Volume 117 Fall 2012 Roundup Issue 7

director of the Pierce College plant facilities office, said. Los Angeles Fire Department Station 93 responded to a smoking power line on the south side of Ventura Boulevard, west of Winnetka Avenue, in front of William Howard Taft High School, according to Daniel Curry, captain of the Tarzana station.

“The power line was smoking when we arrived on scene. We couldn’t squirt water at it yet,” Curry said. Wetting a live power line could cause another power line to fall, but the fire was out when firefighters left the scene at 10:08 a.m., Curry said.

The Department of Water and Power remained on scene to restore power, Curry said.

One lane on Ventura Boulevard was closed, but it did not create any traffic problems, according to Curry.

Areas North and West of the area were affected, and Target on De Soto Avenue and Ventura Boulevard lost power, Curry said.

Pierce College lost total power for about an hour, from 9:20 to 10:20 a.m.

When alerted of the power outage at 9:20 a.m.,

Neiman initiated the Pierce College emergency response plan.

“I ascertained how long the problem was going to exist,” Neiman said.

After assessing the situation, Neiman reported all information to President Kathleen Burke-Kelly, who was in a meeting with her senior staff at the time of the outage.

Because the power outage lasted only until 10:20 a.m., Burke-Kelly decided not to call the Crisis Action vv“There really wasn’t a need once the situation was assessed,” Neiman said.

“[The emergency response plan] went as smoothly as it could. I just kept my communications open with my boss and my team.” Larry Kraus, Associate Vice President of Administrative Services, went around campus handing out flashlights to the dark areas.

“That’s our plan, the restrooms are very dark, there is no light in the restrooms so we try to get those covered,” Kraus said.

However, all the restrooms on campus have electronic sensors in order to make them flush so they were non-responsive during the power outage, according to officials.

Not long after the lights returned, Kraus reflected in his office.

“In a power emergency, other than what we know of the certain situations that occur, it’s really just immediate health and safety aspects, make sure that people are okay,” Kraus said.

During events such as this, certain faculty members and staff are charged with ensuring the safety and

security of students during the initial phases, before other emergency services are in place.

Kraus was following those protocols Monday morning within minutes of the power outage.

He was then informed that Burke-Kelly had declared the situation a “non-emergency.”

“Oh she didn’t say it was an emergency?” Kraus

asked.”Oh well I don’t know then, don’t call it an emergency.”

Frustrated with all the terminology being tossed around, Kraus came to a conclusion.

“I don’t know what an emergency is,” Kraus said. “When lights go out and the electricity goes out we just need to make sure people are okay.”

“ When the lights go out and the electicity goes out we just need to make sure people are okay.”

– Larry Kraus

Graphic Illustration: UD

Sitting in the dark

Veteran’s Day is not just a day off

Veteran’s Day is right around the corner. You know it as a day-off; for some, it means much more.

As a disabled military veteran, I spent most of my adult life working under a different set of rules and values than the ones I find myself navigating through now that I am a civilian again.

I still hold to these values, because my experience has proven to me time and time again that I’m clearly doing something right.

These values do not represent politics, or a social fad.

They represent necessity–the key to all life.

See, vets come from a place where if you don’t do what is necessary, people die.

The problem is, they have come back to a country filled with people that look at them like they are insane when they mention things like self-reliance, self-discipline, attention to detail, sense of urgency, head on a swivel…

Is Pierce ready for an actual emergency?

We sure do depend on electricity around here.

Monday morning’s hour long power outage –caused by a blown transformer way down on Ventura Boulevard– struck the campus between classes and only lasted an hour.

During that hour, one thing became evident–we have some holes to plug in our emergency response capability.

Monday’s power failure wasn’t an emergency situation “according to the book” and Pierce College President Kathleen Burke-Kelly made the decision not to declare an official emergency after conferring with Plant Facilities Director Paul Nieman.

That may have been the right call.

After all, it wasn’t a “real” emergency; and it’s a good thing, too.

But then again, it could have been real, and we weren’t ready.

That constitutes an emergency.

