John Gutierrez / Roundup Director Gene Putnam of “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” written by Neil Simon, talks with cast members on stage before the start of the dress rehearsal on March 18 in the Performing Arts complex at Pierce College. The play premiers March 22.
The Work Environment Committee (WEC) proposed a tightening up Pierce College’s NonSmoking policy by designating parking lots 1 and 7 theas the only smoking areas, according to the minutes from their February meeting.
This tentative update would replace the “curb-to-curb” policy that made Pierce’s campus smokefree in Feb. 2010, according to a Pierce College News Alert release.
The new Non-Smoking policy areas have now been cut down to two specific areas of the campus’ parking lots: the public parking area of lot 1 and the area nearest to Victory Blvd. in parking lot 7.
Joseph Perret, professor of computer applications and office technologies, summarized the potential update’s effects.
“It basically bans smoking anywhere within the core of the campus,” said Joseph Perret, a member of the Pierce College Council. “I’d like to even see it banned from parking lots, just to
make it clearer to students that they can’t smoke.”
If the policy is updated, Pierce would also post signs that would identify areas that were once designated smoking places.
“They put up little sawhorses with temporary signs, but there are nosigns all over to indicate that there’s no smoking on campus,” Perretsaid. “We need signage on campus.”
The WEC stated to make this change in policy to help provide a campusenvironment that is healthy, clean and safe.
Margarita Pillado, chair of the WEC, served a key role in helping thePierce campus update its policy from the previous “curb-to-curb” non-smoking rule.
“This is a cultural change,” Pillado said. “Not just some policy for the school. We are taking steps to make our campus a cleaner, healthier environment.”
Because the policy is in compliance with city law, the LA City Attorney’s Office has the right to issue an absolute ban on smoking on campus if it is violated.
[See SMOKE, Page 3]
you get a discount,” Dominguez said.
Cloud computing –no software installation necessary.
Your email includes:
Los Angeles Community College District will deploy Outlook and other Microsoft web applications at Pierce College to standardize student emails, enable greater collaboration and provide students with 35GB of combined storage by this summer.
Joseph D. Perret, professor of Computer Applications and Office Technologies at Pierce, is happy with what Microsoft Outlook and SkyDrive will bring to students.
“Some of the benefits are calendaring, contacts and a to-do list,” Perret said.
The district will be sending emails to students’ personal email addresses on April 2 to inform them of the switch to the new student emails one last time.
Albert Saryan, supervising system and programming analyst for LACCD, provided an official list of what students will have access to through the system:
10 GB of email space.
25 GB of SkyDrive - cloud network drive to store documents, pictures and photos.
Online access to Microsoft products such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
The LACCD wants “a constant and reliable means of communication between the campuses and the students,” Saryan said.
Students are actively being issued email accounts, but the target date of the official launch is over the spring break, according to Saryan.
-10 GB of email space.
-25 GB of SkyDrive - cloud network drive to store documents, pictures and photos.
-Online access to Microsoft products such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
Also, don’t look for an “app for that.” Saryan definitively said there will be no mobile app for LACCD emails or web applications. He suggests students use whatever method they choose to access live.com to check email on the go.
Perret, who assisted with the new email system, agrees with the district wanting more control of student’s emails.
“Students are recalcitrant entering an email in the
Pierce College needs to improve on overall planning, student learning outcomes and internal cash control mechanisms according to findings from a team of educators who spent nearly a week on campus to make judgments on the institution’s performance and effectiveness.
The 11-member team’s visited last week is the latest step in a two-year-long process of reaffirming the college’s accreditation for the next six years.
The exit report was presented in the Great Hall March 14 to give closure to the visit and to give the accreditation team a platform to inform administration, faculty and staff of its members’ findings.
The three areas in the school’s institutional efforts that were given recommendations for refinement were determined after the group made trips to at least 30 classes and offices to interview
system and they change them frequently too,” Perret said.
The system currently hosts roughly 20,000 users daily across the nine LACCD campuses with a provision of 500,000 accounts, Saryan said.
Deandre Allen, 22, was surprised by the new student email but has a wish list of items he’d like to see it provide. “Grade percentage, syllabus, class notes… If they could make it into an app then it would probably be perfect for everybody,” Allen said.
