Volume 118 Spring 2013 Roundup Issue 10

Gun safety course draws fire

Local neighborhood council takes aim at handgun course o ered on campus

Michaia Hernandez/Roundup mhernandez.roundupnews@gmail.com

The Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council is trying to stop a gun training and safety course that has been offered by Pierce College since 2008 from being taught on campus.

The council, an elected advisory body representing Woodland Hills and Warner Center locals, voted 10-9 on Wednesday, May 8 to revise and send a letter to the Pierce president, a trustee and the chancellor of the district the school is under, calling for the relocation of the class.

The vote comes days before the next session of the National Rifle Association (NRA) Basic Pistol Course on campus.

“We have absolutely no problem with the class,” said Scott Silverstein, council chair. “But the board feels that it’s inappropriate to have it on a

school campus.”

Though the class has been ongoing for the past five years, the council only just became aware of its existence after they happened to see it listed in the latest catalog with the schedule of classes.

Alma Johnson-Hawkins, Pierce’s acting president, was present at the May 8 meeting to get first-hand information on the issue, she said.

“They had what they thought were facts,” she said. “We just want to make sure that everything is accurate.”

Besides fact checking, the administration isn’t currently taking any steps to either cancel or move the class elsewhere.

“There’s so much in the air right now. It’s really hard to plan a response,” Johnson-Hawkins said. “This is a serious issue. This will be handled by the appropriate people.”

The course--provided through Pierce Extension, the college’s notfor-credit community education program--covers the basics of handling firearms, including ammunition, fundamentals of pistol marksmanship and how to clean and store handguns.

While the lecture portion of the class is taught on campus, a live fire section is conducted at a nearby firing range, according to the course description.

[See GUNS, page 3]

Nationwide search for a new chancellor begins

Michaia Hernandez/Roundup mhernandez.roundupnews@gmail.com

The incoming chancellor for the Los Angeles Community College District must be responsible with accreditation, accountable and available for the long term, according to Pierce College administrators, faculty and staff.

The aggregation of campus officials was given the chance to contribute to the chancellor profile that will help narrow down the pool of applicants for the position during a forum hosted Monday, May 14 by a national search team helping the LACCD with the process.

The current chancellor, Daniel LaVista will be resigning after his contract with the district ends on June 30.

Auto show raises dough

Future Automotive Service Technicians Club hosts their rst auto show

An old English proverb that states “necessity is the mother of invention” proves true for the Pierce College Future Automotive Service Technicians (F.A.S.T.) Club at their first car show on campus Saturday.

The day was hot from the word go; public address speakers blasted rock ‘n’ roll; hungry show-goers gobbled tri-tip hoagies and hot dogs, while others cooled their bones in the shade talking with colleagues and friends over a cold drink.

THE CARS

Roughly two dozen show car entries and a handful of sponsors showed their support for the student club’s effort to raise money and awareness for their program. The event even drew walk-up students and those driving by, like Roland Horovitz and his family.

Aspiring demolition expert in practicum at home, Horovitz, 11, said that he asked his mom

to park the car after driving back from a swim tryout where he placed as an intermediate.

“My favorite car was the old one that’s older than my dad,” Horovitz said.

That truck belongs to F.A.S.T. member Kerrie Gordon’s dad, Kelsey. It’s a stock 1949 Chevy pick up truck that took Best in Show at the fundraiser, the club’s Public Relations Officer Dan Poppell said.

Several other awards were given at the show but an official list was not provided to the Roundup by the time of publication.

F.A.S.T. Club President Chase Williams, 21, signed in show cars as they rolled up.

“We are accepting cars from your Hondas to your rat rods,” he said. “For our first car show we’re pretty pleased with it. We weren’t planning on anything big; we just wanted to get our name out there [and] get everyone interested in next year.”

The cars ranged from a low-rider tweaked to starboard on hydraulics, off-road trucks, sports cars, modified Honda race cars and others still.

Doug Sofio, a retired studio carpenter from Arleta, “the Beverly Hills of Pacoima,” found a flyer on the windshield of his 1923 Ford “T-bucket” he has had since age 14, he said. He backed up the 17-inch wide tires in between a red Triumph TR6 and a glittering blue Chevy Camaro race car owned by Pierce adjunct instructor Mark Schatkun.

Sofio went to Pierce for a few years beginning in 1969, he said. Though he was never a professional mechanic, Sofio said he has raced boats, top-fuel funny cars, and pro stock street racing cars.

