danetta Boykin continued the team offensively, collecting 18 kills in the championship match.

“This tournament was far more competitive than the others, and made me a little frustrated,” Boykin said. “But we continued to play our game.”

Golden West College played their best game of the tournament against Pierce Saturday afternoon, keeping the scores close.

The Brahmas held together, defeating Golden West 25-16, 25-22, 25-22, advancing them to the championship game of the tournament being played on Saturday night.

Head coach Nabil Mardini was very pleased to see the way his team had played, using teamwork and skill to defeat their opponents.

“Our girls did their jobs, passing and setting each other up for scores, and played their roles well,” Mardini said.

Sophomore setter Janelle Futch lead the Brahmas in assists in the tournament, compiling 82 assists combined in the two matches on Saturday.

Bakersfield came into the championship game determined for revenge after their loss to Pierce in the championship game during the San Diego Mesa College 27th Invitational

Volleyball Tournament on Sept. 15.

While Bakersfield managed to take a set from the Brahmas, it wasn’t enough as Pierce won their second tournament of the season.

According to sophomore outside hitter Sakurako Fujii, the loss of the third rattled the Brahmas, but only momentarily.

“Their defense was good, and they made me nervous after winning in the third set,” Fujii said. “But we were focused on winning in the next set.”

Fujii attributed the difficulty with Bakersfield to great defense and possible fatigue factors.

“We play to win, though we were tired and fatigued,” Fujii said. “Our coaches put our heads back in the game.”

Mardini was pleased to see the success of this team, but felt his girls still have things to

improve on.

“Our team did an excellent job, though we could have assisted and positioned the ball a bit better,” Mardini said. Their next match is Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. in the South Gym at Pierce College.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California announced the indictment of 21 individuals on Tuesday for their alleged participation in various fraudulent financial aid rings that produced hundreds of thousands dollars for the suspects.

Since August, 17 people have been indicted in six cases for their involvement in federal student aid fraud schemes at 15 California college campuses and generated more than $770,000 in illicit funds, according

to a statement released on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website. “As I understand, they go from one college to another, working their way through the state,” said Anna Davies, the vice president of Academic Affairs at Pierce College. “Because there are 112 colleges in California there are plenty of opportunities for them to repeat their crimes.”

A September 2011 investigative report published by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General states that more than $7.5 million in restitutions and fines had been ordered in the six years leading up to the report, resulting in the criminal convictions

of 215 distance education fraud ring participants.

Schools involve everyone from the sheriff’s office to the dean of student services in its attempt to discover fraudulent activity.

“If we are aware of fraud, we will right away notify the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Education, work with them, provide them the information that we have and then there could be an investigation,” she said. “If that particular student is guilty, they could go to jail and get a hefty fine.”

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, those charged with theft of government funds may face a

maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

Vice President of Academic Affairs Anna Davies expressed concerns that financial aid fraud and abuse may result in government restrictions and regulation of financial aid, limiting access to funds for students.

“Because the college has to repay financial aid to the federal government for students who commit fraud, we end up having less money to support the students who are here and working very hard to be successful,” Davies said.

Besides the economic toll financial aid scams may have on students, they may also impact them academically.

“Students who are committing financial aid fraud do initially register for classes, so they are taking a seat away from someone who is waiting and committed to attending courses,” Davies said. “Typically the fraud will occur when the student does not show up to class, but has collected an initial disbursement of aid.The impact this has on the average student is that it does take away available seats.”

Pierce tracks all students who drop classes after receiving financial assistance, also placing a hold that restricts those who did not return the funds from registering for financial aid nationwide, according to Robinson.

Robinson advised students to reduce the possibilities of becoming victims.

“I always tell students to not ever – never, never, never, never – provide anybody their personal information,” she said. “It does not matter whether it’s your girlfriend or boyfriend, friend, best friend – that person, the other person, should not have all that information about you. You should not divulge all that personal information to a stranger, because that’s how it all starts.”

More information can be found on the Pierce Financial Aid Office website, or students can visit Student Services.

Steve Palma/ Roundup

IMMOVABLE: Jessica Burns(center) attacks a spike at the net over Gaucho Hannah Blaydes (7) as Brahmas Janelle Futch (left) and Kira Guarino (right) guard the net during the Brahmasʼ Friday matchup against Saddleback College at the 3rd Invitational Volleyball Tournament in Woodland Hills, Calif. The weekend tourney proved to be another stepping stone for the undefeated ladies of Ken Stanley Court.

Sparing student skaters and smokers

Imagine you are a senior in high school, opening up a letter from your university or college of choice to find you have been officially accepted.

