Volume 118 Spring 2013 Roundup Issue 5

Team cheerful after win

cutbacks in order to maintain their program.

Pierce College’s year-old Elite Cheer Team cartwheeled into first place at the JAMfest National Series, a two-day cheer and dance competition in Long Beach, Calif., just over a week ago.

The team’s victory came as a surprise to cheerleader Roshanda DuQuesnay, who said the team struggled with a lack of execution on the competition’s first day.

“I was shocked,” DuQuesnay said. “It was completely unexpected. The first day was really hard, but the fact that we were able to pull through it and get the win is amazing.”

The 15-member cheer competition team was first formed in the spring of 2012 by coach Jenny Ghiglia.

Ghiglia said she started the team because she wanted to show that cheer is around to support all the sports and give cheerleaders at Pierce a chance to compete.

“I wanted to do this as a way to give the kids who work hard the chance to compete,” Ghiglia said. “I also wanted to do this to get the name of Pierce out to maybe recruit kids to the program and also help the teams around Pierce.”

Both parts of Pierce’s cheer program, the competition and the team that cheers at sports events, had to go through

For instance, in the summer of 2011, the cheer team went from being a part of the athletics department—which funds Pierce’s sports teams—to being part of the physical education department.

When the program was on the verge of being cut two years ago, Shilo Nelson, physical education department chair, fought to keep the program.

“Nelson came up huge for us,” said Ghiglia, who has been coaching at Pierce for 12 years. “Without his help and without his support, we would not exist.”

Although the cheer team was able to keep their program, the amount of time they get for instruction has been cut back. Up until the spring 2012 semester, the cheer team had six hours of instruction during fall for football games and three hours for spring.

“It’s really hard not being able to be given the time we need,” Ghiglia said. “There is so much chemistry involved with having a cheer program. It takes time and a lot of effort to make sure everyone is on cue. . . by the time football season begins, we are unprepared.”

The cheerleading team has been getting help from outside sources, including the Simi Valley Cheer Force, to get necessary equipment such as spring mats.

In addition, Marwin Lopez and Zack Harris of the Simi Valley Cheer Force have been providing dance instruction and choreography to help the Brahmas succeed in competition.

“Simi Valley Cheer Force has been huge,” Ghiglia said.

The Brahmas’ elite cheer squad placed second in a competition in Las Vegas, Nev. before coming in first place at JAMfest, which has been their third competition in less than a year.

The Brahmas’ first tournament win came after they bounced back from opening the tournament on shaky ground, but squad member Adrienne Willis said Ghiglia gave the team advice that helped them seize victory on the competition’s second day.

“She told us that we could hit stunts,” Willis said. “We just had to work hard and shake off the first day jitters.”

Following the victory, the competition team is preparing for next month’s JAMfest Nationals Series in Las Vegas, where the team placed second a year ago.

Cheerleader Andrea Henderson says there is still more to do before they head out in April.

“We’re going to have to step it up. We’re going to have to increase the difficulty on our stunts and practice harder. If we do that, we can win first place,” Henderson said.

Board of Trustees reallocates reserve funds to colleges District divides $10 million among the nine colleges to keep colleges running

some of the programs that we had cut back on in the pre-Proposition 30 days,” Abu-Ghazaleh said.

The Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees approved a nearly $10 million increase in funding for its nine schools at its Wednesday meeting.The funds will account for 2.5 percent of the LACCD’s Contingency reserve, according to the meeting’s agenda, according to the meetings agenda.

Mona Field, former president of the Board, said she is cautiously optimistic.

“You can safely say things are getting better, but I don’t think it’s enough yet,” Field said.

Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh, president of West Los Angeles College, said this fiscal adjustment will allow the colleges to again offer services that were cut back.

“This will allow the colleges now to start growing our offerings and to start rebuilding

Although Proposition 30 passed last Nov. and kept school’s state funding from plummeting, the Board’s Second Vice President Nancy Pearlman said the reallocation of funds isn’t directly connected.