His son Junior raced open-wheel in Long Beach, he said Schatkun’s Camaro is a well-built and tested race car that has won him many races at local tracks, he said.

“They call me Shotgun. I used to race that Camaro right over there for 20 years at the Los Angeles County Raceway.”

[See CARS, page 3]

Similar forums are taking place in the other eight colleges in the district. From these meetings, the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) will be developing the finalized profile, which will be posted in the next week or two in a search site dedicated to the application process.

“We’re working very hard to come up with a recruitment strategy that will work with this district. Obviously, the LA district is very different and unique compared to other districts in the country,” said Julie Golder, search services coordinator/board of services specialist from the ACCT. “The profile plays a key role in the recruitment strategy.”

One of the biggest issues that the district as a whole is going through is the number of LACCD colleges that have gotten sanctions following accreditation reviews. All of the three colleges visited last year, as well as two of the three campuses visited this year, have had their accreditation threatened.

“Once the stigma is out there, it’s damaging to the district,” said Tom Rosdahl, president of Academic

Senate. “If half of the district is under sanctions, people aren’t going to want to come here. We need a chancellor that understands the accreditation process in the state of California.”

Another issue brought up by officials is accountability between the district and campus leadership.

“The chancellor needs to make administration and staff all along the line accountable,” Rosdahl said. “You can’t have people in jobs they can’t do. We’ve had college presidents in the past that should’ve gone bye-bye but was able to continue.”

Officials are additionally concerned with the quality of leadership that prospects will possess.

“We need somebody who’s going to lead, not somebody who will make a committee to lead,” De La Garza said.

The future chancellor’s longterm commitment to the position is also something that concerns Pierce officials.

“[He should be here] long enough to make changes,” Perrett said. “That’s the way the system is set up, unfortunately.”

This is something that was acknowledged by LaVista in a letter sent out by his office last February.

“The Chancellor who leads this… district must take the long view and make a long-term commitment, something I’m unable to do,” according to the email.

Golder said that she doesn’t expect a large pool of candidates for the position.

“There will not be 100 applicants. We’ve never seen that,” Golder said.

After the applicants are narrowed down, the process goes to a search committee, then is brought to the LACCD board of trustees for the final decision.

According to Golder, the final profile should be done by the next LACCD board of trustees meeting. Once that is done, the interviews will take place mid-September, and the final decision should be made by the end of September or beginning of October.

Contributing Fahema Kakar

David Schub/Roundup dschub.roundupnews@gmail.com

Sonia Gurrola / Roundup

BEST IN SHOW: Kelsey Gordon shows off two awards in front of his 1949 Chevrolet pick up truck at the first car show on May, 11.

Tim Toton/Roundup oton.roundupnews@gmail.com

John Gutierrez / Roundup

MEETING: A member of The Woodland Hills - Warner Center Neighborhood Council reads a draft of the letter for Pierce.

On-campus pub could bring students together

Place to socialize would please

Since there are so many new buildings being constructed at Pierce College, administrators should consider opening a pub on campus. There are a number of reason why a pub should be opened at Pierce. The first reason would be that it would attract more students to attend our campus as opposed to other colleges. It would raise more money for Pierce, which could help the campus in many ways. It would also be a good place for students and teachers to hang out and relax.

A pub can be a place where student clubs can meet, and people can have food, drinks and discussions. They could meet new people, watch their favorite sports games, play music, dance and have fun.

This idea may seem new to some students, but it has already been applied in many colleges. California State University, Northridge is one of the colleges that has a pub on campus, and some students are very happy about it.

In the pub, called “Pub Sports Grill,” students can go to hang out, watch sports games on a big screen with their peers, eat some simple bar food and drink a beer or two. Although the pub sells beer,

Opinion Roundup

reporter

Fahema Kakar akar.roundupnews@gmail.com

no other hard liquor is sold.

The main reason administrators may oppose this idea would be because alcohol would be sold at the pub.

But if we have strict rules and regulations for the alcohol that is being served at the pub, this idea can have a very good chance of working out.

Some rules and regulations could include having a security guard on duty at the pub at all times to prevent fights.

There would strict rules on checking identification before selling young people beers,

The pub could also fashion the hours it is open after those of other campus services to prevent any conflicts from happening during the later hours.

We can also restrict the alcohol in the pub for to be only sold to Pierce students and faculty.