Before you start jumping for joy, one question pops into your mind–how on earth am I going to pay for this?

This is a legitimate concern, as the cost for education can be a bit pricey.

For students living on-campus, the total costs for a California Community College education is $13,929.

A California State University education is $23,444.

A University of California education is $31,700, and a private university education runs up to a $50,470 price tag, according to californiacolleges.edu.

You could always go for loans, but seeing as 48 percent of 24 to 34 year-old Americans say they are unemployed or underemployed according to the American Student Assistance Organization, banking on being able to pay your monthly payments is not the best choice.

For everyone eligible, the clear best option may be to file for federal grants.

Smokers and skaters have something in common here at Pierce College.

Both groups are considered criminals, in violation of Pierce College’s policy.

It is wrong to paint these two groups so villainous. These policies should be repealed for the sake of the campus.

Skateboards and skates have been banned from campus for years, based on a 2007 decision by former President Robert Garber and former Vice President of Administrative Services Kenneth B. Takeda.

Smoking was completely eradicated from our campus in the very same way, by virtue of executive decision, in 2010.

These two seemingly unconnected policies have another commonality: they are both widely unacknowledged (or ignored) by the Pierce community.

Consider a walk down our Mall. It is not uncommon to see someone kicking and pushing along on their board.

Occasionally one may see a skateboarder try a trick, but for the most part they are riding directly to or from class in an attempt to make it on time.

But take a step back and see the bigger picture. Skateboards are a mode of transportation for many who cannot afford any other transportation. They’re portable, light, and cheap compared to bicycles.

In 2007, life was different. Since then, we’ve gone through an economic meltdown, the cost of living has increased, the job market has crashed, classes have dwindled and tuition has risen. It’s enough to make you start smoking.

Of course, since smoking is banned on campus everywhere but the parking lots, students and faculty have been going against policy in order to light up. And they will light up and skaters will ride their skateboards.

The idea of a smoke-free campus is nice, but as long as you have smokers, there is going to be smoking on campus. So why not give them a

Letter to the editor

Pierce is a vast 426 acre campus with peripheral parking lots and a spread out central core. We are so large that we have two metro stops and lots of off campus, on street parking. These facts lead to the need to use bikes, scooters, and skateboards to get to the campus core and to transition it. If you have a class in the Village and then need to get to the art building, you know what I mean.

CSUN has much the same geogravphy and it is a bike and skateboard friendly campus. Sadly Pierce is not.

There are many of us faculty, staff and administrators who believe we need to rethink our bike policy and entertain the idea of bike paths both on the campus streets and the mall.

There is a great opportunity for the ASO to exercise their leadership to organize and rally the students to help formulate a workable policy to the benefit of all.

Professor Joseph Perret

nice, shaded smoking area away from high traffic?

We can’t just throw all of our problems into the parking lot; they’re a big enough problem as it is already. For those who don’t ride or smoke, it seems a petty issue. Consider a student living off sandwiches and saltines. A skateboard isn’t just necessary, it is one of the easiest decisions they will make.

The people that made this pointless policy do not ride skateboards. They drive their automobiles, and park in their special parking spots.

We let cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles, bicycles, mopeds, scooters onto the campus every day. Skateboarders deserve the same consideration.

This isn’t an invitation to turn the campus into a giant skate park. It is an appeal to our policy makers to allow our skaters to skate.

And perhaps reopening a few designated smoking areas could help keep our campus from looking like a giant ashtray.

Give them back their smoking areas, and let them smoke in the shade.

Clearly the bans aren’t working. As they have shown through a sort of civil disobedience, these two groups already own the campus.

With the sheriff’s having no cadets, low personnel and 20,000 or so students to tend to, it’s likely to remain low on the priority list.

You can make any rule you like, but ultimately people will do what they believe is necessary.

Repeal the ban on skateboards; amend the ban on smoking.

It took a president to make this happen, and a president could undo it. Lift the ban on skateboards and give smokers a place to smoke.

With a swipe of her hand, Kathleen Burke-Kelly could make some wellneeded adjustments to these two policies.

The Associated Students Organization represents the students, and it would be nice to see this brought up at the next Academic Senate meeting; student skaters and smokers deserve the consideration.

Nick McNamara nmcnamara.roundupnews@gmail.com

up to $12,192 a year, California State University recipients can receive up to $5,970 a year, and recipients from “independent colleges” can receive up to $9,223 a year according to the California Student Aid Commission.

The careful reader will have noticed one thing and have a question on their mind.