No? Consider this:

When the power died, so did the phones.

All the phones.

In the Admissions and Records office, steel security gates kicked in to keep the sensitive information safe.

It separates that entire area from the rest of Student Services.

There’s nothing quite like panicked

claustrophobia to really bring out the calmness in a crowd of recently trapped people.

Interoffice communications went down immediately, creating a virtual blindness throughout the campus.

Automatic emails that would have gone out to students, faculty and staff would never have gone out, so our mass communication capabilities practically fizzled out before they could even be activated.

The sheriff’s station had power, but with phones down across campus, who was going to call?

With no electricity, the precious few security cameras around campus also died.

One blown transformer brought this campus to its knees.

Luckily, our security officers were already on the ball implementing protocols of their own.

Then the lights came back on and most everyone forgot about it.

Fortunately, no one was hurt.

However, if this had been one of those proper, ground-pounding, shingle-shaking earthquakes we’re expecting at any time, there could have been casualties.

If a fire had engulfed the Mall, or if zombies had stumbled out of the Center for the Sciences(who knows what they’re up to in there?) we’d have been in real trouble.

There is an emergency plan on the books, but

our campus deserves more than just a theoretical plan in a binder on a shelf.

This administration could coordinate some live training exercises that give all campus agencies the opportunity to practice for any emergency.

This training could greatly increase not only faculty response times in the event of a real-world scenario, but also increase student awareness about the programs in place to protect them.

Remember what a big event this year’s Great California’s Shakeout was on campus?

It was the statewide program on Oct. 18, designed to instruct folks on how to operate during a major earthquake.

No, you don’t remember.

Elementary students participated. middle and high school students did, too.

Whatever Pierce administration did to promote this event apparently didn’t blip on anyone’s radar.

The more prepared the campus is, the better.

With Monday’s non-emergency shedding light on a few things to fix, we could streamline our plan to address these issues and really be ready if the time comes.

The administration could use the next “non-emergency” situation to implement some changes, allowing staff and faculty the opportunity to train towards a real understanding of what it means to be ready.

Out here, we can’t even get people to look up from their phones long enough to cross the street safely.

But a veteran is looked at like jerk because they will roll down the window and say “Hey, idiot. Pay attention.”

You consider it an insult, but what it is really, is an appeal to common sense.

Believe it or not, there was a time when honesty and accuracy were more important that political correctness, but we’ve turned into a nation of pansies that are more in touch with their feelings than they are with their senses.

Translation: You’ve traded in the truth so the truth can’t be pointed back at you.

Because the truth hurts.

The standards are different, and we now live in a land where the lowest common denominator is suddenly the highest standard we can muster.

When veterans leave their families and homes to go and fight, they take stock of what they are leaving behind–what they’re fighting to preserve, to return home to.

Now, many veterans are back in this country, observing what their efforts have purchased.

For a veteran, it’s like being the only human left in a world filled with zombies.

It’s as if standards of excellence are being lowered across the board, and maybe some vets just don’t understand how that can be.

“You’re so mean. You have no patience. You should be nicer.”

To who? To you?

They have stood in the freezing rain to meet the bodies of their

up

fallen brethren as they come home for the last time.

You can’t even pull your pants up past the stains in your nasty underwear.

Veterans have taken and returned fire to ensure your ability to pass high school with a fifth grade reading level because emoticons are faster than spelling.

What have you done to feel you’ve earned the right to judge their high standards?

They are not your standards, clearly. However, veterans have just as much right to live by their own expectations as you do.

Veterans say what they mean, and mean what they say. Veterans rarely “accidently” ruffled someone’s feathers. If your feathers are ruffled, it’s because they ruffled them. Purposely.

I see now that they have been fighting for your freedom to be a wart on the face of our nation. They were fighting to provide you the freedom to be a slacker… inadvertently culpable for your contentment at being some of the dumbest, laziest people of any generation since they started keeping records. Socially, most of you are inept at even the most basic customs and courtesies.

What happened to you people?