This would mean pub patrons would have to have a Pierce ID in order to purchase alcohol in addition to their California ID for age verification.

This idea can work great for Pierce because we have students from all over, and since this campus is full of diversity, it would bring us all together.

Double umbs Up

Extended library hours during finals

The Library and Learning Crossroads will be open during the first weekend of finals, May 25 and 26. The extended hours are due to extra funding paid from the Associated Students Organization budget. Thank you ASO, for shelling out the cash to allow your fellow students and constituents the chance to get some much needed studying in during finals.

Props to commencement pamphlet

The 65th Commencement will be held on Wednesday, June 5, for graduating Pierce students. Every commencement ceremony has a pamphlet produced to go with it. The pamphlet contains the names of all students and what degree they are receiving as well as the program for the ceremony. The pamphlet was put together by Doreen Clay, public relations specialist. Thank you for your hard work compiling an important part of the ceremony.

-Corrections-

Volume 118 - Issue 8

On page 3, in the “Library still missing Wi-Fi” story, Paula Paggi is not referred to by her full name, only her last name.

Since the arrival of the food trucks, Pierce College staff, faculty and students have been looking for an alternative source of food. Pierce does not need to look far when they have a gold mine on the corner of Victory and De Soto.

Finding a slice of pizza, a fatty hamburger or a greasy burrito is pretty easy, but what about healthy alternatives?

The Roundup recommends Pierce should use what they have at their disposal to at least try and attempt to remedy the unhealthy eating options on campus..

One way they can achieve this is by using the harvest from the Farm Center.

Students have looked for something a little healthier than the heavy, fried food offered by the food trucks.

The Freudian Sip has done its best to offer healthy food options with the fruit they sell, but

their small selection is not enough.

The Roundup has written several stories asking for healthier food options and since some our peers are not involved with campus life, many of us have been left with no choice but to eat what’s available.

It’s either that or wait until you’re off campus to eat.

With what seems like never ending budget cuts, Pierce understandably may not have the financial means to meet the request; after all, eating healthy is pricey.

According to the Farm Center’s website, they begin harvesting their crops in March and do not finish until November.

Some of their crops include Albion strawberries, sweet yellow corn, white peaches, white nectarines, peaches and several other vegetables.

The Farm Center could make and sell fruit salads or put together small dishes using a some

of their vegetables. They could even make smoothies and milkshakes, the possibilities are endless and the income would constantly flow in, since many people at Pierce eat healthy.

The Farm Center has the healthy alternative students are looking for at their disposal, but their location is somewhat inconvenient to the student looking for a quick meal and not a long trek.

Administration could make accommodations by investing in a refrigerated cart to serve the farm’s produce somewhere a little more central to campus.

Though this would require a small fee, the Roundup feels that promoting healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle to students is worth the small costs involved.

This might be just a small step in providing healthier food options, but a small step is better than nothing.

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 Maria Salvador / Roundup

Fresh food for Pierce Administration could consider the installation of a Farm Center food cart

Local group wants gun safety class moved

[GUNS continued from Page 1]

Additionally, the instructor brings numerous unloaded firearms for assembly and cleaning demonstration purposes.

The course fulfills a requirement to take the exam needed for the purchase and ownership of firearms. At the conclusion of the class, participants receive a certificate of completion “suitable for framing.”

The letter drafted by the neighborhood council lists eight potential issues that support the idea that teaching a course like this on a college campus is not a good idea.

One of the group’s arguments is a passage from the Gun-Free School Zone Act of 1995, where the general

public is not expecting weapons on campus, nor are permitted, except for law enforcement.

Other points included in the letter are that several trustees of the LA Community College District board, including Scott Svonkin, as well as some officers in the Pierce sheriff’s station, were unaware that such a class takes place on campus, and that there is no visible signage warning passers-by that a gun safety class is in session. “If someone [tried] to keep the information from us, it is a serious breach of ethical behavior,” said Svonkin. “It doesn’t meet with the values of Pierce and the Los Angeles Community College District.”

However, Gerry Koehler, who teaches the class, said that before the

course came into fruition, he spoke with the head of the LA community college sheriff’s division to get it approved. He also said that on the first day that he taught the course, he stopped by Pierce’s sheriff’s station to get his weapons checked out by the officers.

“I am annoyed that the council would make a big stink about one person’s animosity towards guns and gun safety,” he said. “It’s a perfectly safe class. The weekend sheriffs know exactly what’s going on because they have to open up the doors for us.”