Another student, Edith Dominguez, 20, does know about the new email and echoes another benefit not known by many.
“I heard about it because when I log in for your student information it says that you have a new email and I think it’s good because if you have a college email
students, faculty and staff according to Accreditation Team Chair Peter Garcia.
Coincidentally, Pierce President Kathleen Burke-Kelly said even before the team revealed their findings that the school’s overall planning could be one of the aspects singled out by the accreditation team.
“I think that our integrated planning process is still relatively new,” she said in an interview on March 12.
Still, Garcia seems confident in Pierce’s ability to take the recommendations in stride.
“This is a committed college that is doing the right work and seems to be in the right direction,” he said during the exit report. “We found not an angry, bitter college. What we heard was a college willing to make itself better.”
For the most part, Garcia, who spoke on behalf of the group for the exit report, gave compliments to Pierce.
[See ACCREDITATION, Page 3]
Indeed, free stuff and discounts abound with a student.laccd.edu address. Here is a handful of what students can get for using their school email:
Professional Microsoft design, development, server and certification software
AutoDesk design and development software
Prezi presentation and virtual whiteboard software Unlimited, free, two-day shipping from Amazon for six months
Save $25 for online orders at ATT and get discounts on mobile service
There are also students, however, who use one of the big free email services like Yahoo or Gmail and worry about having to check multiple places for important emails.
“I would really like if it would just forward to my normal email,” said 18-year-old student Oriel Sastiel.
To forward emails to Yahoo or Gmail easily, login to your student email, click “Options” then “See All Options” then “Forward your e-mail” on the right.
Perret recommends students leave a copy of the forwarded emails on their school server as a protection against accidental deletion.
[See EMAILS, Page 3]
RE: Quotes in “Accreditation committee evaluates Pierce College.”
Short stories: There is an ungrammatical formulation that renders the sentence pretty much unintelligible, and there is an inaccuracy about courses being accredited. I wouldn’t intend to say the latter – I know that courses are not accredited – and I hope I wouldn’t have formulated an ungrammatical sentence.
Here are the (alleged) errors:
1) “Accreditation is important to students because it enforces good health and validation to the school.”
a. I am confident I did not make this exact claim, which to me is not really a claim, since it is almost nonsensical.
2) “Courses that are accredited in this institution give students the chance to transfer to a four-year institution.” a. Courses are not accredited. I am confident I did not make this claim.
I’d like to support the students’ learning experiences, and do not wish them to feel unduly criticized. If I really did say these things (ouch!), then it’s good the students have a record to support their reporting.
Thank you, Mia Wood (associate professor of philosophy)
Editor’s Note: The Roundup checked the reporter’s notes and found that Mia Wood was misquoted in the story.
RE: Information in “Confusing campus needs more visible direct...”
I’d like to politely correct the erroneous information that was published in the opinion column of Issue 1 of the Roundup to ensure that students receive the most accurate information possible—which I know was the sincere intention the columnist of the opinion section.
These things need to be investigated in greater depth before this information (or any) is published; this seems to be a common trend with the Roundup over the past 5 years: misquoting individuals during interviews and stating incorrect information as fact.
Larry Kraus (Associate Vice President) has made provisions for approximately 2,000 double-sided black and white campus maps to be printed and made available to students at the information desk located on the first floor lobby area of the Student Services building. These maps have been available since the beginning of the Spring semester.
You are correct that one of the reasons why Pierce College no longer prints paper schedules of classes is because we are striving toward going green in efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and be more eco-friendly, but budget cuts are also a factor.
What I do think would be a good idea is if the college added a legend to the map with an explanation of what the abbreviations for the various buildings are, such as “EB”, so that students aren’t as confused.
Also, I feel that when Lauren declared that the college “eradicated” the catalogue there could have been a better choice of words, since it usually has a negative connotation (not that Pierce making printed class schedules no longer available isn’t frustrating or crummy).
I hope that the Roundup will make a collective effort to ensure that the information that they are publishing is as accurate as possible.
Thank you, Anthony J. Abates (Student Services)
Double thumbs up
Free tax prep is pleasant
A thumbs up to the Business Adminstration Department’s free tax preparation program for helping out lowincome families. The program also teaches student volunteers how to do tax preparation. Thanks for this service.