How did you get so stupid and self-centered? How did you go from being the next generation of mathematicians, scientists and world leaders to being the laughing stock of the planet?

You open your country to criminals while you let the men and women who protected you starve in silence, afraid to say something for fear of being labeled “another crazy veteran.”

I realize that you are a product of the “No Child Left Behind” mentality, but before you assume that veterans are just bitter old soldiers who look for opportunities to be antisocial, consider this:

Veterans are a product of the “No one gets left behind” mentality. So maybe this Veteran’s Day, instead of walking up to a stranger and thanking him or her for their service, you should try a new approach.

In the immortal words of Tom Hanks’ Capt. John H. Miller in the World War II film Saving Private Ryan: “Earn this.”

Thumbs up

To protect and serve

Illustration by: Austin Faber

Officer springs into action

Sheri ’s deputy initiates emergency response protocols

Sheriff’s Deputy Al Guerrero immediately initiated emergency response protocols Monday morning as an electrical failure crippled Pierce’s phone systems and put the entire community in the dark just before 9:35 a.m. classes began.

The Nov. 5 outage occurred when a problem arose in a transformer on Ventura Boulevard just South of campus at 9:20 a.m. and lasted just under an hour, according to the Department of Water and Power spokesperson Jane Galbraith.

Guerrero led the teams that deployed into strategically sensitive areas of the campus as part of their initial sweep.

Elevators across campus shut down when the power failed, so law enforcement personnel were sent to check that no students, faculty or staff members had become trapped inside, according to Guerrero.

“We have fail-safes in place for any contingency,” Guerrero said. “We check and recheck these spots to ensure the safety and security of the campus.”

The sheriff’s station has its own backup power supply, so the station was not affected, according to Guerrero.

“We’re up and running, and we can respond to any need that arises,” Guerrero said. “We responded right then and there, and followed up to make sure the campus is safe.”

In the event of power failure within the station itself, sheriff’s personnel are trained to simply transfer operations to a Mobile Command Center, according to Guerrero.

“If needs be, we will use a [sheriff’s patrol] car to work from,” Guerrero added.

The recent loss of cadets on campus did not deter efforts to ensure the safety of the campus, but every time something happens on campus, they feel that loss acutely, according to Guerrero.

“There will never be enough [responders],” Guerrero said. “In any city, there are never enough.”

With 426 acres under his watch, Guerrero compares Pierce to any other major community.

“Pierce is a small city,” Guerrero said. “And we are here to protect it.”

The steel security gates came down at Admissions and Records, forcing personnel to exit through side doors. The gates stayed down until power was restored.

The digital phone system, still newly installed, completely failed across the campus, with some campus agencies still without service even hours after the power was restored.

Classes were not cancelled outright, but some classes were forced to shut down without access to power for computers and projectors.

Biology student Nadine Villanueva, 19, was gearing up for her environmental science class, but the instructor let the students go after a few minutes in the dark.

“We use Power Point [presentations] all the time,” Villanueva said. “He wasn’t going

Religious dispute results in hate crime

More details released on the rst hate crime at the Pierce campus since 2009

Billel Bensalem/Roundup bbensalem.roundupnews@gmail.com

to make us wait around for [the electricity] to come back on.”

Not all classes suffered due to the outage.

For Italian language student Kevin Cortijo, 19, the power failure netted an unexpected boost, as the people in the class simply opened the blinds at the windows in the Business building.

“We just opened the blinds and took the test,” Cortijo said. “It was way better than the harsh [electric] lights.”

Despite the scramble from their station, security officers were able to complete their sweeps, keep campus officials updated and serve the overall public trust without disrupting any student or faculty activities, according to Guerrero.

“If you don’t notice us, we’re doing our job,” Guerrero said.

The hate crime reported in the Village on Sept. 27 is still under investigation, according to Lieutenant Malve Mitchell the Operations of Community College Bureau of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.

Mitchell could not make any comments about the crime.

“The case is still active,” Mitchell said, “which means it is still under investigation.”