What about community college students?

For those who were awarded the Cal Grant A and attending a California Community College will have their fees and tuitions covered by the grant, and the full sum will be awaiting them when they transfer according to the California Student Aid Commission.

For those unaware, a grant is money awarded by the government to those who meet the qualifications, to be used for education and living expenses.

This money does not need to be paid back. Yes, you read correctly.

Government grants for education do not need to be paid back, as opposed to loans which do need to be paid back and might even incur interest fees.

If you are considering taking out loans over grants, then you are making a serious mistake.

Free money from the government is exactly what students need in this time of economic crisis.

The Federal Pell Grant awards up to $5,550 a year according to www.studentaid.ed.gov. But there is more.

Cal Grants, which comes from (you guessed it) the California government, offers out even large potential sums to college students in need.

Cal Grant A recipients attending a University of California can receive

Cal Grant B recipients can receive a $1,473 payment, and Cal Grant C recipients can receive $547 for technical schools or up to $2,462 for tuition and fees for those attending a school for a vocational education, except at California Community Colleges, as fees are waived for Cal Grant recipients, all according to the California Student Aid Commission.

All this money. All of it at no cost to you, and all you have to do is meet their requirements to receive it.

Does it sound too good to be true? Well, it really is not.

If you can qualify for the grants, there is absolutely no reason for you not to take them.

Like they say, the best things in life are free and when it comes to free money I don’t see why anyone would pass that up.

They are a much better deal than becoming another cog of the growing student debt in the United States.

For more information, check out www.csac.ed.gov and www.fafsa. ed.gov to check your eligibility and apply for grants.

and federal court decisions, these materials are free from prior restraint by the virtue of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the L.A. Community College District, the college or any officer or employee thereof.

Illustration by: Austin Faber

Political panel to be hosted in Great Hall Party representatives will be taking questions and debating on propositions for upcoming elections

Nick McNamara/Roundup nmcnamara.roundupnews@gmail.com

Eleven might sound like a daunting number of propositions to dig through for some aspiring voters this election season.

Have no fear– the Pierce College Day of Politics is set to pick up the slack.

The Day of Politics, a two-day event taking place on Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, was created to help student voters get the facts on all the propositions that will be on the upcoming ballot from both sides of the table, according to Dr. Denise Robb, Political Science professor at Pierce.

The official sponsor of the event is the Political Science, Economics, Criminology and Chicano Studies Department but the idea was formed by a number of professors, according to Robb.

“I was at a meeting with my colleagues and I said ‘why don’t we have a day when we go over all the propositions’,” Robb said. “And then somebody else said ‘and have all the candidates.”

The event was planned to be on two separate days due to the amount of propositions and topics on the ballot, Robb said.

The League of Women Voters is coming to Pierce to speak about many of the propositions from both sides on the Thursday, Sept. 27 portion of the event.

The League was started in 1920 even before the 19th ammendment,

“I really have no clue what the propositions all are. It’s my first time voting, I don’t want to go in and just guess.”

-Jared Williamson

which granted women the right to vote, according to their website.

“[The League of Women Voters is] a non-profit group that goes around the country to give nonpartisan information,” Robb said.

Green Party candidate for president, Dr. Jill Stein will be on campus for a 30-minute speech at 5 p.m., according to Robb.

Following Stein’s speech will be a 5-way debate from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

“We’ve got a representative from the Democratic National Committee, we have the Republican who ran against Brad Sherman, and we have representatives from the Libertarian, the Green and the Peace and Freedom parties,” Robb said.

On the Oct. 11 date, congressmen Brad Sherman and Howard Berman

will be speaking as well as a number of Pierce College professors. Dr. James McKeever and Dr. Pamela Brown will be debating two propositions, 30 and 32, and professor Brian Walsh will be debating in favor of repealing the death penalty, according to Robb.

Turning a blind eye to the bikes

Campus law enforcement fails to enforce bikes and boards policy

Matt

It is illegal to ride a bike on most parts of the campus, including the Mall, or to even bring a skateboard to school, according to a document signed in 2007 by Pierce College’s former president.

Not all students know that it is illegal to ride a bike on most parts of the campus, or to ride a skateboard anywhere on campus.

A document signed in 2007 by Pierce College’s former President Robert Garber and former Vice President of Administrative Services Kenneth B. Takeda states that, “No bicycle riding is permitted on pedestrian sidewalks and mall walkways,” and that, “skateboards are not permitted at any time on the campus.”

The law addresses safety issues, according to Larry Kraus, Pierce’s Associate Vice President of Administrative Services. Bicyclists and skateboarders were “just not paying heed to our pedestrians,” he said.