“Proposition 30 gave us enough money so that we didn’t have to make more drastic cuts. It is not a long-term solution,” Pearlman said.

Proposition 30 was a relatively close call at the polls, and Abu-Ghazaleh said the LACCD put away some money before the votes were

tallied.

“Last year, we were in very difficult fiscal times,” Abu-Ghazaleh said. “The Board chose to increase our budget reserves at the district level to make sure that, if Proposition 30 did not pass, there would be sufficient reserves to keep our colleges operating.”

Field said that the Board’s goal is to get as much money as possible to the colleges.

“These funds will basically help us operate at a manageable level,” said Abu-Ghazaleh. “It also means that we can start looking at some of the students success programs, and maintenance issues

that we have been skimping on.”

LACCD schools are also looking into hiring full-time faculty, according to AbuGhazaleh.

“There will be more student access when it comes to classes, and student services like counseling, tutoring, financial aid and staff,” said Field. “All the things that they were squeezing and cutting back, we can now enhance again hopefully to enough.”

The conservative approach the Board took to addressing the budget cuts helped the District get through some difficult years, according to Abu-Ghazaleh.

“Our colleges are always in need of dollars, and we don’t want to cut classes,” Pearlman said. We want to be sure that people can get the classes they need to get through the programs fast and efficiently. “We need to be able to do proper maintenance and operations.”

[See FUNDS, Page 3]

A free tax-preparation service will be hosted twice a week on Pierce’s campus until two days before the mid-April tax-filing deadline.

As a member of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, Pierce welcomes anyone who makes $51,000 or less to receive help preparing their income tax returns from the volunteerbased service, according irs.gov.

The service, hosted by the Pierce College Business Administration Department, is offered twice a week in Business 3218 until April 13.

“It’s free. The state provides state materials and the IRS provides the federal stuff,” Assistant Professor of Business Administration Robert Foster said. “It’s ideal for single moms and students.”

The Business Department, the IRS, and the California Franchise Tax Board have worked together for nearly 40 years to provide this service to LA residents.

To get your taxes prepared for free:

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance is offering free tax preparation to families with annual incomes of $50,000 or less every Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. in BUS 3218. Services end on April 13.

For more info:

Robert Foster: 818-710-4397

David Braun: 818-719-6479

California State University, Northridge’s Business Department is also a VITA member, but the program limits its volunteers to university business students.

Foster and his team of IRScertified tax-preparers includes students studying tax preparation as well as community volunteers working together to ensure that clients’ taxes are prepared by the April 15 deadline.

Some of the preparers were in the beginning stages of preparing their taxes, but there were also preparers who had volunteered themselves, some having years of experience with VITA.

“Once the student prepares the taxes, they get the tax return checked by one of our experienced volunteers,” Business Department Chair David Braun said. “They check to make sure that the student has done everything exactly the way it needs to be done”

Clients are asked to bring their W-2s and supply personal information so the preparers can thoroughly coach their clients through all of the details to ensure the largest refund possible.

[See TAX, Page 3]

Mohmmad Djauhari / Roundup

ELITE MOVES: Andrea Lavine, Kristin Vasoyan, Julio Alanya, and Jamell Anderson practice their routine for an upcoming competition in the North Gym on March 24.

Governor’s plan puts pupils in poor

position

Ten things to do during spring break

What to do in your downtime around LA area next week 90-unit cap hurts students

The passing of Proposition 30 staved off massive budget cuts and served as a victory for students against attacks on their quality of education.

Chris Alvizuris/Roundup calvizuris.roundupnews@gmail.com

Nick McNamara nmcnamara.roundupnews@gmail.com

But the threat has resurfaced with Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal of a 90-unit cap for the community college system.

The governor’s proposed cap would make students who have 90 or more units no longer eligible for state-subsidized tuition for community colleges.

This would bump up the cost of education in the community college system from $46 per unit to around $190 per unit for these students.