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Student expelled from district

An unidentified Pierce student was expelled from all colleges of the Los Angeles Community College District, without reconsideration, according to officials. The student was in violation of dishonesty, knowingly furnishing false information, forgery, and the

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Approved

investigation,” she explained. Mitchell claims more information will be released when the investigation ends, which she estimated to be in 6-8 weeks.

“As long as it’s not going to court and the case is not under investigation anymore, we can give out more information then,” Mitchell concluded.

“We can’t release anything because it would jeopardize the investigation.”

-Malve Mitchell

Officers have to abide by federal laws prohibiting them from commenting on active cases, according to Mitchell.

“We can’t release anything because it would jeopardize the

According to Joanna Hovsepyan, a Pierce College security officer, the hate crime involved two Pierce students. The crime involved a dispute between two girls over religion, according to Hovsepyan. The Pierce crime reports shows this is the first hate crime reported since at least 2009.

alteration or misuse of documents.

Final efforts for Prop. 30

Rallies took place in front of the West Valley Occupational Center (W.V.O.C) the day before election day in an effort to gain support for Proposition 30 and to protest against Proposition 32.

The rallies have been going on since last Friday, have been in the mornings starting at 7 a.m. and then the afternoon rally starts at 3 p.m. and will continue on to election day.

John Mears who teaches beginning English to immigrants, is the Chapter Chair for the W.V.O.C. and the leader of the rallies.

According to Mears, the education in California has been cut in half since last July 2012 and cut 30

percent for the last 4 years prior to the July cut.

Man unconscious in library

An unidentified elderly man was found in the library unconscious without a pulse. A sheriff’s as well as emergency response teams arrived and were able to bring the victim to stable conditions, by turning the victim on his side.

While the vehicles were an unusual sight on The Mall students continued to stroll along the pathway.

Sheriff’s Deputy Al Guerrero was on scene and clearly upset about the lack of awareness from the students that did not move out of the way.

“Seconds save lives,” Guerrero said. “This man is very fortunate.”

Incident Report for October

10/3- Burglary in the North Gym locker broken into, student items taken.

10/3-Burglary in the North Gym locker broken into, student items taken.

10/17- Staff and student verbal argument in the Center for Sciences.

10/17- Student burned by steam in the Auto Shop.

10/18 - Burglary in the North Gym locker broken into, student items taken.

10/18 - Burglary in the North Gym locker broken into, student items taken.

10/18 - Burglary in the North Gym locker broken into, student items taken.

10/22- Vehicle Stolen from Parking Lot 7

10/22- 2 Vehicles were involved in a parking incident in Lot 7.

10/23- Faculty’s wallet was stolen from her purse and her Visa credit card was used.

10/23- Parked vehicle hit and run in Parking Lot 1

10/25 - Stolen items returned to the victim in the North Gym.

10/30 - Burglary in the North Gym locker broken into, student items taken.

–Compiled by Monica Velasquez

Photo illustration by Lynn Levitt/ Roundup

Todd Rosenblatt/ Roundup

PATROL: Sheriffʼs Deputy Al Guerrero in Parking Lot 1 after the final safety sweep during power outage.

Learning the old-fashioned way

Instruction continued even with lack of electricity

Austin

Navid

Students and staff alike were left in the dark Monday morning when Pierce College lost power for approximately an hour.

Jane Galbraith, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, attributed the problem to a transformer fire on Ventura Boulevard.

Back on campus, students were at a loss in the library but for some, life just continued as students walked around outside unaware of the technical difficulties.

Paula Paggi, head librarian, relayed information back and forth between her staff.

Students were allowed to remain in the building in areas such as the computer stations on the second floor because of the open space but dark areas such as the book stacks were closed off.

“I was really glad to see that the kids didn’t panic in the library, because it got completely pitch black when the power went out,” Paggi said.

Students react: Power outage

“Iʼm still waiting for my first class. I heard from a friend that her bio lab got cancelled because the power went out.”

“The lights went out in my economics class, and we couldnʼt see the notes our teacher was writing.”

According to Paggi, campus security came within half an hour from the beginning of the power failure to make sure there weren’t any students trapped in the building’s elevator.