Thursday concerts are capital
These concerts allow students to see topnotch musicians perform first hand and hear a variety of different classical genres.
Vote in the weekly polls online
— Corrections —
In the “Club Rush hits the Mall” story on the front page, the Associated Students Organization is called the Academic Senate Organization. In the “Club Rush hits the Mall” story on the front page, Marieve Elliott’s name is spelled differently twice.
On page 3, the photo for the “Suspect identified” story was credited to Carlos Carpio, whereas it was actually taken by Kristen Aslanian.
On page 5, the caption for the photo in the “LA painter shows work in Art Gallery” names Monika Del Bosque as Monika Macias.
On page 2, the editorial cartoon is credited to Maria Salvador, whereas it was actually drawn by Austin Faber.
E
ven though Proposition 30 stopped some of the bleeding last Nov., federal sequestration stands to take $67 million more from Calif.’s budget for special education.In light of the recent budget cuts, Pierce College’s ten-year-old High School Outreach and Recruitment program’s team of 12 student workers was downsized to one staff member.
The Roundup understands the Los Angeles Community College District had the rug pulled from under it financially, and we feel showing potential what we have to offer would help Pierce in these times.
There’s one group in the community that needs us more than anyone else: high school students.
High school students are primarily the ones coming into Pierce and, according to a fall 2011 survey, 26 percent of Pierce students are under the age of 20.
Typically, right after graduating high school, new college students have some common questions like, “What classes do I need?” and, “Where should I transfer?”
Many high school students don’t get the guidance they need, and some don’t know what they want to study or what career they want to prepare for.
At about 18 years old, this is understandable.
A majority of high school students that go straight into a four-year colleges switch their majors more than once, or financial struggles keep them from finishing, leaving them academically stranded.
A recent survey conducted by classesandcareers.com revealed that the average undergraduate dropout rate at four-year colleges for freshmen is roughly 20 percent, and it’s rising.
This is where Pierce can help. Even though Pierce does offer classes at some high schools, more could be done.
The program could consider making presentations at local high schools, where student volunteers from Pierce could sit down with high school students and discuss what community colleges like Pierce could provide.
We have the resources. Pierce has bright, capable students who are familiar with the community college system and who can share their trials of re-evaluating important goals.
By facilitating discussion among Pierce and high-school students, we could widen the bridge and ease students’ transition into college. We could even create some bonds that could help students throughout their college career.
Community college is a beneficial in-between stage that could help any
student, even if they already have a plan laid out.
It offers more than just an opportunity to save money, but it could give high school students an encouraging and positive impression of community colleges.
If Pierce focuses on helping high school students successfully transition into college, we would be helping Pierce get through these rough times, too.
Pierce kicks smoking students beyond the curb
Opinion Roundup reporter
The mission of the LA Pierce College Work Environment Committee (WEC) is to deliver a clean, safe campus for people to work and learn and it seems the mission of campus smokers to muck it up.
For years Pierce coddled smokers with picnic tables, shelters and umbrellas just to have them go missing or disused by the very constituency they were designed to attract. But with the school’s new policy, smokers are shoved out of sight and smell to the dregs of only two campus parking lots. Campus smokers must now watch healthier people play tennis in parking lot 1 or pick a piece of chain link fence along the wash running behind parking lot 7 in
order to pollute their bodies and environment.
The bite of the law has been on the books since October 2011 when AB 795 was chaptered amending the Government Code. It gives Calif. schools the right to legally enforce smoke-free campus by-laws and punish recidivist campus smokers with fines up to $100 along with possible disciplinary action.
Records illustrate Pierce administrators have been asking nicely since 2008 for cooperation, but alas, the vile environmental abuse continues with the littering of tar-soaked cigarette butts, crushed cellophane exoskeletons, impotent lighters and stinking puffs of pretty death silently seeping through corridors and classrooms victimizing non-smokers.
The will to take on smokers exists on paper with minutes of meetings, motions, tighter policies and colorful signage.
Though, WEC records do show that recent enforcement of smoking bylaws and protection of the health of non-smokers on campus was
delayed by one semester because of an operations issue and that the lack of funds for use on the campus smoking policy reduced the fix to literal handiwork.
So, Pierce is not really the villain here, it’s the smokers.