But surely this is a minor issue that does not affect a great number of students, right?

Wrong.

An estimated 120,000 community college students in California have more than 90 units, according to the Los Angeles Times.

This exemplifies the situation plaguing the community college system in California: the transition of community colleges into quick transfer colleges.

Along with the punitive three attempt policy, the 90-unit cap is just the latest in a line of policies that aims to push students to transfer or drop out of higher education if they cannot afford the cost.

While the cap might be effective in gathering a little bit of revenue from those who are willing to pay the higher price and possibly opening up classes for students with fewer units, many people would fall by the way-side.

California has the highest poverty rating in the nation, at 23.5 percent according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

These students and the many other students who are struggling to get by but are not considered to be below the poverty line cannot be expected to be capable of paying full tuition.

Additionally, this plan is not in line with the original California Master Plan for Higher Education.

The master plan put emphasis on providing California students with a quality education, tuition free, which gave Californians the possibility of life long learning in the community college system.

Past generations benefited from great investment in their education, but now funding is dwindling and our opportunities are slipping away.

Community college should be a place where young, undecided students can find their career interests, older students can return to school and pursue a new career, and higher education can be provided to those who cannot afford four-year universities.

The 90-unit cap would counteract this and pull a big part of the community out of community colleges.

This is the students’ education, and the students should not accept the ever-expanding limits and caps put on their education.

Thumbs up & thumbs down

Student tutors are stupendous WiFi woes are without end

A thumbs up to the student tutors on campus.

Students who need extra help with their classes can seek out the tutors from their ads posted in the library, free of charge to the students.

Thank you for your assistance and for giving a helping hand to fellow Brahmas.

A thumbs down to the WiFi on campus, which is still difficult to connect to. There has been a lot of talking about improving connection, but the wireless internet remains a problem. We hope the situation will improve soon, and perhaps it will with the new library opening.

— Corrections —

Volume 118 - Issue 4

Anthony J. Abate, not ‘Abates’, sent the second letter to the editor.

Volume 118 - Issue 3

In the “Accreditation committee evaluates Pierce College” story on the front page, it is the school that is accredited, not the courses.

With spring break beginning on March 29, here are 10 things to do in Los Angeles on a college student’s budget. This list was made to accommodate those who prefer to stay within a reasonable distance from Pierce College.

1. Visit the Santa Monica Pier and beach

Santa Monica Pier offers great food, games and roller coasters. It is less than three blocks away from the famous Third Street Promenade, which offers great restaurants and shopping. With a young and hip crowd, you can go soak up a nice tan on the beach or grab a drink at any of the nearby bars. You can even find cheap surf rentals that charge around $35 a day. For more information, visit santamonicapier.org.

2. Sit in on a live recording

Attend one of your favorite TV shows as an audience member. On-Camera Audience offers free tickets to attend popular television shows and sitcoms such as “Chelsea Lately” and “American Idol.” You can find tickets and more information at mytvtickets.com.

3. Test the nightlife

Head to Hollywood to be a part of the attractive crowds that attend the numerous clubs, lounges and bars. With cover charges ranging from free to $20, you can find a great time dancing the night away at Supper Club or laughing through some comedy at the Laugh Factory.

4. Go hiking

Hiking is a great way to get outdoors and work on that beach body you have been dreaming of. With beautiful landscapes and beautiful weather, pay nothing to go out and explore. Some popular destinations include Elysian Park, Runyon Canyon, Griffith Park and Escondido Canyon. Most trails range anywhere between two and five miles.

5. Visit the Getty Museum

The Getty Center, located off the 405 near Sunset Blvd., and the Getty Villa, located in Malibu, have become some of the largest attractions in California. Both museums are free with a simple $15 parking fee. Roam through the property to gaze at the amazing artwork, photographs and exhibits and taste diverse food inside. For tickets and more information, go to getty.edu.