Koehler also doesn’t agree with the neighborhood council’s issue with the lack of signage on the classroom to warn other people on campus at the time of the class.

“Anybody else doesn’t need to

know,” he said. “It could make us a target.”

The Council does acknowledge that gun safety is imperative to gun ownership and does not question one’s right to legal gun ownership; however, the members feel that providing this class on a densely populated public campus with other classes, youth activities and other activities is inappropriate, alarming and potentially unsafe.

As evidenced by the council’s divided vote, not all the members agreed with the idea of requesting that the class be moved.

Koehler started the course in Los Angeles Harbor College a year before he began offering it at Pierce.

To read more about the gun class, go to www.roundupnews. com under news

Incident Report 5/02 - 5/10

-- Compiled by Michaia Hernandez

5/02 -- Vandalism -- A bench seat in the Botanical Gardens was broken off the railings and pulled from its cemented poles.

5/06 -- Vehicle vandalism

Someone slashed two of the tires on a student’s vehicle in Parking Lot 7 between 6:50 and 9:45 p.m.

5/09 -- Student incident -- A student parked at a red zone in Parking Lot 1 became angry after a deputy informed him at 8:20 p.m. that he wasn’t in a drop off zone.

5/09 -- Miscellaneous incident -- A Pierce College employee reported that one or more horses got sick after eating straw that someone threw into their stables.

News Briefs – Upcoming campus events and activities – News Briefs

Register for classes (Now)

Don’t forget to check your registration date information on the Student Information System. Fall semester begins August 26, 2013. Summer session also has classes still available for registration. Pierce will have a one eight-week session beginning June 26.

100 new classes added

Due to high student demand, 100 classes have been added to the fall 2013 schedule. Students with a late registration date will still have a chance to sign up and register for classes that were previously full.

See the planets and stars from Pierce (5/15)

The Astronomy program of the Department of Physics & Planetary Sciences is hosting a viewing night on Wednesday, May 15 on the patio deck in the Center for Sciences building. All are welcome to join.

Telescopes will be brought out at around sunset.

Free bus fare (5/16)

Thursday, May 16 is Bike to Work Day. You can ride the Metro bus and Metro Rail for free if you take your bike or your bike helmet to the bus.

Tournament on Speech 101 students (5/24)

Pierce College’s Speech Department will be hosting the First Intramural Public Speaking Tournament on Friday, May 24 in the Village room 8344. The event is open to everyone, but the tournament is only open to current Speech 101 students. Tournament winners will receive cash prizes–$200, $100 and $50 for first, second and third place respectively. Finalists will meet in the Great Hall around 2 p.m. for the final portion of the competition.

Club hosts 2nd annual fundraiser (5/18)

The Pierce College Welding Club is hosting its second annual car show fundraiser Saturday, May 18 from noon to 4 p.m. The event, which is free to the public, will have food, raffles, instructional demos and music.

Library open for finals

The new library will be open the weekend before finals for students.

On Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26, the second floor of the Library and Learning Crossroads will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be closed Monday, May 27 and open again on at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. The extra hours are funded by the Associated Students Organization.

Study hall in the Great Hall

The Great Hall will be open to students for study hall from 2 to 8 p.m. Monday, May 27 through Thursday, May 30.

Clubs host e-waste recycling

The Pierce College Phi Theta Kappa honor society and Rotaract are organizing a free e-waste recycling event Saturday, May 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church. Anything from small appliances and stereos to cellphones and laptops can be brought in.

Conference focuses on immigration (5/17)

Student club We B.U.I.L.D. is hosting its third Annual Immigration Empowerment Conference in the Great Hall on May 17, Friday at 4:30 p.m. There will be a workshop on knowing your rights, a performance from Yectli from California State University, Los Angeles.

Cabaret celebrates mixed media (5/23)

Students are encouraged to participate in the Icebox Philosopher’s Cabaret, which takes place Thursday, May 23 at

5 p.m. To perform or submit art, email mcquittym@gmail.com by Monday, May 20.

Commencement coming up (6/5)

Pierce College’s 65th

commencement will take place

June 5 in Rocky Young Park at 6 p.m. Activities will begin at 5:15 p.m., and graduating students must assemble and fill out name cards at the Center for Sciences courtyard.