One would think that red crosssectioned circles would abound on campus with the amount of money settled upon in 1998 by the tobacco industry – or that there would at least be enough money to fix the tickets that caused the enforcement delay.
Calif. is one of 46 state benefactors of a massive 1998 tobacco industry settlement supposedly earmarked for smoking cessation programs mostly in youth. Payments in 2012 to LA County totaled more than $87 million and exceed $1.3 billion since 1999.
Schools should have a lot more money on hand to establish successful tobacco prevention programs which an NIH article states is more effective than smoking cessation and designated smoking area policies. But schools face many challenges from their own government and
from the tobacco industry. The tobacco industry fights back consumer atrophy with surreptitiously sponsored bar events and brand merchandise targeted at college-aged coeds as noted in several CDC reports.
In fact, two studies referenced by the NIH spread 10 years apart show an increase in college-age smokers by more than 10 percent. Next, let’s talk money. The state of Calif. has pulled in almost $11 billion in annual payments from the tobacco company funded Master Settlement Agreement, but big money is quickly diverted and spent by big government without care or concern for its promised use.
Though Pierce should not lose focus on the real prize of smoking prevention, the long-overdue school policy of kicking existing smokers beyond the curb is much welcome news to the majority on campus who are non-smokers.
See other opinons on this topic at: theroundupnews.com
3/05 - BurglaryAn unknown suspect broke into the South Gym and stole $700 from an office.
3/11 - BurglaryA locker in the North Gym was burglarized between March 6 and 11.
3/12 - Miscellaneous IncidentA student who was backing out of a stall in Lot 1 bumped another student walking behind him.
3/13 - Petty TheftSomebody stole the catalytic convertor off a truck in the staff parking of Lot 7 between noon and 4 p.m.
Event to answer “Why Nations Fail”
Pierce College professors will explore why nations eventually fail in a discussion event in the Great Hall on March 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. Pierce professors specializing in history, political science, economic, sociology and philosophy will be present to answer questions from students and present their ideas. The event is organized by the Business and Economics Student Association.
Tutoring department reaps from Proposition 30 passage
The tutoring department has recently hired new tutors after it received $50,000 funding from Proposition 30, according to Crystal Kiekel, director of the Center for Academic Success. Students interested in working for the Tutoring Center can start by volunteering this semester before moving on to getting a paid tutoring job next semester. Kiekel also said that Pierce is hiring interns to help assist faculty and tutor their students. In order to be considered for positions, students must have an A in the subject they plan on teaching.
Free HIV tests for HIV/AIDS Awareness Week
The campus is offering free HIV testing for HIV/AIDS Awareness Week, which takes place until March 27. Results can be picked up in less than half an hour after testing. Additionally, the Student Health Center will be giving out free condoms.
[SMOKE continued from pg. 1]
As of now, no citations have been issued, according to Perret.
Only the campus’ sheriffs can issue citations and fines if violations are broken, but ultimately it is up for the Pierce community to spread the word about the policy in order for it to properly be enforced.
“If we can be good citizens and inform the community about the policy, we can make a change” Pillado said.
Perret expressed his support of the new policy.
“I am 100 percent behind the no- smoking policy. There’s no reason to smoke in an educational environment,” Perret said. “We’re smart people, we shouldn’t smoke. If we do, then we need to figure out how to stop.”
Read an opinion story on the proposed smoking policy on pg. 2
-Joseph Perret Professor of Computer Applications and Office Technologies
[EMAIL continued from pg. 1]
Get rid of the interview blues
The Career and Transfer Center is hosting “Ace the Interview,” a workshop aimed at assisting students with the interview process, Thursday from 1 to 2 p.m. in the CTC Workshop Room located on the first floor of the Student Services building.
Career workshop gives a helping hand
A workshop on professions, resources and opportunities that help others will take place Wednesday from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Career and Transfer Center Workshop Room located on the first floor of the Student Services building. The workshop, which is hosted by the CTC, is for anyone interested in working in schools, making a difference, helping the community and people around them and social justice.
Reminder
Don’t forget that March 28, which kicks off spring break, is a non-instructional day. Spring break goes from March 29 to April 5. The Student Health Center will be closed for the duration of spring break.
The Roundup will not have a print issue during spring break. Check theroundupnews.com for campus coverage during the break.
