Free HIV testing for AIDS Awareness

Event scheaduled to educate about preventing and living with HIV/AIDS

David Schub/Roundup DScuhub.roundupnews@gmail.com

HIV/AIDS Awareness Week will be taking place Monday, Oct. 22 through Thursday, Oct. 25 with free HIV testing available for Pierce College students.

An RV will be parked in Lot 1, in front of the Student Services Building where students can go in for HIV testing, from either a cheek swab or a finger stick, and get the results within 20 minutes.

Weather Station rededicated

The Pierce College Weather Station, dubbed the “newest/oldest weather station in the country” was rededicated on Thursday morning for a local storm hit.

Congressman Brad Sherman was recognized for his efforts in securing the $85,000 grant that paid for the weather station’s latest improvements.

The event is sponsored by Bienestar and The AIDS Healthcare Foundation through AIDS Project Los Angeles.

Along with a brief education of HIV and safe sex, workers will be handing out condoms to students. For teachers who signed up with the Be Alive Speaker Program, volunteers living with HIV will be speaking to classes to discuss some intimate insight about contracting the disease, including what it is like living with AIDS and the medication they take to prolong

Hail takes campus by surprise Rain, thunder, lightning, and hail took Pierce College students by surprise on Thursday afternoon.

The hail lasted approximately 20 minutes, and were no larger than marbles their lives.

Doppler radar estimated 1.5 inches of rain per hour, according to a statement released by the National Weather Service (NWS).

Joey Hahn, 18, an Haley Steinmetz, 18, have been dating for more than two years.

They both agree that it is a good idea for Pierce to be doing free HIV testing.

Neither of them were tested when their relationship first began.

“We both trust each other,” the couple said.

Free testing is available every March and October for HIV Awareness Week, but always available at the Student Health

Center for a nominal fee.

According to Beth Benne, director of the Student Health Center, the turnout of students for getting tested in past semesters have been low, around 30 a day, but hopes next week’s turnout will be better.

The testing will be available for students on Monday and Thursday between 2 and 7 p.m. and Tuesday and Wednesday 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The Student Health Center is located on the second floor of the Student Services Building.

Debate on Prop. 32 pits professor agaist professor

Political funding contribution in hands of union

Duevone Broomfield/Roundup dbroomfield.roundupnews@gmail.com

Though not as infamous as the “Sherman versus Berman” political debate later in the day, the Proposition 32 debate between two prominent Pierce professors in the Great Hall turned some faculty members’ heads during the campus’ Day of Politics 2.

Professor of Economics Dr. Pamela Brown, and Professor of Sociology Dr. James McKeever debated the pros and cons of the issue during the day-long event geared toward educating Pierce students, faculty and staff on upcoming political propositions.

Prop. 32 is a “paycheck protection” ballot measure that, among other things, it ensures unions will not be able to use wage-deducted fees to contribute to state and local candidates campain funds .

McKeever is against the proposition passing, and maintained that if unions shrink, wages would shrink as well.

“Unions make work situations better,” McKeever said. “They make big corporations listen.”

Brown supports Prop. 32 passing, and feels she should be able to independently spend her own political funds on the best qualified candidate that she likes.

If Prop. 32 fails, she cannot vote or participate in her own employment contract unless she pays chargeable and non-chargeable political dues to the American Federation of Teachers, the bargaining agent for Pierce College.

If she pays both of these fees then she will have a “voice”, and be able negotiate the employment contract.

She says that she doesn’t want some union to negotiate for her, she can negotiate her own money.

She feels that unions protect jobs by giving some teachers seniority, but believes it would be better if teachers had to compete for the positions.

[see DEBATE, RU ONLINE]