Richard Follett, English professor and retiree, will be the 2013 commencement speaker, while Amber Witherow will be the student speaker. At the conclusion of the ceremony, cake and refreshments will be served. Free parking will

be available in Lot 7. For more information, visit piercecollege. edu/students/graduation.

Workshops available

• “Essay Revision” – Tuesday, May 21 from 5 to 6 p.m. in VLGE 8401

• “UCLA Representative” –Tuesday, May 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Career and Transfer Center (by appointment only)

credits

advanced training in Child Development if needed (Certified Learning)  Accelerated Bachelor of Science degree program; new classes start every eight weeks  Once a week meeting in 8 week sessions, Saturdays8am12pm.

 Potential completion of degree in as little as 8 -12 months.

 Courses taught by experienced professionals in the field

 Financial Aid available for those who qualify

 Yellow Ribbon certified for Veterans

 UI&U is fully accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association (www.ncahlc.org, 800.621.7440)

For more information, please

Julia Lynch/Site Coordinator (818) 770-9375/ Julia.lynch@myunion.edu

Teri Lucas, Admissions Director Ext. 1714, teri.lucas@myunion.edu

Compiled by: Natalee Ayala

F.A.S.T. club raises money with car show

[CARS continued from Page 1]

THE REASON

Isabel Alvarez co-founded the F.A.S.T. Club, and is the vice president. Alvarez, 27, said the club has about 20 members and this is its first fundraiser after being formed only a few months ago.

“Everything is to help the Auto Department because we’re one of the most neglected departments on campus. We don’t even have grass in front of our facilities,” she said.

While many people were happy to talk about their cars and racing, numerous club members and faculty mentioned the disappointing condition they find their department in, despite the gleaming buildings just over the horizon along the campus Mall.

“Tom Fortune, [Mike] Van Dyke and [Tom] Rosdahl--they are always arguing for us. They care a lot. They are trying to help us out. They can only do so much. Students need to step up,” Alvarez said. Fortune, department chair of Industrial Technology, doesn’t hold back on his criticism of the school administration but does give praise where it’s due.

“Our dean has been very good about getting grants. But we have no wireless in our building. I’ve got a fellow over there who is an instructor at Van Nuys High

School–sends us a lot of students–they’ve had wireless for eight years. I just came back from East Los Angeles Auto Program and they’ve had wireless for three years. We need it. It’s ridiculous. There’s no excuse for it. You can go to McDonald’s and get wireless,” Fortune said.

“They said they wanted to do it, so I said, ‘You guys need to learn how to be managers. You need to go out and meet some people in the community that are in the automotive business and let’s do this car show,’” he said.

Kenneth Leavitt, 31, an automotive major in his third year at Pierce echoes the feeling of nickel and diming to death.

“It’s hard for us to get soaps, rags and whatever else we need for the auto shop repairs–lifts, machines stuff in the engine lab–parts for shop cars,” Leavitt said.

THE GRADUATES

One of the event sponsors was SuperTuning Performance out of Van Nuys, who bought a tent space, donated items to the raffle and had six cars in the show.

“We’re having a great time at the Pierce College car show,” Koko Ohan, the owner of STP said. “We’re friends with R3 Racing. We’re always looking to help out the guys. It’s a good program here and I heard about what’s happing

here and it sucks.”

Road Race Revolution (R3) and A-Spec-Racing (ASR) are both race car-inspired companies founded and run by a current student and 2006 graduate, respectively.

“Our main focus is to get the guys that are just trying to get into the scene and haven’t really experienced a racetrack.” R3 cofounder Marcel Masoumi said. “To get them off the streets, to teach them the right place. The right time to do it is on the racetrack.”

Charlston Ong, founder of ASR, jumped at the chance to be an event sponsor of the F.A.S.T. fundraiser.

“When I came to Pierce, Tom Rosdahl helped me develop a product for my Civic and I took it to the next level,” Ong said. “I have to come here. I want to visit the shop again and meet all my professors.” Alvarez said F.A.S.T. Club didn’t expect too much of a big event because it’s their first, but they hope to keep growing it every year.

“I think they’re doing great. They only expected about 10 cars and they got way more than that; they got 20 or 30. It looks like everybody is having a good time. It’s a blast,” Schatkun said.

For more information about F.A.S.T Club visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/pcfastclub.