[
With SkyDrive cloud storage, one may upload files from anywhere and access them from anywhere simply by logging into an account. Students will be able to create multiple Outlook calendars and set the privacy on each calendar separately. They are set to private by default.
Student email accounts will remain be deactivated after two missed terms, according to Saryan. “The email account is provided to students who have active enrollment.” he said.
“We’ve come to know you. We’ve come to have a sense that the Brahma spirit is alive here. This is a good college doing really good work with students,” Garcia said. “The most frequent phrase [heard during the interviews was]. ‘I love this place. It’s like home.’”
In addition to the three recommendations, Garcia imparted several commendations to the faculty, staff and administration present during the exit report--an agreeable college climate and culture, the success of the Summer Bridge Program, and an improved library website, to name a few.
Paula Paggi, head of the library department, says that the new library website was discussed during her interview with team member Kim Morrison.
“We were really excited [when the website was recognized],” Paggi said.
Now that the visit is over, the team will be reporting their findings in an evaluation report to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. The ACCJC, in turn, will be meeting in June in order to discuss how to move forward with the accreditation status of Pierce.
The college will be notified of any additional apprehension to the way the school is being run, as well as whether or not Pierce will be reaffirming their accreditation, according to an email circulated by Burke-Kelly following the exit report.
In the meantime, Pierce will continue making
improvements to its system, said Mia Wood, faculty accreditation coordinator.
“It never ends,” she said. “What we try to do is integrate [the recommendations] into existing procedure.”
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mission College, another LA Community College District school that was visited by an accreditation team this March, was found to have issues with “significant gaps sometimes between policy and practice” because its leadership has been turned over so many times, according to Michael Rota, the accreditation team chair.
“It’s hard to maintain continuity and quality with that level of turnover,” Rota said in a video recording of Mission College’s accreditation team’s exit report.
Other recommendations made to Mission College also include putting in place an appeal process for student discipline and program review or assessment of their student learning outcomes.
Pierce and LA Mission College, along with LA Valley College, were the three LACCD campuses that were visited by accreditation teams this year. LA Harbor College, LA Southwest College and West LA College, on the other hand, were visited by teams last year; while all three reaffirmed their accreditation, Harbor and Southwest were put on probation and West LA was issued a warning.
The next set of visits--for East LA College, LA CIty College and LA Trade-Tech College--will take place in 2015.
“ I am 100 percent behind the no- smoking policy. There’s no reason to smoke in an educational environment. We’re smart people. We shouldn’t smoke. If we do, then we need to figure out how to stop. .”
e Roundup was able to get access to the nearly-completed 89,000-squarefoot Library and Learning Crossroads on Tuesday, March 18. It will be open to students on April 10, with the move from the current library taking place over spring break.
Faculty and sta are invited to take part in guided tours o ered on April 9 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tours will be hosted at 9 and 11 a.m. and 1 and 3 p.m.
The Library and Learning Crossroads (LLC) is set to open its doors to students as the new Pierce College library, with the move taking place throughout spring break, according to Library Department Chair Paula Paggi.
The building officially opens on April 10, with both libraries to be closed during spring break.
Library services will not be available to students for the day before the break, March 27, as well as two days after the break, April 8 and 9.
“We tried to make as little impact as possible,” Paggi said. “We sent an email out to all instructors and admin[istrators] about this to try and have people make their assignments due around that.”
Though the physical services the library provides will not be available, all online databases will still be operating, according to Paggi.
The bond to build the LLC was awarded on Jan. 15, 2010 to the amount of $40 million, according to BuildLACCD, the Los Angeles Community College District’s sustainable building program.
The 89,000-square-foot building was “designed and built to achieve high performance in sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality,” according to the Bernards, one of the architect firms that worked on the project.
Some of the sustainable features of the LLC include an underground storm water collection tank and skylights for natural lighting, according to Ed Cadena, project deputy director of the Swinerton Management Team.
The entrance to the building is at the top of a 26-step staircase, which also has some open space for students on spring break.
“You can contemplate a few students hanging around on these large steps here,” Cadena said. “Maybe not in the heat of the summer, but possibly on a cooler day.”
The top of the stairs gives students an “amazing view” of the campus, according to Cadena.