6. Take a romantic scenic drive

Stretching from the 101 to the 405 freeways, Mulholland Drive, a 21-mile long scenic route, offers some of the greatest views in Los Angeles with breathtaking landscapes. Take a date and drive through the winding roads as you share the priceless views together.

7. Attend a sports game

If you’re a sports fan, head to the Staples Center in downtown LA. Watch the city’s finest teams go head-to-head against their rivals in the heart of LA. With basketball and hockey still in season, you can watch the Lakers, Clippers or Kings play up close. Ticket prices average around $45 to $60.

8. Go to the Dodger’s Opening Day

Head to Dodger Stadium on Monday, April 1 to watch the Dodgers go against the San Francisco Giants on their Opening Day. Game starts at 1:10 p.m. and tickets go for about $80 on stubhub. com. Watch some of the best collection of superstars on their rosters show off their skills for the kick off of their season.

9. Go Shopping

Head down the Valley’s main street, Ventura Boulevard, to see all the hip boutiques. Whether you’re looking to get some shop therapy in your day or just looking for a outfit for the night out, Ventura Blvd. is the place to be. Drive from Woodland Hills to Studio City and your guaranteed to see something that will catch your eye.

10. Eat good food

For all those following the “foodie” trend, check out the Kogi BBQ food truck! It’s Korean BBQ to-go in a different form. They’re famous for serving amazing barbecue inside their tacos and burritos, a feature rarely found in Asian food. It’s cheap and delicious and drives all around the valley. To see their menu or to see where the truck is going to be on any given day, go to their website at kogibbq. com.

Illustration by Maria Salvador/Roundup

News Briefs

Application deadline extended

The deadline to run for a position with Pierce College’s Associated Student Organization has been extended until Wednesday, according to its website. There is a $300 campaign budget for all candidates running in the spring 2013 elections, and a forum will be held on April 15 in the Great Hall for students. Open offices include student government president, council president, vice president, and treasurer. Application forms are available on the ASO’s website, pierceaso.webs.com.

Caps and gowns for sale and rent

Students can purchase or rent caps and gowns for the Spring 2013 commencement in the college bookstore through April 30.

Spring break begins

The campus will be closed for a non-instructional day on Thursday, March 28, and spring break starts the day after through April 5. The Student Health Center will be closed during the break.

“I’m going to try to make it easy for the people. The people we’re helping are supposed to be poor, [so] we’re helping the community,” said Hugh Laughlin, a volunteer of 22 years.

The clients are seen on a first-come-first-served basis due to the limited space and amount of volunteers, and should expect the tax preparation process take about an hour

VITA volunteers focus on providing quality services for the community and their goal is also to help as many people as possible each tax season.

Since the program started over 35 years ago, Pierce students and volunteers have prepared over 15,000 tax

[FUNDS, continued from Page 1]

Abu-Ghazaleh said students can stop worrying about their school’s budget.

“Now we are starting to see signs of a rising economy, which brings with it a rise in community college funding,” said Abu-Ghazaleh. “So we have to start thinking on how to build the programs so that they are there when we can start serving more students again.“

Summer schedule available

The Summer 2013 schedule is now available on piercecollege.edu, according to Pierce’s Facebook page. One hundred new classes have been added to the schedule. Returning students can register starting April 15.

Art contest accepting entries Pierce student art contest “Untitled Philosophical Reflections No. 13: Art Is...” is accepting entries until May 13. The first place winner will be awarded a cash prize and a showcase in Icebox Journal, an online publication. Visit iceboxjournal.com for more information, or email iceboxjournal@gmail.com.

Sheriffʼs Blotter

Incident Report

March 13 - March 22

3/13 -- Student warning -- A male student was warned after touching female students inappropriately at around 4 p.m. in the North Gym.

3/18 -- Student incident -- A student was caught smoking marijuana by the lunch truck in front of the South Gym at around 12:30 p.m.