Students were “parking their bicycles in the alcoves next to the classrooms, chaining bikes to poles, and bikes were sticking out into the walk patters and tripping students,” he said.

Skateboarders, he said, make a loud “clicketyclack sound” as they skate throughout campus, and that campus property like the waxed-up planter in front of the Business Education Building has been ruined by skateboarders.

“We really do not want to have skateboarders on the campus,” said Kraus, who had a recent run-in with an out-of-control skateboarder.

Signs are posted at all of the campus’ main entrances, but students are still largely unaware of the law.

“I knew you couldn’t do it, but I didn’t know it was illegal,” said Matt Weidman, 18, a physics major. “I don’t think it should be a ticketable offense.”

Some students believe there should be more done to advertise the rule.

“They should make it much more evident and clear, so if you get a ticket it would be fair. I have not seen a sign.” said cyclist and student Siddhartha Tague, 21, undecided major. “I’ve ridden by the cops many times. They’ve never done anything, so I just assumed it was legal, or that they just don’t care.”

Not all students have been so fortunate with campus law enforcement.

“They stopped me last time I was biking down [the Mall],” said Christian Garcia, 17, a double major in mechanical and aerospace engineering.

He’s been stopped by campus law enforcement personnel twice, once while bicycling and once while skateboarding, according to Garcia.

“They just told me to stop,” he said, pointing out he has never been cited.

Though students are frequently told to get off their bicycle or skateboard, there have been no citations reported this semester, Kraus said in an interview earlier this month.

Officer Ramos, who frequently tours the campus, is familiar with the sight of students cycling and skateboarding.

“I stop ‘em all the time,” said Ramos. Whether a rider receives a citation or just a warning depends on his or her compliance with the officers, according to Officer Pineda.

“We try to be reasonable with the students,” Pineda said.

“A verbal warning, that’s it.”

Pineda mentioned, though, that if a student doesn’t comply, he’s willing to “take it to the next level.”

Some students say they rely on their bicycle or skateboard to get to class on time.

“They better take the law off. I don’t wanna be late for class. It’s the only way I can get there in time,” said Gabriel Malapitan, 19, a nursing major.

Some, like Faviola Rivas, 20, a pre-veterinary student, are aware of and adhere to the law.

“I never ride my bike [on the Mall]. You could run somebody over,” Rivas said.

The times are not yet set.

Aside from professors taking part in the event and the sponsorship of the Political Science Department, many other Pierce groups will be lending their help to the event. Students Organizing for Success will be there volunteering and

registering voters for the upcoming elections in November.

Alpha Gamma Sigma [AGS], an honor society, also played a role in the set up of the event, according to Alex Allam, one of the AGS leaders and a former student of Robb’s.

“[AGS] was pretty much in charge of publicizing the event,” Allam said. “We made the flyers.”

The honor society will also be helping out during the event, according to Allam.

“We’re going to have volunteers at the kitchen preparing food, on the floor helping speakers,” Allam said.

“We’re going to have members in charge of checking in and checking out guests.”

Despite all the political story lines and agendas, the real purpose of the event is to educate students.

“I thought it was important for the students because they’re gonna

be voting on 11 propositions and I’m pretty sure most people don’t know anything about them,” Robb said.

This was true with aspiring Pierce student from Moorpark Jared Williamson, who was planning on attending the event.

“I really have no clue what the propositions all are,” said Williamson. “It’s my first time voting, I don’t want to go in and just guess.”

The Day of Politics will take place at the Great Hall and starts at 9:35 a.m. and runs until 6:30 p.m. with breaks between topics.

It will also be a live internet feed on the Roundup website, covering the different panels.

For more information, contact professor Denise Robb at robbdm@ pierccollege.edu. or visit her in Faculty Office 2303.

Fariba Molavi/Roundup

BIKER: J’darren Santos, computer major, respects the law and only rides his bike in the parking lots.

Gottesman/Roundup mgottesman.roundupnews@gmail.com

Graphic Illustration by: Jose Romero

A night at the Stadium

Think back to when you were in high school. Weren’t some of the best nights of your life (or so you thought) happening during football games on Friday nights? Just you and your best buds sitting back and making memories and the best part about it…few of those memories involve what actually took place on the field those nights.

There’s just something about being a part of it all. To a child, it might be the chance to get onto the field at halftime or after the game to catch a few passes or just run around where the big guys ran. To a peer, it might have to do with seeing someone you know do something great. Or to an average fan, it might just be the opportunity to see something truly special happen.