“The staff and I went through the floors to make sure nobody was down in the dark trapped,” said Paggi.

Library staff also locked the library building’s restrooms, which have no windows to bring light from the outside, in order to prevent students from entering.

“I’m just glad nobody was cussing us out,” Paggi said. “The students understood that it was out of our control, so they went on with working in the library on their laptops.”

However, just like in the theater, the show must go on and Computer Applications Professor Jill Binsley who teaches in the Business Building, continued her class, with no electricity.

Inside the North Gym, students also ––seemed unfazed by the lack of electricity.

Athletic Director, Bob Lofrano knew that students had little to worry about.

He was on his way to teach physical education 259, Golf skills when power was lost.

“I knew my class would continue

on because we didn’t need lights or air conditioning out on my golf area,” Lofrano said.

However, air conditioning is a very important factor for the rest of the gym, especially in the 90 degree weather that is usually seen in the valley, according to Lofrano.

Students in the fitness center continued to lift weights and work out regardless of the loss of power.

“The fitness center has ceiling openings so there is light coming in from the ceiling even if the lights aren’t on so it was lit well enough,” Lofrano said.

Student Services was not affected as much with the outage, since many of the counselors could still sit down and talk to students without using computers, according to Academic Counselor Joseph Roberson.

Additionally, students at the Sip who were counting on a boost of energy from caffeine couldn’t purchase coffee drinks.

Geselle Serrano, a staff worker for the Sip, said that they couldn’t sell anything unless it was “on the shelf.”

“Many people could not buy anything anyway since we couldn’t accept credit cards, because the power is gone,” said Serrano.

Meanwhile, students and teachers at Copy Tech were cleared out,

because all of their services require electricity.

According to John Hood, a staff member of Copy Tech, the assistant bookstore manager came to lock the doors for an hour.

He didn’t think this power outage should affect any classes, since it happened during the day.

“We opened up the windows to get some light in the class, and just got back to what we were doing before the energy went out,” said Brook.

Black boxes designed for emergency communications located in different classroom across campus did not function.

Mark Henderson of Information Technology was not available for comment at the time this story went to print.

Repeated attempts to contact him have been thus far unsuccessful.

Faculty and staff could have been alerted through text messages sent by Admissions and Records, but with the loss of power they came to a halt .

“In case of a real emergency, cell phones would be tied up,” Binsley said.

Joe Perret, an instructor of computer applications and office technologies was more concerned about his students.

In case of a real emergency on campus, instructors would need to know whether or not to tell their students not to come to class, or even school.

Students were alerted by email of the power outage only after power had been restored.

In the event of a natural disaster or other emergency, crisis response teams from both on and off campus are scheduled to respond.

“As soon as I got into class, the lights were already out, and in the middle of it the lights went on, but everyone just ignored it.”

“I was actually in swim class, but apparently the class was cancelled because the filters werenʼt working.”

Emmanuel Rojas

Marlene Elizalee

Jamie Lee Santos

Steven Casillas

Kristen Aslanian/ Roundup

TEACHING: Instructor of Languages Darlene Wittman continues teaching her American Sign Language 1 class during a power outage in the Village at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Nov. 5. The power outage lasted approximately an hour.

Photos by Steve Palma and Todd Rosenblatt

Faber/Roundup afaber.roundupnews@gmail.com

Former instructor’s paintings showcased

‘John Corbeil Retrospective’ exhibit posthumously honors the works of a revered professor

Students and guests gathered at the Pierce College Art Gallery on Thursday evening for the opening of “John Corbeil Retrospective,” a gallery in honor of former Pierce instructor John Corbeil and his work.

Corbeil, who died in 2011 at the age of 90, was present through his artwork, which was displayed at the exhibit for family, friends and former students of his, as well as others, to view.

“I’m so pleased that so many people came. It’s very touching,” said Patricia Corbeil, John’s wife. “John had such a loyal following. He had so many students he was still in touch with, and just to have one from long ago come is very honoring. He’d be honored.”