 Free Transfer Assessment

The Roundup will not be publishing a print issue over spring break. Go to theroundupnews.com for up-to-date coverage.

returns for LA residents,

The service is on its way to helping more than 300 families with their tax returns, many of whom are returning clients..

“It will be my second year coming here. I know it’s reliable and a good service so it’s trustworthy,” Anastasia Smirnoff, a client, said.

VITA is open to the public and meets in BUS 3218 Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m. until April 13, 2013.

For more information about the VITA Program at Pierce, contact Robert Foster at 818-710-4397 or David Braun at 818-719-6479.

Proposed budget outlines 90unit cap for subsidizing students

Gov. Brown’s proposal a ects community colleges

Michaia Hernandez / Roundup mhernandez.roundupnews@gmail.com

The number of units community college students can take to receive subsidy from the state’s General Fund will be limited if Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal for the 2013-14 fiscal year gets approved by the California legislature.

Were Brown’s proposed budget to be approved before its June 15 deadline, students with more than 90 units—30 units over amount required to transfer or graduate—would pay the full, unsubsidized per-unit fee of $190.

Barbara Anderson, Dean of Academic Affairs, said that though the measure will affect students who switch majors and attendees who choose to go to back to school for lifelong learning, it will benefit higher education students in general.

“I think [the measure will encourage students] to get down to business and move on with their dreams in a focused and effective way,” she said. “Think of the time spent earning those 30 units. Thirty units is a Master’s degree.”

Pearlman said the schools’ funding is dependant on the state’s decisions.

“There could be some more adjustments. Which direction [they go in] probably depends on how the state budget goes,” Field said. “On budget, we don’t get anything certain . . . It is always year-to-year.”

Upcoming adjustments to the state’s budget will be announced in late July, according to Field.

Though the budget also would also let community colleges may grant waivers to exempt students, the state wouldn’t fund the schools for these exemptions.

The 90-unit cap is being proposed in an effort to “shorten students’ time-to-degree, reduce costs for students and the state, and increase access to more courses for other students,” according to the Brown’s budget.

 $3000 tuition discount for the first 30 units taken at an on -site location

 Up to 30 additional college credits for 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

Students have expressed discontent with the proposed policy. More recently, representatives from California’s community colleges convened in Sacramento earlier this month to protest against budget cuts and the 90-unit cap.

On the other hand, Pierce student Gasia Yeremian, a 23-year-old American Sign Language major who has accumulated an estimated 70 units over her three years in college, agrees with the proposal.

“Where else will they get the money?” Yeremian said.

New library opens without cafeteria Administration seeks vendors

Aarica Roberson /Roundup jmeliton.roundupnews@gmail.com

The opening of Pierce College’s highly-anticipated food court, initially slated to begin serving the school in the new Library and Learning Crossroads Center, has been pushed back.

In the Pierce College Council’s (PCC) Thursday meeting, Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher said Pierce is trading a cafeteria with a single food provider for a more franchised approach incorporating local restaurants.

“We really built a wonderful food court down there, but it’s really made for a large cafeteriatype environment which, in today’s market, doesn’t really prevail,” Schleicher said.

Exact figures weren’t mentioned, but President Kathleen Burke-Kelly touched on the importance of the new food court’s ability to sustain itself financially.

“It doesn’t make sense to bring on companies that are not appealing,” Burke-Kelly said. “We can’t afford to lose money. It has to pay for itself.”

Pierce is still figuring out what eateries will populate the food court that was originally scheduled

3/18 -- Student incident -- A verbal incident between students at 9:50 a.m. in the library created a disturbance. www.myunion.edu

to open with the new library.

“We are looking into the cost of Subway, Panda Express, and whatever else we can get in there that would be viable,” Schleicher said. “As much as I’d like the food court to open in the next month, it won’t happen.” Schleicher said.

The announcement was a bittersweet moment for PCC members like Assistant Bookstore Manager Candy Van.

“I work in the bookstore next to the Freudian Sip, and we want good food,” Van said.