The inside of the LLC will contain twice the number of group study rooms–five of which will be reservable 24 hours in advance–twice the number of open access computers, 145 study carrels with working electrical outlets, Wi-Fi that works throughout the building and a classroom for library instruction separate from lab computers.
“Now [students] will be able to stay at the lab because we’ll have a classroom for all the instruction, which is really, really nice,” Paggi said.
The building will also have two copy tech rooms with color printers, 13 more toilets for men’s and women’s bathrooms and hold all the bookstacks on one floor rather than three.
“It’s going to be easy to sit and be near your stacks where you can access the information you want to look at,” Paggi said. “Right now you have to go down to horrible areas to find them.”
There will also be a special services room where
resources for students with disabilities will be kept.
“I’m really excited about it,” Paggi said.
Additionally, a new employee will be joining the library staffs ranks.
“We’re quite thrilled with that because we’d like to get a digital librarian to help maintain for distance ed[ucation] and website upkeep,” Paggi said.
Aside from the new building, new parking will be available as construction on the LLC winds down.
“The area fenced off for the contractors [in parking lot 7] will be removed this week, and so that parking will be open next week,” Cadena said.
Only the Learning Crossroad’s second floor, which houses the library, and the courtyard will be open on April 10, with the rest of the building still to be completed.
The first floor is to contain the Center for Academic Success, Distance Education and Service Learning, the Faculty Staff Resource Center, and an open computing lab, according to a previous article by the Roundup news.
“Its being programmed for occupancy over the summer at this point,” Cadena said.
Also planned to be on the first floor will be the food court, which will also still be unfinished.
“The food court will not open at the same time [as the library],” Paggi said. “It will open soon, but not yet.”
With all the money that went into the library, Paggi hopes it is not abused by the student population
“I hope the students recognize that this is a place for them and treat it with respect,” Paggi said. The hours for the LLC will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the same as the current library.
Increasing numbers of students from abroad help make Pierce College an ethnically-vibrant campus, matching a 20-year trend in other community colleges across the state.
One Pierce student who reflects this diversity is Shelly Ann Jagroop, a 22-year-old psychology major from Chaguanas, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Jagroop recalls her childhood flying kites, playing hide-andseek, fishing with cousins and schoolmates and eating mangoes, guavas, coconuts and tangerines.
“One of my favorite childhood memories has to be playing in my grandfather’s huge garden with all my cousins,” she said. “It was more like a mini jungle and we would climb every tree, play games and eat all the fruits.”
Jagroop is a middle child flanked by brothers eight years her junior and senior. Her elder halfbrother came to the United States and then helped the family follow sooner than they expected.
“There were certain gangs and people that targeted my father because we owned businesses,” she said. “Threats to kidnap my brother and I were made. There were bombs thrown at our house.”
Right after graduating high school at 18, Jagroop and her family moved to the U.S. to begin a new life. She currently lives in Santa Clarita, Calif. with her father, mother and younger brother.
“In Trinidad, not only are you familiar with most places, but also with most people. And in the U.S. it’s very big and there is so much diversity,” she said.
The International Student Admission actively seeks to add to the enrollment number of international students like Jagroop. There are currently 157 international students at Pierce,
according to Abigail Sandico, director of the ISA.
The ISA gives prospective students reasons to attend Pierce, such as a high transfer rate to universities within the state, campus safety, a glamorous location and pleasant weather, according to their website materials.
Jagroop said she “felt very safe, even after night classes” on campus and agrees that the standard of education at Pierce is “very high.”
Jagroop said that it’s difficult for her to connect with some people in the U.S. and although she is not a member of the International Students Club, she gets why such clubs are important.
“My biggest struggle has to be repeating myself to people, because not a lot of people understand my
accent at first,” she said.
The ISC has roughly 40 active members in the group this semester, while their website notes more than 125 members and thousands who successfully achieved their goals, according to Kameni Ngahdeu, the current president of ISC.
“I think Pierce satisfies the needs of international students,” Jagroop said “Through clubs and events they have a chance to socialize and have found an identity.”
Nelson Funes, a domestic student taking a political science class, sees the camaraderie firsthand.
“About 90 percent of my class is international students,” he said. “They talk a lot between themselves.”
After three years of community college, Jagroop is looking forward
Sponsored by ASO
to her transfer to Regent University in Virginia, but muses her time at Pierce.