That’s the beauty of being at the stadium on Saturday nights. You never know when something magical can happen. Whether it be an amazing come-from-behind lastsecond victory or an unreal one-handed catch two plays into the game, if it’s something that makes you say “wow,” it was worth every second of being there.

Photos: UD

UD/ Roundup

LAUNCH: Former women’s softball captain Heather Krahling launches a non-regulation football at halftime during Saturday’s game against visiting Los Angeles Southwest College (LASC) at John Shepard Stadium in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Sept. 22, 2012. The pitcher routinely threw the ball from midfield into the end zone.

UD/ Roundup

PERFECT: Hamer Toyota Field sits pristine beneath the floodlights during Saturday’s game against the visiting Los Angeles Southwest College (LASC) Cougars at Shepard Stadium. The artificial turf will last for years without the need for repair, and allows for high visibility and low maintenence despite the stadium’s unfinished condition.

UD/ Roundup

DRENCH: Pierce College head coach Efrain Martinez arches in shock as fullback Mike Pearson (33) and offensive lineman Justin Scott (75) pour cold water out of a cooler during the closing minute of Saturday’s matchup. The tradition was to congratulate the long-time coach for leading the Brahmas to a 45-0 victory over the visiting L.A. Southwest Cougars, keeping them undefeated at home.

UD/ Roundup

LEVITATE: Cameron Flowers, 4, appears to float while playing on Hamer Toyota Field’s new artificial turf at halftime during Saturday’s game at John Shepard Stadium in Woodland Hills, Calif. Flowers is the son of Michael Flowers, assistant director for Pierce College’s Bridge To Success program.

THE

Kings of the hill

Goats on the farm climb up telephone poles and roo ops to fend o roaming coyotes

Violet Canelo/Roundup vcanelo.roundupnews@gmail.com

While driving by the Pierce College Farm Center, many students cannot believe their eyes when they see a goat walking on top of the farm houses.

Dr. Leland S. Shapiro, director of the Pre-Veterinary Science program, explained how it is normal for goats to engage in such behavior.

“If you look at goats in nature, they climb on rocks,” Shapiro said. “They live on hills and they like to be up high so they can see things and play ‘king of the hill.”

He also explained that this helps the goats interact with other animals and that it naturally enriches their life.

“Playing ‘king of the hill’ is a form a behavioral enrichment for the goats,” Shapiro said.

Another reason the goats climb up the telephone poles and rooftops is to stay away from the coyotes occasionally seen on campus by the Farm Center, according to Shapiro.

“Coyotes are on campus,” Shapiro said. “But they will not go up there to get them.”

Farm Center stable hand Wendi Spielman described how the goats and a few of the sheep have managed to climb up the buildings by themselves.

“They’re called goat walks,” Spielman said as she explained that a few of the people at the farm have built ramps around the buildings in order for the goats to climb up on.

At times Spielman has seen the goats push each other off the roof.

This explains why so many have witnessed goats hanging around on top the farm houses.

“It’s to keep them happy because they enjoy climbing,” said Spielman.

Although it may require a double-take when one first sees a farm animal using building as playground equipment, but the goats love every moment of it as it satisfied both their instinct to climb and to seek a high vantage point from which to watch for danger, according to Spielman.

At times that so-called danger is man made, and is in the form of a sheep sheerer.

“We had a guy come sheer the sheep, and every single one of [the goats] was up there,” Spielman said. “They were all trying to get away.”

“Many people worry, but it’s not

Highlighting the classics

Professional classical musicians excited to showcase their music for students at ee concerts

Michaia Hernandez/Roundup mhernandez.roundupnews@gmail.com

Free weekly musical performances provided to students and faculty will resume Thursday at 12:45 p.m. in Music 3400.

This semester there will be a total of 10 concerts, with eight professional performances and two student showcases.

Among the performers are the Los Angeles Cello Quartet, violinist Ji Young An, and duo Wahid.

The series, which is funded through the student government, is organized by adjunct music instructor James Bergman.

“Usually, the duty of setting up the concerts gets passed to the person who hasn’t been doing it,” Bergman said. “You just put in your time and do the extra work.”

The concerts are set up to tie in with the music appreciation classes taught at Pierce College, according to Bergman.

“Most students don’t know classical music. They think we’re going to be sitting around and listening to a bunch of CDs [in class],” Bergman said. “It’s not quite like that.”

Through the concerts, students and faculty alike “get a heavy duty exposure to classical music,” Bergman said.

Bergman is able to get professional musicians to perform on campus through his connections as a “practicing musician.”