The event took months of planning and involved everyone from his family to the Pierce Art Department to musicians from the American Guitar Society.

art. “As a department we thought that would be a really nice thing to do given how long he taught for the department and was such a contribution to the Pierce community. So I got in contact with the family and that was kind of the start.”

Del Bosque said she visited Corbeil’s family last spring and worked throughout the summer planning the gallery, but also benefited from the help of her students.

“The exhibition design class helped put it on and the design of the exhibit and the installations. They learned how to light and how to do the labels. They put on the reception, so they also played a pretty big role in it,” she said. “I look upon it in terms of how it became a great teaching tool, because if it weren’t for this show – the show allowed me to teach the exhibition design class. So in that sense it’s been a fabulous thing.”

“It was like a little bit breathtaking,” said sophomore art student Robert Flores, who helped set up the gallery. “I guess using some of these artworks, it kind of redefined art for me a little bit.”

Music for the gallery opening was provided by Mark Achuff and Leslie Lewis of the American Guitar Society, who played guitar duets arranged by Howard Heitmeyer.

“It’s very nice. This is a delightful place to play here in the courtyard,” said Achuff, who is the chairman of the American Guitar Society. “I mean the people are just wonderful and the ambience of the open sky and the trees and the courtyard is great. And then, plus, we get to feel and experience the art from the masters over here, and it just makes the perfect ambiance for our music and we hope it complements the art and the gallery as well.”

“We were approached by some other former faculty members who retired about it being really nice to do a retrospective,” said Monica del Bosque, the Pierce College Gallery director and assistant professor of

The “John Corbeil Retrospective” gallery is free and will be open to the general public in the Pierce Art Gallery until Dec. 7, 2012.

Break dancers’

delight

Students find their groove on the Mall

Violet Canelo/Roundup vcanelo.roundupnews@gmail.com

When walking down the Pierce College mall, students have noticed music bumping and a circle of students dancing along with the tunes.

Every afternoon, a group of students with a passion for all things dance meet in front of the Pierce Library to perform and practice their break dancing moves.

With a tattoo of a boom box on his neck, Johnny David Ceja, 19, a civil engineering major, has been dancing since middle school.

“I got this tattoo so I can have music bumping in my ear all the time,” Ceja said.

Since Ceja always was interested in dance, he never thought that walking by one day he would see a group of students dancing just as passionately as he has done since he was a child. He immediately said that he found his group of friends on campus and has met with them to practice ever since.

Pierce College student, Marco Antonio Moreno, 21, just started attending Pierce and has been dancing for 10 years. When Moreno heard about the college’s dance clubs and classes, he was interested right away and decided to attend Pierce. He was also surprised to see other students that could break dance and was welcomed right away.

“Coming into Pierce, I was interested in finding other dancers and I did,” Moreno said.

Growing up, Moreno was always interested in the art of “b-boy” street dancing, which is commonly known as break dancing, and became passionate for this specific form of expression. Moreno and other dancers have also noticed a few of the students stopping by to observe and admire their skill.

“It makes me feel good when they clap because it helps me stay focused and get better,” Moreno said.

Moreno also said that apart from the fun he has practicing on campus, it helps him with school. Right after practice, he can read his textbooks and do his homework with other dancers who help each other with their dance moves and even with class assignments.

Another student that participates in the daily dance group is Marquis Francisco, 20, who is majoring in accounting and has studied at Pierce for two years. He has always admired break dancing and has practiced for years to achieve his goal of becoming a talented dancer.

“There was a time were I thought break dancing wasn’t for me but I just kept practicing and practicing,” said Francisco.

Francisco uses dance as a form of stress relief, exercise, and to join a community of students who are willing to help other and welcome anybody who wants to join.

“This community of dancers is really great because it gave me a place where I can fit in,” said Francisco.

The group meets on the afternoons causally and cannot be missed when walking across the Mall in front of the library.

“Anybody is welcome,” Ceja said. “Whoever is a dancer or wants to learn or practice is welcomed here.”