Council members agreed that the change in direction was beneficial and expressed that having wellknown restaurants would be appealing students and faculty.

Only two companies are on board with the project so far, and the question of exactly which companies will be coming to Pierce went unanswered.

“See, the hard part is I’m trying to give people more information so we can move forward. But, then again, I have all these limitations of what I can say,” Schleicher said.

“It’s a little bit challenging because you want to reveal it,”

A date for the food court’s rescheduled opening has not been announced, check our website, theroundupnews.com for updates.

--Compiled by Natalee Ayala and Matt Gottesman

Inked

Students and sta tell the stories behind their ta oos

What is something so important you would want inked permanently on your body? Tattoos can be seen throughout campus on faculty, staff and students. The reasons someone gets a tattoo varies from expressions of art on their bodies, or symbols to important events in their lives. Tattoo artists transform a body into canvases. The visible tattoos hold deeper meaning than what is shown.

Dayana Manriquez/Roundup

Left: Karen Gentry tattooed with colorful Hawaiian flowers that represent “freedom” for her.

Jasson Bautista/ Roundup

Far Left: Department Chair of Physics and Planetary Sciences John Zayac shows his tattoo of the Roman god Neptune that covers up what was originally a poorlytattooed volcano.

Dayana Manriquez/ Roundup

Marcus Jenkin-Moore got his first tattoo at 13 years old, and at 21 now has 30 tattoos across his arms and his chest. He says that all his tattoos are meaningful to him.

Steve Palma/Roundup

Melissa Weisman shows her love for the show “Doctor Who,” which she says saved her life in college, wrapped around her arm.

Steve Palma/Roundup

Fred Orantes, with a tattoo that says “family” that reminds him of his family living out of state.

Varying textures depict emotions

Local artist showcases contemporary work through exhibition in Art Gallery

Art aficionados filed into the Pierce College Art Gallery in anticipation of Los Angeles-based contemporary artist Peter Liashkov’s lecture on Thursday, March 14 for the opening of his exhibition.

Liashkov, a self-described Californian, came to America in the late 1950s where he became an apprentice under Russian figural painter Sergei Bongart. In 1973, he had his first gallery showing at the Ruth Schaffner Gallery in Santa Barbara, Calif.

He is best known for his depictions of the human form that range from realistic to abstract, and utilization of a wide array of materials to convey a three-dimensional tactile quality on a two-dimensional platform.

His materials range from crushed glass to powdered pigment. He creates a textures to convey emotion and tell a story.

“The material is very important. The material suggests certain things in the story that I want to tell,” Liashkov said.

He uses bits of nylon fabric, for example, to depict the fragile makeup of an older person’s skin, transporting the viewer and materializing the of the subject matter in the piece.

ecorrea.roundupnews@gmail.com KPCRadio.com

“When I [paint] an old woman and I bring in elements of nylon that looks like decayed skin, it’s like you’re looking with your eyes, but you’re feeling inside the body what it feels like to be that old,” Liashkov said. “I want the viewer to respond emotionally.”

Above all, he is a storyteller. In fact, he says that if he wasn’t a painter, he would probably be a filmmaker.

“Topography of Memory,” the Pierce exhibition, is a sampling of Liashkov’s artwork compiled by Monika Del Bosque, gallery director and assistant professor of art at Pierce.

“I selected [the artwork] with an eye for the gallery based upon what I knew would look well as far as the layout and space considerations,” Del Bosque said.

Del Bosque chose which pieces would be displayed, and students in Pierce’s exhibition design class put the entire exhibition together.

“In a matter of five weeks, they have learned enough to be able to install a show professionally,” Del Bosque said. “They have done an amazing, incredible job.”

Students in the class hung the artwork, handled the lighting, layout, design, and labeling of the exhibition, a task that was daunting for some.