MASSAGE PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION (300 HOURS) MASSAGE THERAPIST CERTIFICATION (600 HOURS)

ESTHETICIAN LICENSE (600 HOURS)

NAIL TECHNICIAN LICENSE (400 HOURS)

(Left) CHEVY: Kelsey Gordon poses in front of his 1949 Chevrolet pickup truck at the Future Automotive Service Technicians (F.A.S.T.) Clubʼs first car show fundraiser on Saturday, May 11. (Photo by: Sonia Gurrola / Roundup)

(Below left) CLUB: Members of the Pierce College F.A.S.T. Club pose for a photo during their first car show fundraiser on Saturday, May 11. (Photo by: Tim Toton / Roundup)

(Below right) PARK: A red Chevrolet Nova is parked by the Automotive Technology building, where the F.A.S.T. Clubʼs first car show fundraiser took place. (Photo by: Tim Toton / Roundup)

Art Gallery showcases creative ability Opening night of the Annual Student Show draws a crowd

More than 100 pieces of art were submitted by students in various types of medium, from clay sculptures to video and graphic design, and showcased in the Art Garden on Thursday, May 9 during the Annual Student Show.

Students from different classes in the Art Department gathered for the yearly event held in celebration of student work and achievement.

The night’s highest honors went to the unexpected first-place winner Anthony Elbambo, who took home Best of Show for his oil painting, “Judas.”

“It’s just surprising to me, you know, because normally in these kinds of shows the people that win are like digital artists. And for an oil painting to win,

that’s a triumph. That’s an accomplishment,” Elbambo said.

Elbambo, though shocked, was grateful for his win.

“I’m surprised I won. I’m very thankful. All I really cared about was getting the painting into the show. That’s all that mattered to me, but this just shows I just got to keep continuing to pursue it,” said Elbambo.

Another victory of the night was for honorable mention winner Andrew Ko, an architecture major at Pierce.

Ko designed a model of a futuristic visiting center structured around the Los Angeles River.

“The purpose of the project was to kind of bring in people, kind of show people there is a river in the Valley. I’m also working with the idea of the future-there is a future for the LA River,” said Ko. “I’m especially happy to represent the architecture program here because a lot of people aren’t really aware of it, so

for my piece to be displayed at the same time with an honorable mention is very gratifying.”

Proudly exhibiting his architectural work in an art show is not only a win for Ko, but an opportunity to change opinions about architecture as an art form.

“A lot of people assume architecture isn’t really art, so this kind of gives a broader perspective,” said Ko.

The artists whose work was displayed were not the only Art Department students involved in the night’s event. Students hanging art pieces and serving hors d’oeuvres, like exhibition design student Bailey Johnson, were also involved in the excitement.

“[The art show] is important to me because it shows everyone how talented they are. It made me really proud to hang their pieces up. We have such talented people,” said Johnson.

For Johnson, helping orchestrate the event was also a chance to implement what she had been learning all

semester in her Exhibition Design class, which focuses on coordinating events such as the Annual Student Show.

Assistant Professor of Art Monika Del Bosque teaches the Exhibition Design class at Pierce with students like Johnson and enjoys that the event gives students from all sides of the Art Department a good experience.

“That’s why I think it’s really important to do this,” said Del Bosque, the main coordinator of the event. “Because it gives them an opportunity to have their work seen and to really show that as a department we value their efforts and it also shows what Pierce College produces.”

The Student show continues in the gallery until May 29.

For a list of all the winners from this yearʼs Annual Student S how go to theroundupnews. com under the Arts and Entertainment tab

Carlos Carpio/ Roundup

ART AFICIONADOS: (Clockwise) Young Prasad, Kristel Marquez and Samuel Rodriguez take a closer look at art work at Pierce Collegeʼs Annual Student Art Show on May 9 at the Art Gallery on the hill. The annual shows are organized by students in Art 519 ‒ Exhibition Design and the artworks are from Fall 2012 through Spring 2013.

Jasson Bautista/ Roundup

WINNER: Menʼs volleyball coach and former Pierce athlete, Lance Walker, was MVP and state champion in 2000 and now is a member of the CCCAA Hall of Fame.

Former athlete wins prestigious awards

First year coach wins coach of the year and enters hall of fame, while leading team to playo s

Typically, athletes work hard their whole careers in hope of becoming a member of the hall of fame after retirement; however, Lance Walker thought his profile picture would look a lot better without the graying hair and wrinkles.

At age 33, Walker is a newly-inducted member of the California Community College Hall of Fame and 2013 Coach of the Year recipient in his first season as head coach of the men’s volleyball team.