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“Using some of these artworks, it kind of redefined art for me a little bit. ”

-Robert Flores

Gonzalo Rey/Roundup grey.roundupnews@gmail.com

Monica Salazar/ Roundup

ART APPRECIATION: Dominique Luna, 18, and Danny Cruz ,18, observe “John Corbeil Retrospective” exhibit in the Art Gallery at Pierce College.

Kristen Aslanian/ Roundup

SPLIT: Marco Moreno, 21, poses while doing the splits at the Mall in on Nov. 6.

Kristen Aslanian/ Roundup

BREAK DANCE: Ariel Agasi (front) and Johnny Ceja (back) break dance at the Mall on Nov. 6.

‘b-boy’

Womenʼs basketball hopes for improvement Team hopes a new group of commi ed players can lead them to a brighter future

Michaia Hernandez/ Roundup mhernandez.roundupnews@gmail.com

Abuzzer sounds, and for the next few minutes the court is enveloped in noise: at least four basketballs bouncing off the floor; a coach bellowing, “There’s no standing;” and 12 pairs of sneakers hitting the court as the players do a shooting exercise.

The Ken Stanley court in the South Gym comes alive every night as the women’s basketball team practices for their season, which begins Sunday with a game in Occidental College.

Pierce struggled last season, ending with an 11-17 record and missing the playoffs. Head Coach Jim Couch feels the squad this season gives them a better chance to get into the playoffs.

“This is probably one of the better teams we’ve had at Pierce,” Couch said. “It’s a collection of talent. We

have quality sophomores back and some very good freshmen.”

Even defense, which Couch says has been a weak point with the team in past seasons, is looking better this season.

“We’re definitely shooting for a conference title,” Couch said.

“Second level would be making playoffs.”

Another reason for the team’s expected success this season is the effect of strong recruitment to the size of the team, according to assistant coach Bell Jordan.

“It’s a well-rounded squad,” Jordan said. “We have girls in all positions.”

The sizeable number of girls on the team also plays an important role with competition, according to Joy Hubbard, sophomore forward.

“There’s a lot of internal and external competition,” Hubbard said. “We push each other to play our best because everyone wants a spot.”

Commitment also plays a role in

the strength of the team.

“They have the will to even fund raise,” Hubbard said. “The girls are really eager to do more and to get things done.”

This is a welcome change from the state at which the team ended its last season—with only a handful of players due to lack of commitment, she said.

The players also find motivation from other Pierce athletic teams, like women’s volleyball.

“We see what they have and we want it,” Hubbard said. “A winning streak, that’s what we’re pushing for.”

Players to look out for this semester include Nichelae Henderson, a freshman guard who was an All-California Interscholastic Federation player from Cleveland High School, and freshman forward Gasia Sarkis, who Couch says “might be the leading scorer this season.”

The team hasn’t been impervious to the toll Pierce has taken on due to

Volleyball captain leads undefeated Brahmas

Sophomore libero makes up for small stature with heart

Violet Canelo/ Roundup

vcanelo.roundupnews@gmail.com

The captain and defense specialist of a championship volleyball team is acknowledged for her team work and dedication for the game.

Captain of the Pierce College volleyball team, Danielle Hochman, 20, was born in the San Fernando Valley, but has lived in Santa Clarita for most of her lifetime with her mother, father, and older brother.

Being raised in a Santa Clarita home, Hochman, a sophomore libero for the two-time defending California state champions, has had a blessed life with a tight-knit family that has supported her in all her endeavors.

Growing up, Hochman traveled to many locations and usually spent quality time with her family but with her father working in the movie industry and her mother working at a middle school, nowadays her family is usually very busy. Hochman also finds herself constantly occupied with piles of homework from school when she isn’t at volleyball games and at practice.

Hochman went to West Ranch

High School and started playing volleyball during her freshman year at a volleyball club.

“When I was playing there, the club was originally called SMBC and they later changed their name to Los Angeles Volleyball Academy,” said Hochman.

Nabil Mardini, coach of the Pierce College volleyball team, was director of the club at the time and recommended Hochman to join the college volleyball team at Pierce after seeing her potential and skill.