“In the beginning, it was scary. But after working with the art, it kind of placed itself,” exhibition design student Madeline Weiss, 19, said. “[The

Pierce College’s student-run, internet radio station, KPCRadio.com, is searching for music to run on the air. If you are a local, independent musician with recorded content and would like to have your work featured, contact the staff at studio.kpcr@gmail.com.

artist] has passion for his art and it shone through the work. It made it easy.”

In the installation that is displayed in the exhibit, there is a broken mirror on the floor reflecting the face of a man.

During the process of setting up the art, Liashkov himself dropped by to crush the mirror in the gallery until it was suitable to his aesthetic, but he left all other aspects of the exhibition up to Del Bosque and her art students.

“He left it completely in our hands,” Bianca Pfiefroth, 25, said. “We felt comfortable and trusted each other.”

The gallery also debuted a scannable QR code that provides gallery visitors with an interactive way to view the art.

Visitors can download an app to scan QR codes placed next to the artworks with a smartphone to watch a video about the piece.

The task of setting up the QR codes was no easy feat, according to Del Bosque.

The process took a whole day of filming and editing. Codes had to be linked and videos had to be synced, but she said this is another way to use the gallery as a teaching tool.

“Topography of Memory” runs through April 17 at the Art Gallery. Contact the Art Department at 818-710-2262 for more information. Liashkov is on the web at liashkovart.com.

MASSAGE PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION (300 HOURS)

MASSAGE THERAPIST CERTIFICATION (600 HOURS)

ESTHETICIAN LICENSE (600 HOURS)

NAIL TECHNICIAN LICENSE (400 HOURS)

Monica Salazar/ Roundup

Focusing: (Above) Journalism student Jeremy Nation and artist Peter Liashkov are reflected on one of Liashkovʼs art pieces at the opening of the Pierce College Art Departmentʼs gallery show.

Presenting: (Left) Peter Liashkov discusses his art to an audience in the lecture hall of the art department on March 14. Liashkov describes details of his art on a projector screen.

Baseball

@ Santa Barbara - (L 11 - 3)

@ Rio Hondo, March 28 - 2 p.m.

Sports Briefs

Tennis vs. Ventura - (L 1-8) vs. Irvine Valley, March 29 - 2 p.m.

–Compiled by Danielle Meegan

Women’s volleyball to be honored at Dodger stadium

The Pierce College’s 2012 Women’s State Volleyball Champions will be honored at Dodger Stadium on April 16 before the 7:10 p.m. game against the San Diego Padres Tickets are $20, to reserve tickets contact the Athletic Office by Wednesday, March 27.

Baseball: 8-15 Tennis: 1-11

The baseball team begins this week with a record of 8-15 after a loss to Santa Barbara City College, 11-3, in Santa Barbara on Friday.

Despite the loss, Pierce has been picking up their game by winning three out of their past five games. This is after the team went on a six game losing streak.

Pierce struggled throughout the game against the Vaqueros as four players rotated to take on the position of pitcher.

The Brahma’s next game will be at Rio Hondo on Thursday, March 28. The game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

Softball: 5-16

The team is coming back from a tournament over the weekend at Santa Barbara City College. The team won one out of the three games against Golden West (8-15), 8-7. Pierce lost to Chaffey (18-12), 13-1, and El Camino (12-6), 10-2.

In the game against El Camino, the Brahmas were able to hold off the Warriors until the third inning, where they gave up six runs.

The next game for the softball team will be a doubleheader against Moorpark (12-9) at Pierce’s softball field on Thursday.

This will be the first time the two schools face each other this season. The games will be at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.

The tennis team lost two away games last week. Pierce lost 6-3 to Bakersfield on March 19 and lost to Ventura 8-1 on March 21.

The last time Pierce met with Bakersfield, the team was a few points away from its second win. The match came down to the final doubles match where the team gave up a 7-2 lead to lose in a 9-7 tiebreaker. Bakersfield won 5-4.