“What I will take from my experience is definitely my academic success but also the faculty, counselors, and students who have helped me throughout,” Jagroop said. “Pierce definitely made me focus and has reignited my passion for learning and pursuing my goals.” Despite some jarring experiences, Jagroop is a proud delegate of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
“Trinidad and Tobago’s culture is very big, rich and diverse. It will blow your mind,” she said. “From the beaches to the people and our world-renowned carnival celebration, the fun will never end.”
Performing at the Comedy Store in Hollywood was all that a young Denise Robb was expecting, but things took an unexpected turn when Robin Williams showed up to perform as well.
“Robin Williams is next door!” yelled an audience member during Robb’s performance. That’s when everyone, including Robb, left her show to watch Williams’.
That was almost 20 years ago. Before she was teaching Political Science at Pierce College, she was a stand-up comedian.
She was a young actress who had a funny side to her. Taking up an opportunity at an open mic night she wrote up some material and opened the door to the beginning of her comedy world.
It was in her early 20s that she began doing stand-up across the country, touring with several other comedians.
“I was just looking to make extra money,” Robb said. “Then I was booking things across the country and some work on television.”
Robb has performed in Alaska, New York, Seattle, and even made her w2ay out of the country to places like Canada.
One of her performances was for a television show called “Comedy Time” at the legendary Ice House in Pasadena, Calif.
The Ice House is the oldest standup comedy club in the country.
“You have to be really good to perform here,” said Barbara Corry, an employee of the Ice House. “Anybody who is anybody has passed through those doors.”
Some other comics who have performed at the Ice House include Robin Williams, Jay Leno and George Lopez. “Comedy is fun but it’s not a stable life unless you’re young,” Robb said. “I like my regular life now. It’s more meaningful.”
Robb describes some comedians as depressed and miserable.
“I would get lonely because I would always be on the road and would only hang out with comedians,” she said. For the full story, visit theroundupnews.com.
Vice
“Joining
- Bernard Hanamichi Debate Club vice presidentThe club was founded this spring, and has about five to six club members.
Sence Pammit, a 20-yearold psychology major at Pierce, is one of the few members the club has.
“We are hoping to input new members into the club,” said Pammit. “Because it is so new, it is up to us to make it our own.”
President James Depaolo, the Debate Club’s founder, hosts a radio show called “And Another Thing” at Pierce’s online radio station, KPCRadio.com every Monday at 11:00 a.m.
Club members said that they couldn’t think of a better man to be the club’s president. Iqra Hamid, 20, said she was likely to join the club if she had more time.
“It seems interesting enough to join,” said Hamid. “I think it would help me articulate ideas better because I have a problem doing that, it could allow me to express myself.”
The club is currently in the process of finding a room to host meetings in.
Club 411
“Joining this club would definitely help you to express yourself better and build up communication skills.”
The Pierce College Theater Department will be presenting its first production of the semester in the Performing Arts Complex from March 22 to 31.
Written by Neil Simon, “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” is based on the Sid-Caesar-like character Max Prince, star of “Your Show of Shows,” a weekly comedy show that aired during the early 1950s.
“Laughter on the 23rd Floor” became a Broadway hit in 1993 and ran for almost a year with 320 performances before it was turned into a movie in late 2001.
“The play’s comedy is similar to a moder-day ‘30 Rock’ or ‘Saturday Night
Live,’” said Michael Sande, managing director of the play.
Eric Mello will be taking on the lead role of Prince, his debut performance at Pierce.
“I heard about the play through some friends and Backstage Magazine and decided to try out for it,” said Mello.
He originally auditioned for the character of Ira, but got cast for the role of Max, which he was really happy about.
“When I found out Pierce was putting on this play I had to try out for it. Neil Simon is one of my favorites,” Mello said.
As the Theater Department receives production money from the district, a majority of proceeds are raised by ticket sales to help fund the department to produce plays throughout the year, according to Sande.
ONLINE REGISTRATION BEGINS APRIL 3
The production of “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” is directed by Gene Putnam, who has directed numerous Neil Simon plays during the 17 years he dedicated to Pierce before retiring two years ago.
The play already has one sold-out show, thanks to 300 dedicated subscribers and 417 Facebook followers to the four plays they put on throughout the year.