The award was announced on April 20, right before the championship game between Grossmont and Long Beach City Colleges.

“It’s humbling because they awarded me for being a good player and now they are saying, ‘hey here is your award for being a great coach’,” said Walker.

Walker joins a small group of coaches who have won coach of the year at Pierce College, but he stands alone as the only one to win this award and get inducted into the hall of fame in his first season within community colleges.

Andy Aguila, outside hitter for Pierce, wasn’t surprised at Walker’s awards since it was his leadership that led to such a successful season.

“We have been working hard all season, and he’s been pushing us to do better, advance our game and come together as a team,” said Aguila.

Since Walker’s junior year at North Hollywood High School, he hasn’t put the ball down yet as one can usually find him twirling around miniature volleyballs whenever he is relaxing in his office chair at Pierce.

However, Walker’s transformation into an elite player and coach wasn’t a smooth ride to the top.

“My first two years at Pierce didn’t look good,” said Walker. “My third year, I don’t know what happened. All of a sudden I just broke out.” He went from discovering his athleticism in the

2012-2013 ATHLETIC YEAR IN REVIEW

Female Athlete of the Year Male Athlete of the Year

Danetta Boykin- Women’s Volleyball Ryan Anderson- Swimming/Diver

Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Male Scholar Athlete of the Year

Lara Hagopian- Swimming 4.0 GPA Maxx Fledman- Baseball 3.8 GPA

WSC Champions

Women’s Volleyball

Women’s Water Polo Men’s Volleyball Men’s Baseketball

sport in high school, to red shirting his first year at Pierce, playing in his second year and helped Pierce in winning the 2000 state championship as the league’s most valuable player in his third year, while recording 68 kills in a single game.

Impressed, Pepperdine University snatched up Walker on a full scholarship to play opposite alongside fellow Pierce alumni Beau Daniels.

“I got lucky,” said Walker. “I have been real fortunate, Pepperdine has a really good program and a great coach in Marv [Dunphy].”

After Walker’s two year career at Pepperdine, he took his talents overseas to play eight years of professional volleyball in countries like Switzerland, Greece and South Korea. He was a member of the United States National Team during the 2003 World University Games, even though he was hardly called upon to perform.

“I was really a reserve, just in case somebody got injured, so I really didn’t play much,” said Walker. “It was still a great experience.”

Though Walker ended his first season as Pierce’s head coach on a high note by taking third in state rankings, he is still trying to take it one step at a time when it comes to the improvement of his volleyball team.

“We have a great coaching staff here,” said volleyball player Evan Bender. “They preach that it’s all about trying to get two percent better every day, that’s all you can hope for.”

With veterans like Bender, Daniel Williams, and Lucan Yanez transferring next year, new leaders have to step up and Walker feels as though Corey Pitt just might be the one.

Pitt redshirted last year to hone his game, so in his first actively playing season on the team he made All–Conference second team.

“He is progressing kind of like how I did when I was a player for three years,” said Walker. “He is really learning that situational thinking of what you can and can’t do with the ball. Hopefully he can get us back to state.”

Women’s Volleyball

Ryan Anderson- Diver State Champions

WSC Most Valuable Player

Danetta Boykin-Women’s Volleyball

Samantha Buliavac-Women’s Water Polo Lucas Yanez-Men’s Volleyball

National Coach of the Year

Nabil Mardini- Women’s Volleyball

State Coach of the Year

Nabil Mardini- Women’s Volleyball

WSC Coach of the Year

Moriah Van Norman-Women’s Water Polo Lance Walker-Men’s Volleyball

ATHLETIC CHARACTER AWARDS

Barbara AndersonFemale Award Winners

Briggite Kroetz-Swimming

Darby Schuett-Water Polo

Brittani Elser-Volleyball

Joy AlexisHubbard-Basketball Amaya-Softball

Janelle Topete-Soccer

Bob MaleLyons-Award Winners

Jared Breier-Swimming

Nick Arbuckle-Football

Dan CharlesWilliams-Volleyball

Honest-Basketball

Nick KevinMurphy-Baseball Nam-Tennis

eight week session: June 17-August 10

Bold

summer with Classes added 150

“My third year, I don’t know what happened. All of a sudden I just broke out.”

-Lance Walker Men’s volleyball coach

Lauren Holmes/Roundup lholmes.roundupnews@gmail.com