“She is a team player and good leader,” said Mardini. “She is one of my favorite players.”

Hochman’s mother, Mary Hochman is also very proud of her daughter and enjoys attending her volleyball games to support her.

“She really likes that I’m on the team and she is really supportive,” said Hochman. “She isn’t only my mother, but my best friend.”

Hochman also said that besides her parents being a great support system, another person that supports her completely and has changed her life with his empowering advice is Coach Mardini.

“The morals Coach Nabil teaches us for volleyball has changed my life completely because his advice

applies to all aspects, including my personal life,” said Hochman.

Hochman’s inspiration to play well and to be competitive comes from the energy her teammates put into the game.

fiscal issues to the college district.

Cuts to Pierce’s athletic program have forced its players to find their own means of raising funds. Because of that, players have had to increase their fundraising efforts.

The players will also not be able to stay in hotels during away games, according to sophomore guard Monica Jackson.

Additionally, because courses are scarce these days compared to previous years, Couch has had to allow students to take up classes that coincide with practice hours.

“I have to let them [miss practice] for units. That’s why we also practice on Sundays,” he said. “But games will take precedent.”

Still, Couch has high hopes for the season.

“One word to describe the team is ‘magic,’” Couch said. “I think it’s going to be a magical season.”

The team’s season will start with a tournament at Barstow Community College that is scheduled to begin on Thursday, Nov. 15.

Sports Briefs

Basketball teams ready to go

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are set to begin their seasons with tournaments on the road in the next two weeks.

The men’s basketball team will be on the road for the Miramar Tournament from Saturday, Nov. 10 through Monday, Nov. 12.

The women’s basketball team will travel to Barstow for the Barstow Community College Tournament from Thursday, Nov. 15 through Saturday, Nov. 17.

Soccer’s star forward returns

Freshman forward Shawnie Moore is set to return to action for the Brahmas in their tough road game against College of the Canyons on Friday, Nov. 9.

Moore has missed six games since injuring her knee in Pierce’s 2-0 loss to Canyons on Oct. 16.

The game will be a tough road test for the Brahmas and will be their final regular season of the season. It will play a large part in deciding seeding heading into playoffs.

Football loses late in fourth

The Pierce football team let a 19-point fourth quarter lead slip away against Santa Monica College on Saturday, Nov. 3.

The loss drops the Brahmas to 7-2 on the season, leaving them without a bowl game at this time.

According to athletic director Bob Lofrano, Pierce still has a slim chance of making a bowl game so long as they defeat Glendale and Antelope Valley defeats Santa Monica on Saturday.

University of Texas because it’s a hard school to get into and their volleyball team is crazy good,” said Hochman.

Hochman said that although the University of Texas doesn’t usually accept out of state students and has such a great team, that it will be a challenge to get into but that she will try her hardest to be accepted.

-Head

“As the team captain, she always puts her teammates first,” said Mary Hochman. “We are very proud of her and her accomplishments”.

Hochman has been on the Pierce College volleyball team for two years and plans to continue to play after she has transferred to a four year division one college to join the volleyball team and obtain a kinesiology major.

“My goal is to attend the

Besides volleyball, Hochman recently discovered that she enjoys acting as a hobby and also enjoys listening to country music, dancing, and singing on her free time.

Although it takes up most of her time, Hochman is proud to play volleyball for Pierce College and loves to be a part of the team.

“Being a part of a team is an experience that everyone should try,” said Hochman. “You just build such close relationships and that is the best part.”

Hochman and women’s volleyball next face Santa Monica on the road on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.

Steve Palma/ Roundup

PRACTICE: Head coach Jim Couch watches Jamesha Worthington (left) and Andrea Luke during a practice on Thursday, Nov. 1.

Jasson Bautista/ Roundup

HOCHMAN: Sophomore libero Danielle Hochman has helped the Brahmas to two straight state championships and 57 straight wins.

“[Hochman] is one of favoritemy players.”

Coach Nabil Mardini