“All of my friends are professional musicians or [teachers]

Student film aims to resolve queries

Filmmakers prepare to shoot lm to help orient incoming students

Kevin Perez/Roundup kperez.roundupnews@gmail.com

Everyone has their own experience about their first day at Pierce College, and for filmmakers Danielle Afori and Ray Lema, their film aims to educate others to make their first day less of a hassle.

“The film is pretty much a depiction of students coming to school for the first time,” said Lema, who’s directing the film. Their film, untitled and still in pre-production, aims to be educational but with a comedic bent.

The premise involves a group of students from the 1950s navigating the complicated modern community college system, Lema said.

The film, although compiled from their shared experiences, takes a page primarily out of producer and first year student Afori’s story.

Afori lived in Israel before coming to Pierce, and she came to this school at the recommendation of people she knew who lived in the area.

dangerous because they have pretty good balance,” said Spielman.

Fastor Funes, a farm hand, also said the public has had a reaction to the goats when they have climbed up the goat walks.

“They are taken back by it,” Funes said in Spanish. “They say it’s cute.”

Seeing animals the roof is a rare sight for most students, but they can enjoy this unexpected view knowing the animals are safe and happy on top of the farm houses.

Those looking to see the goats on the roof should be early risers, according to Funes.

“They’re up there when I feed them in the morning around 7 a.m.,” Funes said in Spanish. “Then like at 6p.m. or 6:30 p.m. they’re up there again, after they eat.”

“On Aug. 27 I just parked my car in here, and I had no idea what was going on,” Afori said.

Afori’s excitement dimmed after dealing with the frustration of parking, crashing classes, and realizing that despite being called a two-year school, she’d be staying a lot longer, she said.

Rather than let the frustration get to her though, her experiences inspired her to work on a new film.

After meeting fellow filmmaker Lema in an art class, Afori shared her idea with him, and Lema jumped on board.

“Ever since we’ve just been developing it and thinking about it,” Lema said.

Lema, who has been attending Pierce for two years, feels their different perspectives add up to

make the film what it is.

“She has all the questions, I have some questions. Then we both come together to answer those questions,” Lema said.

Afori feels that it could be easier for new or incoming students to see a ten or fifteen minute film instead of seeking answers on their own.

Despite being geared to newer students though, Lema stressed that students who have been around longer could learn answers to questions they hadn’t considered.

“I’m pretty sure even the people that know some things, they won’t know everything,” Lema said.

Afori has found making the film to be an educational experience.

In one instance, her questions over financial aid were answered after Lema included a scene about it in the script.

“We’re learning in the process of making it,” Afori said.

The project is currently looking for actors and any other students that would like to contribute to the film.

Bond Beeterman, who’s been attending Pierce for a year, volunteered for the project after seeing Afori post up flyers about the film.

Beeterman is set to act in the film but is willing to contribute music to it too.

“I think it’d be cool just to have something like this to showcase [to students] how to get involved,” Beeterman said.

After completing the film, Afori and Lema will ask the school to showcase their film either at the next orientation event for incoming students or on the Pierce website.

From there, the duo is also considering asking other colleges in the district to feature their film.

“It’s not even just about Pierce. It’s about any community college,” Afori said.

at UCLA and USC, so I know people,” he said. “I hear my friend is doing a recital, and I say, ‘Hey, wouldn’t you love to do that at Pierce College?’”

With the exception of Pierce talents, the performers are given a stipend from the funding the Associated Students Organization (ASO) gives Bergman.

“It’s definitely not a professional rate,” he said.

Because ASO funding is dependent on enrollment, the concert series has had to be cut down based on the dwindling amount of money given each semester.

“Because California colleges are messed up, they keep cutting enrollment,” Bergman said. “[This] means that the budget for everything gets smaller and smaller.”

Of the performers that do the weekly concerts, favorites of the audience are the UCLA and USC students, according to Bergman.

“[My students] say, ‘They’re as old as I am. How can I play so well?’” he said. “Sometimes they’re inspired, but sometimes they get depressed and think, ‘What am I doing with my life? They can play so well, and I suck at everything.”

The concerts were originally done in the Performing Arts Building, but ongoing renovations have forced the Music Department to move them to the choral room.

“Actually, it’s kind of neat because it’s always better to have a [small but] full room than a big room that’s not filled,” he said. “But I’m looking forward to the new building, because acoustics will be

better and it will look more like a concert.”

What sets the Thursday afternoon concerts apart from others are their interactive aspects.

In addition to performing for the audience, the musicians talk about their music, according to Bergman.