Pierce has struggled against the undefeated Ventura team. The last meeting resulted in an 8-1 final. The next match will be at Pierce’s tennis courts against Irvine Valley on Friday, March 29 at 2 p.m.

Men’s volleyball: 8-5

The men’s volleyball team has won its past two games after the team’s lost against El Camino (8-5) which ended Pierce’s three game winning streak.

Pierce defeated Santa Monica (310), 3-1, on Friday March 22. They also defeated Moorpark (7-6), 3-2, on March 20.

Pierce barely won the first two sets, 30-28 and 25-22, but gave them the 2-0 lead. They dropped the next two, 19-25 and 22-25, that led to a final set tiebreaker.

Pierce would come back to win the match 15-12. The team’s next game will be on Wednesday at Santa Barbara (4-9). Pierce won the last meeting against Santa Barbara, 3-2. The game will begin at 6 p.m.

Softball

@ Santa Barbara City College Tournament (W 8-7, L 13-1, L 10-1) vs. Moorpark, March 28 - 1 & 3 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball vs. Santa Monica - (W 3-1)

@ Santa Barbara, March 27 - 6 p.m.

From scars to scholarship Center back overcomes injury, makes it to D-2 soccer program

Eric Jones/Roundup ejones.roundupnews@gmail.com

Dressed in a gray Pierce College T-shirt, black basketball shorts and sandals, Alba Torres, 20, speaks modestly on her soccer skills that led to her transfer to Mercy College in New York.

With her hair tied into a ponytail and her light brown skin beaming off the sunlight, Torres laughs and denies being one of the best players on the Pierce College women’s soccer team.

The road to Mercy College was anything but easy for Torres. Take a closer look at her and you’ll see a permanent scar on her left leg from two years ago, when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) playing for Taft High School.

“I heard everything crack, and then I just collapsed and I just knew everything was wrong,” Torres said. “I just knew it was over, but I still wanted to play.”

Torres required surgery and six months of rehabilitation before she could play again.

After stepping back onto the field, Torres admits there was fear. Fear of re-injuring her knee and having to go through the healing process again.

After one season coming off the bench, Torres became a starter in her second year. That was when she began to get noticed by her coaches for her defensive work on the field.

“Defenders are so important. You have to have a good defense,” said Adolfo Perez, head coach

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of the Pierce College women’s soccer . “Scoring is important, but defending is as important.”

Perez stated that seeing Torres’ confidence growing from year to year was the greatest thing for him. He also says even after being accepted to a NCAA Division II school in New York, she still returned to Pierce for his soccer class.

Torres’ teammate, sophomore goalkeeper April Russell, believes Torres can have an immediate impact on her new team.

“I bet she’s going to be starting this coming season. She does extra training, all the conditioning,” Russell said. “She’s feisty and hard working.”

Russell believes if Torres goes there with her current commitment and the dedication she had coming back from her injury that her coaches will notice and try her out at defender.

With Torres playing the defensive center back position, it didn’t leave many opportunities for her to score on film, so Torres created videos of her defensive highlights and sent them out to different colleges.

Torres is going to Mercy College to major in kinesiology to become a physical therapist.

She doesn’t know anyone there and is leaving her family back in California.

Torres plans to leave for New York in August and intends to live with her new teammates there. Torres admits she doesn’t know what the future will hold for her there but she’s sad, excited and nervous at the same time.

Torres said the chemistry of

this season’s team was the most memorable part about the year.

The whole starting lineup of [last] season’s women’s soccer team are all transferring and going their separate ways.

“We have a really good soccer team, so I’m glad she got the scholarship,” said the Pierce College Athletic Director, Bob Lofrano.

“That’s what they work for.”

Torres says she came to Pierce specifically for the women’s soccer team.

The one thing Torres is going to miss the most out of everything is the bond the team had.

“This team was great with the girls,” Torres said. “Some of my good friends, I met them here.”

Carolyn Arredondo/ Roundup

CENTER BACK: Alba Torres stands at the Pit on March 23.