“Pierce puts on great plays. I’m familiar with Neil Simon. He’s [laugh-out-loud] funny. My friends and I are definitely going,” said art student Malinda Para after reading a flyer for the show.
Tickets for “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” are priced at $12 for students and seniors, and $15 for general admission.
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Showtimes for “Laughter on the 23rd Floor”
Friday, March 22 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 23 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 24 at 2 p.m.
Friday, March 29 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 30 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 31 at 2 p.m.
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PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION (300 HOURS)
MASSAGE THERAPIST CERTIFICATION (600 HOURS)
ESTHETICIAN LICENSE (600 HOURS)
NAIL TECHNICIAN LICENSE (400 HOURS)
After a rough start, Pierce College’s baseball team delivered its first conference blowout game of the season, beating the visiting Ventura College on Saturday March 16, 15-4.
Ventura was undefeated in conference games until Pierce stepped up to the plate with back-
to-back wins against them in the same week as Pierce’s first victory came on March 14, winning 5-2.
Under head coach John Bushart, this is Pierce’s first time in the same conference as Ventura.
Last year, they played each other only in nonconference games.
“We were about .500 [against Ventura],” said Bushart. “We probably won as many as we lost against them; they are a good team with a good
The softball team is coming off a losing streak in their doubleheader against Allan Hancock on Thursday, March 14. Pierce lost the first game 11-3 and the second game 8-0. Pierce’s pitching struggled throughout both games. Most of the damage was done within the first four innings in both games. These defeats push Pierce’s losing streak to three games.
Pierce’s next game will be a doubleheader at Ventura on Thursday. The game’s will be at 1 and 3 p.m., respectively.
program.”
Even though the first inning was evenly matched at one run a piece, Pierce was able to pick up the pace and create a comfortable lead.
“I think our team is finally finding ways to win,” said Eric Bloom, one of Pierce College’s assistant coaches.
For the full story, visit theroundupnews.com
A promising beginning to the Pierce College men’s volleyball team season was disrupted in a sweep, 3-0, during their visit to El Camino College on Friday, Pierce looked to extend their three-game winning streak as they faced off against another undefeated conference team, but they were bested each set.
“We just didn’t come mentally prepared,” said Frankie Manes, Pierce’s libero. “I think that was one of the biggest things.”
Although Pierce did not win a single set, they still kept the game relatively close.
“When you have two really good teams going at it, you may only get two, maybe three opportunities to take advantage and get ahead,” said Lance Walker, Pierce’s head coach.
El Camino won the first set 2125 with a four-point cushion.
The second set ended with the matches biggest gap in points at 1925, and the final set held the closest margin at 22- 25.
“We never had control of the match. They were ahead the entire time,” Walker said. “They were doing whatever they wanted to us.”
Pierce’s offense, typically energetically driven, didn’t seem themselves Friday night said Manes.
“They were fighting a lot harder
than we were to hold the lead,” said Manes. “We were just kind of going through the motions.”
In an hour and nine minutes El Camino defended their home court to push their win streak to four games and halted Pierce’s streak at three games.
“We were a little frazzled coming in, we were kind of rushed to start the game,” said Pierce’s middle blocker Dan Williams. “We didn’t have a really good warm up that’s for sure.”
Winning six out of their last seven games, El Camino dominated with the help of their opposite hitter Matthew Pimblett who averages almost three kills per set.
“They did a lot of things different than what we scouted,” said Williams. “Their middles did a lot of good work, we didn’t scout that.”
This is El Camino’s sixth match they have swept their opponents this season, including non-conference games.
Despite the loss, Williams isn’t depleted and feels even more motivated to have a great season.
“We know that we are not number one and that means there is someone to beat,” said Williams. “I like trailing behind; they are number one so now I am going to get that.”
Pierce comes will host a visiting Moorpark College on Thursday to begin a two-game home stand.
MeeganThe tennis team is on a nine game losing streak. Their only win this season was in their first match against Orange Coast. Since then, Pierce has only won an invitanional and lost the rest of their matches.
The Brahmas played in Fresno in an invitational after a quarrelsome match against Glendale, in which two Pierce tennis players were almost ejected. Their next game will ve against undefeated first-place Ventura on Thursday, March 21 at 2 p.m.
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UI&U is fully accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association (www.ncahlc.org, 800.621.7440)
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