This is what struck one of last semester’s invited performers, violinist Ji Young An, who says that she’s never had the kind of concert that requires her to communicate with the students.

“It’s better for the students. I think they like it a lot because they [end up] feeling like our friends,” An said. “It’s also good training for me.”

Classical pianist Danny Holt, who has performed in the Thursday concert series twice before, also appreciates the discussion that goes with the performances.

“A lot of music I play is unfamiliar, the kind of music people wouldn’t hear elsewhere,” Holt said. “[The discussion] is really helpful to those who aren’t familiar with the music.”

Holt also says that the interactive portion of each performance encourages the audience to indulge any curiosity they might have about the music.

“As a performer, I feed off that,” Holt said.

Pierce students are welcome to each of the Thursday concerts, and should contact the Music Department for details. To stay up to date on all Arts

Bridget Smyth /Roundup

KING: Pygmy goat at the Pierce College Farm Center stands alone on a rooftop on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012.

An ace on and off the court

Japanese outside

David Schub/Roundup dschub.roundupnews@gmail.com

Coming to America without family or knowing English can be a scary thing, but having the opportunity to play volleyball in the United States and learn the language can be a dream come true.

With the support of her family and never looking back, that dream became reality three years ago for Japanese exchange student Sakurako Fujii.

First attending California State University, Northridge but not playing volleyball, Fujii was introduced to head coach Nabil Mardini and the women’s volleyball team at Pierce College.

“I heard great things about Coach Mardini and how strong of a team Pierce was,” Fujii said. “I was really excited to play for the team.”

Mardini has been working with Fujii and has high expectations for her now, hoping she will become an All-American.

According to Mardini and her teammates, Fujii is one of the best technically.

“She has speed, she hits, and can

hitter

serve,” Mardini said. “She can do it all.”

Sophomore outside hitter Danetta Boykin and Fujii have created a tight bond this past year as teammates and roommates.

While their trust has grown both on and off the court, they always seem to have time for fun competition with each other, especially on the court, according to Boykin.

“I always want to know who has more kills (spikes),” Boykin said. “If I find out she has a certain number of kills in the game, I always try to get at least one more than her.”

With a big language and cultural barrier, Fujii is still working hard to learn about the United States.

“She is fitting in very well and doing a great job adjusting to our culture,” Mardini said.

The team welcomed Fujii with open arms; they warmed up to each other quickly and taught each other about the different cultures.

While her teammates have taught Fujii the American way, she in turn has taught them about Japanese life and cooking.

“She has become a lot more comfortable with us, speaks her mind and cooks us great Japanese food,” Boykin said.

After watching her sisters play volleyball, Fujii wanted to be an athlete just like them.

At the age of 8, Fujii began her career playing in elementary and then in high school.

During high school, Fujii was on the Japanese national beach volleyball team.

Fujii traveled to England and Turkey, playing against China, Brazil and Turkey.

“My team didn’t do too well,”

Fujii said. “It was a great experience and I learned a lot from it.”

With no English skills, Fujii realized she needed to learn the language and had plans to come to the U.S.

Volleyball life is different in Japan than in the United States, according to Fujii, who made one volleyball training comparison between the two countries.

“The players [in Japan] are short and don’t have the power to spike,”

Soccer dominates Santa Barbara

Despite playing without top scorer, Brahmas beat Vaqueros 6-2

Duevone Broom eld/Roundup dbroom eld.roundupnews@gmail.com

The Pierce College women’s soccer team beat the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros 6-2 on Friday in The Pit without their superstar.

The Brahmas’ freshman forward Jacqueline Hilario, who has scored six goals through five games this season, was unable to play because of a cut she suffered during a game on Sept. 18. The cut, just below her left eye required six stitches, but it didn’t stop Hilario from cheering on her team from the bench.

“I’m excited,” Hilario said.

“Everyone did well. They took over and stepped up.”

Head coach Adolfo Perez enjoyed watching his team succeed without their star scorer.

“It was great,” Perez said. “As good as she is we can’t depend on her all the time; someone has to step up.”

After sitting out the last match due to a red card violation in a previous match, sophomore midfielder and team captain Edith Dominguez scored the first two goals of the game.

“I was pumped to come back; I didn’t like sitting,” Dominguez

said. “I came out pumped so the rest of the team could feel the vibe.”

Sophomore forward Arely Blanco scored a third goal in the 24th minute after capitalizing on a mistake by the Vaqueros’ goalie, which drove the score to 3-0.

One minute later, Shawnie Moore blasted in her first goal of the game as the goalie came out of the box, making it 4-0.

Santa Barbara scored a goal from a long strike, finally getting them on the board making the score 4-1.

Eight minutes into the second half, Shawnie Moore scored her second goal after beating the

makes an impact on volleyball team Football wins big, 45-0

Fewer penalties net shutout win vs. Southwest

Mario Cruz/Roundup mcruz.roundupnews@gmail.com

Pierce College’s football team earned a shutout victory against Los Angeles Southwest College on Saturday at Pierce’s John Shepard Stadium, improving their overall record to 2-1 as they remain undefeated at home.

The Brahmas won 45-0 after opening the game with three touchdowns in the first quarter and spreading the scoring load across the roster as seven different players scored touchdowns.

A huge contributor for the Pierce offense was sophomore kicker Brian Gutierrez, who scored on six of seven field goal attempts.

“Everything went well,” said Gutierrez after the game. “We can only get better as weeks go by.”

With the win, Pierce is now undefeated at home, which bodes well for the team, according to Gutierrez.

“We’re at home so that hypes us up,” Gutierrez said. “It helps a lot.”

Coming off a bye week, the team’s focal point was discipline to prevent penalties, according to head coach Efrain Martinez.

“We focused on our penalties and they were down so that was good,”

said Martinez during the team’s post-game celebration on the field.

Although numerous penalties were called during the game, a majority of the calls favored Pierce as they gained yards for mistakes by the Los Angeles Southwest College’s Cougars, much to the delight of Martinez.

“The ones we had were more celebration penalties – guys getting excited for scoring touchdowns, not necessarily the 15-yard late hit [penalties] that kill you,” said Martinez.

With scoring coming often against the Cougars, preparation for the match was a key factor in the win.

“We had a bye week to clean up our mess and we came in with a positive attitude,” said Gutierrez.

“We checked our egos.”

Although the Pierce offense scored the most points in a game thus far this season, the defense allowed the team to recover the ball and force the Cougar offense to commit errors in the pocket as Pierce’s defensive line rushed the opposing quarterbacks on multiple plays. “Our defensive line played great,” said Martinez. “We were so much onto the ball; we were faster

on defense – that’s what impressed me the most.”

Freshman wide receiver Jaelen Strong praised the defense.

“The defense stepped up big,” Strong said. “It’s a good win for us.”

With the Cougar offense out of sync, the Pierce defense made it a point to disrupt any flow L.A. Southwest looked to gain.

“Our defense has a rule to push, so they were disrupting their blocking schemes,” Martinez said. “That caused a lot of problems for them and that’s what caused their fumbles.”

Although the team’s mood is high coming off a shutout victory, Gutierrez knows the team must stay grounded as they prepare for the rest of the season.

“We’re going to look over film and clean up what we have to clean up to get better,” Gutierrez said.

With a wire to wire victory under their belts, the Brahmas look to carry their momentum into the next game.

“The shutout is what we’re going to try to carry over,” said Martinez. “If they don’t score on us, they can’t win.”

The team’s next match is at West Los Angeles College on Saturday, September 29 at 1:00 p.m.

defense to a ball and blasting the ball past the goalkeeper.

Arely Blanco also scored her second goal of the game, making the score 6-1.

Edith Dominguez, Shawnie Moore, and Arely Blanco all scored twice.

Santa Barbara scored again towards the end of the second half but that wasn’t enough to put them back into the game.

In the end, Pierce beat Santa Barbara 6-2.

The soccer team’s next match will be away against Bakersfield on Friday, Sept. 28 at 4 p.m.

Fujii said. “They practice four hours a day compared to only two hours here at Pierce.”

Not only does Fujii devote the majority of her time to practicing, she is a physical education/ kinesiology major, taking English, history and art classes this semester.

These new classes have been a struggle, according to Fujii.

“The classes are too hard for me,” Fujii said. “I record all of my lectures and study at Starbuck’s and

at home all night long.”

Fujii’s dedication to her studies inspires her teammates.

“Even with her lack of sleep, she still plays at her best,” Boykin said.

“I admire her for that as she eats, sleeps and drinks volleyball.”

Fujii sees herself playing professional beach volleyball and/ or playing on the Japanese national team in the Olympics someday.

The Brahmas are home against Mission on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.

Jasson Bautista/ Roundup

FUJII: Sophomore outside hitter Sakurako Fujii has come from Tokyo, Japan and has become a force to be reckoned with.

Carlos Carpio/Roundup

DEFENSE: Midfielder Alyssa Ziegler (17) and goalie April Russell (1) defend.